Lockwood City: The Tale of Eloise

Prologue

Lilly Wood & The Prick- Prayer in C

The alpha's daughter had been missing for three years now. The Lockwoods have done everything in their power to locate her and they have finally succeeded. Our Luna is leading the raid as our alpha leads the war against those who had kept them from their little princess for so long.

We have all done things that no one should ever be proud of in the name of a little nine-year-old girl. She's twelve now. Her wolf will be coming in soon. My son, Elias is just a year older than she, and I would do what I have done and so much more to get him back. His wolf will be coming in any day now. I'm so proud of him and I wish for my alpha to have that same pride.

A light whimper caught my attention as we approached the lower levels of the enemy packhouse. My luna froze at the sounds of the light crying. She looked back at me, tears filling her eyes. This is it. We've found her. Using the back of her hand, Luna Bes wiped the tears from her eyes. Her gunmetal gray eyes lost all emotion as a growl crept up her throat.

I had never seen a female move the way she does. Luna Bes had once been the light of our pack. An angel. But some things change with time. A corruption brought on by necessity. She holds nothing back as she rips through those who stand between her and her little girl. The rest of us just covered her.

At some point during the last three years, I thought myself a monster for committing all that I have. There were days when I couldn't look my mate or my son in the eye because of all the things that racked my brain, haunting me for what I had done to get this innocent little girl back to her family. To bring her home.

"Eloise?" the Luna's voice broke as we approached the cell her daughter was holding in.

The sight of her gave me complete and utter relief. At that moment, I had been redeemed of all the ugly I had committed and I only wish I had done worse. My only regret was letting those I chose not to kill go. Those I did kill, it was mercy compared to this.

My twelve-year-old future alpha is tied to a bed with the same pink nightie she had worn the night she had been taken. Her fair porcelain skin is covered in layers of dirt, dark bruising, and scars. They had cut her once long dark brown hair. My heart broke for the little girl who had died the night she had been taken from her home because the one who came home with us would never ever be that little girl again. Eloise Lockwood will not smile again for years to come.

Any abrupt movement causes her to jump. She spent a whole six months in intensive care. She couldn't eat solid food. If her food had intense flavor she would throw it up. My alpha or any other man couldn't go anywhere near her for almost two years after we brought her back.

There is hardly ever any sleep for her. When I'm out on patrol, I see her light on at the top of the tower her parents chose to conceal her in. Sometimes, I catch a silhouette of the moving phantom that she has become. I look at my son every day and I thank the moon that he's lived a beautiful life up until now. I thank the moon for the handsome devil he's become, for the fierce fighter he is, for the selfless man that he is becoming.

"Dad?" I look over at my son and smile. He comes and stands next to me and looks up at the top of the tower where the massive Lockwood name lights the night. "Still thinking of Rapunzel?"

That's what they call her now. The princess is hidden in the highest tower with only her mother's company. The tale of Eloise is part of our history. A history that isn't quite finished yet. A history that is barely being carved into stone as she prepares to ascend.

"I haven't in a long time," I admit looking him over. "You're going to be named Beta when I step down. Tec and I had hoped that you and Eloise would have both taken your ranks now that we're ready to retire. I haven't seen her in fifteen years. No one has. We don't even talk about her anymore,"

"You think the alpha is going to make her pass the alpha pride down to Max?" the two of us growled appalled by the thought of answering to a rat-like Max Lockwood.

"I don't know," I answer truthfully. "I can't bring myself to ask Tec about any of this. None of us know what is up there. I don't know what has become of her,"

He didn't say anything as the figure appeared at the top window. She stood there for a while. I couldn't look anymore. My son, however, watches her more than I ever will. His eyes are always searching for the silhouette and if it is what I think it is, my poor kid is going to suffer. They both will. There's very little any of us can do to help them in what's to come. He thinks he has control of his life. He has a pretty clear vision of the future he wants but life never really works out the way we want does it? If fate worked in our favor, our world wouldn't be what it is now.

"I wonder if she's still as pretty as she used to be," he whispers. "I miss her,"