Chapter Two

Ten Years Later

Disclaimer: I do not own the yummy generals or Darien. :/

"Do you think we will get to go home this year?"

The question startled Serena and she turned her gaze from the endless expanse of blue sky to stare at Molly. Her friend and pack mate was sprawled out beside her in the tall grass, her bright red hair aflame in the afternoon sun light. Serena sighed and shook her head. "It isn't really our home anymore."

Serena knew that Molly still thought of the Jericho castle as their home but Serena had ceased to think of it as such the day her pack had been massacred. She tried to block out those painful memories as much as possible but sometimes, especially when she was sleeping, they slipped out and became nightmares. At times it felt as if she had dreamed the whole thing, but someone always reminded her that she had not always been a member of the Valterre pack.

After the night her family had been executed and Darien had saved her from the same fate, Virtus had banished Serena and her younger pack mates to a far outreach of the Valterre pack range. She had been stripped of her lands, her home and her pack. Along with Molly, Elizabeth and Michael, she had been thrust into an isolated and poorer branch of the pack. The alpha of the smaller pack was a male named Henry, and although he was submissive to the greater rule of Virtus, he had taken in the traumatized pups with more kindness than most of the pack would have shown. His mate Barbra had immediately swept the children under her matronly wing, and had never made Serena feel like an outsider.

Now, Molly sighed wistfully and rolled on her side to face Serena, her bright green eyes focused on her best friend's face. "Do you ever wonder when Darien is going to come get you?"

Serena shook her head again, "No. He won't ever come and that's fine with me." Although her tone was harsh, as intended, there was still that small voice deep inside of her that whispered Liar.

"Henry said he hasn't taken a different mate and he'd well old enough."

Like her dreams about going home to Jericho, Molly had equally hopeless dreams about a romance blossoming between Serena and Darien. Serena tried to be patient but both caused a pain to blossom inside of her heart. "I wish he would take another mate and get it over with."

"No you don't." Molly stated insightfully. "He claimed you. If he doesn't relinquish his claim, no one else will be able to take you as their mate. Do you really want to be alone until you die, hundreds of years from now?"

"I don't care. I will always have you."

Molly was silent. Serena turned her head, her brow wrinkling. "Molly, I will always have you, won't I?"

Molly pushed herself up, picking at the voluminous folds of her dark green dress, and Serena's sensitive nose picked up the scent of her discomfort. "Serena, I don't want you to feel alone but at the next full moon gathering, I think Melvin will claim me."

Serena sat up, her face a mask of incredulity. "Melvin? You would actually want to be his mate?" She knew that the two had been spending a lot of time together, disappearing to run the eternal fields without her and returning smelling of night dew and joy but…Melvin? He was tall and lanky, with brown hair that stuck up in sprigs all over his head. His vision was impaired, although it was extremely rare for those of their kind to not have better than perfect vision. Serena wrinkled her nose: he had those awful thick lenses that he wore on wires in order to see clearly. It gave him the look of a harassed owl.

Molly's face flushed. "He is a wonderful male, Serena."

"Yes, but is he your One?" Serena plucked a blade of grass. It was one thing to become someone's mate if they were the One but Serena couldn't imagine joining with anyone who wasn't. A lot of the pack did that, joined and became the mate of someone other than their One, it wasn't unusual but Serena felt like it would be a betrayal were she to ever do the same. Which was why she couldn't become Darien's mate; he wasn't her One.

"He is." Molly said quietly but her voice was sure and her scent was warm with love.

Serena flopped back and stared up at a passing cloud. "Well, I really will be alone then, won't I?"

Molly took Serena's hand and kissed her fingers gently. "Oh Serena, it won't change anything. We will still live here and we will still see each other every day like we do now."

"It won't be the same Molly. You will be free to leave this…" Serena flailed an arm hopelessly at the endless yellow field parallel to the endless blue sky. "…This wasteland." She spit out and took her hand from Molly's grasp. "You will be able to go home if you want to."

Molly couldn't dispute the fact. Virtus had proclaimed that the displaced Jericho pack members could return to their home only if they mated into the Valterre pack. The older members of the pack that had survived, like Patricia and Andrew were unlikely to ever mate with the Valterre. Andrew had been an adolescent at ten when their pack was killed or driven off, so he had a better chance of finding a mate but Patricia was over one hundred and carried so much hate for the Valterre that she would never find someone to mate with.

"Well, maybe when you go back to Jericho—I mean, Valterre castle, you'll see Andrew." Serena said, somewhat spitefully.

Molly looked hurt, and Serena felt bad. "I'm sorry, Molly. I am happy for you and Melvin. I'm glad you have found your One."

"Maybe this year Darien will come for you and you will be free to leave too."

Serena stood and stretched, her long golden hair tickling the backs of her ankles. "He won't but thanks for trying to make me feel better." She smiled down at Molly and pulled off the long white apron embroidered with little star and moon designs. It was Barbra's attempt at keeping Serena presentable, but it didn't serve its purpose well. Even at sixteen, Serena was liable to become as dirty as she had as a child. "Molly, undo my corset stays."

Molly obliged and soon Serena was standing naked in the field, her dress, corset, apron and under things folded neatly by Molly. Molly undressed quickly and without waiting for Serena, made the Change. Serena watched as Molly, in her wolf form, stretched her long limbs and shook her deep auburn coat out. Then Molly turned to Serena, and yipped impatiently. Serena laughed and let the Change ripple over her.

The small pack had already seated for the evening meal when Serena and Molly walked in, clinging to each others' arms and laughing. Barbra smiled and Serena was walking across the room to greet her when a familiar scent caught her nose. Serena froze. The scent was so familiar but it had been so long since she had last—

All she saw was a blur of blonde and suddenly arms were wrapped around her neck. Serena inhaled deeply. Mina! She squealed and hugged the other girl tightly, hardly believing it was one of her childhood best friends. "Mina! What are you doing here? I thought that you were dead!"

Mina pulled back slightly, her light blue eyes twinkling. "No! It is such a long story, I will tell you all of it later! For now, come sit! I have to tell you about my things!"

Serena followed in a daze, confusion and elation warring with each other within her. The pack that had taken her in was smiling and quietly finished their meals, leaving the small hall to give Serena and her new guest some privacy. Molly smiled uncertainly from the doorway until Melvin's wiry form pulled her from the hall, his face illuminated with affection.

Serena finally focused on Mina, who had chattered away as they sat and the room emptied. "Mina, I don't understand. I thought you were dead."

Mina paused, her sparkling eyes sharpening in warning. She slowly shook her head and then kept babbling about her beautiful room in the Valterre castle, a direct contradiction with her serious eyes. "Serena, you need to eat! You look like you were outside rolling in dirt all day!" She giggled and shoved a plate piled with meat in front of Serena and a goblet full of deep crimson wine.

Serena blushed. She had been rolling in dirt in her wolf form, and mud and some really good smells left behind by a passing herd of elk…Quickly, she dug into the food and drained the goblet of wine, sensing that her questions would be answered the sooner they could retreat to the privacy of her chambers.

When she was finished, she rose and motioned for Mina to follow her. Mina's long deep orange skirts brushed the stone floor as she followed, finally quiet. Serena's rooms were in the north tower of the castle. She had the tower to herself, which had always annoyed her in the past, but now she was glad for the isolation as she shut the solar door after Mina and motioned her into her bedchamber.

Once inside, Mina dropped the ditzy persona and clutched Serena to her in a tight hug. "You have no idea how long it has taken for me to get here to you."

Serena pulled away, slightly discomforted by the closeness of someone she hadn't seen since she was six. Mina looked every bit as beautiful as she had as a child. Her wheat blonde hair fell to the back of her knees, half of it tied back with a ribbon at the crown of her head. Her eyes were every bit as vivacious as they were when she was six. She was clothed in fine fabrics; a deep orange dress overlaid with a light yellow overdress embroidered with whimsical patterns in deep red. She was lovely, confident and suddenly, Serena felt rough and unsophisticated.

"Mina, I'm sorry but I don't understand…"

Mina shook her head and knelt before Serena, grabbing her hands and kissing them. Serena flushed red and took a step away. "Mina, what--?"

"Serena, you are the true pack leader of the Jericho. There are those of us who have remained loyal to you, despite Virtus' and the Valterre. I am one of them." Mina spoke passionately and resolutely. "I may not always show my deference to you but you are my alpha, now and forever. I have not forgotten."

Serena was shaking her head and backing away. "Mina, I'm not. I'm not at all your alpha or anyone else's. I am lucky to be alive." She sat down on the edge of her bed, staring in disbelief at Mina's submissive form. "I thought you were dead."

Mina shook her head again and came to sit beside Serena, again taking her hand. "There is much you don't know." She glanced around the simple room and grimaced. "And now seeing this place that he'd imprisoned you in, I am not surprised."

Serena glanced around and saw the room through Mina's eyes. The bed covers were a dusky rose color, but faded and threadbare in places. Her huge bed was not ornately carved as her one at Jericho had been, but was sturdy in an ugly sort of way. An old iron chandelier hung from the ceiling, with the burned down stubs of old candles still in their places. A pile of books littered her bed side table, and her few gowns hung messily in her wardrobe. After Darien's timely rescue ten years before, she had been given no time to retrieve any of her possessions or her parent's. She assumed long ago that Virtus had burned them along with her parents' bodies in the courtyard.

Still, this far outreach had become her home and Henry and Barbra had protected and sheltered her with love as she had grown. "It isn't so bad." She muttered and a flush crept across her face.

Mina took in her true alpha's averted eyes and blush and felt bad. She hadn't intended on offending her so soon after being reunited. "I didn't mean to offend you."

Serena waved away her apology and smiled resignedly. "You are right. It isn't at all like Jericho." She sighed and pulled a stray thread from her apron. "But I have been treated well here and Henry and Barbra have been good to me. Now tell me, how have you been alive this entire time?"

Now it was Mina's turn to sigh. "Some of this will be hard for you to hear."

Serena smiled sadly. "I have passed the last ten years thinking that the only survivors were myself, Patricia, Molly, Andrew, Elizabeth, Michael, Rita and Lucas…and Malloren, of course." Mina's face contorted into a snarl, but Serena continued as if it hadn't happened. "Knowing that some perished as I expected will not be difficult to hear."

Mina composed herself. "When the attack came, I was sleeping with the girls." Serena felt the old flash of envy. Mina, Lita, Rei and Ami had been allowed to sleep in the same chamber, in an enormous bed, because they were not next in line to become alpha and her parents had thought it was inappropriate for their daughter to sleep with her pack mates. "Andrew burst in and woke us up. He was frightened, sweating and half naked in his haste to warn us. We could hear our males and females shifting into their wolf forms, to join the fighting below in the courtyard. Rei was already running for the stairs to get you, but Andrew stopped her. He told us that the best way we could protect you was by leaving you. We were to act as decoys, to draw the Valterre away in hopes that they thought you were with us. Rei only gave up trying to run to your chamber when Andrew told us your mother was helping you escape through the tunnels. If we escaped successfully, we were to take a round-about route to the Haven."

Mina paused, her eyes distant, and Serena wondered if she was reliving it again as well. "You didn't escape successfully I take it."

Mina shook her head. "We were close. We had made it past the edge of the fields and into the beginning of the marshes, and they caught us. We didn't go quietly." Serena could imagine Lita and Rei fighting their little hearts out. "When they discovered that you were not with us, they took us straight down to the cells. They kept us down in the prison, chained, for a week."

Serena grasped Mina's hand sympathetically and Mina smiled sadly. "It was awful but not as awful as it could have been. For some, it was worse. Remember Fiore?" Serena nodded; picturing the thin, wisp of a male, with unusual aqua hair and cream colored skin. He was already a few hundred years old when she was born, but was always kind to her. "Fiore survived the battle, and they brought him to the dungeon. He was in a cell down farther down from us. We were young enough that they didn't make us swear oaths of fealty, but the older pack members, like Fiore, Derek, Liah…they tortured them until they swore the oath or if they refused, they were tortured until they were killed. They tortured him until the end and we were in our cell and heard it all. It was terrible. Derek and his mate, Liah died that way as well. Some swore the oath, and some escaped, possibly to the Haven but out of all of our pack, less than twenty members there that night survived."

The news didn't surprise Serena but the thought of Derek and Liah, and Fiore being tortured to death sickened her. Virtus was an evil alpha, and she could never forgive what he did to her pack. "Did they treat you badly?"

"No." A wry smile twisted her lips. "Virtus was sure that we would be useful to him at some point, especially after he found out that we'd already began our training as warriors in order to become your guardians. No, he never mistreated us, and made sure no one else did either. He failed to recognize, however, that by failing to make us swear the oath of fealty to him, he guaranteed our loyalty to you." Mina smiled, her bubbly charm lighting her eyes. "He sent me here to see how you were doing. I think he believes that he has you so cowed that you will never think to challenge him. Little does he know that there were more of the Jericho pack that survived and are eagerly awaiting the day you take back what belongs rightfully to you."

Serena looked away from Mina's expectant smile. How could she tell her that she had no desire to challenge the man who had slain her pack? The Jericho castle was fortified by Valterre wolves, completely loyal to Virtus. The few Jericho survivors would not be enough to overturn Virtus and his followers. "Mina, I…"

Mina shushed her, her ears virtually perking up and her gaze turned warily toward the closed door. "Say nothing to no one, not even Molly. She is mating into the Valterre pack and we couldn't depend on her loyalty to you. For now, continue as you have. Pretend as if you know nothing."

She stood and swiftly made her way to the door, opening and smiling welcomingly at Molly. "Molly! I am so glad you are well!"

Serena watched, her gut twisting inside of her. She was not made to follow in her parent's footsteps. A true alpha would not hesitate to take back her throne and her people. She was nothing more than a cowering dog, as Virtus always said she was when he visited. How was she to tell Mina that the hope Mina had been holding onto for ten years was nothing more than an imagined fantasy?

Darien shifted in his uncomfortable seat, trying to quell his rising impatience. His father was drunk again, and regaling his closest supporters with exaggerated tales of the night they took Jericho. Thinking of that night made bile rise in his throat, and he couldn't bear to listen to his father's bloody bragging.

They were sitting around an enormous table before the great fire in the great hall. The rest of the Valterre pack had trailed out after the evening meal was finished, uneasy with their alpha's growing inebriation. Many of the pack members would drink, as the alcohol didn't affect their people the same as it did humans, but to become so drunk night after night…many were starting to whisper that it was a weakness unbefitting an alpha. The rumors, if heard by the beta, the guardians or the shaman were quickly squashed, most often through force, but that didn't stop the rumors from quietly circulating.

Darien wished, for the millionth time, that he could have escaped with the rest of them and gone running in his wolf form, but his father had commanded him to stay. His father's eyes had gleamed with a demented pleasure. He knew Darien despised him because of his heartless killing that night but he took joy in reminding his son of a night he so hated to remember.

"I was going to kill the Jericho whelp when my son claimed her." Virtus chuckled and shook his head regretfully. "I would kill that bitch today if Darien would give up his claim and mate with another…"

His throat felt tight with anger and Darien struggled to keep his emotions under control. Hiding his feelings was something he had grown very good at, and in his position, with his feelings toward his father, control was essential.

"Why do you want the bitch anyway, Darien?" His father goaded, taking a deep drink of the alcohol he had created. "You haven't laid eyes on her since she was a pup, and I must say, she is an ugly bitch. I have heard rumors that she has already joined some male…"

His father's beta, Warren, barked out a laugh, his meaty face red with drink. "I have heard rumors that it hasn't been just one male she's joined with…"

Virtus was greatly amused and slapped his hand on the table, choking on his drink. "Only my son would claim the pack slut."

Darien bit back a growl and forced a smile onto his face, pretending to be a little amused by his father and his father's beta. "Then she won't be unpracticed when I lay my claim to her."

His father shook his head, his amusement dying quickly. He surveyed his son, his blue eyes blazing with a madness induced by alcohol and power. "I don't know what you think to prove by this, Darien but this game does try my patience."

Darien lowered his head submissively, swallowing back his hatred; it dropped to the pit of his stomach like a lead stone. "I seek to prove nothing Father. My apologies if it seems that my love life is a game meant to antagonize you."

His father regarded him silently before cracking his neck and flicking his fingers dismissively at his son. "You weary me. You are excused."

Darien took his father's permission and left the great hall quickly, his muscles relaxed and his shoulders straight. He had learned from infancy that weakness, any weakness at all, was a death wish. Around his father, if you were weak, you were better off dead. It was one thing you were the omega of the pack, but to be the alpha's only son…Regardless of how much he hated his father and his father's cruel and mad ways, if he valued his life, he would never be anything less than the alpha's heir.

His chambers were located at the rear of the castle, in the southwest wing. He had been given the old alphas' wing. He had thought his father would take Leroy and Selene's old rooms but his father had scoffed and said the rooms were not worthy of an alpha such as himself. Only Darien knew that his father was superstitious and thought that the bad luck of the previous alphas would follow him. So Darien had claimed the wing as his own and moved his belongings into the chambers adjoining Serena's old ones. The dead Jericho alphas rooms were not empty however.

As Darien stalked past, his control steadily slipped the further into his sanctuary he got. By the time the doors to his wing had closed behind him, his generals could smell his anger.

Malachite stepped from his chamber and held out a goblet of fresh, cold water. After seeing what alcohol did to his father, Darien couldn't stomach anything stronger than wine, and he only drank that on occasions he couldn't get by drinking just water. Malachite was silent as Darien drained the goblet and accepted it when Darien handed it back to him and moved past him into the general's room.

The alphas' old chambers were hardly small. There were four smaller chambers off of two larger ones, and the four smaller served as his general's bedrooms. The first of the larger rooms was a waiting room of sorts, where they would receive guests that were not known well enough to be invited into the inner chamber.

It was in the inner chamber, before a roaring fire, that Darien collapsed into an oversized chair. Zoisite looked up from the chess game he was playing with Nephlite, and Jadeite looked up from a letter he was writing by the window.

"What was it this time?" Zoisite asked dryly, arching a blond eyebrow in distaste.

Darien rolled his head back on his shoulders and stared blankly at the ceiling. "That night." He nearly spat the words from his mouth, as if he had taken a bite of rotten meat.

Jadeite put his letter aside and sat in the chair across from Darien, his slate blue eyes sharp with anger. "He does it to torture you."

"Virtus may think it bothers Darien but if he had any idea how deep Darien's abhorrence for him ran, Darien would be dead." Malachite stood in front of the fire, his long white hair glistening in the flickering light. His face was hard and impenetrable and his scent only told Darien that he was calm. Darien felt lucky, as he often did when faced with Malachite's stoic façade, to have him as his beta. He was twenty seven, older than Darien's twenty one years but his loyalty to Darien was unwavering.

Nephlite didn't look up from the chess game but his rough, deep voice was clear in the privacy of the chamber. "I would kill him myself if Virtus did anything so stupid."

Zoisite chuckled and pushed a game piece forward. "Check mate." Nephlite scowled darkly at the game board and then at Zoisite suspiciously.

"You cheated." He accused, his hazel eyes narrowed.

Zoisite laughed and stretched back in his chair, his light brown hair curling around his shoulders. "Don't be an idiot. I don't have to cheat. You were so busy growling about what you would do that you didn't even pay attention to the game."

Nephlite frowned but Jadeite interceded before the two could continue arguing. "When are you going to claim Serena?"

All four men turned to look at their alpha (for they wouldn't claim Virtus as their alpha, except when necessity imposed) expectantly. Darien flinched away from the question, and moved to stand by one of the windows cut from the stone wall. The Jericho pack had been wealthy and had been able to afford plate glass to cover their windows, so now when he stared out to the night sky, it was as clear as if he were outside.

Malachite sighed and leaned against the mantle. "He sent Mina."

"Sent her where?" Darien wasn't really paying attention to his beta, instead he was looking at the waxing moon and wondering if Serena was as ugly as his father said.

"To check in on Serena."

Darien's attention was diverted from the night sky and he stared blankly at Malachite. The man regarded him unflinchingly, but Zoisite, Nephlite and Jadeite averted their eyes in submission. Darien always exuded alpha power but his generals were so used to it that it hardly affected them anymore. There were times when he was especially upset about something however, that the power spiked and they were overwhelmed with the urge to bare their necks or bellies.

"To check in on Serena?" Darien repeated. How had this bit of information escaped his knowledge? How had Malachite failed to tell him? "Mina is your prospective mate, is that right?" His voice was hard.

Malachite nodded slowly.

"Why didn't you tell me this?" Darien was annoyed, he had kept all of Serena's pack mates, especially the pups her same age, away from her on purpose. Except Molly, the four girls, Mina, Rei, Lita and Ami, had been kept from their alpha. The girls served the same purpose as his generals, as he had fondly nicknamed them in childhood. The purpose of both groups was to protect and serve their respective alphas. In order to keep Serena safe, he had stripped her of her closest friends and guardians. If he had allowed the girls to go with Serena into virtual exile, his father would have viewed her as a threat and had her assassinated, regardless of Darien's claim. Molly, a submissive redhead had accompanied her, and Serena had passed the last ten years safe. Now his father was upsetting this carefully constructed plan by sending her beta to her. His father had either known this was Darien's purpose all along, or he was completely oblivious to Mina being the beta and sent her along in ignorance. Darien suspected it was the first.

Malachite folded his arms. "I didn't tell you because I wasn't aware of it until I went to talk to Mina and she was gone. Warren told me earlier, and now I've told you."

Darien groaned in frustration and turned back to the night sky.

The room was silent for a few moments before Jadeite, young and impetuous, broke the silence. "So will you claim her now?"

Nephlite shot him a warning look but Darien just sighed and without turning said: "Well, now I suppose I will have to."

This chapter took a lot longer than I thought it would and I struggled with remembering the general's individual personalities…I ended up spending a lot of time on the internet, but I still don't think I am spot on. So I am just going to wing it, and hope that you will all be flexible. If I am way off (all the way out to Pluto off), go ahead and correct me. I can't promise they will be exactly as you imagine but I'll do my best. Thank you so much to my readers and to those of you who reviewed! It really means a lot and the nice things you say encourage me to get back on my laptop and pound out another chapter. Let me know what you thought, and the next one will be on the way!