Mia
Pain.
I scream as I drag myself from the wreckage. My head felt light and my body felt like a rock drenched in blood. Oh god. There was so much blood.
Fuck. I think as I collapse on a nearby tree. What the hell was that on the road? A deer? A person? I'm glad I swerved out the way but Peter's gonna be pissed I totaled the new car he gave me for my sixteenth birthday after only a month of having it.
I grit my teeth and try to look around for my phone. I need help. I'm going to bleed out at this rate. However, I notice my vision starts to get blurry.
"It should be done now." A stern voice says. It sounds like an older woman with a strain to her voice.
"She doesn't want it. I won't force her." Peter?
"Look at her, if she dies Melody will never forgive you.."
The voices fade away and it's quiet for a moment. For a long time, I don't feel anything. Suddenly, a shearing white hot fire erupts over my skin and I'm shot back to reality, but I don't see the forest.
There's a tunnel filled to the brim with sharp needles and a white light coming out the other end. Is this death? I don't have much time to think about it as the needles dig into my flesh, tearing it like paper and drawing blood.
"You have to come out." A voice calls to me.
I begin to crawl but the pain is too much. I can't do this. I don't want to do this. Tears stream down my face as I stop crawling, ready to call it quits.
"Nonsense." The older woman from earlier snaps.
Within a spilt second, dark purple flames envelop my body, making the pain I'm feeling ten times worse. Against my will, my body begins to move. Faster and faster, as if something took hold of me and is forcing me out the other side.
Stop. I try to scream but nothing comes out. Stop this.
The moment my body hits the light, I convulse. Each bone in my body shatters and reforms. My skin tears from the muscle and is replaced by something warm and soft. The burning pain triples resulting in a scream of agony tearing from my chest. However, when it came out, it didn't sound normal. It didn't sound human at all.
"Madness." The woman whispered.
I only saw red as my eyes shot open. My lungs gasped for air as my mind caught up with the present. I felt a slight shake in my movements that I knew couldn't have been caused by me.
"Jesus, Madness. Calm down. You're okay. We're almost there." Merida's tender voice caused my head to spin in her direction. My wolf-Madness-retreated back, bringing other colors back into my field of vision.
I breath as the memories of last night slowly come back to me. Merida shattering my door like a cardboard box, our fight, me interrogating her, and lastly, my agreement. Which is the whole reason we're currently on the road back to Minnesota, to this Saga Moon Pack or whatever she called it. Or are we we already there?
As if she read my mind, Merida points to the GPS on her dashboard. We're thirty minutes away.
"Are you okay?" She asks. "It shocked me to see Madness jump out like that."
Madness stirred strangely inside of me at the sound of her name. I held myself closely. My arms acting like a cage that'll keep her bound inside of me. I don't need this beast taking over again. Twice in less than a week was more than enough.
"I'm fine. Just a nightmare."
"Do you wanna-" I cut her off quickly.
"No."
She sighs and turns her attention back to the road, while I decide to study the endless rows of oak, maple, and cedar in attempt to shake off past feelings.
Contrary to the time displayed on the GPS, Merida finishes our trip in twenty minutes. We stop near a large black metal gate surrounded by a brick wall covered in vines and flowers. Geez, how much did they spend on this?
Merida rolls down her window and presses a finger to the speaker box. My eyes immediately lock on to her straight white hair.
When I left, she had cut it short but I guess she'd let it grow out. I blank as my hand reaches towards her, suddenly feeling an unsettling urge to touch it. I pull my hand back and Madness stirs causing me to wrap my arms around myself.
I shove that feeling in the back of my mind as the gate opens and we come upon a literal palace.
Well, palace is somewhat of an over-exaggeration but it just goes to show how enormous this "house" is. A vast manor stacked by a double sized mansion that looked like something out of a tv show.
An endless garden maze of flowers spread from the building to the forest that surrounded the place and as we park next to the driveways center, there stood a massive marble fountain with small cupids pouring water from the top onto the levels below.
I whistle in awe as I step out of the vehicle. She skimped out on a few key details when talking about this place. I scanned the endless sea of flowers that ended at the tree line and wondered how far the forest goes.
Madness stretches inside me, slowly falling in love with the open space and prodding me to explore it. It occurred to me then that I never let her run openly. We were always restricted to a small section of the city park once a month.
What am I thinking? We still are. This change is only temporary.
"Come on," Merida beckons, "Father wants to talk with us briefly."
"For what?" God, please don't force me to met this man.
"Well.." Merida sings as she lightly scratches the back of her head, "I might have broke a few rules."
I rise an eyebrow and gasp in mock surprise. "The perfect little princess turning into a rule breaker, I'm shocked! But I'm confused on why I need to come."
She rolls her eyes as she replies. "It's custom. All wolves of the pack need to greet their Alpha."
The lighthearted mood is shot down as Madness growls, taking over through me an in instant as a show of direct rejection against Peter being referred as our Alpha.
This causes Melody to rise to the surface through Merida. In an instant, I'm pushed against the white brick wall, Melody's arm on my collar. Her raging light ocean eyes bare through me.
"Calm down, Madness."
A struggle between Melody and Madness takes place before Melody finally curses and retracts her order. "Madness, it's not good to show hostility in front of a pack. Especially when there's injured wolves inside."
I pull a reign on Madness, pushing her back into myself. Once Madness retreats, Melody does as well, leaving Merida and I inches away from each other.
"Why did she suddenly come out like that." Merida asks as she steps back from me.
"She didn't like that you referred to Peter as my Alpha. To her, she doesn't have one." To me as well.
Something flashed in her eyes. "Noted. But like Melody said, the pack is on edge right now. A few of our members were injured recently. The balance between the person and the wolf is already hard to maintain, but if they feel threatened the wolf will take over."
"Noted." I say as we enter the mansion.
It's difficult for me to describe the place since I'm mostly focused on keeping Madness at bay and my eyes to Merida's white hair. She stirs uneasily again as over a dozen people stare at us as we walk the hall.
I hold myself to keep her from staring back but this damn beast wants nothing more than to challenge every wolf in this place.
Can you calm down? We don't need to start another fight. I think to her but I still can't push away the feeling of agony and dread as we approach what I assume to be Peter's office.
Merida opens the door and I'm flooded with the scent of Jasmine and old memories. Frames capturing our family moments line the walls along with an unlit country style fireplace and a double shot barrel gun overhead. I notice a few of the pictures capture moments between an older white haired woman and two young children- a boy and a girl that I instantly recognize as Merida.
Two pairs of leather brown seats that match with the brown couch near the door rest throughout the office. One pair face the fireplace whereas the other face the wide desk that faces Peter.
His tall and muscular frame compliments the large black chair he rests on. But with the way his ancient and hardened ocean eyes settle on us alerts me that he's anything but relaxed. For a moment, my hatred of him snuffs out as an invisible weight sets into me.
How did Merida manage to piss him off? I'm almost jealous.
There was no response as his cold gaze took us in, the weight of that stare caused my wolf to tremble. So, this is an Alpha. I thought. It's strange to feel this now after I spent so much time with him, but adding a wolf to the equation changes things, I suppose.
I held Madness tighter, forcing her not to bend as Peter's eyes lingered on me, stopping once he reached my face. For the first time, Madness slightly shrinks back, refusing to meet his eyes.
Merida's sheepish voice sliced into the tension. "Mia's agreed to stay for a while."
Peter's voice is gentle betraying his stern appearance. "How are you?"
That disgusting fatherly tone enrages me. How are you? How are you? The anger rises with each word causing me to met his eyes in a blatant act of defiance.
As our eyes lock, the room begins to spin. Caution nudges me to break but anger keeps me still. "Well, Peter," I spat, sarcasm and defiance drip with every word, "I'm perfectly fine. Thank you for your concern."
"Mia." Holding my glare, I see a battle rage in his eyes. One that I'm deeply familiar with. Wolf against man.
"Why am I here?" I demand.
"Mia, stop-" Merida begins but silences completely when Peter raises a hand in her direction.
"It's okay." The war in his eyes settle, Peter completely in control. "Your mother and I decided it would be best for you to stay here. Something's been attacking our members and keeping the pack together is the best way to keep everyone safe."
"I'm not part of your pack, nor do I want to be." I scoff. "I'll be leaving by the end of the week."
Peter closes his eyes, breaking our contact and breathes, "We sold your apartment."
WHAT?? There are few words to describe the absolute shock and rage that courses through me.
"You sold my apartment!!" I growl. "What gave you the right-"
"I need you to understand-"
"Understand!! What the fuck is there to understand?" I snap.
"Something is going after the females in this pack!" His booming voice does nothing to quell the fury in my chest. "This was necessary-"
"Screw this. I'm leaving." I turn to the door and Melody moves to try to stop me but it's pointless. Peter can't keep me here and there's no way in hell I'm staying. Apartment or not, I was leaving.
I grab the door knob and nearly rip the thing off it's hinges, but my heart stops before I can make another step. Anger turns to grief immediately as I stare into an older reflection of myself.
Madness settles inside me, calming down for the first time in four years and a wave of comfort settles over me as the warmth of my mother's arms wrap around me.
Tears streaked her face, killing me inside. My anger lost. I wrap my arms around her as she calls my name silently, again and again.
"Ma-" The word chokes me and she grabs my face.
Swiping a finger over a tear I never realized fell, I study her face as her eyes take a quick glance behind me. "I want to talk with you." Her soft voice trembles, "Please."
"Yes," I whisper, nodding to her. Her face still looks young but her the color in her eyes have dulled. "Yes."
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