Holden's POV
I wasn't surprised to find that Lily's parents had opened their home to Alpha Viceras and his pack, it was a bit crammed with most of his packs best warriors inside a house designed for no more than six people. Mrs Dexter was cleaning up when I arrived, the air was filled with the different scents of the wolves, mixed with the food they must have just eaten. The pleasant scents disappeared when the air turned frosty, Alpha Viceras knew I was here, Mrs Dexter looked up from packing away the dishes and gestured for the back door, she could barely look at me, not that I blame her, up until minutes ago I was still hoping my father would come to his senses.
Their back yard was grass surrounded by flower bushes and beyond that it met the woods, nothing but darkness lingered beyond it. The porch lights shone onto the back deck and the lawn where wolves sat either on the grass or on chairs, talking among themselves, that was until they realized I was standing at the back door watching them. They all rose to their feet, snares and glares all pointed in my direction, to my left was Alpha Viceras with Cole and Amber and a few other close members of the pack. I noticed a few of the wolves from the Sapphire Shadow pack, Mickey and Quinn, friends of Lily's were seated among them, as well as Tala, Lily's mentor.
Amber rose from her seat and stalked towards me, I knew what she was going to do but I let her do it anyway, I betrayed their trust, all of them by not believing Lily by leaving her in the bunker. Everyone turned and watched as Amber pulled her arm back and swung her fist at my face, connecting with a crack I felt my nose shatter on impact, the force nearly knocked me off my feet, I was surprised Amber packed a punch like that, keeping my fingers in place on my nose it didn't take long for the cartilage to reset but it'll take a few minutes to heal back into place.
"Why are you here?" Alpha Viceras spoke from behind her, standing up from his seat, Amber turned her hate filled gaze away and moved back to Cole's side.
"I know the truth, I want to help save Lily", I heard someone scoff and I look over at Tala, she didn't bother to rise, she stayed seated among the others,
"So you only want to help her now that you know the truth" she called out, everybody had gone silent, only the birds, the bugs and the breeze could be heard now.
"No, I always knew Lily had a good reason for doing what she did, but when she told me I didn't want to believe her, you have to understand he's my father and my Alpha, everything in my nature told me not to go against him. But I came to realize that my father would do anything, even sacrifice his pack in order to hide what he did, even sentence the love of my life to death, regardless of the consequences, to me or any other wolf in the pack" I took a deep breath before I spoke again, "He needs to be stopped, my father has gone his whole life being in power and now he believes he is above the Code and Pack Law, the Pack Law is our rules, the Code is who we are, it extends to every pack, to every wolf, if we do not adhere to it than we become the very savages the hunters think we are". Alpha Viceras gave a stiff nod in agreement,
"You understand what it means for your father?" I did. I did not like it, but he couldn't get away with it anymore, he couldn't get away with sentencing Lily to death when he hadn't the means to do so. He made a fatal mistake all those years ago and the pack has been paying the price ever since, it was now his turn.
"I understand that my father has to die" nobody objected, everybody here knew what needed to be done, everybody here wanted to fight for Lily, to die for Lily and I wanted to do the same.
Alpha Viceras held out his hand and with out hesitation I grip his forearm, my allegiance shifting, I felt my wolf move within me, he agreed with this decision and if I gave him control he would kill my dad, which is why I am going to have to keep him under control, I agreed he needed to be stopped but I couldn't do it with my own hands but would I be able to forgive the person that did?
Tala stood from her spot, then Cole, then Amber, all the wolves standing one by one and as soon as everybody was standing, Tala released a war cry, howling to the night sky, the wolves around her joining in, the pitches matching perfectly, it was a fight song, a promise. Alpha Viceras released his grip and turned to the wolves and howled an octave higher than everyone else, Lily's parents had joined in, Amber howling at Cole's side. So I dug deep and howled too.
***
Lily's POV
I heard them, even in this dark empty space, held together by concrete and silver I heard their howls, the call to war. So Holden was unable to change his father's mind, I knew it was a long shot, Alpha Knight has been carrying this secret around for nearly two decades, he wasn't going to relinquish control, he wasn't going to give himself up. The howls filled me with warmth in the cell that was growing colder has the night continued on, my wolf in a frenzy inside me, wanting to release her own, but I wouldn't let her, I would save my howl.
I sensed his presence before the doors even opened, sending in a draft that carried his scent, his scent was lemongrass, strong and filled with entitlement and strength, but I could smell fear as well.
"How did I get the honor of your presence?" I asked, my voice echoing as it bounced down the hallway, his footsteps reverberated against the concrete walls, walking at a steady pace, every step getting closer to my cell, but I didn't get up from my cot, I sat with my head against the wall, one knee tucked,
"You are spreading lies, causing dissension among the members of my pack, you have become a nuisance Lily, that one fly that you can never seem to see but can always hear, the buzzing growing louder in your ear, until you eventually find it and squash it" he reached my cell and peered inside, his voice, low, threatening, malice laced his tone.
"I fear lies wouldn't have the ability to cause chaos within the ranks, as for the reference to a fly, they see what others cannot, even in their small size they have the ability to drive a big dog crazy" he sniggered, low and under his breath,
"I believe it was a flea that could drive a big dog mad" he pointed out, pacing the small space in front of my door.
"Whether it is a flea or a fly, its certainly driving you mad" he snapped, punching the door, if the silver burn hurt, he certainly didn't make it known,
"You have brought this upon yourself" he shouts, bracing the door frame, trying to get as close to the door as possible without burning. I decided to stand and I made my way over to the door, his face was drawn, his eyes heavy,
"Your pack is turning against you" I say calmly, "and it is not I who has done it, but you, you killed the woman and you escaped any consequences, the elders buried it for you. The Code is to be upheld by all, no Alpha is above it and by turning your back on the Code, by being a coward, you have brought two wars to your front door and that my dear Alpha is on you" I stared him down as his eyes filled with rage, I could see he wanted to kill me right here and now with his own hands but he would be in for a fight and he knew he could potentially lose.
"Tomorrow will be your last day on earth, sleep well" he managed to get out through gritted teeth,
"I think you'll find, that it may be harder to get rid of me than you anticipated" he turned and walked away, "I'll see you tomorrow" I called down the hall as he exited the tunnel. I got a small satisfaction from getting under the Alpha's skin but I also knew it probably wasn't the best move but I wasn't going to be civil to him either.
What's going to happen to us? She was worried and I understood,
"We're not dying tomorrow" I tell her with as much conviction as I can muster.
"You're not going to die" I heard Holden's voice in my head; I move over to my cot and sit down, closing my eyes I allow myself to be entwined with Holden, our minds melding until we were in a world entirely our own.
We were in the clearing, our place, granted I did have sex with another there but it always felt like our spot, I lean back into Holden arms as the dark night encompasses us, the sounds of crickets chirping in the grass, our eyes adjusting to the dark. I can hear Holden's heart beat, feel his warm on my back, goose flesh appearing as he runs his fingers up and down my arm while his chin rests on my head.
"Where are you right now?" I ask, sinking into the feeling of him,
"I'm with you" he mutters into my hair,
"You know what I mean" I tell him, he sighs and kisses the top of my head,
"I'm at your house, Alpha Viceras and the Nightblood's are here, we have a plan, nothing is going to happen to you tomorrow" he says holding me tighter,
"Should have known it'd be my parents leading the charge" I laugh to myself,
"Your dad is enraged, he would have killed me tonight if he could. I know I've already gone too far to back down now, but part of me just wants to rewind time and go back to when things were less complicated, when all I worried about was you with other girls and making delta line" I could feel the deflation in Holden's mood at the mention of our past.
"Sorry" I whisper, bringing his hand up to my lips and kissing it lightly,
"It's okay" he reassures me,
"I'm sorry I didn't believe you when you first told me" he spoke, his voice full of grief. I sat up, leaning away from him, I wasn't upset at him, I knew he would find it hard,
"I know" I spoke trying to fill the silence that was growing in the small space between us, I turned around so I could look at him, he looked tired, defeated, "I needed you to believe me but I knew that you had to find the truth out for yourself, you needed to hear it from him in order for everything else to be believed". I knelt and moved closer him, taking his head than hung low in my hands and raising it to look at me, his eyes connecting with mine,
"Everything that has happened previous to the summer ending is gone. Everything changed when the Hunters returned, what I have done was my decision my choice, some people believe on blind faith, other's need to see, I know I wouldn't have believed it if I wasn't treated the way I was by the Alpha or even by Steven. There is a lot of hate circling us, I can feel it in the air, sense it on my skin, nothing is going to change unless we do something about it, this hate cycle will continue unless we can restore balance and order and follow the Code. Your father did a terrible thing, we don't know why, he may take that secret to his grave but what we do know is that he has let wolves suffer and die for that secret, all so it can remain hidden, there comes a time when the blood of ones kin overshadows the blood of ones family." he closed his eyes and took a deep breath in,
"I'm with you" his voice coming out in a strong intensity, a tone I've never heard him use before, "Come hell and fire, lightning and rain, I will be by your side, you fight, I fight, you live I live, and if you fall-"
"I'll land on my feet" I interject, not wanting him to say the last words but I saw it in his eyes, I just hoped that at the end of all this we were both left standing.
"You should get some sleep" I tell him, "Big day tomorrow" he agreed, grabbing my hands and pulling them to his lips,
"I'll see you tomorrow" a hidden promise lingered in his words, come what may he would do everything to try and save me but hopefully, I can save myself.
I retreat from his mind and land back in my cell, my eyelids growing heavy, I've had quiet a night and it'll be morning soon and the noose was waiting for me.