by Belle Kayce
The entire room is holding their breaths. Alpha Charles is ripping all of them apart.
He continues, “Alpha Paxon was advised by some other good alphas to not attack Trent and Steven’s pack, because what good would it so to kill innocent lives? Alpha Paxon also could have killed Trent or Steven, but again, he was advised against it.”
Charles is looking at Lance now. I think his eyes show slight respect. My mate is getting respect from a very high alpha official, and I can’t be prouder.
“Only us that have seen too much death don’t want it.” He is definitely directing this towards Lance, and other alphas are also fixing their gazes on Lance. “The last alpha war has been too recent for all of us. Do not think that more of you will die in this room right now if you take the path to war. If it was the wrong alpha at the wrong time, there is no doubt in my mind that we would be at war again.” His eyes kind of wanders to Grayson, but he looks at everyone in the room again.
Charles doesn’t say anything else. He leaves it at that.
Yerry announces, “You all need some rest for tomorrow. I want this to be quick. The voting will be in the morning, at 9:00 a.m. sharp. The fate of those two alphas will be determined. Trent and Steven will be present to hear their sentences.”
A sharp intake of breath from me made the other wolves stare.
“I’m here.”
Lance’s words and his arm around my chair makes me relax more. I can do this. I can face them. I look at my brother, whose face is a cold stone wall.
“Meeting is dismissed. We will see you tomorrow morning. Get some rest.”
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
After the meeting is over, and Lance had our sleeping arrangements in place, a nearby luxurious hotel that some other alphas are staying at too, a wave of panic settles in my head.
This is for no reason, and it just comes to me suddenly and out of nowhere. I am getting really aggravated for some reason, but the panic for tomorrow overpowers that. I am feeling strange too, but I don’t want Lance to worry about it. I’m pretty sure it’s just pure nerves. It’s actually happening tomorrow. Justice, hopefully will be served. Nothing will go wrong.
I feel like throwing up when I think about tomorrow.
I don’t realize that I’ve just been staring off into the window as Lance finishes talking to his brother, interrupting my thoughts. I turn around at the sound of his voice.
“Maybe you shouldn’t go tomorrow.” Lance furrows his eyebrows at me in obvious concern.
“What do you mean?” I ask, offended. “Do you think I can’t handle it? That I’m too weak?”
Wow! Where did that come from? Literally for no reason.
Lance’s face darkens for a second before his face becomes an expressionless mask that I can’t read. “You know I never thought of you that way.”
“Then why do you want me to not go?” I ask, angry, any logic I possess gone out the window. “You know what? Forget it. I’m going to Julia’s, and don’t follow me.”
I walk out of the room, heading downstairs to Julia’s room, hoping she can get my mind off of everything.
***
Julia has a brilliant plan.
“Some of the lunas have said something about some werewolf club,” Julia tells me. Anything will be better than facing Lance. Here I am, back at square one, running away from Lance.
“Let’s get out of here.”
The thing I love about Julia is that she won’t ask me too many questions, and she will do some sketchy stuff with me if I ask her to. She’s really down for anything at any time.
Resourceful in stealing the car, Julia zipped through the roads, following Google Maps to the location of the werewolf club. We reach a bigger city, and the night lights bring the place to a full show.
“This actually looks amazing. What city are we even in?”
Julia shrugs at me and parallel parks her car. As we get out of the car, the air is chilly, and I realize I’m really underdressed to go to a club.
“Turn Left,” Julia’s British Google Map voice directs us, and we follow it until it brings us both to some really creepy stairs that we have to descend to.
“This kind of seems like those scary movies where if we go down, we’re stupid.”
Julia remarks, “It’s not like a human could do anything to us anyways.”
She’s the first one to take the step downstairs. Some people are lingering in the area. It’s like they don’t know proper manners. They’re staring and it’s completely creeping me out.
A huge black door locks us out from the club. A huge bald bouncer sniffs us.
“Werewolves.” The bouncer’s voice is gruff, and Julia looks at me, shrugging a little. “You may enter.”
Once we get in, it is live.
Disregarding the very heavy stench of smoke and sweat, the main attraction is in the middle. In the middle of the club is where the DJ is, and surrounding him are werewolves jumping up and down, feeling the beat of the music. Heck, I’m already starting to as well. Whichever Kendrick Lamar song is playing is really hyping me up.
Julia heads straight to the bar and orders Pincer vodka for the both of us. The bartender doesn’t even question anything about us and just hands us our drinks.
“Cheers,” Julia clinks her glass with mine. We drink and the bartender refills it.
I drink another.
And another.
And some more. Until I don’t think I can drink the really strong thing anymore.
I stop but Julia is still drinking.
“Let’s dance!” I yell over to Julia, who nods at me. I pull her over to where the real fun is at. Some hip-hop song is playing, and I have no idea how to dance, but the song just makes me want to dance and move.
I’m feeling really dizzy.
“Don’t worry,” Julia shouts over the music. “Werewolf, remember? We won’t have a hangover.”
Two males decide to make their way to Julia’s side, dancing with her. I, myself, am listening to the beat of the drum and bumping to the music, but the males are getting too close for my liking. I’m swaying to the music for a couple of minutes, searching for where Julia is. She’s still in between the two males, and, suddenly, they’re both thrown to the ground.
“Okay, that’s enough.” With one hand, Grayson holds my arm. With his other hand, he holds Julia’s waist.
“You can’t just do that!” one of the males that was dancing with Julia exclaims. He’s a little too drunk himself as he tries to get up.
“Move or I’ll kill you, peasant wolf.” If his voice was any indication, Grayson is pissed off.
“D-don’t kill him!” Julia tries swatting Grayson, but it barely even hits him, which makes me laugh a little. “He’s a good dancer.”
“I’ll show you what an actual good dancer is.” Grayson’s voice holds a tone of amusement. “Just can’t believe you two are really borderline drunk.” Grayson sighs, but he easily guides us out of the club even with the both of us protesting.
“Why did you ruin our fun?!” Julia exclaims, realizing we’re getting out of the club.
I’m just drowsy, so I lean a little on Grayson to help me walk.
“If that’s your idea of fun, I have to show you more ways. Besides, a certain worried alpha wanted me to check up on our mates.”
“Lance is no fun,” I mumble out, trying to keep my eyes open, but I remember that I love him and I want to see him. Whatever the reason I was mad has me feeling stupid.
“What do you think he does for fun?” Julia asks as we keep walking.
“Here you go,” Grayson says to someone.
I can’t keep my eyes open, but someone picks me up bridal style. By the scent and the familiar feel of the arms, I snuggle closer to my mate’s chest, wrapping my hands around him, reveling in his warmth and comfort.
“Lance’s idea of fun is watching paint dry,” I murmur to Grayson and Julia.
I hear a bark of laughter. It’s probably Grayson. By now, I’
m too sleepy to even care about anything, and I don’t know how fast we get home. I feel like a few minutes later, I’m being placed on a bed. I keep my hold on Lance, not wanting to let him go.
“I’m sorry for getting mad,” I manage to whisper to him.
Lance brushes my hair to the back of my ear.
“I don’t ever want you to think that,” he says in his baritone that I love so much. “You know I don’t think you weak. You are my strength.”
I smile at that, and he finishes with, “I love you more than you could ever know.” He kisses my forehead. He moves to the other side of the bed, wraps his arms around me, and tugs me closer to him. Our night ending in a good note.
***
Julia wakes me up at 7:00 a.m. She’s a frantic mess, which makes me think the worst. Did something happen with her and Grayson last night?
She’s pacing at the lobby, where we will meet the guys. Cole is babysitting my brother somewhere right now. I almost yell at her to spill it.
“Nothing happened, Ava, with Grayson. He just put me to bed and that was that.”
“Nothing else happened?” I frown at her.
Julia gives me a look. “With him? No. He just asked me if I would be okay, and I maybe I kissed his cheek, but I was out of my mind so it doesn’t count.”
I start grinning like a maniac, placing my elbow at the side of the chair.
“Anyways! This isn’t about me. This is about you!”
“What about me?” Now I am confused even further.
Julia deadpans, “I have come to the conclusion that the reason why you’re an emotional mess is because you’re about to go in heat.”
Heat.
Oh.
My.
Freaking.
Gosh.
I mean, it makes sense to me. Once you get marked, it will only be a matter of short time when you start going into heat. However, I didn’t think it would be this quick. I just want to cry because I hear the pain is unbearable.
“This is serious because once you go into that meeting . . .” Julia trails off, “all the unmated alphas will smell it, and they will want to—”
“Oh my gosh. Shut up!” I screech, putting both hands on both ears.
“But Lance will kill them first,” Julia reasons. “Don’t worry.” She sits next to me. “I think maybe it would be better if you sit this one out.”
“But I want to go!” I whine.
“Yeah, but think it. What if your heat starts while you’re in the meeting?”
“I am going,” I state, stubborn about the subject. “This isn’t my heat talking. I seriously need to go. I have to see . . . them.” I look at my best friend, knowing this is hard for her too.
Julia just fix her stare on me, studying my face. “You have to tell Lance though.”
“Oh my gosh.” I groan. “That’s not at all embarrassing or anything.”
“It’s not,” Julia says. “He needs to know that it may come like right now or in a couple of days just so he can be ready in case anything happens. You can tell him easily. Besides, it’s not like you’re pregnant!”
As soon as she says this, Lance and Grayson decide to show up at the same exact moment.
I want to cry. My face twists in complete embarrassment. I am mortified, and I don’t think I can ever look at Lance or Grayson in the face. I bury my head on my hands, not wanting to see anyone’s face.
“Ava, what’s wrong?” Lance’s voice sounds scared.
As I peek through my hands, he bends down so his face is level with mine. He turns to Julia for an answer and Julia laughs. My best friend is laughing at me because I have to have the heat talk with Lance. We both know what that entails. What this could mean. What should happen.
Ugh!
“Ava is being dramatic,” Julia answers him.
“So glad my misery is entertaining you.” I snort, lean back, and Lance takes my hands, kissing one of them.
“Grayson, could you, uh leave?”
Grayson looks from Julia, to me, to Lance. He looks back at Julia again, who is giving him a glare. “Oookaaay.” He clears his throat. “I’ll just . . . be outside if you need me for anything.”
“We won’t,” Julia says.
Once Grayson is gone, I look at Lance, and my entire face heats up with his intense, worried gaze. Julia is having none of this though. “Just say it.”
I know I have to tell him like right now or he might just leave this entire meeting and go back home just for me. Seeing him freak out is quite the picture actually. The usual calm is dissipating with my more-than-usual-train-wreck self.
“Uh, Lance, so, I, uh well . . .” I open my mouth again to probably mumble more incoherent words. “I’m going to maybe, probably, most likely . . . no it has to happen because this happens when you mark someone, so like, yeah.”
I clear my throat. Julia is right, it’s not like I’m pregnant. It’s just super embarrassing to tell your mate this. I mean we’re physical but not to the to this level.
Understanding flashes in Lance’s eyes and I blurt it finally, “I’m going into heat.”
“She’s showing the symptoms,” Julia adds. “You know how Ava has been acting a little too emotional and cranky.”
“And I just want some chocolate too.”
Lance takes a sharp inhale of breath, like he was expecting something way worse. He does pinch the bridge of his nose, and I think I see a faint twitch of his lips in relief.
“I don’t think the symptoms will get worse.”
Lance narrows his eyes in contemplation. “I thought about how you might enter heat while you’re there. That’s why I didn’t want you to come just in case. You have to promise that the moment you start going into full heat, you have to be out of there.”
“Okay,” I say offhandedly.
Lance blocks my way before I leave.
“Pinky?” he holds up his pinky. “I know someone who takes them very seriously.”
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
The moment we stepped foot inside the Alpha building, Cole doesn’t look well.
“She’s here,” Cole says to no one in particular, but I can tell Lance catches on.
“Who?”
“My mate, Scarlett.” His entire posture is rigid because up ahead, I see someone coming. Towards us. His mate. Scarlett is devastatingly beautiful. For one, I can see why she’s named that. Her long red hair came to her waist, and her green eyes were prideful. How could she leave Cole for a back stabber like Steven? Steven was devastatingly ugly.
With her head held high, she stops in front of us along with another male wolf, probably the new Beta of Cole’s old pack. The beta was stocky and had beady eyes that gave me the creeps as he gives me a look. I move a little closer to Lance who slid his arm around my waist. My heart physically hurt for Cole. Cole’s face did not show any emotion. It’s a mask he probably worn for this whole life.
“I didn’t think the rumors were true,” the Beta sneers at Cole. “Did you seriously become Lance’s pet in Noctis Luna?”
“I forced him to be here then he joined by choice,” Lance says, meeting the beta’s gaze evenly. “He is whatever he wishes in this pack. If he wants to be the Alpha of Noctis Luna, I would give it to him.”
Scarlett looks surprised, and I think take that. Which kind of horrible being poisoned their own mate?
“You wouldn’t mind your mate to give someone else the position of Alpha and make you not be a Luna anymore?” she asks.
I definitely wasn’t going to poison him to get the power, is what I want to say.
“Titles don’t matter in my pack,” I respond to her. “It’s what the pack does together that matters. Loyalty to my mate.” She flinches a little, then looks down. I feel like Cole would unwound like a spring if his mate does anything to him. “It really wasn’t nice talking to you, so please never speak to us again.” I grab Cole’s arm to move him away from his mate because I’ve never seen him like this. It hurt me.
&nbs
p; Are you okay? I ask in the mind-link. What is she even doing here?
Supporting the one she cares about.
Cole’s answer is straight cold and leaves Lance and I to go to the bar to get a drink.
I frown deeply, looking up at my mate. “He’ll be alright,” Lance assures me. His electric eyes meet mine. “How are you feeling?”
“Pretty decent, actually,” I answer him, searching for my brother. Why did Grayson not find him yet? “I’m worried about Sargon.” Lance’s lips drew to a thin line.
“There is no cause for concern yet,” Lance tells me lowly, and that’s when Yerry called upon all of the Alphas to go to the meeting room.
As we all settled down, with me looking everywhere for any signs of Julia or Grayson, Cole sits next to Lance and I sit down too before a hurried Julia comes in whispering to us, “Grayson found him but he’s not doing too well.”
“Maybe I should talk to him,” I start, but when the entire room goes silent, with Sargon barely managing to make it to this room, settling himself down with a tense looking Grayson my worry increases.