beautifully surreal
almost unreal

M A D D I E ♛

Chase and I have been in my pack for the past four days now and I've been learning so many things and meeting so many people.

It was definitely tiring, but it was all so fulfilling and I didn't even feel the time passing by.

It seemed not too long ago when I was still in the forests living my life as a rogue and fighting for my life everyday.

Now I understand why the rogues who have been banished from their packs desperately want to be part of a new pack. It was the stability, it was the safety, it was the happiness.

"So? How is everything?" Cassian asks me as he was walking back to the pack house with Chase and I.

We had just finished eating at our grandparents' house and I didn't know that it was possible to be that full. I felt like they were trying to get back with the many years of being able to feed me.

The thought made me smile and I turned to Cassian.

"Everything is great, thank you." I say. Never would've I ever thought that I'd be repeating the words thank you so many times, but that's all I've been feeling these days. I was genuinely grateful for everything that was happening.

My heart is full and whole. The emptiness and void was now filled with these new people that I've met. Sure, years have been lost, but that doesn't matter much. We had many years ahead.

"So you will stay here?" Cassian says with a tone of fun. Chase stopped and dragged me to him.

"No, Maddie will be going back with me." Chase says almost sounding jealous and even with a frown on his face.

Cassian laughed in hilarity at his reaction and I also couldn't help but laugh a little.

"I guess not, Alpha Chase here objects." Cassian adds. This earns him a headlock from Chase, but Cassian only laughed.

"Go find your mate or something, you must be bored." Chase makes fun of him too.

"Oh, let her be, she's probably living her life." was all Cassian says as he recovers from Chase's physical attack.

That's when I remember that Cassian, out of the four Alphas, was the only one who hasn't found his mate yet. He was controlling a pack like Caelum and yet he was managing on his own.

That was still pretty amazing.

The two were still bantering like an old couple as we were walking back. Owen, Chase and I were set to leave in three days and I already knew that I was going to miss everything in this place.

A thought came into mind as I was looking at the forests.

'Should we go for a run?' I ask my wolf. She yapped happily in my head.

These days, I wasn't the only one who was overjoyed, my wolf who was usually very aggressive was also calmer and more relaxed.

"Cassian, can I go for a run?" I ask my brother which had them stop talking.

"Yeah, why not. I'll have someone prepare changing clothes for you." Cassian answers. Immediately, I see his grey eyes shifting darker and lighter and I knew that he was linking someone.

"Make that two." Chase tells Cassian. I eyed him. "I'm going with you." he says and all I did was sigh.

Cassian, watching the scene must've cringed because he quickly said his goodbyes and left Chase and I, but not before telling us where the changing clothes would be left.

Without much thought, I started running until I shifted midair. Beside me, Chase followed.

I was used to shifting in any situation. After all, living as a rogue, you never knew when you had to shift to fight and so you kind of just learn to shift under any circumstances.

I shook my grey fur lightly at shock when I noticed that Chase was now a beautiful, majestic black wolf. His pupils were now golden also. He truly was an Alpha.

I've seen many werewolves in their shifted forms, but I realize that I've never seen a shifted Alpha.

♛

Chase and I went for a run for around an hour. It was my first time going for a run so leisurely in the longest time and having Chase beside me was definitely a plus.

During the hour, both Chase and I let our wolves have most of the control and I could only be annoyed at how my wolf initiated bitings first.

I could only be embarrassed and scold her not to be so strong-willed, but I only ended up sighing most of the time.

I learned that just like Chase, his wolf was as playful and energetic as him, but at the same very gentle and caring.

A change from the usual aggressive ones I meet in the forests.

I was getting changed after I shifted back at one of the spots that Cassian instructed us in and Chase was waiting outside since he was already done.

"I'm tired now." I say as I come out of the small cabin and adjusting the slippers that I was wearing.

Chase puts his arm around me as we start walking back and I didn't object. As much as I hate to admit it, having him beside me was so natural now and I couldn't imagine if he wasn't ever beside me at all.

This mate thing is not bad at all.

And to think that I was rejecting this whole idea from the very beginning.

"Well, you are loved in your pack and for some reason they all want to feed you." he says and I laugh at that, but what he said was true.

For some reason, a lot of people were bringing me a lot of food and presents. It was too much for me to accept, but they insisted and they looked like they got hurt when I tried to reject so I ended up accepting it anyways.

We were taking our time on the way back to the pack house when all of a sudden, I smell Owen's scent and not long after, I see him running towards us.

My heart that was beating rapidly because of Chase changed, now it pounded heavily because I immediately sensed that there was something wrong.

Various scenarios popped in my head, trying to predict what he news was about to bring because from the looks of it, it didn't sound like a good one.

When he got nearer, I could see that his eyes were stayed on and I thought of them.

My heart dropped.

No way.

No way right?

"What's wrong, Owen?" Chase asked, also sensing that there was something wrong.

The Beta took a moment to catch with his breath and then he looked at me.

"The-- the rogues. They've been attacked." he announced.

Time stood still. I felt like cold water has been doused on me.

I knew it. I knew it was too good to be true.

For everything to be alright, for me to be this happy, I knew there was going to be a trap.

Chase held me gently, but I was too focused on my thoughts now.

It's impossible. How can they be attacked? I put my barrier over them. I made sure to strengthen it before I left. What went wro--

Don't tell me.

Finn.

My anger rose, but what I felt even more was frustration and anger at myself. I've been too carefree.

"How are they?" I gathered the courage to ask.

Owen switched looks from Chase to me, silently asking his Alpha if he should be honest or not and Chase must've linked him not to tell me the details but that angered me even more.

I shook my arm from Chase and turned to Owen.

"No, tell me Owen. Tell me, how are they?" I ask, almost a desperate cry.

Owen swallowed hard, his eyes still looked behind me where my mate was and as if betraying him, Owen closed his eyes and made a decision.

"Everything was destroyed, there were some that were injured and..." he stopped and my heart pounded even heavier.

I waited for what he wanted to say, but I knew that whatever was going to come out of his mouth was going to be devastating.

I was breathing heavily as I waited for the news to hit me.

"There was a casualty. It was the rogue named Andrew."