Loving Luna - Stephan

Chapter Nine - Loss

“Tonight is the night!” he shouted out to the rows of hunters that stood before him. “Taking them by surprise will make us victorious!” the group of men shouted out in the agreement and he smirked. The time had come for his revenge and it would be bittersweet.

-

The horrifying sounds of screams woke Stephan up. Three weeks had passed since his family had come to visit and although he knew they had extra guards and warriors, a chill still ran through him.

“Stan!” Jewel cried out in fear. Stephan then realized that it was real, he wasn’t dreaming. Pushing off the blanket from his sweaty body, he jumped out of bed to see his parents scrabbling downstairs.

“Get the females and pups to safety!” George instructed Andrea and Jewel. He turned to Stephan, fear evident in his eyes. “The hunters are here,” Stephan nodded and followed his father outside. The screams had gotten worse and he cringed at the sound. The once peaceful, calm night was destroyed. They ran, hard and fast towards the small village and the sight they came across was one of pure terror. Flames licked the houses; screams came from panicked families as they tried to desperately leave their homes. Mothers carrying their young, males running around, weapons ready. Worse of all the smell of blood, of death, filled Stephan’s senses and he felt the bile rise up, but he swallowed hard and met up with Frank, Cliff and some of the other warriors.

“Boarder has been breached. Things are out of control!” Frank announced. Stephan wasn’t prepared for any of it. The gunshot sounds followed by screams began to ring in his ears and he shook himself out it. Things where chaotic. Stephan watched as his father and Frank shifted and he followed suit. The mind-link was going crazy. Wolves crying out for help, wolves mourning a lost one. He could hear Andrea’s voice. Ushering females and pups to the dungeons for safety. It was no use. The hunters had used a surprise attack and managed to get the upper hand. Stephan felt his mother's death and he stopped, his heartbreaking as he heard his father howl out in anguish and pain. Stephan called out to Jewel, desperate to keep his mate safe. Wolves everywhere, hunters by the dozen swept through the village. Stephan could no longer pay attention to anything else as he saw Jewel heading inside of the dungeons. Satisfied that his mate was safe, he turned to attack three hunters that were making their way towards the females. He didn’t hesitate as he killed them instantly.

“Fall back!” a hunter shouted out. “Fall back! Fall back!” although he knew they were retreating, he still wouldn’t let them getaway. Any hunter that passed Stephan’s path, died. Blood dripped from his mouth. The pain of losing his mother tore deep into his soul and he sought out his father. He watched in horror as George charged towards a lonely hunter. The gunshot sounded out and George fell hard to the ground. The pain-filled the remaining pack members at the loss of their Alpha and Luna. Stephan howled out and the pack followed. Now the night was filled with their painful howls.

Stephan looked up at Jewel as she entered their bedroom. The house felt cold and empty. Tears streaked his face and he didn’t try to even hide it. The pain he felt at the loss of his parents, of his Alpha and Luna, tore into him. Jewel gathered him up in her arms and whispered soothing words to him. He could barely hold on as she laid him down and cuddled up to him. His sobs slowed down and he felt sleep coming but suddenly Frank’s voice could be heard loud and clear. Stephan sat up to listen to what the beta had to say.

“Our pack has been attacked! Our Alpha and Luna are gone! The hunters have won! Alpha George did everything he could to protect us! Our Alpha and Luna gave their lives for us! What say, you, Stephan! Son of George and Andrea! What say you now?!” Stephan was shocked at Frank’s question and instead of talking through the mind-link, he quickly pulled on a pair of black sweatpants and rushed downstairs and outside. Frank stood with his mate and pup by his side. The remaining pack members stood just behind him. He was at a loss for words, yet he had so much to say.

“Answer! What have you done to help us? What have you done to protect us?” Frank shouted out. Stephan watched as Cliff hurried to the beta’s side, trying to calm him down. “No! He must answer to us!”

“Do you think it is only you that feels that loss?” Stephan suddenly found his voice and cried out to Frank. “Do you truly think I wanted this to happen?”

“Yes!” Frank yelled back and Stephan froze.

“How can you think that?”

“You are not one of us! You were not raised here!” Stephan flinched at Frank’s words and he was going to turn around and run, but he felt Jewel come and stand beside him. Placing her hand in his, squeezing his hand to show her support. He knew what he needed to do but yet he didn’t want to do it. Frank seemed to understand what was about to happen and took matters into his own hands. “I will take my mate and pup and leave this pack! I will not allow my family to be in any more danger!” Stephan was surprised but yet he almost expected Frank to pull such a stunt. Frank turned his back on Stephan and addressed the pack. “If you wish to stay here then so be it! But I am leaving! It is his fault!” Stephan nervously looked around at the remaining pack members, worried that they would listen to Frank and leave, but they didn’t, they stepped back and Frank was obviously shocked. “Fools!” he shouted out before he grabbed Dora’s hand and pulled his wife and pup away. The pack felt him leave. Funny as it was, they actually felt him leave. Stephan took a deep breath and faced his pack.

“If you believe Frank, then now is the time to go! However, I am not responsible for this! I feel as if I am to blame but I know that my father, our Alpha did everything he could to protect us all! We have all lost our Alpha and Luna, we have all lost a loved one tonight! Take rest, tomorrow we will regroup and try again!” although the crowd was sad, they cheered softly at his words. He would become the next Alpha and although he hated how it was happening, he couldn’t let his father down. He would honor him.

-

Jewel watched as the pack members started moving, going back to homes that hadn’t been destroyed to rest. She opened up the packhouse and helped many to settle down in the available rooms, including the living room. She pushed opened the office door and saw Stephan sitting at the big oak desk.

“Stan?” she had felt the rip and pain of the death of Andrea and George. She mourned for them but right now she had to be strong for her mate. He needed her now more than ever. She knew that so many things had to be done, yet all she wanted to do was hold him. He looked up at her with tears running down freely, he wasn’t hiding his pain and Jewel gently pulled him up and guided him upstairs to their bedroom. She helped him to bed and covered him up with the soft blanket. Jewel could hear her phone ringing and quickly answered it.

“Hello?”

“Jewel! Sasha is going crazy! What has happened?” Ayden spoke fast and Jewel could hear Sasha screaming and crying in the background. She knew that the female had felt the pain of her parent's death. Jewel struggled to find the words when she felt Stephan take the phone from her.

“Hunters came, mom and dad are dead,” the words left his lips, sorrow, and grief clear in his tone of voice. He handed her the phone back.

“Ok, thank you, I’ll call again in the morning,” Ayden hung up and Jewel knew that he would be trying to comfort his mate. It wasn’t long and she heard Stephan’s phone ringing. She rushed over to answer it.

“Hunters came, mom and dad are dead,” she repeated Stephan's words quickly and sadly. She wasn’t sure who was on the other end, but the sound of crying was loud. Then the line went dead. Stephan had answered her phone, repeating those dreadful words to whoever had called. The family knew that Andrea and George Lavoie were dead. Stephan laid back down on the bed and Jewel joined him, snuggling him against her chest as they cried together. The pack suffered a great loss tonight and she knew that her mate would never be the same.

Most of the pack members that had stayed the night in the packhouse had left. The once warm, cozy home felt cold and empty. Jewel went into the kitchen and looked around, she would no longer see Andrea at the stove, making breakfast, or anything for that matter.

“Jewel?” she turned around to see Cliff standing in the doorway.

“Morning Cliff,”

“Morning, all the bodies have been buried at the gravesite, excluding,” he paused, looking sad and Jewel went to him.

“I know,” she touched his arm in comfort before dropping her hand. It was a sad day. She could feel the pain from the pack. “How many?” she asked him.

“Six males, two females and one pup,” Jewel felt the tears well up again and she blinked rapidly, trying to stop them from falling. “And of course, our Alpha and Luna,” Cliff’s voice was weak, and she couldn’t blame him. "We burned the heaps of hunters,"

"How many?" she asked curiously.

"Twenty three bodies," he informed her and she flinched. Despite the fact that they had been hunters, and death was not welcomed. She would mourn for their families and pray the gods to take mercy on their souls.

“I’ll get Stephan up,” Cliff nodded, and she made her way back upstairs. She would need help. Back in their bedroom, she looked over at her mate. Stephan was wrapped around in the blanket and she smiled. He looked so adorable. Shaking him softly, she woke him up. “Stan, its time,” she informed him when his eyes opened. Her words registered in his mind and she watched him battle with his emotions. Jewel went into the bathroom and turned on the water in the shower. “Come, Stan,” she called out to him as she waited for the water to get warm. She could hear him as he moved around in the room, his head down as he came into the bathroom. Jewel pulled down his sweatpants and gently pushed him into the shower, she removed her top and shorts and joined him. If it had been any other day, things would’ve gotten heated and passionate between them, but not today. As the water cascaded down their tense bodies, she bathed him as the water washed away their tears. Once done, she turned off the water and stepped out, Stephan followed. Jewel handed him a towel and she was relieved to see him accept it and start drying himself off. She did the same and led him back into their room to get dressed. Jewel knew exactly how it felt to lose one’s parents. However, Stephan didn’t have as much time with them as a pup should have. She knew his loss was greater for him in ways that she would never understand. Once dressed in simple comfortable clothing, she followed Stephan downstairs. Cliff waited for them on the patio and avoided eye contact with either of them. Jewel couldn’t blame him, even she avoided eye contact. Otherwise, the waterworks would be on again. Cliff led them to the gravesite where they had buried the pack members. She looked around at the members and tried to smile at them but failed.

“This is not goodbye,” Stephan started, his voice weak and sad. “Our connection still lives on, even though you are gone. The gods surround you, ready to take you and we stand here humbly in love and respect. May your souls rest in peace,” it was painfully obvious how he struggled with the words. How he had to pause to take a deep breath. How he tried his best to keep eye contact with those that where looking at him. Cliff was the first to walk forward and take handfuls of dirt and throw it in, everyone soon followed. Jewel and Stephan where the last. The pack members stood to wait for Stephan to talk. “I need time to address the council about what happened here last night. In the meantime, I’m going to ask Warren Ryker to send more warriors. Jewel and Cliff will look after the pack for now. Be vigilant, take night shifts, be safe. I don’t know why but I have a feeling that this isn’t over. As for our beloved Alpha and Luna,” his voice strained. “We will bury them tomorrow after the family has arrived,” he said no more as he nodded at them and walked away. Times ahead were going to be hard.

-

Stephan paced the office, he had just gotten off the phone with Warren, Ayden and the dreadful Carl. They were already on their way. His three sisters were taking their parent's death quite badly. Stephan wanted to scream and lose his control, but he knew he couldn’t. He picked up his father's phone, his hands shaking, and he went through the contact list. Finding the name of the ultimate supreme Alpha was fairly easy.

“Dimitry?”

“George? No? Who is that?”

“It is Stephan, his son,”

“Ah yes, Stephan, what can I do for you so early on this morning?” Dimitry asked him.

“I would like to inform the council that during the night, the pack was attacked,” Stephan did everything he could to keep his voice calm, but it cracked slightly at the last word: ‘attacked’.

“Oh no! Hunters?”

“Yes,”

“Tell me,” Dimitry ordered and Stephan told him everything he knew. How many had died and about George and Andrea. Dimitry whispered apologetic, comforting words but it meant nothing to Stephan. “When is their burial?”

“Tomorrow,”

“Alright, I’ll be there as soon as I can, if possible, wait for me,” and with that Dimitry hung up. Stephan looked around the office and felt himself smile. The simple, plain office reminded him so much of his father. He wished that the wolf wasn’t gone, he still felt as if there was so much, they still had to share, to experience and so much he still had to learn. Now, he was gone. He never even got a chance to tell them he loved them, accepted them. The pain that flowed through his body was overwhelming and he let the tears fall.

-

Jewel helped Cliff with getting the pack back into the flow of things. It wasn’t easy but the village needed to be cleaned up. She visited the grieving homes of those that had lost a loved one. She cried with them and left. Cliff didn’t have a mate, but another female came forward, offering her help.

“My name is Cheryl,”

“Mmm, thank you, Cheryl, the packhouse is so empty now, but the kitchen is big enough. Gather some others and head over there to make soup and bread. We need to eat and stay strong,” Jewel told her, and the young female nodded and left to gather some others.

“The pack is suffering,” Cliff informed her.

“Yes, but we will stand strong,” she looked over at him. “How many warriors do we have?”

“The warriors that where sent by Alpha Jeffery have returned home, Alpha Warren’s soldiers are patrolling the borders, and our warriors are helping the village,” she nodded at his words.

“Good, thank you, Cliff,” she dismissed him and went back to the house.

-

Emily and Carl arrived that afternoon. Stephan couldn’t face Carl or even acknowledge the other wolf’s presence. He only had eyes for his eldest sister.

“Brother,” Emily whispered as she reached out for him. Stephan didn’t hesitate and they hugged tightly, crying in each other’s arms. They sat together in their father’s office on the sofa, talking and comforting each other. Sasha and Ayden arrived soon thereafter, and the tears flowed once again. The howls of despair and anguish rippled through the whole house. Stephan didn’t have the words, but he held onto his two sisters for dear life.

“I can’t believe they are gone,” Sasha cried softly.

“Me neither, home doesn’t feel the same,” Emily said, and Stephan pulled them closer to his sides.

“We will honor their memory,” he whispered. Jewel knocked on the door before she came into the room.

“Come on you three, there is hot chicken soup and freshly baked bread in the kitchen and we need to eat to regain our strength,” Stephan was extremely grateful for Jewel. They stood up and followed her out of the office and to the kitchen. He wasn’t surprised to see a line outside the kitchen door as members came in to collect a bowl and a piece of bread. Jewel sat them down at the kitchen table and placed bowls in front of them. “Eat,” she instructed. Stephan looked over at his sisters who started eating. It didn’t feel the same, the emptiness was quite overwhelming, and he choked back a sob as he brought the spoon to his lips. Nothing would ever taste or feel the same. After two spoonsful, he started crying again. Emily grabbed his hand in comfort as Sasha joined in and cried too. Jewel stood behind him, rubbing his back with small soft circular movements. The comfort surrounding him was welcomed but the pain still edged it's way into his heart.