A/N: All cannon characters and settings belong to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs. The rest comes solely from my imagination. This is written merely for my own pleasure and the pleasure of others. Also, I tend to get long-winded, so some of my chapters may be long, no, not may be, will be. You have been warned. Now, without further ado, on with the story!
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Her mother always said there was no comparison to a mother's love. A mother would give anything, do anything, to keep her child safe and happy. Lila didn't understand it growing up. She was born and raised in Belfast, Ireland and sometimes she missed her homeland intensely. When she went to her mother, at the end of her Sixth Year, having completed all of her Leaving Certificate Examinations, and told her she wanted to apply for the foreign exchange program that would put her in one of the colleges in the U.S., she'd always wanted to go to the U.S., for a visit, and this would make that happen, she'd only just begun to understand what her mother meant. Aislinn O'Connell hugged her daughter tightly and murmured "Follow your heart wherever it leads you, even if it's to the dark side of the moon, A stor." There were tears in her mother's eyes and it was only after she was accepted into the program and had her placement set that Lila learned her mother was dying. Late stage four brain cancer. Treatments would prolong her life, for a time, but it was a death sentence. She'd passed away six months after Lila left home, leaving Lila with no home to go back to.
Watching her daughter sleep Lila finally knew exactly what her mother had meant. At four years old Kami had her mother wrapped around her little finger. She was Lila's whole world and had been since before she was born. Lila knew she needed to find some stability for them. Constantly moving from one town to the next, staying no longer than a few months in any one place, was no way to live and in less than a year Kami would have to start school.
Lila sighed softly. There were things about her life that she kept from her little girl, because she was too young to understand them. Like the reason why they moved around so much. Lila was a werewolf. How do you tell a four year old child that you're a monster and have her not be terrified? She wasn't always a werewolf, of course. Kami wouldn't exist if that were the case. She and Kami's father, Robert Ambrose, were attacked when Kami was six months old. She survived but Robert didn't. To this day she had no idea if her pack Alpha had known the wolf who attacked them, or if it was just a rogue passing through. She'd met Robert at college and once they both graduated they settled in a suburb of Bangor, Maine and had Kami in the small apartment they rented. They'd waited until they felt comfortable leaving Kami with a sitter and went for a hike where Robert planned to propose. He didn't get the chance. Their world was ripped apart by the attack, they were both rushed to the hospital because some campers heard Lila's ear-piercing screams, and when she was told he didn't make it she was numb. It wasn't until a stranger came into her room, he wasn't part of the hospital staff, that she understood why she was healing faster than she should have been. She was taken into the pack, but it wasn't a healthy pack. There was a lot of tension between pack members, and when Kami was two, Lila had taken her with her to talk with the Alpha about some issues she'd been having with one of the males, when a fight broke out between two other pack members. The fighting got out of hand and Kami was almost injured. Lila couldn't handle it, she wouldn't let her daughter be in danger again, and so she packed what she could fit into the trunk of her car and fled Maine. They'd been on the move ever since.
Today they were in a rundown motel on the outskirts of the Tri-Cities, situated between Richland and Kennewick, just on the edge of what she knew was the territory for a local werewolf pack. Usually, if she was in an area where there was a werewolf pack, she didn't stay long, a few days at most. But money was getting really low and she was going to have to find some temporary work she could do while keeping Kami close. If she was lucky they wouldn't be discovered. See, female werewolves weren't allowed to be lone wolves. The Marrok, the Alpha of all Alphas, ruler of all the werewolves in North America, decreed females too precious to allow them to go it on their own, because they were so rare. The magic that made them what they were required such damage that few women were strong enough to survive the trauma. Lila was one of the lucky ones. And she did consider herself lucky because otherwise her angel would have been orphaned.
Thinking about the local pack Lila closed her eyes. She was still tied to the pack in Maine, if she focused she could feel the bonds, they were frayed, strained, but still there. She was so tired of running, so tired of being alone and having no one to depend on, no one to turn to in times of need, but how was she supposed to trust that her daughter, her entire world, would be safe if she went to the local Alpha seeking refuge? She knew nothing about the pack or it's Alpha. For all she knew every pack was as dysfunctional as the one she'd left in Maine.
There was a knock at the door and Lila went to answer it. She knew Kami would sleep for a while yet. What made things worse for Lila was that sometimes, like now, she had to do things she never in a million years would have expected she'd do. Things that left her filled with shame. But, as her mother once said, there is nothing a mother wouldn't do to provide for her child. The man at the door wasn't extremely attractive, but he was clean. He glanced at the sleeping child and Lila moved towards the other bed. "She'll sleep long enough," she said quietly. The man nodded and moved to join her. She removed the jeans and shirt she'd been wearing and that was all the urging he needed. He didn't care about the kid, the woman on the bed was hot and it was kinky as hell having the kid there anyway. Lila stared at the ceiling while he did his thing and when he finished and the condom was discarded, he dropped the cash on the bed and let himself out. Lila curled on her side and cried quietly. Maybe she needed to swallow her fear and try to find out who the local Alpha was. She didn't want to do this anymore, she couldn't, not and be able to look herself in the mirror.
An hour later, when Kami awoke from her nap, Lila was showered and dressed to go out. Lila brushed her daughter's hair to smooth it and helped her with her little jacket so they could go get lunch. With the money she'd made earlier she had enough to get them through the week but then she would have to make a decision. If she'd been there long enough to trust someone with watching Kami, she could go to a temp agency for a few days, but she wouldn't leave her little girl with just anyone. Sure, she could do what she'd done that day, screw men for money, but it made her feel dirty and it was only a last resort option.
Once outside in the sunshine she tried to put her troubled thoughts aside. "Want to walk, mo stoirin?" she asked and laughed softly at the way Kami bounced at the idea.
"Yes!" Kami said and giggled.
"Alright, come on then. Let's go to IHOP, I know you love their french fries." The restaurant was ten minutes away and if Kami got tired Lila would just carry her.
IHOP was one of Warren's favorite restaurants. The food was good, there was plenty of it, and it didn't cost a fortune. It was also close enough to work that he could drive over for lunch whenever he was in the mood to. He'd stopped in for lunch and was sitting at the counter, forgoing a booth or table since it was just him, when the door opened and a young woman walked in holding a child. The woman's hair was a deep, dark red and a pair of brown eyes glanced around the restaurant warily. That was interesting. The child had her mother's eyes and a paler version of her red hair. Warren started to dismiss them, it wasn't his business why the woman seemed tense, oh, who was he kidding, he wouldn't be able to leave without making sure everything was okay, when the woman slipped passed him and he caught her scent. His nostrils flared and he shifted in his seat to watch her from the corner of his eye as she was led to a table. He studied her for a moment. Where was her mate? Female werewolves weren't allowed to be lone wolves and he hadn't heard about any mated couples coming to the area. It was customary, even if just visiting, for wolves to contact the local Alpha so there were no issues and Adam would have told everyone about the visiting werewolves. He waited for someone else to come in but after five minutes he realized the woman was alone. Something wasn't right here. He noticed her counting her money, a small frown on her face, while she simultaneously studied the menu, and waved the waitress down. "Let the little lady there know her bill is covered and to go ahead and get whatever she wants," he said and handed the waitress a fifty. "Keep the change for a tip, darlin'," he added. He finished his lunch and slipped out of the restaurant before the waitress could point him out. He didn't leave though. He sat in his truck to wait because he intended on talking with the woman when she was done.
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Lila was looking at the menu when the waitress stopped at their table. "Ma'am? A Good Samaritan asked me to inform you that your bill has been taken care of and to get you and the little girl whatever you want."
Lila blinked at the waitress. "I'm sorry, did you say the bill has already been paid for? By who?" she asked with a frown.
"The gentleman..." The waitress started to point him out but he was gone. "He was sitting there just a minute ago, but I guess he left. All I know is he gave me a fifty and said to tell you to get what you wanted."
Lila wasn't sure what to do. Who would do that and why? No one does anything just out of the kindness of their heart. People just didn't do that kind of thing.
"Mommy? Can I have chocolate milk?" Kami asked. It was her favorite but she didn't get to have it often.
Lila looked at her daughter and the request made the decision for her. "Of course you can mo stoirin," she replied then put in an order that would give them enough to take back to the motel with them for dinner later, and breakfast for Kami in the morning. She was nervous, wondering what the catch was going to be, because there was going to be one she was sure, but she tried to push the worry to the back of her mind and enjoy their lunch. She had a feeling whoever the 'Good Samaritan' was he would be waiting outside for them. When they ate what they could Lila got a couple of boxes and a bag to carry them in, took Kami to the bathroom to use it, and then they headed out the door.
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Warren was watching the door from where he sat in the truck and when they came out he got out and approached them. "Excuse me, Miss," he said. "Easy darlin', I don't mean you or the little one any harm," he added when she tensed at his approach. She was a jumpy little thing.
Something told Lila this was the man who'd left the money. How had she known he'd be waiting? Instinct. "You're the one who gave the waitress the money for our meal," she said, head tipping a little to watch him. As soon as he was close enough for her to catch his scent she froze. "What do you want?" she asked and there was a hint of a growl in her voice.
"Mommy? What's wrong?" Kami turned those deep brown eyes to her mother before she looked at the man who was making her so upset. He didn't seem like a bad man to her but mommy was upset, that meant he was bad. She scooted behind her mother and whimpered.
At the whimper Lila turned and picked her up. "Shh, it's okay mo stoirin," she murmured and rubbed her back. "I ask you again, what do you want?" she said to the man.
"Just to help you," Warren said. He smiled at the little girl to try and help with the tension he'd caused. "I'm Warren Smith," he said, introducing himself. "Where's your mate, darlin'? Or your pack?" he asked.
"I don't have one," she said and since she wasn't lying, not entirely, because she didn't have a mate, she hoped he didn't realize it was only a half truth. "I don't want any trouble. We're just passing through, we'll leave right away," she added and shifted as if she was ready to bolt any second.
"You don't need to leave," Warren said gently. "But it's not exactly safe for you and the little one to be on your own, either, especially in this area," he added. There were things in the Tri-Cities, like the local seethe, that would take full advantage of an unaffiliated werewolf. He watched her face. "Something tells me you've been running for a while. Let us help you."
Lila wanted to just ignore him, just turn and walk away, but she didn't. "I can't discuss this right now," she finally said. She knew Kami was confused by the conversation and she didn't want to go further into it while Kami was awake.
"Alright," Warren replied. "I'll tell you what, I'll give you a number where you can reach me if you want to discuss it later. I know you're scared for that little girl of yours, I can practically feel it, but there's safety here." Warren got a piece of paper from the truck and wrote his cellphone number on it before he handed it to her. Then he left. That was all he could do. The rest was up to her. Sure he could have followed her, but that might make her feel threatened, so he would let her make the choice to reach out to them.
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Lila got back to the motel and got Kami distracted with cartoons. She didn't want to explain the odd conversation with her daughter. She stared at the number then set it on the little table beside her phone and left it there. For now.
Hours later, the sun had long set, Kami was sound asleep, and Lila sat there staring at her phone. Her hand shook when she picked it up and dialed the number she'd been given. She wasn't sure why she trusted this Warren Smith, she wasn't sure why she believed he just wanted to help and that they would be safe there, but there was something in the way he'd spoken to her... Well, it didn't matter why, she just did.
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Warren headed right to Adam's as soon as he was off work. "Adam, something real interesting happened today. Stopped for lunch and ran across a female werewolf, with a little girl. Traveling alone. No mate, not sure about a pack, but if she has one she's not been with them in quite a while. I gave her my number, I don't know why but I have a feeling she'll be calling."
Mercy overheard the conversation and stepped into Adam's office, where they were talking. "That sounds a little sketchy," she said. "Her being on her own I mean."
Warren nodded. "She was awful worried I'd hurt her little girl, I think whatever has her running has to do with the child." His phone rang and he glanced at it. The number was unfamiliar but local. "Hello?"
Lila swallowed her fear when he answered on the second ring. She almost hung up but forced herself to stay on the line instead. "Is this Warren Smith?" she asked. "My name's Lila O'Connell, we met outside of IHOP, earlier, but I forgot to tell you my name," she added quickly so he didn't hang up on her.
"This sure is. It's alright, you were a bit shaken up earlier. I'm really glad you called Miss Lila," Warren replied. "Like I said earlier. I want to help you. So does my Alpha. We're werewolves, we need a pack to be happy and healthy."
Lila hugged herself. She'd known, as soon as she picked up the phone, that she wasn't going to run anymore but it was still hard to agree. The urge to flee was still there, it had become her first response to potential danger. "Is there... any way you could come to the motel for us to finish this? I feel awkward talking about this over the phone."
Warren looked at Adam who nodded. "Sure thing, Miss Lila. You should know, I'm the Columbia Basin Pack's third and I'll be coming with our Alpha and his mate. I don't want you to be startled or feel threatened when we get there."
"Okay. Knock quietly, please. Kami, my daughter, is sleeping," she said softly. She wasn't at the top of the dominance spectrum, she was more in the middle even if by being unmated she was technically at the bottom of a pack, and part of her was a little nervous about meeting the Alpha. But she was so tired of running, so tired of never having anyone to lean on for help. And her daughter deserved better. She gave Warren the name of her motel and her room number and then waited for them to arrive.
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Lila was pacing the floor by the time she heard the soft knock. She moved to the door and gripped the handle. "Who is it?" she asked quietly. Caution was best, since she wasn't sure who was on the other side.
"It's Warren."
Her shoulders loosened, tension she hadn't realized she felt easing from her, and she opened the door. Her eyes immediately went to the man at Warren's side. She met his gaze briefly then looked down. "Come in," she said and stepped back. "But speak softly, please. I don't want to wake Kami."
Mercy stepped in behind Adam and smiled. "Hi, I'm Mercy Hauptman."
"Lila O'Connell," Lila replied and frowned at the woman's scent. "What are ye?" she asked without thinking. Her Irish brogue was thicker when she was startled, like now. Then she blushed with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so rude."
Mercy waved the apology away. "It's okay, I get that a lot. I'm a coyote shifter but unlike you guys who get nifty things like being hard to kill, all I get is speed."
Adam moved to them and slipped his arm around Mercy before he looked at Lila. "I'm Adam Hauptman, Alpha of the Columbia Basin Pack," he said. "When Warren told us about your situation, albeit we only know a tiny bit of it, I knew we needed to meet."
"Please, sit," Lila said and sat on the foot of the bed where her daughter slept. That left the other bed and the two chairs at the little table for the others to occupy.
Adam picked up one of the chairs and moved it closer to her while Warren sat on the other one and Mercy perched on the edge of the other bed. "Warren said he asked where your mate or pack were and you told him you didn't have one. I assume you were referring to a mate and not a pack. Not having a pack, we know, is not an option for you because female werewolves are not allowed to be lone wolves. Even if you traveled here from Ireland you would have had to join a pack, those are the Marrok's rules. What happened that made you run from your pack, Lila?" he asked gently.
Lila looked down at her hands then back up at him. "I came here from Belfast when I was eighteen, on an exchange student program. I requested permanent alien status two years in because I wanted to stay. My junior year I met Kami's father, Robert. We moved in together after graduation, had Kami, and when she was six months old he and I were both attacked. We'd gotten a sitter so we could have a day out. We both loved the outdoors and went hiking near a campground. That was when it happened. I started screaming and some campers came running. Maybe that's why I survived and Robert didn't. The rogue didn't get to do as much damage to me as it did him. It fled when someone started shooting at it. I remember hearing the gunshots and then everything went dark. It wasn't until I awoke in the hospital with a stranger watching over me that I found out Robert died in the attack. And that I was no longer human. We were living just outside of Bangor, Maine and I joined the pack there so that I could learn control and not be a danger to Kami. I was having problems with one of the males and I'd gone to talk to our Alpha about it... the pack wasn't, isn't, very healthy. Its like a big, dysfunctional family. There were a couple of others at the house and because I was on the way to work, I had Kami with me because I was going to drop her off at the sitter, and a fight broke out. She was almost hurt and I.. I panicked. I packed up everything I could fit in the car and I fled. I couldn't put her in danger again, and I knew in that moment that nothing I said would change anything. The Alpha wouldn't put a stop to the harassment I was getting. I've been on the move ever since. I don't stay anywhere for too long, a few months at the most, and only a day or two if I realize there is a pack in the area."
Adam listened to her and had to fight to keep his anger in check over the child almost being hurt. "So why didn't you run after talking to Warren? Why stay and call him when you could have easily disappeared?"
Lila shifted her gaze to her daughter. Watching Kami sleep, she knew she had to be completely honest, with herself as well as with Adam. "Because I'm tired of running. I'm tired of being alone, never knowing if something I do is going to put Kami at risk. And Kami deserves some stability in her life. I won't lie, the thought of being in a pack terrifies me because it would kill me if something ever happened to her, but I have to admit that I can't do this alone anymore." She shuddered and looked down so her face was hidden by her hair. "Not if I want to be able to look myself in the mirror," she said softly. She knew the room still held the faint odor of sex and she wasn't stupid, they would figure out what she meant.
Mercy frowned a little. "What do you..?" Then it registered and there was a look of soft horror on her face. "Oh, god, you poor thing," she said.
"We can give you and your daughter that. I understand your fear, after what you've been through, but you are both safe here, Lila," Adam told her. "We have a guest suite at our home, it's pack central so there is always someone around." He leaned forward and put the sincerity he felt in his voice. "I'd like you and your daughter to move in there until you find a job and are stable enough to rent a place of your own."
Lila wanted to say no, she really did, because of the fear of putting Kami in danger, especially since he said the house was pack central. But there was an air of calm about Adam as he spoke that confused her. "I don't know," she finally said.
"I understand your hesitation, Lila. You fear for your daughter's safety. I am a parent myself. My daughter Jesse is almost sixteen. She would be the first to tell you that growing up with a pack of werewolves looking out for you can be both very comforting and very frustrating. Comforting because of the protectiveness of the pack and frustrating for the same reason. Your little one will never come to harm by anyone in this pack."
Lila heard the truth in his words. If she'd heard anything that sounded like a lie, or even hinted at a lie, she would have refused. "Okay," she agreed. She moved to the dresser and packed the clothes she'd put in there the night they'd arrived in the area. There wasn't a lot to pack and soon the two large suitcases were ready to be carried out to the car.
"Let me get those for you," Warren said and carried them outside.
"The pack bonds were never cut, from the pack I was in back in Maine," Lila said after a moment.
"Don't worry, we'll get that taken care of," Adam replied. He wondered why her old pack hadn't tried to track her down, or at least called the Marrok about her. If they'd made that call every pack in the country would have been told to keep an eye out for her. He needed to give Bran a call once Lila and her daughter were settled into the guest suite.
Lila did a final sweep of the room, to make sure she didn't forget anything, then went to the bed. She hated waking Kami once she was asleep but she'd be able to go back to sleep soon. She picked her up, carefully, trying to disturb her as little as possible, and carried her out to the car. It was an old Honda Civic, a little worse for wear, but it still ran decently.
"Looks like you've got an oil leak, Lila," Mercy said. "We'll get your car to the garage tomorrow and I'll see if I can find it and fix it," she added. "I'm a mechanic," she said at the look she got.
"Oh, that's... you don't see a lot of female mechanics, that's cool," Lila replied as she opened the car door to put Kami in.
"Mommy?" Kami opened her eyes and rubbed them. Being carried to the car woke her up but she was still a very sleepy little girl.
"It's okay, mo stoirin, these are friends. We're going to be staying with them for a little bit," Lila said and kissed her forehead. "You can go back to sleep."
Kami spotted Warren. "You're the nice man from IHOP," she said as her mother got her strapped into her booster seat.
"I am. You get some rest now, little one," Warren replied.
Lila closed the door and chewed worriedly on her lip for a moment. "I need to go turn in the key and check out."
Mercy nodded. "She'll be safe, I promise."
Lila hesitated but took the key to the office and checked out. The man at the counter owned the motel and he leered at her. He'd given her a free day after she performed oral sex on him and she realized she was very glad to be getting away from there. She breathed a sigh of relief when she slid behind the wheel of her car and followed Adam and Mercy to their home while Warren headed on home to his mate.
Lila thought about what lay ahead. They would have to get the old pack bonds severed and she had a feeling that was going to be... unpleasant, but it would end a chapter of her life, in a sense, and open her up to something new. It would allow her to become a part of the Columbia Basin Pack. Glancing back at her daughter, who'd fallen back to sleep, she just hoped she was making the right choice.
