Secret Sister

16. Regrets

Maria pov

The radio was turned as loud as I could get it. I didn't want to feel the longing I had for my old pack. I'm a Luna now. New pack, fresh start and new family. I'll have to talk to Flynn about Papa visiting.

Rain was pouring down now, onto the gravel road. It was starting to get slippery. Tears were rolling down my face clouding my vision. I let off the gas pedal, trying to slow down so I wouldn't go off the road. I was blinking quickly, trying to stop the tears. My windshield wipers were going as fast as they could and I still couldn't see. I knew I was ten minutes from Flynn's house and I couldn't stop driving or someone could possibly rear end my truck. I was stuck in a never ending cycle of panic.

My breathing was growing shallower and was increasing with speed. There was a massive weight on my chest and I was beginning to have a headache. I didn't want to be alone right now, but I knew I could get this situation under control. I turned my radio off.

"Siri, call Flynn," I said while my voice was shaking. I put my phone on speaker and tossed it onto my passenger seat. The dial tone was my anchor in that moment, I concentrated on the steady ring and the windshield wiper's rhythm.

"Maria?" Flynn's voice crackled through the bad reception. "Are you alright? Where are you?"

"I'm in my truck, on my way to your house." I choked out. "The storm is getting really bad, I'm only five minutes away."

"Maria, stop your truck," Flynn told me calmly. "Get your stuff together, shift and run home."

Shakily I hung up and then pulled my truck over to the side of the road. I set the emergency brake and hurried to get my stuff. I began shoving more things into my bag and left my backpack in the back seat. I struggled to open my door against the wind. Quickly I locked the doors and shifted into my wolf. My pelt didn't do much to stop me from getting wet. I grabbed my bag in my teeth and took off running into the forest.

I was fighting against the wind, and my paws were slipping in the mud. Before I made it into the forest, I had to dodge a fence post that had been uprooted. There was less rain in the forest because the trees were blocking some of it. I ran as fast as I could while dealing with the slippery mud and flying bits of tree.

I had been running for more than ten minutes when I started to panic that I had gotten myself lost. Flynn would come out into the storm soon to try and find me. I really didn't want him to risk getting injured but I needed help. I halted my running, lifted my head to the sky and let out the loudest howl I had ever sounded before.

Very soon I heard Flynn's responding howl. I howled again loudly, picked up my bag and ran towards the direction of his voice. When I finally saw Flynn's rain soaked, mud coated wolf I let out a whine of relief and almost collapsed. I dropped my bag and nuzzled my head into his neck. His wolf was big enough to cradle my wolf in his side.

Flynn had a urgent need to get home that I could see as he picked my bag up in his muzzle and nudged me in the direction he came from. I trotted away with Flynn on my tail urging me to run faster.

Quickly, we were at the edge of the forest. I was astounded at the force the wind was pushing at us. Rain was falling sideways and the tree in Flynn's front yard looked as if it was about to snap. Protectively, Flynn nuzzled his face into my neck then army crawled with me towards the house. We would have been blown away if we hadn't stuck low to the ground. We shifted and stumbled into Flynn's house.

Flynn rushed me into the basement and tossed an afghan over my shoulders. I hurriedly wrapped myself in it as Flynn lead me into a concrete room filled with the rest of his family.

I sat next to Flynn while shivering and sniffling. Flynn tugged me closer to his side as the thunder cracked and the wind howled, shaking the house. Tears were slowly making their way down my face and I flinched every time the thunder boomed. I found myself looking past my anger and hoping that my brothers, Papa and Gemma were okay.

"What's going on?" I asked Flynn.

"Tornado." He simply answered. "It was a surprise to everyone. It's about a kilometre wide now. Our radios are down but I assume it'll be over soon. These things usually move fast right?"

I was too busy hyperventilating to answer his question. I was in the direct path of the storm when I was in my truck. I was coming from the direction of my old pack. The pack that houses all of my friends and family. All of them!

"Maria?" Flynn's concerned voice said. "Maria, you need to breathe."

"Breathe?" I muttered weakly. "How can I breathe when all I ever known is literally about to be blown away? Torn from its foundation and tossed up into the air. People could be killed, people could be hurt. How can I sit here, and stay calm when Papa and Gemma are in danger? I might be angry, but I don't want my brothers to die, and I still love them."

"Listen," Flynn turned my head to look into his eyes. "There isn't anything you can do. Even if you were there with them, there wouldn't be anything you could do. Your brothers would want you safe. You can't go up against mother nature, Maria, mother nature would win. There are too many people who couldn't take it if you died. I need you Maria, Moonbeam needs you."

I nodded my head. "I was so immature." I sobbed. "There were just trying to protect me. I was so selfish! I'm such a bitch!" I threw myself into Flynn's arms. He held me as I sobbed. There's a very real chance that I would never see my family again.

The power flickered once and then we were plunged into darkness, or only indication of the weather being the howling wind.