Page 100 of Seeking Hades' Ember

"I'm here, Ember, I'm here." I flinched before Hades touched my head, but the coolness of his palm relaxed me. The burn didn't feel as awful as it had been, and for a moment, I felt relief. "Why are those naked fuckers trying to come over here? They are looking at what's MINE!" Hades yelled again, going to stand up, but I grabbed his hand.

"Don't leave," I cried as I felt the cool hand touch my forehead.

"Get back!" I heard Dante shift into their Wolves. Ares pounced in his massive form from the other side of the clearing. A loud roar that sounded ancient and ferocious as he was bellowed through the forest. "Back!" he bellowed in his Wolf form, stunning the crowd. Mariah stood beside him and took a battle stance next to him in her much smaller form.

Blaze came out in like a lion. His fire tail swayed as the Wolves cowered back, not enough to keep anyone in my family comfortable, however. Wolves kept approaching, and my dad was getting restless. Feeling the conflict in his heart to protect me and keep his pack safe was causing him to second guess himself as Alpha.

"Hades, you need to take Ember and go to the cabin I told you about…." Mom looked behind her as she saw male Wolves trying to find an opening. "You can't leave the territory, she's still healing, and Elea still needs the assurance from the pack. Put a ward around your cabin, and don't come out until her heat is over." Hades darted his head to my mom with his mouth agape.

"Her heat?!" Mom nodded her head frantically.

"You wanted to bond with her. You got it, both of you LEAVE!” Ember’s Alpha Blood is ten times stronger than that of a normal Wolf in heat! Even Wesley's Alpha voice can't keep them at bay for long!" Hades gripped me in his arms as the smoke came around us as he stood. Smoke tendrils lit fire to the dried leaves that had circled us as the tornado-like smoke hid us from the now ravaging Wolves that were considered my family and friends.

Dante

That wasn't how I planned for everything to go.

I wanted to tell Ember in a more secluded setting and not in our Wolf form. She had other ideas; she always did. When Hades explained her empath abilities, I knew I was screwed; she felt it on me this very day when I led them here.

The heavy guilt and sadness weighed on me for years while she was gone. I led most of the expeditions to surrounding packs and states trying to find her. Her smell was gone; without a trace, no one could track her. At eight years old, I couldn't connect the dots while my family ran around frantically looking for her.

There were no footprints or smells that could help us. Just the twisty vines that had taken over the house and climbed into our rooms, shutting doors that could lead to Ember's escape. The flower that I had gotten for my mother had been hidden in Ember's room, just like the fairy told me I needed to do. My instructions were for me to put it at the top of her closet, it would be the perfect hiding spot, and with her Alpha blood, mom wouldn't be able to smell it. Even though om was strong, she had been Wolfless for so long and only gained some of dad's alpha abilities.

Omegas came by and helped cleaned Ember's room while I sat staring at the window. I was just across the hall, and I heard nothing until her screams echoed through the halls. Replaying it over in my head as an eight-year-old, the thought of a flower bringing the destruction of a happy family never occurred to me.

Once cleaned, I dragged my feet to the closet to see the Moon Orchid not only wilted but crushed. Nothing else in the cabinet had been harmed, just the flower.

My tiny gears turned in my head, and that was when I realized the Fairy had tricked me. She was able to get on the territory and take my sister. I howled for hours after finding the flower; my mother found me clutching it as she tried to console me.

Mom certainly thought it was because of my sister being gone and her birthday being ruined. "It was a beautiful flower, Dante." She kissed my head. "We will celebrate my birthday again when your sister comes home." Her breath deepened as she carried me back to her bed. Mom laid with me that night, as well as my brothers in their large bedroom. We all slept in mom and dad's room for at least two months after Ember was gone.

My mother slept with her monster child that led an evil entity to her innocent daughter.

That moment on, I swore to find her. I couldn't bear losing my parents, too, so I never told them what had happened with the tiny Fairy. Now was the time to come clean, and I wasn't going to hold it in anymore.

Ember knew the truth, and she says she forgives me because, let's face it, she's like mom. Mom always had a heart of gold. I thanked the goddess that Ember was gifted with empath abilities because I could not put into words the feelings I had for Ember and the sorrow I carried with me for years.

Wolves dispersed as Ares turned back into his god form. I heard Ember call the little fireball, Blaze, and he shot back down to his petite size and hopped on my shoulder. His head rubbed against my cheek while I stood in shock. "He likes you," Ares spoke. "You have a strong Wolf too that's in distress. Blaze is trying to comfort him," he chided. "Anything on your mind?" I looked away from him. Hell yeah, I've got a lot on my mind.

My family walked up to me, concerned as they waved for me to follow them.

"Maybe it's best we all go inside. Everyone is going to need to hear what I have to say.” Dad nodded as he patted my shoulder as he led us back to our home.

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