The Wolf Wars - Valentine's Special

Ellie

We shift back as we reach the edge of the territory border. Nix has a contented aura that I’ve not felt since Seth marked me and we mated for the first time.

I let her have full control while she ran with Seth’s wolf. They hadn’t really bonded as mates, so this was the perfect opportunity. She has been desperate to be marked by Seth’s wolf.

I didn’t even know that was something that our wolves did. I’ve learned more about my wolf since Seth took me as his mate.

More than I ever learned in school or while I was up in the mountains with my grandfather. Seth walks over to a hollow tree stump and pulls out some clothes.

He smirks when I looked surprised. I didn’t doubt he had everything planned, even down to where we would shift back.

The last thing he wants is for the king and queen to walk into Crescent Moon territory buck naked.

I guess of the two of us, he has always been the sensible one; or it’s more likely he didn’t want anyone to see his mate naked.

It would make no sense for us to walk into the territory still in our wolf forms. It would alert my dad’s warriors, and that would cause chaos.

The warriors are able to scent who we are. In fact, all wolves can, but the last thing we need is to be attacked because they think we’re a security threat.

Arvid would have kittens if he thought his precious king and queen were in any danger. I don the clothes that Seth gives me, and we head toward the border. If we come across any warriors, we can ask them not to alert my dad. I want this to be a surprise, after all.

As we walk further into the lands of the Crescent Moon, I freeze.

I haven’t been back here since Zagan abducted me ten years ago.

All the memories of that night come flooding back as I stare at a patch of ground.

He had thrown me there and bound my wrists before injecting me with something.

My heart begins to beat faster at the memory, and tears prick the back of my eyes. I feel Seth’s arms wrap around me as he pulls me into his chest. He must feel what I am feeling. It’s been like that ever since he marked me, and I’m grateful.

“I…I didn’t think it would feel like this, coming back here,” I mumble.

He presses a soft kiss to my neck.

He is my rock. He has been for the last ten years.

“You’ve got this, Ellie,” he whispers.

I blow out a steadying breath and nod.

“Come on, let’s go. I want to show you the house.” Seth grabs my hand, and we walk through the woods like two young lovers. I guess in a way we are…just royal ones.

It isn’t long before I spot the house. The place where, for just a little while, I was happy.

It was probably the only time in my childhood. I was truly happy, even if it was only for a few days.

I pull Seth toward the house.

I frown slightly when I see the front door is ajar, but perhaps that’s normal now. There is little risk of attack these days.

Letting go of Seth’s hand, I run to the front door and push it open.

“Dad?” I call out.

When I get no reply, I step inside.

“Dad!” I call again.

I hear a gasp, but it isn’t my dad. It’s the voice of a female.

I stare at the kitchen door. Tears once again prick my eyes.

“Millie? Millie!” I squeal. I run toward the elderly omega. She was almost like a mother to me.

I wrap my arms around her as she wraps hers around me.

“Little Ellie,” she cries, tears trickling down her cheeks.

She looks so small now. I only ever thought of her as being big and comforting. Now, for some reason, I’m the one providing the comfort.

We hug for what seems like forever until I hear Seth clear his throat.

“And who might this be?” he questions, humor in his voice.

I break away from Millie and turn to face him with a huge grin on my face.

“This is Millie, Seth. She was like a mom to me. She used to make me chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast.”

Millie wipes a tear from her cheek and smiles.

“I can’t believe you remembered.”

I drag Seth forward, although it doesn’t take much effort. If he truly didn’t want me to, I wouldn’t be able to.

“This is Seth, my mate,” I smirk, “or to give him his full title, King Seth.”

Millie gasps again, and suddenly she’s bowing.

I quickly shake my head as I grab her hand.

“No, Millie. We don’t want that. We’re just normal people who happened to become king and queen. No one bows to me or Seth.

“Especially not you. You hold a special place in my heart,” I add.

Seth smiles and nods in agreement, but then he frowns.

“What’s with all the dust covers?” he asks. I have to admit I am so caught up in the moment that I didn’t notice them when I first came inside.

Now that Seth mentions it, I suddenly realize that all the furniture is covered in white sheets.

I look over at Millie.

“What’s going on? Where’s my dad?”

Millie sighs sadly.

“He hasn’t lived here since you were taken, Ellie. I just come in once a week to clean the cobwebs and dust away.”

I shake my head. I don’t understand. This is a lovely home. Why would he just desert it?

“I wanted to show Seth the house. Show him where I was happy. Let him see my old room.”

Seth smiles.

“You can still show me, then we’ll go and find your dad. You can ask him why he didn’t move back in when he returned.”

I nod and take Seth’s hand, ready to lead him to my old room.

“Um, Ellie?” Millie calls out nervously.

I stop and turn to face her.

She pulls a key out of her pocket.

“You’ll need this…and…well…” She hesitates.

“Millie? What’s the matter?” I question, a little confused.

She looks at me, her eyes glazed with tears.

“He wouldn’t allow anyone to touch it. Not after you were taken. He allowed me in there to clean, but he just wanted it kept the same, so that when you came back…”

My breath hitches in my throat, and I cover my mouth with my hand to stop a sob from escaping.

“He never stopped looking, you know,” Millie adds. “Not until he disappeared. Then Alpha Joel told everyone that he’d left to cross the human border to find you.

“Then, when we couldn’t feel Alpha Gabriel’s wolf anymore, Joel said that the humans had killed him. We had no idea…”

Her voice trails off.

Seth takes the key from Millie, then he wraps an arm around my shoulder.

“Let’s take a look, shall we?” he whispers gently.

I nod and lead him toward the room that used to be mine.