I hope you're all enjoying the story so far! A lot is going to be happening in the coming chapters so strap yourselves in! I hope you enjoy this chapter and please vote and comment!
The violent sound of the alarm jarred Phoenix from his sleep. He grumbled incoherently, reaching out and turning it off. Through blurred eyes, he was able to make out that it was 6:30am. Leanna moved a little and he glanced back at her, her sleeping face tilted up toward him.
He smiled and couldn't resist as he leaned down, kissing her forehead gently. She let out a sigh, snuggling deeper into the bed. He slipped out of the bed quietly, tiptoeing to the bathroom to brush his teeth. After last night's activities, he could tell she was exhausted so he figured the best thing he could do is let her sleep in a little.
"I need to use the bathroom," Kai whined outside the door.
"Keep it down. I'll be out in a minute," Phoenix hissed, rinsing out his mouth.
When he walked out Kai was jumping from foot to foot, holding onto his stomach.
"Oh thank you, I'm about to shit myself!" He ran in, slamming the door shut.
Phoenix rolled his eyes, checking in on Leanna to make sure she was still sleep. With a small sigh of relief, he grabbed a pair of clothes, changing into some dark jeans and a black V neck. It was a simple outfit but still looked good. He felt ridiculous attempting to dress up; they were going to a meeting with rogues for help.
But he couldn't ignore the fact that they were Leanna's parents and just the tiniest part of him wanted their approval. Just a tiny part, deep down inside.
When he was done, he headed to the adjoining door.
I'm coming in, he said through the mindlink, opening the door. Sara was wide awake, exercising. Mason was thrown across the couch, barely awake, and Sebastian was on the phone.
"Yes, sir. He just walked in. I'll let him know," then he hung up, standing up.
Phoenix gave him a wary look, "What?"
"That was Wilhelm. He said to meet him at a café two blocks away and to be on time," Sebastian explained, his voice guarded as Phoenix's eyes began to darken.
"You've had a way to contact him this entire time and you haven't?" His teeth were gritted as he took a step forward, his fists clenched.
"He contacts me. He uses burner phones, so it doesn't leave a trace. And it's not like it's that frequent. I've only reached out once and that was when Leanna asked me," Sebastian explained, meeting the Alpha's gaze.
Phoenix growled, the other two wolves lowering their heads immediately. Sebastian, on the other hand, fought it. After so many years of a rogue life, it was taking him time to adjust to the pack life. For the most part, it was getting easier, but submitting didn't come naturally.
After several moments of an intense staring contest, Phoenix spoke, "Did he say anything else?"
"He said to only bring three. In good faith, he's leaving behind his own men and he's only coming with his mate and second-in-command," he answered stoically.
Phoenix tightened his jaw, "Alright. Then you're coming with us."
At that, Sebastian faltered, "What?"
"You heard me. Since you two seem to be so close, it'll come in handy," Phoenix responded and then turned Sara and Mason.
"I want you two nearby. Just because this is neutral territory doesn't mean we should let our guard down," he explained. "Now, I want to know what the surrounding areas are so get to work."
.
.
"Good morning, Luna."
Leanna gave Sara a smile as she walked into the room, rubbing her eyes. Phoenix looked up when she entered, a grin lighting up his face.
"Look who's up," he teased, and she chuckled.
"Why did you let me sleep in? It's almost nine," she took a seat beside him on the couch, leaning back.
He shrugged, "I wanted you to get as much rest as you needed. You were wiped after last night."
Her face reddened as he winked, and she averted her gaze, "So what's the plan?"
"Your father contacted Sebastian. He only wants three people to come so aside from us, Sebastian will be coming as well. I'm going to have Sara and Mason nearby just in case and Kai will stay back here," as Phoenix spoke Kai looked up.
"Wait, why don't I get to come?"
"Because should something happen, we need someone to be able to get back to the pack and warn them," Phoenix responded and Kai huffed, crossing his arms.
"I swear, I miss all the fun," he muttered.
Phoenix rolled his eyes, "Anyway, we only have about thirty minutes left so let's head out."
As they headed out the door and to the elevator, Leanna's stomach was tight.
"Everything's going to be fine," Phoenix murmured in her ear, grabbing her hand, and squeezing gently.
She nodded silently and when they reached the lobby, Phoenix led them outside. The skies were cloudy as they waited for the car to come, and Leanna could smell in the impending storm.
"We can't make this long. There's a big storm heading this way," Sara pointed out.
"It's still a few hours away, we've got time," Phoenix assured them and when the car arrived, he tipped the valet and they jumped in.
The drive was tense and the closer they neared the café, the more nervous Leanna became. She was doing her best to calm her beating heart, but it was futile. She hadn't seen her parents in over ten years and while she was excited to be reunited with them again, she was also scared.
You've got this Lena, Phoenix's voice whispered through the mindlink, his hand squeezing her thigh gently.
She gave him a small smile but didn't respond, her fingers twiddling with the hem of her shirt.
They arrived all too quickly and as they stepped out of the car, Leanna took a deep breath. The scent of peonies and honey filled her senses immediately and she fought the tears in her eyes. People walked around them, going about their everyday lives, and she struggled to keep her composure.
"Ugh," Sara pinched her nose dramatically. "That rogue smell is quite penetrating."
Phoenix let out a quiet growl, "Sara, I'll remind you that right now, this is not our territory. Just because it's neutral does not mean they won't find us hostile. It's a losing battle if someone picks a fight."
"Yes, Alpha," Sara mumbled immediately.
"Both of you go, get into positions. If you come across any rogues, keep it friendly," he instructed.
"Gotcha, Alpha," Mason gave him a nod and then him and Sara walked off, disappearing in the crowd.
The remaining three entered the café, their eyes scanning the place.
"I don't see them," Leanna whispered quietly, her heart beating erratically.
"It's not ten yet. They may not be here yet," he assured her.
But I can smell her, she thought to herself.
"Should we get a table? We've been standing too long, and I think the humans are getting curious," Sebastian whispered under his breath.
He was right; the humans were giving them odd looks and Leanna was sure they looked out of place. Even though they looked human, Phoenix was an Alpha and his presence naturally drew attention.
"There's an empty booth there-"
"You're here the see the king," a cool voice interrupted, and Leanna looked up, her eyes widening.
Kane Alder stood before them, his dark eyes watching them closely. His looked as she remembered; tall, scary, and covered in scars. Though the scar coming down from the corner of his lip was new and gave him a permanent frown.
"We're here to see Wilhelm," Phoenix acknowledged, and Kane tilted his head, his dark eyes watching the Alpha.
"You are not privileged enough to speak his name," Kane's voice was clipped as he turned on his heel, leading them toward the back of the Café.
The group followed behind, Phoenix gripping Leanna' hand. They were led to up a flight of stairs and it took her moment to realize they'd cloaked it in magic to hide it from humans. When they reached the second floor, the earlier smell of peonies and honey thickened, mixed with the smell of wood.
Standing in the middle of the room were her parents.
Her mother let out a small gasp and Leanna's strength snapped, the floodgates opening. She let go of Phoenix, rushing to her mother. She threw her arms around her neck the moment she reached her, sobbing uncontrollably.
"My sweet girl," her mother cried, clutching her hard. "I've missed you so much!"
Leanna couldn't speak, simply tightening her hold on her mother.
Her mother pulled away several moments later, holding her daughter at arm's length.
"You-you've gotten so big," her mother whispered.
Leanna let out a tearful laugh, taking in her mother. She looked relatively the same, just a bit older, as if she'd let herself age. She light brown hair was swept into a bun, her mahogany eyes filled with tears.
"I've missed you so much, sweetheart," her mother whispered, hugging her tightly again.
"Leanna," her father's gruff voice interrupted them, and she pulled away, looking up at him.
He looked far older; by at least ten years. Werewolves didn't age unless they didn't shift which meant he must've allowed himself to age. His black hair was held some white streaks and his green eyes, identical to hers, held lines at the edges. His face appeared weathered, as if he were under a vast amount of stress.
Losing a child would do that.
"Dad," she sniffled, cleaning her cheeks.
"My little firefly," he replied and then engulfed her in his arms.
She hugged him tightly, a fresh wave of tears burning in her eyes. When they pulled apart a few minutes later, Leanna swallowed the lump in her throat. She turned back to Phoenix and Sebastian who were still standing by the stairs.
"I know there's a lot to explain but right now, mom, dad, this is my mate, Phoenix," Leanna's voice wavered a bit as Phoenix gave her a large smile, walking over to her.
Her mother smiled as her father grunted, "We've got a lot to talk about."
.
.
They'd been sitting for about twenty minutes, the silence tense. They'd ordered food and the conversation had been minimal between bites.
"How did you meet?" Leanna's mother broke the silence, giving her daughter an encouraging smile.
Leanna swallowed, taking a sip of water, "Well uh, a vampire brought me to him."
Her father looked up at them, raising an eyebrow, "A vampire?"
She nodded, "I was being followed by hunters and he spotted them. He took me to safety and then he got in contact with Phoenix. We arrived at his territory a couple of days later. I was delirious from the wolfsbane and silver, so I don't remember too much."
"What the hell did those bastards do to you?" Her mother suddenly snapped, her eyes darkening. "I should've killed them when I had the chance!"
Leanna flinched at the viciousness in her voice and her father reached out, his touch calming her, "They would've killed you, Viv."
She growled, shaking her head, "I should've killed them all."
"What are you talking about?" Leanna asked hesitantly, her mother looking at her despondent eyes.
"Did you ever think that we forgot you?" Her mother ignored the question, her dark eyes swirling with tears and sadness.
She shook her head, "No. But I was afraid that...that dad would be mad for leaving. I didn't want to face his temper."
Wilhelm sucked in a breath but remained silent.
"We never left you, Leanna. I found you weeks later, with that bastard Alpha and his horrid Beta. I saw you from afar, with those other people. I called to you and you didn't hear me, but they did. They knew who I was. His Beta was a malicious man. When I demanded they give you back, he said they would but in pieces. And that Alpha... He said he could sense that you were his mate. If I stepped foot near his property, he would make sure you never ended up in our arms again."
Leanna's tears slipped down her cheeks as Phoenix wrapped his arm around her.
"Th-they knew. That whole time, they knew. They took me and they didn't give a damn who they hurt," Leanna sobbed as Phoenix tightened his hold, her face in his chest.
"We fought, sweetheart. We fought so hard to get you back. We attacked and we see what room you were in. You were at the window and you recognized me. You called out to me, screamed for us. And then there was a fire. It was one that only you could've created. Our attack was vicious, but they had this witch. She cast a spell that knocked us back and they killed many of people before we were forced to retreat. When we tried to return after recovering, I could no longer sense them or you. It was if they had just vanished and taken you with them," her mother's voice held anger and self-loathing. As if she blamed herself for all of it.
Beside her, Phoenix had become rigid, "This witch, what did she look like?"
Her mother looked up, cleaning her cheeks hastily, "She has white hair and these strikingly violet eyes. It was like staring into an empty darkness."
Leanna's eyes widened, disbelief crashing through her, "But she's helped me..."
"You know the witch?" Wilhelm's eyes snapped up to them, a dangerous look coloring his features.
"Yes, we know her very well," Phoenix snarled, his wolf coming out. "Her name is Imogen."