LOGINThe so called Gala in my name was for four days from when the letter had been delivered. Loki had already taken some of the pack to investigate the location. Getting blueprints and organising the best escape route should this turn out to be a trap which in his, Zeld's and everyone else's opinion was definitely shaping up to be.
I on the other hand refused to give up hope, sure there was definitely some ulterior motive for Damiens invitation but it could just as easily be to our benefit. Either way we were well prepared there's only so much they can do in a public place in the middle of a city surrounded by humans. As much as they may want us all dead keeping the secret of what we were was just as important to them as it was to us.
Don't get me wrong I'm extremely sure that they could easily bribe government officials, police and whoever they want I doubt they would attack us under the guise of a party and while the others were apprehensive of this Gala I was secretly looking forward to it.
With everything that was going on it was the perfect opportunity for the pack to let off some steam and while I had every faith that they wouldn't let their guard down it didn't mean they couldn't have a bit of fun while they were there. Plus if the red paw pack ended up becoming allies this would be a good way for both packs to get to know each other.
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
Zeld asked me for the thousandth time. We were on the roof top. I liked it up here the wind that blew by the trees of central pack down below the water that could be seen in the distance. I felt closer to the very energy that called to my very being. Zeld had found me after yet another meeting planning for the Gala ahead.
I turned leaning my back against the railing as I stared at him. Now that we were back in New York he had stripped himself of the furs of Greenland in place of navy jeans and a black button down shirt. Which if I was honest made him look all the more irresistible.
"Extremely sure."
He stepped closer taking me in his arms the feel of him against me sending that all too familiar warmth into my very being. His eyes delved into my own as his hands found the hem of my shirt to my skin underneath sending tingles through my body.
"Well I know there's no talking you out of it so I'm not even going to try."
His hands make there way up my side as they pulled aside my bra cupping the breast beneath. His head dips to my neck as his breath warms my skin.
"All I ask is that you promise one last time."
Pulling back he looks into my eyes his hand slowly finding its way to the front of my pants. His hand slipping down the inside of the thin fabric of my knickers.
"No more risks."
My heart pounded in my chest as his fingers slipped in. My moan silenced by his lips as his fingers delved deeper. Kissing from my cheeks as he continued to kiss down to my neck.
"Promise me."
Panting my answer comes out more like an exhale of breath then words.
"I promise."
His lips return to mine as his fingers work inside me so close to sending me over the edge til he stops just shy of that all consuming end.
"Come on there's still plenty to do for this gala of yours."
I scowl making him laugh.
"I love it when you pout."
I growled as I allowed him to pull me back to the elevator as I tried to slow my racing heart.
Going downstairs we made our way towards the room we had set aside for pack meetings. Loki, talieus and Keyon were already there the blueprints for the Gotham hotel located in mid town Manhattan spread before them.
"Well we can post lookouts here, here and here."
"That won't be necessary."
All three of them snap their heads towards me.
"Rave you said I was in charge of plan b just in case it was a trap."
I nodded as I stepped closer studying the blueprints.
"I believe I said you would be in charge of an escape plan should we need one. Leaving our members outside alone is not what I'd call safe. No I want every member of the pack where I can see them. I will not have us separate for any reason we are a true pack and do not need look outs or tricks to be a pack. All we need is a way out if their intentions are not in our favour. We must give a little trust to gain trust."
All four of them looked at me with shocked disbelief in their expressions. Silence filled the room til Zeld spoke up.
"Rav's right we are wild wolves and its time we showed them what that means."
Loki shook his head as he threw his hands up in frustration as he peered at Talieus hopeing for some support in changing my mind. Talieus just chuckled.
"She's your daughter."
Loki growled then sighed in defeat.
"Fine we'll do it your way but just remember if anything happens-"
"It's my fault. I'm well aware."
I smiled as I looked over the blueprints.
"Ok fine In that case this is the plan?"
We spent the next five hours working on a plan of escape. It wasn't til well after midnight that we were finally finished.
Zeld and I were back in our room exhausted from the meeting and a day full of keeping the wolves inside the pack from tearing each other apart. I was glad when we finally lay down my head resting on his chest as he stroked my hair. The black tendrils fanning out as he did.
It was nice these moments. Since being mated it wasn't often we got a chance to just be. His bare chest beneath me felt good as I traced the outline of his muscles abs.
"What's on your mind?"
My fingers stopped in their tracks as stared up at him. The concern in his eyes reflecting in the moonlight making his eyes glow even though I knew he wasn't wolfing out as they say.
"Just enjoying this."
His head tilted to the side remaining silent as I continued.
"You know this."
I indicted us.
"This moment with you as my mate just feels right."
I shrugged embarrassed by my own words as I looked away my cheeks going red. He held me closer as he chuckled.
"I get it believe me I do."
He lifted my chin up to face him as his hand rested on my cheek.
"You are and always will be my whole world Rav and I hope we have more times like this to just be as you say."
I snuggle closer burying my head in his chest happy at his words, however my happiness was short lived as a feeling of foreboding overcome me. Zeld felt the change in me and immediately questioned it.
"Rav what's wrong?"
I sat up not being able to find the words to describe the feeling that had just came over me.
"Rav talk to me."
Zeld's hand went to my shoulder pulling my hair back as he did so that he could see my face. I shook my head not wanting to worry him as I shrugged it off.
"Nothing just thought I heard something."
He looks towards the door then back to me.
"Do you want me to check?"
I shake my head again, I felt silly maybe it was just my insecurities. My fear of loosing him and shouldn't take any notice as I forced myself to smile.
"No it's fine probably just one of the pack getting anxious again they can deal with it on their own."
Even though I knew Zeld didn't believe a word I was saying he didn't question further merely opening his arms as I returned to my spot on his chest.
"Go to sleep Rav your probably just tired."
I nodded as I close my eyes the sound of his breathing pulling me to sleep as his hands continued their slow movement through my hair.
——————
"Raven!"
A voice calls me from the darkness. Spinning round I try to see where it's coming from but a dense fog shrouds my vision.
"don't leave me!"
As the voice gets louder I realise who it belongs to.
"Zeld!"
I run through the fog towards the voice.
"Please stay with me!"
The voice is suddenly coming from the other direction.
"Where are you?!"
I yell out but the voice is gone as the fog thins revealing a dense forest. An eagle flys through the trees towards me and instantly I know this eagle is me well my shifted form of me. It lands on my out stretched arm as I stroke its chest and Even though I know this eagle I still ask.
"Who are you?"
The eagle merely shrieks as it lifts off again it talons digging into my skin I cover my wrist blood forming. I watch the eagle fly away as I gaze down at my wound. My eyes widen as a symbol starts to form on my skin. Three spirals etch their way into my skin forming a circle.
I have no idea what it means but I am suddenly brought to me knees as a searing pain threatens slice open my skull. Just as I don't think I can take any more Im ripped from my sleep as forced into strong arms.
It takes me a second to realise where I am once I hear Zeld's voice.
"It's alright I'm here your fine."
I'm covered in sweat and panting as I hold onto Zeld like my life depended on it. He holds me to his chest and soothes me until he's sure I've calmed down. Once my heart had slowed to a normal rate he pulls me back and stares into my eyes.
"What happened? Did you see something?"
I open my mouth to tell him what I saw when my eyes notice the inside of my wrist. He starts to follow my eyes but I quickly hide what I see and smile.
"Nothing don't worry it was just a bad dream."
He narrows his eyes as he stares at me and how I'm still obviously shaken.
"Are you sure that's all it was?"
I nodded forcing myself to shrug it off I didn't want him to worry until I could figure out what it all meant.
"Honestly I dreamt I was being chased by vampires."
I laugh knowing how ridiculous it sounded since the vampires were long since disappeared from this earth. To my surprise he buys my story chucking.
"You and your obsession with vampires maybe it's a sign you should stop reading all those vampire books."
I laugh as I pretend to pout.
"But their so good."
He starts to lay back down as he pulls me down with him.
"Fine but don't blame me if you get another nightmare."
I poke my tongue out as he closes his eyes and within seconds is back asleep. Me however am left with so many questions that I am left staring at the now very real spirals etched into the inside of my wrist wondering just what they mean. It seems like just when I think things are starting to make sense in my life the universe decides to throw another curve ball.
if I was to decipher my dream I needed to figure out what this symbol meant. I sighed as I wondered if and when things would get easier. Surely there would be a time when we could just live our lives. Surely it wasn't to much to ask just to be us without all this destiny and fighting.
I snuggled into Zeld as even in his sleep he responded wrapping his arms around me. in a cocoon of safety where I could as least get some sleep before it all started again tomorrow. I only hoped it would all be worth it to finally reach a point where we could just concentrate on each other instead of the rest of the world. Closing my eyes I made a silent wish for that one day to come as I drifted off to sleep.
Loki's POVI saw the flames the second they were lit. It wasn't long after the the sounds of battle could be heard. It was hard to just stay in one place when I knew there had to be wolves dying even now. The sound of growls being cut short reminded me of Tharon's attacks all those years ago. The blood spilled back then was high. It was hard to believe that after everything he'd done he now stood with my father's section of the pack ready to fight with our pack instead of destroy it. I mean sure he only stood with Talieus because I refused to fight beside him. I just could not forgive him for taking her away from me.I once again missed the voice of my wolf knowing that his pain was so high he would never speak to me again still hurt.I shook off the thoughts no now was not that time to think of such things when any minute now I would have to join in the fighting. So hear I stood in wolf form with the silver claw pack and five of the for
Damien POVWhere are they? Zeld told us they would be here. That's when I saw her the first vampire in the flesh. The creature that was the darker half of a goddess of nature. As if the pure evil that dropped off of her wasn't bad enough the blood stained lips was. This wasn't good five of my pack had already fallen to her their blood drained completely. Her speed at drinking their blood only taking a mere second.Shiya was fighting not far from Luna with Quin by her side. He was in wolf form his dirty grey pelt covered in scars. His snout and paws covered in blood.'Alpha their too strong there's no way we can beat them!''We don't have to beat them just stall them.'It was curious that Shiya was still in human form why she had not shifted was beyond me. We are strongest as wolves so why stay human?"Ahh so your the first alpha up for grabs."I growled
I spent all day sitting with my legs crossed in the flattened cluster of branches above the ancient trees truck as I slowly fused myself with the tree. It was a long process as the tree and I became one. The tree was connected to those around it but as my power fused with it the strength in that connection grew. The more my power became one with the tree the further those connections went.'It won't be long now til they make their move.''I know and we are running out of time.''It's taking longer then we thought.''We must have faith in the others. They must hold them off til we have completed the bond.'I could already connect with all of the forest surrounding the oak. The silver claw and forest lakes packs were laying in wait their ranks melded together to create a good mix of silver claw wolves and my own far stronger forest lakes wolves. I even felt the red paw pack on the
My hand still resting on the tree I reached out to the next person.'Cal?''Rav? Is that you?''Yes it me. Listen I know about the attack I'm contacting you now to warn you. Tomorrow night there will be a Time when you must get all werewolves clear of the forest.''What? Why?''I can't tell you just know that I trust you to do this for me, if you don't all within will parish.''Parish? Seriously how old are you?'I chuckled. Cal had not changed even after everything that's happened.'Older then you know. Look Cal it is imperative that you do this for me, I don't care how just save them please.'I started to pull my power but his voice stopped me.'Rav wait!''What is it?''I don't fully understand what's going on but please tell me your not planning something stupid?'
Once my power had been reeled in I addressed Damien and Nate once again."As for the reason why I did not tell you before now is simple I didn't know til now. You see each time I die I leave my power behind. Each pack has a piece of that power and it's not til my new self has regained enough of it that I regain my memories of my past lives. When I fought the two of you I regained the power of fire and water giving me enough to awaken my true self. However I am still incomplete which is why Luna has taken control of the white tail pack they have the remaining piece of my power. Without that power she is stornger and she knows it. This is the first time in our many lives she has managed such a feat."For the first time Talieus spoke."What about the moon goddess pack and the blue moon pack do they not hold any of your power?""Your right Talieus, but being born into the moon goddess pack I gained the power to nullify
It wasn't long before Zeld had gathered all the elders and alphas including their betas to where Caryi and I waited. All of them stared at me irritation in the eyes of the other two alphas curiosity In the forest lakes wolves. Zeld was the only one present seeming to hold his breath waiting for whatever it was I had to share."What's this about alpha Raven?"I sighed as I turned to face them ripping my eyes from the view of the window."It must be important enough to wake us in the middle of the night.""I've called you all here to warn you. At midnight tomorrow night when the moon is at its highest Luna and those that follow her will attack."All in the room stared silent as my words sunk in. Then their voices spoke over the top of one another each with a different question. Holding up my hand I silenced them."You have questions I know but I would ask that you wait til