Love and Fear

9- Astrid?

Alpha Killian called a pack meeting, there was a lot that needed to be explained. Though, rumours painted Alpha Killian to be ruthless and cruel, he was an understanding and patient Alpha to his pack; Maddox, his Beta and best friend since diapers, Mason the Gamma, and Treena Killian's baby sister all helped run the pack.

Alpha Killian addressed the pack.

"I know a lot has happened in the last 24 hours that has everyone on edge and I am sure you have a lot of questions. I hope to answer them all for you. First off, yes, I have found my mate. Your future Luna is Lucy Bennet and she is currently missing. Her sister Lanie is at this moment in the pack hospital recovering from a wolfsbane injection. Axel, her mate, will be excused from any challenges." Killian held up his hands, "I know there was mass confusion this morning when he killed our two pack members, however, he was protecting his injured mate. He will submit to 50 silver lashes and 5 days in the isolation cellar as punishment, when he is unlinked from his twin sister Ellen, our Beta Female. Beta Maddox and I will be leading a search and rescue team for Luna Lucy as she is currently in a state of trauma and locked out of her mind. Luna Astrid is in control, if you see her be cautious, do not engage. Astrid is very powerful and has a short fuse, if you see her mind link myself or Beta Maddox. Any questions?"

Hands shot up and Alpha Killian answered them all calmly and honestly. When it was all over the search team would head out to find Astrid and rescue Lucy.

Meanwhile Astrid was hunting, gaining her strength as she roamed the forest in wolf form hunting small animals. She was heading to the Bennet pack, she was going to confront her grandfather Benjamin Bennet. Why had he abandoned them. What really happened to their parents. She knew he had information that would help Lanie and Anna.

Anna was an emotional wreck, she was dealing with the trauma of their parents death and no one had helped her. That facility that was supposed to be helping her, had actually been poisoning her. They knew she was a Bennet wolf and they wanted to hurt her. She was still weak from the poison and that's why she wasn't recovering from the wolfsbane. Lucy was fighting to get through the wall Astrid had built locking her out of their mind, mad at her for not seeing that Lanie needed more help. They were Bennet sisters, they were supposed to know what each other needed, just like Astrid knew Anna needed her pack.

Astrid stopped near the border of the pack territory, she put down the backpack of clothes and personal items she knew she'd need in human form. She shifted back, careful to keep Lucy in place in the cage in her mind. She didn't need Lucy's compassion and understanding to stop her from getting answers. She dressed in jeans, chuck taylors and a royal blue tank top, tied her wild unruly hair into a French braid and started towards the border into Bennet territory. Astrid knew a lot more about her abilities than she told Lucy. She made herself blend into the tree line and masked her scent then she ran through the trees until the pack house was in view. She slowed and let her scent linger, she wanted them to know she was here and she wanted them to see her strong and defiant.

The territory was remarkable, nestled right at the base of the mountains. There was a national park that bordered their land so they didnt have to worry about hunters on that side and there were rivers and lakes throughout. The packhouse had an amazing view of the mountains and it was tall, at least 8 stories. Lanie and Anna would love it here. Astrid thought to herself how Axel and Liam would make a far greater Alpha than they'd ever had before. As Astrid approached the steps an elderly woman sat in a rocking chair watching her.

"Astrid?" The woman spoke softly.

"So you know I am alive?" Astrid was not here for a hug.

"I saw you coming weeks ago child."

"What do you mean you saw me coming weeks ago?"

"Are you not here about answers for Lanie and Anna?" Astrid paused, she was obviously a Bennet wolf, but not who Astrid was pissed at. Maybe she could get some answers by just talking instead of biting, that thought had never occurred to her before.

"Do you have those answers for me?"

"Haha, I do my sweet girl. Come, sit, I just made some mint lemonade."

Astrid cautiously climbed the steps to the porch and sat on the paint peeling porch swing next to the rickety rocking chair the woman sat in. Astrid tucked her feet up so she was sitting cross legged in the swing, the woman chuckled softly with the warmest smile. When the woman smiled it made Astrid want to give Lucy back control so she could feel her warmth too and for the first time in her life she felt guilty for all she had put Lucy through. Astrid shook her head and tried to focus on her anger to keep her edge.

"Do you know who I am?" The woman asked. Now that Astrid saw the woman up close she saw that she actually had the same eyes as Lucy. The same icy blonde hair now turning silver with age. The same laugh that said she knew more than she was saying.

"I am assuming, my grandmother?"

"No, I wish. Your Grandmother passed about a year after your mother disappeared." Astrid spit out her delicious lemonade.

"WHAT! Disappeared? Not killed?"

"Ah, right, I forgot you grew up with humans, I am sorry about that. Had I any say in the matter I would have come for you, but your Grandfather my sisters mate can be quite stubborn and he held on to his pride and broken heart."

"I thought my mother was dead. All these years I could have been looking for her."

"No child, I don't think she survived the death of your father, the loss of ones mate and child can be too great for some wolves. Your mother was the first Bennet wolf, her brother was the second. He was killed in a rogue attack before you were born, he was only 16. How the Bennet bloodline works is; the first born is to rule, the second is special and is to protect the pack and the Luna. Our bloodline is special in a way that we are always female first born. Luna to the pack the second can be male or female but second is always the protector. It is uncommon for a third child to be born. The moon goddess made it this way so that should a female Bennet wolf ever be captured. She can not keep producing special offspring."

By the look on Astrids face the woman stopped speaking and let her process.

" I am ok, keep going" Astrid took a breath and leaned into the swing.

"Your mother was pregnant and lost the baby before she disappeared. It was unusual but the moon goddess blessed us with him so, we were all excited. When she lost the baby your father thought a trip to the ocean would be a nice break, so you all left for an ocean bound adventure and that's when the crash happened. You were 13 when we found out you were still alive. Your Grandfather was too proud to bring you home, couldn't stand the thought of trying to explain all this to you and teach you how to be a Bennet wolf. I only found out about Lanie surviving when I had the vision of you coming to confront Benjamin. He thought the Bennet line would just die out, that you would find a human partner and that would be that. A lot of the pack members moved on to other territories, after the accident. Your grandfather was angry and stopped leading well."

Astrid started to soften while listening to the woman's honest history of her family. She unlocked the cage and let Lucy come into her mind without losing control. She let Lucy see into her memories and learn what she just learned. Lucy cried quietly in their mind and Astrid tried to comfort her. Telling her she would fix what she could, for Lucy to rest and listen. A loud slam came from beside them.

"Hello Benjamin." The woman greeted him with no emotion and without looking in his direction. Astrid stood slowly, glaring daggers at her grandfather, whom she hated in this moment.

"What is the meaning of this Liza!?" He spat arrogantly

"Just giving some family history to Lucy and Astrid."

"Astrid? Who's Astrid?" He hollered.

" I am! I had to take control from Lucy because her heart has been broken by you, you shitty excuse for an Alpha! How dare you abandon her and to a human family no less! No one to show her what she is, or how to control it...me. You should be ashamed of yourself, you selfrighteous bastard!!"

Benjamin was shocked and surprisingly not angry at her outburst. "I am sorry for that, I made many mistakes. I couldn't handle the death of my daughter and heir to our pack, but that's no excuse, I am just very sorry I wasn't there for you and Lanie. I thought Lanie had died in the crash until a few weeks ago."

That was not what Astrid had expected, he was so cold and heartless on the phone when she called. She didn't t expect this reaction from her just showing up here.

"Come inside for some dinner, Emily prepared a lovely meal for us." Liza said gently. I could feel Lucy relaxing in our mind, the tension leaving her as she processed the information. This was the break she needed.

We talked about my childhood, the pack, and how Benjamin was not the alpha anymore that he took the pack back over when my father died. Since his mate was the rightful Luna when she died, the pack lost all hope in him and that they wouldn't be able to continue the Bennet bloodline. There are still a few hundred pack members living in the territory but they all work in town and the pack doesn't run like a pack should.

After dinner we all retreated to the library.

"This is centuries of Bennet history, archives of all the abilities Bennet wolves possess. How to train a Bennet wolf, how to control your gifts. There is a lot of information in here, I hope you find something that could help Lanie." Benjamin sighed and left the library. Astrid started by pulling books from the shelves and sat herself in a giant armchair, ready to get started.

"Astrid, let me do this! I'm the book worm, you're the warrior. Let me do the reading." Astrid hesitated, but let Lucy have control again.

Lucy read for hours and when she finally fell asleep with her face in a dusty book, it was 3am.