Malina

A part of my heart was taken away.

Thrown away to the infamous monsters like a plaything. By my first-born.

Only if I knew that the two months of living with her would cost me an eternity of living without her.

What kind of justice was this? As if I was given punishment for spending time with Misty. As if living with her family was a sin.

"Cut the imports. Cut the exports. We don't want their fur, pickles, or fishes. We will not send them our medicines, gadgets, or carpets. There will be no exchange anymore," I announced, in my shaky voice, tears forming at the back of my eyes.

Alyssa's eyes twitched as they lowered down on my bandaged arm.  Thomas shifted uncomfortably in his chair on the other side of the table, beside hers.

"One of the packs is of your brother, and Aunt Kate's brother too. Another one is Alyssa's home," said Thomas lightly, his eyes holding blankness while he stared at the registers on the table.

"No, this is my home," Alyssa said, making him blink calmly. "There is no need for considering those members of our family when they didn't even help us," she said, churning my stomach.

Thomas' nostrils flared while my throat vibrated hard.

"Ryan was supporting us," I told them. "But his Alpha was ready to create a War. A War is what I'll give him. . ."

"Malina."

The voice came from the right side of the room. My mate was standing beside his big portrait, staring at the little photo pasted beside it with a big label—'My favorite daughter.'

"We can't stop the exchange. We don't want to. You don't mean those words. Because you know how important the exchange is," he said firmly, his voice echoing in the room. "What we can do is think of every way to bring her back. Our focus should not be on celebrating hatred with the packs. They did what they had to as followers of the Moon Goddess. Now, we must do what we have to for the human whose responsibility we hold."

"Responsibility?" I asked humorlessly, my eyes turning moist. "She is a part of my heart. Since the moment I have woken up, all I feel is this terrifying pain in my heart. Someone is continuously poking, peeling off, and nailing at that empty space inside my heart. As if someone is hurting her. . ."

He didn't turn around and kept staring at that photo of him and my daughter that was clicked after an hour of baby Misty's requests for a pic with her Dad on his lap.

My heart would swell at the change of behavior, remembering Gilbert's performance two nights ago in trying to stop the worst from happening. But then, it would shrink back in fear of rising my hopes and later, get disappointed.

"No one is hurting her," he said quietly. "With the way she was thrown across the borders, she would definitely be sore at places or worse, injured. The Lycans would either take care of her or let her mate do it. . ."

"That's the most unusual thing I have ever heard in my life, father. We don't know them. No one has seen their lifestyle. The females never came back, never showed up." Thomas said through gritted teeth, his eyes bloodshot and glossy.

His nostrils flared as he turned his head to look at Gilbert. "Father, we have to do something. Misty is not any other trained she-wolf. She wasn't meant to be there. We need to make a deal with the Lycans or try another way. Let's just drive a fast car into their territory—" he stopped when Alyssa grabbed his forearm, making him breathe heavily.

"We don't have much time," he mumbled lowly. "Misty is injured and away from us, stuck into their territory. Maybe, this is the chance we find out what's there. Even if it takes some collateral damage but we bring back Misty, that's important. An innocent human life can't be sacrificed for a deadly Lycan whom she is far far away from mentally and emotionally. We owe her. That debt will always stay unpaid. That's a blot on humanity she believes, there is in us too, even if it is lesser than her."

Tears slid down my cheeks, sitting on my mate's chair with my stitched back and arm. These injuries were nothing compared to the one in mind and heart. All I could hear were my daughter's screams. She called out of me, her wolf mother, and I couldn't help her.

"You said that her Grandmother called yesterday. . ." Gilbert looked at me.

I blinked through my tears, nodding at my mate. "Kate attended the call in our room. She was worried about why Misty never reached the city. Gilbert, Rose is old and diabetic. For how long, that poor lady will suffer Misty's absence. What if Misty never returns. . ." The words pulled out a sob from me. "How will I answer Rose?"

"That's upon me," said Thomas quietly. "She doesn't like me much. But I can go and make her believe that everything's alright. I'll take the Ceremony's photo albums with her."

"That's the least of our worries for now," said Gilbert while turning around calmly and looking at us. "The biggest worry is to maintain the normal so that a big plan to rescue her can be made. It will take more time if you keep on throwing out people and breaking unity. . ."

I palmed the table hard, shaking my head. "I'll do what I have to avenge my heart's pain the most I can. Pete and Natalie won't live in this house anymore. Misty's far from her home and so will they be. You must be thankful, I didn't break their bones and make the worst example of a mother. I want to kill each one of them who wanted Misty to go."

"Natalie didn't do any ritual with Axel. She is not bonded with him, traditionally. She tried to save her, mother—"

I cut off Thomas immediately. "By not telling us the truth? Hiding it until the last moment! If she was clever enough to know everything, she could have a clever further to inform us about it. Misty could have been saved!" I choked out.

Gilbert cleared his throat.

"It's my fault. The fear of Lycans was too much in Natalie's heart. Even if she had informed us, we would only have focused more on scolding her about going to the forest. She had to plan such a trap for herself to get saved. It's the very system of the packs that took Misty away. The packs followed the rules of the pact. Had it been any other pack, I would fight the same way for the girl to cross the border." He said, grimacing.

"But it's Misty, Gilbert. I want her back! Or I'll cross the border too!" I screeched angrily, holding tears in my eyes.

"Aggression won't take us ahead. Only the planning would," he said while looking around. "Celebrating hatred would become a drawback. The packs can't be divided. Even now, we are against one common enemy that is the Lycans. In our own pack, unity is on the verge of breaking. Natalie and Pete, both are important. We will have to work together."

Controlling a sob, I looked away. Why did it feel like these words were just useless? This whole discussion was powerless. Nothing could happen because nothing had happened since the centuries. No one had been able to cross the border.

"Brother Declan is always advanced, mother. Trust me. If we get bitter now, the chances of bringing Misty back would lessen. We will have to hold patience and talk. The whole world of Werewolves knows what happened. They'll come around for solidarity and help. We were contacted when Chelsea was gone. Even you guys came." Alyssa gulped hard while looking at me.

"But nothing was useful," I told her. "This world is full of contrasts. In one moment, we are happy, in the other we are dying of grief. On one side, the Lycans are caged. Here, I feel as if I am a caged one. I want to get out of this circumstance."

Thomas wiped the corner of his eyes with his knuckles, sniffling slowly. My poor pup did all of his might to save his sisters.

"One brother takes whiplashes for saving his sisters. One throws away the sister like a dirtbag." I said, flaring my nostrils.

Gilbert cleared his throat. "Enough of the words, Malina. We now get on to the work. The action. You cure yourself out while I go to Pete for further plans. Thomas and Alyssa will manage Kate's necessities. Robert will go to the Eastern pack to make sure Leo is improving and Eva knows about the events that escalated."

Thomas nodded while controlling another sniffle. Alyssa rubbed his back, leaning on to his side.

"She was excited to go back to Gran," he spoke, making my heart shrink. "Excited about getting admissions in the courses. I wish I could have been there, could have helped around beating Pete's head with a hammer for he managed to throw her away like that. I can't believe shit. I don't even want to see Nirvan or I'll kill him."

Gilbert clenched his jaws. "For the last time, I don't want this pack divided. Go, hit a punching bag. Hit your head on a wall. But I dare you to make it worse by going bitter towards the men, we won't be able to run a pack! Get up, now!"

Thomas did while staring at the table blankly. Alyssa was about to follow him out of the office when my mate stopped her immediately.

"Alyssa." He spoke, turning his voice the same as he would talk to Eva or Natalie. "The sudden change of sharing room with your mate doesn't need to be this sudden. You can sleep away in another room for as long as you want. Your life's decisions are yours. We are here to look upon you and guide you the best."

Alyssa smiled sadly while coming forward to wrap his arms around his torso. "Thank you, father. Thank you for not hating me after what my mother did."

"Your mother is a bitch. We can always expect that from her. If only she had touched Kate, she would have witnessed who can be the bigger bitch," I told her, raising my eyebrows.

Gilbert hummed slightly. "Now. Now. There are anger and grief all around except for your aura in this home of ours," he said while pulling himself back, looking down at her. "Thomas needs you Alyssa. So do we. All the daughters are away from home. But you are here with us. If there's any doubt or wish ever, you can always knock at this door."

"Thank you, father." She spoke, blinking softly. "Would you mind me suggesting something?"

Gilbert glanced at me while I narrowed my eyes at her.

Alyssa smiled tightly. "You would have not been discussing anything and grieving at this scale if it had been Natalie or Eva or any other she-wolf of your pack. You would already have been at the borders, waiting for any sign or message.  The grief is turning you all slow. When Chelsea was gone, brother Declan had warned all the border patrollers to be alert for any message."

"Misty isn't a wolf," he replied to her. "She wasn't trained. We don't have the right to expect from her, pup. She has the right to expect from us. The goal is not to defeat Lycans by collecting messages, anymore. The main goal of this pack is now, to bring her back."

Alyssa nodded in agreement. "Brother Declan has a mate back there in Lycan's territory. He has that strange link, father. He knows some things and believes in them. When Chelsea was gone, he was shocked. He had never expected a common wolf to be chosen over me, an Alpha's daughter," she said while glancing at me.

I gulped hard.

"Deck says, just like we bond our wolves with rituals and blessings. They too must have the same series of rituals," she said while sucking in a long breathe. "My point is that if we really want to bring back Misty, do the impossible. Then, either planning or executing. We must hurry. Because Misty would get wedded to her Lycan mate ritually or get attacked or mated. . ."

I gasped absentmindedly.

Alyssa looked at me while blinking in empathy.

"It would be too late."

_____

Giving the glass of milk to Jiro, I watched Fred gulping it down from his own glass.

"You didn't have to bother. Robert would have done it. . ." Kate said, smiling sadly at me.

"One hand is resting. Other is as fine as the moon above," I told her, not being able to return the smile. "Now, I realize how much chores Keira handled on a daily basis. Natalie and Eva's absence doesn't remind me of their chores more than of hers."

Kate smiled while palming her swollen belly. Her eyes rested on her pups for a moment and then, she looked back at me. "She is fine, staying with Ivan. Robert told me. But still, my heart crumbles at not seeing her face from these past three days. I can only wonder what you are dealing with, Malina."

I clenched my jaws, feeling a way of care hitting the back of eyes, filling it up.

"Ryan told me that he signed her a little plan before she was pushed away," she began, raising my eyebrows.

"Thrown away," I corrected her, making her nod slowly. "I am aware. But did Misty get it? Even if she did, what would she do? Can we blame her? No. The only person here to be blamed is me. I am the birth-giver. Just not the one to give her happiness."

My voice cracked when I added, "I didn't want to lose her again, Kate. God forbid if something happens to her, I'll bring the Goddess down to Mother Earth. I will break the rules! I will rebel—"

"Woah! Woah! Mercy! Malina!" Kate said, glancing at her pups worriedly. "Go back to your rooms, both of you."

Both gave us kisses on the cheeks and left the rooms. Fred made sure to be as slow as he could and hear the most. I could see the little Robert growing in him.

"This is not what you think of, sister. Think of the rules of nature. No one has the power to keep their mates apart. She was meant to be meet him even if it meant this way," said Kate while giving me a pleading look for me to not end this conversation by leaving the room.

My blood boiled at her words. As if I didn't know. As if I couldn't think so. I did and I understood. But that wasn't fair then.

She was human.

An innocent little human child of mine.

"The time is on their side for now, that he got to see her. Robert said that the findings reported how there were four unmated Alphas this year if they calculated properly. A properly educated guess," she said, thoughtfully. "If she is an Alpha's mate, she won't be killed. They need lineage."

"Do you know what that means? I will snatch her from there before they could even force a rough life on her. She won't survive the mark if my thought even takes me to the further. I can't imagine her soft body to handle such tasks! I am scared of her, Kate. Yes, a Luna says that. A helpless mother crying inside her. . ." I choked out, looking away.

Kate shook her head. "This is not you, sister. You are the woman who is sitting here with stitches and wounds. You tried to save her. Deep inside you yourself know, she might never return—"

A growl escaped me, making her flinch.

". . . I'll be honest, Malina. Your aggression might be useful in this pack. But to bring Misty back, there is no physical force needed," said Kate while giving me the confident thoughtful look that she would always have after any conclusion like the scholar she was.

"It will be a mind game, Malina. Isn't that what nature did to us? Brought her here, got her mingled like a goat getting ready for slaughter and then, boom. The final twist of the werewolf history. I am sure, Alpha Rucus is as stunned as all of us." She said while my blood turned cold. "We can't beat Lycans by any plan needed to be performed physically. Even the six of our packs cannot beat what's left of them. It's a statement of fact. What will a poor human do? Only we can do something, Malina."

My lower lip trembled while she repeated her conclusion.

"Play the mind games before the time runs out."

______

"What do you think?"

Please vote and comment.

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Let's do this, finally.

-

This shall pass.

Stay safe. Stay indoors.

Be cautious. Be kind.

I am taking all the measures here at home with my family. I hope, you all are doing too.

Lots of love.