The Pack's Melody

Time Heals All Wounds

It had been only a year since Ophelia had passed. To Camilla it felt like a single day and she still mourned her mother's loss. A gentle knock broke the silent air of her room and Aurdrey poked her head in.

"Camilla dear, would you like a snack?" Her voice was tender and motherly and she looked at the young kitsune like her own child.

"No ma'am," Camilla answered. She sat on her bed coloring a picture of her and mother. Small spots on the pencil lines were streaked and faded as if they had gotten wet, Audrey took notice and concluded that Camilla had been crying just before.

"Are you sure honey it's your favorite!"

"I told you no miss Audrey!" Camilla's shouting shook the glass, threatening to shatter it. This was nothing new, any time the girl threw a fit of got hurt she would scream, and the glass would break. Camilla prepared to shout again but in the blink of an eye Audrey had positioned herself behind the child and clasped a rag to her nose and mouth. Camilla gave one muffled cry before collapsing onto the bed. Audrey covered her with a blanket and set her pencils and papers aside. The foster mother had barely gotten a moment to recover when a loud banging on the door threatened to wake Camilla. In a panic, Audrey ran out the door and closed it behind her. Greeting her was the large, gruff man who had stormed away from Ophelia's funeral.

"What do you want Juan," Audrey spat. Juan threw his arms up against the metal apartment door on both sides of Audrey, trapping her.

"I demand to see Ophelia's basturd girl!" The hatred in his voice matched Audrey's, and even threatened to surpass it.

"I swear to, to whatever God you believe in, if you wake her, today will be your last on this Earth." Audrey had shifted her voice to a quiet and cold tone that hung on the air like a thick haze.

"Please, try to, see what I do to you," Juan taunted lowering himself to Audrey's height. "Or have you forgotten what happened last time?" His words caused the woman to go red in the face.

"Camilla is taking a nap, what do you want?" Audrey asked, her voice had become more humble upon Juan's reminder of their past.

"That's just the issue!" he shouted without warning. "The child is an Agent! She is hundreds of years old and yet her mind is barely ten years old!"

"What's that matter to you Juan," Audrey hissed. A few neighbors poked their heads out of their doors to peek at the confrontation but all quickly lost interest.

"It matters because that child will be Alpha one day! And I will not have some underdeveloped, basturd runt running my pack! And to make matters worse she's the Kitsune of Music of all things! How's she gonna fight!" Hearing Juan berate the child of Ophelia caused something to snap in Audrey. She drew her hand back and delivered an air crackling electric charged slap to the man.

"Listen here you little bitch. I am the Alpha of this pack until Camilla is grown! You will not insult my Ophelia's child while I rule! If you don't like it, fine. Take the title from me, but know this; Camilla will be Alpha, and she'll be great."

"Okay, then that is what I will do. Audrey, I challenge you for your place as Alpha." Juan gave Audrey a sly grin on response to her terrified expression.

"Fine. Tomorrow evening." Audrey opened her door slightly and slipped inside. Once in she slid to the floor with her back against the door. She held her head in her hands and weeped. She did not want Camilla to hear it. She was powerful, but Juan was an Agent, just like Ophelia. Audrey pictured her deceased lover and began to cry out, completely forgetting the sleeping child. "I'm so sorry Ophelia, I'm going to lose your pack, I'm going to let you down, and Camilla down. It wasn't supposed to go this way, you can live forever. What had to go and ruin that?" The question never left her. What killed Ophelia, no one was ever found guilty.
"Miss Audrey?" Camilla's innocent voice snapped Audrey out of her sowworful haze. "Is something wrong?"

"It's okay honey," Audrey lied as she stumbled to her feet, "I just miss your mommy."

"I miss Mommy too." Camilla's whining and groggy voice was complimented by her large swaying tails.

"Camilla baby, tomorrow you might be going to see other Kitsune, okay?" Audrey knew there was a chance tomorrow she would join Ophelia, and she did not want Camilla left with Juan.

"Okay Miss Audrey, but why?" Audrey did not answer. She instead placed a hand on Camilla's head and faked a big smile.

°°°°°

The next day came fast, and Audrey spent the whole night packing Camilla's things. She stuffed the tired child into her car and began to drive out of the city. And out of Rhode Island.

Not far into Vermont Audrey was greeted by four tall figures. They all wore hoods and cloaks to conceal themselves. Audrey pulled the sleeping Camilla out of the car gently and handed her to one of the figures.

"Please take care of her, she's all that's left of Ophelia," Audrey pleaded. The four figures dropped their heads in silence for a moment before the one holding Camilla responded.

"We shall care for the Ongaku until she decides it is time to leave." Audrey did not have time to answer the man before they had vanished. Without a goodbye, Audrey began her trip home.

°°°°°

The fight could hardly be called one. Juan stared sadistically at Audrey who was hunched over in a ball on the floor of a stadium.

"What's the matter Audrey," Juan asked as he delivered a brutal kick to the woman's ribs. "Does it feel good? Or does it hurt; you've lost your child, your girlfriend and now your pack!"

There it was again. Juan loved to insult her relationship. Audrey shot to her feet ready to continue but before she could make a move the giant man served a right hook to her temple. A blow that would have killed a normal human. Audrey crumbled to the floor in a ball and stayed still. It was a sign of submission. She knew she had lost.

"Well, that's it then," a man in a white suit said. "The new Alpha is Juan, and in accordance to the rules, you can decide what you would like the fate of the former to be."

Audrey prayed for death, but she knew she was not that lucky, she knew what her fate would be.

"Well," Juan began. "She lived to serve the last Alpha, so I don't see why she shouldn't do so now. Until my reign as Alpha ends, I declare that you, Audrey, and all you kin to follow will serve me however I please." Juan's decree caused a massive uproar in the crowd that was spectating. But soon Audrey was alone again, still curled up in a ball, broken and defeated.