The One

Chapter Seven

Emerald's POV

    Mom and I sat in front of the fireplace a while going over the different fauna in the area for the hundredth time when Chase and Clyde returned, Elka had already linked mom that they'd been in a fight with some rogues trespassing on Elka's land so we weren't surprised when we smelled blood.  Chase walked in the door first donning a few patches of poultice, one on his right shoulder blade and another down his spine, 'looks painful' Moon chimed in mournfully. I hopped up off the couch after throwing the botany book I was engrossed in with mom on the table and I was headed down the hall to draw another healing bath for Chase when he stopped me saying, "Don't worry Em, Elka's goo healed my wounds most the way, I feel fine." I forgot that Chase healed much faster than me and mom, he'd always been that way, his healing rate was faster than most werewolves.
"Forgot you were a superhero." I laughed, "Well you better be grateful he is one, Maihra dear, I'm very impressed with the brains and brawn on this one." Clyde chimed in, it was then that I noticed that he only had one patch of poultice on his front left bicep. "Do you want me to draw you a bath for that?" I asked, to which he responded, "I'm an alpha dear," and lifted his pitch to reveal no injury, "Chase's healing might rival normal wolves but Alpha's are stronger." I blushed as I scolded myself for forgetting that ge was an alpha, Moon never really recognizes them after all. "Well now that everyone's all back here safe and sound, I'm gonna hit the rack." I said, a yawn finally hitting me, which led to a choir of yawns from everyone else, and with that I went down the hall and opened my bedroom door. Immediately after shutting the door and removing my dirty clothes and changing swiftly, I dragged my feet the rest of the way of the way to my bed and flopped down snuggling deep into my comforting mattress and pillows. After a while of processing everything that happened throughout the day, I fell asleep thinking about how perfectly my meatballs came out and how happy everyone was at the dinner table that evening with a soft smile on my face.

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I woke the next morning to mom knocking on my door and announcing that there were scrambled eggs and pancakes and strawberries on the table when I was fully awake. At the mention of mom's pancakes I nearly fell on my face rushing to get out of bed, my feet still wrapped in my sheets. After narrowly avoiding disaster and remembering Clyde had stayed the night, I changed into my favorite pair of basketball shorts and a grey shirt with Tweety bird printed on it, and rushed out of my room only to slam face first into Chase's strong back, "Chase! Ow!" I grumbled as I shoved his sleepy frame forward, "Watch out you big lug, you're standing between me and mom's cinnamon pancakes." I warned, he groggily slid against the opposite wall while rubbing his eyes until he registered what I said.
As he finally registered what I said, I slipped by him and grabbed my plate and was already dishing up pancake after delicious pancake onto it next to two heaping scoops of eggs, by the time he got to the counter I had just started dishing up my fruit. "You look like hell," I voiced to him as he made his way to sit next to me, "are you okay?" I hadn't noticed the bags under his eyes or his slumped shoulders when I first ran into him. "You try taking on four rogues after fighting off corrupted and running with Elka all night, you'd be looking and feeling like me too." He mumbled around his mouthful of eggs, I giggled and nodded in understanding as I started in on my fresh strawberries mom picked from the garden this morning with a sigh of contentment.
Clyde joined us at the table after me, mom, and Chase were mostly done, he also looked exhausted and could've used another couple hours of sleep. "Morning everybody." He stated as he saddled up to the counter and grabbed a plate, only to surprise all of us with a thunderous outbreak of laughter and a display of fisting pumping the air. "Yes! I finally get to enjoy my mate's cooking again after all these years!" He exclaimed aloud which earned him a chorus of laughter from me and mom and Chase. "She heals through food." Chase commented, to which mom hid behind her hair and mumbled, "it's not THAT good, you guys just blow smoke to make me happy." To which I responded, "mom he makes a fair point, your food is so different from anyone else's!" To which she responded with a small chuckle, "Em, you've only ever eaten my food and the occasional pizza and subway sandwich here and there."
When Clyde sat at the table he dropped his happy face and said seriously as he took his first bite of pancake, "Maihra, you know you have to come back right? I've already linked Clancy that I found you...." Mom stiffened and turned pale as she was fiddling her food with her fork, "Clyde, the pack won't accept me, I abandoned them, and hid the pups." She stated calmly, as she finally got a forkful of eggs and took a bite.  Clyde set his fork down and reoriented his chair with a protesting scrape as it slid on the floor as he moved, "Maihra, I don't care what the pack nor elders have to say, if they will not accept you then we will come here, I will give up my title if they do not take us back." I looked up from my plate as I felt Clyde's alpha aura filling the dining room, "Maihra I will not leave you here, we are going home, consequences or not, I've already left the pack exposed staying here, even if Clancy is good at his job, the wolves will start questioning me and my position the longer we wait." And with that mom nodded and told us with tears in her eyes. "Pack a week's worth of clothes kids, we'll buy more for you when we get to pack lands, let me go let Horace and Phoebe know we'll be leaving the cabin."  And with that she stood from the table and before me or Chase could protest, she was out the door and shifting to go tell the older couple the news.