I was deep in my thoughts, not even listening to what Tyler was going on about. We were walking away from the ceremony since it was practically over, with me nodding every now and then to make it look like I'm engaged in the conversation with him, and not seem rude. We were dodging the people that were chatting loudly, slowly making our way through the crowd when someone bumps into me really hard, spilling his or her drink right on my outfit. If this would have truly been an accident, I wouldn't have cared much. Truth be told, Tyler would have been way more upset than me, because he spent more than an hour picking out my 'revenge outfit' as he called it. But as I found out soon enough, this was Rianna, so clearly it was no accident.
“If it isn't the Omega.” Hate is spilling from her eyes as she glares at me, smirking proud of her earlier achievement of ruining my outfit.
“Where?” I ask, playing dumb just like Tyler and I have practiced on the very long flight from the United Stated to England. That causes a snort to come from Tyler, but it goes unnoticed by Rianna, who is looking at me confused. I can barely keep a straight face as I look around for 'the Omega'. This annoys her and she huffs, most likely preparing her next insult, but my friend saves me in the best way.
“Hey Alpha, let's go change into your after party outfit.”
“Catch you later, Delta.” I make it a point to use Rianna's rank, showing how she is technically lower than me. It might have been a petty thing to do, but, trust me, this is the most vanilla thing I could have picked from Tyler's revenge suggestions.
“Its actually Luna. Jason and I will make the announcement soon, maybe you can attend if you're still around.” Her voice is like poison for my ears and her words are like daggers stabbing away at my heart. I only manage to smile politely at her, struggling to contain mine and Ming's rage. Tyler grabs me hand and whispers calming words into my ear. I think he way aiming for calming, but failing miserable. He is basically spurring me in to go all murderous in Rianna. Apparently he saw a spot on our drive here, that would be perfect for dumping a body. What is it with him and dumping bodies?
We put some distance between Jadon's number one fan and us, but we don't get far before we bump into Brian. He is barking orders at some fighters and they all seem to panic slightly. As soon as he notices me, Brian comes and pulls us aside.
“You guys might want to... hear this. Follow me.” Brian tells us. I look at Ty and he just shrugs his shoulders before walking after the new Crescent Moon's Beta.
“No rest for the wicked, I see.” Brian looks at Tyler with a frown on his face.
“Brian, this is Tyler. He's the future Beta in my uncle's pack.”
“And who's the Alpha?” A slightly annoyed Jason meets us just before we reach the pack house. He's only wearing a pair of shorts and he is covered in blood. I really can't focus on anything else, because he smells horrible. Judging by how Brian and Tyler scrunch their noses, I'm not the only one who noticed the putrid smell on Jason.
“Jason, what happened?” Yet again the words leave my mouth before my brain can sign off on it. Unintentionally, my tone comes out as surprised and concerned, and it seems to please my mate. His face softens a bit as he looks at me, scanning me from top to bottom as if making sure I'm actually here and in one piece. Tyler, on the other hand steps in front of me protectively. He likes to be over the top, and I'm sure he knows how this would irritate Jason.
“A witch.” Jason explains referring to the blood and stench covering him. “Meet me in my office. I'll go shower real quick. I'm sure my new cologne is not the most appealing.” He motioned again to his blood covered body and chuckles.
Well, a witch's blood might just explain that awful smell. Though I still don't know why he is covered in the blood of one.
After Brian, Tyler, Jason's and myself settled in the office, it didn't take long for Jason to join us. Freshly showered, his hair still a bit damp and dressed in casual jeans and a fitted tee, Jason entered the room. For a brief moment, time stopped. It felt like it was just him and I there, eyes locked just like the night we found out we were mates. That only lasted until Tyler decided to come put a hand over my shoulder and pull me closer to him. If not for Brian holding him firmly, Jason would have tried to kill my friend. I noticed that nobody figured out that Ty is not interested in women, which is exactly what we planned.
I think one could probably cut the tension in this room with a knife. Jason and Tyler are glaring daggers at each other while Brian in on high alert, ready to hold Jason if he snaps.
Meanwhile, I'm just tightening the imaginary leash on Ming, ignoring how uncomfortable my wet clothes are making me. I should have changed into something else while Jason went to shower. I ignore my wolf when she suggests I should have asked my mate to lend one of his shirts, because she wants nothing more than to touch Jason and mate with him again. And that is something I'm desperately trying to avoid. Last time I gave myself to my mate, he tried to reject me the morning after, so I won't put myself through that humiliation again, no matter how much my wolf wails and begs me to.
“Marie is here. She had a witch working with her, but I got rid of her.” Somehow, what Jason just said doesn't really surprise me. I expected, and kind of hoped that Marie would also come here.
After months of going back and forth from feeling guilty to betrayed by Marie, I finally settled on the latter. Although none of the tragedies that happened are our fault, she chose to blame me and seek pointless revenge. So now, if I see her again, I am finally ready to face her and fight until there's only one of u breathing, because I am highly doubting that she would just get over everything and move on with her life. She's in too deep now.
Jason told us all he learned from his bring encounter with Marie. It looks like her deranged father also left her a pack, a loyal one of they had waited without an Alpha for so long, until she is of age to take over.
“She will instigate war, I'm sure of it. Even if she keeps saying a she wants in revenge on you and your uncle, I felt that is now more than that.” Jason is now addressing me directly, completely ignoring Tyler. “I could see it in her eyes, she loves the power she now has and is determined to have more.” He barely finishes the sentence when we hear a loud scream coming from somewhere inside the pack house. The scream was so intense and soul piercing, you could feel the pain she was feeling. I could tell it was a woman screaming, I had a weird feeling I knew her, but couldn't figure it out, because my brain stopped working for a second. But the scariest part, the thing that left us all looking panicked at each other, was how the scream was abruptly cut short.
We all got up from our chairs, ears perked because of the eerie silence that followed the scream. And then all hell broke loose.
36 - Murder
Samantha
I guess what makes Marie Gaston so dangerous is her blinding recklessness, the way she just takes seemingly stupid risks, not caring about what she may lose in the process.
Actually, this whole time she acted like she has nothing to lose, and that only gave her the upper hand every time. She has always been on the offensive while we just struggled to play defence. But right now, she has crossed a line we never thought she would cross, only proving that she finally lost the last bit of humanity that was left in her.
We weren't shocked, no, we were all fucking stunned. It felt like the first few seconds after an explosion. My ears were ringing, I felt disoriented, lost even, and as far as I could tell I wasn't the only one experiencing this.
Somehow, Marie made her way into the pack house and right into the former Alpha's suite. When we got there, the sight was a lot to take in. I have been through quite some bad shit, but this is worse than everything I could have ever imagined. It was gruesome, to say the least.
Jason's father was sat on a sofa with a glass of whiskey clutched into his right hand. The liquid had spilled from the glass being tilted, but enough was left making the scene more dramatic. The colour was completely drained from his face, and there was a big, bloody hole
in his chest, where his heart should have been. His heart had been taken out completely, forcefully.
Thinking back, I believe this is the cause of the former Luna's hysterical screams. I can't even begin to imagine what went through the poor woman's mind when she felt her mate dying, and rushed to his side only to find him like this. We found her on her knees, in front of the sofa where former Alpha Jaxon laid, her head angled in an abnormal way, only indicating that her neck had been snapped, quick and painless compared to what her mate endured. I have to assume that's what made her scream stop so abruptly.
A cold shiver runs through my spine. We are all silent, Jason just stands there looking at his parents, refusing to believe what his eyes are seeing. Nobody, and I mean nobody, should ever see their parents like that. I now consider myself lucky for being too young to remember anything about my own parent's murder. Or maybe I wasn't even there. A sight like this stays with you forever, in the worst way possible.
My own heart aches now, and I know it's only partly my own feelings. I might have forgiven Jason's parents for what they did, for taking my family away from me, for mistreating me, but I was far from harbouring love for them. Although I feel bad and wished this never happened to them, the deep pain that I courses through my bones and is throbbed in my heart, must be Jason's.
We didn't need to say it out loud, everyone already knew who is responsible.
It was later established that the whiskey was actually a concoction of pure wolfsbane and silver, only coloured to look like the former Alpha's choice of poison, whiskey. Poetic, I know, the bitch proved her flare for the dramatic over and over again.
Both Tyler and Brian are looking at me intensely, their gazes burning holes in my head. It took me a minute to snap out of my shocked state, before I understood what they were trying to tell me. They both knew I am Jason's mate, so I am the only person than can help him cope with the tragedy, both for his sake and the rest of the pack, or anyone, really.
While Brian was running out of the room, already mind linking everyone and alerting all pack members of the severity of the breech Crescent Moon is facing, Tyler nods and steps aside, out of Jason's reach. I nod back, telling Tyler I'm ready, so he's alert and can step in if necessary. I hope it won't be necessary, I hope Jason's will never physically hurt me. On the other hand, he can blame me once again for this whole ordeal.
I take a deep breath, avoiding to look at the corpses. I guess, here goes nothing.
Taking the smallest steps, I carefully approach my mate and place a hand on his shoulder. He doesn't react, in any way, he's as still as a statue, and I begin to feel scared.
“Jason...” I almost whisper. “Jason... I... th...” I sigh loudly. I can't do this. I'll just be myself, I'm sure he'll hate me, but will thank me later. In a million years, later.
“Jason, I'm really sorry about your loss, but you are the pack's Alpha. Right now you need to pull your shit together and appear in front of your pack members emotionless, giving them confidence that you will catch whomever did this, and avoid any more bloodshed. They need their Alpha to keep them safe. Jason, a pack is only as strong as their leader. Be strong, or else Marie will manage to destroy this whole pack.”
I have no idea where all that pep talk came from, I did notice Tyler cringing hard at the clichés I used, but it seemed to gave worked. The former Beta entered the room, keeping his composure perfectly, because he already knew what to expect. The only thing betraying him were his eyes. Tears were running like small streams as he saw his best friend and Alpha, and also his Luna, dead. Jason looked at him and asked him if he wouldn't mind taking care of his parents, and mare sure they look as if they died with dignity.
Outside was a different type of chaos. A few guards were found dead as well, and lockdown was being enforced. Women that couldn't fight, elders and children were running towards the safe rooms, while everyone else was ready to fight but didn't know who they were fighting. It was more than obvious that they needed the guidance of their Alpha.
Tyler and I were following Jason as if we were his shadows. A part of me wondered why am I still here any why aren't on a plane back to my uncle. Tyler even asked those questions out loud, but we both couldn't just leave. Tyler has in in his DNA to help whoever needs his help, and I... well this is the pack I grew up in, and Jason... I don't know, I want to help him, because he helped me when I was being held hostage. We'll be even after this.
“Listen up, everyone. We are under attack, consider this war. The former Alpha couple, my parents, have been killed. Our attackers are Sang Noir pack from France, lead by their Alpha Marie Gaston. It is believed that former Commanders of Crescent Moon, the Baileys, are helping the enemy. That means they have the upper hand, knowing most of our strategies, if not all.” As a group of top fighters were listening to him explain what is happening, Jason takes a deep breath and sighs loudly. I can feel how difficult this is for him, I can feel how much he's hurting. “We'll used the new defence plan we working on last month. Do not trust anyone you haven't seen in more than a month, I don't care if they're your family. Get scouts to do recon and turn the pack grounds upside down. I want to know how the fuck an 18 year old Alpha female, leading a pack she's just met, and who's face everyone knows, managed to get inside our pack house and kill two of the most important pack members.” Everyone yells 'Yes Alpha' and scurry away to their tasks.
Tyler looks at me and rolls his eyes before giving me the thumbs up, all without being too obvious. I thank him silently before clearing my throat to get Jason's attention.
“We want to help, Tyler and I. If you want us to, or course.” To be honest, I was expecting Jason to refuse my help, purely because of the hatred filled looks he was giving Tyler. Oh shit, I completely forgot. He still doesn't know who Ty really is to me. Before I could freak out and vomit the words 'Tyler is just my gay Beta', Jason blinks and speaks first.
“I'll take all the help I can get, thank you. It means a lot. And thanks for... earlier. I really needed that”
37 - Expecting
Samantha
It feels weird talking battle strategies and potential allies when all I can do is keep stealing glances at Jason. He looks so much older than what he looked like yesterday. If someone would meet him right now for the first time, they would shit their pants. Jason is somehow bigger and has this scowl etched on his face. He's only 19, but the events that transpired yesterday aged him at least 10 years, not only physically, but mentally also. He talks like a true Alpha, strategizing and coming up with plans and solutions to minimise our losses and get rid of Marie forever. It was unanimously decided that when it comes to her, we all aim to kill. I've never killed anybody in my life, and wasn't planning on doing that anytime soon, but I'm ready for when it comes to it. And I have a feeling this is as serious as it gets, and I will have to take a life, being Marie's or not.
I talked to my uncle last night after I got to my hotel. I politely declined the offer to remain on pack grounds even before the horrendous murders. I was planning to meet with Jennifer, Ryan and Luke and head to The Hound, see what Rudy's been up to and introduce them all to Tyler, but after that nightmare of a day, I explained to them that I need some rest. They all agreed, bless them and Luke surprised me once more by offering his help and alliance to Jason. The two packs have a peace treaty, but are not bound by any alliances, so Luke's offer means a lot. The catch was that I have to convey the message to Jason. I see that Luke still isn't a fan of my mate's, and I know for a fact the feeling is mutual.
When I spoke to him, my uncle sounded worried, but I still had the feeling someone filled him in on the tragic events before I got the chance to. It might have been Tyler, so I didn't mind. He also applauded mine and Tyler's decision to help out, gushing over how proud he is of us and entering dangerous territory when he told me it speaks to my character as future Alpha. I knew he wouldn't be against me staying to fight, after all the training I had endured in the last six months, everyone knew I could much mo
re than hold my own, and both Bolder and Tison still have that feeling of honour and protecting in the blood. They might have retired from the Royal guards, but it seems the spirit is only dormant in them. I'm actually glad, because it would have been way worse to have someone try to convince me to back out.
“....o what do you think?” I snap out of my thoughts when it dawns to me that Jason is addressing me. Shit, I really do have the attention span of a 3 year old with ADHD. I can already tell I must look like a deer caught in the headlight. Eyes open wide, frantically looking around searching for any clues as to what he said so I can come up with a response. Shit, I got nothing.
Trying my best to play it cool, I clear my throat and smile apologetically.
“Sorry, I didn't catch what you just said.” I decide to ignore Tyler's snorts, his way of containing his laughter. Traitor! He could have given me a nudge or something.
“I was saying out the plan to create some sort of a task force, like we did when.. when we went after you.”
“Oh, yes, that sounds good.” My uncle told me everything about their rescue mission and how they managed to get me out of that bunker, so I knew what Jason was referring to. It was actually a great idea. “The only thing is, we will have to do it at a much bigger scale. From what I know, that time you were dealing mostly with rogue and mercenaries. This time we're talking about a pack. They trained together, worked together, so they will know how to move as one. It will be way more difficult than going against a bunch of disorganised rogues who only care about saving their own skin.”
They all seem impressed with my explanation and I can't help the little proud smile that forms on my lips.
Fight For The Highest Wolf Rank Page 18