Goddess Tears

After my back hit a log the ground beneath me gave out. My mind clouded which left little space for panic. My body went limb and my mind descended into darkness. When I finally came to my eyes felt like they’d been covered with cement and my groaned as I peeled them from my side.
“Layla? You’re finally awake.”
“Hmm…” my lips ached as they parted.
“Don’t worry, I’ll get help.”
The person with the familiar voice shuffled away, a door closed behind him. I opened my eyes to a bright light that singed my iris. I closed my eyes and turned my head. When I tried again I met a frog shaped clock on the bedside table. It read eleven fifty. I must have overslept but I could imagine why I felt like shit.
Sitting up wasn’t in the plans. The door opened I lifted my head to see two men walk and a woman with round glasses behind them. She smiled at me. I wished I could return her kindness.
“Eight?” It came out in a pained whisper.
“It’s me kid, you feeling better?” He asked.
I thought he was dead.
I frowned because shaking my head hurt.
“Doctor?” He turned to the woman.
Where’s Dean? This wasn’t my room. Fighting the pain, I hauled my body up.
“Where am I?”
“It’s okay, you’re at my pack. We’ll take care of you. Let the doctor check you out.”
I nodded and allowed the woman to proceed.
The doctor poked and assessed me for a few minutes in which no one answered my questions. Judging by how close the trees were to the window I concluded this was not the castle.
“The swelling has gone. I’ll leave medicine for you and you should eat to regain your stress. I suggest a hospital to check for broken bones or fractures.”
“Thank you doctor,” the older man said.
The lady smiled at me then walked out. I pulled my legs up then realized I didn’t have pants on just an oversized shirt. Crap. I recalled falling off a cliff. The last thing I saw before going through thorns was Dean reaching out for me.
“Dean isn’t here, is he?” I whispered into my knees.
“We don’t know what happened. I’d say an attack. A shifter found you practically buried during his run.” Eight explained.
“How long have I been out?”
“About a day and a half. You didn’t heal the way a normal wolf is supposed to,” the older man with pale blue eyes said.
“I’m supposed to heal really quickly. Is something wrong with me?”
Eight shrugged. “Mind telling us how this happened?”
I needed a minute to get up to speed. I couldn’t believe I’d been asleep for two days. I wasn’t sure I could trust these people, but so far they hadn’t locked me up. I was just another rogue to them. They didn’t have to put me in a nice room or call a doctor. A cold prison floor should have been good enough. I retold the long ordeal and left out the parts about me hearing voices. I didn’t want to be too trusting. I got to the part about me busting out and rolling down a cliff and the man with beautiful eyes turned grey. He rubbed his chin and walked to the window.
“So… you’re the last of the Ember pack?” He asked.
“Yeah. Cora’s dead… I don’t know how but I didn’t do it.”
“I believe you,” he turned around and said.
“Eight?”
Eight cleared his throat, “Right this is my uncle Owen. He’s an elder in the pack. We believe you Layla.”
“Thanks for the confidence but I have to clear my name with my mate’s pack or else I might not go back.” As much as I was pissed with him about how he handled things I loved him and the thought of him not even looking for me shattered my heart.
“We’ll help you,” Owen said.
“How? I’m the last of my pack. I have no one to corroborate my story.”
“That… isn’t true. You aren’t the last of your pack.”
I blinked a few times. “Excuse me?”
“Not everyone was slaughtered. Less than ten people found themselves here after the attack.”
“What? Who? That’s incredible.”
“Hey, take it easy.” Eight touched my shoulder in an attempt to steady me.
“Yes, you should rest. We’ll have food sent to your room.”
How do I sleep now? I wasn’t the last of my people anymore. What if I was close to some of the survivors? They had to have different accounts. Some of my parents maybe. If they were older then they had to have information about the goddess’ tear. New hope was born in me.

***

“You sure you want to take a walk?” Eight asked as we emerged from the house. It was Owen’s home.
I nodded, “I’ve been in bed long enough.”
“Yeah, but you’d taken one hell of a beating.”
Despite my eagerness to walk my body protested. Eight got me a chair and we walked from the front of the house as daily life in the pack went on. I couldn’t wait to speak to my pack members. Not just to clear my name but to find the goddess’ tear. I didn’t know what the object looked like let alone where to find it.
“Thanks… I never got the chance to say it when the Dare pack attacked.”
Eight shrugged, “You did all the heavy work. They’ll be back you know.”
It was small packs like this one that would pay dearly if the Dare hybrids weren’t stopped. If the goddess’ tear was so powerful maybe it could stop the Dare pack.
“Eight I have to meet my other pack members it’s more important now.”
“Calm down kid, you need to relax.”
“Don’t you want to defeat the Dare pack? If they show up today is the pack prepared?”
Eight opened his mouth but was cut off by Owen who emerged from his house.
“Evan, come.”
“Evan?” I giggled.
He grumbled, “You don’t get to call me that. Let’s go.”
Eight helped me up and guided me into the house then to the library where it was just the three of us.
“It’s only a matter of time before your mate arrives to take you home,” Owen started.
I swallowed. To take me home or send me to trial?
“I think it’s best you know our connection.” He smiled.
“Connection?” I glanced between Eight and Owen.
Owen leaned forward on his desk. “We once visited your pack. Evan was very young. I knew your father and your mother. Your father was my distant cousin.” Laugh lines appeared around his eyes.
“I…I didn’t know we had other family.”
“You’re not alone now. After the survivors found us we went back to Ember pack. There was very little left.”
“So did you find the stone?”
“The goddess’ tear. No we did not.”
My heart fell like a glass off a counter top.
“What do you mean? The Dare pack got it?”
“If the Dare pack got their hands on the stone it would spell the end for us kid. We still have a fighting chance.”
“Then where is it, Eight?” Maybe the Alpha just hid it too well. We had to go back and look for it.
“We searched high and low. We left no corner untouched. That stone wasn’t there. We don’t have a few theories about what happened.” Owen’s eyes shifted to Eight’s. Eight appeared by my side.
“Hear us out kid.”
“Okay, what you got?”
A knock came at the door before a man popped his head into the room.
“Owen, we need you. There’s a disturbance at the pack boarder.”
“Whoa, you need me?” Eight straightened up.
“No, stay here with Layla. Take her to the river if she still isn’t feeling well. It’s known to have healing properties.”
“Uncle—”
“No Evan. I want you to remain here.”
Owen and the man I assumed was a beta marched out.
“You want to go to the river?” Eight raised his brow.
“If it’ll help me feel better then sure.”
“Come on.”
After grabbing a towel and a pair of flops Eight led me through the trees to where the healing river was. Another day had gone by and I hadn’t healed. I still had cuts on my forehead and bruises on my thighs. Normally they should all be gone.
I quieted beside Eight and reached for my wolf. She felt distant.
“What’s going to happen when your mate finds you?” Eight asked.
I shrugged, “You think he’ll come?”
He wasn’t too happy I ran.
“Of course he will. You can’t fight the mate bond.”
“Remember what you said about him?”
“I never said anything,” he said quickly. Too quickly to be natural.
“Eight! You’re not going to do this. It’s just us tell me what you know about Dean.”
“There’s nothing to tell kid. He’s got secrets like the rest of us.”
“You’re too good at keeping secrets. Was it so hard to tell me you’re my cousin?”
“Not when you didn’t have memories. Wouldn’t have done any good.”
I paused. “I didn’t tell you I got my memories back.”
He paused ahead of me and flashed me a naughty smile. “I’ve got spies.”
“What?”
He rolled his head, “Just strip and get into the river.”
“Well beat it so I can get undressed.”
Eight raised his hands and turned around. “I’ll be close by.”
When his footsteps grew faint enough they vanished I slipped out of my shorts and pulled Eight’s big shirt over my head. I cupped my breasts, looking over my shoulder. I could smell Eight close by but no other wolves. I dipped my toe into the water and jumped.
“Geez, it’s freezing.”
I sucked it up and jumped into the river. I hugged my legs and trembled. Doing this at night was a bad idea. I couldn’t feel my wolf. I lost her once the trauma of losing her again choked me. I sat on the river bank and willed myself to shift. She was distant but still there. Pain that felt like ribs cracking came within me. I clutched my middle and buckled.
“Ouch.”
My back bones caught fire. My scream woke the sleep creatures. I slammed my face into the ground as my wolf crawled to the edge of my skin.
“Layla!” A deep rage filled voice cut through the night.