52 - The Beta

52 - The Beta
~Ellie’s Point of View~

Godfrey had just landed with us back and Blood Claw and I smelled it. A sweet, fragrant scent of jasmine and an earthy, woodsy scent … pine? It filled me and gave me such a safe, warm sensation I couldn’t stand it. I had to follow it.
Before I could even unwrap myself from Godfrey, my Grammy called out, “Jasmine! My sweet Jasmine!”
I quickly looked around to see who she was looking at, and then … I saw her. An older version … of me.
“Mommy,” I said with a breath so low and pitiful I wasn’t sure if I said it or thought it.
Our pack, Violet said.
My legs felt like they were going to give out, my heart raced in my ears I tried to move, but I was frozen. I’d had this time with Grammy, I knew they were alive but to see them…
My look-alike ran toward me and behind her was a shorter man, but he was bulky and hardened. He definitely looked like someone you didn’t want to anger. He looked like a warrior.
Just when I thought my knees would give out they both wrapped their arms around me and their scents just engulfed me. I felt Grammy’s arms wrap around me from behind.
There was a flurry of movement and noises around us but it all melted away. Violet purred with contentment and at this moment nothing else mattered. It didn’t matter where we actually were standing, I was home. They … were my home.
“My baby, my sweet Lilly,” my mom said, through tears.
Being called Lilly was going to take some getting used to, but I had told Grammy I absolutely wanted to get rid of Ellie, since that was what Gunner had wanted to call me. Ellie was created by Gunner and he made me into what he wanted. Ellie was dead as far as I was concerned.
“The whole time you were all here, the whole time,” I sobbed.
“I was too,” I heard.
Everyone parted and moved to my sides, and a man came toward me.
Your brother, Violet said.
A flash went through my mind of this man, building a treehouse for me. How had I forgotten him, all this time? How could I have not known him? Yes… my brother, Ridge!
He threw his arms open and I fell into him, sobbing on his bare chest. I realized everyone was very barely dressed, there must not have been much to wear after their battle.
“I want to know everything but first I have to find my mates,” I said, wiping my tears.
“We’ve met your mates, very brave men,” my father said.
“What? When did you last see them,” I demanded.
Just then, Godfrey appeared and was screaming at anyone he could command. I ran to him.
“Please tell me, what’s happened, where are they,” I pleaded with him.
“They went after Gunner, likely thinking they would find you. I went after you, hoping to get Gunner,” he said.
What a mess. My heart sank. They weren’t here!
MATES where are mates, Violet yelled.
“But where did they go, did they just run off or what,” I asked, getting impatient.
I caught the faint smell of Skyler and it was making me absolutely dizzy. I sat down in the grass and I knew he had been standing near here not too long ago.
Godfrey looked at me like he wanted to back hand me, but he knew this was not the time to lose his cool.
“They went into a portal, but there are two witches with them,” he said, just as Ash and Daisy appeared.
“What can we do, our entire pack is prepared to help,” my brother said, stepping forward.
That was the last thing I was able to understand. I couldn’t hear anything anymore. I let go of the struggle and began rolling around in the grass. I looked up to see my entire family around me, screaming and forming a barrier, my whole body was on fire.

~Skyler’s Point of View~

We went into a void, a weird fucking void that felt like we were falling. Like a damn roller coaster with no seatbelt. I reached out for Angel who was the only one I could see and she grabbed my hand. We were moving so quickly I was actually stunned I was able to grab her.
Just when I thought I might throw up from the motion we landed. Well … we fell out of the damn sky hard on some grass. I jumped to my feet, not knowing what to expect. I relaxed for a second when I saw everyone else around as well, except warlock Ben.
“Where’d Ben go,” I asked in a whisper.
Not like I had to whisper, any supernatural creature would hear me. Katrina cocked her ear to the wind and we all stared at her.
“Gunner was here, I can pick up his scent, it’s recent,” Chance said.
That’s why I needed my crew! I couldn’t smell shit, but then again, I was still nauseous. The smell of burnt bodies lingered in my nose and I wasn’t sure I could ever get rid of it.
“Is there any chance you know where we are,” Hunter asked Angel.
“The south of England,” she said, in a whisper.
Whew, thank fuck we were still at least on Earth and in our own realm, I thought. But why here, who would help Gunner out here?
“My dad is scouting, he’ll be back with a report in a minute,” Katrina said.
Well shit, I thought. I sat down and took a rest. My butt no sooner met the grass and the warlock fell from the sky in front of me, making me jump.
“No time to rest,” he said, wagging his finger at me.
Okay dad, shit, we’ve only been at war for two days but yeah, sure.
“There’s a pack just over this hillside, in the valley. Gunner is there, I’m certain, they are helping him or housing him … I’m not sure why or who they are,” he said.
“Well if he’s taken Ellie to be his Luna, which is what Tyson says, he needs a pack. He doesn’t have a pack anymore so maybe he’s taken over another one,” Hunter said.
“I didn’t pick up Ellie’s scent,” Ben said.
Shit … is that good or bad? Where was she then?
“She can’t be anyone’s Luna if you guys have marked her, their pup couldn’t be a true Alpha,” Chance said.
We all thought about that, nobody was sure what to say. I went to step toward River and a body fell out of the sky. We all jumped back.
“Just me,” Tyson said, standing up and shaking himself off.
“Any updates,” I asked, getting in his face. I still didn’t trust this fucker.
“Yes, Godfrey is back, with Ellie and her grandmother, they’re both fine. But nothing on my dad, is he here,” Tyson asked, looking around.
“Thank the Goddess Ellie is safe! That’s such good news,” Angel said.
I got right up to him, ready to attack.
“If I find out you touched her you piece of shit,” I said, inches from his face.
“Fuck no, I don’t have a death wish! She didn’t even see me, she was too busy meeting her family, so I took off,” he said, putting up his hands.
We all let out a long breath. She was safe with her pack, and Gunner didn’t have her! Oh thank the fucking Goddess. I might have to start praying now.
“They’re all trying to figure out what to do, how many more to send through the portal, they need to get people out of the Blood Claw lands, they don’t know if it’s safe there or what, I think they are taking a lot of people to your house actually, and your parents’ house. The only one missing is my little sister Tyra,” Tyson said.
“Great, a fucking party and we’re here with Ellie there,” I said, getting impatient and dealing with Dusk yelling at me.
MATE, MATE NEEDS US, he yelled to Hawk and Buck.
Calm down just a little more time, she’s safe with her family, I whined.
MATE NOW, Buck growled.
YES, YES I know, I know but we can’t exactly just leave! Fuck! Dusk was about to shift and jump in the damn ocean if it meant trying to get to Ellie, he was about to rip me in half.
“This portal is only one way, I can’t jump back through it. Sit tight, I’m going to teleport to Godfrey,” Ben said, disappearing.
We all sat down in the grass, feeling defeated. Our wolves were losing their shit at the mention of Ellie.
We all stared off into the distance. The council was technically an international body, we couldn’t just very well attack this pack. We had no clue what we would be walking into anyhow.
Tyson sat down and looked around carefully.
“Where the hell are we anyhow, does anyone know,” he said.
“Southern England, apparently, does that mean anything to you,” Hunter said.
Tyson jumped up, “oh shit.” We all stared at him, waiting for his revelation.
“Dad’s new Beta has a British accent,” he said.