Book 1 in the Clearwater series
Maybelle Smith, or Rose as she is more known, is about as stereotypical as you get when it comes to a teenager. She hates school, her brother pisses her off, sarcasm is her first language, and she can't stand her math...
It's been almost three months since Maybelle left. I'm not sure how much longer I can hold on without my mate. Every fiber of my being screams for me to go find Maybelle and kill anyone who so much as looked in her direction. I know that rushing off to Connor would be a suicide mission, but it's almost impossible not to. The only thing stopping me is the pack. Maybelle's last order was for no one to follow her, and while I'm not bond to obey the rest of the pack is.
Every time I try to go after her, I'm stopped under that damn order. I can't sit still knowing the horrible things being done to her. I swallow thickly at the thought of Connor slicing through her fair skin. The food in front of me suddenly looks repellent as I stare. When was the last time Connor allowed Maybelle to eat? What if he's cut out her tongue?
The image of Maybelle's bloody body won't leave my head. I take a deep breath to try and rid myself of the horrible imaging. It doesn't work. The pictures swirl into more vile things: rogues turning their wolves on her, Connor holding her down as he rapes her, Maybelle crying out for me to help her.
I slam my fist down on the table causing everyone around it to go silent. Actively ignoring them, I forcefully stand and make my way to the front door. From behind, I hear a second set of steps follow after me, presumable to keep me from running off in attempt to save Maybelle.
However, I don't do any more but sit on the porch step. The gentle breeze against my skin makes me sigh and I hang my head. The wolf that followed me sits by my side, and a quick glance reveals him to be Matthew. He doesn't look at me, but instead just gazes out at the forest beyond the pack house.
I follow his example, leaning against the top newel in the process. Matthew's the first to speak, but I only half listen to him. "Beautiful day." He says, his weak attempt at small talk lost on me.
I reply in a small hum, my eyes fixed directly ahead. "Rose loved days like this." This makes my chest tighten, but he doesn't stop. "Not too hot, not too bright, and a nice warm breeze." He huffs. "She'd love it."
Even just mentioning her triggers me in a way that nothing else could. In all honesty, Matthew is probably the only person except for Mrs. Smith who could so openly speak about Maybelle without me losing my head. Gritting my teeth, I squeeze my eyes shut. "Why are you telling me this?" I ask quietly.
I hear Matthew exhale lightly before continuing. "You're not the only one who's hurting. She's my sister. I see her in everything I look at, and the thought of her suffering alone is some horrible rogue base makes me want to vomit." The raw sincerity of Matthew's voice makes me look over at him. He has his head hung, and his eyes are glossed over as he stares at his feet. "You're not the only one who lost someone they love."
I want to say something. I want to tell him that there's no way for him to understand my pain, after all the pain of losing a sister is different from that of losing a mate, but at the same time I don't know how hard this has been on him. In the end I turn my eye back to the forest, never having said anything, just in time to see a patrol returning.
Normally I wouldn't even bat an eye at something so routine, but the returning wolves have an extra body accompanying them. I get to my feet in a hurry, the small glimmer of hope in my chest crushed as I see the strange wolves coat pattern. The sinking feeling in my stomach begins to fester, and I quickly rush over to the patrol, the wolves already shifting back.
I pay them no mind as they try to get into their clothes, instead circling the sour smelling rouge accompanying them. Matthew is quick to catch up, his expression matching mine in terms of skepticism and disgust. The small rogue watches me from the corner of his eyes, his form standing straight and tall, despite his tail giving him away as it curls under his body. It's not hard to identify the wolf as the child who had confronted me as I escaped rogue territory so long ago.
Glaring into the eyes of the boy, I address my subordinates. "Why?" Is all I ask, my eyes never straying from that of the boy's.
"We found him wandering around our territory, but he said he has important information about Rose. No other rouges were spotted and he put up no fight in coming here." The wolf speaks roughly, but the only thing I hear is Maybelle's name.
Without hesitation, I open my mouth to bark a sharp order to the boy. "Shift." The anger in my voice is overwhelming to even myself, and the boy begins to tremble visibly. However, he complies with my order, shifting back into his human form. The boy hangs his head as he tries to cover himself up with his arms and legs. It's clear he's ashamed and scared, but I'm passed the point of caring. "Lift your head." I command in the same harsh voice as before.
The boy's frame flinches, but once again he complies, slowly raising his head to meet my gaze. His brown eyes hold tears in them, and his lips twitch as he holds in his fear. I look down my nose at him. "What's this about my mate?" I growl.
The boy flinches once more, his trembling growing more intense. It takes a moment for the boy to get his mouth moving, but eventually he does. "R-Rose is...she's a-alive." He says slowly, desperate to keep in his tears in. "S-she sent me h-here to tell you...t-that you need to challenge C-Connor now." He finishes.
I watch him for a moment before Matthew cuts in. "Bullshit, do you damned rogues think we're that stupid as to fall for this trick?" He asks, the anger in his voice unlike any I've ever heard, and I'm inclined to agree.
The boy's eyes flicker to Matthew for a second before he opens his mouth again. "She s-said to tell you, um challenge extended."
We all freeze up at his words, unsure of what to feel. I just stare at the boy, wide-eyed, as his own gaze flickers between the lot of us. Matthew is the first to recover, once again speaking. "T-that means nothing. Connor could have gotten that out of Rose!"
"No he couldn't have, it's too obscure." I say, my eyes still fixated on the boy.
"Than what about Markus?! He's been MIA for a month now after going totally radio silent! He's either a prisoner or a traitor, he could have told Connor!"
"Markus is dead..." The boy mutters, his head hanging again. This makes us all go quiet once more, the words hanging hitting us like a ton of bricks. The boy continues. "Connor...k-killed him a-after he protected R-Rose..." He says, his voice shaking so bad that I'm amazed he can still contain his tears. "W-we're all s-scared...C-Connor's lost it...he killed M-Markus cause h-he stopped him f-from overw-writing Rose's m-mark." This makes me stagger. My breath gets caught in my chest and I have to back away from the boy as what he said sinks in.
"Connor tried to...overwrite her mark?" Matthew asks in a whisper, the boy replying with a small nod. The thought makes my stomach lurch and I can't keep from falling to my knees. Overwrite? He tried to overwrite Maybelle's mark? "Are you okay?" Matthew appears by my side. I shake my head, my hand going up to cover my mouth.
"Wrong, that's...oh my God...he's a madman, he..." My head whips around to look at Matt. "We need to get her out of there!" I shout, Matthew's face twisting in a mix of concern and doubt. "If any of what he said is true, than we need to act now!" I yell, returning my gaze to the boy.
He just stares at us all, his tiny body shivering from every breath he takes. The fear in his eyes is undeniable, and though I'm still unsure about whether or not he can be trusted, right now we don't have much choice.
"Tell us more."
***
Sorry it's late...
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