Raine after thunder

Ten years ago

Michael Wingers POV

The forest drank the sound of her cries. Damp earth swallowed footsteps; leaves rustled overhead like whispered secrets in the fading light.

"Mummy! Where are you? Mummy!"

Raine Connors darted between the trees, small trainers squelching in moss, voice cracking higher with every unanswered call. Nine years old, slight and sharp-featured, her jet-black hair stuck to tear-wet cheeks. Wide dark eyes scanned the endless green, still believing foolishly that this was only a game.

"Mummy, hide-and-seek is finished! You have won, all right? Come out!"

Her pleas dissolved into sobs. She spun in place, clutching the hem of her dress, searching for the familiar figure that never appeared.

I watched from the shadow of an ancient oak, arms folded, breathing measured. The scent of her fear cut through the air, salt, iron, and beneath it all, something fragile and floral.

Deciding it's time I made my move I stepped into a shaft of dying sunlight. "Hello, little pup. Are you lost?"

She startled, scrubbing at her face with the back of one hand. "Mummy is gone. I cannot find her."

"Where did you last see her?"

"We were playing hide-and-seek. She told me to hide behind a tree and count to a hundred while she found a spot. But it has been ages." Her lip quivered.

The words landed like a dull blade. Andrea Connors had not gone to find a hiding spot, She had left the girl here on purpose, our arrangement was simple, I take the girl, Andrea never tells anyone what's happened and acts like a grieving mother hoping for the return of her child.

I crouched to her level, keeping just enough distance to seem harmless. "That must be frightening. How about I help you look? Two pairs of eyes are better than one."

Hope flickered across her face, fragile as new leaves. "Yes, please."

Little Raine, so innocently unaware of what her life will now become. In a sick and twisted way I know I possess I'm excited for the pain that only gets worse from here. I look at her pale skin luminous in the gloom, eyes so dark they seemed to swallow light. Midnight pack blood ran thick in her veins: beta lineage on both sides, latent power she had not yet glimpsed. Eric Connors would raise forests to find her. Andrea would have to feign ignorance. Our shared history demanded silence and when I claimed the one thing she could never replace.

I extended my hand. Small fingers curled into mine, warm, trusting. "Come along, little one. Let's find your mummy."

We moved deeper into the trees, away from any path that led home. Andrea might regret this choice, after all Raine is her blood however Time would reveal who suffered most, mother or daughter.