Acacia/Titan - Age 5
Victor - Age 6
Cypher - Age 9

"It's okay, you know that, right?" Titan asks me as we lie next to one another on the big bed. The day had flown by, now the covers are up to our chins as we stare up at the ceiling. The darkness of the night doesn't scare me.

I shake my head, "It's not...how is it fair that..." my voice trails off as tears spring to my eyes so easily, they fall from the corners of my eyes, reaching out and holding my hand.

"They can't be always, right? Right?" Titan asks, wondering, "the Moon Goddess doesn't make mistakes," he pauses, and I wonder if I've been cursed.

Did I do something wrong?

I start crying softly, Titan rolling closer next to me, wrapping his arm around me as I cuddle into him. He holds me as I cry for what seems like forever, hiccupping, "I-I..."

"It's okay," he reassures me, falling quiet as I nod and cry for a few more minutes. It's silence for a while, breathing quietly as I start to fall asleep. I'm awoken though before I can drift completely off, wide awake...

...Titan and I sit right up in bed with Jelena slips through the door and waves her hand at us.

Oh yeah!

"Storytime?" Titan asks, slipping out beneath the covers as I do the same.

"Yup!" Jelena exclaims in a shout-whisper, nodding as she says, "Well...some adults are awake, but they're on the porch." She waves at us again, "Come on!"

I nod and stifle a giggle, sneaking out the room with Titan and her. We creep through the hallway, heading toward her room. Once we reach it, she places a finger to her lips and I nod, Titan also responding nonverbally before she opens the door and we slip inside.

The second we turn around, Titan asks, "What is she doing here?" He points right at Edith, who is sitting on the foot of the bed.

Jelena rolls her eyes, "She can't go to her room!"

"Uh...why not?" He is just as confused as I am, though I walk closer to her and smile.

Holden and Dexter are reading a book on the floor, almost falling asleep!

Jelena grabs Titan's hand and tries to drag him into the room further. He digs his heels into the ground, demanding an answer. It really doesn't matter...

...but they didn't hit it off too well. Eh, she'll see he isn't so bad.

Jelena grumbles, "I-"

"I stay with Merle," Edith speaks up, her gaze lifting as she glances from me and then to Titan, "he asked if I could stay with Jelena tonight..." her voice trails off.

Titan furrows his brows and I also am the first to ask, "Why?"

"Umm..." Edith glances away and a light pinkness tinges her cheeks. She then says, "He...he and Wyn, they...umm..."

Titan figures it out first, exclaiming, "They're mates?!"

"Shh!" Jelena hushes him as comes into the room further on his own now.

My eyes widen.

They're having private time like mommy and daddies...aren't they?

Titan's face turns dark red and he immediately cuts me off.

I giggle and put it together. They want to be alone together, so, well, that's not Edith's fault. I smile, hoisting up on the bed and sitting next to Edith. Titan plops down on the floor, lying on his stomach as Jelena grabs a flashlight and scoots next to Dexter.

"Huh?" Dexter is half-awake, glancing around and smiling, "Hi guys!"

"Welcome to...scary stories!" Jelena booga-booga hands at us, flashing her face with the light before she covers it with her hand.

"It better be scary," Holden grabs the book between Dexter and him, starting to read it on his own.

I ask Edith, "You scare easily?"

Edith glances at me and shakes her head, "Nope!"

"What are you afraid of?" Titan asks her, trying to make peace and conversation.

Edith shrugs her shoulders, "Nothing."

My eyes widen and Titan shakes his head, "Liar!"

"I am not-"

I cut her off and touch her arm, startling her slightly as I giggle, "Everyone is afraid of something." I look to Titan and smile, telling Edith, "I'm scared of losing my brothers...I'm afraid of being alone..."

Edith's features alter drastically, and she shakes her head, "Don't be afraid mo-" she cuts herself off, lowering her eyes and saying, "...I mean. I..."

I smile and reassure her, "It's okay. Whatever it is, you don't have to tell us."

She nods and smiles, breathing out a sigh of relief.

Jelena releases a long sigh and asks, "Are we ready?"

"Yes!" All of us exclaim in unison.

"Okay!" Jelena giggles and motions for us to call come closer. Edith and I lean closer off the foot of the bed, lying on our stomachs as Jelena begins. She states, "My daddies have told me this story before...Death."

Okay...dying? Yeah, scary...

She continues, "Not dying, dying...like...Death as in he comes for you," I furrow my brows, confusion crossing my features. Jelena can tell we are all still confused, she releases a puff of air, blowing hair out of her face as she continues, "Death takes many forms, the scariest...my daddies told me from their parents when they were pups...Death came for...Alpha Rakkon Wood."

Hm?

Haven't heard this story yet.

Grandpa?

Titan asks, "Our grandpa?"

Jelena shakes her head and continues, "No, his daddy," she pauses, "I'm not good on details, I can't remember everything they said. Death came for him, an-"

"Alpha Rakkon Wood, the greatest pack leader in history, a legend," Edith speaks up next to me, her voice rising slowly, "he was killed by a hybrid, and Alpha Keir Wood...he killed the hybrid who took his daddy's life when he was eighteen. He saved his pack, he-"

"How you know so much?" Dexter looks to her with wide eyes.

Holden nods and grins, "You're like a super mind remember, teller...thingy..."

"Thingy?" Jelena looks at him with a strange look.

"What?!" Holden hides his face, "I can't figure out the word I'm looking for!"

Jelena releases a sigh and continues, "Yeah...you got most of it right," she nods at Edith, though lifts her flashlight to beneath her chin, casting shadows across her features, "it wasn't just a hybrid though, it was Death."

I release a puff of air and sit up, crossing my legs and tilting my head, "What is Death? I'm confused."

"Like..." Jelena shakes her head and then snaps her fingers, "...the Moon Goddess! Kind of like her...Death took the hybrid form an-"

"Wait, wait, wait," Titan lifts his hands, "so, you're trying to get us to believe, that Death came for Alpha Rakkon Wood? That, it wasn't just random or something like that...like...why? What did he do?"

Jelena shrugs her shoulders and lowers her flashlight, "I dunno, really...it's just what my daddies told me..."

Things happen, that's all.

Boring story...

I slide off the bed and Edith turns to me, asking, "Where are you going?"

Shrugging my shoulders, I head toward the bedroom door. Jelena calls after me, "Acacia?!"

"Not everything needs an answer," I turn and tell her, "not everything is simple and straightforward," I pause, Titan lifting his chin as I glance back, "not everything needs to be justified."

"Aca-"

I interrupt her, "What I can tell from the story...it was a horrible result of more than likely rogues," I'll have to ask adults later more about it, "maybe he upset someone? Happens between backs and Alphas, the way they live and control their packs...it happens."

I think I hurt her feelings...

...Jelena sniffles and my features drop.

"Jelena, I'm sorry, I-"

"I was just trying to tell a story!" Jelena snaps at me.

Titan rises to his feet and retorts, "A story is just that, a story! Acacia having an opinion about it shouldn't make you get that upset."

"I-"

"Titan's right," Edith breaks through and I'm confused she's standing up after what happened last time. She continues, "Stories are just that...stories, and it's all about the perspective of the individual telling it. We gather different insight, depending on what we hear from it..." she pauses and nods at me, "Acacia was just sharing her thoughts."

I look to Jelena and nod, "I'm sorry...I really am..." why do I say things before I think? Her daddies told it to her, so she thinks that it must be real...but...if it is true...then I might as well be terrified for the rest of my life wondering if, at some point, someone can turn off my light with the snap of their fingers.

I grab the door handle and move outside into the hallway.

Wait for me,

I do, waiting next to the wall as the door opens and Titan shuts it behind him. I glance to him, tears in my eyes as I whisper, "I didn't mean to hurt her feelings...I didn't mean it."

"I know, you just said what you thought," he shrugs, "I wanted to give my own opinion, but she probably wouldn't wanna hear it anyway."

I lean against the wall, a frown on my face.

"What?" Titan asks though I'm not sure I want to dig deeper in Jelena's Death story anymore.

What, Acacia?

I glance at him and shake my head.

His eyes hold mine, pushing away from the wall and connecting with me once more.

Wanna go sneak some cookies?

My eyes widen and I nod my head, the two of us heading down the hallway. Creeping down the stairs, we carefully make it to the main level, though we both can pick up the frantic heartbeats in the kitchen.

Who's that?

I shake my head, Titan leading as we move around the wall. The air rushes past him as I'm already on the other side of the archway to the kitchen. We look across at one another, no one hearing or seeing me. I move too fast, only...maybe Alpha Merle could see.

Titan leans and looks before he crouches down against the wall. A smirk is on his face.

What?

He looks to me.

It's Taron and Ridge.

My eyes widen.

Should we?

I stifle a giggle.

We should.

Titan nods, though I get a bad feeling and I shake my head.

If they scream, everyone will wake up.

Titan tilts his head back and forth, debating as well. It's then that he quietly whispers to get their attention, "Pst!"

"Uh-oh," Ridge says, and I hear something drop, though it isn't that loud.

Quietly, Titan and I come out from our hiding spots and into the kitchen. Ridge looks at us with worry before he breathes a sigh of relief and states, "Hi!"

I giggle quietly, "What are you two doing?"

Taron looks down at his hands and then hides them.

"Cookies!" I exclaim and rush over, "Can I have one?"

Taron looks to Ridge and then releases with a sigh, "Fine...we found them first!"

"Did you eat them all?!" Titan exclaims and comes closer, looking at the mess on Ridge's face and a few crumbs left on Taron's, "Oh my Goddess...you did!"

"Shh!" Ridge lifts his hand and covers Titan's mouth, the two holding each other's gaze for what seems...longer than it should.

I glance back at Taron and take the cookie he holds out for me. Chocolate chip! Yummy!

"OUCH!" Ridge nearly screams and Taron slaps a hand over his mouth.

"My daddy will kill us!" Taron whisper-yells at Ridge, though I see why Ridge got all upset.

Titan smirks and states, "Don't touch me," she crosses his arms across his chest, noticing that he'd bitten Ridge. He narrows his eyes at Ridge and states, "I didn't even break your skin! Overacting much!"

Ridge finally answers when Taron removes his hand and states, "It surprised me!"

"Just lick him next time," I giggle and cover my mouth, ready to fall on the floor laughing.

Ridge rolls his eyes, "Oh, ha-ha!"

Titan giggles and sighs, "I'm sorry...where's my cookie?"

Taron giggles right back, "You don't get one now."

"Hey! -"

"I am so telling dad," Cypher stands just outside of the archway, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

Taron and Ridge's faces are pale, nervously taking a step back. I glance to Titan and then walk closer to Cypher. He looks down at me, arching a brow.

I lift my arm and say, "You can have my cookie."

"I don't want your cookie," Cypher sighs and rubs his forehead, "dad wanted you both to listen and not get in trouble."

"You're only in trouble if you get caught," I lower my gaze to the floor, bringing my hand down with it as I hold the cookie to my side.

Cypher reaches out and hugs me, my eyes widening as he tells me, "Just this one time." I smile, the bridge of my nose stinging as I wrap my arms around him, everyone breathing out a sigh of relief behind me. He pulls away slightly, only to take a bite of my cookie and giggle, "Payment."

Can't wait and want to read ahead?

Chapters 4 - 50 are available on Patreon and Chapter 51 has been updated under the Pack Warrior Tier ($3.00 donation). After subscribing, search posts tags with Deliverance and it will filter those chapters for you. Otherwise, updates on Wattpad are random.

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