*Dominic's POV*
A frustrated sigh leaves my lips as I rub my hands down my face. These past two weeks have been like a new level of hell. The rogue attacks to the surrounding packs have been increasing and are now almost a daily occurrence. After the attack on Blood Moon they seem to have changed tactics and are now targeting lone wolves or small groups while they are on patrol. Two other Alpha's have reached out asking for Red Dawn's help after their own packs became targets as well. We have tried tracking them down, trying to find where they are living but have yet to have any success. It seems they stay on the move, only bedding down for a night or two in one spot before moving onto a new location.
Today Red Dawn territory is crawling with wolves, Three days ago I agreed to host a meeting for all the Alpha's experiencing problems with the rouge group. I did not expect to have so many gather. Aside from John's pack and the two other packs, three others also came after hearing word about the meeting. A meeting I'm currently in and deeply regretting that I even agreed to do at this point.
"Oh for the love of peter pan! Would you all just shut up for a minute and then maybe, just maybe we could work some things out. Hmm? Sound good?"
Liza, yelled over the loud shouts of the other men in the room. All eyes turned to her as she stood there, hands on her hips and pursed lips. Liza is a acting representative of Alpha Newton of Raven's Cape. She kind of reminded me of Nikita, they both had the same ' don't fuck with me' attitude and aren't afraid to speak their minds.
"And what would you suggest Lisa?" Glen questioned, skepticism thick in his voice. Glen is one of the Alpha's who had reached out to me a few days after the attack at Blood Moon. From what I have learned about the man, I kind of like him. He's not to cocky or held back by a big ego but is confident enough in his own skin and ability that he will stand his ground on his beliefs.
"It's Liza, here let me sound it out for you. Lee-Za, not Lisa. Mmkay?" She snapped back at him.
Glen narrowed his eyes, a low growl rumbled through the air as he took a step forward. Liza noticing this, watched him with calculating eyes but never once showing any submission. I had to hand it to the she-wolf, she's in a room full of Alpha males but doesn't bat a single eyelash when challenged. I watched the two from my seat at the head of the small conference table, my eyes roaming from Liza only to check Glen. Every muscle in my body was coiled and ready to spring forward if either of them moved to attack. Since the meeting is taking place on my territory, everyone in this room is under my protection. I am acting head Alpha and it is my duty to protect the Alpha's from anything and everything at all costs, even if that meant from each other. Liza sighed loudly and she sat down in her chair once more. She pinched the bridge of her nose before speaking calmly.
"Honestly Alpha Glen, I have no idea where to start but I do know that us sitting here yelling at one another is getting us no where. We've been here for what? Three or four hours now and we are no closer to a solution than we were when we started." Glen studied her for a moment longer before he also sat back down, choosing to stand down as Liza was no longer a active threat.
"I have to agree with the Lady. We need to put our heads together on this and get to the bottom of it. These rouges are a problem to us all, they are a danger none of us can ignore any longer and they need to be dealt with in a timely and swift manner." Alpha Zane spoke from his seat at the table.
He was another one of the new Alpha's I met today after he learned of the meeting. I watched him from the corner of my eye, Zane had a very calm air about him. Level headed and straight to the point, something I liked and could appreciate in another Alpha. My eyes quickly scanned over the other alpha's as they nodded in agreement. My body relaxed slightly as the tension in the room faded. From his seat to the right on mine John cleared his throat, gathering the attention of everyone in the room before he spoke.
"Now that everyone is calm. Does anyone have any information on the whereabouts of the rogues? Where they might be at this time?" A silence hung over the room and I had to hold back my irritated groan with every fiber of my being. John nodded his head, as he continued his questions.
"I see, okay since we have no location on them, we need to figure out when and where the last attack took place. Blood Moon was attacked two weeks ago. Liza, when was the last attack on your territory?" The She-wolf looked around the room, seemingly uncomfortable as she picked at invisible lint on her jeans.
"Liza." My gruff voice echoed around the room, my voice held all my annoyance and impatience with the situation. Liza's eyes darted in my direction as did all the others. This was the first time I had spoken since the start of the meeting. Liza must have noticed how agitated I was as she sighed softly and nodded.
"Raven's Cape had an attack three nights ago. The rogues swarmed our patrol teams, killing half of them and seriously injuring the others. We chased their sent for over ten miles before losing it in the river." I narrowed my eyes at her, my gut telling me she was leaving something important out. As if she felt my gaze, Liza's eyes met mine briefly before she lowered them to her lap once again.
"In all the chaos a small group of them managed to slip into the territory.. while the trackers were trailing the others and many of us were bringing the wounded to the pack doctors. The small group surrounded my father when he was checking on the pack house. He tried to fight them off but as you all know my father isn't the youngest wolf around.." Liza paused, taking a long deep breath before saying. "The rogues killed my father, Alpha Newton and took his head with them as a further insult."
Roars of outrage filled the small room as the the other Alpha's felt the same anger I did. A fire raced through my veins, a need to kill every last rouge I could get my hands on settled in the pit of my stomach. They not only killed an alpha but dismembered his body and took his head. That was an ultimate sin in the werewolf world along with de-fanging. It's dirty and low to defile a wolves body after battle but rogues don't play by the same rules. These foul beasts need to be cleaned of this earth and I will make it my mission in life to see that it happens. Shouts filled the small room once again as everyone expressed their anger. My hands balled into fists atop the table in front of me as I fought to control myself. I was never really close to Newton but he was part of our alliance and to learn of his death and the horrible acts that happened after. It was the cherry on top of all the anger and rage I have held in these past two weeks and Ace was ready to burst out. We needed to let off some steam before we hurt someone.
The loud crash my chair made as it flew into the wall behind me was enough to grab everyone's attention. As my mood darkened even further, all eyes averted from me as I stalked around the table. The door handle groaned from the pressure of my grip, as the door swung open the handle finally gave way and snapped. Ace growled in satisfaction when the hard lump clattered to the floor behind me as I left the room. I didn't know where we were going nor did I care. My loud foot steps echoed down the hall as I made my way towards the front door. A small wave of fear fluttered in the back of my mind but I didn't give it a second thought, I was in no mood to deal with whatever that was. Ace and I needed out and we needed out now.
Slamming the front door open with more force than necessary I ignored the startled and frightened looks on the faces of those around. I headed for the tree line, my feet moving faster the closer I became. Stepping into the cool shade of the trees, I jogged a few more feet before stopping behind a giant oak. Swiftly stripping out of my clothes I stretched out my muscles, rolling my neck and gaining a satisfying crack as I did. I could feel Ace pushing forward and I stopped fighting him, allowing him to take over completely as my body began to shift. Retreating to the back of my mind I put a block on all mind links while I sat back and watched as Ace dodged trees and rocks while he ran. We ran for hours before we decided to track down a herd of deer.
Once our belly was full Ace took us to the ridge. The ridge was our place, a place we could go and not be bothered. A place to reflect and just breath, away from all the chaos of the pack house. A place Ace felt at home and free and I couldn't agree with him more. The sun broke through the shade of the trees as we came to the edge of our massive rock ridge. The view before us is as mesmerizing as always. Dark green, rich tree tops can be seen for miles along with a river winding down the side of the ridge before cutting through the forest. Being here felt so calming, we were at peace here and all the worries of rouges flew away. The only thing we couldn't shake lose was our worry for Nikita.. Ace huffed out in frustration as he flopped down on the hard rock beneath us.
'What are we going to do Dominic?' His voice sounded so defeated.
'I don't know.. What can we do for her? We've tried everything. Sitting with her and talking did nothing. Trying to force her out only hurt her as she fought us off. I don't know what else we can do.' I mentally sighed, hearing my own defeat.
These past two weeks, Nikita hasn't left her room. Not even when Jackson asked her to. For the first couple of days she refused to eat, didn't speak or leave the bed. She was like a zombie, staring at the wall in front of her. My presence seemed to comfort her in those first few days. That was until I had to drag her from bed and give her a shower when the funk coming from her was enough to make you gag. After day five she finally began to eat when Jackson sobbed and begged her to. The only people she will tolerate in her room is Jackson and myself but even then most days I can feel her sadness when she sees me or when she watches Jackson play.
Nikita had been taking her anger and sorrow out on me this past week. She refused to speak for the longest time but when the damn finally burst there was no stopping it. Every night after I finished paper work or patrol I would go to her room. I had been sleeping in there on the couch so I could keep an eye on her or if she needed anything I could be close. It was just like the other nights. I came in after a shower, asked her how she was doing and again like always I was met with silence. I wanted to scream out as frustration built inside me. It had been so long since I got to hear her beautiful voice. Sitting down on the couch I help my head in my hands as I tried to think of ways to make her talk. I ran my hands through my hair frustrated when I came up empty handed.
"Nikita, talk to me." After a long silence my frustration got the better of me and I growled.
"God dammit woman! Talk to me!" I roared as I shot up from my seat on the couch. Nikita flinched back on her bed, tucking her legs up to her chest and hiding her face against her knees. I didn't want to scare her but I was just so angry.
"Fucking talk!" I yelled as I yanked on the bedspread. A small yelp came from her as she was thrown off balance, rolling on to her back. I grabbed her ankle and pulled her to the edge of the bed.
"Speak!" My voice boomed into the empty air around us as I gripped her shoulders and shook her slightly. Nikita's eyes flashed dangerously before a low deadly snarl ripped from her lips.
Before I even had time to react her feet jetted out, making contact with my stomach. The air rushed out of me from the impact. As I had not expected this from her I was caught off guard and stumbled back a step. My shock gave Nikita the opportunity to yank herself free of my grasp. In a blur of movement she was suddenly crouched down on all fours in front of me on the bed. Another deadly snarl came from her as I took a step towards her. From where I stood I could see her eyes, black swirling within the blue. I held my hands up, hoping she would know I meant her no harm. That was the last thing I would ever do, I couldn't hurt her no matter how angry I was.
"Nikita, Darlin'. I'm not going to hurt you." My voice softened as I spoke to her. Her eyes darted around the room quickly until landing back on mine. She was still for a few moments, watching and calculating me. When she no longer deemed me a threat her eyes remained the purest of blues. I took a small step towards her with my hands still raised. Hope bloomed inside me as she slowly crawled to the edge of the bed in front of me and sat down on her knees.
"See, I'm not going to hurt you. I could never do that." As I spoke I reached out slowly and caressed her cheek with my thumb. Nikita's eyes narrowed as she looked up at me.
"You already have." Her voice came out weak but had a edge of hatred to it. Standing there in a daze I wracked my brain. There was no way I could have hurt her, sure I scared her but I'm positive my grip on her was not painful.
"You did this." Were her next words. The meaning behind them hit me hard, it was like being kicked by her all over and as the air rushed out of my lungs. The anger and pain seeping out of her had a chill run down my spin. Her eyes turned darker as she continued to stare at me.
"This is all your fault! You did this! You killed my baby! You ruined me!" Every word was like a new knife being plunged into my heart.
I stood there, frozen as she screamed insults. She stood on the bed, rage pouring through our bond before her right hand snaked out. The echoing sound of the slap reverberated around the room. I knew this wasn't her thinking clearly, I knew she had no control over what she was doing. Standing still as a statue with my hands balled into fists at my side, letting her use me to her will as she slapped, kicked and punched me. If it was anyone other than her Ace would have broken lose and destroyed them. Nikita is the only person in the world that we would let use our body like a punching bag. Her strength was not what it use to be and I knew it was due to her poor diet and emotional trauma. She grew tired quickly and sank to her knees. Her head hung low as she sat there breathing roughly.
Nikita's heartbreaking sobs were enough to bring me to my knees. I sank down to the floor in front of her, my hands reaching out to cup her cheeks. Tears streamed down her face, running over the back of my hands before falling to the floor below. Nikita flung herself forward off the bed and into my chest. My arms instantly wrapped around her as sobs wracked through her. Her shaking form molded into mine while I rocked back to sit on the floor. Nikita's legs curled up to her chest as she sat in my lap. Her hands fisted my shirt as she clung to me desperately. I burred my nose in her hair, kissing the crown of her head while holding her tightly. I didn't know what to say, what could I say to make any of this better? All I could do was rock her gently and hold her until she calmed down. Her sobs turning to tears before finally stopping all together. After hours of crying Nikita fell into a peaceful sleep. The same thing happened almost every night this week. Nikita would scream at me until finally hitting me or throwing things at me. I had to push my anger down every time. Telling myself that she's hurting and if this is what she needs to get through this then I will do it for her. Her heart is aching for the baby she never got to hold, the baby she lost so soon.
She tries to hide the pain in her eyes but even Jackson can see it when he comes to play after school. Yesterday was a bad day, one that had me close to my breaking point. I was in my study with the door open so I could hear if she called for me, though she never did. I was working on some paper work when Jackson raced into the room grunting and waving his arms frantically. Sadly when Nikita stopped talking, he reverted back to being mute as well, refusing to speak and becoming violent when you try to get him to talk. I followed him to Nikita's room only to find it empty, worry raced through me as I found her bed empty and cold. Worry turned to panic as I heard noises coming from her bathroom. The sound of water spilling over the side of the tub. My heart raced as I searched through the mate bond. Nikita's emotions were so dark, so raw and powerful. She was so tired, tired of hurting. Tired of being sad, tired of hurting those around her. The pain she felt in her heart almost brought me to my knees as it washed over me in waves. I quickly sent Jackson out of the room, locking the door to keep others out before I broke her bathroom door down. Nikita sat in the bath, fully clothed. Her eyes watching the water come from the faucet as she rocked back and forth slowly.
As I made my way over to her I noticed her lips trembling but as my eyes scanned her I could see her whole body shivering. Kneeling down I turned the knob to stop the water, the only one going was the cold. My eyes found hers, finding that they were just as dull and lifeless as the first day. After trying to talk to her and coax her out of the tub I finally gave up on reasoning with her. She fought wildly as I pulled her from the bath, kicking, punching, biting and scratching anything and everything within reach. Man handling my mate was not something I ever thought I would have to do and not something I wanted to do ever again but I knew it was only a matter of time before I would have to do it again.
After wrapping her up in some towels I was able to get her a clean pair of clothes. Helping her out of the wet clothing before drying the remaining water from her body. She stood there like a zombie as I dressed her into sweat pants and a baggy t-shirt before taking her back to bed. Pulling the covers up as best I could before I sat down on the bed next to her. Nikita's head slowly turned towards me, the dead look in her eyes disappeared only to be replaced with the purest form of anger I have ever seen before in someones eyes. She finally spoke and when she did.. It damn near broke me then and there. Her voice was broken, raspy and cracked around the words but I could hear them clear as day.
"I hate you." Those three words were like a roar echoing through my head but the emotions behind them were worse. Her rage, sadness, pain and the feeling of emptiness was all I could feel from her. Her rage was pointed at me, she blamed me for everything. In her mind I caused this all to happen and in the back of mine I already had the same thought. No I didn't physically cause her to have a miscarriage, no I can't control what goes on inside her body but I couldn't help but feel like it was somehow my fault. Because of me she was going through this and because of me I don't know if she will ever be the same again.. My mind swirled and wandered as I let myself get lost in my own thoughts. We stayed there for hours, thinking and thinking until finally Ace had an idea. An idea that to me, sounded like it just might work. As we went over the finally pieces of our plan, a thought came to mind. Looking up to the dimming sky and night began to descend on us.
"Goddess help us, please. Help Nikita, bring her back to us. Not just for Ace and I but to Jackson as well. That boy is so lost with out her.. he needs her and I think she needs him to." I pleaded to the goddess for the first time in my adult life. The first time since I killed my own father.
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Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
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WORD COUNT: 3,852