Aidan is holding my right hand and Tessa is clutching my left as we walk down a path to find a spot for our picnic tea party. No matter how uneasy I am at the moment I would never let Tessa down by cancelling her day. She's been through enough as it is and I just want her to have the most normal childhood as she can.
Dinner last night was tense to say the least. I kept to myself the whole time not engaging in any conversations while subtlety watching everyone like a hawk. I know Emeric and Alex are hurt by my reaction yesterday, but until I figure out who's working for Blake I don't care about feelings. Even if it isn't them they will understand later when I explain everything. The worst part was feeling so alone because the only person I felt I could trust was Aidan, and he doesn't believe Blake's words. Maybe I've finally lost it, but I just know he was telling the truth.
"Did you pack the blueberries?" Tessa asks pulling me from my thoughts. Her and her blueberries, I swear one day she's going to turn into a blueberry. I swing our hands back and forth to distract myself from my anxious thoughts.
"Yes, and apple juice." She cheers throwing her free hand in the air excitedly. I guess we should be happy she's taken a liking to fruits instead of junk food. Fletcher and Ryder are walking along behind us each carrying a basket filled with food, and Violet and Alex follow along behind them with a quiet Emeric trailing last.
Ever since last night Emeric has been quiet and distance from everyone. It only makes me more suspicious of his motives. He is the only one of us who doesn't have a mate meaning he doesn't have someone to lose. It kills me to think he could be a traitor because we have always been the closest from the beginning.
"Let's set up right here." Aidan points to a nice patch of grass with a view of the small pond, pulling the blanket off of his shoulder and laying it out flat on the grass. Ryder and Alex do the same with theirs so there's one big blob of blankets. Fletcher sets down the baskets and starts pulling out sandwiches, chips, and waters. Once everyone is seated Tessa walks over and plops herself on Ryder's lap munching on her sandwich.
Unfortunately the uncomfortable silences continues. Violet looks around to everyone and sighs. I know she's caught on to the fact something is going on, and she always likes to play peace keeper. Setting down her sandwich she clears her throat to gain our attention.
"I have something I want to tell you all. I was going to wait a while, but I just can't keep it from you all anymore." I hide my smile by taking a sip of my water. Alex tenses slightly from next to her knowing what she about to say. "I'm pregnant!" She announces and everyone starts clapping and congratulating her and Alex.
"Congratulations you two." Aidan leans over giving them both a quick hug. The rest of us follow suit giving them a congratulatory hugs. I lean back letting Aidan wrap an arm around my waist and give my cheek a quick peck.
Tessa leans up and whispers something into Fletcher's ear. He whispers something back to her and her confused expression turns excited. "You're having a baby!?" She shrieks jumping up out of Ryder's lap. Violet chuckles at her reaction nodding she rests her hand on her stomach. "Is it going to be a girl?" Tessa starts to bounce around us with excitement.
"Maybe, we won't know for a few more months." Tessa continues to bounce around us in circles babbling on about how she'll play dress up with the new baby. Her sheer joy helps lift all of our moods a little bit. We all finish up our lunches and Tessa demands we play tag with her. All the guys agree without a second thought further warming my heart. Ever since she has become part of the family they have treated her like their own.
"Can I talk to you?" Emeric walks over to where I'm sitting on the blanket. Violet gives me a knowing look before getting up and joining the rest of them in the game. Emeric takes seat next to me, but still leaves a generous amount of space between us. "I don't know what happened yesterday, but I can see whatever it was is really affecting you. You don't have to tell me but just know that we have your back." He gives me a sincere smile that almost make me spill my guts. Once he sees I'm not going to say anything in return he starts to stand up. "Oh and don't forget if you need anything." He sticks his pinky up reminding me of the oath he made to me.
"Wait, does that still work?" He stops walking away and turns back to me. "I thought it didn't work since I cut it." He shakes his head smiling.
"It doesn't fade until one of us is gone." I appreciate his eufimism on the situation. It also makes me question if he's telling the truth. He must have seen my apprehension because I suddenly feel a sharp pain in my pinky. I look back up to see him poking his finger with a sharp stick. I unconsciously let out a sigh of relief. It's nice to know the traitor isn't Emeric even though it only helps decrease my stress only slightly. He gives me one last smile before heading back over to play.
I lay back on the blanket looking up at the blue sky. The leaves are just starting to fall scattering across the grass. I close my eyes basking in the warmth provided by the sun peeking through the clouds. I charish quite calm moments like these where I can forget about the chaos around us. A time to clear my muddled thoughts and relax. Sadly it never lasts long.
"We have rogues off the eastern boarder." The messasge comes through the pack link. I jump up at lighting speed, and Aidan almost crashes into me clearly both of our first instinct was to get to each other. I grip onto his arms so I don't fall over. The terrified look in his eye causes my stomach to drop.
"They aren't moving. Some are just standing others look like they are setting up camp." My eyebrows furrow at the new information. Why are they setting up camp? I look over Aidan's shoulder to see everyone rushing over to us.
"Violet take Tessa and get to the safe room in the pack house just in case." Aidan tells her over our own private mind link. Most likely so Tessa doesn't get scared and freak out. Fletcher hands Tessa over to Violet looking torn.
"Tessa we have to go train, so you are going to hang out with aunt Violet for the rest of the afternoon. Be good and we'll see you later tonight." Fletcher's voice cracks and he leans forward planting a kiss to her head. Ryder grabs his hand giving it a squeeze, and Fletcher turns his head when he pulls back so she doesn't see the tears welling up in his eyes. Ryder gives her a quick hug waving at her as Violet takes her away. None of us know what's going on or what's about to happen, and for all we know that could have been our last goodbye to her.
Without a second thought we all start running to the eastern border. Halfway there I hear the sirens start to go off in the distance. No doubt sending the whole pack into a panic just days after such devastation. It breaks my heart that they have to go through this all over again.
We slow down as we approach the eastern boarder where a cluster of warriors are standing around. I push my way past them to see what they are looking at, and stop abruptly at the scene in front of me.
Hundreds of warriors from Blake's pack whom I recognize are setting up camp just outside of our borders. The worst part is that there are rogues mixed in with them. It is extremely uncommon for rogues to interact with packs let alone work together with them. Whatever this alliance is makes my stomach turn with anxiety.
"What hell do you think you are doing?" I scream at the large group acting as if this is a normal part of their day. A few turn their attention to me, but go back to what they were doing except for one person. Dillion. His brown almost black eyes connects with mine and he smirks making want to vomit. If he's here this is a lot worse than originally thought. His sinister smile takes over his face as he walks up closer to the border line.
"Hello Della." He smirks at me while crossing his arms over his chest. The scars running down the side of his face send shivers down my spine. Aidan steps up next to me going into Alpha mode.
"I don't know who you are, but could you tell me what you think you are doing?" Aidan matches Dillion's stance oozing authority. Dillion narrows his eyes at him not liking his tone.
"This is no mans land, and last time I checked I don't need permission from anyone to stay here." It's getting harder to reign in my anger at his cocky attitude. He hasn't change at all over the years he's still an asshole. Aidan hands clench into fists at his side, but he maintains his composure.
"I never said anything about permission I asked you what you were doing. Now if you don't want to tell me I'll just call the council and they can come and find out for me. So what will it be?" The tensions slowly rises as each word leaves Aidan's mouth. Everyone on our side is on edge to find out what is going on and if the pack is in danger. A different man walks up to Dillion and whispers into his ear.
"If you'll excuse me for a moment." I huff out in anger at his fake politeness. Never in my life have I heard him ever say the words please, excuse me, or thank you. If it wasn't for my nerves I probably would have snapped already.
Dillion walks back to one of the large tents set up and walks inside. Once he is out of sight Fletcher opens up the mind link.
"What do you think he's doing?" Fletcher's rhetorical question doesn't settle right with me. He never asks our opinions on matters he simply states his first, so for him to do this makes me question his loyalty from the beginning. Now that I know the traitor isn't Emeric I have to start looking into everybody else. Even if it's the closest people to me.
"Obviously Blake's involved." I snap and Fletcher gives me a werid look.
"Why would Blake be involved?" He sounds genuinely confused and it makes angriest that he sounds defensive of Blake.
"Because Dillion is his fucking right hand man." I glare back at Fletcher. I take a deep breath to try and regain my composure. Aidan reaches out grasping my hand to help calm me down.
"You know him?" Ryder asks sounding shocked. Am I the only one who pays attention.
"Yes I know him. He's one of Blake's men who does a lot of his dirty work for him. I wouldn't be surprised if he's his top man now." Aidan seems to understand where I'm going with this, but Fletcher still looks confused.
"Della I've never seen that guy on our territory let alone conversing with Dad." I frown at his use of the word "dad". I know he only recently left, but Blake has never been a father to either of us. I can't dwell on it too much though because the fact he is saying he's never seen Dillon before throws me off guard. Before I left Dark Mountains Dillion was more of a Beta than our actual Beta was.
"Sorry to interrupt your little mental meeting, but I just wanted to say that we don't owe you an explanation on our reasons for setting up camp here. Feel free to call the council but it will be a waste of time." He smirks at me. I take a step forward but he stays right in his place.
"Was that a threat?" I growl out, my Luna instincts kicking in. He chuckles darkly at my response as he looks me up and down.
"My my haven't you grown up, but you're still as dumb as you used to be." Before I can even process his words Aidan grabs my arm pulling me back so I don't lunge at him. He pulls me into his chest with one hand on the back of my neck and the other tight around my waist. To others it my just look like an embrace, but I know he needs to tell me something.
"You can't attack him. I'll call the council and they will deal with them." He says as if it will reassure me. I push against his chest so he'll let go of me.
"Because that's worked so well in the past." I snap at him. I will be the first to tell anyone he is an amazing Alpha, but sometimes you can tell he has been sheltered most of his life. He suddenly turns defensive.
"What do you suggest? We go all barbaric on them? News flash Della weren't aren't rogues, so we don't senselessly murder others." I can see in his eyes that he immediately regretted the words once they came out of his mouth, but it's to late the damage has been done. I stumble back as if I had been burned, and turn around so he can't see the tears in my eyes. If he wants to act stupid and put our pack in danger than so be it, but I'm not going to let anymore innocent lives taken.
"Emeric follow me please." My voice cracks at the end but I don't think it was too noticeable. I don't make eye contact with anyone as I stomp back in the direction of the pack house. I hear footsteps following me so I assume Emeric is coming with me. I chose him because he's the only other person I can one hundred percent trust.
I don't hesitate shifting into my wolf form to get back to the house faster. A blonde wolf runs along side me giving me a sense of comfort. I speed up as we near the pack house when all of a sudden a few wolves jump out of the bushes growling at me. I snarl and let out an authoritative growl letting them know it's me. I run around them as they bare their necks to me in submission. I don't have time to lecture them as I shift back and haul it up the stairs.
I storm into the conference room naked as the day I was born, and grab the phone calling the fucker myself. It rings a few times as Emeric walks into the room wearing shorts with his hand over his eyes. In his other outstretched hand is a long t-shirt for me. I take it from him and slip into it only pulling the phone away for a second.
"Hello." I almost yell at her to put him on the phone, but Emeric hangs the phone up for me. I snap my head up glaring at him.
"What the hell?" He huffs siting down in one of the chairs.
"First tell me what you plan on telling your father."
"Last time I checked I was Luna around here and I don't need anyone's permission to do anything." He rolls his eyes at me.
"Yes you are, and no one is saying otherwise. Aidan snapped at you, do I agree with him? No, but I would like to think I'm your best friend, so I don't want you to do anything to put yourself in danger." His words help simmer my anger, and I sit down in the chair across from him.
"I was going to call Blake to demand him to withdraw his warriors. I don't know why Fletcher doesn't recognize Dillion, but before I left he would do anything and everything for Blake without a second thought. It scares me to see him so close to our territory." I admit. Emeric leans forward turning serious again.
"What's been going on with you the past two days? Something happened yesterday in your office and I'm worried about you." Now is the best time to break the news to Emeric since no one else is around.
"Blake called me and congratulated me on Aidan's mark." Emeric looks confused for a moment before all the color drains from his face.
"Someone's working for him. Someone close to us." He whispers as if to not let anyone hear. I nod confirming his suspicions, and he stands up starting to pace around the room. "Do you have a plan?" He asks.
"All I know is I don't want the council getting involved. We both know nothing gets done when they are involved. Other than that we need to come up with super tight security, and even more now that Dillion and rogues are right on our border. I have a plan to bring down Blake but it's really risky." He doesn't look pleased about that as he walks over and sits back down in his seat.
"What is it?" He clenches his jaw preparing to hear a plan that will most likely end up with someone getting hurt. Well most likely getting myself hurt. I take a deep breath and lay all my cards out on the table.
*******************
Song: I Ran (So Far Away) by Hidden Citizens
I want to thank you all for getting this book past 700 reads! It means so much to me to see you guys enjoying my book. When I started writing this never did I except people to actually like it, so thank you from the bottom of my heart. I already have the title and cover done for the sequel! I'm so excited to expand this story to new lengths. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and if you did don't forget to vote! Until next time.
~Stella Gordon