Chapter 7: Quiet Plea

Archie's brows twitched, annoyance evident in his voice as he spoke “Is that it?” His voice came out sharp, irritation etched on his face. “Is that what you want to ask?” his palm folded into a fist “Is that all you care about?”

There was a short pause, after which came a stern voice. “What are you talking about, Archie?” wherever his father was, he was frowning deeply.

Archie's anger flared “You’re not even going to ask how my first day went? Or how I’m settling into the new environment? Whether I’ve found an apartment or made any friends?” His jaw tightened, teeth clenched as the words left his mouth.

His skin prickled hearing his Father sigh with exhaustion. “We have talked about this, Archie. You know the reason you were transferred there. I advise you to stick to that script”

He clicked his tongue, continuing “All these things you mentioned are trivial to me. There are more pressing matters, son. Soon, you will be crowned Alpha. Your mate and Luna are very crucial to the pack”

Archie hissed at his Father's words “I am much more than that title, Father.” His voice lowered, laced with hurt “It pains to have to explain that to you over and over again”

Before his Father could speak, he beat him to it. “I'll tell you this for free… I'm not searching for that woman. I have found my mate” as he said those words, Piper's pale complexion came to his mind.

Silence immediately took over. The call was still ongoing, but his Father's voice was nowhere to be heard. For a heartbeat, Archie feared his father's response to what he said.

His heartbeat quickened. Maybe he shouldn't have said that.

At last, his Father's voice came through the speaker, calm and fixed, “She'd better be from a prestigious family.” The call was cut immediately after, leaving Archie with a dreaded feeling in his gut.

But for all he knew, Piper could be from a wealthy and powerful family.

That evening, Piper got home. For a second, her hand hovered over the doorknob. Then, as if gathering courage, she let out a deep sigh before opening the door.

She was immediately startled by the presence of her mother lurking by the door, almost as if she had been waiting there for her arrival.

As usual, she looked sickened. Her eyes carried dulled bags underneath them, and her hair was disheveled and unkempt. She was reeking of what smelled like a mixture of vinegar and regret.

There was an unsettling grin on her face. “I was right” she began hoarsely, holding out a few crumpled papers in her trembling, pale hands.

‘Not this again’ Piper's brows came together, not in worry, but pity. She stared at her poor mother, her heart clenching with a feeling she couldn't explain.

She shut the door behind her, swallowing the lump stuck in her throat. “About what?” She decided to engage with her mother.

The woman stuttered “Y-your father was killed”

“I know,” Piper responded almost immediately, her breath hitching.

Her mother raised her index finger at her, snapping “But!” She paused, her eyes widening, “What you don't know is why he was killed so easily,” she began to mutter to herself, loud enough for Piper to hear. “Your father was a warrior, a skilled fighter. There's no way he would have been killed so easily”

“He was sick, Mom, that's why he couldn't fight back.” Piper clicked her tongue, rubbing her temples as she brushed past her mother.

She got to the staircase, but froze when her mother said

“Poison.”

Piper spun around, locking eyes with her mother's I'll figure. The uncanny grin on her face was gone.

She continued, her voice dropping to a whisper “He was poisoned”

“By who?” Piper whispered back, her voice shaking.

Her mother's eyes turned blank. There was no answer and it only made her look more pathetic, more desperate in front of her grieving child.

Piper's eyes welled up with tears. It had been three years already, but her mother was still eager to find her Father's ‘killer.’ She had lost all connection to the world and was slowly losing herself, too. She's so obsessed with finding the killer and avenging her husband that she has almost forgotten the daughter he left behind.

Piper approached her mother slowly, her voice low and comforting, her steps slow and deliberate. “You have to stop, Mother.” It wasn't a request; she was begging.

She held her mother's shoulders and repeated, “You have to stop. Dad is gone.” She unraveled the bitter truth.

It was almost inaudible, but Piper heard her mutter under her breath “I can't,”

“Why!?” Piper's voice rose. She stepped back, retrieving her hands as if burned.

Her mother continued to mutter “I have to find his murderer. It's what your father would have wanted,”

“What about what I want?” She asked bitterly. “What about what you want?” She backed away completely when her mother responded with silence. “You know what? Fine, do whatever, I don't care” she walked out the door, slamming it behind her.

She stood outside for a minute, biting hard on her lower lip, trying not to cry. The word ‘poisoned’ wrapped around her head. For a moment, she almost believed her mother's words.

Maybe that would explain why her father, before his death, couldn't shift to his wolf form anymore.

Piper shook her head vigorously. No, she refused to end up half crazed like her mother. A shiver ran through her as she lifted her gaze to the skies. Above, the full moon glowed, its ethereal light bathing everything beneath it… including her.

Drawing in a deep breath, Piper focused. She centered herself with a calm and purified aura, willing her energy to shift. A soft glow came to life over her skin before her bones began to reshape themselves.

In moments, where the woman had stood was now a majestic white wolf, her fur shimmering under the moonlight. The proud mark of the Ironclaw Pack.

With a renewed feeling, she sprinted into the forest, her paws thudding softly against the ground. The wind rushed through her fur as she ran on all four, freeing her mind from the recent events.

She admitted ‘Only in her wolf form could she truly breathe.’

She reached a familiar open space near a clear stream. The moon's light shimmered greatly, causing the stream to appear like a glistening chandelier. Piper slowed to a stop, lowering herself gracefully to the ground.

The serenity there was heartwarming. The air was calm, the night alive, the moon shining brightest upon her.

For a moment, peace settled.

Until…..Snap!

A branch broke behind her.

Immediately, every instinct in her body heightened. Her ears perked up, her muscles tensing. She spun around as her claws extended, digging into the soil.

“Who’s there?” she growled, her voice thundering through the quiet woods.