The Characters of Clayton, Rya, Kennedy, Dallas, and the Valentines belong to Rachelle. The character of Cora is expanded on with Permission from Rachelle, and is written for the pleasure of the International Wildflower Pack, the WhiskeyQueenn fandom. #WildflowersUnited #iwp

::special thanks to Rachelle for sharing her characters and world for this fanfic::

Wide Awake

We rested in the darkness for long enough. It was time to wake up. Mark's wolf returned many times, and I got the feeling he really did not like his skin side. I don't think I had ever met a wolf with less connection to his skin than this one. He adored my wolf and our pup, but in the last few visits, he was agitated. Growling about not being separated from us again, worried for our pup's future away from us. It didn't make sense. We had also felt other wolves visiting us; Charlie, Grandmama Coraline, Ms Gretchen. Surprisingly, several times recently, we felt Leong's wolf reaching for us. The great wolf of the mountains singing to us to come back as he bounded around the horizon of the smoke gray sky, but we couldn't speak to him or see them.  

This time Mark's wolf tried to drag me after him out of the darkness. I could feel that it was important I come now. I looked back one last time at my wolf and pup in the circle of golden light. I had realized that if his wolf was here, so was Mark, so time to face my rejection and whatever was driving his wolf's anxiety.

"I'm coming." 

Far away at first, I could hear the heart monitor in the room beeping as I floated upward, through the dark grey back toward the world of color and light. Pain and sounds began to filter into my awareness. I could see Mark's wolf trotting ahead of me toward the light, I heard their voices first.

"Is it working or not? When is she going to wake up?" It was Charlie, he sounded frustrated, afraid, far away.

"She has improved greatly, she is breathing on her own, her vitals are better than expected for a wolf who suffered what she did. Corina is strong, growing normally. We have to be patient, Charlie. Medically, your sister is better than should be expected," the voice was Dr. Valentine, I remembered how he hurt us and my wolf growled. 

As we get closer, I heard the last voice I wanted to hear, Mark's, "Dallas, it's been over a month and she ain't stirred. We got wolves calling from everywhere under the moon checking on her, they think we ain't taking care of her and every week you tell us she's better than should be expected, but she ain't awake. Is she even gonna make it the three months till Corina's due?"

I angrily wonder why he was here, he didn't care about me, about us. Then I realized he said my pup's name. How does he know her name? She is my pup. I grew ever more angry. Possessive. Protective. I struggled against my body, why can't I move?

Dr Valentine was still talking, "Mark, we are taking every precaution. We have two she-wolves due at the same time and one nursing now, they can provide you with enough milk to get Corina back to Big Sky. Dr MacDonald says they will have eleven nursing mothers to share milk for her. It's our best plan to save your pup. But Cora will have to stay here if she survives the birth..."

Angrily, I stopped listening, they act like I am already dead. 

It pissed me off further. They were going to take my pup away from me. Mark was going to take my pup to his home, to his pack, to his choice mate.

Oh hell No! Over my dead body... Corina is mine, MINE! My wolf howled in my soul like the battle cry of the Spartan females I once fought and trained with. 

Now I knew why his wolf was so upset. Mark wanted to steal my pup and abandon me to die. Rage, the rage only a mother wolf could feel, filled me. I could hear the monitor speeding up. Feel tingles on my arm and hand, Mark was touching me!

How. Dare. He. Touch. Me. while he was planning to steal my pup?!

I jerked my hand away from his. I was almost blinded by the light from something flashing in my eyes as they struggled to focus.

"Cora, Cora, can you hear us? It's Dr Valentine." He sounded so calm. "She's waking."

My body felt like pasta dough, rolled through a press, cut, and laid to rest. I struggle to move, suddenly my wolf poured her strength into me, snarling. Our child stilled in our belly at the sense of danger. I inhaled a lungful of his scent, I want to spit it out.

My wolf ranted, 'He rejects us for another, then comes back to steal our pup when we are wounded and weak.'

We will show him how weak we are, I vowed as our claws descended. Our body may not be fully responsive but our determination was wide awake.

"Oh my Goddess, she's shifting," Charlie sounded horrified.

"Cora, listen to me, don't shift. You can't shift, you'll hurt your pup," Dr Valentine's calm voice was the only thing that gave us pause. "Talk to her!" I heard him leave.

"Cora, don't shift, fight it," Charlie begged, he sounded scared.

"Cora darlin', please beautiful, just be still," Mark leaned into our view.

Our hand touched his face gently for a moment, a delicate caress then our claws closed around his throat, yanking him toward us. Our words were a forced hiss ."Don't... Call... Meee.... Darling... Our pup... Not Yourssss..."

He choked and gasping as my wolf and I poured every bit of strength we possessed into that hand. We would kill him before we let him take our pup away. He pulled at my arm with both hands.

We bare our teeth at the skin side of our mate, "Our pup... stays here."

Charlie tried to pry my grip from my enemy's throat, "Let go! For Goddess' sakes Cora, let go! Dallas! She's killing him!" 

It shocked and hurt us. Our brother betrayed us for Mark. He was taking his side. 

Fine, we will kill him next. My warrior wolf snarled.

Warm liquid snaked down my arm, Mark's blood running on my skin as my eyes bore into his. His shock and horror clearly showing as I end him. I felt his fear as his wolf refused to aid him, accepting the choice of his mate and her skin to save their pup from his theft. Something cold yet burning, flooded into my other arm. Everything swirled as our strength drained away in one breath.

Mark collapsed, gasping after they pried my claws from his neck. Slowly, they sunk back into my skin. This darkness was different from that which we've known, we couldn't fight it.

~

I woke in the late afternoon. Sunshine was filtering through the blinds. The trees were green outside. Someone was rubbing sweet smelling oil into our belly, moving our arms and legs. I smelled Ms Gretchen and my grandmama Coraline. I swallowed, my mouth tasted weird. I couldn't smell Mark, maybe it was a dream or a nightmare. It had to be a nightmare, Charlie wouldn't betray me, he wouldn't send my pup away.

"Coraline, she's up... Well, look what the wolf dragged in? How are you feeling, pup?" Gretchen's voice was so gentle.

I reached out to touch her face to reassure myself she was real. She looked so much older and frailer than the last time I saw her.

"Are you ill?" I whispered, I worried for the old she-wolf.

My grandmama laughed and took my other hand, pressed her lips to my cheek, before rubbing hers against mine, rubbing her scent into me. Gretchen did the same.

Coraline answered, "My girl, only you would ask after another wolf after nearly killing yourself. Do you remember what happened?"

"Uh, the kitchen caught fire, I had to save Kimmie, then I was running in grey nothingness till I found my wolf. Shadow wolves were after us but Mark's wolf saved us. He hated his skin, warned us Mark was going to try to steal our pup away. Then I dreamed I was trying to kill Mark. Grandmama, don't let him take our pup, don't let him give Corina to her, please. She's all I have." My voice became ragged with sobs as tears fell.

Gretchen tutted and patted my arm. My grandmama's expression was inscrutable.

"No one shall harm Corina, I promise," her voice strained but I knew if she promised, it would be. "You rest, we won't leave you. There is a lot we need to tell you, but not today. We are all glad to have you back." She looked beyond me at the mirror on the wall, giving it such a glare that it should have broken, I didn't understand. 

She and Gretchen washed my hair and body, then oiled my skin again. Ms Gretchen's medicinal oils spared me from terrible scarring. My hair was short now, burned off by the fire. I was exhausted when they finish. Dr Valentine came in and checked me. Charlie rushed in and, to my surprise, Leong was behind him. Leong held onto me like a lifeline, he looked more tired than I had ever seen him look. My wolf yipped happily greeting his. His hug was a familiar, safe place. We missed it.

His voice cracked with emotion as he whispered my Mandarin nickname into my hair. "I thought I lost you, I felt you die. We couldn't reach you, then Coraline called. Gretchen needed herbals so I came with them. You can't die."

I smiled up at him, "Not yet, Láng Lóng."

He pressed a kiss into my forehead and I thought I heard a growl. Charlie pulled him away to hug me, putting his body between us. I fell asleep holding the hands of my brother and my dear friend. In the middle of the night, Mark's golden wolf climbed on the bed with me. I curled into his soft fur, not fully awake.

"This is my favorite dream," I murmured, "I'm sorry your skin doesn't want me, but thank you for visiting."

He whined, and licked my hand as mine asked, How could such a wonderful wolf have such a crappy skin? 

Corina kicked the big wolf's side and he nosed my belly; he loves our pup, loves my wolf, loves me. I let my tears soak his fur, and just like every time before I promise this will be the last time, the absolute very last time I cry over Mark and my rejection... I can't even dream about it without becoming a teary, snotty mess. Someday when I see his skin in the real world, I am going to dot him in the eye. His wolf huffs, hearing my thoughts, I can feel his amusement, but buried deep within him, I can feel Mark, angry and resentful and regretful? When I wake in the morning, I am alone. No trace of Mark's wolf. Just another dream, I guess.

~

Dr. Valentine stood across from my bed next to Charlie as I struggled with accepting what they were saying. Mark really was here. 

"Cora, we needed his wolf to save you and Corina after the fire; to strengthen your wolf." 

That I believe. It is the second part that has me doubting my reality. They claimed Mark didn't reject me, the other female is his seventeen-year-old sister. 

"He wasn't going to steal your pup, he was trying to save her and you tried to kill him..."

I made a frustrated noise, glancing at Grandmama and then Leong, who was leaning against the wall by the window. His posture told me we shared disbelief of my mate's motivation.

"I don't believe you," I announced flatly. "Mark left. He never called. Matthias said he would call, he didn't. And whomever she was, she said another one of his floosies was calling. The picture I saw may be his sister but who are his "other floozies"?" I demanded, emphasizing my words with my fingers. He was on the other side of the mirror watching me. I glared at him through the reflection as my wolf challenged, 'Coward! Come and face me.'

"Cora is correct to question him. A male who abandons his new mate for some trivial pursuit is not a worthy mate." Leong words were hard like iron, giving the distinct impression he disliked Mark a great deal. 

There was a thump on the other side of the glass. Moments later, Mark stood in the door, glaring at Leong like he wanted to kill him. Charlie stepped between them. Mark looked annoyed, I don't think he realized Charlie was protecting him, not Leong.

Dr. Valentine made a frustrated noise. "Not inside the clinic," he ordered then looked surprised that his Alpha tone had no affect on any of us.

My grandmama started cackling like an old witch before scolding him, "Dr. Pup, that isn't going to work on any wolf in this room. And especially not the Alpha of Tsang Lao."

I couldn't help the smug smirk that plastered itself on my face. Dr Valentine was obviously used to being the top dog in the room. He does not realize how equal ranked everyone here is, except Leong, who outranked all of us put together. A timid knock on the door made us all look. Mandy stood there, trembling, looking like she wanted to puke or pee on herself. I realized this display of power was too much for my delicate cake decorator.

"It's okay, Mandy, come in." I leveled Mark with a glare, "I will talk to you later. Take it outside." I noticed he still had marks on his neck from where I tried to rip his throat out, a half centimeter forward and I would have punctured the arteries.

"I'm your mate,"Mark started growling.

"And how's that attitude working out for you, because it has sucked for me!" I snarled back, holding his eyes until he looked away, guiltily. 

Mandy whimpered as I reached out to take the tray, placing it on the bedside table. 

"It's okay, sweetie." I squeezed her hands to keep her from fleeing in terror. The timid wolf was not made for this. Leong quietly moved to beside my bed, and I knew if Mark made any kind of aggressive movement toward me, it would be the last thing he ever did.

Mark noticed and growled at Leong, "She is my mate, I would not hurt her or my pup."

Saying nothing, Leong does not need to posture his strength before this wolf or any wolf. His posture deceptively relaxed. Coraline said something to Leong in Mandarin, his eyes narrowed for a moment then he bowed his head slightly in respect to her. 

"Eat your lunch, my girl. Gretchen will be here in an hour. You," Coraline points her bony finger at Mark, "OUT! That goes for the rest of you." She kissed my forehead and patted my baby bump, then took Mandy out with her. Leong touched his forehead to mine and left behind them. Mark growled as he walks past him, followed by Charlie and Dr Valentine.

"This isn't over," Mark muttered to me.

"You were going to take my pup away from me, don't let the door hit you on the butt... again," I reminded.

"Cora, you were dying. I..."

"Do I look or sound dead to you? No... Didn't think so. Now get out," I started to pick at my food, I had to eat for my pup but it was that last thing I wanted to do.

"You're my mate, I won't lose you, I won't leave, not after what happened. I can't..." His voice started to crack, his emotions were breaking him. 

I struggled so hard not to care at this point. Stupid mate bond urged me to comfort him as I felt his emotions raging, like a storm at sea. My resent spoke for me. "Go back to your floozies and cow chasing, Mark. I'm not interested."  This was killing me, but I would not show him my weakness, as I let him feel nothing from me. He deserved so much more pain than I could inflict on him from this bed. I shovel a bite of pasta and chicken in my mouth so I don't have to talk anymore.

He looked defeated, and started to turn away but he stopped and declared over his shoulder, "There never was anyone else, Cora. Not before you, and sure as hell not since. I spent months trying to find you after you left Flatirons. I screwed up, I'm sorry. I love only you." Then he was gone.

If I didn't need the food for my pup, I would have painted the walls with it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

9.2018 - CLAYTON is published!!!

Clayton (The Wildflower Series) by Rachelle Mills https://www.amazon.com/dp/164034487X/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_S8sbDbB084P46 via @amazon

2.2019- DALLAS is published!!!

Dallas (The Wildflower Series Book 2) by Rachelle Mills https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MXRVB7M/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_o9sbDbPFY61NH via @amazon
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::Thank you to Rachelle for allowing this CLAYTON Fanfiction to be published.::