The White Wolf - Love Across the Ocean

Prologue Marianne fell gasping in the sand, hearing voices shouting behind her she pulled herself to the waters edge. The gentle waves lapping over her hands. She had been running for an hour, desperate for a place to hide. The pain in her chest threatening to overwhelm her, she knew that her mate, her Alpha, had been killed. They had been sleeping when the rogues broke in. Michael had shoved her into the escape tunnel as he stayed to fight them off. “Run my love” were the last words she heard in her mind. Praying to the Moon Goddess, she slipped into the icy waters of the Ocean, her wolf Anya was strong, but she couldn’t shift. Would they survive this? Would her baby? As she swam down the coast line she kept praying, she could smell the rogues searching the beach, would they follow her in? Would they know she was there? “Please Mother Moon. For my baby.” Finally she heard rough voices shouting to each other, “She’s gone! Let’s circle back!” She sighed in relief, treading water with her nose and eyes just above the surface, and headed towards a lighthouse in the distance. Human territory, but hopefully she would be safe there. Dripping and frozen she slipped into the garden of a cottage, thankfully for her there were some dry clothes on the washing line. She pulled them on guiltily, she would never have stolen if she wasn’t desperate. Once she was dressed she headed further into the village, light shone at the window of a house and she tentatively knocked on the door, ready to run at a moments notice. A woman her mothers age opened the door. “Can I help you?” Tears filled Marianne’s eyes as exhaustion over took her. “Please, I need to hide.” And she collapsed on the doorstep. ******************************************************** The warm sun warmed her face as her eyes flickered open. Where was she? The last thing she remembered was knocking on the door. She sat up abruptly, as the waves of heartbreak washed over her again she stifled a sob. A light tapping on the bedroom door and it creaked open. “Hi there, are you hungry?” The same lady from last night came in with a tray of food. Marianne sniffed, buttered bread and bacon, with a hot bowl of porridge. Her stomach growled. Katie laughed, “I’ll take that as a yes then. I’m Katie, my husband Gary helped me get you into bed last night, you passed out on us. With no shoes on and that baby in your belly! I told him I wouldn’t turn you away!” Marianne pulled the tray towards herself hungrily, “thank you so much, this smells amazing! I’m so sorry to bother you. I..” She paused, not sure how to explain to a human what was going on. Katie sat down on the bed, “My Wolf told me there were rogues in the area.” “Your Wolf?!” Marianne started to panic, had she walked into a trap? Fear rising in her throat as she looked at Katie. “Shhhh sweetheart don’t panic.” Katie took her hand. “I’ve lived with humans for years. I chose to leave the pack when my mate was killed in a raid. Gary is my human husband.” Anya stirred in Marianne’s mind. “She is telling the truth” Marianne relaxed and glanced at the food, her stomach growling loudly again. Katie laughed and pushed the tray closer. “Eat! You must be starving!” As Marianne tucked into the delicious breakfast Katie told her how last night her wolf Remy had woken her up. Telling her the Moon Goddess needed her to put a light on. She hadn’t known why, but she had sat and waited with the light on until Marianne had knocked at the door. “The Moon Goddess is watching over you.” “And my baby” Marianne replied, her hand hovering protectively over her belly. “She is special. Not just because she’s mine, but because the Moon Goddess came to us when we were mated. To tell us that she is born of my bloodline, that she will be a White Wolf. Katie gasped, the Legend was coming true! Now was the time of the White Wolf. None had been seen in centuries, plenty of Brown, Black, Beige, even Silver wolves, but no pure White wolves had been seen in years, everyone thought that their line had died out. “Did you say your bloodline?” Katie asked. “Yes, that’s right, my mother was Alara Rose Gwyn.” Or The White Rose. My Wolf is brown, her colour wasn’t passed to me. ‘That doesn’t mean I’m not important’ Anya huffed in her head. ‘No you are important to me, and to Michael and Kenin’ Michael! Marianne burst into tears again. Anya howled in despair as waves of pain washed over them both again. If it weren’t for the baby inside her, Marianne would have let the darkness swallow her. Most wolves that lose their mates fall into a coma for weeks. Katie leant over and pulled Marianne into her arms, her wolf Remy telling her that Mariannes mate was killed. Just like hers had been, all those years ago. “I understand sweetheart, I understand.” They sat for a while, Marianne taking in Katies comfort, but eventually she pulled away. “I can’t go back, those rogues are everywhere, I’m not strong enough, I need to keep my baby safe.” Katie frowned in thought. “There’s a boat leaving for Liverpool this afternoon, a small passenger boat. Gary knows the captain, we can get you on board. It will take a few weeks travel, but you’ll be safer there.” Marianne’s heart broke again. Leave her land? Her pack? All Memories behind? She looked down at her bump, and sighed, she knew this was how she needed to protect her baby, the Moon Goddess had led her to Katie. “Ok, I will go." She looked at Katie and smiled, “Thank you Katie, you don’t know just how much I am in your debt.” Katie smiled a wry smile. “It looks like the Moon Goddess still wanted me to be involved with other wolves after all. I will keep an eye on your pack too. The rogues will take over here like they have done in other areas. Now, let's see what clothes we can pack for you,” she chuckled, “and shoes.” ******************************************************** The sea air gently blew through Marianne’s hair, she had been at sea for a few weeks now and the dark coastline of Wales was visible in the night. She had decided she would get off the boat before Liverpool. A busy human city didn’t feel right, but she had heard that Wales was much more rural, similar to her homeland. She grabbed her small bag and shoved her clothes in it, thankful that the darkness covered her nakedness. It was a waterproof lined bag from Katie. It would keep her clothes dry until she could get dressed again. She put her bag on and dove into the water. The icy water chilling her, she struck out for shore. Keeping the coat in her line of sight she kept swimming. The waves got rougher as she approached land, she hadn’t realised how many rocks would be there! Her wolf form was stronger but she couldn’t shift with the baby inside her. Getting thrown against rocks and the cliff edge she cried out to the Moon Goddess once again. “Please don’t let us die!” One last burst of energy and she managed to swim into a cove round the edge of the the cliff, laying on the sandy beach she gasped deep shuddering breaths, her head spinning. She heard a voice ‘Keep going child’ and a warmth spread over her. Crawling she managed to get to the beach edge and pull some clothes back on before collapsing with exhaustion. She heard footsteps. “Are you ok?!” A mans voice cried out. But the darkness swallowed her and Marianne slipped into unconsciousness.