GAMMA COLE & THE SILVER WOLF

PART 23 - THE BLOOD PACT

ALICE

"Krane, do you have any candles?" I call out, as I enter his lodge without knocking.

From the smells coming from the kitchen, bacon and eggs are on the menu this morning, my stomach groans appreciatively at Krane's cooking skills. However, as I turn the corner to enter the kitchen I stop in my tracks when I see Krane sat at the table with my dad sat across from him.

"Alice." My dad says nervously as he rises to his feet.

I say nothing for a moment, I hate been caught off guard and seeing my dad this morning after Cole left just yesterday is a little too much for me to handle. I'm still feeling fragile, all I seem to be able to think about is the Gamma who broke my heart.

"Why are you here?" I grit out.

"There's much to talk about and we don't have a lot of time baby girl." My dad replies but I still don't make a move. "... and I brought candles with me." He smiles at me sheepishly. "I knew you'd not forget our tradition."

"I'll honour Adam's birthday alone this year." I growl out quietly.

"Please Alice, we can fight about many things, and I deserve all of your anger...but don't block me out from this...lets go down to the river and talk whilst we light his candles in remembrance." My father pleads.

I chew on the bottom of my lip unsure what to say when I see Krane give me an encouraging nod to accept a truce with my dad. He understands grief better than most, I guess.

Begrudgingly I agree. "Ok, but only if Krane can come as well, I don't want to be alone with you."

A wide smile creeps across my dad's face, his eyes glisten as if he's holding back tears as he nods enthusiastically and looks to Krane to see if he's willing to come.

"That's fine with me." Krane replies as he slowly raises to his feet. "Let's get breakfast when we get back shall we? It's to rain soon, so best we get these candles lit whilst we can."

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When wolves pass to the next world, we light candles on their birthday to remember the light of their passing souls. Often this is just done in the privacy of your own homes, but as Adam used to love playing with his model sailing boat, my father and I have always lit small candles on a home-made boat and sailed them down the river. We've done it for the last ten years, never once forgetting his birthday. Today he would have been his twenty-two.

As I push the homemade boat out into the river and watch the current take it down stream, I can't help but wipe a little tear away from my face. I miss him more than anything in this world. More than even my mother in all honesty. We'd bicker and fight like any siblings, but in reality, he was my best friend and when I lost him, I lost everything. I'd do anything to have him back.

I come back to reality when I feel my dad's hand squeeze my shoulder. "He would be so proud if he could see you now Alice." He says quietly.

I shrug his hand off and raise to my feet. "I'm not sure he'd feel the same way about you dad." Before I go and stand by Krane who's sat on a nearby boulder still watching the little boat floating away wistful.

"Enough." Krane murmurs before he turns his attention back to me and my dad. "We've not got time for this. Mitch, get talking. Alice needs to hear what you've gotta say. You said back in my kitchen it was urgent...and you're gonna listen Alice. I promised Cole I'd look after you, we need to hear this." Krane says firmly to us both.

I purse my lips but keep them tightly shut in order not to spit out some sassy retort and look back at my dad. Crossing my arms over my body, I raise a brow at him waiting for him to speak. The colour from my dad's face pales, he takes a deep breathe before his soft sad eyes fix on mine.