Chapter 31 - Thirty

Noira woke Zazriel up with a kick then made her start walking with her hands. She obeyed. And they walked. This continued for a week before Noira finally led them to an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere. There was no town nearby, no packs either. They were completely alone.
"Go inside and start a fire!" Noira hissed. "We need to talk."
Zazriel did as ordered and waited for only three minutes before her aunt entered and locked the door. She locked several windows too before sitting in a chair across from Zazriel. Zazriel stared at her. Fear for not only her life, but those of her pack if Noira got a chance. Anger for her hurting those she loved. And confusion.
Noira glared and finally spoke. "Zazriel. We all thought you'd be the Angel of the family, instead, you were the biggest disappointment."
"Why do you care?"
Noira smiled. "Your father hid it better than my sister or I. But he did try to make you into something worthy of his name. He had too big of a heart. Always did."
"He didn't think I was a disappointment."
"He did. He loved you too much to tell you though." She shrugged. "My sister was not as good at hiding her feelings though. She cried. She raged. And in the end, she begged me to kill you."
Zazriel stiffened. "No!"

No whistle blows. Not one for over a day. Mourgent was getting frustrated. He howled a mournful call for Zazriel, begging her to answer somehow. He then listened, but nothing answered. She was either too far away, unconscious, hurt, or the whistle was taken away.
"Alpha?" Zelda's voice through the pack link.
"Not yet. We're still looking."
"Are you close?"
"I don't know. I hope so."
Mourgent felt bad he didn't have more information for her. He knew many were wondering if Zazriel was okay, many had become her friend. They all had become her pack.

"You're a liar!" Zazriel spat. Her glare would have caused many of her pack to cower, but Noira did no such thing. "My mother may have been disappointed, but she wouldn't want me dead!"
Noira chuckled. "If she had been your mother, Zazriel, she might have killed you herself. But my sister was neither your mother nor the cruelest female to be able to kill a child."
Zazriel stilled. "What are you talking about?"
"She wasn't your mother."

"Hush Little Zazriel, don't say a word. Momma's gonna buy you a mocking bird…"
…
"Little Zazriel, do you want to know a secret?"
"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!"
"I am not your mother. Your mother abandoned you…"

Zazriel felt the blood drain from her face.
Noira smiled. "You do believe me then?"
"If she's not, then who?"
Noira sighed. "I am, Zazriel."
Zazriel stared. "What?"
"I gave birth to you. But when I realized you weren't worth the blood your father and I gave you, I gave you to my sister and left."
"But father-"
"Your father had a pack to run. I had no obligation." Noira leaned forward and rested her chin in her hand. "I wasn't the only one who believed you would destroy the pack, which you did."
"It wasn't my fault!" Zazriel said in desperation.
"But it is. An alpha protects her pack, and you couldn't. It got to the point where you had to merge with another. Fortunately for you, this alpha is your mate." She paused. "But it is obvious he doesn't believe you're strong enough either."
Zazriel stilled. "He believes I'm strong."
Noira laughed. "By allowing you to fight that female?" More laughter. "A pup could fight her!"
Zazriel felt shame rush to the surface. But she tried to block out her words. "You're wrong."
"Then why did he fight the rest of your fights?"
"Those weren't mine. Those were his."
Noira shook her head. "Those alphas wanted you. Your mate didn't think you could handle all of them and fought them himself."
"No!"
"You can ask him yourself?" Noira suggested. "He is likely coming for you."
Zazriel shook her head, then slowly looked up at her aunt again, dread rising. "How do you know any of this? How do you know about my fight? How did you get so close?"
Noira smiled. "As I said, I wasn't the only one who believed you would destroy the pack."
A traitor!

Night fell. Mourgent waited. Orion had gone ahead to see if he could find a trail, but Mourgent wanted a sign Zazriel was still alive.
A howl.
It wasn't her, but his friend. He found something. Ansel and Mourgent ran towards Orion with speed. They reached him quickly.
"We're getting closer," he said. "Maybe a day or two behind. Maybe less."
"That's a large gap, Orion."
Orion shook his head. "There are other scents. It's hard right now."
Mourgent didn't push, but let Orion lead them in the right direction.
Sometime later, they found blood. It was a small amount, nothing to worry about. Later, a scrap of cloth. It was Zazriel's.
The next day, Orion lost the trail.