The Last King's Wolf

Empty

Three Years Before Present Date

Ellie Lark

I run through the front yard to my door glancing quickly inside the silver car. The wind blows my ash blonde hair into my face and I swipe it away impatiently.

Empty.

Why didn’t she pick me up from school? Not like my sister at all. At almost twenty, she's three years older than me and the most responsible big sister ever.

I shut the door dropping my backpack on the floor.

“Maura?” I call out heading for the kitchen.

Empty.

I race upstairs and hear faint music behind her door. Ah, she’s here, just didn’t answer me. She’s got werewolf hearing, so she knows I’m home and that I called her name. I knocked on and opened it a crack, calling her name. When I opened it wider, I saw her phone on the bed, the alarm playing the sound. I walk over to her bathroom.

Empty.

When I don’t find her anywhere, I walk out onto the porch avoiding the hole by the front door.

“Maura?”

Maybe she went for a walk. Or maybe Lesley picked her up and they went to get lunch. Usually she texts me though. She knows I worry that something happened to her otherwise. Three hours later, nothing still.

Staring at my phone as I sit on the couch my unease continues to grow.

I feel a weird tugging pain right below my left collarbone. It’s been there since right after I got to school this morning. Maybe I need to adjust my backpack strap or stop carrying so many books. It lingers though and I rub it absentmindedly.

I lay down and close my eyes taking deep breaths trying to relax. I texted everyone looking for her. Her phone sits on the coffee table next to mine.

When I open my eyes, it’s morning. I fell asleep. My phone is ringing, and I see Lydia’s name.

“Anything El, she come home?”

“No. I fell asleep on the couch. I’m scared Lydia. She left her phone here. This isn’t like Maura.”

“It isn’t. Listen Harper is gone too.”

I sit up straight my heart pounding. “What? When did she go missing?”

“Yesterday, she never made it to school, and Nate said she didn’t come home at all either. She has her phone, though. Her parents went to Alpha Burton to report her missing." Lydia’s voice trembles, which means she’s really scared. She’s never unconfident. “Mom seemed really scared, too.”

And Rose is always calm. She’s been acting as our second mom for years.

“I’ll call you El as soon as we hear anything. Mom is keeping her ears peeled at the packhouse.”

All day, we hear nothing. I struggle to figure out what to do.

The next morning, someone is banging loudly on my door. I hurry down from my bedroom and open it to see Nate, Harper, and Lydia standing there. Harper has been crying and they rush her inside.

“Oh, Ellie. I’m so sorry. I saw it. Maura… she was banished from the pack.”

“What?! Why?” I kneel in front of her. Harper’s big blue eyes are full of tears.

“I have no idea why. But I saw Kincaid in wolf form haul her to the border and toss her over. Alpha was there and he banished her. Said something about her crimes against the pack. She was crying, begging to tell you goodbye. They wouldn’t let her. Burton said if she didn’t run, he was going to let the warriors hunt her for being a rogue on his pack border.”

I sit back stunned. “I wanted to come tell you, but they saw me. I had to stay at the packhouse, and they questioned me about whether or not I was involved with her. Ellie, they never said what she did. She looked hurt though, like someone attacked her. I didn’t get close enough to really be able to tell.” Harper is sobbing now, and Nate holds her, rocking back and forth.

What is going on? My sister works at the library for crying out loud and has never been involved in anything questionable. Hell, she never even broke curfew when our parents set it.

An hour later, Harper is calmer, and we all sit in silence, trying to figure out what happened.

A loud knock on the door has all of us jumping. Everyone recently got their wolves, but our heightened senses haven’t completely kicked in yet.

I open the door and find Alpha Burton standing there. He looks past me at Harper and smiles slightly. “Ah, I am guessing Miss Simmons has already told you what I came for. May I come in, Ellie?”

I bow my head nodding. “Yes, Alpha.” Like I can say no…

He steps in, and they all rise quickly to bow their heads. “Ellie, I regret to tell you we discovered your sister was involved in a treasonous act with another pack. She has been banished per the pack laws and may not return. I must insist you let me know if she contacts you or if she sneaks into the pack. She is now a rogue, so that would be very… unfortunate for her, as you well know. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Alpha. May I ask what she did?” I ask timidly, hoping he will tell me.

“No, I am afraid you may not. It is a matter of… security. I also came to offer you a room at the packhouse if you would rather stay there.”

I look up into his expressionless eyes and begin, “I would rather remain here, Alpha. I will be ok.”

“Very well. The offer is always open. I will be going. I trust I do not need to tell any of you that this is not to be discussed publicly.”

We all agree quickly and watch him leave knowing we will never get an answer for why Maura had to leave. The hollow, empty feeling in my chest begins to be replaced with something else: rage.

I hate this pack and cannot wait to leave it!