Over the following weeks, the alpha sent scouts out in search of tracks of Alexandra's people. The child had no recollection of her past. She was a stranger to herself. Markus and Annobel sat on a swinging bench on the back porch of their manor, watching Seamus as he showed the girl several critters. She was a shy little thing, but bore a wide smile, and her eyes were filled with awe.
Annobel smiled fondly at the sight. A knock beside them drew their attention to Albert. He smiled and bowed his head in respect to his alpha pair. But his eyes conveyed sadness.
"I'm afraid I have some ill news. The cheery atmosphere from chilled instantly. Replaced with ominous foreboding.
"What is it?" Markus asked.
Albert took a deep breath as he sat down on a chair beside them. A burlap sack in his hands, and his head hung low. "The scouts found a trail that led southward along the mountain base."
Annobel leaned forward, "But surely that is good news?"
Albert looked up between furrowed brows, shaking his head.
"I see", Markus said. "How many?"
"Five," Albert answered solemnly, "But they fought hard. There are many savage ones, too."
Annobel's shoulders sank as the news settled, and they all looked sadly out at the garden where the little girl was blissfully unaware of the morose discovery.
"That poor girl is an orphan," Albert said dejectedly. "It's not right."
Markus laid his hand on his beta's shoulder. "No, it isn't. But she's safe now. The gods sent her our way for a reason. We'll send word to the Council, they will know what to do."
That night, they had the hard task of breaking the news to the child, which went as badly as expected. Seamus heard the porch doors swing back and forth on their hinges as he watched her run to the back of the garden, sobbing. He watched sadly from his bedroom window. He had heard the news earlier when his parents sent him to his room to give the girl space when they had to break the news to her.
Spotting the girl's figure heading towards the forest, Seamus suddenly felt a sense of urgency. He quickly climbed over the railing of his balcony and slipped down one of the pillars before running off after Alexandra.
She was already several hundred metres into the forest of Erisdar when he caught up to her. She was nestled between the roots of a great, winding oak.
She lifted her head from her knees when she heard the crunching leaves. "Go away!" she shouted at him.
Seamus was stunned for a moment. She'd always been fairly quiet and reserved before. "No," He said, "you shouldn't be alone out here."
"Why not? My mommy and daddy are gone, and I don't even remember them. I'm already alone," she said between hiccuping sobs.
Seamus knelt in front of her. "That's not true. I'm here with you, Lexie," he said with a soft smile.
She looked up at him, surprised at the nickname. His honest eyes calmed her sobs to sniffles. "What's going to happen to me now? Where am I gonna go?"
Seamus crept closer until he was right in front of her, crossing his legs. "Well, you could stay if you wanted."
"You want me to stay?" she asked, surprised.
"Well, yeah, you're fun," he said cheerfully.
The girl wiped her runny nose with her sleeve. "But I'm not strong anymore," she stated sadly as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.
"That's okay. I can be strong for you, too." Seamus stated proudly.
"Really?" she asked gingerly, finding it hard to believe him.

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The Shadows of Erisdar 1 of 3 [REWRITE]
FantasyShe has no past. No wolf. No scent. And now-no choice. When a young seemingly alpha wolf is found unconscious at the edge of Boronduin territory, the pack knows something is deeply wrong. Pursued by savage wolves, shifted into wolf form far too earl...