I would like to start off by saying that this is a record of what transpired here. I am not the judge of what was. Nor will I condemn the souls of those trapped within this record. I am but a witness to things long since past. Had we known then what we know now, would it have changed anything? I can not say, but there are those who still hope that it will. A simple warning of what was to come.
As I sit here at the kitchen table writing this, I look every now and again at the bored up back door. I wonder if they took the shattering of the window in it as a warning that the peace we had enjoyed for so many years was about to break. Hell would descend on the pack shortly. And it all started with the arrival of one Lancel Habbershom. Returned to the pack after ten years of absence. I still remember like it was yesterday. I close my eyes and I can see the scene. I was just a child then. But I will never forget the day everything began to change. If we had known then… But how could we have known that everything would change that day? If only Victoria had warned us of her vision the night before, perhaps we could have changed the course of history. But such it is with these things, and we all pay the price.
Come back with me now as I tell you a story of betrayal and revenge. All I ask is that you save all your judgment for after my tale is done. Perhaps in this way others will not fall victim to what happened in this forsaken place. Where only ghosts remain to weep for what was lost. And I alone stand watch over what is left, trapped by duty or grief I can not say. But I will remain when even the buildings are not but rotted bones of what they once were. A stark reminder that we existed here, that we loved, laughed, played, fought and lost here. That we died here. Now only ashes remain of what once was a thriving pack. And my only friends are the stone angels that mark the graves of those that gave everything.
It all started on July 23 2023…
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There was a large crowd at the front of the pack house. Eighteen year old Victoria Smelton pushed her way to where her best friend stood in the corner of the deep covered porch. "So what do you think will happen now?" She asked as she got close to Blake Shanton. She wondered once again if she should tell someone about the horrible nightmare she'd had the night before. But once again she dismissed it as trivial.
"Lancel Habbershom will take over as alpha. I hear he is returning today. Hence the crowd." The large warrior said. "But for you and me nothing really changes. I go to training everyday at five thirty and you still work in the pack house." She nodded her agreement. Victoria had worked in the pack house for the last ten years. When her mother died she went to live in the pack house in exchange for her working under the late luna. Samantha Habbershom would be greatly missed. It had been Samantha who had talked her through her first shift and discovered her very submissive nature. She was pulled out of her silent reverie by Blake's condescending voice. "I almost forgot. You've lived in the pack house for the last ten years. You must've given your virginity to Lancel already." She was hurt and confused by his erroneous observation. "Well what are you waiting for? Go give your lover a big old kiss." He pointed at Lancel who had just stepped out of the driver side of the large suv.
He was much better looking than she remembered. The last time she had seen him, he had been a wiry six feet tall and a little awkward on his feet. The last time she had seen him, he held her and reassured her that everything was okay and the alpha and beta were not mad at her. She had been crying and hiding in a corner of the kitchen while the beta and alpha got into a shouting match about morals and family obligations. It wasn't until Luna Samatha half screamed for someone to stop the pancake on the stove from burning that Lancel had entered the kitchen and taken her in his arms while she clung to him and sobbed in fear. It wasn't long after that he had left for the marine corp.
"I was a child when he left. He probably doesn't even remember me." She told Blake as she watched Lancel walk up the steps to the front door. He was surrounded by unmated she wolves and Mist growled in the back of her mind. 'Don't like it.' She half growled and half whined. 'Relax Mist. He isn't ours.' She chided her wolf.
"So are you going to sleep with him?" Blake interrupted her internal dialog with her wolf.
"What is your problem?" She demanded loudly, half tempted to slap him hard across the face. She felt eyes on her and looked to the familiar silvery gray eyes of Lancel Habbershom. He was looking right at her with a strange look on his face. Was that anger? What had she done to make him mad?
"Oops, looks like he wants to kill you." Blake snorted. "Don't worry I'll protect you from the big bad alpha."
"As if you could." She shot back. "I would love to knock you out right now. Seriously why are you acting like this?"
"Talk about impossible possibilities. You'd break your hand again." It looked like he wanted to say something more but someone behind her caught his attention and he stopped dead in his tracks.
"The alpha would like to see you." The deep voice of Beta Erik said right behind her and she realized that the crowd had dispersed. She turned to see him holding out an appointment card with her name and a date and time on it. It was an official summons to the Alpha's office. She took the card with shaking hands.
"Thank you Beta. I will not miss my appointment." She reassured him as she studied his shoes. The alpha was always busy. If he made time for you in his schedule it was best to go to the appointment on time.
"See that you don't." With that the beta turned and stalked to the door. "Oh also we are out of milk."
"I'll add it to the list." She saw half a smirk twitch at his lips and smiled. She knew that Erik liked her. He had told her as much on several occasions. Mentioning that she might as well call him big brother. Because that was how he saw her. "Also that cereal you like so much." Sugar monster was nothing but candy in a bowl and she would never understand his love for it. With that he went inside the pack house to aid the new alpha.
"Maybe you're gonna be evicted. I got room in my bed if you'd like to crash at my place for a while." Blake taunted her.
"You know. The last guy that made me that offer didn't really like how the beta responded. But why don't you go ask him for yourself. You can find him in a shallow grave in the forest." She looked at the card in her hand and saw that the appointment was for three days from now. She would be starting her heat cycle that day. "He probably just wants to make sure I know which of his clothes are dry cleaning and which ones aren't." Alpha Devin had met with her on several occasions to check how she was doing in school and talk to her about the dangers of sleeping around as a ward of the pack and to make sure that she was upholding his reputation by waiting for her fated mate. As well as to make sure she knew what chores were hers and how he wanted the other's delegated. Something he knew she had a problem with.
"Yeah, he does have quite the soft spot for you, doesn't he?" He seemed to have calmed down now. "I'm sorry. I just…"
"You want me to be your mate. I told you, it won't stop the pain from her rejection. It also won't do any good because I would end up leaving you for my own mate when he came along." She gently touched his arm to reassure him that she wasn't mad at him.
"Hey! Don't you dare buy him that disgusting sugar cereal!" She flinched as the gamma half shouted at her, spoiling the moment with Blake.
"I won't, Gamma." She said submissively as she turned around to face him with her eyes on his shoes.
"Do I look like the gamma to you?" The angry growl took her off guard and she felt Blake start to pull her behind him.
"She didn't mean it alpha. It's just been a long day and-"
"Look at me Victoria!" He barked. She flinched again and shook her head.
"Fuck!" He snarled and she heard him stomp away. The front door slammed and she was once again alone with Blake.
"You seriously need to learn to breathe when someone yells at you." He chuckled. "He is seriously pissed. I thought he was gonna kill me and then you."
'No! Wouldn't hurt us!' Mist huffed with a pout.
'To be fair, Mist, he left ten years ago. He has probably changed since then.' "Mist doesn't think he would hurt us. He used to call me bitty bit. Of course that was ten years ago and I doubt he remembers at all."
"That's well and good for you and Mist but you didn't see the pure rage on his face when he looked at me."
"Vicky. It's time you got dinner started." Sean called out as he walked up. Once again she only looked at his shoes. "Why don't you go inside and get on that."
"Of course, Gamma." She said goodbye to Blake and rushed into the large ornate kitchen. All she needed to do was remember that she was cooking for four people, not just three. She was sure that Lancel would eat a lot of food. She turned on her cd player and listened to her favorite cd as she cooked. She was humming and swaying along to the music when she noticed that the Beta and gamma were talking in hushed voices just outside the kitchen door.
"It's for the best that he stays away from her. We should have put a stop to him hanging around a long time ago!"
"He can't tell her who she is allowed to spend her time with! She's not a slave!" Erik was definitely pissed off about something.
"You didn't see how close he was to losing it. Best Blake stays away for his own safety. Next time he might not get so lucky."
"Vicky has a life outside of him now. He can't just come in and expect everything to be the same as it was when she was a kid. That's not fair to her!"
"And whose fault is that? She needs to learn her place in this pack and what is expected of her! It is beyond time she knew!" Victoria covered her mouth and held her breath as she listened.
"Both of you, stop! She's listening to your conversation!" Lancel snapped and she heard his heavy footsteps coming towards the kitchen.
"Good! Let's go tell her everything right now!" Erik shouted and shoved the door open only to knock her to the floor as it swung violently inward. "Vicky! I'm so sorry!" He apologized as he tried to lift her off of the floor. She whimpered and backed away from him, not letting him touch her. Mist was holding her at the back of her mind desperately maintaining control.
"Mist, sweety. It's okay. We aren't mad at you or Vicky. You aren't in trouble." Sean said soothingly, letting his gamma aura fill the room.
"Why don't you go to your room and calm down, bitty bit. We can cook dinner tonight." Lancel said and stepped back from the door. His use of the old familiar pet name was all it took to let her know it was okay to run past him. She felt his finger tips brush her arm as she did, almost as if he wanted to pull her in and hold her like he used to when she was scared, but thought better of it.
Alone in her room she finally got control back from Mist. She was left to wonder what she should have been told and what Sean had meant when he said that Blake should stay away from her. She thought back to when she was a child and how things were then. She remembered chasing Lancel, Erik, and Sean through the forest and how they would let her catch them. And how she had ridden on Lancels back out to the lake that summer. The three had taken only her with them. She had swum in the cold water alongside them and ate her first real deer steak. Then she curled up next to Lancel and slept in his arms while the three boys laughed and talked among themselves.
She was abruptly pulled back to the present when someone knocked on the door. She opened it to see Lancel standing there. "Dinner is ready." He said shortly and turned to go.
"Lancel… Alpha?" She corrected herself before she could get in trouble for using his name.
"Fuck." She heard him cuss under his breath. "What?" He half growled.
"Do you remember the summer that I came to live here? How we all used to be?" She asked hopefully.
"Yeah. Good times." He turned around and she saw he was smiling. "Remember when we put neon green dye in Erik's body wash?"
"He was neon green for two months before he figured it out." She giggled at the memory of Erik walking around looking like the green giant's son.
"How about the time that you and Erik got me back for it." He sighed and a sad look crossed his face. "I'm sorry I had to leave."
"Why did you?" She asked.
"If I hadn't, I would have crossed a line that I couldn't come back from. It would have ruined both of our lives."
"What line?" She asked, hoping he wouldn't answer.
"You will understand on wednesday." He said.
"About that. Can we reschedule? My heat cycle will start that day and-"
"No! We will not reschedule. I knew when I made the appointment and had Erik give you the card so you wouldn't try to refuse. What we need to talk about will all be made clear at our appointment. I expect you to be there." She must have looked like she was about to protest because he went on. "You may be an old friend but I am still your alpha and will not tolerate disobedience. Even from you." With that he turned and left her alone. All her appetite was gone. She had no desire to spend any time with him outside of what was necessary to do her job as the pack house's only maid. She slammed the door shut and retreated to her bathroom for a shower.