"Why did you run, my love?" Roo asked as he cupped her face. "I was so worried."
"I had to," Helena confessed. "The attacks stopped after I left, didn’t it?"
Roo took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
"It did, but we could have handled it even if they kept attacking," Roo said as he pulled her close, planting a kiss on the top of her head. "We’re not a small pack, my love, we’re powerful, we can handle them."
"I needed to protect them, Roo," Helena whispered.
"And you did," he said as he kept her in his arms. "But Helena, next ti, please include in your plans. Talk to , that’s what mates do, they trust each other."
"You would have tried to stop ," Helena said.
"I would have, but if you really had to go I would have found a way to keep you safe," Roo told her. "There is nothing in this world that would stop from being there with you, from protecting you."
Helena nodded and closed her eyes.
Roo watched as she took deep breaths, worried that she might stop and vanish again.
Soone cleared their throat behind them, drawing Roo’s attention.
Roo let out a low growl, warning whoever it was to stay away. He’d just gotten his mate back into his arms, he wasn’t in a rush to let go yet.
Helena giggled and shook her head. She tried to pull away, but Roo held her tight.
"I have to introduce you to so people," Helena whispered.
Roo sighed, but eventually, he let her go while keeping one hand in his.
The older man from earlier approached them with a wide smile. Based on what he’d heard Roo assud he was her Grandfather, the Grand Warlock.
"Roo, you’ve t him before when we were kids," Helena said. "This is my Grandpa, Theodore Sage."
"My, my, little Roo has truly grown up," Theodore said with a wide smile. "Don’t worry, your mories should slowly co back."
"Co back?" Roo asked, tilting his head to the side.
"When Grandpa left he took away our mories of him," Helena explained.
"Where did they go?" Roo asked Helena.
Realizing his mistake he quickly turned to the Grand Warlock and asked him instead.
"Where did you go?" he asked.
"I brought my people to our ancestral lands," Theodore answered him calmly. "My son was betrayed and that led not only to his death but the death of many of yours and Helena’s pack including Cynthia."
"My mom?" Roo asked, his voice trembling. "You knew Mom?"
"Of course he did," Alyssa said, joining them.
Without letting go of Helena’s hand, Roo pulled her into an embrace.
"I was worried when I didn’t hear back," Roo confessed.
"I didn’t know what to tell you," Alyssa sighed. "There are so things that your mate should be the one to tell you and not ."
Roo turned to his mate who couldn’t seem to look him in the eyes.
"Love, what is mom saying?" Roo asked.
"Later," Helena said as she rested her head on Roo’s chest. "You’ll see for yourself later."
Roo nodded as he turned his attention back to the Grand Warlock.
"You knew my mom?" he asked.
"She was a brave Luna," Theodore said with a nod. "You and your sister are a testant to her."
Roo nodded as he felt the tears forming in his eyes.
He brushed them away, making Helena smile.
"I’m glad you’ve managed to return," Roo said, smiling at the Grand Warlock.
"It’s good to be back," Theodore answered with a nod. "I’m finally ho with my family. Although, Alpha I do have a request."
"I’m not sure what I can do for a Grand Warlock, but sure, ask and I will do my best to fulfill it," Roo promised.
"The old mansion right outside your pack’s border, do you know of it?" Theodore asked with a warm smile on his lips as he looked out into the distance as if trying to recall a mory.
"I do," Roo said with a nod as images of him and Helena running around it’s pristine halls flashed through his mind.
Roo looked at the Grand Warlock, confused.
"What is it, Ro?" Helena asked her mate as she placed a hand on his cheek and made him look at her.
"I saw mories," Roo said. "mories of us in that mansion, but Dad always told it was cursed. That Witches and Warlocks cursed that mansion and the land around it. That’s why no one was allowed near and that’s why it wasn’t part of our territory."
"It’s a story your father and I agreed upon, to keep everyone away," Alyssa confessed.
"It’s my Grandfather’s ho," Helena explained. "It’s the reason our fathers were friends because the Grand Warlock’s ho sits right on the border of the Blackmoon Pack’s territory."
"It’s also a place you and Helena frequented growing up," Theodore added.
"Why don’t I rember this?" Roo asked as he looked at the people around him.
"It was taken to protect Helena," Alyssa explained.
"You want your ho and territory back?" Roo asked.
"The Coven has no territory, but yes, I’d like to go ho," Theodore confird.
"Then yes, you may," Roo nodded. "It’s your ho, you deserve to have it back."
"Thank you," Theodore told Roo.
The two n looked at each other and smiled knowing just how important a ho was.
"Okay, let’s go back to my place," Helena said as she tugged on Roo’s hand. "There’s sothing I want to show you."
"Are you sure?" Roo asked as they began to walk. "Isn’t it rude to leave? I haven’t even said hi to the Sunfire Alphas."
"They’ll understand," Helena told Roo as she pulled away. "Trust , they know—"
Suddenly there was a large explosion and just as Roo tried to pull Helena to safety she ran towards the explosion, vanishing into the thick cloud of dust.
"Helena!" Roo scread as he charged into the fray after her, praying to the Goddess that everyone was safe.
While Roo had prepared for a fight, he hadn’t expected it to happen this way.
He thought he’d have to fight soone like Alphonse to get Helena back, or maybe fight to win her heart back after she’d left, but he didn’t expect sothing that resembled a war.
As he searched the smoke-filled section of the packhouse he spotted Alyssa and Theodore.
Theodore was pushing away pieces of masonry that was falling off of the roof, protecting the wolves, witches, and warlocks nearby. While Alyssa fought off what seed to be several wolves.
Roo made a move to help, but his stepmother waved him off.
"We got this," she called out as a warlock and a wolf ca to Alyssa’s aid, taking down one of the attackers. "There are more than enough of us, go find Helena."
Roo gave her a quick nod before running in the direction he could sense his mate.
The cloud of dust thickened as he made his way through the maze of debris and dead bodies. He could see that so of them were finely dressed, probably guests at the ball, while others were dressed for battle.
Roo’s attention was drawn to the sounds of growling and a fight, he quickly headed in that direction.
As he neared he saw three wolves circling one that was injured.
He could tell that the defending wolf was soone on their side. Roo quickly shifted, taking one wolf out while the other one was killed by the injured wolf.
Roo didn’t hesitate as he knocked out the third wolf.
Both he and the injured wolf shifted and to Roo’s surprise, it was one of the Sunfire Alphas.
"We haven’t exactly been introduced properly," the Alpha said as he offered his hand which dripped of blood from the injury on his arm. "Victor Sunstrike, in the odd sche of things I’m your mate’s cousin. Well, stepcousin."
"What’s your involvent with Rae?" Roo asked as he glared at the Alpha.
"I’m not involved with your sister," Victor chuckled. "I was with her because we were accompanying Helena."
"Why would Helena be in the hospital?" Roo growled.
"It’s a conversation you should have with your mate, who by the way ran that way," Victor pointed toward a still-in-tact hallway that led out of the main ballroom.
Most of the lights no longer worked since the collapse must have damaged so cables.
"Let’s get to her, she might need help," Roo said as he began to sprint in the direction of the hall.
Just as they were about to approach Roo fell to the ground, tackled by an unknown assailant.
"Roo!" Victor shouted as Roo fought off his attacker.
Based on the growling and the sound of breaking bones and tearing flesh, Roo could tell that Victor had his hands full.
The wolf that had tackled Roo to the ground was a powerful one, probably a ranked wolf since it didn’t carry the stench of a rogue.
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