Taking a deep breath, I ready myself to see the remains of my childhood home with Rune by my side. Three days have passed since we killed Valor and Tanya. Three days of getting to know our new Packmates and organizing the mess of a Pack that Valor and Tanya left behind. Everything from training schedules to patrolling to even food preparation had been left in the hands of Wade Kane and his Mate Nora Kane while Valor focused on trying to kill Rune, Asteria, and me. Because of this, the Pack was left in dire straights and these last two days have been nothing but torture for Rune and me. Thankfully we had the help of Gale and Asteria and I had the experience I gained from helping Golden Fang become Crescent Phoenix.
Yesterday during a small break that Rune and I took to relax and catch our breaths since we had done nothing but work on the Pack, Caspian, Asteria, and Gale took Rune and me aside, a solemn look on their faces. They had asked if there was a quiet place for us to talk not wanting anyone else to overhear what they had to tell me. Rune had taken us to his office which was somehow still intact after he left Pine Moon and had shut the door.
Nervous to hear what they had to say, I sat beside Rune clutching his hand. That’s when Caspian broke the news – my childhood house had been burnt to ashes. At first, I didn’t believe them, but Asteria called in Sarah who sadly retold me how after Rune and Caspian left, Tanya ordered my childhood home to be burned.
Many of the wolves who still respected me and my family tried to stop her, tried put the fire out, but Tanya had had the men that supported Valor pour gasoline onto the house. The fire burned for three days from what Sarah remembered until a storm passed through and the rain finally put it out. Now, sitting in a rental truck, I face the forest trees not sure if I can handle the sight of where my house used to stand.
“Brynlee?” Rune calls out softly, taking my hand in his.
“We don’t have to do this if you aren’t ready. We can always stay in the Pack House for now until you are ready to see the damages and rebuild your home.” He whispers, his scent of mint and vanilla calming my nerves.
“I need to see what she did.” I whimper out, closing my eyes and feeling tears fall down my cheeks. Rune says nothing and I am grateful for that. After a long moment of silence, I push the door open and climb out of my truck. Rune follows suit, quickly rushing to my side. I take a deep breath, breathing in the scent of ash that still lingers in the air, and frown. I am glad Asteria packed away the pictures the day we were banished. If she hadn’t, I would have lost every physical reminder of my parents because of Tanya’s hatred of me.
Rune follows me as I move towards the spot my childhood home once stood. Everything but the basement and foundation had been burned down. The gardens my mother loved so much had been turned over and destroyed with none of that plants I left behind remaining. Thankfully the lilac bush is still firmly planted in Crescent Phoenix, Asteria having promised me that it will remain there safe and sound until I am ready to have it brought here.
“She really did burn it all down.” Rune mutters out in shock, his words echoing in my mind.
“What should we do?” I ask, tears falling freely from my eyes as I stare forlornly at the cement basement.
“Whatever you want. Now that his parents are dead, Caspian is demolishing his childhood home to build something new for him and Odette.” Rune answers, stepping behind me and pulling me back until his chest is flushed against my back.
“He said you can have your home back to rebuild a place just for us.” He adds, his chin resting on my shoulder as he breathes in my scent. I smile softly, wiping away the tears that continue to fall. I always wanted a small cottage of my own. Some place small and easy to clean. Now I miss the large house I grew up in. The scent of lilac floating in through the window and the purple walls of my room.
“I want a big family.” I state, leaning into Rune’s embrace as I close my eyes and picture my childhood house in my mind.
“I want a place filled with pups laughing and the warmth of a fireplace in winter. I don’t want a small cottage anymore.” I add, my voice breaking. Sobs escape my lips and Rune turns me so that I am no longer looking at the charred remains of my home. I clutch his sweater, my body shaking as I cry.
I thought killing Tanya would mean I wouldn’t lose anything else to her. In the end, she took the one thing from me that I thought would never be taken away – my home.
“I can draw up plans for a new home if you’d like.” Rune coos out, slowly running fingers through my hair. I nod, unable to talk through my sobs as the wind blows around Rune and I. Rune scoops me into his arms and carries me away from my childhood home. I cling to him, feeling the love and support he sends my way through our Mate Bond. It comforts me, and helps me to breathe through the tears until my sobs are just small whimpers.
“Will you be okay long enough for me to drive us to the Pack House?” Rune asks quietly, drawing circles on my arm.
“I should be.” I mutter out. Rune takes a deep breath and presses a kiss to my temple before settling me onto the passenger seat. He is quick to buckle my seat before he drives us back towards the Pack House and away from the burnt remains of what once was my childhood home.
∭
Sitting in Rune’s office with a mug of hot apple cider in hand, I quietly watch out the window as wolves run in and out of the building. Asteria had been waiting for Rune and I after visiting what remains of my childhood home and instantly pulled me into her embrace, her rose perfume helping to calm me further. She had walked with me to Rune’s office while Rune went to gather food for us.
With her motherly love, I curled onto the couch wrapped in her arms, and sat in silence while we waited for my Mate. Asteria told me to grieve the loss of the home I grew up in. Told me to take today to rest and that she and Rune would deal with Alastor. In the end, Asteria lulled me to sleep by humming a lullaby and running her fingers through my hair.
I woke up ten minutes ago with a note from Rune telling me to relax and stay in his office if I needed to just hide away from everyone with a plate of snacks and hot apple cider in a thermos waiting for me in case I was hungry, snacks that I left on the table and the thermos in my hands with little cider remaining inside as I sit by the window, watching the world outside.
“I see you’re awake now.” Turning to the now open door, I find Rune walking towards me with a clipboard in one hand and a basket in the other. With a quick sniff, I smell the unmistakable scent of pasta and garlic bread coming from the basket, making my stomach growl.
“I brought dinner.” He says sheepishly, setting the basket down on the coffee table.
“Thank you.” I mumble out, a smile on my lips as I return to sit on the couch.
“Don’t thank me. As your Mate, it is my job to take care of you when you aren’t feeling good.” He chuckles out, placing the clipboard onto the coffee table before digging through the basket. He quickly pulls out a bowl filled with spaghetti and meatballs, warning me to be careful as it is hot. Next, he pulls out a plate with garlic bread, placing it on the cushion beside me before sitting on top of the coffee table.
I eat in silence under his watchful gaze, noticing the relief in his eyes grow each time I take a bite of the pasta and garlic bread. Crying had taken so much out of me that I didn’t realize I was ravenous until the large bowl of past was gone and the dishes returned to the basket.
“Feeling better?” Rune asks, moving from sitting on the coffee table to the cushion beside me. I shift closer to him, snuggling into his side as I look curiously at the clipboard in his hand, the papers facing away from me.
“I am.” I answer, hearing Rune sigh out.
“Good.” He mutters, placing a kiss on top of my head.
“What’s with the clipboard?” I ask playing with the string of his sweater.
“Why don’t you look and see.” Rune says instead of answering, moving his hand so that the clipboard is facing me. I study the pages for a moment, my eyes tearing up once more as I see the large front porch and bay windows. He had drawn us a new home, the home that he had seen in his visions. I smile, taking the clipboard to tentatively flip through the pages.
“When can we start building it?” I ask, feeling Rune wipe away tears that have fallen once again.
“Soon. Caspian and Tristan are overseeing the cleanup of the site first. In a week we can begin building our home for our large family.” He answers.
“Alastor wants to have a meeting tomorrow if you are up for it.” Changing the topic, Rune takes the clipboard and places it on the side table beside him. Taken aback, I ask what this meeting is about and Rune grins down at me.
“It's about Jonnah Cross and Blood Claws”