Crael and Lorn stared at the devastation that was Starlight pack lands. Almost everything had been burned. The houses, fields, packhouse, hospital, schools, and a good part of the forest lining the land's borders. Cade, Lorn's father, was walking through the debris of the packhouse looking for anything that could be saved. Lorn heard his father exclaim, "Well I'll be damned."
Heading in his father's direction Lorn inquired, "What is it, father?" As he approached, he saw that his father was staring at what looked like an old trap door in what used to be the floor of the library. His father reached for the metal handle and pulled. The door opened, Crael had just reached them and was trying to see into the dark of the hole. Some stairs lead down into the darkened hole. Ma came running with flashlights and was almost dancing around, "It's real. You found it."
The three men turned and saw she had tear streaks on her face but was looking into that black pit like it was the most wonderous thing around. "Sweetheart, you knew about this?" Cade asked his wife. She smiled up at him and shrugged as if it was no big deal. Winding her arm through her husbands she directed Lorn and Crael, "Boys, close this up until we can explore and find out if the legends are true. Right now we have to see to our dead and wounded. Decide what we are going to do. Nightfall will be here soon and we can stay in to open."
"You are right as usual Luna, we are sitting ducks and we do not know for sure that this war is over. The others have not returned to our realm and we have not heard from the other packs." Lorn said to his mother with pride. She was always the Luna of this pack first and foremost. Lorn could not believe how much she had improved once she discovered that although her daughter had died she was not really dead to them. Most were not lucky enough to get tangled up with and reject a mate that was a goddess. Let alone have parents who were titans and relatives who were gods, angels, and whatever else existed in the other realm. Lorn followed his mother and father back to where the survivors were gathering what could be salvaged.
As the pack worked piling the ruined and destroyed possessions in one pile and the salvageable in another, Lorn noticed that his pack looked to be intact. Walking around and trying to see what his mother was speaking about a few minutes ago about their dead he didn't see any. Turning he asked his mother, "Ma, how many did we lose and where are they?"
"We lost four of our elders, they were not able to dodge the fireballs when we moved to the caves. We also lost one child, little Billy, the poor little boy tried to fight one of the demons and that thing snapped his neck. He is now with his parents in another realm and hopefully, their wolves come back someday." The entire pack howled their sorrow and hope for the pack members they lost. His mother then continued, "We lost seven angels. They are pack member as they fought to protect and defend us. They did not have to especially since they did not seem to care too much for us a first. They did give us a chance to show them that we are good and evil just like all other species. We are not perfect and they became our friends, new pack mates." The pack howled once more in remembrance of the angels that died so they could maybe continue on.
Crael stepped up to Lorn's mother and caressed her face. Cade growled low as Crael smiled, "Relax, Ma's mate. I have no desire for your woman. I simply want her to feel my thanks and devotion to her for welcoming us into your pack and treating us as such. We were horrible to you at first and she has always been gracious to us." Looking back at Ma, Crael spoke only to her,"I cannot thank you enough for your welcome every time you see us. I cannot thank you enough for the gift of your daughter although it broke your heart. I am sorry that your beautiful garden dedicated to her was destroyed." He spread his wings and wrapped them around her.
Lorn watched as his mother sighed and smiled. She leaned into his chest and reached up to hold his face between her hands, "No one is perfect. Not even angels, gods, titans, or whatever. You are most welcome sweet boy. That garden can be replanted now that I know my Lorna is still alive in a different way. Just take care of my girl when I cannot be with her." The angel promised his mother that he would.
As Crael unwrapped his wings his mother flew to his father and whispered loudly to him, "I think Crael was the other human that lost his life for something Zeus had done and Lorna is his reward."
Crael gave a loud belly laugh and shook his finger at her, "You knew all along, didn't you?"
His mother giggled, "I knew the moment you told me that story and saw you and my daughter together."
They spent the rest of the daylight hours gathering belongings and moving them to the caves. They had decided to stay in the caves until they heard from Snow Moon and Moon Touched's Alphas that they had returned. Crael asked Lorn as they sat just inside the cave entrance later that night, "Have you heard anything from Chip and Bob?"
"No, nothing but if they are still inside those tunnels and caves behind the waterfall they have no way to charge their cells like us." Lorn reminded him. "What about Lorna? Have you heard from her?"
Crael grumbled, "Nothing, that woman and I are going to have a long talk about blocks and communicating. She has blocked me since informing me they had made it to safety.
Lorn chuckled, "Good luck with that talk. Maybe there is something in the caves interfering with mind links. You know like one of their witches. Witches assigned to protect will do what is necessary whether we like it or not."
"How do you know what witches will do?" Crael wanted to know.
Lorn just told him, "Long story, maybe I will tell you someday. I will have to ask Ma's permission first." Sitting and waiting for whatever was going to happen next was excruciating. Sleep was nonexistent while they waited for word about Katia, Nathan, Selene, Lucifer, and the others. The longer they went without word the more worried they were becoming. Things had remained quiet throughout the night. Morning came and still, there was no contact from anyone.
Cade and Ma joined them handing them each a bowl of oatmeal. She smiled at Crael and said, "I was not sure if you ate like we do."Crael took the bowl and informed her that yes he could eat human food if he wished to. He then proceeded to scarf down the oatmeal. Ma was the one to break the silence, "Lorn, your brothers are returning to the packs they were receiving their Alpha training. Your father and feel that the Alphas could use their help. Especially if they were hit as bad as us."
Lorn agreed with the plan and told his parents he would make sure to say goodbye to them before they left. His father spoke next, "Son, someday you are going to have to sit down and explain to me how you have made friends from the god realm. But for now, I have heard you and Crael speaking, do you know what is going on there with your friends?"
"No, father. We have heard nothing from any of them. We have heard nothing from the two Alpha's packs that I have given our loyalties to." Holding his hand up when his father went to speak, "I promise Father when this is over, I will explain everything and what made me give our loyalties to these packs, especially the Moon Touched pack."
His father was smart and said, "This has something to do with the mate you rejected. Didn't those who followed her that day call themselves the Moon Touched pack? They had a special name for her too, remember?"
Lorn whispered, "They called her their Alpha Luna. Father, I told you some of the story already but you have no idea."
His mother jumped up and said, "What did they call her?"
Lorn repeated, "Alpha Luna, why?"
Ma was bursting with excitement, "I can't believe it. We have to go back to the door we found yesterday. It is there. I can't believe it is true. I thought it was just a fairytale. Oh my goddess, it is true." She was jumping up and down now. She was rambling now, "I know what is in that dark hole. I know it is there. The legend is true and the proof is there."
Cade and his son stared at the woman who was moving around gathering herbs, flashlights, food, drink, and blankets. They both wondered what had gotten into her and what was she talking about.
Crael just smiled at all of them.