Our humanity is what makes us beautiful, our emotions and the ability to feel them for others, is what makes our souls gorgeous.

~|•

Carter.

The plan wasn't simple, having my husband plan it out made it so very hard but the best part of being married to him, was that I understood him, completely, first was the alpha, I had to hear him out even if I hated it, I had to hear him out. So I wore my running gear, strapped on my player to my bicep, and was out the door before Tori or Tai could make any kind of comments about what I was wearing, Kholis bay didn't seem like its old self, it had truly become a beautiful place, or I was just being overly dramatic and nostalgic, I didn't miss it, I just liked the beautiful scenery in the morning. I ran past closed markets, waved at other joggers as I passed them, I did avoid pack territory as much as I could and the wolves that lived there until I got to the docks, I couldn't help feel like I was being watched until alpha Harrison walked up to me with eyes that raked my body.

"Keep your wandering eyes and restless groin far away from me Harrison." I warned with a hiss and the man chuckled. "Touché, but for someone looking to not be noticed, you're awfully drawing attention to yourself." He shot back making me groan. "I'm here, I'm listening, say what you want." I asserted and the alpha snickered, I knew better than to say anything after blatantly disrespecting him already. "Not here, the fog has ears." He whispered calmly as we made our way down to the beach below, the morning mist was still there, covering us in its chilly embrace, we walked until we stood by the edge of the ocean, the sound of the waves giving me a singular moment of peace. "I didn't kill your grandmother, and as much as I want to remember who did I can't, its all foggy in my head, what really happened that night." The alpha began and I knew I had to dig deep into his emotions on my own, even if it was risky, if I dove too deep.

"I believe you, but I need a lot more than what you're telling me, so, think about what happened, and let me in." I told him, his confusion wasn't surprising but I took both his arms in mine and jumped head straight into what he felt that day, his emotions barraged me from every side until I could clearly feel and get a mental picture of what happened. I could see her, she was still so beautiful, but nothing else, just her by her desk at the library, the emotions faded as day became night and I was plunged into darkness, until the clear image of the beta and his wife standing over my lifeless grandmother in an underground facility that I didn't recognize, materialized, it was more rather a lab but different from the one I knew my grandmother worked in, looking around for clues, I couldn't find anything except the scared and tired faces of children handcuffed. The abducted children, this was where they were being kept, underground. I could feel my wolf whine from the strain of suppressing the alpha, we had to get out soon.

Again I was plunged into darkness and as the memory began to clear I could make out where I was, the library, specifically where my grandmother had alluded to there being a clue, but the alpha knowing about this place made me uneasy, what was hidden there, and it could be a possible trap, my wolf growled, a threat was near, and I knew what it was, we couldn't keep on suppressing the alpha for long, he was fighting back, so I focused on the emotional tie to the memory, why it was so important for the alpha, though it had been erased or blocked from his mind, and it became clear as I saw alpha Harrison hide a USB drive underneath one of the shelves, it definitely had important information, as one last growl made it to my being I was plunged into darkness. "What will you gain from all this death Denara?" The alpha harshly argued. "A cure that will give me power, not that you will ever understand." Denara replied, I wondered who she was, because I knew for a fact that I recognized that voice but from where, I couldn't place it.

The alpha tore away his arms from my grip as he sucked in a breath harshly, I held myself together as my wolf calmed down in my mind, it was always hard reeling back from a deep emotional dive into someone else, this was especially difficult because alpha Harrison's memories had been blocked, I could only see them through his emotions, which was a hard task on its own. "What did you do?" He demanded as he finally regained himself. "I looked, you couldn't tell me, so I looked, through your emotions, now calm down, you're all over the place." I replied using my own calmness to pacify him and it worked almost instantly. "How can you, you're not an alpha, you—what are you?" He questioned with a bewildered stance. "I'm what normal people call an empath, but for wolves, I don't know the term, I've always been able to feel what others felt, it was curse before I learnt to control it, now its somewhat a blessing." I explained turning back to look at the ocean, I didn't know how long I had been under but it had been a while, the sun was now rising, chasing away the last vestiges of the night before. "Like how your grandmother could always predict the weather or be such an amazing healer." He stated and I shook my head in refusal. "Anyone can tell when a storm is coming and all Defrays know how to heal, she was special, you all never knew how, alpha I'd be careful if I were you, you're keeping dangerous company." I warned the man who huffed.

"I know that, but I'm wondering who is more dangerous, you or them." He shot back with a snicker and I scoffed. "I'm here for my grandmother, I will get to the bottom of what happened, and honestly if I have to kill a few of your wolves to get to that truth, I will, if they are a hindrance, if not, why fear me, I'm only here for those guilty." I exclaimed shutting up the alpha, whatever thoughts were going on through his head now, I didn't care. "Be careful out there Carter, and if you need anything, you know to find me." He called out and I appreciated his offer but I started this alone, if I needed help, I knew who to call.

I made my way back home, running at a leisurely pace, I still had time for what I needed to do, my first stop was the library, I had to figure out what my grandmother meant by cobalt veins and get the drive that the alpha hid before he was washed clean of his knowledge, it also made me wonder who could do it, how they could do it, I knew a wolf who could do it but he was so far away from Kholis Bay, and he would never be affiliated with a wolf like alpha Harrison, so who, I had to find out aswell. "Race you back?" Tai suddenly spoke startling me. "Tai, the hell." I shrieked as he laughed heartily next to me when I had stopped running. "You aren't funny." I asserted and he scoffed. "I didn't know you scare easy." He shot back flirtatiously. "I don't, my mind was preoccupied and you snuck up on me like a creep, you weirdo." I accused and he laughed again, rolling my eyes I began jogging again. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh, tell you what, I will make you breakfast, a proper apology." He offered, and not wanting to go through with it, I read his emotions, this was his way of trying to get back into my good graces, finding a way for the big apology.

I was too overwhelmed to care, and I wanted breakfast. "I will cook thank you for the offer, and yeah, I will race you back." I replied as I broke into a sprint, he easily kept up with me until we got to the house. "Whoa, you're really fast." He commented as I chugged down water from the ones I had gotten in the fridge, I handed him one and he chugged it down. "That was nothing, anyway I have to shower  will make breakfast when I get down." I announced and he nodded not taking his eyes off me, I knew he wanted to say something but was hesitating, he and I hadn't been best buddies, but at some point there was a mutual attraction, and I'd like to think we both outgrew it, now we just mutually cared about the other. "Yeah, you do that." He replied with a smile, things would never be the same.

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Saint_Jay