Quick recap: it's been a while, so this is just a simple condensed reminder. Of where we left off at the shadow Fang pack.
Council member Marcus finds the distressed, centuries-old wolf, Deborah, deep in the forest, followed secretly by Boris. After Marcus covers her, Deborah awakens and, triggered by his council cloak, relives a traumatic memory of an old killing tied to a scar on the oak tree. Marcus calms her with a phrase ("A wolf is always free"), initiating her final, painful shift into her wolf form. She howls and then dies.
Boris carries her back to the village where the Alpha places her in the central fire. In a final act of reverence, he forces the entire pack to shift and guide her spirit on its "final run" to the fields of Nyx. Boris offers the traditional wolf farewell as the pack mourns.
End of recap.
At first light, the visiting pack made their departure from the Shadow Fang territory. A palpable somberness and chilling sense of finality clung to the visitors, a stark contrast to the ever-present smiles of the Shadow Fang pack members, who offered each guest a pleasant goodbye.
"Until then, friend." Marcus said, extending his hand to the Shadow Fang Alpha. Their hands met in a firm shake as Marcus offered his well wishes.
"Until then, friend," the Alpha returned.
The departing group was a mix of individuals. Some felt fundamentally changed by their encounter with the Shadow Fang pack, while others remained confused by the influential, yet hidden, pack. No two people seemed to have the same experience.
As they crossed out of the main territory, every member of the departing group kept their eyes peeled for danger. Skyler positioned herself with the Guardians, moving with the practiced readiness of someone who had long been one of them, her muscles coiled and eager to kill any feral that dared approach. Regina and Raven took up positions near the middle of the group, their heads swiveling as they surveyed their respective areas.
A sudden, vicious laugh, feral and chilling, rang out. Before Raven could even fully register the sound, a feral wolf was upon her. Her blood ran cold as the wolf, mid-laugh, transformed back into his human form. Without a warning or a word, his teeth shifted instantaneously back into those of his wolf. He clamped down hard on her shoulder, a sharp, searing pain blossoming as he claimed her as his own.
A piercing scream tore from Regina's throat as she witnessed the wolf marking her sister. In an instantaneous flash of rage, Skyler's eyes turned to black pits as she shifted into her massive wolf form and charged low and fast toward the feral male.
The wolf, with his arms wrapped tightly around Raven, pulled her body away from Skyler's furious lunge. He held her tight to his chest as a vicious growl rumbled deep in his own chest. His mouth moved awkwardly, the muscle and bone shifting back into its human configuration. His once coal-black eyes began to clear slightly, a fleeting glimpse of his true blues beneath the dark, stormy sea of emotion. "Me muum a t. Me ate," he growled, the words strained and broken. A mild clarity began to filter into his mind as he held his mate protectively.
Raven's shaky fingers lifted to touch the fresh, slick blood on her marked shoulder. She could feel the bond already forming between them, tethering them together for eternity. Her eyes widened in terror. When she returned home, she would be ostracized. Her pack, constantly at war, forbade mating with fated mates. The risk of losing one's mind upon a mate's death was too great, so they had simply stopped mating with their destined ones. She had never assumed she would meet her fated mate, and if she had, she would have assumed he'd be an un-mated member of her own pack.
"What have you done!" she finally whispered, the question raw with pain and disbelief.
"Sister," Regina breathed, her voice filled with helplessness.
"Congratulations!" Gianna chirped, oblivious to the gravity of the situation, but joyous that someone else's day had gone terribly wrong.
"I'll tear out your throat, shut up!" Skylar screamed, her wolf form crouched defensively. She shifted back to human and pointed her sword at the feral wolf, the silver shining menacingly. "We will deal with this back at our pack. You are coming with us!"
"He can't leave. She has to stay," Carly said, her voice unexpectedly calm as she stepped forward. She was the first to speak with any authority.
"You don't order me around! This is pack business. You do not get to dictate how we live!" Skyler yelled, her entire body rigid with outrage.
Taking a deep, measured breath, Carly walked closer to the chaotic scene. "Hello, friend," she greeted the feral wolf, her gaze softening slightly before turning a hard stare on the warden wolves. "This pack—to a degree—they are trapped within a certain radius of the village. Only ferals can leave, but only if they choose to forget everything." Carly's eyes held Skyler's. "They need to freely choose to forget their home pack. Otherwise, they cannot leave. No feral has ever left."
Skyler blinked repeatedly, shock and disbelief churning in her gut. That couldn't be true. They were constantly fighting ferals and rogue wolves; this place had to be a source.
"They were cursed?" Regina asked, her voice tight with fear for her sister. She hadn't moved any closer to Raven, feeling the familial bond they shared lesson, overtaken by the stronger, more powerful mate bond. Her eyes began to water without her permission as she stared helplessly at her sister.
"It's not a curse. A wise, Red-made Queen decided to give them peace without imprisoning them," Marcus interjected as he continued walking past the scene. The squabbles of mates and love were none of his concern. "Only those who truly wanted to forget could leave. Every time a feral gets to the border, they feel and can hear the witch's voice that cast the spell. The closer to the edge, the stronger the feeling of truly losing yourself. When they cross out of the radius, they can't even remember their soul's memories. You have to leave it all behind, and then they can start anew. It's a gift of peace. No matter how much of their mind they lose, they never lose their home. It is a selfless gift."
Taking their cue from Marcus, the Guardians, betas, and Alpha's daughters all continued moving, leaving behind Raven, Regina, Skyler, and the feral wolf to their fate.