Death's Saviour
Chapter Twenty-Six: Dusk

Author's Song of the Chapter: 10,000 Hours by Dan, Shay and Justin Bieber

Days pass as we all spend them in the forest getting Garth and Sicora used to being Wolves. They shifted that very night that Noah bit them. They have adapted and changed quickly, quicker than I’ve ever seen before. They didn’t adapt quicker than Noah and Carl, I don’t think anyone ever will. I’m starting to think it’s because they are all-natural born Wolves, they just had their birthright robbed from them, now it has been returned. We are an interesting bunch of Wolves if one was to ever see us. Lora and I both have fur black as night, so we can either blend into the shadows or stick out like a sore thumb. Noah’s fur is a dark enough brown that is almost black looking beside mine. Garth is the complete contrast to Noah, he has almost gold fur streaked with brown and his eyes are the only thing that runs him from a cuddly-looking creature to an animal capable of destruction, he is a deep shade of grey like stormclouds. Sicora’s the funniest looking of us because of her thick, thick curly fur that is a chocolate brown standing up on end making her appear like a big fluff ball. Sicora’s eyes are vibrantly purple enough so that it makes her appear almost as a magical creature created by your mind, though technically speaking we are all magical creatures in the mind of humans. I glance around once more at the pack that is starting to form around me and let my tongue roll out of my mouth in a gesture of how content I feel. Carl has gained respect rather quickly as Noah’s beta though Sicora likes to push him. Lora sits off to the side of us watching though she does not see, yet in her own way she does. Lora can see through her other senses and that is the reason she is so wise. She has overcome the injuries that were inflicted on her and come out the other side as a better, stronger person. Suddenly I pick up a scent that I know, I also know that it does not belong here. Rising to my paws I pick two other scents up with it, scents that have my hackles rising`1`.

‘Go into the bushes now and wait!’ - I command through my mind to all the others, they obey instantly as they go into the bushes.

Only Noah remains in the open with me. Carl follows Lora into the bushes, Lora has taken great care to him as she treats him almost as if he were her own son. It is a heartwarming bond for me. Noah and I stand tall waiting hackles raises as Wolves approach us. I note that it is not a full moon, so it is very possible these Wolves have been sent to track and kill us, they will die trying. The bushes in front of us shake as the Wolves step from them, it is three Wolves all with white-fur.

‘Why would the Wolf who attacked you return?’ - Noah’s voice asks in my mind, but I do not reply to him.

Instead, I focus on the oldest Wolf, the one who is obviously in command of the other two from the way they stay slightly behind her. It is here that I face full-on training my eyes on hers. My gaze ruffled her feathers making her uneasy, I can tell from the way she stands when they stop a little ways away from us.

‘Have you come to die?’ - I growl out in their minds as they glance between each other, I leave the link open so everyone else can hear their response and my words.

‘You did a kindness to us when my daughter Cassie broke the rules and attacked you. You let her live and returned her to me, safe from the pack. I need that kindness again for my other daughter Lily, she is like the two from the hospital, a hybrid Wolf with powers. She needs your help Hellhound!’ - A woman’s voice comes into my mind speaking gently but in a pressing tone.

My eyes flicker from her to the small Wolf who sways lightly, and a green hue surrounds her. I focus on her for a moment, flowers have sprouted about her paws and small saplings beside her seem to grow as if its process has been sped up. This youngest Lily has the power of nature itself.

‘Why should I help you? How do I know this isn’t a trap?’ - I ask but my tone is less menacing and more considering.

‘They have risked their lives by changing to come and replace us if we send them away surely the pack will kill them.’ - Noah’s thoughts come into my mind and I know he is thinking the same train of thoughts that I am, I just want to make sure first.

‘They don’t seem like the type to plan a trap.’ - Carl’s statement travels from the bushes where he is hidden.

‘The young girl, she is like us, we should give her a chance at the very least.’ - Garth points and I don’t disagree.

‘There is no trap, the white fur pack has been horrible, they have done many wrongs. For as long as I could I tried to hide and provide for my daughters in a safe manner. Now that Lily’s powers are showing we are no longer capable of hiding. We need you, you are more powerful than even the last Hellhound. You can rid this world of the wrongs and we want to be behind you when you do it. We want to right our wrongs.’ - The woman tells me as I listen to her while she speaks hearing the truth there, still, I am leery.

‘You speak the truth yet, I have a hard time trusting, convince us why we should trust you.’ - I say knowing I am being harsh, but I must be sure, I will not risk my pack, my mate on a whim of trust.

‘You have the right to not trust us Hellhound, I have tried to attack you once, in blind anger over my friend. That is behind us and I understand that she is at peace with what you did, so am I. I will not be like your brother, we will not betray you or kill you. No harm will come to you, or Noah! We only want help and in return, we will help. Without you, Lily’s powers will consume her, and we will lose her. I will have lost a sister like you have lost a brother!’ - Cassie steps up, her words cut me like knives though I know they are true, yet they sting.

Cassie isn’t wrong, I may be angry at my brother for what he did. The truth is I’m angrier at him for making me lose him that day. Crane was the closest person I ever had to me, we had a bond that was like no other siblings ever could have. Then Crane broke me that night, I don’t even much care that he killed me, that was expected. What I care is he threw away that bond and me like we were nothing, like we weren’t blood. I turn away from them and do something I never thought I would do, I hang my head, I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to talk to them anymore. This girl has made me understand my truth even though I didn’t want to. It was so much easier to hate my brother for killing me, it was so much easier just to hate him in general. I move to Noah and press my body into his side as I lean on him, I need his strength at this moment because I feel so weak. I am showing weakness, and they all know it.

‘I can’t Noah, you decide.’ - I say into Noah’s mind and at that moment, I feel a little broken as I sink to my knees and submit to him.

I’m not an alpha right now, he is the only alpha. I don’t have the strength to be who I usually am. Right now I just miss my brother. I have momentarily caused Noah to forget himself as he looks down at me with such worry in his eyes and turns away from what we are dealing with. Instead, he focuses solely on me dealing with me, he needs the alpha me, but I don’t have the strength or the anger to be that right now. I don’t want to be anything, I just want to rest.

‘Talk to me Dusk, what’s going on? This isn’t you, you don’t submit to me. I need you to be my mate, to be the alpha female right now and always.’ - Noah’s voice breaks into my thoughts, but I don’t want to hear him, my heart hurts too much for the truth.

‘I can’t hate Crane, Noah. I lost my brother that day and it was so much easier just to hate him for everything, but I don’t. I don’t hate him. I am angry because we had a bond, such a strong bond, and he didn’t tell me what was going on with him. He broke our bond. He tossed us away like we were nothing, I’m broken. How can I hate him when I’m broken?’ - I murmur out and my words end with such a small whine that causes the white furs to back away from us as I’ve hurt them.

Noah crouches down to my level so he can meet my eyes and his eyes are so alive and thoughtful at this moment even as I can hear my packmates whispering encouraging words into my soul.

‘I know he betrayed you Dusk, I know he broke you but, he did not crush you. Crane did not break your spirit. You lost a brother that day by his choice and that sucks but he was stupid, he made the wrong choice. You can’t change that, you can’t get your brother back, but you can have a pack. You can have sisters and brothers now, I know it’s not the same, but they care about you. I care about you. I need you to come back to me Dusk.’ - Noah’s voice is calm in my mind and his words are starting to hit home with me, they are starting to make sense.

I may be broken but I must glue myself back together, I did it once before I can not come apart now. I need to be strong for my pack, for my new brothers and sisters. I need to be the alpha that Noah needs, I need to be the alpha female. No, I am the alpha female. I am pulling myself back together and I am about to stand when Lora comes bolting from her bush taking out the oldest white fur. I watch in horror as she clasps the unsuspecting female’s neck in her jaws threatening to clamp down. Acting quickly, I toss myself into her mind so that I can hear her thoughts. I need to know whats going on.

‘You do not come waltzing back here, you bitch! You took everything from me. They killed my mate, and you took my son from me! You took my boy and left me blinded and alone in the forest to die. I didn’t die and now you will regret that!’ - Lora’s voice rings with rage and hate as she clamps down a little harder on the other Wolf’s throat.

‘Lora, what is this about a son? I had a cousin?’ - I ask her mind hoping to distract her from the other Wolf, I am also genuinely wracking my mind to remember this cousin.

My plan semi-works but then it backfires as she only gets angrier.

‘I had a beautiful boy, the only child I could bare. I named him Danny. You and he used to play. The three of you were the closest out of all your cousins. We had a large family, that is until she came and took them away from us!’ - Lora growls as she clamps down even harder cutting off airflow in the windpipe.

‘I remember Lora, he had the shaggiest dirty brown hair. Danny was so smart always teaching me new things. He was my favourite person next to Crane. Danny and I always joked about being real siblings instead of just cousins we were that close.’ - I tell her as the memories come pouring into my mind as tears pool in my eyes.

‘Lora, Danny is still alive! He is with the white furs, but, he is still alive!’ - Noah’s words break into our minds and I see Lora’s eyes snap to his and her jaw slacks a little as she lets air flow back into the Wolf in her jaws.

‘Danny and I are close; he and I were best friends in the pack. He is still a smart guy, he had already figured out a lot about you Dusk before I pushed him away because the day I attacked you I knew it would push him away. Danny had a hunch that the Hellhound was Noah, he was long the right track, but he wasn’t there yet. He had his hunches though, he never agreed with the white-furs and he knows he isn’t one of them. Danny thought they killed you, Lora, my mom told us she killed you, but I know she did it for our safety, so we couldn’t come looking for you and risk the wrath of the white-furs or give away your position. My mom knew she left you enough fight to live, she did it on purpose of hopes of maybe something happening like this one day. In hopes that something would change the way things are!’ - Cassie’s words are urgent but heartfelt and I know they strike Lora because they strike me.

Lora drops the white-Wolf and backs away from her as tears stream out of her Wolf's eyes and splash to the forest floor. Lora shakes her head, but I know she believes Cassie, how could she not when she knows they are the truth. Danny is alive, doing well, and bound to figure out the truth behind everything. He will be here soon I have no doubts about that. I also have no doubts that Cassie feels something for him, but, that is a thought for another time.

‘Come with us, Lora take a run.’ - I command in her mind and everyone else’s.

I turn Noah following beside me our fur brushing as we walk, and the three Wolves follow us. They flinch when the other three of us come out of the bushes behind them flanking us, but they do not turn or attack. We leave Lora behind in the forest, I know she needs her time to process, she needs her time to come to the same conclusions that I have. Danny will come to us. I lead the group back to the mansion. We head inside, and I lead everyone to the sitting area with the fireplace. Carl brews up a storm outside to cover the tracks so that we will not be found by others and the scents of these three will be washed away. I settle onto the couches in human form wrapping up in blankets even though nakedness is not something that we are uncomfortable with considering how often we are naked. I move from Noah’s side taking some blanket with me as I move towards Lily who doesn’t cower away from me, instead, she looks up at me with a little bit of wonder on her face.

“How are you doing Lily? I’m Dusk.” I ask her keeping my voice gentle for she is young, maybe only ten.

“I don’t feel so good, I know who you are, are you really like me?” She asks her words coming out a little jumbled which causes me to smile.

I hold out my palm to her and in it, I make a little flower out of fire that Lily looks at with round eyes.

“I am like you, I have the power of fire. My mate Noah has the power of winter. Sicora, my first beta has poison powers and Garth my second beta has powers tied to the air. Carl, Noah’s first beta has the powers of a storm.” I explain and as I say each power and who has it I point them out as Lily nods while looking at each one of us.

Her eyes finally trail back to me her little mouth trembling a bit.

“Can you really help me gain control of my powers?” Lily questions in a wobbly voice and I’m about to respond when Sicora kneels before me putting her hand on my shoulder.

“My powers used to be hard to control too when I lost control Dusk and Noah helped me. Now I almost have full control over them. We will help you no matter what it takes, okay?” Sicora asks in a stern voice but she is smiling at Lily while Lily looks at her with new hope in her eyes.

“I want to try something, for now, Lily, can you trust me?” I ask gently and she nods at me right away even though her eyes are round with fear.

I take her little arm in my hands pulling her to me so that I have the fleshier part of her arm.

“Normally I would be able to help you by giving you the bite allowing your Wolf side to take control but that won’t work for you because you are already a Wolf. Instead, I’m going to cut you a little, it will sting but I’m going to give you some amazing blood that should help. You will heal up quickly, after that you should have better control, but it will take some training to learn complete control. It took me years to teach myself how to completely control my powers because I was already a wolf-like you.” I explain to Lily and as I do I keep her distracted from what I’m doing.

Lily is so focused on what I’m telling her that she doesn’t even feel when I cut her arm a little and prick one of my fingers allowing a little bit of my blood to mix with hers. Lily heals right up, and I notice right away that green hue she had about her goes away.

“Are you going to do it?” Lily asks me as she looks down at her arm biting her bottom lip.

“I already did.” I smile winking at her as I let her arm go before moving back to Noah’s side.

Now it will only take time to make sure that my blood settles Lily’s powers. Blood and training. I settle back into Noah on the couch and we share a knowing look with each other that conveys all that needs to be said. We need to rest and prepare so that we can help Lily, yet, how can I rest when something stirs in my stomach. I feel as though something bad is coming, something we could never prepare for. This something is worse than the possibility of an impending war against the white-furs. I glance around the room at the innocent faces around me and suddenly I feel worried. I know I can win a war easily, but could they? These people are risking getting killed by being with me. Is that worth my revenge or is it worth anything? Do I need to hurt Crane anymore?

‘They have chosen to be at our sides Dusk, they don’t have to do more with us if they don’t want to. It will be their choice, not ours. As their alpha’s we need to respect that if they want to fight with us than they can do it. They are strong Wolves, they will not be killed!’ - Noah’s voice reassures in my mind causing me to look at him raising an eyebrow as I do sighing as I forgot about the connection that we have where he can feel what I’m feeling.

I focus on him feeling his own worry, but in front of that worry is a devoted confidence in me as his mate and these Wolves around us as our pack. Noah fully belives in their strength and that stirs something else inside me. It stirs the fire in my soul. We can do this, we need to do this! If we are successful than we will change the world bringing a new way, a better way of life than the ones we currently live. We need a life where we can have peace with the white-furs. We are all Wolves; our fur colour and differences shouldn’t matter. We are all equal even though we are not. We need change. I close my eyes and rest my head against Noah’s chest while listening to his heartbeat. Noah has never been so right before, we need to be confident in our pack and our own abilities.