An Unexpected Manila Folder
We arrived at the pack hall, which was more like a banquet hall and hushed whispers followed us as I led Malachi to our family's private dining room. I didn't want to run into my family, but I also didn't want to be in the middle of gossip central.
We entered and, much to my dismay, both of my parents and Ezra were there.
I guess it made sense considering it was around lunchtime.
"Aurelia, how did you sleep, my love?" My mother said, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
Lucian didn't even acknowledge our presence and continued browsing through the paper that he was reading.
Malachi pulled out a chair for me, and then one for himself after I sat down. I wanted to swoon at the gesture, but I knew we were just putting on a show and the tension in the air made it difficult to feel anything other than uncomfortable.
"You will both meet us in the foyer at 5:45pm sharp and then we will head to a private location for Aurelia's first shift. Tomorrow morning you will pack your bags and Malachi will take you back to the Shadowfen Pack before midday." My father said bluntly, not looking up from his paper.
"Well, this was a nice family lunch, but I'm going to meet up with a few people before we train." Ezra teased before bailing.
I looked longingly after him, wishing it was me hightailing out of there.
Lucian stood up and my mother quickly followed suit, my father making sure to give us a pointed stare before he left.
My mother gave us a cheeky wink behind his back as she followed him out.
I looked at Malachi and we both burst into laughter.
"That went well." Malachi laughed.
"Welcome to the family." I laughed back.
We ate in silence, each caught up in our own thoughts.
LUCIAN
How dare the boy return?! I know it was my fault for sending an invite in the first place, but as the oldest wolf bloodline and the keeper of peace between the packs - I didn't have a choice, considering it was supposed to be a spectacle for all of our kind to come together for Atticus's proposal to Aurelia and the union of two of the strongest packs the world had ever witnessed.
I spent all of these years taking Aurelia under my wing and turning her into our strongest weapon - both in strength and education. More than any Luna we had ever seen undertake before.
Atticus and Aurelia were going to be the power couple of the century and move our kind into the new era that it was ready for.
Now my weapon had slipped through my fingers and into the hands of the Shadowfen pack.
I know I could have, no, should have stopped it while it was happening and continued my original plan, but that wouldn't look great on my behalf and I would have lost a lot of respect from my peers.
I briskly strided into my office and sat behind my desk, staring across at the painted portrait of our family.
My beautiful wife walked in behind me and gently closed the door before sitting across from me.
I loved her more than life and it killed me to see the disappointment in her eyes.
I knew she thought I had failed our daughter.
"You know they're fated mates, right?" She said softly and my head snapped up.
"Impossible." I said, shaking my head in disbelief.
"I told you that you would push her away."
I sighed, knowing that she was right.
Alethia, My Wife, My Luna, My Queen - every inch intelligent as she was poised.
"Everything was perfectly in place..." I started and Alethia held a finger up to stop me.
"Arya, Rhydian, you and I used to be like family and our darling children, Aurelia and Malachi, were supposed to grow old together. Either as friends or lovers. You saw the changes the Shadowfen pack made over the years to halt the slaughter and bloodshed and turn their history around into something stronger than their past and you stood by Rhydian's side to do it."
The impact of her words cut me like a silver blade.
"After the attack on Whitebridge all of those years ago, Arya lost her life, Rhydian lost his soulmate and Malachi lost his mother. I also lost my oldest friend and, instead of the grief bringing us closer together - it tore us apart and the love between us all turned into a bitterness that I wouldn't wish upon anyone. This is your chance to make things right with Rhydian, something you should have done years ago."
I sat on her words, knowing that she was right, as always, but we were too far gone for reconciliation.
Arya and Malachi used to often visit us here, and Alethia and Aurelia stayed with the Shadowfen pack just as much.
The four of them were inseparable, just as Rhydian and I ensured we worked together as often as possible, as our collaboration was strong and our bond even stronger.
Then Whitebridge was attacked by rogues. It was too orchestrated and too organized to have come from them.
Arya lost her life in the battle as her and Alethia defended our pups and I would never forgive myself for it.
I was so wrapped up by Alethia's grief, feeling it heavily through our mate bond that I took too long to investigate and by that point there was no trace of a lead and all of the information I had about the attack only took up three loose pages that were tucked safely in a manila folder within my safe.
In a trance, I walked over to the safe and removed the report and handed it to Alethia.
"I think you should give this to Malachi." I said softly.
"No, my love, you're going to give it to him."
MALACHI
Aurelia walked back up to the room on my arm after our late lunch, and it felt nice. Like she belonged there.
I was stressed about how my father would react when I bought her home with me tomorrow.
I knew his views on the Whitebridge pack.
They weren't good and a far cry from how I grew up, which was pretty much in this castle alongside Aurelia.
The same castle that my mother had died in after a rogue attack.
My father thought that Lucian had planned it. After all - no one had ever been brought to justice for the loss of his soul mate and it nearly killed him. Lucian had never properly investigated it either and brushed the death of my mother under the rug as if she was a crushed cockroach on the bottom of his shoe. The whole situation was shady and it seemed too easy for the rogues to attack.
As if they'd been given an opportunity by someone on the inside.
I'd always known that Aurelia was my mate, even though I didn't think she ever realised.
Her focus was always on becoming the Alpha of Whitebridge, even at a young age.
Instead of playing princesses and knights as children, we played Alpha's.
I had kept a sly tab on her over the years. After my father suddenly stopped our visits, I was too young to have a say. However, as I grew older and began working towards and stepping into my role as Alpha of the Shadowfen pack, I eventually made my own contacts.
I looked over to my mate, her eyebrows furrowed as she was deep in thought, emotions flicking across her face.
Anger, sadness, confusion, contentness and back to anger.
I smiled softly, she was still as beautiful and strong as I remembered.
She had a lot of resentment towards me and I didn't blame her. I had disappeared without a trace.
I had a lot of resentment towards her family... for obvious reasons.
I hadn't been fair to her yesterday, but when I woke up to her missing from the room - I panicked.
I saw what happened to my father when my mother died, and I made the decision right then to be the best possible mate for Aurelia.
It was going to take a lot to work through our baggage, and around my father's hatred... but I wasn't going to let her go again.
We reached the room and I opened the door, bowing to usher her into the room as she rolled her eyes at me.
I sat down on the edge of the bed.
"So, how are we going to kill the next few hours?" I asked suggestively, knowing she'd have to drop the act and come around soon.
"I am going for a run. Alone." she said as she quickly turned and left again, leaving the room feeling emptier than a room should.
I sighed in defeat and headed towards a bookcase in the corner, grabbing a random book and plonking myself down in the middle of her bed, knowing that I wasn't going to be able to focus on any words but needing something to pass the time.
Half an hour passed and there was a sharp knock on the door. I sat up and in walked the devil himself, Lucian.
"Alpha Lucian." I acknowledged, bowing my head as a customary sign of respect.
He gestured towards the small sitting table and we both took a seat.
"Malachi, I want you to take this back with you. It belongs to your family." He said, with what sounded like a hint of nerves as he slid a brown manila folder towards me.
Before I could say anything, still dumbfounded at the exchange that had just happened, Lucian got up and headed for the door - pausing at the door knob.
"For what it's worth, I deeply regret the way things turned out." He said softly, his back still turned to me before leaving the room.
Was that... an apology?
I had so many questions rushing through my head and tentatively opened the folder.
The heading at the top caught my eye and I inhaled sharply - wanting to either vomit or hyperventilate, but my body couldn't decide between the two.
"Whitebridge Rogue Attack 2012 - Investigative Report"