When Lovers Wake

A/N: This is part 2 of my apology and I am super excited to bring you this and this is the other half of my apology. I just hope that you all really do accept my apology for my past mistakes. I really will try harder to publish faster. I hope you all enjoy this next installment of my story.

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Chapter 12: The Keepers Council

The minute I got home, I jumped in the shower and let the water pound on me. I had hoped that this would work, but it just wouldn't. The sights of the bodies; it just lingered in the back of my mind, rearing its ugly head every time I closed my eyes or even blinked. It's all so painful. It's like I can't remove the images from my mind. It's as if they're perminately imprinted on my mind, like a tattoo.

I have no idea how I'm going to sleep tonight. I'd never admit this out loud, but, right now, I'm terrified of the future. I can no longer see it like I could before. The course has taken so many twists and turns. The other pack wasn't suppost to be dead and the survivers on the run. There isn't suppost to be some unseen enemy that we can't fight or don't even know what it is.

I need to figure out just what we're up against. I'm not going to let anything happen to my mate or my pack. Even if it means I give up my life. I will have my child and leave him or her in Ren's care. I know he will love him or her just as much as he loves me and that's more than I could ever as of him. Tomorrow. Tomorrow is when this all ends. We will find the survivers and we will go before the Council and then it will all come to an end.

I have no idea how long I had been sitting in the shower. I just sat in the tub, my knees to my forehead. I didn't even hear when someone opened the door and crouched down beside me, most likely drenched to the bone from the amount of water coming down. The squeaking of the water knobs rang in the tub and the amount of water decreased. Arms lifted me out of the tub and placed me on my legs on the floor. I can't even believe that I can stand on my own right now.

A soft, fluffy robe was wrapped around me, but nothing was helping me. I feel so lost. I don't know what to do or what's going to happen. My mind is all in knots and the safe feelfing that I've had for a long time is still eluding me.

"Come on Calla. Get some sleep. We've got big plans for the morning." I could hear Ren's words and voice, but it seemed so distant, even though he was standing right next to me. He was right. We do have big plans in the morning. I began to fall asleep, thinking about the possible future and the pack on the run.

I woke up the next morning in a fetal body still wrapped in the robe and my hair, dry and frizzy. I probably look like I just walked out of hell, but I have more pressing issues. Finding my legs again, I slipped out of bed and practically stumbled to the dresser for clothes. I slipped on a pair of red skinny jeans and a white tank over my bra and underwear. I grabbed my sandals and sat back down on the bed.

What the hell am I going to do if the Keepers won't see us about our issue? What am I going to tell the pack?

A knock on the bedroom door broke my train of thought. When Ren stepped in with a worried expression on his face, I hadn't thought it had gotten this bad.

"Calla? Calla you have to talk to me. I can't help you if you don't tell me whats bothering you. I can hear your thoughts when were wolves, but now its completely sealed off."

I looked up at him and hoped that I looked somewhat presentable. "I just can't wrap my head around all of this. I've got a baby that may or may not be alive and now we're dealing with the other pack and the unknown enemy.." I let out a frustrated sigh, "It's just getting harder than normal and I really don't know what to do anymore."

Ren rubbed my back in slow moving circles that were very soothing. "I understand. Well, not the baby part, but I want this child to live just as much as you do. And believe me, if I knew how to fix all of this, I would have told you the minute I figured it out. But now, we face a more pressing issue."

"The Keepers Council." I caught his stare and ne noddeed at my answer. I slipped my sandals on and stood up. " We leave in 10 minutes. Gather the pack and I'll finish up in here before I come down stairs." He headed for the door and stood in the doorway.

"You know I'm here for you Lily."

"I know." I nodded and gave a small smile and then, he left.

I grabbed my brush and ran it through my hair and slipped my wedding ring on. I looked in the mirror and I didn't see myself. I saw the ghost of someone who's very simaler to me. She's got my hair and my eyes, but I don't see my fire anymore. The spark that was always behind those golden eyes had vanished and I just don't feel like myself anymore. For the first time in my life, I have dark circles under my eyes and I MEAN dark circles. Sleep just hasn't been a big thing on my agenda and probably won't be for a long time.

After this brush with the council, I can find some sort of relief. Although, I have Shaylene unconcious in the spare bedroom and heavily sedated, so she won't be waking up for a couple days. And I have four dead wolves laying in the basement. I'm glad guardian corpses don't fester and rot like humans do. UGH! That would be disgusting and the complex would reak of death and...stuff.

Shutting the light off, I left the bedroom and headed down the stairs finding all of my packmates dressed as best as they could without being too over the top formal.

"Before we leave, I'm not going to make accusations, but do Ren and I know everything that we absolutely need to know about this pack? If any of you withhold something vital, I can't protect you against the Keepers. So for the last time, is there anything that we need to know?" I got stares that told me everything that I needed to know. "Alright then. Let move out." I recieved nodded from all of them as I rushed out the door and shifted in mid-air. I landed on the soft ground and sharply turned around and found all the others in their wolf formes and ready to run.

Looking at every single one of them, I gave a low bark and race into the woods with the pack following right behind me. Ren's at my side and the pack right behind us, we ran deep into the heart of the woods. It has always been only the alphas of the packs who knew where to find the sacred space for the Keepers Council to meet and hold council meetings.

Coming to a snowy circle in the middle of the forest. A single thing stood in the way between us and the council entrance: a portal and a sacrifical wound that weakens an alpha should he or she dare defy and try to harm a member of the Keepers. I shifted and stood in the middle of the circle surrounded by the wolves. It has to be me. Ren's got to be ready if anything happens.

"Bryn, Dax shift back, now." Ths lithe brown wolf and bulky wolf shifted into their human forms. "Bryn, I need to you do something for me." she stared at me in confusion until i told her what needed to be done.

"Calla! You want me to do what?!" she screeched.

"I know I didn\'t stutter. I need you to bite my shoulder and wound me. Its the only way that the portal can be accessed."

"B-but I can't-"

"Yes. Yes you can."

"But you know that Ren's going to kill me if I hurt you." She was right. He might try and hurt her, but that's where Dax comes in.

"Don't worry about Ren. I've got him covered." she finally caved in and nodded at my demand. I turned my attention to Dax. "I know that you heard what I need Bryn to do. Your job is to make sure he doesn't try and kill Bryn. I think he might understand afterwards, but right now, he's going to be furious. So, if nessicary, restrain him."

"You got it, Calla." he to went to stand beside the charcoal gray wolf, ready to restrain if nessicary.

I nodded at Bryn and she took a couple steps back and shifted. Her last thought reached my mind and she tensed to leap. I'm sorry Calla. I really am.

I know you are Bryn. I know you are. And with that, she jumped straight at me and her sharp teeth sunk deep into my shoulder. I screamed in pain as she withdrew her teeth out of my flesh. All the other wolves stared in shock at what Bryn did and Ren was in a state of uncontrollable anger. Dax had him in a tight arms lock, but barely. Just barely. I looked over at Bryn who was crouched over by a tree, her forearms dug into the tree bark and head hanging as if in shame.

I went over to her and put my good hand on her shoulder. When she looked up at me, her face was streaked with tears. "Don't ever ask me to do that again." she sobbed. "I almost couldn't do it and now even though it was an order, I can't forgive myself for what I did to you. You. My best friend. My sister. I drew blood from my own sister. How can I live with myself?"

"You know it wasn't your fault. I gave the order and you obeyed it. I would have done the same thing for you. I would have shed as many tears as you have. This is what needed to be done and someday I shall repay that favor to you." I smiled and reassured her. She shot straight up and hugged me like there was no tomorrow.

The wind swirling around us broke us apart and I grasped my wounded shoulder. The wind swirled low and like in a magical fantasy, a white wolf formed in front of me.

"I've paid my debt; physically and emotionally. Open the portal and let us pass. The wolf's eyes glowed red and flashed. The light was blinding, but the portal was opening up. When we came to and our vision cleared up, a few feet away from me was a shimmering portal that would give us entrance into the Keepers room.

I looked around and the pack was still a little bit in shock, but at least my mate was calmed down and not trying to kill Bryn. I could still see a little bit of anger behind his eyes, but it would pass.

"Let's not stand here in awe and shock, we need to move and get inside before someone sees us."

We all went through the portal and headed into the place that hold the people that will determine our present and our future.

A/N: So I did I good job apologizing for my mistakes. There's a very big storm brewing and I have a plan to make sure that they're all ready when it hits. Especially, the newest members of the pack. YES! I said the newest memberS of the pack. I love you all and I shall see you all later. XOXOXO

~snowflakedreams96~