And Then She Was Gone

Growing Pains

Two weeks had passed following her clean bill of health discharge and the subsequent peace keeping meeting amongst all the Alphas who had a hand in the very public discord between the Shaded Mountain and Pinecrest packs.

During those two weeks, Elizabeth conducted the blood ceremony with Alex in order to pass over her title officially to Alex, ending up in a more private discord between her and Jason, as she did not initially take the ceremony seriously having no faith that it was anything more than shared words between two mutual agreeing parties. She however, was proved wrong, and felt the aftermath of it very clearly.

She was right about her initial assumption, that it was shared words between two parties. What she was wrong about was how the transference of power would make her feel. Once again, she was shown that she knew little about the world she was abruptly thrown into and her own place in it. As soon as her hand was sliced in hesitation, by her own opposite hand and it was melded with Alex's sliced hand, and the rituals words left her mouth at their ending, she had been drained.

She felt a vitality leave her own body, her personal strength weakened beyond what would have been considered normal for herself. Alex, himself, felt the opposite. He was strengthened, more alert, even his temperament had slightly changed after the transfer of the tile. He was the closest and therefor the only one able to catch her crumbling form as she blacked out upon the transferences completion.

It took a full day for her to recover to a barely tolerable demeanor. Despite, their frustration with one another Jason supported her and felt no need to say he was right all along. After two more days of garnering more of her strength back, the couple left the Pinecrest pack territory, much to the relief of all parties.

Alex immediately sent for his mate to come and stay within the region, giving her own personal space and room to aid in the transition. Jason immediately locking down the hatches in his own territory, to contain the beautiful blonde who had escaped his grasp twice, even in light of the fact that she showed no signs of wanting to leave his side.

She was welcomed back with open arms and raucous cheers from the entire pack, leaving her alarmed at their arrival as she had only been introduced to one region and very few of the people within the territory, but was met with thousands as their convoy of SUVs pulled into its depths.

The air was filled with an overwhelming fragrance of flowers in all varieties. The blackout windows of the vehicles reflected the lights of camera flashes, lighters and torches as they slowly made their way in. Hands groped at the windows of the slow moving vehicles, begging to touch and tap into the strength of the soon to be Luna. Hopes of fertility, love and promise of a better tomorrow being delivered by skin to skin contact.

Jason had been proved right once again, she was a celebrity, and one to be coveted, rather than disdained. Shaded Mountain packs members swelled with pride with her return, despite almost the complete entirety not knowing about her existence until the war broke out. Her personal struggles and the subsequent events, made her the talk of the lycan world.

She was the noshif who held her own strength against a once vile alpha. She was majestic, unnatural and something to be treasured. She was from a background of unknowing and yet exuded her own incredible resolve.

The pack held her in the highest regard, their pride only further swelling in that their Alpha had been the one to help. Jasons efforts seemed muted compared to hers. A credit not given to him in light of her newfound popularity, one that he was happy to ignore, because he was the one who held her heart.

Their arrival was complete bliss, Jason swelled with his own pride, and Elizabeth for the first time got to experience the culture of being accepted and wanted for being who she was, despite her still not grasping the severity of her own person and what she had overcome.

The love for the Luna came with even tighter restrictions inflicted by the pack, and not directed by the Alphas already tight parameters. Security had increased, patrols were double. The pack that was once already restructured and strengthened, strengthened even more. No one within the limits would allow her to slip from its grasps once more.

She was a revitalization. She brought endless promises and yet she did nothing in her efforts upon her return to fuel this notion.

Jason, did in fact lock her away once again, using the jingling of keys and a doubled personal task force exclusively assigned to her. Doors would only be locked if he was not at home and only at the outskirts of it. He didn't contain her to the bedroom, but he did contain her to the limits of the building she was in, unless he was to be her personal escort. Even though this was once an effort on his part that made her feel isolated and alone, she now found it comforting and loving.

In her minor travels out and about, she had seen the sea of she wolfs and how a majority of them had  the color of their hair turned strawberry blonde. She was made uncomfortable with their pleads to promise them a strong male pup, or asking for her blessing in a amiable mateship.

Jason was protecting her not only from outside threats, but their own packs onslaught.

She found her own reprieve in his somewhat lightened regard to who would be in contact with her frequently.

Catherine and Adolphus had smothered her with unbridled parental love. Joseph frequented their home, sometimes in tow with Helena and Tucker, playfully warning her about the progression of an infant to a toddler. Mark and Samantha brought about a reprieve from it all. Samantha and her only furthered their bond to one another, as they now had two overbearing mates, despite their separate reasonings.

The two most shocking pairs of conversational visitors were of beta cane and his mate Marie, and beta Jacob and his mate Hollie.

Elizabeth had apologized to Cane for the actions of the other, feeling immensely guilty for what she felt she played a role in, and his response was only to give her a gentle quick innocent kiss on the cheek with no other words being said between them.

His mate Marie was a talkative sort and delved very personally into their personal lives, much like the hairstylist she had encountered before, shocking her and Samantha about the inner workings of Cane and how sensitive he could actually be.

Hollie, on the other hand was a breath of fresh air, like her mate always seemed to be with his cool even tone.

It was apparent she did not like her obscurity and would much rather appreciate the fervent ardor the other men supplied so frequently to their relationships. Her own plight seemed to give a light to the other side and how the grass was not always greener.

While, Elizabeth began to disdain her limelight. Hollie, had equally disliked her impassive place. In fact, the only reason Elizabeth had met her was upon the females insistence, Jacob still highly desiring to keep her at a distance from the rest.

——-—-

"I just wish he had spontaneity." Hollie sighed out in almost defeat. "I used to find our schedule so fun, and how we would sneak about. But now it's boring." She said dejectedly, her new feelings regarding the matter, a clear reflection of the outside opinions she had at the moment.

"Why don't you let someone catch you?" Marie chimed out. "Pick a time when it's against your schedules and act on that." She nodded fervently at her own suggestion.

"I agree. The element of surprise and risk always makes it more exciting." Samantha said with a nod. "It will be more exciting for you both."

"Are you kidding me?" Hollie almost scoffed. "There is no surprise with Jacob." She sighed out in a flustered manner.

"Correction. There was no surprise. But, there was also no us." Marie retorted, holding no grounds in the conversation only due to her mates willful and complete submission to her. "You hold the pants, recognize that quickly, otherwise I cannot help you." Marie stated firmly and frankly, wanting Hollie to prove her own strength before she did anything else. 

"She's right." Elizabeth said softly. Understanding the woman's plight at present. "Let someone catch you. And then he'll go crazy. Right now, he has no competition..." she said with only the minor form of nods.

"I'll help." Marie said with a nod.

"You got me girl." Samantha added in response.

"I support you more than any other." Elizabeth stated frankly.