A Wolf's Tear

sixteen - conditions

The following days were mundanely uneventful. Things had seemingly settled down as Talon’s hopes of training the pack had begun. Pack Albrich’s wolves were starting to move in and help with rebuilding the burnt structures left by the most recent attack while some taught combat to young wolves.

Understandably, the people in the pack were not pleased with Talon’s decision to train them but they soon softened once he explained everything to them.

While Selena watched from the sidelines, she felt proud of Talon for raising his chin and leading his pack.

In so many instances, Selena saw their father in him. Despite the fact that they looked extremely alike, they also had the same mannerisms. Just like their father, Talon would often close his eye and grind his teeth while he contemplated his next move and then sigh heavily as if he just made a very hard decision. It’s in those kinds of moments that she admired him the most.

Selena pursed her lips and walked over to him.

“You seem preoccupied.” She spoke, knitting her brows together.

“Preoccupied?” he chuckled. “I guess I am. I may or may have forgotten to take into consideration that with pack Albrich here, it also means that I should have given our kitchen aids and cooks a bigger budget this week.”

“Really? It’s so unlike you to forget things.” She answered.

But then again, he was becoming a lot more forgetful recently. Because of Katie, no doubt. Selena made sure to never step her foot into that conversation and opted to go with the flow of her brother’s avoidance of saying his mate’s name.

“My head’s filled with other things. I’m afraid that I’m fully overwhelmed.”

Talon offered her an empty but endearing smile. He was trying his best to appear collected but Selena knew him will and that facade he wore was merely a thin layer of fabric that she saw through easily.

“I spoke with Joseph yesterday,” He looks at her. “He says pack San Ignacio also disavowed their affiliation with pack Morris.”

Selena grimaced.

“And you’re telling me this, why?” She asked.

“Pack Morris is losing their support quickly. Doesn’t that bother you at all? I’d hate to think that maybe they’ll declare war upon our people. They’re even more terrifying as an enemy than the Remmingtons.”

Selena held herself back and turned herself back. That’s indeed a very troublesome dilemma and even more terrifying is that the idea wasn’t too far off. Talon had humiliated Nathaniel in front of his wolves and rejected Katie right on the spot.

But then, if he were to attack pack Highcliff she would see how much his words truly meant. Everything that he had spoken of in his office the day he rejected her, those flowery words of confession that still even now stoked the fire of disbelief of her emotions.

‘My virtues are my vices and my vices grow brighter because I know I can never be the man I want to be for you.’

There was truth in his eyes when he said those but how true was it? Selena wasn’t sure if she could easily gauge and separate the truth from the call of her heart and wolf.

If he were to attack them then she would know that his words were only empty and her heart would only shatter once again.

“We’ll be ready,” She whispered. “I guess, training our wolves is the real and only way.”

“Yes, but let’s hope it never comes to that. Nathaniel’s head might be askew but if he truly is an honorable man, he should not do something foolish especially when considering he’s left quite the dark impression on our lives.”