Prologue
Peter Stonefire, Alpha of the Stonefire pack, clan leader and also current Alpha of Alpha's sat finishing off some pack paperwork in his office while waiting for his mate Luna Bethany Stonefire and their sons Jackson and Jacob to finish getting ready so they could attend the annual pack picnic. The picnic was being held in the large community field that sits between the current pack house and the old one in the Starlight clans lands.
The Starlight clan was originally the main clan within our pack many generations ago. The Starlight's were the original Alpha of Alpha's and it is said that their wolves descend from the original royal wolves. They would still be Alpha of Alpha's to this day if it hadn't been for the Obsidian Shadows Coven. The last Starlight was Luna Sarah Starlight; she faded to the Goddess nearly 150 years ago without her mate. The story went that Luna Sarah was waiting for her mate to find her; the pack was having a gathering for all unmated males and females across the continental packs. Luna Sarah felt her mate enter the gathering as they locked eyes. There was a massive explosion that rocked everything.
The gathering was under attack from the Obsidian Shadows Coven wanting to take over the pack. Quite a lot of the people in attendance lost their lives that day as did Luna Sarah's mate he died in her arms. It's said that she turned ferocious after the explosion and spent all her final years tracking down members of the Coven and eliminating them. Before she faded to the Goddess, she was said to have used her magic to ensure that the Starlight line would be brought back and be more powerful than ever before.
Alpha Peter looked up when he heard loud giggles and pounding feet as the boys ran towards his office. Peter looked at his boys Jackson at 14 and Jacob at 9. Oh, how he wished he and Bethany could have had more children, but his boys were his life.
'Daddy we are ready. Can we go now?' his youngest son Jacob asked.
'Is your mother ready?' I asked them.
'Yes dad she is getting the blanket from the kitchen' Jackson replied.
'Ok then, let's go. We will walk there so I can check the river has gone back to normal after the bad weather'
'Ok dad' both boys responded, and we left the office and met Bethany at the front door.
'Ready my love?'
'Yes let's get going'
We left the pack house and walked towards the river that runs through our lands into the Starlight lands towards the waterfall.
'Hopefully the water level will have reduced' I said to Jackson as we walked together.
'Hopefully Dad then we can get it all checked and ensure its bank's are secure' he replied.
Looking down at my oldest son, I smile. He is going to make a great Alpha already worried about the pack and its safety shows he will make a great replacement for me.
'That is a really great idea, son. We will have to go the whole length of the river to ensure there aren't any problems'
'You mean into Starlight lands as well?'
'Yes son as Alpha, we have to ensure the complete safety of the river from the top right to the waterfall'
'I've never been on Starlight land, could I come with you?'
'Yes if you want to, it would help If you knew the land better, we will arrange it and sort it out ok'
We made it to the river and it had indeed reduced but only slightly. We continued to walk along the river towards the community field when I caught the smell of blood. Jackson and Bethany smelt it as well.
'Beth stay here with Jake. Jackson, come with me'
We continued to follow the smell of blood with it getting stronger and stronger as we got closer to the large tree that the kids used to get across the river. Jackson went down towards the bank at the side of the tree, and I went to the other side.
'Dad quick I've found a pup' Jackson shouted.
As I rounded the tree, he was coming up the bank holding a small pup. The pup was covered in blood and mud from the river bank, and it was barely breathing.
*Beth, we need you. Jackson has found an injured pup.* I mind linked my wife.
'Dad what do we do? Who would do this to a pup?' Jackson asked.
'I don't know, son, but your mother is coming, and we will take care of the pup until we find the family'
'Oh my goddess' Beth shouted when she got closer to us.
'Jackson honey, I'll take the pup now and make sure it's ok' Beth said.
'No' Jackson growled.
Jackson's growl must have jolted the child's consciousness as it whimpered.
'It's ok, little one. You are safe now. Can you open your eyes?' Jackson asked the pup.
The little pup opened I knew exactly who this child was and who her parents are.
*This is Paula and Keith Lightheart's, youngest daughter, I believe. *
*Yes, you're right, it's Freya, my love. We need to get her to the pack hospital now.*
'Jackson we need to get her to the hospital honey' Beth said.
'I'll take her,' he replied, getting up with her in his arms. He then took off running.
We followed after Jackson as he took off running towards the pack hospital. As we arrived, he was shouting orders to the doctors and nurses but growling at them when they tried to take her from him. I've never witnessed anything like it other than with mates but they were both way too young yet to know that.
'Jackson honey, you need to let the doctors look her over, and in order to do that, you're going to need to let her go. Ok baby, no one here will harm her. We only want to help her. Will you let us do that?' My wonderful mate speaks softly to our son.
Watching my son as those words sank in his expressions went through a mirage of emotions from anger to fury to understanding to fury again, so I stepped forward.
'Jackson, what does this she wolf mean to you and Darius?'
'Darius says she's the most important person in the world to us'
'Ok, son, so let's make sure she's ok so she can continue to be important to you'
'Ok'
Jackson walked to the gurney and placed Freya down ever so gently, kissed her forehead and turned to the doctor.
'Fix her ensure she is ok, check for signs of abuse do not contact her family yet do you understand me' Jackson growled at the doctor.
'Yes, Alpha Jackson. We will do everything you have ordered.
3 hours later
We sat as a family waiting for the doctor to come back with news. It's been a few hours now. Jackson will not stay still for long; he gets up paces and curses, then sits again only to get up a few minutes later and do exactly the same thing. After another half an hour, the doctor came out.
'Alpha, Luna, we have done everything we can for the child she had swallowed quite a lot of water, so we got that out of her system. She had various cuts and bruises, she has handprint marks on her arms, neck, torso, and legs. They look to be from a child, not an adult. She is malnourished and very scared. She keeps asking for the boy with the kind eyes, which I assume is yourself young, Alpha Jackson.'
'Thank you, Parker. How long do you recommend she stay here? And can we see her please?' Bethany asks.
'Luna, she should be here for at least a week to 10 days to ensure no infections and to get her nourishment levels back up. Do you intend to tell her family?'
'Yes, I will be speaking to them soon'
'She is in ward 3 you can go now'
Jackson practically ran towards the ward when we arrived. Freya was awake, her eyes showed fear when we entered her room.
'Hello Freya, do you know who I am?' I asked her.
'Yes sir, you're the Alpha,' she replied weakly.
'Can you tell me what happened to you, little one?'
What that sweet little girl told me would be ingrained in my mind and in my soul for the rest of my life.
