The Lost Token

Chapter Three

 Early morning sun-rays peeped through the thin white curtain, bouncing off the ceiling and onto the poster-smothered wall. "Good morning Sun," I spoke gently, easing down into my rolly chair. For whatever reason, my neck was stiff and my entire being ached.

The warmth from the Sun radiated off of the walls and poured into me. Thank the Goddess it's Saturday, I'd hate to stumble around all day. I sighed, closing my eyelids to rest a bit more.

Snap. A twig had broken outside, next to my window. I clutched the leather chair's arms, propelling myself upwards with a bit of force. I did a sort of waddle to the glass, peeking out with caution. Standing in the open, was a familiar tanned face I hadn't seen in awhile. "Renee," I grinned.

Full of excitement, I dismissed my pain as best as I could and ran for the front door, gun ho. No one was home this morning, they all had plans for the day-.

Oof.

I hit a block of muscle. Stumbling back a few inches, I took in the face of my foe. "You." I said, my stomach ready to up-chuck. I didn't want him seeing me in my PJ's! We're not that close.

He flashed a 'charming' smirk at me. "The one and only." I mentally face-palmed him, so I guess I slapped him in the head. I sighed, shaking my head at Jae.

"I thought Danny went to your house?" Jae shrugged nonchalantly, offering a sheepish grin. "Ah-" Then I slapped myself on the back of the head mentally, remembering why I was sprinting for the door. "Excuse me," and I continued my pursuit of friendship, leaving a confused Alpha's son in the wake.

Finally, I reached my check point; The front-door. I threw it open, slamming it on the way out. I haven't seen Renee for a bit, due to her 'love-at-first howl' experience. Seeing her reminded me of our fun pranks and slumber parties. She'd always attempt to pair me up with her nerdy brother, saying we'd be perfect together. Pfft, no way.

Brennon found his mate a few months prior to his sister, actually. I recall him telling us how he loved the girl the instant he smelled her. Yup, I did call him creepy and we laughed so hard at his reaction.

A hint of a smile seeped into my lips in reminisce. "Ali!" Her gentle tone filled my head. I slowed my pace once I reached my- Wait. My.. Pregnant friend? What? A flicker of a small spread across her lips, her hand rubbing her stomach protectively.

I motioned for her to come inside, suggesting we could talk about-certain-things- in my room over a cup of coffee or something. She happily obliged and so we made our wadling way inside. At least she had a legitimate reason to waddle, I was just sore.

~ ~ ~

The mug of sugar-sweetened coffee warmed my frigid hands. "So, you and David are expecting?" I asked with a soft tone. I know it was a pointless question, I could see the obvious answer. I was just asking to be a kind and caring friend.

She nodded, rubbing her tummy with one hand and taking a sip of her green tea with the other. Something was bugging her, it worried me. "Is it a boy or a girl?" I asked with my own admiring smile.

"It's a girl." She replied, but her expression changed. It wasn't happiness, it was almost, regret. Maybe she's just not ready? Well, I'm actually slightly jealous of Renee. But She's going to have a baby when she's only seventeen. Maybe that's not unusual for werewolves? I shrugged mentally, staring at her tiny baby bump. "I'm seven weeks along," I nodded with a tilt of my head.

I just remembered, "How are you liking your new pack?" She shrugged, a frown capturing her lips. "Ah, I see." I mumbled softly.

She fiddled with her mug's handle. "It's quiet without you and my family," She admitted. I offered her a kind and comforting smile.

"With that little bugger on the way you won't be so bored," I teased lightly. Her thin lips turned upwards, her features brightening like the rising Sun. "Well it's true, isn't it?" I joked. Noting the silence that followed, I decided to bring up something. Sighing, I placed my mug on the counter top. "Renee, I don't want to seem offensive, but why are you here? There must be a reason for your sudden appearance, I mean pack's don't take childbearing she-wolves lightly," I warned with a gentle tone.

A sigh escaped her parted lips, nodding meekly. "It's true, I'm here for a favor Clay." A sudden sadness took over my being, it was dramatic, but true. My best friend only came back for a favor, she hadn't even told me she was pregnant for Goddess sake. I love her like a sister, so it sort of hurt to know that's the single reason she was here.

I urged her on with the wave of my hand. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "This isn't my mate's child, Ali. His father is human." My heart sank into my lower region.

"But Renny-" My voice broke off, leaving me breathless and afraid for her. Warm and salty tears began their long journey down my cheeks, dripping onto my mouth. "You know what this means, right?" I asked in a barely audible whisper, my eyes downcast. She nodded, teardrops pouring from the corners of her eyes.

"It's all over!" She confessed with such intensity I nearly screamed as well. "She doesn't even get a life, not a single breath,"She trailed off, her golden hues clouding over. I reached over and shook her, frightful of her having a seizure from traumatic stress.

I encircled my arms around her frozen body, holding her head to my chest. "Shh, Renny. Everything's going to be alright." I cooed softly into her ear. The truth was, I was repeating myself to convince her and I.

My best friend was bearing a human and werewolf child. The survival rate was chancey, usually below 1.5%. It broke my heart to think it, but Renee Williams and her baby girl were as good as dead. Fresh hot tears poured down my cheeks, my grip on Renny tightened to fatal measures. I wasn't ready to let go.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Renee returned to her pack perhaps more depressed than she came. The situation itself was mortifyingly horrible. I thought back to her last life-changing words, their importance keeping them fresh in my memory.

Her eyes held mine. How could she do this? Does she really have this much courage in her? "How?" I asked, my expression grim.

She sighed inwardly, "I suppose I'll gather the money my parents had been gathering for my college tuition. It isn't much, but it will support us for a time." Her lips held a certain determination as she rubbed her tummy. There really was no stopping her.

"Fine. So say you were living a few states away, what then?" I questioned, pressing to know the true safety of my friend. "What will happen when your baby is due, Renny? I won't be there, no one will." I stated, my tone a bit harsher than I wanted. Renee was thinking about running away and breaking her bond with the Silver Lupus pack. It was a terrible idea, maybe she could receive help if she just stayed.

She remained silent. Perhaps she thought I've betrayed her, but I would've betrayed her if I let her go through with this death-trap without an argument. She was an unbiological sister who just so happens to be my best friend. I couldn't let her go through with this.

I didn't give up until I saw the broken expression on her face. The cheerful and ambitious Renee I once knew was gone. She was replaced by a ghost of her old self, mentally beaten by her demons to the point of desperation. It was a shock to me, I hadn't known the Moon Goddess to be so cruel to her kin.

I was now laying out, beneath Wolf Road. The brightest of all the spirits was the Fools-The-Wolf, a star that would fool our beastly ancestors into howling before the morning-star arose. It is the dedication to when humans, like me, would praise wolves. It was much like the Moon Goddess herself, who walked through the vast world of water and created valleys and rivers with each paw print and stride.

The tale was remarkable and was often spread among packs. I suppose it is a religious belief, some werewolves don't even worship their Den Mother. I set my focus on the Wolf Star. I stared as the minutes rolled by, as though I could force the star to answer my many questions. To tell me what will happen to Renee and her darling daughter. What about me? Why have I not matured yet? I closed my eyes, welcoming the inner-demons the moonlight was surfacing.