Silence

Chapter 22: Call Of The Wild

And we are back sooner than I though, hope you all enjoy a plot heavy chapter and I will see you at the end.

"Home sweet home." = Speaking

"Home sweet home." = Thinking/Mind linking

'Home sweet home.' = Writing

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(Mars POV)

A full week had passed since my chat with Asphra about a bit of my past, since then my mind had been clouded, in my mind instincts conflicted with one another which led me to where I am at the moment, for the second time since, telling my mates I was going to explore the area around the pack, I sat on the border of my mates territory, looking outward into the surrounds.

A piece of me from before meeting my mates had resurfaced and was pushing me and Artemis to finish what we started, while another drove us back to our mates embrace, a pain shifted, poked, prodded and flowed across my body as I against my own wishes fought myself on what to do.

"You feel it to?" A familiar voice asked from behind me, glancing over my shoulder I saw Wilhelm coming towards me through the forest, I gave him a  sharp stare and a short nod, I doubt we are feeling the same thing but I am curious to what he has to say.

"Others I have spoken to have called it the 'call of the wild' rogues and rogue born all feel it apparently, some days~... some days it is much harder to ignore than others I find." Wilhelm said, kneeling down on the grass beside me.

I looked at Wilhelm for a moment before turning outward once more, although distracted from my inner turmoil for the moment I felt a new tug push forth from within my hearth, it to pushing me away, willing me into my former life.

I concentrated for a moment before for the first time I felt a spark in my mind, and a connection to Wilhelm formed, "Does it ever get any easier, how do you turn away?" I asked him, for the first time in my own 'voice'.

Wilhelm looked at me briefly before smiling lightly at my words, "No, I have felt it my whole life and it never eases or truly leaves you, it will pass you by soon enough but the call shall return, often stronger, but, I remember my life here, my friends, my parents, my sister, the pack, and I turn away, it sometimes takes a while, but I always turn for home." Wilhelm explained calmly, it was nice to have someone else more familiar with the call.

"And yet~, I remember my friends I made in the world, my unfinished business, the life I once held, it was not bad, hard but it was a life, even if it would have been ended now without my mates, or you." I replied, the feeling almost hurt now, demanding me to move forward.

Wilhelm looked into my eyes with sympathy, "I do not doubt you, but look to what you have now, you are strong and not alone in this, you are our luna, we trust you and you can trust in us, you are never alone." Wilhelm answered, standing up beside my and placing a comforting hand upon my shoulder, "What you do next, and the consequence of it, is your choice, your fate, and I shall not hinder you in your choice." And with his final words, Wilhelm turned and left me at the packs border.

I watch him leave in silence, soon I was once more alone as I could be and turned back again to the border, Artemis was silent in my mind, so clouded and conflicted it was hard to pick her our in my thoughts, let alone hear her, still I could feel her confliction as well, I was not alone in this.

"The choice is mine, and the consequence of huh?" I thought to myself, and stood you on unsteady, pained legs that demanded for my stride to take me to move forward but I turned my mind to my mates, all they had done for me, saving me, accepting me, giving me a home, a family, a pack to call my own, with a final look to the border a single thought passed my mind, "Not today." And I turned back, headed for home

The walk back was more painful then I imagined it would be, staggering several time as pain surged into my legs, shard of pain poking in my mind like glass, the sound of my heart hammering forth in my ears.

Pushing open the doors to my home with my mate I nearly ended up having to drag myself up the stairs to our bedroom, entering I went to the cupboard where we kept our clothes and dragged out the first thing that smelled remotely of my mates, a simple black hoodie that they shared. Pulling it over my head I curled up on our bed and focused in on their scent and just enough, the pain eased.

(Mars POV)

I watched from afar as my luna returned to her home, she had made her choice for today, as had I, a slight smile slipped across my face for a moment before a voice interrupted me from behind, "What was that about?" Mackenzie asked quietly, stopping to stand beside me

"Today, our luna felt the call for the first time, she made her choice to return home, I gave her fifty-fifty odds." I replied in honesty, Mackenzie would know if I was lying to her.

"And you did not for a second think to inform someone or watch over her?" Mackenzie shot back, a little bite in her words that I could understand.

"I gave her advice on how to cope and pull herself back to the pack but it is harder for her Mackenzie, she had a life outside the pack, she roamed far and free she will be feeling the call far stronger than I do, this was a choice she had to make for herself, and she proved her strength once more." I explained, Mackenzie had witnessed my calls before and knew they are hard, and she seemed to understand the situation her luna was in.

"I see, and the alphas?" Mackenzie asked me curiously, now turning away from my sisters house to face me directly.

"It would be hard for them all, if she left~, and I fear that it is now a matter of not 'if' the luna leaves but 'when', her instinct demands it, and when that day comes, things need to happen." I said, extremally quietly, this was something that had to be kept quiet.

Mackenzie narrowed her eyes dangerously at me for my words, "...What would need to happen?" she asked, equally quietly, I was glad she knew the equal parts danger and necessity of this conversation.

"To begin with, my sisters will be enraged and irrational, you will need to help them and get our parents back here if they have not returned beforehand, and you will need to become the beta." I explained calmly, turning back to the house.

"This sounds like things that you could do better than me, what will you do?" Mackenzie asked me, the daggered look in her eyes told me to pick my words carefully here.

"When they return to their senses my sisters greatest concern will be their mate, and her safety, I will ensure she is not alone." I replied, it would hurt and be hard but my loyalty was to my sisters before the pack itself, this was a sacrifice I would make for their sakes.

Mackenzie was silent for a long, tense moment before responding, "So what will push the luna over do you think?"

"She was able to link with me today when I was with her, she mentioned in passing, her unfinished business, whatever it is, it is just my guess but still, it will gnaw at her." I answered back with a sigh.

"I understand, just keep me up to date on what to do and changes, this stays between us and as few others as possible." Mackenzie stated and I nodded firmly in agreement, this was a dangerous agreement and information, we would deal with it as quietly as possible.

I watched as from the main pack area my sisters came forward at a  hurried march to their house, glancing briefly at us as they entered, and I offered them a nod as they entered, and silence prevailed for a few seconds before Mackenzie dared to speak once more, "You told them." She stated simply, to which I nodded.

"And as far as they care, you and I were simply keeping watch." I replied before turning to leave and Mackenzie left in the opposite direction, our conversation over, Hard days were ahead, but I will do whatever I can to control it, the call could not be overcome and I fear once I follow it, there won't be any going back for me.

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And we are done, hope you all enjoyed and I will see you in the next one.