Marked As His

Warmth

My heart was pounding in the cold snow.

The sweat dripping down my face mixed with my tears as I changed back into a human- "Dale.." I whispered into the darkness, kneeling by his side.

My wolf suddenly tore out of me again, I placed Dale softly into my mouth and raced back to our home, piercing through the horrid blizzard.

When I had entered the pack house and set Dale down, my eyes widened at what I had seen.

Every single member had been injured horribly. They were wounded, bleeding and some were even dead!

I watched as the mates of others had mourned over their loved ones death.

Then suddenly, I had hope that Dale couldn't be dead, it was almost impossible.

When your mate dies, it's as though another half of you is being torn out, almost like you've just lost your wolf, your heart feels shattered and your entire outlook on love has changed completely. You never learn to love again... and I was experiencing none of that.

I looked down at Dale's body.

He had no pulse, but he wasn't dead? How was this possible? What was wrong with Dale?

My heart sank with confusion, I needed to find out what was wrong with my mate.

"I need doctors, nurses, anyone!" I shouted for help and was immediately surrounded by people- "what's wrong with him?" I asked frantically.

A tall, slender, beautiful woman had stepped towards Dale and I.

I watched as she placed her hand on Dale's wrist, then over his head.

Next, she opened his mouth and shone a flashlight at his tongue, exposing his perfect set of teeth, then moved to his eyes opening one at a time.

She then checked for his pulse again, this time feeling his neck.

"I'm so sorry... He's gone." she had said in a quiet voice.

"B-but how!?" I cried, "our mate pulls would have weakened by now, wh-why is ours still so strong!? He can't be dead, he just can't." I shouted in dis-belief at the woman, heavy tears now streaming down my face.

"There's nothing more I can do for you. He's gone." she stated firmly and left.

I wanted to slap her.

I didn't believe her, it just didn't make any sense, Dale didn't look injured, he didn't even look dead, it seemed like nothing was wrong with him, besides the fact that he wasn't breathing... But how?

This was all to confusing.

Deep inside my heart, I knew that Dale was still with us, he was still alive. There was no way a warrior like him could go down so easily.

I reached out and touched Dale's soft face, he was warm! A little too warm...

"Beta!" I called. Dale's beta had suddenly appeared by my side- "please, help bring Dale into his bedroom, don't let anyone enter and take good care of him, I've got some business to do."

"Yes, of course, but where are you going my Luna?" he had asked me politely.

"To pay my father a visit." I gritted through my teeth, while rushing out of the door.

My skin came in contact with the whipping snow, my sleek black hair flew in wild directions, while my body clung to my clothes for warmth.

I slipped into my wolf and raced through the forest, retracing the steps of the Scintilla Pack's mighty wolves.

After what seemed like forever, I finally approached the steel gates I thought I'd never see again.

Outside of the entrance stood two bulky men guarding the gates, of course... my father would have two men bare the cold just to keep himself safe.

"Selfish crack head." I whispered, "Dale would never let a guard out in this weather."

I let myself slip back into my human form and I started walking towards the two men but from what I could see, these two didn't join in on the war.

They were standing vertical with a few feet of space in between them, the man on the right was much bulkier than the man on the left, their cheeks were flushed with red and their eyes showed resemblance. I knew them.

Their names were Ronald and Arnold, they were twins and lacked knowledge.

"Stop! Who goes there!" Ronald, the bulkier one had called out to me.

"Calm down, it's only me." I spoke in a hushed voice.

"Whoa.. Claire? Is it really you?" the brothers had asked in sync.

I giggled, they had always done that, saying the same things at the same time- "of course it's really me." I exclaimed cheerfully.

"Well, what're you here for?" Arnold had suddenly asked.

"I need to speak to my father. May I?" I had asked in a needy voice.

To my relief, they opened the steel gates and let me enter.

"But be quiet, everyone is resting." Arnold told me.

"Perfect." I replied and I stepped into the pack house I began to breath in the familiar scent and suddenly remembered all of the memories I left here.

I snapped out of my thoughts and tried to focus on why I was truly here, I made my way through the living room, through the kitchen, up the stairs and into my father's office, somehow knowing he'd be in there.

My mind forced my hand up to the door and I knocked.

"Come in." I heard his voice call.

I felt my hand place itself on the knob and turn it... then suddenly, I felt words escaping my lips and without warning, I cried out- "what the hell did you do to Dale?!"