Chapter 82
Madilyn turns her head towards the door as she hears me enter. Her eyes are red and slightly swollen from her rubbing them, her rosy cheeks, wet from tears. Her arms are wrapped tightly around her stomach and her face shows the discomfort that she’s experiencing.
“What’s wrong, Lyn?” I ask as I crouch down bedside the bed.
“My tummy hurts.”
She sniffles as tears run down her cheeks. I look at Lilly as I take Madilyn’s hand in mine, rubbing it gently.
“I heard her throwing up in her bathroom when I came back to our room. When I went into their room Madisyn was sound asleep so I brought Madilyn in here. She’s been doing extremely well today compared to yesterday but she seems to have come down with something. She’s thrown up twice since coming in here with me.”
I sigh as I wipe the tears from Madilyn’s cheeks. I place the back of my hand against her forehead but she doesn’t feel feverish.
“Her temp is normal.”
Lilly finishes as I spot the digital ear thermometer on the nightstand beside her. I nod gently as I stand.
“She’s not sick. I’ve felt the same way for about the last hour and a half, right before we heard him screaming.”
“You have?”
“Yeah.”
I sigh as I pause to hold my breath. It’s been two decades since I’ve hurled from running into a wolf in need. I’ve learned several coping techniques as a child to suppress the need but the last two days have been quite challenging for me.
“Are you okay?”
I let my breath out slowly, making sure I’ll be able to keep my dinner.
“I never did tell you how the Black family took over the Crimson Dawn pack, have I?”
Lilly shakes her head, it seems I’ve peaked her interest.
“This pack, in general, is one of the oldest packs in existence. One of the originals from when the moon goddess first created werewolves. Although I don’t know the full history of the pack, I do know that the first wolf to overthrow the reigning alpha was an alpha born by the name of Carson Dawnson. He renamed the pack Crimson Dawn. Him and his male children ruled over the pack with an iron fist until seventy years ago when my great-great grandfather William Black refused to believe that the moon goddess wanted the alpha to be a dictator, a god among her people. He is said to have been one of the first wolves to test the theory that pain would come to those wolves who didn’t follow every directive given by a higher rank.
William was born a delta, at least that is what’s believed since the blood test for birth rank hadn’t been created yet. Both his parents and several generations before him were all delta’s but a natural born alpha can be born into any rank. I guess it’s her way of keeping balance, anyone with a wolf could become alpha.
Well, grandpa William fought his way through the warrior ranks until he became the top warrior and was chosen as Arthur Dawnson’s beta. Although he played by the rules the rules never sat well with him and it was several years later that he found his mate, an omega that was treated as nothing more than a slave.
Since both of them were young when they started ruling the pack, having their mates by their sides wasn’t a big deal until they were in their twenties. Alpha Arthur picked up on Amelia being William’s mate before he did and was determined to keep them separated until he found his.
Problem was, by treating her as a slave, she was constantly in and out of every room they were in. It was only a matter of time before he scented her and when he did he was livid at her treatment.
He stopped playing by the rules and once his mate healed from her trauma he challenged Arthur to a duel. The committee had just started so there were only a few laws governing packs back then but the overthrowing of an alpha that is mistreating his pack was one of the only ways to be recognized as a legitimate leader so long as the new alpha made dramatic changes for the better. Grandpa William did exactly that.
He still ruled with an iron fist, something that still exists today but the laws were different. He modeled his pack after the laws set by humans to keep peace and order among his members. The pack was so used to a dictatorship that he was forced initially to be the very thing that he despised. Once he flushed out those who refused the change and gave them the opportunity to leave he was able to turn the pack into one of the best ones to live in.
He had four boys and two girls but he ended up being the first alpha to pick which child would inherit the pack. Joseph Black, my great grandfather was Williams’s third born son and the only child that believed the same as him, that pack members should respect you not fear you. Grandpa Joe was a key player in helping the committee form the council.
The committee spent a lot of time here finding out how his pack ran. There was a lot of unrest as the committee and the council tried to make life easier for all werewolves no matter their rank or ability to progress in the pack.
He was the first one to start taking in abused wolves that ran away from their packs. The first one to tell the difference between a troubled wolf and a wolf in trouble. This policy had the unfortunate consequence of making rogues believe the pack was weak and could be easily overthrown and we ended up in a war time era.
It seemed that as soon as the pack fought off one threat another was around the corner. Actual packs that found out about how the freedom movement started often targeted us in the hope of going back to a dictatorship but we had allies by then. Eventually more packs wanted freedom than the dictatorship and the wars slowly stopped.
By then, my father Allen, was the only child out of four that survived to inherit the pack. I was a young teenager, fighting on the front line during the last battle. Patrick fought by my side until he was knocked unconscious. I stayed by him until reinforcements came. Once the fight for our borders was under control, I was able to check on him. When I found him alive I picked him up and ran him to the medical wing where they were able to stop his internal bleeding. He woke up two weeks later.”
I’m fully changed by the time I finish the story of my family and disappear into my bathroom. I go into the cabinet hanging over the sink and pull out the bottle of Ativan and Zofran. It’s been a long time since I’ve had such negative effects from the gift the moon goddess bestowed upon me. I know exactly what Madilyn is feeling as I run the cold water over my wrists, leaning heavily over the sink. I start taking handfuls of water and splashing it on my face in a desperate fight to keep my dinner.
I drop to my knees, grateful that I had shut the door behind me, quickly losing my battle of wills with my stomach. I sit on the floor, breathing heavily as I hear Lilly run from the room. I have no doubts that Madilyn is getting sick again even though there’s nothing left for her tiny body to give. I stand slowly knowing that getting up too fast could cause a dizzy spell and open the door, anticipating Lilly’s return with Madilyn.
“Bring her in here so she can brush her teeth.” I speak as soon as Lilly steps inside.
“I helped her do that while in her bathroom.”
Lilly assures me as I start brushing my own. I grab the two bottles of medication from the counter once I’m finished and head out to my bed, sitting gently at the edge.
“The reason I told you of my family’s history of changing this pack for the better is because according to legend the moon goddess will reward those who do good deeds. It’s not a well known legend as I had to do a lot of digging just to find it when I was young but in finding it, I as well as my family, found acceptance.”
“What legend is that?”
“The origin of gifted wolves.”
I pause a moment, wiping the tears from Madilyn’s face.
“As I said before, legend has it that packs that strive to change and during the change, strive to do better by others, will be rewarded for their efforts. While growing up, I saw it more as a curse than a gift, but that too has changed over time. One of many gifts that can be bestowed upon an alpha rank is the gift of intuition. The ability to feel when another wolf, pack member or not, is in need of help.”
“Are you saying that you received this gift of intuition?”
Lilly’s voice is hushed and I’m feeling guilty that I’ve never bothered to explain it to her.
“Yes, I am an intuitive and I believe Madilyn is too.”
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