Mia
We must all make the choice between what is right and what is easy.
I stormed out the office as the wind whisks past me. As the door slams shut, the crashing sound of a chair meeting the hard wall of the office at an alarming speed breaks into the hallway.
I don't care if you leave me again. She told me. But are you really going to do that to Mother? Again?
How dare she!
That was a low one, even for her.
She knows I would've died if Madness didn't get me out of there that night. And now, not only is my life at stake once again but now the entire pack's at risk. How could she even think to use Ma against me!
Several wolves tense up as I pace pass them up to my room, carefully avoiding the mess of wooden planks and tools. Despite my anger, it always amazes me to witness how quickly they can repair the pack house.
Caleb and Victor are silent as they pass different sized nails and tools back and forth to each other. Victor looks up at me briefly giving me a look of empathy before turning back to his work and drilling a small hole at the side of the thick oak.
I'm doing this for them. I convince myself on the way up to my room. Darkness attacked once and it's possible he'll try again.
And she thinks I'm just running away! For nothing!
As I approach my room, I notice Kristen sitting curled up by the closed doorway. Her head raises up slightly when I approach.
"She didn't want me in there." Kristen whispers. My heart breaks for her and I wish there was something I could do. But right now, the only thing I can do for anyone is just leave.
"I'm sorry. Just— give her-" I sigh throwing my head back. This is just too much. One thing after another. 181Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ52jnNQDjFt
"It's okay. I get it." She replies. "But Misery doesn't want to leave."
"Sorry." I walk into the room closing the door behind me.
Alexandria looks tired as she sits on the edge of my bed, when the door closes she jumps up from the bed in a near panic.
"Shit." She shrieks. It's only been a few hours since the attack and it shows on her. Her jacket is missing, her hair is slightly riled, her eyes are lightly reddened, and her clothes are distraught. I heard from Dr. Scott that luckily she suffered no serious injuries, only minor scratches.
"Sorry. I-" I push the palms of my hands into my eyes in a half hearted attempt to stop my emotions from pouring out. "Sorry."
Ṣangó's message, Alexandria's appearance, Darkness's attack, and Merida's words. So many things happening one after another and I've never just had a single moment to sit and deal with it all.
It just feels like too much. So much to deal with. I don't even know where to begin.
Warm arms wrap around me as my anger morphs into the one thing I didn't want to face.
"Hey, hey. It's okay." My sister whispers as she embraces me.
My shoulders shake as my body begins to tremble. All the rage I had built shattered within my sisters gentle presence. I didn't want to leave. I never wanted to.
Over these months, I'd finally began to find my place here. With Ma and Peter. With Merida. And now I was being told to leave and if I didn't it's likely I would die and so would those close to me.
I bury my face into my sister's shirt and I let go. My chest aches as the tears free themselves and slide one after another until they become an endless stream.
We got lucky last night. But luck can't save everyone. There's going to be a moment. A small one, when we least expect it.
A moment when one of these wolves, someone we care about, will die because of me. If I don't leave, their blood will be on my hands. Their deaths will be my fault.
I would give the world to tell Merida everything and just leave it to her. To entrust all of my problems to her. How easy it would be.
But reality isn't easy. Madness and I both know we can trust Merida. But if we were to tell her the truth, how could we trust her to choose me over her own blood? Her own brother?
She wouldn't. I know she wouldn't. And neither would Peter.
Darkness believes I am a threat. My father told me that the only way to survive him is to leave with Alexandria.
I need to do this.
"Why?" I ask my sister through a harsh breath. "Why did you come for me?"
"Dad asked me to."
"Do you— know about it?"
She laughed. "I know a little bit about a lot. You have to be more specific."
She pulled back slightly and brushed her finger over my cheek like she did when we were children. There were many things she did for me when I was young, especially before Merida came. I wonder how my life would've turned out if it had been me instead of her. Would I've searched for her as desperately as she did for me? Would she had become a werewolf instead of me? Would she have chosen it?
"Shaman." I said, not wanting to accidentally give away too much.
She nodded. "He told me very little. But he also told me not to speak of it until we were somewhere safe."
"We are safe. Here. In the pack." I tell her.
"No, Mia. I know you want to believe that but I mean safe among the Laibon."
As the words left her, I thought back to that voice last night. The woman, or at least I think she was, told me the same thing. That I was one of the Laibon.
"Are they going to be the ones to help me? Why not you?"
She shrugged. "I suppose. I'm not a shaman myself, so I alone can only do so much and Dad is... doing something right now so he won't be back in San Francisco for a few weeks."
"Did he tell you anything else? Maybe something about Darkness?"
"No, but I'm certain he had his reasons." She walked back to the bed and sat down. Patting the place next to her, she beacons me over. "Look Mia, I'm realizing this is probably hard for you."
"Hard is putting it lightly." I laugh humorlessly.
"Dad said you needed to be trained. For what? I can only figure you know. But if you don't want to leave—"
"Dad came to me." I blurt out silently. "He told me that someone has been trying to kill me."
Alex freezes. "What?"
"Someone is trying to kill me." I repeat. "They've been trying for months, it seems, but Dad's been interfering but he won't always be able to. Last night seems to be one of their... bolder attempts."
My sister lightly scratches the back of her head. "So those attacks aren't something that just... happens with werewolves?"
I shake my head. "Darkness is coming after me. Probably because he believes I'm a threat to him."
My sister leans forward and places her head in her hands. Her face twisted in agony before it settles into a strange calm. I slowly begin to tense as I await a response from her.
She suddenly jolts up from the bed and begins to pace the room from one end to the other. On the other side of the door, I can hear Kristen's body shift on the floor in response to her mate's urgency.
Alexandria eyes go towards the door sensing Kristen somehow before going to her phone. A minute goes by as she types something.
How well can werewolves hear?
"Quite well. But as far as I know they can't hear whispers through these walls." I responded quietly.
More typing. I think I can piece together why Dad sent me here.
"Alex-" She cuts me off abruptly with a finger to her mouth as a signal.
No more talking. From this point forward.
I nod as a reply.
Do you know anything about this person?
Another nod. More typing.
Don't say anything until we are in the car and on the road.
I hesitate and then nod softly.
When we get to San Fransico, Dad wanted me to bring you to Madam Ann. She's one of us. Not a shaman, but something else. She'll be the one to help train you for right now.
I nod.
She drops her phone on the bed and comes to me. Kneeling down so that we're at eye level she places both hands on my shoulders. "I don't need to be a shaman to see how much this place means to you. If you want to come back after this is finished, then I'm certain no one will stop you. But besides Dad, you are the only shaman among us. The Laibon are protective of the bloodlines that are fading. We need to do whatever it takes to help you fight this person."
"I will." I nod once again. "I will do whatever it takes."
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