Black as Coal | ✓

34

Everything was ready. The patrol group had just returned from scouting around the area and reported that it was safe to travel. Half the guides were already waiting further out just where the den's territory stopped and the other half, including myself, were waiting with the kids for the go-ahead.

Most of the younger children were asleep which made it a little easier to remain quiet.

I moved among the children, checking that they were comfortable and secure. Their small, peaceful faces reminded me of why we were doing this. They deserved a chance at a life free from fear. As I adjusted a blanket around Lola, her eyes fluttered open briefly, then closed again.

A soft whistle signaled from the edge of the grounds. It was time. I exchanged a nod with the lead guide and gently began to rouse the older children, who understood the need for silence. They moved quietly, gathering what little belongings they had and helping the younger ones.

We split off into groups, each one had at least three different guides: one in the front, one in the middle of the kids, and one in the back. Some had more depending on the number of people in the group. We tried to keep them small and as even as possible, but when we started, it became apparent just how many children there were.

It was a shitty feeling, knowing that so many either didn't have anywhere else to go and chose the den or were abandoned by the people who were supposed to love and care for them.

My group consisted of around fifteen kids, aged from two to sixteen. Most of them were older, but we had a few younger ones like Lana and Abel. The guides were Ambrose, who was leading up front, and a tall man whose strong aura told me he was one of the four alphas in the den.

Though the den didn't have a set alpha like packs do, there were still a few alphas who resided in the lands. It was natural for others to flock towards them which was the main reason why they were so well known. I didn't know much about them personality-wise besides a few rumors and such, but that didn't matter.

If he was here, helping, then that was enough for me.

The alpha stood at the end while I was in the middle.

My eyes were glued to Ambrose's back as he carefully led us through a predetermined path that would hopefully have the least resistance when leaving.

Truthfully speaking, it wasn't the wolves that resided in the den that I was worried about. It was the ferals lingering around in the night.

If we were lucky, we wouldn't encounter any and the mission would go as planned, but if there was one lesson my parents did manage to teach me in the few times I saw them, it was to always be prepared for the worst.

We moved closer to the edge of the den's territory and I could practically feel the presence of wolves sleeping in the distance. Some of the older children who'd already shifted hesitated briefly when they felt the wolves' presence and glanced back at me.

I thought back to my gamma days and the encounters I had with the pack's kids from time to time and tried to muster a warm smile to tell them it was okay. I wasn't sure how good it looked, given that I hadn't been in a pack in a while and even then, my interactions with children were limited, but it seemed to do the trick.

Everyone let out a small sigh of relief once we were out of the den's territory. Our group met up with the other half of the guides a good distance away from the den as we waited for the remaining teams to arrive.

"How are you feeling?" Ambrose asked me quietly.

I raised an eyebrow. "I'm fine, but isn't that what I should be asking you?"

His foot was thumping against the ground and I could feel the waves of adrenaline coming from him.

"I'm excited," he admitted with a smile. "Nervous as hell too, don't get me wrong, but I'm excited to see this all play out. I'm excited to reach the new territory and not have to come back to this place. You know?"

"I do," I agreed. "Maybe not to the same degree as you, but I'm excited too. For the kids...and to see my mate again."

I fully expected to miss Cronan once we were separated, but I severely underestimated how much I would. I decided not to tell him about the mission before I left because I didn't want to stress him out by making him worry about me more than he already was, but I was hoping to tell him once we got home. Partially because I didn't want to keep any more secrets from Cronan and because this was the first time since leaving my pack—no, even before I left—that I felt I was doing something good. Something that was actually making a difference that I could see with my own two eyes.

"I never thought I'd see the day you'd talk about a mate," Ambrose teased.

I rolled my eyes. "You act like you've known me for years. You've known me for a few months."

"Yeah, and when I met you, you were completely heartbroken. A shell of the person you are now."

I shrugged. "Time does things to people."

I first arrived at the den still down from Eli's rejection and admittedly, when I went to Oakwood and even when I first met Cronan, I was still in a slump because of it. However, it'd become exceedingly difficult to not think about my blue-eyed mate all the time. It was different than what I felt for Eli. Stronger, real, more personal.

Loving Cronan was an effortless act.

...Love?

"The last group has arrived," the alpha from before said in a deep voice that pulled me from my thoughts, but that didn't get rid of the budding feeling inside of me.