Welcome back to Tuesday Tales!  This weeks prompt is Field.

It’s Dell’s turn. His father arrived only to send Leilyn to her knees with a forceful push of alpha power meant to incapacitate. Dell wants answers–but he already knows some of them. Memories can be tricky things.:

Dell paced the length of the small lean-to outside Olive’s. The field behind where just minutes ago their pack and the pack’s human families had been playing now sat empty. His father’s rush of power had sent everyone scattering to shelter.

As for himself, Dell’s stomach still twisted into knots. He didn’t understand why he’d physically felt Leilyn’s pain at the forceful blast sent her direction, but Dell’d been sure he was going to throw up. He had to give the girl credit for holding it together.

Although, she hadn’t held completely together. When Olive had snapped herself out of the impact as quick as she always did, she’d been the one helping Leilyn to her feet, while simultaneously scolding Jasper.

“Care to tell me why you withheld information?” Jasper closed the door behind him and walked away from the building.

Dell had the temporary urge to stick close and make sure Leilyn was all right. In the end, he was more compelled to keep their conversation safe from her sensitive ears and trust Olive’s care. Dell hop-stepped after his father and matched pace with him. “Would you care to tell my why you accosted her?”

“Olive says you forced your hand a bit, too. Don’t sass me, boy.” Jasper slowed when they topped the rise across the field where just half an hour ago Bryon had taken his tumble. He turned on Dell. “You failed to tell me she was pack.”

“I wasn’t entirely sure.” Dell clenched his jaw and turned back toward the house.

“You knew.”

“I suspected—and not as furiously as you. What was that? Why did you do that to her?”

“Because she’s supposed to be dead.”

Dell’s stomach flipped, then dropped to the ground. Cold seeped into his fingers, and he clenched and unclenched them to get the blood flowing again. “Excuse me?”

“I saw her die. So did you, I’m surprised you don’t remember.” Jasper shook his head and set his hand on Dell’s shoulder. “You were only four.”

Dell didn’t know what to say or do. His gut said one thing, but he didn’t know how to broach it.

“It was during the war. We were tasked with guarding the southern borders.” Jasper’s eye twitched. “We got word in June of 1863 that Confederates would be crossing round near Derby. We let them.”

Dell frowned. “If our orders were to protect, why?”

“Because instinct told me to stay and protect my pack. My instinct was right. Information doesn’t come so easily as it did about Hines’ raid. Another pack wanted the men away so they could attack our pack and have our young.”

A rush of memory flew forward so fast, Dell had to close his eyes. He could picture the scruffy, patchy fur of the Werewolves that had attacked. Screams from families that couldn’t shift fast enough.

“I’ve only seen eyes as green as that girls on two people. Her, and her mother.”

“Her name is Leilyn.”

“It was Mohegan, we called her Megan. Her mother was pack, her father was an Indian. They both died in the attack with her.”

“She is…” The words trailed off and Dell struggled to finish.

“I know.” Jasper squeezed Dell’s shoulder. “It’s no wonder you thought you were confused by other feelings. You knew when she was born, even though you were young. Our families were close. You were devastated when your mate was killed in front of you, and there you were too young to change. I wasn’t sure you’d ever recover, son.”

“Who was it that attacked? And if she died.” Dell shrugged his father’s hand off his shoulder. “Then how is she here?”

“That’s what I wanted to know. I handled it poorly, and that was the shock. The battle was bloody, we lost many pack and human’s that day.” Jasper crouched down, peering off toward the tree line. “Several bodies were lost in the chaos. We figured they took some of ours, unsure whose pack was whose. Some bodies I needed to bring in a witch to identify.”

Dell flopped down to the snowy ground beside his father. With a heavy sigh, he pressed the heel of his hands against his eyes. Now his need to care for her made sense, his need to be present when she woke. “But she was a baby. They’d notice taking an infant. They didn’t have children with them.”

“I know. I thought…”

“Wildlife.” Dell wrinkled his nose. “You’ve let the local wolves have enough food to continue surviving despite our presence.”

“They did as they always do to kills left behind. The battle went on for three days, Mohegan and her parents died early in the battle.”

“A baby makes easy pickings.” Dell exhaled his frustration. “She doesn’t know. When I tried to compel her to tell me where she’s from she seemed shocked she had no choice but to start talking.”

“She wouldn’t remember.” Jasper sighed. “And she wouldn’t know what it was like to be compelled by a true Alpha. If another pack leader tried, he wouldn’t be able to exert the sort of power over her we can.”

“Are you sure it’s her?”

“Are you?”

Dell growled low. “She is my mate.”

*~*

Hope you enjoyed it!  Click on the Tuesday Tales badge to see more excellent entries!!