Chapter 3
I was standing naked, in the middle of the woods. I didn’t know exactly what time it was, but the morning air was hard to ignore. The sky was still dark, but I could feel the morning coming up soon enough.
Somewhere… time had gone somewhere. I could hear water, not loud enough to be a river or a lake. I continued on my way, trying to find some direction.
I had no idea where I was. If I kept going north, I would probably soon reach some kind of road. The problem was that I didn’t have any clothes. My Wolf had completely taken control of my body. I had no memory of the last few hours.
It was still dark, which somehow made it easier to be walking around completely bare.
I could hear someone trying to cross the block I had created in my mind. Dylan, Eric, and Jace kept trying to push into my mind. The harder they tried, the more power I exerted in keeping my mind blocked.
I wanted to remember the last few hours, but I had no memory of them. All I saw when I looked into my mind was darkness.
After I approached the small creak the ran through the woods, I kneeled down to take a drink of water. It was the first time I noticed a few things, which scared me a lot more than being alone in the middle of the woods.
There was blood in my hands and legs. When I looked at my reflection in the water, I realized there was blood on my lips and other parts of my face.
I felt my heart pounding faster against my chest, but there was nothing I could do. For a second, I considered calling Dylan to tell him where I was. If he came to get me, he would solve everything.
But I couldn’t do it.
When I thought about the blood, all the memories of the night before came crashing down on me. All up until the moment I shifted into my Wolf.
I didn’t know what my Wolf had done when she took control. I just knew that I had lost the only family I had left.
My mother was dead.
My mother was dead.
My mother was dead and Jake had killed her.
First it was my dad. At least he deserved it. My mother hadn’t done anything but be a good mate to my father.
Life was unfair. It wasn’t enough that the war between all five packs had just ended, a war that was started because of me.
More blood had been spilled.
My mom was not aggressive. Jake didn’t have to kill her. Jake had told me so many times that he was my friend. Not anymore, not after what he had done.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” Blake asked me for the hundredth time.
I was sitting down, with my back against a tree. Blake was sitting in front of me, wearing only a pair of dark jeans. He had given me the t-shirt he was wearing because I had been shifted into my Wolf.
His shirt was long on me, and it covered enough of my legs.
“I don’t know,” I blankly stated.
“Should I call Dylan?”
I had arrived at his territory around midday. I asked him not to tell anyone, and so far, he hadn’t.
Blake told me Christy was at home. He wasn’t due there for a few hours. For now, I didn’t want Christy to know I was there either.
“Please don’t,” I begged him.
Blake kept giving me worried looks, but he had been patient with me.
“You wanna talk about it?”
I shook my head, and turned down to look at my hands.
A soothing silence settled between us.
I hadn’t brought up my mom, or Jake. I did mutter that it was Jake’s fault I was there, right after I shifted back into my human form.
Blake’s eyes grew dark when I brought up Jake’s name. He was usually calm and collected, but the way he got when I mentioned Jake was surprising. It wasn’t until I had calmed down, at least enough to not seem like I was going to attack him, that Blake told me he and Jake weren’t exactly on the best of terms.
When the war happened, Alpha Jackson had traveled to Imperial Pack and attacked Blake. Blake said that he thought Jake was a coward for not confronting his father.
The day the war took place, some Wolves from Blake’s Pack had died. He thought it could have been avoided if Jake had intervened beforehand.
After he told me that, I felt guilty. I had been too caught up with my problems during the times of war, that I didn’t realize Blake had been hurting from it too.
“My mom is dead,” I mumbled.
A few tears rolled down my cheeks, and my vision was blurry.
Blake was right in front of me, holding me as soon as those words left my lips.
“I’m sorry,” Blake said into my hair.
I didn’t break down sobbing, but it was comforting to know that Blake was there. My Wolf started her usual whining because it wasn’t our mate holding us.
“Leila,” Blake kept whispering.
“It’s fine. Well, it’s not. But I’m fine now. Yesterday, I just, I lost control. I did something,” I told him, looking down at my hands.
The blood that had been there, and in other parts of my body, was now gone. I still felt like I hadn’t properly washed it off. Blake had been able to smell it when I first arrived. He had assumed I was the one who was hurt. That was until he realized it wasn’t my blood.
“It wasn’t you, it was your Wolf. You still don’t know what happened,” Blake told me, cupping my cheeks with in hands.
“I just wish I could remember something, anything. I’m drawing a complete blank.”
“Give it time, it’ll come back. But you can’t be holding on to the thought that you might’ve done something. It could’ve just been your Wolf hunting for food. It sometimes helps and I know my Wolf has done that from time to time.”
I would’ve believed it, if only the blood I had smelled when I woke up had belonged to an animal.
“What exactly happened?” Blake asked me, his voice full of uncertainty.
“Jake called Dylan. He heard about it earlier in the day, but he didn’t tell me. It wasn’t until Jace told me, that Dylan admitted that my mom was dead. Jake killed her.”
My voice sounded emotionless. There were so many thoughts running through my mind, but none that I wanted to voice out.
“Jake killed her?” Blake asked, his eyes growing darker.
His fingers were unintentionally sinking into my wrists where he’d been holding me.
“He told Dylan that my mom attacked his pack. She didn’t take my father’s death too well.”
I closed my eyes for a few moments, needing to take some time after saying those words out loud. It was unbelievable to think that both of my parents were now gone.
“It goes like that with mates sometimes. It was the same thing with my parents.”
I looked up in time to see his eyes glassing over. He smiled softly, and ran the outside of his hand over my cheek.
“I know,” I told him.
“Dylan called me to ask for you. You hadn’t arrived yet, but maybe I should call him now. He’s going to think you went to attack Jake and who knows what Dylan might do. I wouldn’t put it past him to start another war with Jake’s pack because he thinks you are there.”
Blake was right, and yet I couldn’t find myself feeling bad about his words.
“Jake deserves it.”
Blake stopped walking and took a hold of my hand, making me stop as well.
“Dylan and Caine are about to start a fight against Knight Pack. Do you think it’s wise for Midnight Moon to worry about Jake and his pack as well? Yes, Midnight Moon is the strongest pack, but Dylan isn’t invincible. Not if he goes from war to war.”
“So you’re saying I should let it go? I should forget that Jake killed my mom even though she was vulnerable? My dad just died. Of course she was hurting because of it!” I said, raising my voice at him.
Blake looked at me with understanding eyes. He knew how I felt. Blake had been there before. Dylan hadn’t. His parents were good people, and they were both alive.
“I’m on your side. You know that, don’t you?” Blake asked.
“Thank you,” I sighed, feeling some of the weight I’d been carrying relieve from my shoulders for some reason.
“What exactly do you want to do?”
“I honestly have no idea. But I’m angry. I feel it. My Wolf, she’s been on alert since yesterday. I just know that I want to hurt Jake,” I admitted.
“He’s an Alpha.”
“I’m aware.”
“Whatever you do, I don’t suggest trying to take him out or convincing Dylan to do it.”
“Why not?” I asked, frowning. It was a thought that had crossed my mind.
“Dylan has already killed enough Wolves in power. Out of the twelve packs left, one of those is practically dying slowly. With Nicolas’ death, Raven pack has had it tough. Dylan and Caine are going up against Knight Pack now, and they are probably going to end up finishing Tristan and Derek. If that happens, there will only be ten stable packs left.”
“I don’t want Dylan and Caine to fight against Knight Pack.”
“Caine has had confrontations with them for years. He wants to finish it. There is no way you will convince Dylan not to help.”
“I want Jake to pay for what he did.”
“If Dylan thinks he’s guilty, he will find a way to seek revenge for you,” Blake told me, but he didn’t sound too sure.
Even Blake noticed that Dylan didn’t think Jake had done anything wrong.
“Dylan doesn’t want to fight. He didn’t say it, but he got on Jake’s side.”
Blake cocked on eyebrow at my words, and waited for me to continue.
“After the fight, Jake asked Dylan to bring my mother over to Midnight Moon Territory. Dylan said no.”
I felt disgusted when I thought back to that. If it had been his parents, Dylan wouldn’t have hesitated, no matter what they had done. But it was my mom and he hadn’t cared.
“Stay here,” Blake said.
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t go back to Midnight Moon. Stay here, with Christy and me,” he said, taking ahold of my hand once again.
“I can’t, you know that. I’m mad at him, but my Wolf already wants us to go back.”
Blake was looking at me with a thoughtful expression. After a minute or two, he gave me a reluctant nod and turned ahead.
He continued leading us towards his house, but he released my hand just before we entered. Good terms or not, Christy wouldn’t be too happy to see Blake holding my hand.
“Dylan has been calling non-stop. I think he knows that you ran over here,” Christy told me.
Blake had gone to his office, but he hadn’t been picking up the phone. He probably knew it was Dylan and didn’t want to deal with him.
“I’m going back later on. I just needed to breathe right now.”
“You can stay here,” Christy offered.
I saw the pity written all over her face, but I was still glad she wasn’t mad that I was there.
“Sooner or later, Dylan would find out that I’m here,” I said, giving her a small smile.
It was true. He had his ways, and too many people respected Dylan not to tell him if they’d seen me.
“Well then he would have to deal with it. I’d be pissed off too if Blake didn’t do anything if someone killed my parents.”
I raised an eyebrow at her words, and she gave in to a small chuckle.
“Na, I’d probably get a group of my friends and go attack the bastard that messed with my family,” Christy said.
There was an edge to her words, despite how much she tried to hide it.
“Have you left Imperial Territory?” I asked.
If Blake was as protective as Dylan, I didn’t think she had. Christy confirmed it when she shook her head.
“Nope, Blake doesn’t even let some of my friends visit. Well, the friends I had left after this damn war. Most of them are dead,” she said, shaking her head and making her copper colored curls settle differently.
“I’m sorry about that. I know Dylan killed plenty of Rogues.”
It was awkward apologizing, since most of Christy’s friends had been our enemies not so long ago.
“Have you heard anything from Liam by any chance?” I curiously asked, changing the subject.
“He took off?” Christy asked, not sounding surprised.
“He went to go get his sister. Liam asked Dylan for permission, but he flat out told him no. I understand why Liam left.”
Christy rolled her eyes and shook her head, looking at me like I was stupid.
“You are too trusting.”
“Liam has given me no reason not to trust him,” I shrugged.
It was bad of me, but I couldn’t completely forget that Christy had betrayed me. I didn’t think it was her place to talk too much about trust, especially when it came to Liam. He was my friend.
“Has Liam ever told you his story?”
She was looking away from me, her eyes making it seem like her thoughts were elsewhere.
“Of how he landed as our prisoner?”
“No, the story of why he went Rogue. We all have one, you should know that. Even now that you have your pack, you haven’t found your place with them yet.”
“Liam used to belong to New Elite. They border Blue Bloods pack. When Liam turned thirteen and he didn’t shift, everyone turned against him.”
My words came out harsher than I’d intended them too. It upset me that Christy doubted my friendship with Liam.
“Liam never told you what he did after he left New Elite?”
I frowned at her words, and tried to think of anything else Liam might’ve mentioned. He told me he had returned a few months ago. It was when he met Cassidy, fell for her, and made the mistake of taking her. I didn’t know anything else.
“What did he do?”
Christy didn’t answer my question right away. She closed her eyes for a few moments, and a sad smile took over her lips. I got worried when I realized tears streaking down her cheeks.
“Did I ever tell you I have a twin brother?”
Her words caught me off guard. I hardly knew anything about her. I only knew the little Blake had told me, and I had the feeling Christy hadn’t shared all of her past with Blake.
“I didn’t know that.”
“He’s alive, he’s fine. A few years back, when Liam came back to get his revenge on New Elite, he went through and attacked Blue Bloods as well. My father was the Beta of the pack.”
My eyes widened in surprise and I couldn’t get myself to speak. I had assumed Christy had always lived the Rogue life.
“You never said anything,” I said after a while.
“There was no point in bringing it up. I’ve been a Rogue ever since I turned sixteen. My Wolf got used to it and I did too.”
“What about your twin, your family?”
I always envied other shifters who had brothers and sisters. Not only did I not have siblings, but my parents had raised me very secluded from the pack.
I wasn’t even sure why my father had allowed me to attend elementary or junior high, which were the only memories of school that I had.
“Liam killed my dad the day he attacked. I was thirteen at the time. Once I turned sixteen, I got out of there. Jared, my brother, he took on the responsibility of Beta a whole lot younger than other Wolves do. He already had a lot of duties and my Wolf was really rebellious ever since my dad died.”
“Is that why you and Liam don’t really get along?”
Christy shook her head in reply. I expected Christy to be a lot angrier with him than how she acted when Liam was around.
“We settled our problems after I went Rogue. I tried to take on Liam, and he almost killed me. He let me walk away though, but he hates my guts. I think he just hates anybody that comes from those two packs.”
I ate dinner with Blake and Christy. I couldn’t stop staring at Christy throughout dinner though, and they both noticed it. Christy had a knowing look on her face, but she didn’t get mad.
I wanted to know if Blake knew about Christy’s past, but I didn’t want to ask him. If he didn’t know, I didn’t want to betray Christy’s trust. She had told me a lot of personal stuff, which I was sure she rarely, if ever, shared with anyone.
I was lying down in the same room I used the first time I stumbled into Blake’s territory. It was the day he had spared my life.
I tried really hard, but I couldn’t find sleep.
I missed Dylan. My Wolf missed Dylan.
I planned on having breakfast, and making my way back to Midnight Moon as soon as Blake woke up. I had been itching to leave since around four in the morning, but I didn’t want to wake up Christy and Blake. It also seemed rude to leave without telling them.
Everything was quiet, since Blake and Christy were probably still asleep. Christy thought I hadn’t heard her last night, but she kept asking Blake if I was really okay. Apparently, I looked really depressed.
I smiled, at her choice or words and because she really was worried about me.
It was almost eight in the morning when Blake barged into the room.
“Dylan is on his way over,” Blake hurriedly said.
“What?” I asked, getting up from the bed and almost falling in the process because my legs had tangled with the sheets.
“He just called me to ask permission to enter my territory. I gave him the clear.”
“He knows that I’m here?” I asked, looking at Blake accusingly.
I wasn’t ready to face Dylan.
“I didn’t tell him. He might have assumed on his own,” Blake quickly defended.
I closed my eyes and slumped myself on the edge of the bed.
“What am I supposed to do? He’s going to try and take me away.”
“I thought you wanted to go back with him?”
When I opened my eyes, I found Blake staring at me intently.
“I did, but not yet. I know why Dylan hated my dad, but he has no reason to hate my mom. I just don’t want Dylan trying to convince me that I shouldn’t feel bad that my mom died. She was my mom for God’s sake,” I said, feeling my Wolf getting worked up.
“I know, I know,” Blake said, running his hands through my hair softly and making me look up at him. “I don’t want to stress you out more, but have you thought anything about Jake?”
I knew Blake was trying to clear things up before Dylan arrived. I hadn’t thought much about Jake in the last few hours. My thoughts had been centered on Liam and Christy.
“I still don’t know.”
Blake had been right. A war wasn’t wise and I didn’t want another war either. Enough people had died already.
“Think it through. Whatever you decide, I’ll be with you. I want you to know that,” Blake firmly said.
Christy walked into the room just then.
“He’s here,” she announced.
“You ready?” Blake asked me.
“Do you want to burrow some other clothes?” Christy asked.
I had been wearing some pajama shorts and a tank top that Christy loaned me, which I didn’t realize was inappropriate until she reminded me. If Dylan saw me walking down the steps wearing that, I didn’t even want to think of what he would do.
It was strange to be walking down the staircase on Blake’s left side, my arm interlaced with his, while Christy took his right side.
Dylan was outside, waiting for Blake to greet him. I was sure Dylan knew I was there. My Wolf was growling and howling for Dylan’s Wolf. She felt him near, and he must’ve been the same.
“He knows you’re here,” Blake warned me before opening the front door.
“I know, I can feel him.”
Dylan was standing tall right next to the sleek black SUV he’d arrived in. Eric and Jace were both flanking him, each on either side of Dylan. They all looked tired and the worry was written all over their face.
Having Dylan standing in front of me, after being away from him for almost two days, broke me.
“Leila,” Dylan said, sighing loudly in what looked like relief.
He slowly looked me up and down, his eyes roaming everywhere in my body. He was checking to see if I was hurt.
When his eyes landed back on my face, I noticed how he hardened them. They grew from their grayish blue to a very dark coal color.
“You have no idea how angry I am with you right now,” Dylan growled at me.
He didn’t take a step closer to me, and there was a hard look in his eyes.
I wasn’t sure if it was because my mom had died, or because I was tired, or because I had just really missed him, but I found all the anger I’d felt before, leaving my body.
I was still mad at Jake, but I couldn’t be mad at Dylan. My Wolf was crying for her mate, and I really wanted Dylan to hold me.
I had missed him. My Wolf had missed him so much.
“You lied to me,” Dylan said, turning his accusing stare onto Blake.
“She didn’t want you to know. If anything, I should be asking you what the hell is wrong with you!” Blake snapped.
Dylan clenched his jaw, but he didn’t reply anything back.
For the first time, I noticed that Dylan was accompanied by about fifteen men from Midnight Moon, other than Jace and Eric. Jace was looking at Blake with the same hostility Dylan had in his eyes. Eric however, had kept his eyes on me. He was trying to get my attention.
‘I am so fucking pissed off at you,’ Eric said to me through our mind link, which I had just opened up for him.
His words were harsh, and they hurt. It was the first time Eric had ever spoken to me in that way.
Tears poured out of my eyes without my control. I tried to clear them away, but more kept surfacing. Christy was quick to step in front of me, blocking my view of Dylan, Jace, and Eric.
‘I thought you were hurt, or worse, dead,’ Eric finished saying, before shutting off the mind link between us.
I thought Dylan would be the first to try to get into my mind, but I drew a blank from our connection.
“I spoke to Jake,” Dylan calmly stated.
I noticed the deafening silence that settled after he said those words. His eyes were on me, and they had slightly softened, but I could tell he was still mad.
“What did he say?” Blake asked.
Dylan turned to look at Blake for a second, before his eyes found mine once again.
“I cancelled the trip we had to visit Caine and Locus Pack.”
“Why?” I quietly asked.
“Jake wants to talk to you personally. We made arrangements for him to visit Midnight Moon two days from now,” Dylan explained.
“I don’t want to talk to Jake.” I tried to make my voice hard, but it came out shaky and weak.
“I know, but he insisted,” Dylan said, and he lowered his gaze.
“Whatever Leila decides, Christy and I will support her,” Blake said, as he wrapped his arm around Christy’s waist.
Christy nodded in agreement, and her hand found mine.
Dylan finally closed the distance between us, and Jace followed after him. Eric stayed behind, and he was still looking at me with the same cold expression.
Once Dylan was right in front of me, he cupped my cheek and made me look up at him.
Christy let go of my hand, but her and Blake didn’t move away from Dylan and me. If anything, both of them were looking at Dylan cautiously.
“I don’t want to see Jake. I want to kill him,” I admitted shakily.
A light tremble took over my body, telling me that my Wolf wanted out. She wanted to shift and take control once again.
Dylan had a serious expression in his eyes. He looked dangerous. His Wolf was near the surface, I could feel him. So much power was emanating from him. It surprised me that Blake was able to stand it, since I knew how Alphas usually got when they were together.
“If you want Jake dead, I will make it happen when he comes to Midnight Moon.”
Christy took a sharp breath, and I was sure Blake was as surprised as I was when those words came out of Dylan’s mouth.
Dylan was willing to kill Jake.
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