Chapter Fourteen: The Mending Begins

Hudson:

Terror widened my eyes, no one knowing what to do. Her mother reached up for her, Evie calling out orders. The words fade in and out, a couple of people carrying the girl's mother to the village. Leaping in front of the crowd, her feet pounded back to the house. Everyone stood up and stared at me, the pressure getting to me. What would Evie do? Cold sweat dripped off of my brow, the blood was on my hands.

"Everyone, go home, and stay in until I tell you you are free to go." I ordered firmly, my hands trembling. "We will discuss this later." James popped up next to me, his throat clearing. A pleasant smile warmed up his face, tears still streamed down his face. Even after just losing his mother, he was a more effective leader than me.

"Listen up folks, what happened happened. We can't go back and fix it, but from now on I expect you to treat my Luna with respect. His death was a guarantee as long as he behaved in such a manner. I will be taking any complaints or whatever in my office. I will then pass them onto Alpha Hudson. One by one we will address your issues, but for today the office will be closed." Everyone mumbled under their breath as they wandered off, fear paralyzing me in one spot. James scooped up the dickhead's body, nudging my shoulder.

"Go help Evie." He urged warmly, Desmond appearing at the top of the hill. "I definitely owe her a big one." My boots crushed flowers as I crashed down the hill to the main lodge. Evie hovered over the mother, the green liquid from before sitting in her palm. Pouring it into her wound, the silver poisoning stopped. Pulling out the curved stitches needle, she threaded medical grade thread onto it. Placing a piece of leather in her lips, the mother bit down hard as she stitched her wound gracefully. Seeing her in this light made my heart flutter, guilt eating at me. Here I was standing around and doing nothing, again. Blood covered her black sweatshirt dress, a smear of blood on her cheeks. Barking orders again, a couple of the werewolves took her to one of the spare bedrooms. Evie followed closely after, the sixteen year old girl tugging on my sleeve. Turning around, Raven stood behind me, her bangs obscuring her eyes. She was the new Evie, everyone always treating her like crap. Teardrops crashed to the floor, her fingers shaking like a leaf. Her pink sweater hung off of her hourglass figure, a white skirt going to her knees.

"Please don't punish her. He abused us all of the time." She pleaded desperately, Stephan running up to her. Spinning her around, she crumbled into his arms. The two of them trembled at my feet, a weak smile dimming my face further. Shit! Was my village really made up of assholes?

"I won't punish her. She saved me, and if we are being honest here my wife would kill me if I did." I joked lightly, hoping it would cheer her up. "Trust me, I owe her my life. I am sorry about your loss." A sweet smile flashed on Raven's face, her head shaking. Messing with the hem of her skirt, she bit her lips. She really was a mini version of Evie, her mannerism on point.

"Please don't think of me as a monster, but he beat me and my mother day and night. So no worries." She chirped cheerfully, fighting back tears. "Is my mother going to be okay? When can I see her?" Evie came down the stairs, wiping blood off of her hands. Raven slammed her body into her, Evie wrapping her arms around her quivering body.

"I am sorry about the blood." Evie stammered oddly, patting the top of her head. "Raven, is it? Your mother is waiting to see you." Raven bowed her head in shame, Evie lifting up her chin. Wiping away her tears, she cupped her face.

"I think your eyes are beautiful." She assured her kindly, Stephan walking up to the two of them. "You two will make wonderful babies, that is after eighteen. Luckily, your first heat isn't until eighteen. Anyways, don't let them knock you down. Stephan will always be by your side, so don't bottle it up. You will only hurt yourself that way. Now go see your mom. She loves you with all of your heart." Raven sprinted up the stairs, Stephan following close behind her. Bouncing over to me, her lips pressed against mine lovingly. Wrapping her arms around my neck, she played with my wild hair.

"Thank you for standing up for me." She sighed deeply, looking away in shame. "I don't de-" Stopping her right there, my lips kissed hers sensually. Tracing her body to her stomach, my hands cupped her face.

"You deserve the fucking moon." I exclaimed in disbelief, rubbing her flat stomach. "We are the ones who don't deserve you. You give and you give like you don't have a limit, but I know you do. You are the kind of person who would help your enemy. I didn't know what to do. I am a horrible leader. They all looked at me, and James came to my rescue. I am a shitty leader, and you always just seem so calm." Chucking to herself, her real smile flashed in my direction. My breath hitched, her beauty catching my eyes all over again.

"And who would know what to do in that situation?" She pointed out softly, nuzzling her head in the base of my neck. "You did the right thing in defending me, and he was in the wrong. Julia is her name, and she has black hair with a gray stripe. But when I cut her sweater slightly, she was covered in bruises. In my eyes, he deserved death. Also I may be calm on the outside, but I am a bag of skin and bones barely holding a bunch of nerves in check. You are a good leader who always puts the group first, so don't worry about that. I am sure there will be barely any complaints." Flashing me a warm smile, she turned to go back upstairs.

"I am going to cook dinner for everyone tonight to hopefully raise morals, do you know your way around the kitchen?" She queried curiously, her eyes twinkling. "I was thinking something like hot dogs or something like that." Scarlet burned my cheeks, the only thing I could cook was instant noodle cups in the microwave. Latia had taken over the cooking after my parents died, a nervous smile curling on my lips. A knock on the door saved me, a couple of the wives waiting on the other side with Latia. The two older women gave Evie a polite smile, Evie accepting the progress.

"He can't cook worth shit!" Latia teased playfully, sticking out her tongue. "Grayson wants you to help James and his brother set up for the cookout. I expect you two to get along. So do it for your little sissy. Now go. You will just get in the way." Evie shot me a thumbs up, Grayson popping his head in the door. His gray hair was on the wrong side, his dark gray t-shirt was covered in dust. A sheepish grin made him look like a dork, a far cry from the douche Evie beat up not that long ago. Motioning me to come, Latia shoved me out of the door. James, his brothers, and Grayson stood awkwardly in front of me.

"We are totally not setting up, we already did that." Grayson chuckled to himself, a sly look frightening me. "The whole village wants to make this about your Evie. So they all want to chip in to buy her a new car. We gathered what we could, my contribution being the most of course. It will take a bit of a drive, but we found the perfect car for her. Listen, we all feel like major dicks, so we just want to make it up to her. Please come with us to make sure she will like it." Squinting my eyes, what were they getting at? A simple I am sorry would have more than sufficed, the gesture was kind beyond my village's limits. Although it certainly did smell of Latia's plan a bit, the boys eagerly waited for my answer.

"Sure." I said simply, shrugging my shoulders. "Are we taking your car, James?" He nodded, surprise looked brightening their faces. James placed his hand on my shoulders, his face still puffy from the tears.

"She has changed you for the better?" Years ago, you would have killed Grayson right there. After all, you were jealous of him when the two of them were dating." He teased playfully, all of us walking to his forest green SUV. Desmond and Grayson hopped in the back, James sitting in the driver's seat. The look in his eyes told me that he needed a day out, Grayson and Desmond hitting it right off. The two chatted in the back jovially, Desmond hiding his pain well. Tying his hair into a ponytail, a crescent moon caught my eyes. What the hell was that and why did it look like her mark? James turned the radio on, his blonde hair hanging over his eyes. His hair looked better that way in my opinion.

"I smelled my mate today." James announced nonchalantly, everyone shutting up. "But she ran off before I could find her. She was in your group Desmond." A sour looking Devin was walking down the sidewalk, the brakes of his car squealing to a stop. Rolling down my window, Devin walked up to me. His hair was disheveled, his whole vibe just depressing.

"Get in, you idiot." I mused lightly, Grayson opening the door. "New werewolves came to my town, and I think one of them is your mate. Do you want to have fun today?" Everyone gasped in shock at my statement, his eyes looking at me up and down suspiciously. Suddenly, my navy t-shirt felt too dressed up, my black ripped jeans feeling like too much compared to his sweat pants and white t- shirt combo. Grayson moved over, Devin dimming the good vibes in the vehicle. Awkward silence poisoned the air, a green Mercedes-Benz 280 SEL 4.5. Devin rolled his eyes, a mixture of sadness and rage swirling around his eyes.

"Is that the car Norma drives in Bates Motel?" James asked in disbelief, a huge grin spreading ear to ear on my face. She was obsessed with that show, Grayson beaming with pride. He did well, Devin letting Grayson get out. A handful of bills sat in his palms, an elderly lady coming out. Passing her the money, she tossed him the keys. Running over, he tossed me the keys.

"It runs and drives like a dream. I test drove it earlier this week. I couldn't afford it before, but with the village's help it became achievable." He beamed eagerly, giving me the keys. "You get to bring it home. See you soon. We better get back before dinner, and I am sorry for dragging you out for most of the day." My fingers wrapped around the keys, Grayson opening the door.

"Devin, would you like to come with me?" I offered cautiously, his distance gaze not meeting mine. "We don't have to talk, but they talk a lot if you stay in his car. What do you say?" Devin couldn't have gotten out of the car any faster, already waiting by her car. My heart broke, wishing that I could help him. If silence was all he wanted, then silence is what he would get. Hopping out, he hopped in. Running over to the car, the key clicked in. The engine rumbled to life, Grayson shooting me a thumbs up before peeling onto the road. Following behind them, a knot flipped in my stomach. I really hope she likes this, her real smile flashing in my head.