Chapter 10.
-Lisa's POV-
Somewhere over into the morning, the doctor and a nurse came in and they mention blood work, skin samples and that two nurses would be in to clean me up later. I still had dried blood in my hair and my wounds needed cleaning as well.
I laid there willing the doctor to insist Jasper leave the room while they did so. I didn't want any man near me while undressed. I was too embarrassed. I was skin and bones. Skin, and bones, and scars, and bruises.
My hopes were answered when I heard a male voice I didn't recognize enter the room. Jasper's demeanor changed instantly.
-Jasper's POV-
"Bastian, what is it?"
"Relax Jas, I just wanted to check on her. They still got her down?"
"Yeah man, they said rest is the best thing for her, she was down bad. But she's hanging in there and fighting her way through. She's so strong."
"She definitely is. I can feel that. She's gorgeous Jas, really. I have never seen anyone with hair like that. It has to be dyed right?"
"I thought so too, but no, they tested it. It's natural. I wonder if it's something to do with genetics maybe?"
"Who knows man. Look, I hate to drag you away from her, but I really need you so we can start separating the pack. I have Lili and Aggie here to sit with her, and Laurie will come back later on. I need to sort these people and get them into other packs or find someone capable of leading them. But with both alpha, beta, and delta couples arrested, there's no one else to do it. Apparently, the gamma couple disappeared years ago and no one knows anything about it other than they were labeled traitors and poof gone soon after. They were not like the others. They were good people. I would like to find them or records of what may have happened to them if they were ejected or… well, we won't go there yet. Aggie said the guard we let go, Johnny, knows the land better than anyone else, so he can help us with the more rural areas."
"Ok. Just let me make sure doctor says she won't wake up today, I want to make sure I don't miss it. I want to be the first person she sees."
"I already did, he's keeping her under at least another day or two. She isn't strong enough yet." Bastian walked over and brushed a chunk of hair from her forehead. "Call the doctor in, she feels a bit warm."
I ran and got the doctor immediately. He came in and checked her overall temp. while it was a bit higher than normal, it wasn't anything dangerous and he assured us it was part of her healing process. Still, he gave her some Tylenol in her IV and patted her hand.
"She's very strong Beta Jasper. I am expecting the results of her blood tests to come in this evening. Would you like to be there when I open them?"
We both nodded. I wanted to know just who my mate is. I just know she's special and I don't care what she is, she can be a witch, a wolf or anything, as long as she's mine. But, for practical reasons, we need to know so we can see if we're genetically compatible for offspring….
That thought caught me out of nowhere. Babies? Where the hell did that come from? I never pictured myself as the paternal sort…. But now? I can definitely see it…. Even if we adopt pups. I want a pack with my mate.
Sebastian gave me a side glance, he can sense my emotions and I can bet he is confused at where my head's at. I just turned my head in a cheeky grin and left it alone.
We come up on the Thorne packhouse and I rolled my neck and shoulders. Most pack members were already assembled but the patrols were still reaching out to the rural areas for anyone they missed. I was joining Johnny for the northside and we set out in wolf form.
My wolf, Ryko, was a massive shaggy reddish brown wolf with black tipped ears and paws. He was only slightly smaller than Sebastian's wolf, Lync, and for that he was very proud.
Ryko used to talk more, but after everything we went through with our first mate, then the pain of her death, he went quiet, preferring only to speak when necessary.
Johnny's wolf was a small brown wolf but surprisingly fast. He was able to keep up with me without falling too far behind. We made the rounds through the rural houses and on the way back around the back half of our loop he stopped. He tilted his head and shifted, I trotted over and tilted my head in his direction.
"Something doesn't feel right here. I sense something wrong. No, not wrong something strange. I can't describe it."
I shifted back.
"No, I feel it too. Something is definitely different here…." I picked up a pinecone and tossed it in the direction of the small clearing. We both watched in astonishment as it got to a spot and just disappeared. I used my Beta voice, not as strong as an alpha command but still effective on any lower rank than Beta.
"-IF ANYONE IS THERE, COME OUT IMMEDIATELY BY COMMAND OF BETA JASPER OF MOONCLIFF- YOUR ALPHA IS FALLEN, THIS TERRITORY IS NOW UNDER OUR CONTROL. -COME FORTH NOW-"
In only a small moment a man and woman came forward through the smear. Both were ranked, not highly, but I could sense it.
"-State your names and ranks!-" I commanded
"We are former Gammas Charels and Stacey. We mean no harm." The man said baring his neck to me in submission.
"The Alpha has fallen?" Stacey asked.
"Yes, he and the former Alpha, his Luna and the former's are all in Mooncliff dungeons. Seems we missed a few of their party." I said with a snarl.
Johhny stepped between us. I growled at him and he put his hands up defensively.
"Woah, wait a second. Hold on. They don't know anything. They've been missing for years. Three to be exact. Since former Alpha Leon branded them traitors and set them for execution. They somehow got out and I guess they've been hiding here?" he looked at Charles.
"Execution? For what exactly." I asked eyeing them suspiciously.
"My father was Leon's Gamma, I took over when he and my mother died in a rogue attack, but Stace and I, we, we couldn't carry out the commands we were given. We did our best, but when they ordered us, to harm that poor girl, to do such unspeakable things to a young girl who was already so mistreated…I… I just couldn't…. I directly refused and disobeyed an order, I cut ties to the Alpha and refused to follow him. He ordered us executed, but Stacey had a friend when she was younger, a girl who is a wolf/fae mix. Laura? Anyways, she used to come here, with her, we knew it was here and we eventually found it. We initially kept it to ourselves when we were teens we'd sneak out here to neck and get away for a bit. But when we were being hunted to be killed we made a fake trail and doubled back to hide here. We've been here for three years now. Hiding from Leon. It's protected you see. By magic. Only magic or those invited into it are able to find this place. Very few wolves can even sense something off. And usually, it has a spell that deters someone from coming too close, but for some reason, it let you find us."
"So, you've been here for three years, hiding out? What did you do for food? Clothing? Shelter?" I asked skeptically.
"Let me show you." Stacey said. She raised her hand and pricked her finger with a claw. "My blood, her blood, bonded and true, sister not of blood but of heart, treasured always, loved forever, allowed completely." She flicked the blood towards the clearing. "I allow these few in, through the bond and blood."
With that she took my hand and Johnny's hand and pricked our fingers quickly and mixed our blood with hers and flicked it again. The air shimmered. It swirled with an iridescence and she walked us through.
On the other side of the shimmer was a cottage, small, stone, and what you'd see in a fairytale forest. It had a flowing stream running through it, tidy gardens and even some chickens and roosters. A waterwheel seemed to power a small generator that ran some basic lights, a small stove and fridge, and a fan. The cottage had a thatched roof and a small stone path leading to the water.
Stacey then showed us the inside of the cottage, there was a bedroom, a loft room a small kitchen and living area, and a stone root cellar with jarred goods and hanks of what I guessed was salt cured venison hanging from the ceiling.
It looked like they were telling the truth, they'd been hiding here for years to avoid being hunted down and killed for not wanting to be cruel to a young gir…. Wait. Hold on. Were they implying my mate? The absolute anger washed over me. My aura slipped out causing the other three to cower and bare their necks.
"Sorry, sorry. It slipped. When you said they commanded you to harm a young girl…. Would that have been Lisa?" I asked
"Yes, that's the girl, why?" Charels asked confusion on his face.
Stacey elbowed him. "Be quiet you dope, Lisa is your mate isn't she Beta Jasper?"
"She is. I barely saved her after that prick Lucas nearly killed her. He mated then rejected her, he refused to let her reject him, then whipped her near to death, and then, somehow after she survived that, tried to finish her off by claiming that vile tramp of his in front of her. She is even now in a coma to protect her while she heals and that prick is in my Alpha's dungeons along with all the other filth and evil this pack had hiding."
"Oh that poor girl. I worried for her, I couldn't prove it, but I knew. She was his mate. I knew from the attention he paid to her, the closeness I felt to her, and the way he clung tighter to that she devil Natalie. She was too young to realize the bond however, so she had no idea why he was so mean to her. No matter how hard she tried to keep her head down and do as she was told, Natalie would find something she did wrong and would verbally abuse her. I spoke out once. I told her that a future Luna should be protective of all of her pack members, especially the weakest. But she slapped me and told me if I questioned her again she'd have me whipped five times for questioning the future Luna's ability."
"Yeah well, they're both guests of our cells, and let me just say, it's far from the Ritz. I'm sure she's just loving our accommodations…." I sneered.
"Honestly, I'd pay to see that. Her royal acting ass sitting in a cell? No designer clothes, no expensive imported silk sheets, no evian water, and no gourmet frou-frou health foods? Oh man. That has got to be a sight!" by this point Stacey was nearly doubled over laughing. She had an adorable laugh. Almost like a kid with a new puppy. I couldn't help but chuckle along with her.
We brought them back to the packhouse and almost everyone just stopped and stared at them like they'd seen a ghost, and in a way I guess they were. A woman and man that were probably in their mid-60's ran up to Stacey and grabbed her in a huge hug.
"MOM! DAD! OH I MISSED YOU!!!" Stacey yelled. "Oh I have really missed you! I am sorry I disappeared. I had no choice but to hide. Oh! Oh mom! Don't cry. I'm home." They were all standing in a massive group hug and I could feel the love radiating off of the group. Two other couples ran up and joined the group. Another older couple. Clearly Charles's parents and what I am guessing was his brother/sister and in-law. I couldn't help but to feel like this is exactly why we needed to do this. To bring families back together. Families that had no reason or business to have been separated to begin with.
Sebastian wandered over to me and bumped my shoulder with his. His smile was all I needed to know he felt the same way I was. He cleared his throat and addressed the crowd.
"Does anyone here want to nominate, or voluntarily join a trial to be Alpha of this pack. We will be testing strength, character, and ability to lead for anyone who wants to try for Alpha position of this pack. If not, we will disband the pack and find homes for each and every one of you. Rest assured, we will not leave you packless or homeless. We will post a sign up sheet outside the Alpha office door. In the meantime, I'll stay on until the matter is settled. Just know, anyone who already wishes to move packs, there will be another sheet for you to fill out and we will make a meeting with you, and the Alpha of whichever pack you want to join."
By the end of the day, 15 families had filled out for meetings to move packs and we had 5 signed up for Alpha position.