Third Person's Point Of View:

“Keep going, Sierra! You’re doing it! I’ve got you!”

Opening her eyes to the harsh, gray reality of the graveyard, the warmth of those memories vanished, replaced by the crushing truth that the only person who had ever truly made her feel safe was now lying beneath the cold, wet earth.

Everyone slowly began to leave, the crowd thinning until the cemetery grew eerily quiet. The heavy downpour finally tapered off, leaving behind a cold, damp stillness. Yet, Sierra remained right where she was, standing frozen like a statue. Beside her, her brothers and father stood as an unwavering wall, refusing to move an inch from her side.

Gently slipping out from under Rian’s protective arm, Sierra didn't say a word. She took a few wobbly, unsteady steps toward her mother’s fresh grave before her strength completely gave out, and she collapsed onto the wet dirt.

Pressing her cheek against the cold earth covering her mother, the floodgates broke. She wept hysterically, her chest heaving as she sobbed into the ground.

"Why did you leave me?"

She cried out, her raw voice trembling with grief.

"How am I supposed to live without you? Please, Mum..."

As her tears fell into the mud, a painful memory from the hospital room flooded her mind. She remembered her mother’s pale, weak face, still holding that soft, loving smile as she looked up at Sierra.

"Live a good, happy life, my sweet baby girl!"

Her mother had whispered softly, her thumb gently brushing Sierra's knuckles.

"Focus on your dreams..."

Then, her mother’s warm hand had slipped uselessly out of Sierra's grip, and the last breath of life left her body, leaving behind a deafening silence.

As Sierra sobbed on the grave, a heavy, warm hand settled gently onto her shoulder.

"You still have us..."

Her father, Raiden, said, his usually firm voice thick with choked emotion.

"Dada is with you."

The moment his skin made contact, Sierra recoiled violently, shoving his hand away with every bit of strength she had left.

"Don't touch me!"

She spat out, her voice trembling with raw pain and anger. She glaring up at him through tear-blurred eyes.

"Why are you here?"

Siden, her eldest brother, took a step closer, his eyes aching with unspoken heartbreak as he looked down at his crying little sister. His voice was thick, desperate to reach her.

"We are here to take you back home."

Hearing the word leave his mouth, Sierra let out a bitter, lifeless chuckle, fresh tears spilling over her wet cheeks.

"Home?"

She asked, her tone dripping with venom and sorrow.

"Which home are you talking about? My home is where I lived with my mother! I am not going anywhere, leaving my home.”

She declared stubbornly while glaring at them with determination filled eyes. Hearing it, her four brothers frowned with displeasure while her panicked father, Raiden, took a slow, heavy step forward, the wet mud squelching beneath his leather boots. His tall, broad frame bent slightly as he tried to soften his harsh, weathered face, his dark eyes brimming with a desperate, rare vulnerability as he tried to make her understand.

"Sierra, please!"

Her father, Raisen said, his voice thick with a choked, heavy plea that rasped in his throat.

"You can't live alone. It's not safe, and you are far too young to be on your own in a cold house."

He tried to convince her but a stubborn Sierra refused to buy any of it.

"I won't come with you, no matter what!”

Sierra shot back instantly, her voice cutting through the damp chill as she pushed herself up from the damp ground with shaking hands. Her icy blue eyes burned through the gloom of the graveyard, fixing like cold daggers on the three massive men standing in a silent row behind him.

"None of you."

Her brother, the youngest of the triplets, Rian took a sudden step into her personal space. His broad shoulders squared, his jaw twitching violently as a thick muscle clenched beneath his skin. He looked down at her fragile, mud-stained frame, his voice laced with a volatile mixture of wounded heart, deep hurt, and rigid, instinctual anger upon his little sister's rejection at even recognising them as brothers.

"We are your brothers, Sierra!"

He said, his desperate eyes searching her pale face.

"We are your family."

He insisted in a voice laced with yearning while looking at her with a tired look in his eyes, feeling defeated. Hearing it, Sierra let out a cold, sharp laugh, a sound so bitter and hollow it cut straight through the heavy, rain-soaked air.

"Brothers?"

She spat out, the word tumbling from her trembling lips like a venomous curse while glaring at the fiercely with accusation filled eyes.

"Where were you when I was sick in the middle of the night and mom had to rush me to the hospital all alone? Where were you when I was admitted to the hospital and mom had to take care of me while taking care of the medical bills all alone? Where were you when I cried late at night because I was alone? Where were you when I woke up in the middle of the night due to nightmares? Where were you when the kids at school bullied me endlessly? Where were you when I was pushed and hurt by bullies!"

Her voice cracked, rising in pitch as sixteen years of buried agony finally surfaced.

"Where were you when people called me dirty blood? Where were you when my mother and I needed you the most?!"

Siden, Senan and Rian, her three brothers, flinched at her accusation as if struck by a physical whip, their eyes instantly dropping to the muddy ground beneath their feet. The heavy, suffocating silence that followed was deafening. Not a single one of them could offer an answer, the crushing weight of their past negligence hung over their massive shoulders like iron chains.

Sierra turned her burning, tear-streaked gaze back to her father, Raiden, her pale lips trembling with pure, unadulterated disgust as she glared fiercely at her father before saying.

"And you…"

She hissed, pointing a trembling, mud-splattered finger straight at her father's broad chest.

"You chose the fucking responsibility of being a freaking Beta of the Blood Moon pack over your sick wife, your mate whom you claimed to love endlessly! You never once visited us to check how we were doing, whether we were even alive! I can't bring myself to live with a man like you! If I did, my mom's soul would cry, she would never be at peace."

Hearing it, Raiden’s eyes tested up and he quickly snapped his head down, his eyes closing tightly in silent, agonizing pain as her words tore straight through his heart. He had no defense, no counterargument. He had stayed behind for duty and rank, and in doing so, he had completely lost the trust of the only daughter his late wife had left behind.

Saying this, Sierra turned sharply on her heel, her dark wavy hair whipping around her face as she tried to walk away, her pale expression set in hard stone.

Before she could take more than two agonizing steps, a large, calloused hand clamped around her slender wrist like a heavy steel shackle, bringing her to a complete, jarring halt. Her youngest brother Rian held her firmly yet gently in such a way that it won't hurt her, knowing he would never be able to forgive himself if he ever hurt her even by mistake. While his other hand balled into a fist, his knuckles white, his dark brows drawn tight together as he stopped her and stared down at her with a mix of desperation and authority of not the delta of the Blood Moon Pack but a younger brother.

"You are only sixteen, Sierra!"

He stated coldly, his tone leaving absolutely no room for debate or argument which made Sierra frown while he continued.

"Legally, you are still a minor who needs a guardian. You can't live alone, so you have no other choice but to go with us."

He remained her bitterly. Sierra didn't back down for a single second. She lifted her head, staring straight into his dark, storm-filled eyes, her clear blue gaze colder than the winter rain.

"I will go to an orphanage!"

She said, her voice dropping to a deadly, razor-sharp whisper that carried absolute conviction, her words sent a wave of shock among her brothers while remaining blind to it, she added bitterly.

"An orphanage is much better than living with any of you. I am not going with you!"

She declared and with a sudden, violent burst of desperation, she began struggling wildly in his iron grip making him frown with concern, worrying that she would hurt herself like this. Being oblivious to it, she twisted her thin wrist back and forth, shoving her free hand against his stone-hard chest with every ounce of strength her small, exhausted body possessed.

Infuriated by her complete rejection, the bitter truth of her words, and the unbearable ache of her hatred, her youngest brother Rian's last shred of patience finally snapped. His dark eyes flashed with a sudden, dominant heat.

"Let me see how you won't come with us!"

He growled low under his breath, his voice vibrating with pure determination.

In one swift, fluid motion, he reached down and hauled her body off her feet. Before she could even process the sudden shift in gravity, he threw her over his broad shoulder like she weighed nothing at all, locking one thick arm firmly around the back of her legs.

"Put me down! Let me go!"

Sierra screamed, her raw voice echoing fiercely across the silent, empty cemetery.

She kicked her legs wildly against the empty air, her small boots thrashing as she hammered her tiny, furious fists repeatedly against his rock-hard back, yelling at him to stop and let her go.

He didn't flinch, nor did he break his stride for a single second. Holding her in an unshakeable grip, he carried her straight toward the sleek, pitch-black Mercedes-Benz idling at the edge of the cemetery path, while Siden, Senan, and Raiden followed closely behind, ensuring she didn't hurt herself while hitting his stone-like back.

As Rian reached the sleek black Mercedes-Benz with Sierra thrown over his shoulder, one of the pack warriors quickly stepped forward, bowing his head respectfully as he held the rear door open. Rian adjusted his grip, leaning down to place her into the backseat.

"Put me down! If you force me back to that pack, I swear to God I’ll kill myself!"

Sierra screamed, her voice raw, sharp, and laced with frantic desperation.

"I’ll do it! I won't go back!"

Hearing her threat, Rian froze mid-motion. A sudden wave of sheer, paralyzing panic washed over his face, his dark eyes widening in horror as his heart slammed against his ribs. Beside him, Siden and Senan stood utterly bewildered, frozen in shock as the grave weight of her threat echoed through the cold air. Terror gripped all three brothers, the thought of losing her permanently chilled them to the bone.

Raiden commanded. Panicked and completely terrified that she might actually carry out her words, Rian halted in his tracks. On the other hand, a worried Raiden quickly commanded his son in a hurried voice.

“Let go of her, Rian!”

Hearing it, Senan and Siren nodded their heads at Rian, agreeing with their father. Seeing this, carefully, almost frantically, Rian eased his grip on Sierra and slowly set her feet back onto the wet ground.

The moment her boots hit the dirt, Sierra furiously wiped the heavy stream of tears from her face using her arms, her chest heaving with ragged, choking breaths while muttering in a furious voice.

“I hate you guys!”

She cried bitterly which made them frown, while after saying this, she didn't wait for them to recover from the shock. Turning on her heel, she sprinted away into the misty gloom as fast as her small legs could carry her.

"Sierra! Wait!"

Senan yelled, his voice cracking with desperation.

Instantly, Senan bolted forward, his instincts driving him to run behind her, with Siden and Rian right on his heels. But before Senan could take more than a few explosive strides, Raiden moved. With swift authority, their father thrust his heavy, broad arm directly across Senan’s chest, forcefully stopping his son in his tracks.

"Dad, let me go! She's running away!"

Senan growled, struggling against his father's iron barrier, his eyes wild with fear as he watched her small figure vanish into the trees.

"Stop!"

Raiden commanded, his voice strained and heavy with suppressed agony.

"If you push her right now while she's like this, she might hurt herself. Let her breathe and have some alone time so she could process everything and sort her thoughts."

He suggested. Hearing it, Rain nodded his head at his father in understanding while Senan slammed his fist against his side in sheer frustration, breathing heavily as all four men stood helplessly in the cold wind, watching the empty tree line where their baby sister had disappeared.

Sierra spent the remainder of the agonizing day huddled at the top of the nearby hill, the one place she and her mother used to sit together to watch the sunset. Only when night fell and the icy wind became unbearable did she drag her exhausted, shivering body back down toward her now empty deserted home which was nothing more than a block of walls without her mother and her warmth.

Exhausted, she pushed open the front door of the quiet house, expecting the comforting silence of her mother’s memory. Instead, the heavy, suffocating tension in the living room hit her instantly.

Standing beneath the dim light were four towering figures. Siden and Senan were nervously pacing the floor back and forth, their hands stuffed deep into their pockets, their knuckles white with anxiety, while Rian and her father, Raiden, sat stiffly on the edge of the sofa, their faces drawn with tight, exhausted lines.

Sierra froze at the threshold, her hand tightening on the brass doorknob as a fresh wave of anger flared in her chest.

"What are you guys doing inside my house?"

Sierra demanded, her voice trembling with a volatile mixture of exhaustion and fury.

As soon as they heard her voice, their head snapped up, only to find the tired, haggard Sierra with red flushed face, seeing it Raiden frown and stood up immediately, his tall frame looming in the small room as he took a cautious, desperate step toward her. His dark eyes were bloodshot, his voice thick with uncharacteristic relief.

"Sierra... you're back!"

To be continued….

Third Person's Point Of View:

"Sierra... you're back!"

Raiden breathed out, his hand instinctively reaching toward her before he checked himself and pulled it back, terrified of setting her off.

"We were out of our minds with worry. We didn't know where you went…."

He was rambling on but was cut off by a cold voice of an Angry Sierra…

"I asked you what you are doing in my house!"

Sierra snapped, her icy blue eyes cutting through him like razor-sharp blades. She glared past him at her other two brothers and father, who stood in stiff, guilty silence.

"Get out. All of you. Get the hell out of my house and get the hell out of my life!"

She roared but none of them moved. Siden opened his mouth as if to plead with her, but the words caught in his dry throat. Rian looked down at the floorboards, unable to meet her furious gaze, while Senan remained rooted to the spot, his jaw clenched tight with painful helplessness. They stood like silent, unyielding statues, unwilling to leave her alone in her grief, yet completely paralyzed by the burning hatred in her eyes.

Letting out a harsh breath of pure frustration, Sierra realized arguing with these immovable walls was useless. She shoved past her father's shoulder, stomped up the wooden staircase, and slammed her bedroom door shut behind her, twisting the lock with a loud click to shut the world and her so-called family out.

…..

Night settled heavily over the house, wrapping every corner in suffocating silence.

Downstairs, the scent of an untouched dinner lingered in the air. Raiden had gone up to Sierra’s room hours ago, knocking softly on the wooden door, his voice strained as he called out to her to eat. But no sound came from inside. Sierra remained seated on the hard floor, resting her back firmly against the door frame. She knew her presence was pinned right there, her brothers, with their sharp werewolf senses, could hear her steady breathing through the wood, keeping them from trying to force the lock open without hurting her.

Defeated and heavy-hearted, no one had the appetite to eat. One by one, her father and brothers retreated into the downstairs guest rooms, the quiet hum of the house settling into an uneasy sleep.

At midnight, Sierra finally moved.

Silently, she packed her essential belongings into a small duffel bag. Taking painstaking care with every step, her bare feet glided over the wooden floorboards, making not a single sound as she slipped out of her bedroom and went downstairs before creeping into her mother’s bedroom down the hall.

The moment she stepped across the threshold, the faint, lingering scent of lavender hit her, making tears instantly gather in her eyes. She stood still, taking a long, painful last look at the room where her mother had smiled, comforted her, and lived. Moving toward the bed, Sierra reached out and picked up a framed photograph from the bedside table. A picture of her and Sienna, laughing together on a sunlit afternoon.

With trembling fingers, she caressed her mother’s face in the photo, a single tear slipping down her cheek. Wiping her eyes determinedly with the back of her hand, she tucked the picture safely inside her duffel bag and zipped it shut.

Slinging the strap over her shoulder, Sierra tiptoed to the window. Because she knew those four unruly, huge ass werewolves must have locked the front door and her mother's bedroom was on the ground floor, it was her only way out. She unlocked the frame with slow, deliberate precision, eased the glass open, and climbed out into the cool night air.

Her feet landed softly on the grass. She took a deep breath, turning toward the perimeter gate.

At that exact moment, the front door of the house creaked open.

Senan had come downstairs after his sharp werewolf hearing picked up faint, unusual noises echoing through the quiet house. Suspicious, he had rushed to her bedroom first, only to find it completely empty. Panic surging through his veins, he had frantically searched every room in the house, his heart hammering in his chest. When he couldn't find her inside, he bolted out the front door, catching her sweet, familiar scent lingering heavily in the yard.

His eyes locked onto her small figure moving through the shadows.

The second Sierra caught sight of him standing at the doorway, her eyes widened in terror. She didn't hesitate, she dashed toward the front gate as fast as her legs could carry her.

"Sierra!"

Senan didn't just run. Pushing off the porch steps with explosive power, he leaped into the air, his body shifting mid-flight into a massive, muscular grey wolf. He landed on the grass with a heavy thud, his powerful paws tearing up the lawn as he charged directly after her.

Panicking, Sierra reached the front gate, her hands trembling violently as she fumbled with the stubborn metal latch.

"Come on, open! Please, open!"

She sobbed out, struggling against the cold iron.

Before her small fingers could slide the lock free, a shadow towered over her.

With a low, booming huff, Senan’s massive wolf form leaped, gently pinning her to the soft grass under his massive paws. Before she could scream, the giant wolf leaned down and swept a huge, warm tongue straight across her face, slobbering all over her cheek in a burst of affectionate triumph.

"Eww! Stop it! Get off me, you giant wolfie!"

Sierra shrieked, squirming furiously beneath his weight and trying to push his gigantic snout away.

Her loud, indignant shrieks echoed across the quiet yard, instantly rousing the rest of the house. Footsteps thundered inside, and within seconds, Raiden, Siden, and Rian came rushing into the living room, throwing the front door wide open to see what had happened.

The scene that greeted them made the heavy tension in the room instantly snap.

Walking back through the front doorway was Senan’s gigantic wolf, carrying a thoroughly drenched, grumbling Sierra back into the house. He held her delicately by the back collar of her jacket in his massive jaws, dangling her off the floor like a stubborn, unruly pup.

Sierra’s arms were crossed tightly over her chest, her face scowling in absolute outrage, her small boots swinging uselessly in the air as she glared daggers at everything in sight.

Seeing their fierce, sharp-tongued little sister looking so utterly defeated and grumpy in their brother's mouth, a soft, involuntary chuckle broke out from Sidan and Rian, while even Raiden's stern lips twitched with a rare, quiet warmth.

"Put me down, you silly, oversized wolf!"

Sierra snapped, her brow furrowed into a deep, furious frown as Senan carefully lowered her onto the living room rug, looking immensely proud of himself.

...

The heavy, suffocating silence in the room was broken only by the sound of Sierra’s ragged breaths.

"Close your eyes, baby!"

Siden called out gently, his voice dropping into a low, soothing murmur that carried the tender weight of an elder brother trying desperately to protect his sister.

Sierra didn't hesitate. Recognizing the protective shift in his tone, she quickly slapped both of her small hands over her face, pressing her palms against her eyes to block out the view completely.

Behind her, Senan released his grip and shifted back into his human form in a fluid blur of dark gray fur, straining muscle, and snapping bone. Stepping into the shadowy entryway where a pair of dark jeans had been left, he pulled them up over his lean legs and zipped them into place. Sierra, unable to fight off the surge of sheer curiosity, parted her slender fingers just a tiny fraction, peeking through the narrow gap.

The sight of her sharp, icy-blue eyes peeking cautiously through her fingers did not go unnoticed. A quiet, collective chuckle broke out from her three brothers and her father, a soft, fleeting moment of genuine warmth that briefly cut through the thick, agonizing tension lingering in the air.

Realizing she had been caught and that he was fully clothed, Sierra dropped her hands instantly, her cheeks flushing as she fixed a harsh, defensive glare onto the wooden floorboards beneath her boots.

Senan stepped into the center of the living room, crossing his massive, tattooed arms tightly across his broad chest as he looked down at her fragile frame. His face was a stoic, unyielding mask, his dark eyes fixed on her as he demanded in a single, heavy word…

"Explain.”

Sierra immediately snapped her head to the side, her jaw clenching tightly as she tilted her chin up in stubborn defiance.

"There's nothing to explain."

Siden took a slow step forward, breaking his rigid stance and positioning himself directly in her line of sight. The stoic, impenetrable leader mask he usually wore completely cracked, exposing a look of raw, deeply wounded agony. His throat worked as he swallowed down a thick knot of sorrow, his dark eyes gleaming with an unspoken heartbreak that cut straight through the cold air between them.

"Are you really this desperate to get away from us, Baby?"

He asked, his voice laced with a fragile, bitter hurt that resonated through the quiet room.

Before Sierra could summon another sharp, venomous reply, Raiden let out a heavy, bone-deep sigh, a sound carrying the unbearable weight of nine long years of buried grief. The deep, weathered lines carved into his face seemed to sink even deeper beneath the dim overhead lighting of the living room.

"I have something for you, my Angel!"

Her father said quietly, his low, gravelly voice thick with suppressed emotion.

Turning on his heel, Raiden walked slowly toward the guest room down the hall. The living room fell into an agonizing, motionless silence, the heavy ticking of the clock echoing loudly until he returned. In his calloused hand, he held a carefully folded piece of paper, preserved with painstaking care. He stepped toward Sierra, stopping just a few inches away, and gently held it out to her.

"It's from your mother!"

He murmured softly.

Sierra’s breath hitched sharply in her throat, the air freezing in her lungs. With trembling, hesitant hands, she reached out and took the letter. Her small fingers brushed the edges of the paper, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs like a trapped bird.

Unfolding the page, a sharp, suffocating knot formed in her chest as her eyes landed on the familiar, elegant handwriting. It was undeniably Sienna’s. Her mother had written these exact words to Raiden before slipping away from this world forever.

‘My Dearest Raiden,

I am so sorry. Please forgive me for being unable to fulfill my promise of returning back to you after recovering. I am sorry that I couldn't fight this disease for you anymore. I didn't want you to see me in this condition as I go through the treatment knowing every moment of it will kill you. I didn't want you to see me coughing blood. I didn't want you to see me going bald. I didn't want you to see my sick body getting weaker and weaker knowing every moment of this will kill you a thousand times. That's why I had left you and I don't regret it. What I regret is taking your angel away from you. I thought our daughter was too young to live without a mother so I took her with me to the human world but I think I made a mistake.

Even though she doesn't say it, I know she misses you and her brothers. She misses her home so now when I am gone, please take her back to her home, where she belongs. I know you love her a lot and will take care of her but I want to ask you to love yourself a little too. Please, do not wait for me anymore, and move on in your life with your second-chance mate. Don't live alone. One's life doesn't end with someone's passing. Time doesn't stop for anyone…’

Hot, heavy tears welled in Sierra's eyes, spilling rapidly over her long lashes and tracing scorching wet paths down her pale cheeks as she stared at her mother's dark ink. A suffocating, crushing wave of sheer guilt crashed over her soul as the painful truth unravelled in front of her, she had wrongly accused her father of abandoning them, cursing him, hating him, and spitting venom in his face, when all along he had been silently honoring her mother's desperate, agonizing sacrifice to shield his heart from watching her wither away.

She lifted her tear-blurred eyes, looking up briefly at her father standing before her. The towering man she had spent years despising stood with his head slightly bowed, his dark eyes brimming with unshed tears, red-rimmed with an agonizing sorrow he had kept buried deep inside his chest for nine painful years just to fulfill his wife's final wish.

Swallowing the thick, suffocating lump in her throat, Sierra forced her trembling gaze back down to read the remainder of the page, her hands shaking violently against the thin paper.

‘Now that I am not around, our little Sierra is completely alone in this world. She is a very sensible child. She might look strong but she is very emotional. I am worried she won't be able to take this blow. I know she must be broken and crying after my passing. I don't want her to cry anymore. I don't want her to hurt. You have to pull her out of this grief. She needs you, Raiden. She needs her brothers to give her the strength to face this bitter truth of life. She needs your love to move on in life, I know you all love her a lot and would protect her with your life. Please take good care of our baby girl. Tell her, her momma loves her and will be watching over her from the heavens…’

A sharp sob broke from Sierra's chest, her heart shattering into a thousand pieces. Even at her very last breath, when pain was consuming her, her mother had still been worrying about her, terrified of leaving her baby girl alone without anyone by her side to protect her.

Sierra’s blurred vision reached the final lines of the letter.

If life ever gives me a second chance, I want to be with you again, as your mate.

Unable to hold it in any longer, Sierra pressed the letter tightly against her chest, collapsing into a violent fit of weeping. The sheer weight of her mother’s love, sacrifice, and lingering worry crushed every bit of fight left in her body.

Raiden immediately dropped to his knees in front of her. Gently, his large, warm hand patted her back before he pulled her small, shivering frame into his arms. He held her close, letting her tears soak into his shirt, before pulling back just enough to look into her tear-filled, ocean-blue eyes.

"This was Sienna’s last wish, Sierra!"

Raiden whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

"She wanted us to be together."

Beside them, Rian dropped to his knees as well. His usual cold, formidable guard was completely shattered, his dark eyes filled with a desperate, pleading tenderness as he looked at his little sister.

"Will you come back with us to our home?"

Rian asked softly, his voice trembling slightly.

"The home we want to give you... the home that has been waiting for you for the past eight years?"

Sierra looked at her mother's letter pressed against her heart, then at the four giant, tear-eyed men kneeling around her, the family her mother had trusted to shield her when she no longer could.

Slowly, through her heavy sobbing, Sierra nodded her head.

The tension in the room snapped instantly. Relief washed over Rian’s face as he reached out and scooped her up into his arms, wrapping his strong, iron-like grip around her tiny form. He pulled her tightly against his chest, enveloping her in a fierce, protective embrace, hiding his baby sister from the cold world, just as they had promised their mother they always would.

To be continued….

Third Person's Point Of View:

The morning sun crept painfully through white translucent curtains into the lilac room, illuminating a sleepless night. Sierra sat motionless on the edge of her soft, lavender bed, her small, fragile body exhausted and hollow. She hadn't slept a single second. Her ocean-blue eyes were heavily swollen from hours of silent weeping, her pale cheeks flushed a tender red, and deep, dark shadows bruised the skin beneath her eyes, bearing witness to the grief that had consumed her until dawn.

Her bags were packed and zipped, sitting heavily on the floor. Everything was tucked away, except for the very last thing resting on her bedside table.

With trembling, hesitant fingers, Sierra reached out and picked up the photo frame. It was the last picture ever taken of her and her mother, their smiles frozen in a time when life was soft and safe. She held it near her chest, her knuckles turning white as she caressed the cool glass.

A soft, hesitant knock echoed at the doorway before Raiden stepped inside. Sierra didn't look up, her breath hitching as her father’s heavy footsteps crossed the quiet room. He stopped beside her, looking down at her exhausted, tear-stained face with a wave of fatherly helplessness.

Gently, Raiden reached out, placing his broad, calloused hand over her head, caressing her dark hair with a tender warmth.

"She is still with us, Sierra!"

Raiden said, his low voice thick with a quiet, comforting conviction.

"She will always be with us."

He tried to comfort her while looking down at her with moist eyes. Sierra’s chest heaved as fresh, burning tears welled in her swollen eyes. The sheer weight of her grief, combined with the gentle touch she had missed for eight long years, broke down the last of her defenses. Without a word, she leaned forward and buried her face into her father’s chest, wrapping her free arm around his waist.

Raiden immediately pulled her tight against his broad frame, his strong arms wrapping around her like a protective shield. Sierra’s other hand remained locked over her heart, clutching her mother's picture frame so tightly it felt welded to her chest.

Downstairs, a heavy, somber silence blanketed the rest of the house. Her brothers moved with quiet, respectful care, taking charge of wrapping the furniture and securing the home. Every chair, every framed painting, every quiet corner held a piece of Sienna. Siden and Rian carried her heavy luggage out to the driveway, loading the trunk of the sleek black Mercedes with meticulous precision, trying to make the process as seamless as possible for their fragile little baby sister.

When the time finally came to step out, Sierra stood at the threshold, her feet feeling as heavy as lead.

Her heart hammered against her ribs in a chaotic rhythm of hesitation and deep ache. This wasn't just a house, this was the home she had created with her mother, each piece of this home was meticulously and carefully decorated by her and her mother. It was the place where she had spent eight precious years of her life. Every scrape on the floorboards, every splash of paint on the kitchen walls, every scent of lavender clinging to the curtains held the living memory of her mother.

Even though it was agonizing and painful to step foot in rooms that now echoed with loss, her heart still hesitated fiercely to walk away from the home where her mother took her last breath. Leaving meant leaving the very last physical place where her mother's presence still felt tangible and alive.

Her breath caught in a sharp, painful gasp as she looked back down the dimly lit hallway one last time, her tear-blurred eyes tracing the doorway of her deceased mother's room.

Senan stood outside near the rear of the car, watching the raw, agonizing conflict playing out on her weary face. His dark eyes softened with profound sympathy. Beside her, Raiden stood quietly, letting her absorb the memories. He didn't rush her, instead he placed his heavy arm around her shoulder generally before saying softly in his husky voice…

“We can come here whenever you feel like! You can visit this place with your brothers whenever you miss it and spend your vacations here!”

He offered which made her look up at her father with year filled eyes, who was smiling down at her softly making her feel touched, her heart full swelled with both happiness and guilt. With tears in her eyes, she slowly nodded her head at her father in agreement before taking a deep breath and slowly turning around and walking towards the car.

Taking a deep, ragged breath to steady her exhausted frame, Sierra forced her trembling legs to move. Step by slow step, she walked out onto the porch, clutching the photo frame to her heart as she left her haven behind.

Seeing her coming, Senan quickly stepped forward quietly and opened the backseat door for her, holding it open without rushing her, giving her all the space she needed while feeling eager knowing his little baby sister was going back with them.

Siden placed his palm over her head beneath the door frame of the car, silently shielding her so her head wouldn't hit the car door and get hurt as she silently slid into the leather backseat, holding her mother’s picture tightly against her chest. Senan carefully closed the door with a quiet thud, cutting off the outside cold wind. Moments later, Raiden and her brothers took their seats, and the heavy hum of the engine came to life.

As the car pulled out of the driveway, Sierra turned her head, her swollen eyes locked onto the shrinking frame of her home through the tinted glass until it completely vanished behind the bend, leaving eight years of precious memories behind as the long journey to the Blood Moon pack officially began.

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.

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The quiet inside the car was suffocating, broken only by the rhythmic hum of tires against wet asphalt and the soft, heavy breaths from the back seat.

A tiny, fragile she sat squeezed between the giant frames of her two older brothers, Rian and Senan. To anyone else, the four men in the car were cold, unreadable monoliths, unshakable and distant. But right now, all four were completely, utterly terrified.

Rian, sitting to her left, stared fixedly out the rain-streaked window. His broad shoulders were tense under his tailored black suit, his large hands resting stiffly on his knees. He desperately wanted to pull her into a hug, to wrap his arm around her to comfort her the way he used to when she was small enough to carry on his hip.

But the quiet, wooden distance in her posture made his hands freeze. He didn't know if touching her would comfort her or push her further away, so he refrained himself from doing so and making her feel uncomfortable, feeling scared thinking she might hate him.

To her right, Senan silently but carefully unclipped the soft lavender fleece travel blanket from the door pocket which he had spatially prepared beforehand for his baby sister knowing she loved this colour and soft things and will need it in this chilly weather as they travel.

With painstaking, awkward gentleness, he draped it over her knees, his long fingers hovering for a second near her shoulder before pulling back as if burned. He opened his mouth to say something…

‘Are you cold? Did you eat anything? We can stop anywhere you want…’

But the words caught in his throat, choked by the lump of grief and helplessness. So he just cleared his throat quietly and leaned back, his dark eyes brimming with unspoken concern.

In the front seat, Siden drove at a strict, cautious speed, his knuckles white against the leather steering wheel. Every few seconds, his eyes darted to the rearview mirror, checking on his little baby sister.

They were eleven years older than her. When their mother had been sick, she left them with her and today when she had eventually come back to them after their mother passed as her last sigh, she was already a 16 years old teenager.

But in their eyes she was still that small girl who used to roam around them all day long calling them brother, demanding for a piggy back ride, waiting for them at the door step, not eating her meals without them and asking for a bribe of chocolate to hide their night visits to parties and girlfriends.

Even if she was grown up, she was still a kid to them and they had sworn to shield their little sister from every harsh reality in the world. They were used to taking care of her, spoiling her, guarding her like the precious, fragile center of their universe when she was a kid and would still do as the last living piece of their mother.

When she had left years ago, the house had felt utterly hollow. Rian had paced her empty bedroom for weeks, Senan had kept her favorite snacks in the pantry until they expired, Siden had buried himself in work, refusing to talk about how much her absence bled into everything. They had bawled like helpless children in their rooms, the day she walked away, a piece of their hearts torn out.

Now, she was back, sitting right next to them. Yet the space between them felt like an ocean.

The brothers were aloof and naturally didn't know how to break this ice cold silence and start a conversation with their baby sister. They didn't know how to cross this cold, cast ocean and reach her heart but fate gave them a chance when the car jolted slightly over a pothole and all three brothers moved instantly. Rian's arm snapped out across the passenger seat as a reflex, Senan’s hand hovered instinctively behind her head to shield her from the window, Siden’s hand braced against the seat in front.

It was pure, instinctual, protective brotherhood.

They all moved their heads back to glance at her as if to check if she was okay. From the front passenger seat her father Raiden asked in a worried voice while looking at her with concern filled eyes.

“Are you okay baby???”

Hearing it, Sierra passed him a small soft assuring smile before saying in a low awkward voice still finding it hard to converse with them but deciding to get along with him and give him the daughter he deserved instead of unjustly punishing him for the crime he never did…

“I Am Fine Dad.”

Hearing it Raiden nodded his head at her in understanding and turn his attention back to road and the other three did the same but this time their heart was at peace hearing the way she addressed their dad, even if it was not that affectionate as when she was a kid it was still a Good start. It gave them hope that now they can finally mend their broken bond back.

As the car smoothed out, the silence fell over them again but I was not heavy like before but a comfortable one. None of them knew how to bridge the gap but they were willing to try. None of them knew how to say, We missed you, we love you, and we’re losing our minds trying to figure out how to make you feel safe again but they didn't need to use words, their actions were enough to tell her that they love her, they care for her.

Rian quickly took out a purple plush toy and placed it behind her back so her back won't be sore from seating for long as they travel while Senan passed her a magenta, cute neck pillow so her neck won't hurt while Saiden who didn't want to be left out, feeling the crisis seeing his two barbaric traitorous brothers trying to steal their little sister all to themselves, coughed a little gathering her attention and quickly took out a bottle of chocolate milk and a pack of cheese sandwich from the front which he had prepared beforehand and handed it to her in back saying in a somewhat awkward yet caring husky voice…

“Eat it! You didn't have anything for breakfast, you must be hungry!”

He offered which made his father frown, seeing how these three brats were trying to steal his precious daughter for themselves but at the same time felt relieved seeing the way they were caring for their baby sister. On the other hand, Sierra accepted it gladly and offered him a soft smile while saying in a gentle melodious voice, feeling happy after seeing their thoughtfulness.

“Thank you Big Brother!”

Hearing what she called him, the usually aloof and cold Saiden let out a big goofy smile and passed a smug look to both of his brothers in the back seat through the rear view mirror only to find them already shooting angry murderous glares at him, feeling jealous. Not to be left behind, Rian quickly told her softly in a hurried voice, trying to sound considerate but feeling really jealous of his brother who just got called ‘Big Brother’ by their precious baby sister.

“If you don't like it, you don't have to eat it. We can stop the car at a nearby cafe. You can order anything you want to eat. You can have whatever you like. Big Brother will get you your favourite snacks.”

He offered or more like tried to bribe her like a kid and it made her smile widely while other two frown with displeasure seeing his heinous crime of trying to bribe their baby sister, and made a mental note that they shouldn't leave their baby sister alone in this stupid, morally corrupt brother’s care. She can't be in his company or he would influence her badly...

On the other hand, a genuine smile spread across her lips after hearing his words. Even though he didn't say it, she could literally see, ‘call me big brother too! Call me big brother too!’ written all over his face which made her feel amused and she chuckled a little before saying in a genuinely happy voice while looking at him with her sparkling blue eyes which didn't look dead for once.

“Sure Brother! You can buy me a bottle of orange juice at the next stop.”

She stated, accepting his order gladly instead of just rejecting it, feeling warmth in her heart seeing their love and care. Today she felt like a missing piece of her heart was back.

Seeing this her dad and brothers felt happy. It was killing them seeing her crying. They didn't know how to console her. Now seeing her smiling happily, they felt relief. It was the first time they saw her smiling after they met her in 24 hours. And their heart felt happy seeing she was coming around, cozying up to them while coping with their mother's death.

They were also sad after losing their mother but they had been away from her for eight years so it wasn't as hard in them as Sierra who had been with her mother since she came to this world, she was closes to her, her world revolved around her, so her loss was bigger than theirs and they knew they need to be strong for her and try to fill the empty hole in her life which her mother's sudden demise left.

With it the atmosphere in the car turned warm and they all happily headed to the Blue Moon Pack.

To be continued….