Life of an Anxious Wolf

Chapter 8

Trigger warning: Talk about character death. I don't think there are others but let me know.

"Virgil do something! You saved me! Please! I can't lose my baby girl! Please!" Molly sobbed. Dane had wrapped his arms around her and was staring off blankly his eyes streaming with silent tears.

"I-I..." Virgil was panicking he couldn't breathe the world was crashing around him. He just held tightly to his son who was shaking in his arms. "I don't know how Molly. I don't know how I saved you." Roman ran a soothing hand over Virgil's back trying to calm his mate despite his own distress. The rest of the pack had left to give the group a little space.

"You have to! You have to save her! Please!"

"I CAN'T!" Virgil cried pulling Thomas in tighter who was at this point uncomfortable and trying to pull away. "I'm so sorry Molly but I can't." 

Molly shrugged of her mate, much to Danes distress and pinned Roman to the wall, of all people. "This is your fault! We knew there were rogues nearby! Virgil wanted to chase them off. But no! 'They are just passing through' Right! That's what you said, isn't it!? Now my daughter is gone!" 

"Um..." A small voice tries to interrupt but it is drowned out. 

"Molly you need to..." Virgil was going to say calm down, but how do you tell a mother who had just lost their daughter to calm down? You don't. "Molly please put Roman down." Virgil was being cautious he didn't think Molly would hurt his mate that's why he wasn't growling with protective rage, but she wasn't in the right mind to make rational decisions. "You can't blame him. It's not his fault." 

The anger in Molly's eyes drained and she fell to her knees sobbing. "My baby girl is gone." 

"Can I help?" That small voice spoke up again from its place nestled in Virgil's arms. Thomas pushed his way from his father's arms. He walked over to Molly and stood beside her hugging her side. "I know I am a kid and I don't know a lot, but aunt Molly is gonna be ok. I promise. Maybe not right now, maybe not for a long while, but someday. It'll all be ok."

Molly just sobbed harder and pulled the little boy close to her chest. The rest of the group all piled in, in a mournful embrace. All save for Roman who had closed himself off in the corner.

________

For the next few days, the packhouse was a quiet place. Hardly anyone uttered a word. Save for Thomas who was desperately trying to get anyone to listen. 

"I'm serious papa! I can bring her back. All you have to do is say 'I wish Lyla was back' and then I can do it." Thomas had tried to explain it to anyone who would listen that he could get his friend back but the response was always the same. 

"Look, Thomas, I know you want that to be true. Believe me, I wish you had that kind of power, but that's just not how the world works. I know you miss her, but we can't bring her back." Virgil tried to explain to his young son but Thomas refused to take that. What's worse was that is papa was saying I wish but it was for a thing Thomas already had.

Thomas turned to Roman in an attempt to get someone to see reason. "Please Daddy say 'I wish Lyla was back.'" 

No one was coping well with Lyla's death but besides her mother and father, Roman was struggling the most. He had internalized what Molly had said. She had been right. It was his fault one of his pack's pups is dead. If he had done what Virgil had suggested instead of brushing off the threat of rogues she would still be there playing in the living room with his son. His son who could have easily been taken from him in an instant. His son he could have lost, and it would have been his fault.

"Daddy!" Thomas yelled to get Roman's attention. 

"Drop it, Thomas, you can't fix things if you just wish really hard for them. That's not how the world works. So just please drop it." Roman didn't mean to sound harsh, but his voice was clipped a short from trying to hold back tears. Thomas didn't understand that. 

"Fine if no one will listen to me, I'll find someone who will!" With that, the tiny boy stormed into his room and slammed the door. 

Roman and Virgil sighed and leaned onto each other for support. They knew their son was hurting but neither knew how to help him. 

______

Thomas had meant it when he said he would find someone who would and if his pack and dads refused to he would figure it out himself. That night he once again snuck from the house. This time leaving a poorly written but slightly legible note "goin to fined somone to wish fer Lyla Lov Thomas" with that he packed a tiny bag of snacks and left in the night. 

He hadn't gotten far when he heard growling emanating from the woods. Thomas's stomach dropped as a horrid feeling of Deja Vu washed over him, but this time he was alone.

Sorry this chap took a while. For those who didn't see my announcement on my page, my grandfather passed away the day after I posted the last chapter. I didn't feel great writting about death right after that so I took a break. I am hopeing the next chap won't take near as long as this one did.