The Broken Warrior’s Daughter by Cooper

Mom and I arrive at the memorial for Lily Nelson. It’s not the only one here, we memorialize all of our warriors and pack members that give their lives for the pack. However, Lily’s is the largest. Mom had them create a stone statue of a woman with angel wings keeping watch over her wolfpack.

Each week, we bring several different types of flowers and plants to the memorial site. This week we have some poinsettias, winter jasmine, winter aconite and snowdrops. As always, mom walks up to the statue and places her hand on the joined hands of the statue and quietly says, “Thank you Lily for your sacrifice. I told you I’d never forget and I never will.”

We begin quietly working around the area, removing snow, pulling out the plants that are dead or dying and replacing them with the new ones that we’ve brought.

“Mom, have you ever met the Nelson’s daughter?” I ask.

“Cara? Sure honey, haven’t you?”

I look over at her and shake my head, “I don’t think so. I know I’ve never been introduced to her. What’s she like?”

My mom continues her work as she answers my question. “She’s a sweet girl, quiet, and smart.” She stops and looks up at the statue, “She looks like her mother, but has her father’s eyes. Lily was a strong and beautiful woman.” A soft smile plays on her lips, her eyes seeing a distant memory. “She didn’t take crap from anyone, including your father.”

I stop and look at her, “What??” This was news to me.

pregnant with Cara at the time and so your father thought it best if she remained behind.” She starts laughing and presses her hand to her stomach as she continues, “She told your father that being pregnant didn’t make her any less of a Guardian

mom had started staring off into space again, lost in the memory. I interrupted

proudly and watched his wife take your father down like it was nothing. So, they went to the other pack, Lily included, showing that we not only had a strong alpha, but also two Guardians at full strength, and the other

got back, your father assigned her to me and later to

happened to the other

knowing that the pack didn’t have any Guardians and thought that made them weak. Alpha Leander won, the othr Alpha was

look at my mother. How had I never heard this story before? “Wait, Alpha Liam’s father defeated the alpha of

was afraid that something might happen to me, you, or both of us and it was not a risk that he was willing to take, and he didn’t need to. At the time, our pack was the largest and strongest in the country. That war with the Shadow Falls pack and the subsequent absorption of the warring pack is what allowed Shadow Falls to become the largest in the country, but we’ve remained the strongest. They paid a heavy price though. That was when they lost Leander’s mate and Liam’s mother, Luna Estella. He was only 6 years old

take on, but he has handled himself and his pack very well. Your father offered

compared to Alpha Liam’s. I’d never given much thought to when he became alpha. I remember hearing of his father’s passing and him taking over as alpha, but I was only 10 years old then and didn’t think much of it.

we walk back to the packhouse. When we return, mom asks me to join her in her office. This is not good, since

goes to the side board and pours us both a glass of wine. “Have a

look at my mother. “Have I done something to upset

her window overlooking the back of the packhouse and the surrounding forest. “I know about the girls Rik,” she states

I thought I was being careful, how did

response, she turns to look at me. “Surprised? I am the Luna of this pack. What kind of Luna would I be if I didn’t even know