The Mothers

Back to Vivienne's POV:

I looked through a glass wall at a hospital style room. Their infirmary hall was similar to the one Romona held charge of at the pack house. Brendon was being treated with an IV drip. Monitors were keeping an eye on his heartbeat.

'He wouldn't be there if it wasn't for how selfish I was. Of course I wanted to save this pack… but if I knew it would almost cost his life… I wouldn't not have persuaded him.'

'You cannot blame yourself,' Arwen told me quietly.

'I want you to stay with him until he wakes up,' I told her. 'Let me know as soon as he does.'

'What will you do?'

'I am the only one awake. I have to deliver orders to our packmates.'

I heard footsteps that broke me from my conversation with Arwen. I looked down the hall to see my father walking up to me in a fast pace. We were now in our human forms. The alpha of Blacktail Growlers was kind enough to provide us with clothes. We would only remain here until Brendon wakes up.

My father, Calix stopped in front of me. He turned to look at Alpha Brendon. He sighed heavily before looking at me. "I have bad news," he told me. I stiffened up as I motioned for him to continue. "A messenger from Everfur Howlers sent word to our pack. Unfortunately we've been here dealing with this at the same time. Everfur, was dealing with a same ambush."

I gasped and felt my knees go weak as I fell to the ground.

Brendon's sister went there with her mate- the alpha. What- if... I have to tell Brendon bad news as soon as he wakes up. "Who are the casualties?" I asked.

"I'm sure they'll know in the same times as us," my father told me as he knelt down and pulled me back up. He glanced around and pulled me into a hug. "You have to be stronger now," he whispered in my ear. "We're in a different territory. We can't show any weakness. It's bad enough our alpha almost died."

"Father," I growled out. "We have bigger things to worry about."

"They say... Lamia was there in Everfur herself. Her army was larger then the one sent here," he whispered to me. "They'll have more casualties."

"What am I to do?" I asked him in tears. "If they don't have enough people... If our death rate was too high... What if... I can't save the packs?"

"I need to tell you something," he told me as he pulled me into the room and shut the door. We sat down in chairs by Brendon's bed. "It's about your brother Calcifer, actually." I raised an eyebrow as I leaned in to hear him out.

Father...

Is talking for once?

"In specific... It's about his birth mother."

"Holy shit," I muttered. "You don't talk about that," I blurted out. He chuckled as he took my hands.

"Well it's an insult to Romona."

"How so?"

"She raised all of you. You're her children. She didn't want me to tell any of you about who I slept with."

"Why not?"

"Because she didn't want it to effect how you saw her."

"Why would it?"

"Children's minds are easy to influence," he told me.

"None of us are children, dad."

"I know," he sighed out and looked pleased. "Your brother's birth mother was Sereph Ioduntiot. At the time I met her she was an alpha's daughter. Our packs were actually at war over recourses. I fell in love the moment I met her. And, she died during childbirth. I've kept his background a secret all these years because her father never approved of us. So, even though Cal by birth could have been pack Ioduntiot's future alpha... he was disowned."

"Why are you telling me this now?"

"Because Ioduntiot is in the north territory."

"We were told there was nothing up there."

"Well it's said we ran them off durring the war," he chuckled out. "But, they shut us off from their borders. And, went silent. But, they're still there."

"How do you know?"

"Instincts.

"Are you suggesting we go there asking for help?"

"Every wolf counts right now. They could be dealing with Lamia as well."

"Then I want you to go there. Take a few men when we get back to our territory. Go there to spy before you approach."

"Yes, Luna," he said as he smiled.

'Ask about Fang,' Arwen barked.

"Have you found out about Fang?" I asked quickly.

"They found... pools of blood with his scent imbedded in them."

"They didn't find a body?"

"Vivienne, the blood... was a large amount."

"You think he's dead?" I asked softly as I lowered my head.

How could this be? We need him now more then ever! His experience in leadership... His knowledge alone... we need him.

My father stood up as he went towards the door. "Come, we should regroup and speak with pack Blacktail Growler's alpha. He lost his parents today. We should give him some form of comfort. After all, this family is very familiar with the feeling he's experiencing." I bounced up to follow after him. Our feet in union as I walked beside him.

"Then what about the other mothers?" I asked quickly. "You only told me about Cal's"

"What do you want to know?" He chuckled out.

"What happened between you and Mal's mom?"

"I thought she died but she's been here all this time," he said and looked pained. "There's nothing more to that," he whispered.

"Okay," I muttered. "What about Innath's mom?"

"One of the lowest points in my life," he said as his face held a disguised hate. "But, she did give me a beautiful son."

"What was her name?"

"Marime Alcroft."

"What happened?"

"You could ask about any of them and you pick every one but your own mother?" He asked me.

"Well I just figured... there's never been a hint about her... you hurt the most from her death."

"Marime died of a drug overdose."

"It was that bad?"

"She was a low-life omega. I mean this as in she didn't even work in the pack house. She lived on the streets and sold drugs to teenagers."

"Did you do drugs, dad?"

"I wanted to die when I lost Sereph and Chrzuu."

"Who's Churzuu?"

"Niall's birth mother."

"So you lost two lovers and you fell to hard core drugs... and met Innath's mother?"

"She wasn't a choice at the time. I was so caught up in wanting a way out. But she forced a third son on me and my eyes opened up after that."

His smile grew on his face. "Because your mother..."

Holy shit, he's going to tell me something about her?

"Your mother taught me that there's only one thing important in life. That's to give you children... a warm bed and full bellies," he told me and kissed my head. "She reminded me I had someone to live for and gave me one more thing before leaving me."

"Me?" I asked and blushed.

"Yeah."

"Where did she go? What was her name?"

"Selene Ivanova. She went back home."

"Is she still alive?"

"I'll tell you when this is all over."

"She is?" I gasped out. I wanted more out of him... But, there is one thing more intriguing. "Well if I can't know about her just yet... Will you tell me about Churzuu?"

"Churzuu Dimochka was my first lover," my father said as we paused in the hall. "She came from pack Ioduntiot as well. They were under a food shortage... actually all the packs were at the time. This was during the time right before the war broke out. I was fresh out of training and running my first shift alone near the north border. That's where I first met her. After that we would meet in secret. Every chance we got we would see each other. Like silly teenagers."

"I got her pregnant and we brought it to her alpha. I asked for Churr to be dismissed from her pack. I also asked my pack alpha for permission. And, because of the food war... it was not allowed. We were asked never to see each other again. When she gave birth to Niall he was given to me in secret. A week after her pregnancy I received news she died. They thought the baby was a still born. That's why they never came for Niall. If she had been my soul mate they would have allowed her to raise her baby in my territory... She died because we fell in love."

"Do you hate Ioduntiot?" I asked softly. "If it's too much for you to go there... I can find someone else."

"I have to do this," he said in determination. "Our packs lives depend on it."

"Did my mother come from a different pack too?" I asked softly.

"No! I promise, your mother was a goddess."

She was that perfect?

"I wish I could know her," I muttered.

"She's here inside you," he told me and pressed against my chest. "Here in your heart. You have so much in common with her."

"Looks like I found you both in good time," I heard Alpha Aaragorn comment as he walked up to us. "We followed a scent similiar to Fang out of our territory. It leads south to Lamia's territory. If he's alive he's being held hostage."

"Lamia hates him," I mumbled. "She'll kill him on sight."

"Well it's dawn. The vampires are at their weakest. We should attack them before night. We better send word to Everfur right away if we want to get this done. Send out someone to your territory. We make our move at five."

Aaragorn was definitely trained to lead. Is he Malakai's half brother? He's so young looking? It would definitely match the timeline.

"I'm going north," my father told him. "There is a pack there I am going to ask for help. We could use the extra teeth."

"There's nothing to the north."

"Actually, there is," I told him. "My father knows the pack very well."

"Then why don't you go right away? I can keep an eye out on your luna and alpha," Aaragorn promised in good faith.

"If it's alright with my luna," my father said and looked towards me.

"Go," I shooed. "Meet me back in the pack house with good news," I told him. "And, don't stir up any fights while there." I gave him a quick hug. "And try to think about your daughters and wife you need to come home to. And, Malakai."

"It won't take me long," he promised as he looked at Aaragorn. He pulled away from me and walked down the hall. I could faintly hear him talking to the others we came here with. Leaving someone in charge of assisting me.