HOMECOMING

Chapter 7

I am sure my face was a study of shock, horror, and interest as I stared at Ms. Rankin as she grew quiet. So much information to take in. I had a hard time believing this story had anything to do with me. Up until now, I had lived a peaceful existence, loving my family and being loved by them. Going to school, training, having fun with my friends, making jewelry, and being the best pack member I could be. Hearing this story turned my world upside down.

"Ms. Rankin, Mom, Dad, I just need a minute", I got up and went to the bathroom attached to my Dad's office. I closed the door, then went to the sink and turned on the tap. In an effort to gather myself, I cupped my hands, gathered water and sluiced my face. Patting my face dry, I looked in the mirror. My green eyes were glowing.

Jade's voice whispered softly. 'Ellie, don't panic. Remember, we can handle this. Go listen to the rest of the story. Tell your parents, all three of them, that you need a couple of hours alone before you open the second letter. Then go to your room because you and I have to talk. Can you do that?"

Taking a deep breat, I nodded my head. Then I giggled to myself, thinking Jade would not see me doing that. 'ha, I know what you did. After all, I am part of you. I know what you are thinking and what you are doing', she snickered.

I relived myself, washed and dried my hands, then rejoined my parents in the office. I sat down again on the couch by Ms. Rankin. "Sorry about that. I just needed to gather my thoughts. I am sure you can appreciate this is a lot to take in. Ms. Rankin, I don't know if I should still call you Ms. Rankin, or what I should call you. Mom and Dad will always be my mom and dad. I can't even think of them as anything else. Please don't be hurt by that."

Ms. Rankin took my hand in hers and squeezed it gently. "This is not something you should even be concerned about, Ellie. I understand completely and I am not hurt. Much as |I would love to hear you call me mom, it is best if you continue to call me Ms. Rankin. This way, no one will be able to connect us as other than family friends. It's the best way to continue protecting yourself. Let me finish the story, so you have a better understanding of this whole situation."

"Your father's pack is the Blomidon View Pack. Because of their Cybersecurity business, they have connections with a great number of packs worldwide. Many of those packs had a business alliance, while closer packs in Nova Scotia extended the alliances to include training, protection, and support."

"The Savage Moon pack is located close to the Terence Bay Provincial Wilderness Area. They are a secretive pack, and now deal in a lot of shady and illegal business. Though before you were born, the Savage Moon Pack focused on construction. However, Alpha Gabriel Savage was, and is rumored to be power hungry and is known to use force and coercion to get what he wants. Up until news of my pregnancy, Savage Moon Pack shunned any contact with Blomidon View Pack. This sudden interest did not bode well for us."

" With this in mind, Alpha Rankin, Alexander, his twin brother Aaron, their younger brother George, and I met to discuss how best to protect Alexander, myself, and you, as well as the pack. Alexander decided to step down as Alpha heir and allow Aaron to assume the Alpha role when their father retired. George had already accepted a Beta position with the Blood Moon Pack in Glasgow, Scotland. Alex and I would seek refuge with an allied hybrid pack. The Golden Moon Hybrid Pack offered refuge and protection. All we had to do was get here undetected."

Ms. Rankin paused and took a sip of her now barely warm hot chocolate, then set the mug back down on the coffee table. I could tell she was having a difficult time with the next part of her narrative. Though she lived with this every day of her life, saying it out loud must be painful. I reached over and rubbed her shoulder in an attempt to offer comfort. Ms. Rankin took a few more moments to compose herself, then continued.

"Alexander suggested the best way to "disappear" was by doing it openly. He already had a security upgrade job scheduled for mid-December in a pack in New Brunswick. Two of my university friends were in that pack so we let it be known I was tagging along for a visit with the girls. We had planned to drive through the Rawdon Hills area in order to avoid Halifax, and the possibility of being seen by anyone with connections to Alpha Gabriel or his pack. Once we reached Truro, we were heading directly for the Golden Moon Hybrid Pack in Cape Breton. Once we were safely hidden, another member of the IT team would be called on to "assist" with the security upgrade job."

"A multi-vehicle accident closed down our planned route, and we were forced to take the highway to Halifax before heading up to Truro and on to Cape Breton. What we didn't know was Alpha Gabriel had strategically placed spies who saw us leaving the pack area and reported the info directly to Alpha Gabriel. Perhaps if we had gone to the pack in New Brunswick as originally scheduled, things might have turned out differently. Maybe your father would still be alive. But who knows what might have been", she sighed.

"What I do know is that we picked up a tail around Ingonish. Traffic was fairly heavy for that time of year due to people returning home from Christmas shopping. The vehicle tailing us forced us off the road and our vehicle went over an embankment, then hit a large tree. Your father was killed instantly, and I was knocked out. When I came to, I was in the back of an ambulance being taken to Neil's Harbor hospital, where I gave birth to you. Shortly after your birth, John and Lila came to see me. It wasn't until we were in the Alpha's office that they realized we were the family seeking refuge. We knew your father's death had to be reported, but we didn't want Alpha Gabriel to know about your birth. Fortunately, the local police on duty were pack members. They were able to apprehend the driver of the vehicle that forced us off the road. They immediately confiscated his phone, and locked him in an isolated cell, thereby keeping him from contacting Alpha Gabriel. While that was good, we still had to find a way to hide your birth."

Ms. Rankin looked at mom and dad, then stated, "This is the painful part of the story for your parents. But it's a part they have to tell you".