Asuna POV

 

I watched as Rieka continued to walk as she was told to…She was spaced out and I didn’t like it. Her thoughts continued to be as her weird self, like that of why was she in human form and stumbling so much…That having her blanket around had stopped her from stumbling…Honestly, I was quite annoyed that she had no reaction to the rumble that we heard just moments ago. I was really sure that it was something important...Something that we should worry about...

I had heard from being here, about some of what is happening outside and felt like this was the entirely the reason I had come back from the dead. My whole second existence was making sure that I was ready for what may very well happen to me a second time!

The Misty Ice Pack!

Again!

They wanted my life once again, one that is thought of as purity and told that it can bless that of a relationship…It was all bullshit!

Someone had made it up! But in the end, I had still been killed for an Alpha and his Luna!

Seeing that we weren’t on our way west, I was still going to stay on my guard from now on. This silly child didn’t have a clue though and I had no idea on how to tame her so that she would understand and would do as I asked. Would she really run if I told her too?

I see her look back for a third time, to the way our mate went, and I let out a sigh. I was finally able to meet my mate…It really was like feeling complete, like a free type of happiness…The wolf inside of Alarick was very sweet and had even admitted to ‘feeling’ us, even in our deepest of troubles. He had wanted to help us as early as eight or so years ago, but the best he could do was understand what he ‘felt’ by disagreeing to having three main meals a day.

I felt really special, because I could see, sense and feel that he was completely loyal to us and that he was absolutely happy to have found his beloved mate. His name was Mingan and to be honest…I liked him better then Alarick…

 

I knew our bond was weak, and I knew that our mate had all rights to reject us…But they were now both completely dedicated to us and I was already feeling the loss of not being close to them. They had given both Rieka and I warmth and happiness when we needed it and I already loved them so much because of all of this…

I didn’t disagree to the silly child’s thoughts of wanting to take her feet to where her feet wanted to go. She was still stupidly thinking that this was a dream and that she should just do whatever she wanted.

I know I called her stupid, because she thought this way, and honestly, being with Mingan was sort of like a dream come true, but…I knew better…

Seeing her stop walking, as she honestly felt like she wanted to go to him, I followed her vision, when someone called out ‘Luna’ to her…To see that person get attacked from behind and fall to the ground unconscious.

Honestly, wasn’t it The Misty Ice Pack that I should worry about…

As I see her vision see that her other two protectors had also fallen to the ground unconscious, I started to panic.

Right! How could I forget!?

They could be here too!

 

As it was, when I had perished the last time, The Misty Ice Pack was starting to take over other packs! They would put in their own people into other packs and slowly take them over, which is what happened to the pack I had come from…When I had been taken, there was already two Alpha’s and two Beta’s there and I had heard what was going to happen, from the people who had forcefully taken us…That they were just biding their time to take over the pack entirely, but look like the pack was another’s! I’m not sure what happened afterwards, but since the pack name was still the same now in the future, I guessed the only thing that changed was the allegiance…As the name might be different…But the pack was still under the orders of The Misty Ice Pack…

Now that I remembered this, and had seen Alarick’s pack, I was sure that we just needed to go back there, as it seemed that The Misty Ice Pack hadn’t taken it yet. At least…They were safer there…For now…

You idiot! Shift and run back! I yelled out to Rieka, worried as all hell!

 

But she was such the idiot and too slow, that there was no time before she too fell unconscious.

I sighed, as I knew she wouldn’t be all that great in human form. As it was, she was already stumbling while walking here, and not having really fought in human form before, she was probably not able to think of any kind of strategy…

“Ah! Bastard! Kill him!” A voice and smell that would be familiar to quite a few Shifters from Alarick’s pack would know, came over me in my blackened-out state.

“No! Get outta here, quick, I’ll stall this bastard…No, you are staying here! I’ve been hired specifically…For you!”

I couldn’t see, but I could hear in the distance a shift and then some growls, wondering who had come out from somewhere else to protect us. I was pretty sure it wasn’t our mate, but then…Who was it?

Mingan hadn’t been able to tell me too much in the time that we have been together, so I guessed this extra protector was what he had wanted to tell me when we had been interrupted that time when we had stopped running the boundary the day before…I had to admit, we were still pretty glad and happy to just be with each other and hadn’t been able to seriously think through some important details yet…

My dearest Mingan…

 

The feeling of being dropped and kicked, then I heard a car door close and then an engine going, as I felt us being tied up…

“Faster, he’s nasty, killed two of our men! We need to get back to the border of The Misty Ice Pack before he comes back after us!”

“Calm down! We’ll be safer the closer we get! Besides, our man back there loves this! He could hardly wait to see if there was anyone there worthy of him to make him fight!”

The Misty Ice Pack!

“…Your right…Phew! You can’t blame me though, that guy was quick and…Oh, luckily we had our people in The Striker’s Den…”

“It seemed to have worked out fine uh!? The Strikers Den must nearly be all under The Misty Ice Pack’s control now! Haha! The Snowvalley Pack Alpha had no idea!”

“…Her hair…”

“What about her hair?”

“It’s white…Like they said…It’s weird.”

“So what! Just don’t be the pervert you are and touch her!”

“Hey!”

Wanting to take over, but knowing I needed to save everything I stored up since being reborn, I could only pace and keep my anger at bay. When I had lived my first life, it had been a lot easier to take control…But…With Rieka, it takes quite a lot more out of me…

All the wolf powers I had collected for nine years, I had used a small amount to stabilize and strengthen the connection between us and our mate for a short period of time when we had gotten shot…But…I hoped, that I still had enough to save us!

Because it seemed…That time may very well come now!

 

If they had used wolfsbane, I wouldn’t be able to do anything right now, and that was what happened last time. But…It looked like that they had just made her unconscious for now…So, it still might happen…

I couldn’t help it, it was like I was revisiting a nightmare!

I had kept the little one in the dark all this time, about me being reborn and what I was doing. I know I was somewhat cruel by not being completely upfront and honest with her, but if I had told her what happened to me…She may have done something stupid to make us stand out even more then we already do!

To be honest though…Us being in the north, had been quite a good idea! We blended into the snow and we were alone often…Until now…

In my previous life, we had been knocked unconscious just like this, and they would ‘sacrifice’ me at a cliff.

That was why I knew it was The Misty Ice Pack, that was why I knew I had a small amount of time! Time wasn’t to run away, as I’m sure they wouldn’t allow us to escape…Oh no…They would never let such a ‘blessing’ get away!

Time…Was so that I could keep calm and prepare myself!

So, I calmed myself down, seeing no reaction out of the silly child and hoped that I had the power to have us survive this nightmare!

Wait…No…That’s right…It’s full moon…We were supposed to be initiated tonight at full moon…But, they think they need to do the ‘blessing’ on a full moon too!

…As I originally thought, we really don’t have much time! They might even do it as soon as we get to the cliff!

We had been held captive for two days before it happened last time, but the wolfsbane had stopped us from making any kind of escape…Which led me to think that this time too! If it was anything like last time, they will have many there to stop us from escaping…

Had they really prepared this so quickly to do it tonight!? Was it all going to happen in just a couple of hours!?

No!

I didn’t slumber and starve this poor girl of wolf powers for nine years, and even sometimes in later years, to not survive this!

We will be fine…Just stay calm! It doesn’t matter…If they do it this full moon or the next, I will be prepared!

 

“Another hour…Yes, Alpha…Then I will contact you when we are there.”

I might not be able to see, but I was able to hear…So…We had already traveled a couple of hours…

Trying hard to control myself, I thought it would be safer if she couldn’t feel me, so that she stays asleep. If I lost control, I could also loss what chance I had to overcome this nightmare…

Stay calm!

Asuna?

Her soft, innocent voice worried me straight away, Shh, child, don’t wake up.

But I’m not tired anymore…

Please, just act like you are sleeping! Why did she wake up now! What if she does something stupid!

Why?

Please! Have I ever asked you to do anything for me!? Listen to me child! Now is the time to be smart and not be silly! So just please, until I say otherwise, pretend that you are a bear and you are sleeping through the winter, okay?

I felt a strange sense of happiness flow through me from her and I heard her happy voice, Okay! I’m a bear! Roar! You can’t wake me until the snow is gone! Oh…Ah…Asuna, I don’t want to put dirt up my butt…

I shook my head to the urgency of the matter and her strange sense of not understanding anything…She hasn’t changed…She doesn’t think!

 

I widened my eyes, to the grunt I hear her do, to express a bear sleeping, and I could not believe that the men taking this girl, didn’t seem to do anything.

I felt like I was on thin ice and the silly girl was playing!

How did I end up with her!?

I knew it though! From ages ago, that we had not been connected properly!

I had thought it was something I would have to face against all this life, until we had met our mate. After we had met him…Our connection felt like it could be saved…

Not wanting to use my saved-up wolf powers to completely restore our connection on my own, I had kept this in mind, until I knew that the silly girl was going to her den and lay down after getting shot!

What was the point of saving up all the wolf powers if she had died!?

I did what I had to, and it had brought our mate to us, but, I hadn’t wanted to use most of what I had saved up to complete the connection, just in case the nightmare would return…In which it has!

Another grunt was heard, and I could cry to how stupid she was!

Yet, how else was I to get her to do nothing!?

 

Feeling our body get thrown onto a hard ground, I saw that the silly girl wanted to open her eyes!

No! Close your eyes! Now!

I heard her grunt, but she closed her eyes and I felt like I was going to have an anxiety attack…

The Alpha’s daughter had so much more potential then this silly, little girl! I really did miss her!

As voices and steps were heard, I constantly told the silly girl to just act as though she was sleeping. While I tried to stay calm, I was remembering what I had wanted to prevent from the very first moment of finding myself reborn once again, and knowing that I was once again a pure, white wolf…Which, of course, had not been surprising…It seemed to be my sad fate…

“How long? She might wake up soon?”

“The Alpha is on his way here with our Luna now. The ceremony should be ready in ten minutes, to start in about half an hour or less. I was told to dress her appropriately. Nothing else but white!”

“I can dress her?”

“She must be pure, Mutley! You cannot take her innocence!”

“I told you not to call me that!”

“Just do it, nothing but white!”

 

I felt proud of the silly child, as she was desperately wanting to open her eyes, but didn’t because I told her not too. She was strong in aspects, I give her that, but…I needed her complete attention now, while it counts, for me to express my pride and thanks to her about it later.

It was nearly time, all this time I had harnessed the wolf powers to reverse whatever was going to happen in half an hour.

That’s right, all this time…All this time I had stolen nearly every part of it, just to survive.

I knew the cruelty of what was going to happen, I was even sure that there was more to it after I had perished the last time, so I had to do this!

First, two bites are made, one on each wrist, which apparently, that indicated the bond between the couple…

Second, they will cut off a lot of the hair, halving it between the male and female couple, and they will burn it, apparently this signifies how long and deep their bond will be.

Third, a knife is held with both of them and they are to stab the sacrifice directly into the heart, apparently providing health and love to their children and children’s children.

After this, I was gone…But…I hoped, beyond hoped, that I had enough to help us out of more than this!

Please, please…

“Tie her up! It’s starting in five minutes!”