~Kade~
We had approximately six books lying scattered on the desk, and two more with mounds of paper on the round table by the chairs. Everyone was sifting through them, looking for any and all information there was about Emberclaws and their heritage. Where did they come from? When was the first one born? Why was he born? How did this species ever come to exist in a world with a perfect balance between creatures and humans?
We needed everything and more, and we needed to learn about them—the truth, not just the stories we’d been told.
”Here,” Anna said and ripped out a piece of paper from the huge pile.
”It says, um, it’s about a city in the states where two Emberclaws were born into smaller packs.” She laid it on the pile of gathered information and continued sifting through the rest.
”This book writes about the origin of the Emberclaws, but it’s from the 1900s, so it can’t be the beginning,” Mason said and read through the pages.
”This one says the same thing, and it’s from 1836,” Cara said, and then my mother looked up at us with another book in her hands.
”This one is writing about the origins as well, and it’s from 1648. How far back does this go?” Was this not something newer? Had they always existed, and we just didn’t know about it? The questions were piling up along with the information, but we continued rummaging through everything we had. My father was on the phone with another Alpha to see if they had any additional information. ”Thank you, Thomas. I appreciate it.’ He hung up and made a check mark next to Thomas’s name on a sheet of paper.
”He’ll send over what he has. He’s the only one so far that has any papers or books referencing the Emberclaws.”
”How could there not be more information about a species this evolved?” Anna asked with a hint of worry.
”Because of fear. They are strong, much stronger than we probably know, and when they disappeared, people probably figured it was best to bury that part of history.”
”But you can’t, you can’t bury history. History is manifested all around us, and one way or another, it will be relieved, especially if we don’t have information that will prepare us for it. How are we supposed to learn when we don’t know what we’re learning about?” She was clearly upset, and with all reason. Her blonde hair was sticking out in the bun on the top of her head and the dark rings I had noticed around her eyes these past few days were growing deeper and darker.
I wanted Anna to get some rest, but I knew that trying to pry her away from this was futile.
”We’ll continue looking,” My father said and looked at her. Anna nodded her head and went back to the papers. She started highlighting points of information and drawing circles around paragraphs that were related to our cause.
Everyone was deeply invested in the work we had in front of us. We each had our coffee cups refilled continuously throughout the day, and we didn’t utter many words to each other unless we had found something of importance.
Anna blew out a deep breath, and my brother was sitting with his cheek pressed into his hand as he slowly sifted through the papers and turned each page. Cara read every book she found, and my father was still calling around.
My mother was outside talking to the pack members and making sure that everyone was alright on the outside.
I couldn’t stop looking, even if I hadn’t slept for days, I couldn’t stop. Nothing was more important than finding Layla and bringing her home. Sleeping without her or even existing in this house…
without her, each day was becoming harder. The one thing that made everything that much harder was the fact that Danielle was still here, and she had snaked her way back into the peoples hearts. Of course, she had almost succeeded with me too, but I knew now that Layla was the one I wanted. I just hope I didn’t realize it too late.
I needed to do something about Danielle. Part of me wanted to just send her on her way and have her leave the pack tonight, but another part, the logical part, knew that she could have information. I had a hard time believing that she left here and never crossed paths with another Emberclaw or perhaps even the pack. Though I doubted she’d tell me, if there was information to tell, I’d find a way to make her do so.
The phone rang, I was snapped out of the fog I was in. I looked over and sighed as I got up from the couch and walked over to the desk.
”Hello?” As soon as he started talking everyone’s heads flew up, and they looked at me. Anna looked the most shocked and disgusted, but everyone was confused.
”Alpha Sebastian,” he had an authority to his voice that I didn’t hear when I was visiting them, which made me believe that his father was back.
That’s the only reason I could come up with as to how his confidence suddenly flourished. Sebastian was a scared little boy, nothing like an Alpha in any way, but he was cocky and dramatic and too used to getting his way. He mentioned his father and how he had returned. His father was apparently eager to meet me; I had no idea why, and I certainly had no intention of meeting anyone from that pack. They had an agenda, and remembering Sebastian’s last phone call about Layla, I could only assume that this was something related to her as well.
After a row of pleasantries, he finally got to the point of his call.
’I thought I’d come and visit with my father. We’ll talk about Layla and this whole Emberclaw predicament’
”No thanks,” I was about to hang up when his voice rang out in desperation.
’I have information!’
Slowly lifting my hand up again, I looked at everyones suspicious gazes.
”What?”
’It’s about the Layla’s whereabouts and the Emberclaw pack. You want her back, don’t you? I can help.’ someone cleared their throat in the background.
’My father can also help. he’s the one with the information, and he’ll come with me when we visit’ he sounded like a child who needed his father’s supervision. How the fuck was he an Alpha? Or rather, how was their pack still standing?
Had it been of value to me, I would’ve overtaken it years ago, but I never had a reason, nor do I have one now either. All I wanted was my mate, and I knew that Sebastian had his eyes on her as well. How much of an idiot does one have to be to let a girl like her get away?
’Are you really asking that?’ My wolf snarled. You’re right, I’m as much of an idiot as he is. ’Maybe not as much, but you’re definitely up there’
”Tell me what information you have.” I said and leaned forward on the desk, with my fingers folding over a piece of paper that I wrinkled under my grip as he answered.
’I’ll tell you when we get there. See you soon, Alpha Kade’
