Wild Forest Pack

I searched and searched for my parent’s killers for three years… didn’t have luck… of course; I didn’t have much. I had the gun, the bullets (that I used gloves to look at I didn’t want the poison on me!), the crime scene which didn’t have much and it was just me, Conall and Lyall who found them and at the time I didn’t really notice anything around me just my parents laying on the ground and not waking up… but I recently turned 19 which that was a fun party, the present I really wanted was my parents back… sure I was happy on the outside but on the inside I was really sad that they weren’t here. Things weren’t all sad, I gave my mom’s necklace a chance and see if Conall was really my mate. Turns out as I got to know him the more that I liked him.

True, he’s tall at 6ft, dark like a summer tan that doesn’t go away, and handsome. Chocolate brown eyes and short black hair. He also recently turned 20 not long after I turned 19. I think mom and dad would’ve approved of him. He’s been trying to help me solve mom and dad’s murders, but I honestly have no idea… although alpha Adolfo sure has the attitude but no motive. I highly doubt it’s one of my family they loved my parents as much as I did.

“Hey, Lyna… something wrong?”

“Oh, hey Conall, you startled me. Just thinking about the murder as always… just wondering who would’ve hated my parents so much to kill…”

“As much as I’d like to say that’s a shortlist, I have no idea…”

“I don’t either… and it’s been gnawing at me for the past 3 years… this person has gotten away with it for so long that he or she feels like they got away with it. I’m going to go visit their graves… helps me think sometimes.”

“Yeah, the person probably feels that way. Do you want me to come along with you?”

“Sure, that’d be nice. I don’t want to be alone…” I like to keep their gravesites tidy and change out the dead flowers for nice ones. I brought over more white flowers for them. Mom always liked the smell of freshly cut flowers. Since the accident I’ve had Conall stay with me since I haven’t felt comfortable staying by myself and everyone else had their own house, and Conall didn’t have a house or a room in the packhouse.

“Thanks for allowing me to stay here.”

“Sure, you’re welcome figured you should anyway since you’re probably going to be the next alpha, anyway.”

“What!?”

“Yeah, I remember my dad telling me the day I first shifted that once I met my mate, they would retire as alpha and luna. Then it’d be a big ceremony of changing leadership and then it’s our responsibility.”

“Wow...never thought about that.”

“Yeah, that’s the perks of being with the alpha and luna’s daughter. Just wish they were here to see me become luna... seeing us get married...see their grandchildren...” I start to cry again... surprisingly Conall, and I have started to get closer as the weeks went by since mom and dad’s death. Mom seemed to have liked him, dad was always hard to read but I think he liked him too. I go to dad’s former study to see if I could pick up the slack of pack stuff. I see his former safe in the corner cabinet and check to see if there were any important papers I should go through. I see some form of will that I guess they meant to go over with me, but never got the chance to.

“Hey, Conall found some legal stuff.”

“Let me look...well looks like they were going to leave you the house, which makes sense, but other than that I’m not sure, I am not a lawyer.” Dang, it... wish they were here to help me sort through all this stuff...

“Lyna...” I thought I had heard my mom’s voice, but that can’t be right. She’s laying dead with dad... “Lyna..."

“Did you hear something?”

“No? Should I?” Conall looking at me like I had three heads...guess I’m hearing things.

“I guess not. I’ll go back to looking around.” I went back to their former room and packed up their stuff. Didn’t want to be constantly reminded of what should’ve been...I put everything away except for a few of mom’s dresses I like, save those for special occasions or a date night with Conall, all of her jewelry, and some of dad’s sweatshirts. Kind of like wearing your boyfriend’s clothes, anyway that way I could feel like I was cuddling with my dad whenever I needed it. When I was putting away their clothes into boxes sometimes I’d smell them just to remember their scent...I was going to try to cook some dinner for us but it’s not the same as mom’s cooking. I planned on making some of the venison chili mom made when I shifted for the first time.

“If you add some garlic salt, pink salt, and black pepper it’ll taste good,” I screamed a little as I heard mom in my head again. It was like she was mind linking me from the grave!

“You’re dead, aren’t you!?”

“Unfortunately yes, but we are still in your conscience. Think of it kind of like a spirit animal.”

“It is so good to hear your voice mom! I’ve missed you! I wish I could hug you!”

“I know I miss you too sweetie, but I see you’re starting to get along with Conall.”

"Yeah, he’s a sweet guy. I think you’d like him.”

“I already liked him. Before he shifted we saw him in the forest and we tried to get his attention and tried to talk to him, but by the time we got there, he had already started to shift and couldn’t hear us.”

“I could hear you when I shifted?”

“It’s a little different when it’s your own children, but for non-family members, they usually won’t hear you.”

“Lyna...”

“Daddy!?” I started to cry when I heard daddy’s voice. He and I had a close bond, not that I didn’t with mom, but when he wasn’t doing alpha stuff he genuinely cared for what I was up to.

“Hi, sweetie. I know these past few years have been rough for you.”

“I’ve needed your guidance so badly! I’ve been trying to find your killer but no such luck.”

“I didn’t get a good look at him, but it definitely was a hunter, and a good one, I could smell the poison.”

“Then why didn’t you run away and come home!?"

“We tried to sweetie, and we were on our way home when we were shot...” I cried hearing this straight from them...

“I’ve been looking for 3 years straight to find whoever did this to you! I won’t let them get away with this.”

“I know you won’t sweetie...” It was like I could feel mom trying to hug me in my sub-conscience.

“You said it was a guy, dad?”

“Yeah, it sounded like it. I thought I heard him grumble something before he actually shot us. I don’t remember what it was.”

“Well, at least that’s something. Did you see anything else?”

“I think I saw that he had a scratch or a scar over his golden amber eye, the other was a light blue.” As mom described who killed them I knew exactly who this was.

“It’s alpha Adolfo of the Crescent pack. I just saw him in his wolf form a day or two ago.”

“Why did you see him?” dad sounded confused but also as he heard of him.

“He was on the edge of our land supposedly just walking by. He recognized Ulva even in her wolf form. He ripped into her pretty good, figuratively speaking. I told him as the daughter of the alpha and luna that I was the highest-ranking wolf right now and told him to leave, and surprisingly he did without fussing too much about it. Why? You heard of him?”

“Heard of him, he has been trying to take over our pack for years, but I kept telling him no. I was in charge and...”

“And what dad?”

“He’d have to take it over my dead body...” Great...that’s not what I wanted to hear...

“So how do I arrest the s.o.b for killing you!?”

“You gotta get him to confess which I highly doubt he will do, and your only evidence being your dead parents in your subconscious. I don’t think that’s going to be reliable evidence...”

“Yeah probably not, but what about tangible evidence? I have the gun, the bullets were laced with wolfsbane poison hence why the bullets alone didn’t kill you.”

“Well, that explains a lot...normally a gunshot wound would heal within a few days, but bullets laced with wolfsbane yeah that’s gonna do it.” mom sounded sad...can’t say I blamed her.

“Oh, mom...dad...I’m sorry this happened to you...you shouldn’t be dead...”

“No...we shouldn’t but yet here we are talking to you in your subconscious and not in person...”

“I will avenge you. I promise you that...”

“We know you will sweetie...we love you...”