Mated to The Shadow Wolf

One

Rip:

    So many lives lost. The ruins of the packhouse have been cleared out while we had hunted down the strays. Maybe one of the neighboring packs. I feel it here. Riley had been here at the brink of death. Someone else was here with her. There's distress, panic. These feelings didn't come from her, others. A few.

    "Rip, there's nothing here. It was cleaned out while we got the remaining rogues. Our best bet is to find out who cleaned up. I've been informed that there are six other packs close by. Small ones," Holland informed me as I tried to place the direction they had taken her.

    "I know. My dad wanted me to come this way before I started school in New York. There are eight packs in total. They form a circle around this territory. It's called the Pentacle of Lycan. The other packs are in trouble. This pack was the strongest one,"

    "What do you want us to do?" she asked.

    "Audrey?"

    "Yeah?" Audrey answered coming over to me.

    "We need to get in touch with all of the alphas of the Pentacle. It might be difficult because they communicate on their own networks. Think you can manage?"

    "Hell yeah. Give me a few hours and I'll have the numbers for you," she nodded, going over to her equipment.

    "Rip, I have a bad feeling about this," Holland is peeling an orange, leaning against my dad's stupid car.

    "Me too. Whoever attacked this pack, I don't think they're done. Right now I need to find Riley. She is priority number one. Two is to make contact with these alphas without getting killed," 

    "Alright. What do I do?" she sighed. 

    "Find us a place to stay. We're staying for a while,"

    "So, like an apartment?" she asked. "Or a suite?"

    "Yeah," I nodded. "I'm going to sweep the area. It'll be dark soon and it'll be easier for me to move around. Make sure Audrey has everything she needs to get us in touch with the alphas," 

    "Yes, ma'am," 

Mikhail:

    "Are we really leaving Rip out there alone?" my dad asked.

    "Audrey and Holland are with her, dad," I reminded him.

    I'm stitching up one of the male survivors. Since we brought them here, the pack doctors have needed the extra hands. I've had to stitch myself up a few times. Not to mention all the time I've had to do it for Rip. Her mother is also really good at this. Ezra and Melissa are starting to get along. She's teaching my mate things the books would never be able too. 

    "How do we know it wasn't her who did this?" my dad whispered. The guy looked up at him in disbelief.

    "Seriously?" the guy asked. "Ripley Hemingway wouldn't even be on the list of people who would attack us. You're a d**k, man. She's your kid,"

    "You need to learn to trust her a little more, dad. She's fine. She'll ask if she needs it," I shook my head as I wrapped the guy's arm up. Don't get me wrong, I completely understand where my dad is coming from. A few years ago, Rip would have probably been right smack in the middle of whatever the hell is happening.

    "Thank you, Alpha Mikhail," the guy smiled at me before laying back.

    "You're too good at everything," Ezra came over to me, holding a bunch of bandages. I smiled at her.

    "Practice makes perfect,"

    "Alright, that unsettles me a little. Both good and bad. There are some little girls over here that need some help with their burns, want to help?"

    "Mikhail, get one of the girls on the phone. Rip is in the dark," Melissa is looking around spooked. She gets like that whenever my sister uses her powers. Ever since the two of them have been spending time together, their gifts or powers are someone how in sync.

I pulled my phone out and called Audrey. She answered on the second ring the way she always does.

    "Alpha is everything alright?" she asked.

    "Where is Rip?" I asked.

    "She's out scouting the terrain, sir. She insisted that it would be faster to find the girl in her shadow form," I sighed looking up at Melissa.

    "Any luck?"

    "No, sir. We've scouted the surrounding area where the house was. I'm thinking whoever cleaned up the area maybe airlifted her somewhere. Her scent just disappears and the air is thick with the scent of the burned bodies. Whoever they were, they clean up professionally,"

    "f**k," I sighed. "Alright, do you guys need back up?"

    "Not right now sir. Rip wants us to stay under the radar, for the time being, more of us might cause a scene. Should we need it, we'll call ahead of time,"

    "What are you guys going to do now?"

    "Well, beta Rip doesn't want to send out the M.O. yet. She wants to scout out some territories before alerting the other alphas that one of their alphas is missing or give anyone a reason to hurt her ahead of time. It's a good strategy,"

    "I know. I have a couple of numbers. I went to camp with a couple of the other alphas. I'll send them to you now,"

    "Thank you, sir. That will help me a lot right now," she sighed. "I'll keep you posted,"

    "Does she always make things complex?" Melissa asked helping Ezra.

    "Yeah, she thinks her way out of s**t before she makes a move. Always two steps ahead of the world that one," my dad answered. She smiled proudly.

    "Miranda, make yourself useful and help," Melissa's tone is welcoming yet mocking at the same time.

    I turned to see my mother walk into the infirmary. She looks like hell. Sleep is probably something she hasn't been familiar with since dad brought Melissa home. She returned our memories. Mother had f****d up more than we had originally thought. Dad can't even glance her way yet. Melissa has nothing but smiles for her. She had missed my mother that much I can see.

    My mother did everything Melissa wanted her to do. Which only serves to make my dad angrier. This isn't his mate. The one he fell in love with. This one is filled with self-pity and regret. She has made herself pathetic and we aren't going to pity her. She needs to face this and move on from it like the rest of us have. Not to mention her hate for Rip. She needs to let all of these suppressed emotions go. 

    Rip has been giving her space but she's itching to talk to her the way they used to. Melissa maybe Rip's birth mother but no matter how we look at it Miranda had raised her. Everything that Rip is comes from my mother. The anger, those suppressed emotions, the cold demeanor our beta carries herself with. It's all Miranda and Rip wants to see that woman walking these halls again. We all do, we just don't know what to do for her.