The Children Of Maddeline

Twenty-Six

Jadzia

I sighed. I was sitting in the rocking chair on the front veranda, Miracle was cradled in my arms and she was grabbing at my locks of hair. I watched as mum and Gray played gently with Braydon and Tyler, they had laid a picnic blanket down on the front lawn and were having so much fun with their grandkids.

"Mama." I heard a gurgle and looked down at my daughter.

I smiled at her; her gorgeous yellow eyes were an exact replica of my own and her brown hair was the same shade as mine. The triplets were only two months old, I should be giving birth to them now, but because they had grown so fast I'd delivered them after only one month. Because of werewolf ageing, they were already talking and grabbing at things.

The war preparations were still going on, pack members were bursting from inside the packhouse. They were all from different packs; Lunar-Blade, Star-Castor, Bloodmoon, Crescent, Fang-Sky, Snow-Claw, and so many more. I really didn't want to raise my children in an environment like this, especially since Rogue's were drawing closer to the borders of the territory. They became more daring as we became stronger, the fools were asking to be killed by the allied forces.

Just as the thought of Rogues crossed my mind, I heard a snarl and my head snapped up. Mum grabbed Tyler and Braydon, quickly moving to my side and shushing the two boys as they cried. Gray stood tall, staring down a small Rogue who had emerged from the underbrush of the forest.

"Calm, Alpha." I gasped, even Gray seemed shocked as the Rogue talked. "We do not want to fight against you, we shall fight for you."

Gray tilted his head, "We?"

The Rogue lowered her head and took a step back, more small wolves pushed their way through the plants to stand alongside her. Some were bigger than her, some were just puppies. I noticed a tall, heavily muscled male, his russet brown fur was damp with sweat and his bright green eyes looked sad. Beside him, stood the smallest she-wolf I had ever seen, she wasn't a puppy, I knew she was fully grown. Her fur was an unusual shade of blue-ish grey, and her peculiar eyes shone lilac.

"I am Luna Constance, but please call me Conny." The rogue said, I frowned. If she's a Rogue then why does she refer to herself as Luna?

"State your business or be torn to shreds!" Gray growled through his teeth, mum gripped his arm to calm him down.

I stood from my seat and handed Miracle to Eleanor, who had appeared in the doorway. The blonde maid had a startled expression, but she took my daughter inside and then came back for my sons. I stood tall next to my mother and stared down the Rogues with the two of them.

Conny sighed, like she was agitated. "I told you. We have come to fight for you, like most of the wolves in the world I hold a grudge for Alpha Delton." Her blue eyes flared as she said his name, like the memory of him made her stronger.

Gray's jaw twitched and his fists clenched tightly, mum stood on her tip-toes so that she could whisper in his ear. He listened intently and nodded sternly. He turned his attention back to Conny.

"Come. We will discuss this in my office, your pack will stay here under the eyes of my guards." Conny nodded in understanding and cautiously walked up the steps onto the front porch.

Her pack sighed heavily in unison, they collapsed in a heap and in no time at all they were all snoring softly. I followed Gray, Conny and my mother into the house, the she-wolf kept her head bowed but walked quickly so she wouldn't anger Gray. We climbed the stairs and turned down the hall, mum opened a huge set of dark-oak doors that were decorated with carvings of Artemis and Apollo. Conny went in first, followed by Gray, and I stepped in last.

I'd never been inside Gray's office before, only my mum's. The room was long and wide, rows of bookshelves stretched across the floor, with mounds of old books and scrolls stuffed into their shelves. There was a large wooden desk at the far end of the room, facing the door, with a velvet strip of carpet leading to it.

Gray sat behind his desk and leaned forward on his elbows, resting his chin on his knuckles. Mum stood behind him and put her hands on his broad shoulders, Conny plopped her butt down right in front of the desk, slouching forward and resisting the urge to scratch at her fleas. I stood right behind her, my arms crossed across my chest.

"Now explain everything." Gray ordered the Rogue.

"I was once the Luna of The Solar-Moon pack," my mother gasped as she heard the name, Conny looked down as if ashamed of what she was about to say, "I am Delton's younger sister; we had great fun together, always looking out for each other and playing with our friends. It was a good life." Conny's face darkened, "But for whatever reason, he murdered our parents and blamed me for it, half the pack sided with him and less then a quarter sided with me. So he kicked me out; and when I resisted, the pack I once ruled turned against me."

I saw mum frown deeply, Gray kept his expression of stone and I stared at the back of Conny's head, I felt sorry for her.

"Me, along with the pack I had left to rule, fled here to America using the Mermaid transport. We've been here for twenty years, and we have grown in number and strength, I am ready to tear my brother apart!" She growled and lifted her gaze, staring Gray in the eye. I had no idea what the Mermaid transport was...Something to do with the mer folk? Probably.

"Alright." Gray said slowly, "I will accept you into the army, train well Luna Constance"

Conny smiled and stood up, her body shook and her bones cracked and shifted, I took a step back in surprise and watched as she rose up on her two legs. She was a small woman, with her bones sticking out and her ribs clearly visible. Her skin was pale, and her long greasy black hair fell down her back in clumps. She wore a destroyed sun dress, the floral pattern was coated with mud and dirt, and her nails were horribly long and curved.

"Jadzia, darling, would you mind giving Conny a bath and showing her to a spare room?" Mum stared me down.

I opened my mouth to protest.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of the triplets." I growled and turned on my heel, I made it to the doorway before a held my hand out for Conny. She speed-walked towards me and slipped her dirty hand into my own.

I lead her down the hall, up another flight of stairs and into my room. It was decorated with pictures of Tyler and I, and a few pictures of my children here and there. The bed was messed up, it hadn't been made for weeks and my clothes were hanging everywhere.

I steered Conny to the bathroom and sat her down in front of the sink.

"Now," I sighed, "Let's do something about this hair."