Lyric's Choice

The Beginning of Everything

It was dark that night. The kind of dark that makes you lock your doors and hold your loved ones close. All the houses she passed by were dark, except for one. That's where she was headed. That's where she would leave her.

The woods were unusually quiet that night. As if all the creatures in the forest were watching her, knowing what she was about to do and silently judging her.  The only sound that could be heard were her steps crunching the leaves under her shoes.

The large house loomed in front of her. There was a party going on. The inhabitants within were too engrossed with what was going on inside to notice the woman outside setting a bundle on the bottom step, too scared of coming any closer, too scared of being discovered. A sudden noise from the forest made her quickly turn away from the bundle and she bagan to run. Even when she heard the cry coming from the discarded bundle, she kept running and never looked back.

Inside the party Fredrick stopped talking suddenly. "Freddy, what's wrong?" Asked his wife Bunny, placing her hand on his arm and searching his face with a worried look on her face. "Do you hear a baby?" Fredrick asked searching the crowd. "A baby? All the pups are tucked in for the night dear." She answered, but then she heard it it too, a faint mewling. She began to look around as well. There was a strict no pups rule at the mating ceremonies. Sometimes they grew volatile, and it was no place for children. Fredrick started to walk towards the hall that led to the main entrance. Bunny followed him quietly, listening intently. The closer they got to the entrance, the stronger the mewling became. "I think it's coming from outside." She whispered. Fredrick nodded his head in agreement. Why would a pup be outside at this hour? Stepping outside he followed the sound down the steps until he came across a bundle on the bottom step. Kneeling down, he unwrapped the yellow blanket and inhaled sharply as his eyes rested on the greyest eyes he'd ever seen. The mewling stopped as the baby became transfixed on his face.

"What is it Freddy?" Bunny asked coming up behind him.
"It's a baby, a human girl." He answered quietly. Wondering who would leave a human baby here of all places.
"Human?! Here?" A shocked Bunny asked. Inching closer to look over his shoulder. Her eyes grew wide as she took in the child. She seemed so small compared to the pack's pups, but she was beautiful, a little doll with bronzed skin and grey eyes.

Fredrick picked the bundle up carefully and slowly stood up. He turned towards his mate with a questioning look, "what do we do with her." Bunny brought her hand to her chest, calming herself. "She's a gift from the Moon Goddess Fredrick. She's heard our prayers and blessed us with this child. We need to take her home" her eyes pleaded with her mate to agree. Fredrick looked into his mate's face, knowing how hard it has been on her to lose pup after pup, until it became too painful and they agreed that they were okay with just the two of them. He knew there would be no changing her mind, not that he wanted to. There was an emptiness in their lives, a void that try as they might, they could never fill. "We'll take her home until we find her people. Bunny she has people, she belongs to someone." He answered her, wanting to give her this, but trying to keep them both grounded in reality. "She belongs to US," Bunny insisted reaching for the baby. Fredrick gently handed the baby over to her, looking over his shoulder his eyes widening. He showed his neck in submission. "Alpha," he stated to the looming figure standing two steps behind Bunny.

"Fredrick, Bunny, what do we have here?" He asked, looking at the bundle that Bunny held on to tightly. Fredrick stepped in front of Bunny and placed himself between his mate and his alpha.  "Cyrus, we heard a sound and discovered a baby, left here all alone. She's human..." he trailed off.
       "She's ours! The Moon Goddess blessed us." Bunny cried out from behind her mate. Alpha Cyrus looked at Fredrick intently, "you wish to keep her Fredrick, raise her as your own?" Fredrick nodded but remained silent. Cyrus came down the two steps and stood in front of his oldest friend. He placed his hand on his shoulder, " Take your family home, but if someone comes back for her, you will have to give her back. Do you understand?  Gratitude flooded Fredrick's face, he nodded once and turned to take his family home.

Cyrus stood there and watched his friend take his mate and new baby home. He knew the pain the couple have been living with, knew the good having this child would do for them. That didn't stop that little nugget of worry from forming in his mind.

Hi! Thank you for reading so far! I hope you stay until the end of Lyric's story. This is a story that's been forming in my mind for the past year. I finally decided to try and put it to paper. I look forward to your input, and hope you enjoy it.

- niqui