When Daisy opened her eyes, and found herself on the floor and alone, her first instinct was to be furious. After getting up and realizing her mate was gone, though, her stomach dropped. If Aislinn's dream came true, she didn't want anger to be the last thing she felt towards JJ.
"I can't believe you did that!" She exclaimed through their link.
"Sorry, but you're too important to me, babe. I wasn't risking your life over mine, and besides...So far all is clear. I think it was just a bad dream" JJ explained, trying to calm Daisy.
"Then you'd better be ready for a good beating when you get home, mister" Daisy threatened half-heartedly, mostly just relieved he was okay.
"Looking forward to it" he retorted cheekily, causing Daisy to laugh.
"I love you, so make sure you get home soon and I can show you just how much" she said, antsy to have him back in her arms.
"I love you too, Dais--shit!" Was what came next. It was quickly followed by a pack-wide mind-link from JJ.
"The border's been breached! There are rogues, at least a dozen! They seem to be working together, send guards and warriors to the north-western border pronto!"
Daisy's heart dropped.
Mind-link wouldn't wake everyone unless it was from the Alpha. She was worried his message wouldn't be enough to get the backup he needed. She was getting her shoes on to run to the Alpha and wake him herself when his response followed. Relief flooded Daisy, but it wasn't long-lived because the Alpha's message had Aislinn dashing into the room with a horrified expression.
"Mom! Where's daddy?!" She demanded, looking around frantically as she grabbed onto Daisy's arm.
"He...Went to patrol the border" Daisy said in disbelief, a feeling of numbness overcoming her as she began to realize her mate may be about to die.
Aislinn let go of Daisy's arm as if it was on fire, and stepped back. "But...Why? Why did he go? I told him what I saw happen! Why did you let him go?!" She demanded, beginning to hyperventilate.
Realizing her daughter needed her was enough to make Daisy snap out of her stupor. She grabbed Aislinn and pulled her into a hug, shushing and rubbing her back to try to calm her down. "It's okay, baby. He's going to be okay, he just wouldn't take no for an answer, and had to see for himself...He wouldn't let me go instead, but he's strong. He's going to be okay!" She insisted.
Shaking her head, Aislinn wrenched herself from her mother's arms. "No! He won't be okay! You have to go help him, don't let him die mom! Please, I can't be the reason he dies, please" she sobbed, shaking her head some more.
While the two were talking, there had been orders given for all able-bodied guards and warriors to assemble, and for everyone else to go to the safe-houses. Daisy knew her duty, but was reluctant to leave her daughter while there were rogues in the packlands.
"I'll go help your father as soon as we get you to the safe house, okay?" She suggested, ushering Aislinn towards the door.
Once again, Aislinn was having none of it. "No! The Alpha said all able-bodied guards and warriors, that's you! You have to go help daddy! I can go to the safe house alone, I'm not a kid anymore!" She screamed, still panicking at the idea of losing her father. Knowing her mother could be stubborn, Aislinn just turned and ran out of the house before Daisy could reply. The child reasoned that if her mother wasn't focused on her, she could go and protect her father from what she saw in her nightmare.
As she ran towards the safe house, she couldn't stop crying. She hated herself for having a nightmare, and she hated herself even more for telling her parents about it. Why hadn't she lied to them, and told them she dreamt about a scary clown or something? Now her father was in danger, and it was all her fault. If something happened to him, she knew she'd never be able to forgive herself. All she could do was hope that her nightmare didn't come true, and her mother would be able to help protect her father. For good measure, Aislinn sent a prayer to the Goddess Selene, begging her to make this nightmare end with both of her parents safe.
Meanwhile, Daisy had considered going after her daughter; but, realized she was right. While still technically a kid at 13, she was more than capable of finding her way to the safehouse alone. JJ was the one she should be focused on getting to, and so that's what she did.
"I'm coming, JJ, don't you dare die before I get there" she said as she shifted into her blonde wolf and tore off towards the border.
"Wouldn't dream of it, babe" he retorted in an attempt to keep the situation light; but, Daisy could hear the strain in his voice.
She didn't bother sending any other mind-links to him, preferring he focus on the battle at hand. For now, she was just happy that he was still alive, and she knew she'd be there to help in no time at all.
"I'm faster, let me take over" her wolf urged, trying to push Daisy aside to take control so she could save her mate.
Knowing her wolf, Emese, was right, Daisy ceded control and let her wolf's superior instincts and skill take over.
Emese flew. She was the fastest wolf in the pack by far, even able to outrun the Alpha of the pack in a straight sprint. She was at the battle before long, weaving through snapping jaws and slashing claws as she searched for her mate. The odd time she'd sidestep to help one of her fellow warriors in a tight spot; snapping a rogue's neck before continuing her search.
She was shocked by the number of rogues in one, united front; but, she didn't have time to focus on that. Similarly, she noted that many of the guards and warriors she passed were the younger and newer members introduced to the ranks. Almost none of the senior ranked warriors were there, save for her and JJ. That thought refocused her search for JJ, though, and she filed that information to the back of her mind once more.
"There!" Emese shouted to her human. Straight ahead, through blood and fur and fighting wolves, they spotted their mate. JJ's wolf, Axel, was huge and imposing; however, at the moment, he was also in trouble.
Not wanting to distract him, they didn't call out and instead ran towards him. He was in the middle of a losing battle, with three rogues on him at once. Seeing one of the rogues bite into his shoulder filled the she-wolves with rage. Emese let out a vicious snarl as she lunged at the one currently holding onto him. She sank her teeth into the side of its neck, and tugged hard in an effort to try to rip part of its throat out.
The rogue let out a yelp of pain and surprise, releasing its bite from Axel and tumbling to the ground with Emese. She was on her feet before the rogue had a chance to even roll over, which meant by the time the rogue found its feet it had an Emese on it once more. She lunged for its throat, but it turned its head just in time for her to only be able to bite down on the side once again. Still, the force of her lunge had it sprawling to the ground, and before long Emese was able to overpower it enough to get a good grip on it. With a strong jerk of her head, she tore the throat out of the wolf that had bit her mate.
Turning back to the battle of her mate, she noted he was sluggish; but, fortunately, he was still holding his own. Despite her taking on one of the rogues, another had replaced the one she'd taken down. She once again found her target and jumped on it, deciding she could spare a moment to find out what's going on.
"JJ, what's wrong? You shouldn't be having so much trouble" she said, not wanting to sound like she was chastising him; but, it was the truth.
"Wolf's-bane" was his single-word response, and it filled Daisy with dread.
YOU ARE READING
Veritas
WerewolfBook 1 of 2 Aislinn Jones has had a unique problem for as long as she can remember: her dreams. They are vivid and haunting, and plague her whenever she tries to rest. Her father's solution was to train her to a point of exhaustion where she was pas...
