The White Wolf #Wattys2020

Chapter 1

Laura

8 years later

The wind tugged at my mane, picking up strands of brown hair and sweeping them over my shoulder. I looked up at the sky between the tops of the pine trees and sighed as the rays of sun danced on my face. I listened to distant sounds of my pack mates running around the pack house, organising things for their soon-to-arrive guests.

I let out another sigh as I felt my wolf, Amaranth, whimper inside my head. My wolf and I shared a conscience and made decisions together. But since I rarely shifted in front of the rest of my pack, she barely spoke to others, except me and my close family. I could always mind-link with others whether we were in human or wolf form, but she could only when we were a wolf. She sometimes feels lonely, but she understood we couldn't show ourselves so publicly in case some one saw us who shouldn't.

"Please, just a short run before they come", Amaranth pleaded.

I shook my head even though I did not have to. My wolf knew what I thought, as we shared one body and one mind. "You know we can't, Ama. Alpha said the other pack will be arriving any time soon and we can't risk being seen. You know what would happen if they heard of a white wolf being in the midst of their ally's pack."

My wolf scoffed and settled down again. "Greedy bastards. Honestly, what idiot still believes white wolves are able to provide immortality. We can do a lot but the ability to live forever. That's a little extreme, even for us."

I smiled. Like my wolf, I was also baffled that some werewolves still believed killing me would grant them immortality. Had the eradication of my kind dozens of years ago not taught them anything?

Eradication.

Unwanted images sparked in my mind as I thought back to the gruesome night my pack had been attacked by rogues. I had only been ten at the time, but I had seen enough death for at least a dozen life times. My wolf sniffled in grief, as she too remembered the unforgettable events of that night. The blood, the cries, the grief.

Inhaling deeply, I closed my eyes and focused to erase my mind of any painful memories. When my mind went blank, I opened my eyes again, and turned my head in the direction of the pack house. With my supreme sight I could see werewolves running to and fro the house, setting up last minute decorations.

"Dove, father wants you to meet us in his office. Just some last minute things before Alpha Kai and his party get here," Alec mind-linked me. I smiled at the sound of my brother's voice in my head.

When Alpha Daniel had taken me into his pack, he introduced me as his own daughter, adopting me on the spot and ensuring I was welcomed by everyone. His son, Alec, was my first friend, as we shared a common interest in protecting something very important: his little sister.

Mira, my little ball of menace and joy, was for me the most valuable thing in the world and meant more to me than the Moon Goddess did to the werewolves. When the Alpha had first brought me onto his territory, I immediately sensed his daughter. At the time, Mira had only been a little over eight months old. When I had crossed the border I had heard the baby's cry. Something stirred in me and I had twisted myself out of the Alpha's grip and bolted in the direction of the infant. I had ignored the shocked faces of the Blue Moon Pack members as I crashed into the Alpha's house, stark naked, frantically searching for the baby. I had torn doors open until I finally reached the nursery.

When I had first laid my eyes on the little bundle, I felt something within me click. Me and my wolf had temporarily forgotten our grief, solely focusing on the squirming baby. When little Mira had finally seen me, she immediately stopped crying and giggled, stretching her chubby arms out towards me.

My heart still soared when I remembered Mira recognising me as her Guardian. Similar to Mate Bonds, sometimes werewolves form a Guardian Bond, where a werewolf assumes responsibility for another. Mira's mother died at childbirth, and I quickly took on the role as her caretaker, along with the help of the Alpha of course. That little girl was my everything, and I would fight demons if it meant keeping her safe.

I slid off of the giant boulder I had sprawled myself across and began to make my way towards the pack house. As I passed other wolves they all smiled at me and nodded respectfully. No words were exchanged as I didn't not enjoy speaking much, but my packmembers understood and accepted my quiet nature. I returned the gesture and climbed the steps to the front door. My heart suddenly warmed and I searched the porch until my eyes fell on Mira.

The child was sitting amongst other youngsters in a tight circle, listening to Granny Ada telling stories about the great warrior werewolves of the North. I felt my throat tighten, remembering my old pack were from the Northern Mountains. My mother used to tell me the same tales.

Shaking my head, I stepped forward and placed a gentle kiss on Mira's forehead. The little girl looked up and her eyes shone with glee. She leaped to her feet and threw her arms around me.

"Snowy! Have you heard? The Black River Pack is visiting us today and then staying for a fortnight!"

I felt my wolf grunt in distaste at the little girl's nickname, but did not have the heart to scold her and remind her how much I hated it. I loved her far too much to make her feel doleful. But I did remind my Protected of the dangers. "Mira, as much as you love that name for Amaranth, you know you can't call me that when the other pack is here. Okay, sweetie?"

The child pouted and I couldn't stop myself from stroking the girl's hair and gently tapping her nose. "It's only for a while, Mira. When they're gone you can call me "Snowy" all day long."

That brought the smile back to the girl's face. She tackled my midsection with a vicious hug before returning the Granny Ada's storytelling circle. The old woman gave me a warm smile. I grinned at my Elder, before heading inside to find my Alpha and Alec.

I knocked three times on the heavy wooden door before stepping into the Alpha's office. Several heads turned my way and I smiled at the Alpha's Beta, Kiara, and his Gamma, Harvey. They both nodded at me before turning their attention back to Daniel, who was sitting behind a large, oak desk.

"Ah, Laura, there you are. Was wondering where you disappeared off to," my surrogate father said, amused.

"Sorry, ran into Mira on the way," I admitted.

They all laughed and shook their heads. I knew they knew how much I adored the little girl. A Guardian Bond was as strong as that between two mates, and separating a Guardian from her Protected could be disastrous.

"Anyway, as you all know, the Black River Pack will be arriving today and will be staying for a while. They are good allies of ours and we want to make arrangements as to how we could better improve our borders from intruders, especially from rogues." The Alpha's playful tone had vanished and in its place a distasteful one.

Tension filled the room. I felt my skin prick as I thought of the rogues who killed my old pack. Shuddering, I tried to forget my own mother's screams. I glanced up and saw the sympathetic looks I was getting from my foster family. My gaze hardened and I nodded at the Alpha to continue, knowing I had to control my feelings.

"Laura," the Alpha began, pausing for a minute before continuing, "these are our allies and I was wondering if you were still planning on taking your own safety measures. The Elders wish to know how much vervain you would be needing."

I raised an eyebrow at my father, as if asking "really?" He knew I would never shift in front of another pack. Hell, I doesn't even shift in front of my own pack, only the Alpha and my siblings. I could feel Amaranth's disappointment and dread for the coming full moon, knowing the familiar pain of stopping the transformation. It took a lot of strength to stop one's self from shifting, most not being able to, but because of my white wolf power, I could withstand it. That was already one safety measure.

The other would be the use of vervain. It would allow me to cover my scent, either by wearing it on me at all times or regularly drinking it in tea. Since I smelled stronger than the normal werewolf, my scent would be a dead give away. "I'll tell them I won't need much. I'll wear it as a bracelet, so a little will go a far way."

No way was I going to reveal who I was to a strange pack, even if they were allies.