The Elder War

Chapter Three

May 17

Later that evening

I finished packing a light bag with what I believed I would need. With the money that flowed within werewolf packs I could easily go out and buy new clothing if I needed to. I let out a sigh as the sound of water turned off in the bathroom. Peering down, I eye Jun's bag. It was a simple black duffle bag, nothing special. We had stopped at his brother's place to gather what little clothing he brought with him from Italy.

"Savannah, where are your towels?" Jun quipped from my en-suite bathroom. Scolding myself, how could I have forgotten to get him a towel, I reach into my closet and pull out a fresh fluffy black towel. Shuffling over to the bathroom I give the door a quick knock and wait. The door cracks open and I shove the towel through just as Jun's hand comes into view. His hand grabs my wrist preventing me from moving. I peered up to see him peeking through, a shit-eating grin plastered on his face.

"Thanks, Sunshine." I scoffed with a roll of my eyes. Jun released me as he grabbed the towel and shut the door. My wrist heated from his touch, I could still feel his firm yet gentle grip on my skin. Shaking my head, I decided now would be the best time for a cup of tea. Before I could make it into the kitchen, a knock on the front door caught my attention. Approaching the door, I run a hand through my silver hair my fingers getting caught in my tight curls.

The door slammed open to reveal a snickering Serenity and an annoyed Cassandra. "Damn it, Ser! What did your mother tell you about using magic like that?" Cassandra scolded. "How am I supposed to get better at it if I'm barely using it, hmm?" Serenity raved as she swirled several balls of white light in her palm. "It's not going to be of much use if you start blowing everything up," Cassandra growled. I chuckled at their bickering, gaining their attention.

"What are you two doing here?" I asked, eyeing the women suspiciously. "We needed to drop some stuff off to you. The twins had insisted they did it, but I'd rather do it myself." Cassandra smiled as she handed me a thick manila envelope. Opening it I peer inside, stacks among stacks of cash were stuffed inside as well as car keys, the twins' signatures printed on multiple forms, and a black card.

"What's-"

"It's everything you'll need to secure housing." Cassandra confirmed.

"Are you sure you're up to this?" Serenity questioned with a concerned look. I pressed my lips into a tight line and nodded. As much as I wanted to bury myself in liquor and sing out the pain in the shower, I had far more important things to take care of. "It's fine, although, I wish I had a different partner." Warm skin pressed against my back, I jumped and twirled around to find a shirtless Jun standing behind me.

"Awe, I'm hurt Sunshine. I thought we were having a good time together." Jun feigned pain as he clutched at his heart. "A good time?" Serenity quipped with a raised eyebrow, she let out a small chuckle. "Sunshine here can't seem to get enough of me." Jun bragged. I shot a glare at him. There was no way in hell that I would be moving on so quickly after my mate died. While I will admit Jun is extremely good looking, I had no intention of sleeping with anyone for an extremely long time.

"Bullshit. I've been trying to get rid of you ever since last night." I snapped. Serenity wiggled her eyebrows suggestively while Cassandra eyed Jun suspiciously. "You say that, but I can always feel your eyes on me." He chided with a flirty tone.

"We have to get going soon, I'll call you once we arrive in town. It may be a day or two before we can secure housing." I informed them, choosing to ignore the pouting Jun.

"Perfect. Oh, there's also two-burner phones in there. Use those to contact us. If you become suspicious that they may be hacked or tampered with in any way, shape, or form get rid of them immediately. Important numbers are written down and in the envelope as well." Cassandra had her game face on. I could tell by the developing circles under her eyes that being away from her pups so soon was wearing at her. Reaching out, I pull her in for a hug. this was my purpose. To protect my friends, my family, and the new life that was brought into this world.

"Thanks, we'll see you soon." Cassandra pulled back allowing Serenity room to hug me. I waved goodbye to my friends, the ice-cold anxiety running through my veins more than I would have liked. "Relax, everything will be fine. You've got me with you anyway." While his voice had a teasing tone, I still acknowledged the sincere look he gave me. I nodded, right. Let's get this over with.

After loading up the vehicle, which was a pure black jeep wrangler, Jun and I set off towards the city. The twins' pack resided in the woods of Portland, Maine. We were headed into the heart of the city where there were sure to more humans to worry about. We drove in silence for an hour before Jun spoke up.

"What's it like?" He asked, his eyes never leaving the road.

"What?" I quipped sparing him a glance.

"To lose your mate? I'm not trying to be nosy, I'm honestly curious. I only know the pain of being rejected." Jun asked, his voice free of judgment or malice. I sighed.

"It feels like your soul is ripped out. Like you've lost all meaning in life before you could even start it. My chest feels empty and hollow, almost like I never had it to begin with. Cole and I never completed the mating process, and in a way, I'm glad we didn't. I'm scared of how much worse it could have been." Resting my head against the window, emotions swirled inside me. At the moment I wished there was a way to bring him back, but I have no clue as to what the consequences would be.

"You know, we can reanimate beings and bring things back to life." Jun started. My headshot in his direction. "We can?" I asked, he nodded.

"Stuff like that always has dire consequences. I couldn't do that to him, no matter how much I may want him back." Jun gave me a simple nod going quiet once more. Leaning back against the window I let my mind wander as sleep threatened to overtake me. What would happen if I did bring him back? Would we still be mates? Would we be able to complete the mating process from start to finish? As questions swirled I did everything I could to fight off the new information. Jun began to hum under his breath, while I couldn't make out the melody it did have a rather soothing sound to it.

I found myself beginning to fall deeper into sleep, the soft hum of the vehicle and Jun's soft whispers of the song soothing my aching mind.