Somber Song

Chapter 7 - Final promise

        “How does it feel?” Ethan asked me as he placed the first aid kit on the table and took a seat behind me. He pushed my hair over the opposite shoulder and a moment later I felt his cold fingers pressing gently into the skin around the wounded area.

        “It feels great, Ethan,” I said sarcastically but quickly regretted it. I wasn’t mad at him, I was mad at Caleb and his big mouth. His intense glare did not let my own anger subside. "I’m sorry, it’s fine. It hurts… like normal. It’s not infected.” I said with a much milder tone. 

        “I guess we’ll find out,” he retorted, pressing something against my back. It was cool and wet and it stung, and judging by the smell of flowers and herbs, it was probably one of the medicinal remedies Clarissa made herself. She had tried teaching me about them when I was younger, hoping to pass down the knowledge of her family, but I was too impatient and easily distracted to learn the names of all those plants, let alone which ones to mix and how. “What were you doing out there by yourself? With all that had happened… I didn’t expect you of all people to do something so stupid.”

        I frowned at the way Caleb nodded in agreement and instinctively looked around for something to throw at him. I took a minute to calm myself. They wouldn’t stop asking until they got some kind of explanation.

        “I needed some air, so I took a walk. I just got carried away,” I murmured, turning my head to look at the house. I wondered what Julian was going to say, what he was going to do after he found out. And it scared me a little.

        “Where did you find him?” Ethan asked, pulling me back to reality.

        “North border, near the Sheldon farm. But I think he came from the city, or at least his trail went towards the city.” I replied, relieved that at least the information I provided might be of some use. Ethan said nothing, but I noticed Caleb looking at my brother.

        “I’ve cleaned your wound, and it’s healing well. Now, all we need to do is wait and see if you’re going to die,” Ethan said in a harsh tone, tapping me on the shoulder to turn. When I did, he grabbed my hand, raising it higher so he could get a better look. Just then I realized that my fingers were smeared with blood and dust, making it look like I was hurt there as well.

        “That’s not mine,” I said after he frowned at his failure to find the source of the blood. I didn’t know if I should be pleased or offended at the disbelief that found its way to my brother’s face. I never had any interest in fighting when we were little since I couldn’t match him or Caleb if it came to just sheer strength or ability. But now that I had spent two semesters visiting those self-defense classes, I was sure I could hold my ground against them. At least in human form.

        Still, the ease with which the white wolf had overpowered me was scary. And it wasn’t his strength or his size that did the trick. I had let him bait me and fell into his trap - I had done exactly what I was taught not to do. So stupid.

        “Are you sure?” He asked, as if the proof on my hands wasn’t enough.

        “Your expression is insulting,” I said, pulling my hand away and shooting him a dirty look as I got to my feet. Ben appeared from the door a moment later, announcing that Julian wanted to speak to all of us inside. We followed him into the house to find most of the family was already gathered in the living room, with Julian sitting in his chair next to the cold fireplace. Clarissa and Ian were occupying the sofa on the opposite side. Ben joined them silently, but we stayed up. Julian’s eyes bore into me, making me wish I was anywhere but there.

        “Maybe it was a mistake sending your brother to bring you back, Mia,” he said in a tired voice. The feeling of shame in my gut intensified, and I looked at my feet, unable to even meet his eyes. “But what is done is done. The white wolf knows your scent now, so there is no point in sending you away. He could find you anywhere if he wishes to.” I felt a cold chill run down my back. All I had wanted since I arrived here was to go back to my life in New York and put all this madness behind me. And now, because of my recklessness, that might not happen. At least not until we deal with this situation, one way or another. I was so angry at myself, I could barely breathe.

        “We can’t just stand idle and wait for him to attack us one by one,” Caleb said next to me. He was standing tense on my left, his hands crossed and his brows knitted. He ignored me and kept staring at his father as if there was no one else in the room. “We have to try to take him out.”

        “I’m afraid you’re right,” Julian sighed, and I swallowed with difficulty. “But I will not allow you to rush into action led by your emotions. I’ve called the other packs and we’ll meet and discuss our options. But we need to know more – we need to know if he’s alone or if there are others, if he is born with it or bitten. We have to find what makes his bite so… deadly.”

        “So what do we do until the others arrive?” Ian asked, leaning his hands on his knees. His mother looked worried as she moved her gaze from her husband to her younger son. “Just pretend everything is normal? You’re getting worse, father, and I honestly don’t want to sit on my hands all day.”

        “You’ll do whatever you’re told,” Julian snapped and Ian flinched, sinking back into the sofa. At that moment he looked again just like the young boy I once knew. As much as I pitied him, I was glad I wasn’t the object of Julian’s wrath. Although, considering what had just happened, it was probably just a matter of time. “As for the rest of you,” he looked at each and every one of us separately, “nobody goes beyond the valley by themselves and without my knowledge. Nobody goes into the forest unless I say so. Am I clear?” I wasn’t sure if he was using his position as an Alpha or he had just become even more intimidating over the years, but I nodded so fast that I felt like my head was going to fall off. His harsh expression eased, and he leaned back in his chair as if feeling tired. “You can go now,” he said after a few seconds of silence. All of us prepared to leave when he called my name. I sent a pleading glance at Ethan, who only stared back as if telling me, ‘You’ve brought this to yourself!’

        I turned on my heel as slowly as possible and took a few steps back in the room, closer to Julian’s chair. He motioned for me to take a seat on the sofa next to him and I obeyed, suppressing a moan as my muscles protested. The white wolf may have tossed me one too many times.

        I raised my eyes and met Julian’s, but contrary to my expectations, I didn’t find anger there. Only sadness and pain. That made me feel even more uncomfortable.

        “Ever since you came into this family, Amelia, I knew you were different. You were curious, open-minded, and eager for adventure. I wasn’t surprised at all when you decided to leave us. I was surprised you didn’t do it earlier.” He started in a distant tone and with every word I felt more and more confused and nervous. I had no idea where he was going with that. “I knew fate brought you to us and when I found out you’re Caleb’s mate, the last of my doubts disappeared,” he continued and my confusion turned into a strong desire to leave the room. “I had hoped Caleb would be enough to make you happy, that you’d want to start a family and stay by his side when it’s his turn to become the Alpha.”

        “Julian,” I tried to interrupt him, but he raised his hand, silencing me. I was almost annoyed by how much power this man had over me.

        “Let me finish,” he continued completely unabashed. “When I die, Caleb will become Alpha. I doubt we’ll be able to deal with this threat before my time so it would be up to him to protect and take care of this family. I know it’s not fair for me to ask this of you, but I will do it, anyway.” He said, and I was ready to stand and run out of the room. As if expecting that, he reached out and grabbed my hand. “As your Alpha, I’m asking you to stay with my son and help him. He is stronger than I ever hoped for, smart and caring like his mother, but he has one weakness. You. He has loved you ever since you were both children, before he could even realize that you’re his other half.”

        “Julian, I can’t stay here,” I said. His warm, fatherly eyes were in big contrast with the firmness with which he held my hand.

        “I know why you left,” Julian proceeded as if I hadn’t said anything. My eyes were stinging from the tears, but I stubbornly blinked to push them back.

        “I’ve killed people, Julian,” I whispered, ceasing my attempts to get my hand free. “And it was not self-defense. I killed them in cold blood. I am a murderer. And because of me, so is Caleb.” I felt the tears wet my cheeks, and I instinctively raised my hand to wipe them. I had not even realized he had released me.

        “You were protecting your family. You were protecting Caleb. They were going to expose all of us.” Julian's voice was so soothing and confident that I was almost willing to believe him. The memories from that day flashed in front of my eyes, so I shook my head to chase them away, afraid that if I let them out of the little dark box I had locked them in, they would consume me until there was nothing left.

        “That still doesn’t make it right,” I whispered, lowering my head.

        “What was the alternative?” He asked, reaching out and patting my head with his big, coarse hands. “What would have happened to us if you had left them live? We’d be locked up at best or put down like rabid animals. You did what you had to do to survive. To keep us all safe.”

        I wiped my cheeks again, trying to compose myself.

        “I’m not asking you to love my son,” Julian pushed one final time. “I know you already do, even if you try to deny it. I’m asking you to stay by his side until this is over. After that, if you still want to go – I won’t be here to stop you.”