Luna's Salvation

Five

Rowan

"The official report sent out to the other packs said you died with our parents."

15 years may have passed, but I remember the morning after the Deadcrest Pack Civil War ended like it was yesterday.

My parents wanted me to go to a human school in order to experience how the humans operated. It's where I met Kadian. It took a few weeks before he told me his parents sent him there for his protection from the turmoil in his pack. There were many times over the years he slept over on my pack's territory, so it wasn't out of character when he spent that weekend here.

The report had come in that morning. Mom had woken the two of us up as gently as she could, but I was the first to notice how her eyes were rimmed with red and the tear tracks running down her face. Once Kadian noticed the two of us shared a look of confusion and Mom led us to my dad's office.

I hoped it had been a one off thing. But even Dad had an unnatural somber look to him.

"Dad? What's going on?" My father sighed as he crossed from behind his desk and leaned against the front of it.

"The civil war in the Deadcrest Pack came to an end last night."

I could hear Kadian's heart rate speed up the moment the words left my father's mouth. We both knew that meant one of two things. And by the looks of my mother and father, it wasn't good. One of the two potential Alpha's killed the other and the dread when my father looked at Kadian told me which one it was.

"Kadian, your parents were killed by your uncle."

And there it was. The band aid had been ripped off, and my best friend was officially an orphan. But Kadian was training to be an alpha as well. I could see the emotions trying to fight their way to the surface and the war raging within him.

"And my sister? What about Aurora?"

"The report sent out to the packs this morning states that she was caught in the crossfire. I'm sorry Kadian, but your sister is dead."

It had been the worst day of his life. Even now he couldn't bear to say his sister's name. The amount of guilt and shame that filled his head anytime it accidentally slipped out consumed him for the rest of the day. It took years before he stopped blaming himself for being safely at a sleepover rather than with his sister.

To say the weight of the world lifted off of Kadian's shoulder as he hugged his sister was an understatement. For the first time in 15 years a light returned to his eyes as he held her close. I can't lie and say that it didn't hurt to see my mate being held so close by another male when I couldn't even touch her without her tenseing. But I also knew that this was long overdue.

After an eternity Kadian finally released his Aurora from the hug. Neither of us missed how she winced when he set her down, and I could see a bit of blood starting to seep through the back of her shirt. I could tell Kadian knew as well because his eyes met mine in a panic.

He practically ran to get some paper towels before gently raising his sister's shirt and using it to put pressure on the reopened wound. After she launched herself at him earlier I wasn't surprised when Kadian's touch received no reaction. "Rowan, we need to get her to the pack healer."

I nodded and held the door open as Kadian scooped his sister into his arms. With the quick look I got at Aurora I could see the tear stains on her cheeks. I hoped against hope that those were tears of joy and not pain. But seeing her tiny winces as Kadian carried her across the territory to the pack hospital told me every jostle of her body sent waves of pain through her.