A year later, Mala was sitting comfortably in her favourite place within the pack, a nice large rock in the orchard, that accommodated her size easily. She was smiling happily about the progress of the new children’s book she was working on. It was nearly finished. Getting ready to wrap it up with a little teaser at the end for the next in the series. Then she could sit down with her artist and set about getting all the pages drawn up and water coloured in.
The breeze was quite strong and blowing past her, it was not quite midday and she was under the shade of one of the orchard trees, enjoying being out there with the scent of sweet-smelling flowers from the orchard to fill her sense of smell.
Suki was curled up inside her mind, sleeping soundly, no worries for them at this time. Heard a clearing of a voice and looked up to see who was looking for her. There was no scent as they were downwind of her. With Suki asleep she’d not scented nor heard the foot fall of someone approaching her either.
No pack tether alerted her to someone coming towards her either. That was odd. She thought absently, looked to the sound, and frowned instantly as she saw Jet, the Beta to the Glimmering Moon Pack standing about 25 feet from her, inside the pack’s territory. Suki opened her eyes and raised her head to peer at him herself, when she detected Mala’s full and instant annoyance. Huffed inside Mala’s mind.
She didn’t know that bloody pack, was on the list for the mating ball, that was happening tomorrow night, did know that a half dozen packs were coming today as per the normal, would arrive the day before the mating ball to rest and settle in after their journey here, they were a long way from any pack.
It seems her Alpha had neglected to inform her of this. It was not like him to do so; he was usually very diligent in letting she-wolves or he-wolves for that matter know their old pack was coming and would be there in the territory. Most made a quiet exit before those packs got here, stayed in their homes for the whole entire time and not be seen at all. As she would have done.
Retired to her suite and stayed behind closed doors, seems that was not the case.
“What do you want?” Mala asked and turned back to her book. Though, with her mood now soured, there would be no chance of happy little fairies in the future for her readers.
“I’d like to talk to you.”
“Would you now?” Seems he was back from his military service “and if I don’t want to listen?” Mala asked in a board tone.
“Come on Tamala, it’s been a very long time now. Can’t you let it go?”
Mala thought about that, looked over the pack orchard, the number of trees now here, the sheer size of them, had only been two dozen when she'd arrived, and now there was a hundred and they were all fully grown. She realised it had been a very long time, though likely only because they had no idea where she had been for the longest of times. Realised as she thought about his statement, that it had now been 14 years since she had left that shitty pack.
Had been here now for a long time indeed, had a nice life too, it was good living here, liked it still, and she fully intended on staying right here within The Hollowed Moon Pack.
“Should I?” Mala commented, drearily, she had noticed he was here alone, no Alpha with him, didn’t bother to ask where he was, likely Aston had vetoed that, knew she’d likely try and take a piece of him after the threat she’d made last time she’d come face to face with him.
Knew that he was going to be in the pack somewhere, and as long as it was away from her, she didn’t really care, had no intention of interacting with him where it was possible. Looked at Jet, noted that he was bigger than the last time she had seen him, due to years of military service, she guessed. There were no visible scars that she could see, his black hair was much shorter now. Wondered how long it had been since they were out but did not ask the question.
“I think you should.” He stated, “Hudson and I were punished by the council.”
“So!” didn’t understand that comment, just because they were punished, she should let it all go. Didn’t even know why they had been punished.
“So, that was your doing, Tamala, in case you hadn’t heard,” He muttered.
Mala snorted, fully amused now. So, his grandfather had gone back to that pack and confronted him, asked those questions she’d told him to. That was interesting. “Really? It was my fault! How’s that I never said anything to anyone? I left and stayed the hell away. I didn’t ask the council to do anything, other than to leave me alone.” And she hadn’t asked them to do anything, simply to ask a question so they could understand why she did not intend to go back to that pack. When they wanted her to, wanted her to go and be Hudson’s Mate and Luna, produce him an Heir. All she had wanted was for them to agree with her, that she shouldn’t be made to or asked to for that matter. To leave her alone.
“Well, whatever you said to Patrick, Hudson’s grandfather, in case you didn’t know.” She did know that; he’d told her that himself. “Brought the whole bloody council of 12 to the pack, to question not only Hudson, but myself, the entire unit and all that were at the warrior challenge when you attended it for the pack. Brought that footage with them and showed it to his father, my father, your own parents in fact.” He grated out.
Mala stared at him now, nearly burst out laughing, so they had been outed. It seemed “Well, I see Karma finally got you and him didn’t it, Jet. You all got away with it for long enough. Likely thought you always would. I never asked them to do that, just to leave me alone Jet, was all.”
Her amusement was not lost on him at all, and she saw his anger notch up “I didn’t do anything to you Tamala.”
“Didn’t stop it either, now did you. I guess that makes you just as responsible, seeing as you obviously knew what I was to him. Answerable to the council, not a very good Beta or future Beta at the time, huh!”
“I tried to warn you.” Jet snapped at her.
“By telling me he’d be ticked off with me…Hmm, you were all always ticked off at me, so why would that be a warning to me, hated me, in fact, because I was wolf-less. The shunned.” Got off that rock and glared right up at him. “You should have stopped him.” Mala snapped back at him “But no, I was wolf-less and worthless to him, to you. To the entire pack, my life; even with knowing what I was supposed to be to him, to the pack, meant absolutely nothing to either of you. You turned a blind eye, Jet.” Which she knew he had. “I’m curious, did you stand outside the hotel room and listen? Keep people away? Like you would inside the pack?”
Saw him frown down at her now, “If you think he doesn’t regret it, you’re wrong.”
“I don’t care Jet. He rejected me and I accepted it gladly. It’s done, over, has been for a very long time. Nothing is going to change that.”
“You lied to him. Kept your wolf at bay so he would reject you.” He shot at her.
“Damned right I did. She was with me for those two years, she did not want him either, especially after that challenge and what he did, how he treated us.”
Saw him blink at that, “Oh, come on Jet. How dumb are you? How the hell do you think I could be mind-linked to, by anyone in that place, only those with wolves can do that.”
“You should have said something at sixteen.”
“Should I have? I was shunned before I could. Turned on in a matter of minutes. Got to see the real you. The real him. The real way the pack was, including the ones that birthed me. It was better to say nothing and get the hell out. So that’s what I did.”
“What you did was cruel, Tamala. You knew what you were to him, felt it yourself in some small way. Then you go and let yourself get beat the hell out of. Got yourself broken so badly you died for several minutes. Do you know how he felt, what he went through in those minutes?”
“I don’t care, I see you still only care about what he went through. Not what I did. Nothing has changed there, has it? And it’s a pity I wasn’t dead long enough to severe that bond entirely.”
“How can you say that?” he sounded more than shocked by her words. But even as he talked, all she could hear was that he was still only concerned about how Hudson felt. Not once had he expressed any concern about her and what she’d had to deal with. Was making it sound like it was all her fault.
“Easily, you weren’t the Alpha and his Units punching bag.”
“You held you own, every damned day.”
“Yes, I did. But that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt and I didn’t get broken bones on a regular basis, I was always covered in bruises Jet, you all saw that, never cared if I was hurt by one of you, laughed about it if I recall correctly, even you Jet. Took great pleasure in not pulling your punches. As the actual, Alpha instructed you all too. So, I wouldn’t get injured. I was there to train you all, make you better fighters and you all hated that, hated me because I was not only better than all of you, but because I was wolf-less and could still bring you all down. Did I deserve that, Jet? Really deserve that?” Saw him say nothing and raised an eyebrow, “Do you know why I could beat you? Because I trained longer and harder than all of you. Learned multiple martial arts and focused everything on my training. All I ever wanted was to win that warrior challenge and become an elite warrior, make the pack proud. But no, he couldn’t even let me do that in one piece.”
“You still should have said something!” he stated flatly, ignored all she said, didn’t really care and she knew it.
“You should have stopped him. As the Beta, is it not your job, hell it’s the Alpha’s job, is it not. To protect its pack members, especially those that can’t protect themselves. Did he do that? Did you do that, Jet? No, you did not. I’m glad I’m out of your shitty pack, and I’m not going back. Unless my Alpha, Aston, wants a war with your pack. Then, Jet, I’ll lead that war myself, relish in it.”
“Tamala.” He sighed.
“For fuck’s sake,” she yelled at him, “my name is Mala. Tamala died that day. I killed her. Get it through your thick skull, that Tamala no longer exists.”
Saw him frown right at her now.
“Piss off Jet.” Mala stated and stalked away from him.
“Not so dead, that was always Tamala’s line.”
Mala stopped walking, turned and looked at him. “Well then, go fuck yourself Jet.” She amended her words and then turned and stalked off again.
Stalked all the way to the pack house, knew that asshole was following her, at least he said nothing as he stalked after her. Mala saw Hudson sitting in the foyer as she stalked into the pack house. Watched him stand up and look right at her, noted he was bigger as well. But she was still stronger and faster. She was willing to bet. Glared right at him, but noticed that he was dressed quite formally, wearing black slacks and a deep maroon dress shirt with a black and silver tie. He was clean shaven and his dirty blond hair was longer on top than the last time she’d seen him. His pale blue eyes locked right on hers and he even smiled at her. Why she didn’t know, she’d never once alluded to wanting anything from him or to do with him.
Banged right into Alpha Aston's office “Why didn’t you warn me?” she practically snarled at her own Alpha, was completely uncaring about being punished at this moment. He would normally warn those with incoming ex’s. If he saw fit to punish her that would keep Hudson well away from her. Hoped he would do it on some level.
“I didn’t know they were coming, is why, Mala. He just arrived and came with this in his hand.” Heard Aston sigh and as he stood up to walk over to her, saw that he was carrying a deep blue envelope.
Glared right at it, knew what it was. It was the same bloody envelopes the wolfen council used to allocate the list of wolves to attend their designated mating balls, when they had first insisted on the pack participating.
Took it from him when he held it out to her, to read it for herself:
Alpha Aston,
We, the Wolfen Council, would appreciate you giving one Alpha Hudson Black, of the Glimmering Moon Pack, full hospitality over the course of your mating ball this weekend. So that he can try and sort out his broken Mate Bond with Tamala Lucas, known to you as Mala Luca.
He has been formally punished by the council as to his crimes against the young Tamala Lucas, who would have been and should be the rightful Luna, to the Glimmering Moon Pack.
As we understand it, Alpha Hudson regrets his actions and word usage against his Mate. Has changed his ways and the Glimmering Moon Pack is currently, and has been for the past year, undergoing at, Alpha Hudson’s leadership, a very large change for the better.
Attached is a list of his crimes and the punishment he was dealt out for each crime committed. A list of the changes he has made to his pack to show her that he has changed, and that things will be very different, for her within the pack.
Please see to it that Tamala/Mala reads it so she can understand, he has seen the error of his ways. Has changed from the man he once was raised to be, has grown and now understands he was wrong in his treatment of her. That he will treat her with the love and respect, a Mate and Luna deserves.
The Wolfen Council, - Alpha Patrick Black.
Mala glared right at that stupid letter, which was of course, written by his own grandfather. He was trying to use his connection with the council to get her back into his pack. He’d never wanted her, not once, not till he’d seen Suki that was and realised just how bad he’d screwed things up for himself.
She could see the papers in Aston’s hand still, his list of crimes against her. She knew what they were, “I don’t care if he got a hundred years of military service or a hundred years in a cell. A hundred lashes.” She grated out, didn’t want to look at that list, knew Aston had read it though. If they had Alpha Ordered him to tell the truth, it would all be in there for Aston to see. Now he knew everything about her in full detail, likely even including the details she would never discuss with anyone.
“I know Mala.” Aston sighed as she leaned on the back of the couch in his office “you’re not interested.”
“No, I am not.” She agreed, folding her arms across her chest. “Why can’t he just leave me alone? He rejected me, hated me. Took great delight in hurting me, wanting to hurt me even more. So why am I the one being punished? And he’s allowed to have what he wants.”
She saw Aston hold out the paper to her, his list of crimes against her. She was not going to read it, and didn’t care about his punishments either. He could go to hell for all she cared, declined to take it with a simple shake of her head ‘no.’