The Alpha

Chapter 19

"Of course, you love helping people and taking care of the pack," she says, giving me a smirk, "That's the Luna in you."

I laugh as that as I take off my surgical gloves and toss them in the trash bin, "The Luna, huh. I don't know about that," I smile before changing the subject, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?" she says, hurriedly.

"I didn't see you at the pack house. I figured you were out in the field during the attack," I tell her, "I just want to make sure that the doctor is just as healthy as her patients."

She gives me a soft smile, "There you go again. Always wanting to take care of the pack. A rogue did get close, but one of the guards got him. I'm fine."

"Okay," I tell her, but something just doesn't feel right, "Jade, what is it you were trying to tell me earlier?"

"What?" she asks, taken back slightly before quickly stammering out some lie, "I wasn't trying to tell you anything. Why- why would I even know anything. I don't, that's it- I don't know anything and-"

"Jade," I grab her shoulders before pulling her into one of the empty rooms, "What is going on?"

She bites her lip as she stares at the ground, "I don't think I can tell you."

"Jade, we have never lied to each other before and we aren't going to start now. What were you going to tell me and how do you know about Zea?"

She lets a deep breathe before finally looking into my eyes, "I know about Cortez the same way I know how you and Axton were separated and I know why."

I take a step from her, "What?"

"I promise I didn't know until after the fact. He was keeping a promise he made to me. He was trying to protect you," she rushes out.

"Who?" hurt that my own friend knows the truth and didn't tell me.

"The warlock, one of Cortez's."

"Michael," I say, knowing there is only one who ever showed me kindness. The one who helped me to escape without Cortez ever knowing about Zea.

"Yes. He's on his way here to explain everything to you, but I just needed you to know that it wasn't Axton that night," she pauses for a second before continuing, "But I'm not convinced the rogues are acting on anyone's orders but Cortez's. He planned this attack."

I scoff, "I figured as much. What do you know about Zea?"

"I know what she is and I know why you need to protect her," she says.

I am about to ask her more but Reid comes barging into the room, "Luna, you're needed at the pack house for the meeting."

"I'll be there in a second," I tell him.

He looks between me and Jade hesitantly before nodding, "Of course Luna."

The second he is out of the room, I turn back to Jade.

"Promise me you won't say a word about this to anyone," she nods her head before I continue, "Good. I'll deal with all of this when Michael gets here. I know Cortez. He wouldn't attack a pack like this to get to me unless he had a few men on the inside, so watch your back," I go to leave before turning back to her, "And don't think for a second we are done talking about this."

I quickly walk out of the room and start following Reid down the hall and towards the pack house while Reid fills me in with the current information from the rogues that are in the cells that Walker had been integrating since the attack.

"None of them are talking," Reid begins as we round the corner, "There are fifty-two killed during the attack and thirteen seriously injured and captured."