The Forest Guardian

Chapter 33

"Wa-.... Wh-... Why?" Are the only words I can master after Luke's long and slightly awkward declamation about the Alpha's intentions.

"He says it's because the so called shifter has rubbed the balance. But my guess is that he's scared."

I turn away from him, pacing back and forth, running a hand through my hair.

He wants to restore balance by shoving me away.

In short that's the Alpha's plan. To find me, defeat me or/and knock me out, just so he can restore a sick kind of balance that he says is rubbed in the area now when I'm around. Ironically enough my mission is to keep balance, not destroy it. And apparently haven't I been around before I become Luke's mate.

It's all a sickening mess, really.

"Hey, it's not that bad. You managed to stay away from me when you didn't want to be found, so you can easily stay away from him. Right?"

Luke's concern and unease about this is making it's way not only to his voice but to me as well, although I feel it out of other reasons than he does.

"That's not the problem" I explain to Luke, deciding to start somewhere. "It's just that with after what he did to Lucy, it's a high possibility he'll give all the other animals the same medicine. And they can't tell him anything, since it's physically impossible for them to tell him which'll make them suffer for the sake of me and-"

Luke cuts me off with a question, startling me a little. "You're worried about the animals's, and not your own safety?"

I sigh again, although I nod. "It's a thing."

Luke nods, understanding what the so called thing involves.

My mate is quiet for awhile, and I continue to pace back and forth. This isn't happening. What am I supposed to do?! I can't just defeat the Alpha, that'll be physically impossible for me, since I can't put an animal to death. With the exception of when they're too badly wounded or death-sick. But in those cases I'll heal them with the help of The Tree as a first option. Or they simply don't want to live anymore and come to me for help.

I can't really do anything! And since I don't think I know the hole picture, I can't judge after it. Not that it would change things drastically, but it's something!

"Whatever you want. If you're ready, so am I." Emight says reassuringly to Luke, which gets my attention out of the mess of thoughts that's once again threatening to take over my head.

"Will it help if I can tell you how Alpha Peter became Alpha?" Luke asks, almost hesitating with his words.

"I don't know until you've told me." I reply honestly, still pacing.

Luke sighs. "Is it worth it?"

I stop in my tracks and turn to face him, before I sigh defeatedly and sit down beside a log, patting the spot next to me.

Luke sits down next to me and I crawl onto his lap. He sighs but wraps his arms around me and lays his head on top of mine.

"I'm sure it is." I tell him assuringly. "Everything we know about Peter will help."

That's when Like starts to tell me.

How it once was two Alpha sons, one older and one younger. The problem with them two was that the Luna at the Alpha's side, only got the first one with her mate. The other one was created with another man. Her old sweetheart she had before she met her mate.

Of course the Alpha didn't know this.

When the old Alpha passed, he wanted to give the title to his older - real - son. Luke's father.

The problem was, that his father had yet to find his mate, which the other son, Peter, already claimed that he had.

So even if the Alpha didn't want to give Peter the title, as he probably realised that he wasn't his own son, he did.

Although the Alpha made hi, promise that when Luke's father would find his mate, Peter would step back and give him the title.

But when Luke's father did, Alpha Peter didn't.

A new rule of Luke's father needing to have a son appeared.

Luke's father obeyed, as the nice person he was. What he didn't know, was that Peter and his mate just had found out that they wouldn't be able to have children of their own.

Peter's plan was simple.

Get a son from his brother, and then kill him.

Alpha Peter didn't do it first handed, of course. He poisoned Luke's father's Luna to die shortly after she had given birth to Luke, which she did.

Leaving Luke's father heartbroken, and when Luke turned five, he left just to never return. Peter then took Luke as his own son, claiming to be his father.

I listen carefully as Luke speaks, how his breathing gets uneven and how his voice breaks at the part when his father dies.

I shift in my seat on his lap, as I sling my arms around him.

I can imagine how hard it must be for him to tell me all this. Just to talk about being an orphan, and having to pretend to be the son of a man who killed his parents.

When he's completely finished, I only have one question.

"How did you found out about all this?" I ask, sitting a little straighter in my seat, gently whipping away Luke's tears who slowly roll down his cheeks.

Luke swallows slowly, tilting his head away from me, whipping away the tears on his own.

"When I was seventeen, an old lady knocked on the door of the Pack House. Her name was Lauren and she was a werewolf who needed a pack. Since Alpha Peter wanted an old, relatively wise, woman to entertain the children of the pack, he let her in. Lauren told me about it one time, that and many other things."

As he says the last sentence, his eyes trail to me, smiling sadly.

This, sets my mind spinning.

---------------
A/N:
I like this chapter. Kinda.

It's important for the plot. Obviously.
And what's with this Lauren woman... Who knows.....

;)

You guys aren't good at vote-locks. That's why I'll do another one.

15 votes and it's yours.

A comment wouldn't hurt either...

//siggeisthedog