The Dire Choice (Otherworld Series #7)

Chapter 3- Shredder

"You have to see this." Quicksilver said as soon as Shredder entered the small clearing where their cave was situated.

It was a beautiful place, surrounded by trees and flowers, the scent of wet mud in the air. The sounds of nature, the sounds of the birds were the first thing he heard as he woke up each morning. The scent of a deer breezed by, the howl of a wolf, one of the full beasts maybe, hunting prey. 

"What is it?" Quicksilver did not answer as he entered the cave.

Their homestead was covered by a curtain of leaves, it was growing white flowers now, it's petals tipped with pink. The series of caves connected together was the ancancestral home of their pack. The last place their Goddess had really lived in. He entered the cave, the sounds of the pack filled his ears.

Shona, their packmate was in Dirt's room, since the full beast was sharing a room with the oldest Direwolf in the species, it was only expected that they would be laughing and chatting, by the sounds of female happiness that drifted out.

Meatchop was in the kitchens, holding his daughter Buggy, close, singing a song as he simultaneously chopped....onions, by the smell of it.

Meatchop had been Butterfly's mate. When she died during childbirth, Meatchop had sworn off all females, preferring to spend himself into Scarface or occasionally Stormcaller when the latter was in the mood of it. 

Scarface was in his own room. He was carving out something or making something from clay. He was the male in charge of the utensils and the mechanical stuff the pack owned, he wasn't very interested in anything other than creating things and fucking, sometimes eating and sleeping.

Another few of their members were out and about. Messing around in the forest or near the waterfall.

It wasn't very big, their pack. When the goddess had been alive, Shredder remembered their pack having more members, but slowly they'd all gotten old and died out, some leaving the pack to go to other places.

Shredder walked through the caves, following Quicksilver's scent. The male had not been named lightly, he was fast. But that wasn't all, the male was very secretive but everyone knew what he did behind closed doors, they all had noses after all.

Quicksilver wasn't a very liked member of the pack, he wasn't even an actual member, he was just here in the pack because the goddess had willed it.

My love.

Her voice whispered in his head. He kept walking foreward but simultaneously replied to her, Yes, my lady.

You're spirit is dull today.

He paused his steps and closed his eyes. Yes, my lady. His answer was guarded but honest. He knew what was coming next.

You will go to the Well this evening.

He hesitated but answered positivity. Yes, my lady, I obey.

He felt her leave him and he breathed a sigh of despair and relief. Relief that he was going to feel her again and despair that he was going to feel her again.

Yes, he loved his Goddess. Yes, she was dead. But she still spoke to him. He still felt her presence in his mind, each day. And he was thankful for it, that even after her betrayal in the end, she chose him and not another. Just him.

"Are you coming?" Quicksilver asked. Shredder looked at the male for a moment before he nodded.

He followed him to the back of the caves, where the river of Healing lay.