When I Return

When I Return

Chapter 1

The rain didn't just fall; it plummeted from the sky. Torrential and icy, it pummeled anyone unfortunate enough to be caught outside without shelter. One such individual was a woman who raced down the street, clutching her prominent, nearly full-term pregnant belly.

Her desperation was such that she was oblivious to the weight of the thick drops, some of them frozen, as they battered her body. She had just witnessed the murder of her husband and the destruction of their home. By a stroke of luck in the killers' oversight, she'd managed to escape.

Fear drove her off the street and into the forest reserve, fenced in with barbed wire. She stepped on one of the strands, pushing it down, and pushed another strand up as much as she could. She threaded one leg through the gap she created, then her body, dragging her immense belly across the barbs, scratching her skin and tearing her dress, but she made it through.

She paused for a moment, hands on her thighs, clutching her belly, gasping for air. Upon standing, she noticed a scrap of fabric caught on the wire and removed it. She knew from crime shows that leaving such a trace could give away her direction to the criminals or to the police. She glanced around and cautiously began moving again, careful to step where the grass would prevent her from slipping in the mud or leaving footprints.

The forest became denser the deeper she went, and she felt lost. The rain persisted, and lightning streaked the sky, seeming to mirror her desperation as it followed closely, with one bolt striking perilously near and the sound of a tree creaking confirming the imminent danger. She stopped to look around and saw that the trees were very tall and, despite it being daylight outside, it appeared as night within the depths of the forest.

Her eyes found a hidden path between the trees, and she headed towards it, finally reaching what she considered a chance for safety, where she could find protection for herself and her daughter. She kept moving, trying to be as swift as possible, aware that her pursuers were still likely behind her and that she needed urgent help.

A tiny sound of rustling leaves, different from those moved by the wind, reached her ears. They were here. She knew it was them, but she didn't know how they would greet her. She had been driven out by the group's leader after giving birth to a daughter—he had wanted a son and demanded absolute obedience. Her own mother died when she was young, and once she came of age showing gentleness and calm rather than warrior-like traits, her father gave her in marriage to a human businessman. When she refused, she was expelled.

They watched her and the direction she took, confirming she was heading into their territory. But along the way, her scream halted everything, including them and all the creatures of the forest. Her pursuers heard it, too, and followed the sound.

The woman crouched, holding her belly as amniotic fluid ran down her legs, a sign that the baby was coming. Another contraction hit, and she screamed again. The watchers realized her pursuers were nearing and formed a perimeter to keep them away.

She remained in a squat, feeling her womb's contractions and the baby's movements. It was the right time, but the frantic escape had likely hastened the process. She screamed once more as her muscles pushed the child out, who entered the world with a bellow instead of a cry, seemingly aware of the peril surrounding them.

One of the watchers hurried over, bit through the umbilical cord, and snatched the child, running off and leaving the mother, exhausted and hysterical, screaming for her daughter. She didn't realize that all the other watchers had followed him, allowing her pursuers to reach her.

The tallest of them looked at her, then gazed in the direction the kidnappers had gone. He surveyed his surroundings, familiar with the area and its inhabitants, and decided not to follow. He again looked to the woman, who had stopped screaming and gazed back at him, terrified of what he might do to her.

Male or female? he asked.

F...female...

Less trouble, then, he remarked.

The woman was hoisted up into the arms of another burly man, who turned and retraced the path they had come.

I suggest you remain quiet, we will not harm you, said the first man.

He spared another glance at the forest and made a vow to himself; he would not rest until he retrieved the young female. He followed the others as they disappeared from view, heading towards their vehicles. They vanished down the road after all of them piled into the cars, taking the woman with them.

They drove for two hours on back roads until they reached a town nestled in a valley, surrounded by mountains covered in virgin forest, save for their presence—an extensive family, tightly-knit and ruled with firm but fair leadership, instinctually murderous yet utterly loyal to their own. His needs had always come second, but now, everyone demanded he take action for the sake of their species' continuity, and he felt the pressure.

That's why he had pursued the woman; having observed her since finding her alone in the woods, he had mated with her in a moment of unbridled passion. She fled when he distanced himself to hunt for food for them. He decided not to capture her but to monitor her from afar all this time.

Realizing her pregnancy was nearing its end, he sent scouts to watch her constantly and finally claim her for himself. A man had been with her, and he was displeased as they seemed married. When the man began mistreating her, he decided to intervene after hearing her screams. Overconfidence led to carelessness, and he killed the man while she seized the chance to flee.

Chapter 2

Now, he was by her side, yet he had lost his heiress. She who would bring peace to his people but had been captured by a barbarous tribe. They were unaware of the identity of the one they stole, but they would soon learn, as soon as he secured the woman’s safety and rallied his forces. He would overcome any adversary who dared to take his precious daughter.

The woman was taken to a medical facility, where she received proper care and was cleansed before proceeding to the chieftain’s mansion. There, he ushered her into his bedroom, straight into the bathroom's shower stall.

Can you manage to bathe on your own? he enquired.

Upon her affirming nod, he peered through the window, assessing her ability to escape, and warned:

We’re on the second floor; don’t attempt an escape. I won’t harm you if you stay, but should you flee, there will be consequences. After issuing the threat, he exited the bathroom and utilized the other shower down the hall, bathing briskly, then returned, clad in a towel with damp hair trailing down.

The woman emerged from the bathroom in an oversized plush robe, hair wet as well. She surveyed the bedroom, noting the austere decor in shades of gray and white, devoid of embellishments—a space clearly absent a woman's touch. She then gazed at him, as he was also watching her.

What do you want from me? she questioned.

You don’t remember me, do you? We shall talk, and I shall clarify everything. Please, sit down.

Wary, she observed him, uncertain of her next step. Her emotions were a tangled web, priorities undefined. The reality that she had given birth and yet hadn't glimpsed her baby's face left her in turmoil. Now, here she was before a stranger, clueless about his intentions and yearning to find her little one.

No choice was needed. He drew her to the opulent bed, lifted her and seated her atop it. He then proceeded to the closet, donned a tracksuit and toweled his hair dry. He returned to the bedroom, seating himself on the bed facing her.

I thought you’d recall me, or at least recognize my scent, he said.

Who are you? she asked, her brow furrowed with confusion.

The father of your child, he replied, displeased by her shocked expression.

She drew deep breaths to calm herself and think clearly. Her mind was muddled, clouded by the remembrance of scents and events when she was attacked in the woods after her exile while vulnerable and uncertain.

So, it was you. Why? I was fragile, afraid, and in no need of an unbridled man taking advantage of me, she accused him.

My name is Condor. I am the leader of my people and was tracking two thieves who’d been pillaging our offspring. I traced them to you, but your scent overwhelmed me, and I couldn’t resist, he explained with remorse tingeing his voice.

But you didn’t know me, didn’t even speak or ask, why? she demanded, herself not offering an introduction as he had done.

I thought you’d detected my scent and recognized me. Do you not sense it still? He was puzzled by her demeanor.

She inhaled deeply, allowing his scent to fill her senses, and within her, something stirred, surprising her. She'd believed her wolf dormant, having never transformed, and this revelation startled her. She regarded him with intrigue and resolved to introduce herself at last:

My name is Leona. I hail from the Death Claw Pack, and on that day you found me, I was cast out in desperation, which is why I didn’t rebuff you.

Why were you expelled? he inquired.

After turning eighteen without shifting, my Alpha father, discontented, banished me, she offered, withholding the details of the beating she had endured.

So, your father is the fool stealing our cubs. Do you know why? he queried.

Our pack suffers a shortage of males. More females than males are born; perhaps that’s the reason, she explained.

What’s wrong with training the women? Let it go... Have you really never shifted? he asked, curious and concerned over the prospect of a Luna without a wolf.

No, I even considered that she might not exist, but sensing your scent now, she’s stirring within me, she said, emotions welling.

Then she has recognized me, he stated as much a declaration as a question, feeling a glimmer of hope. He was fond of her, irrespective of their bond, for she was beautiful, well-mannered, and seemed serene.

She would make a fitting Luna, he thought.

I’m not sure…

How can you not know? Has she not told you?

No.

This is aggravating. You seem omega-like; if that’s the case, you'll be ill-suited for aiding in our daughter’s retrieval, he grumbled, rising with irritation.

So what? she responded, feigning indifference.

Remain here, you need recovery post-childbirth. I’ll order food for you, he said, exiting hastily.

Leona approached the window, scrutinizing it, gauging its height. The window was large, sliding open like a patio door, leading to a balcony. She stepped out, and from this vantage point, the forest was visible. Night had fallen, the rain ceased, stars punctuated the sky, and the full moon’s luminescence brighten the night. She relied on the stars for direction towards the Death Claw Pack.

The journey by car suggested a considerable distance too vast for her to traverse on foot, unless her wolf emerged. Her wolf would need to arise and undertake the voyage to retrieve her pup. She concentrated, standing mid-balcony, and beckoned to her wolf. She then opened her eyes, offering a silent plea to the moon above.

She experienced an intense pain in her bones, a pressure building within her chest, her vision morphed, her hands, and feet expanded, revealing claws in place of nails. White fur enveloped her skin, and she fell to all fours, steadying on what were now her four paws. Her body ached intensely, more than she could bear, but she contained her cries until the transformation was complete, and she became a white wolf, formidable and robust.

Chapter 3

Leona relinquished control to the wolf within and leapt over the railing, landing on the ground before dashing into the trees, headed toward the direction of her father's pack. She ran for hours, unconcerned about being followed, certain that no harm would come her way, for none would dare challenge her might and power – she was not an omega, but an Alpha, and a very powerful one at that.

As she neared the village outskirts, she stayed undetected, her steps light and stealthy. She circled the settlement, silently taking down each of the sentinels she encountered. She inhaled deeply, familiarizing herself with the scents and seeking the trail of her pup. She moved past every dwelling until she reached the Alpha’s house, where she heard her infant's cries and the Alpha's command to silence her or remove her from his presence.

The white she-wolf waited, knowing that if they came out with her offspring, she could snatch her away. But no such chance came and, to her surprise, she felt a massive, black wolf pounce on her, biting her neck. She submitted, staying still