Damn right, he responded back stilling so suddenly that Kale who was going to attack him stumbled at the sudden halt. Where are you, Grace?
Not too far from abandoned warehouse on the north side of town, Grace told him. They held me in a small shed.
Where should we meet you, he asked his face thoughtful as the others gathered around him.
“Artur,” Steve said, and Artur shook his head slightly causing Steve to look at him with raised eyebrows, but he did not say another word.
Finally, Artur turned to Steve and told him, “Grace will meet us at the clearing where we met her before during the search of the little girl.”
Steve nodded his head as he said aloud, “Kale and Ace, do you want to come with us?”
Before they could nod their heads, Amy immediately said, “I am going too.”
“That goes for us, too,” Susan said indicating her and Ashley with a wave of her hand.
Steve sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, but all he said was, “Rob, keep an eye on the pack. We will be back soon.”
“Yes, Alpha,” Rob said with a nod of his head as Artur shifted as he started for the front of the house followed by the others, and they bounded off with Artur and Steve in the lead.
Almost ten minutes later, they came into the clearing where Grace’s wolf stood looking in the opposite direction, and Artur immediately trudged over to her rubbing his nose along her side.
Grace lowered her head briefly in between his neck and shoulder before they heard the pounding of paws against the ground, and Grace straightened up.
The minute the others came into view, Grace shifted into her human form and she commanded harshly, “Shift, Alistair.”
Suddenly a brown wolf shifted and an older man stood there a scowl on his face as he sneered, “How dare you order me to shift?”
Grace ignored his sneer as she looked over his shoulder to a golden colored wolf with hazel eyes, and Artur growled when he followed her gaze.
Grace without looking down put a hand on the top of his head eliciting a soft howl of pleasure from him as Grace said, “What happens next is going to force your hand, and I hope you are prepared for it.”
The wolf looked startled at her announcement before her eyes shifted back to Alistair and they hardened
“As for you, Alistair of the Shadow Pack, are a liar in the truest sense,” Grace declared. “My father never turned his sister against you as you were never her mate.”
The wolves behind Alistair look confused, and Grace suspected that many of the wolves had followed Alistair thinking he been wronged, and although a few had known the truth, the others had not.
Alistair’s face swelled with rage, but Grace was not done.
“As for the story you told me of my aunt’s knowledge of denying you and being forced by her family to take another mate, was a load of bullshit. YOU almost attacked her when she told you that she was not going with you, and if it had not been for my father, you would have succeeded. It pissed you off that a mere 12-year-old boy who had not shifted yet stood up to you so that when Old Man Jacobson offered you the contract to get their land, you were more than willing.” He was snarling, and Grace knew she had to hurry for he was about to shift.
“My aunt’s mate did not kill her; she killed herself so that you would never have her.” The last part she shouted because he shifted halfway through her explanation, and she moved fast shifting herself as he launched himself at her. Grace did not hold anything back, and she let her wolf have full reign as they avenged their pack’s murder by this deranged and delusion wolf.
How, Alistair’s wolf howled. She is supposed to be weak yet she stood there matching him bite for bite. He had the experience on her, but she seemed to be able to keep abreast him in the battle. He was tiring and he knew that he had to finish this quickly.
Finish her, he commanded of his wolves, as he backed up, and yet not one wolf came forward.
I said finish her, he ordered, and he spun around to face his pack. He could not believe his eyes for they all just looked at him in complete shock and betrayal before they turned and walked away. The last one standing was the golden wolf with hazel eyes that were gleaming with satisfaction.
Finally, you get what you deserved after what you did to us, he snarled before he turned and walked away.
Get back here, Alistair ordered, and then he turned around to look at Grace. He howled in anger and rushed forward not thinking in his madness. Grace stood her ground and as he attacked, she twisted her body and her jaw latched onto his throat. His eyes widened for a moment before she bit down and yanked, and he fell to the ground in his own blood.
Grace looked at him in hatred, but there was sympathy too for although he deserved what fate had planned for him, she had wished that she had not been the one to deliver it.
The wind blew strong and Grace raised her head as it blew across her fur.
Then the wind whispered for all the Moon Star Pack to hear although Steve and the others were not aware of this at the time: Daughter of Alpha Troy, you have avenged our deaths. We thank you, and you will always be a member of the Fire Blood Pack for you are surely your father’s daughter. Be safe, our child. We will continue for we have found the next heir unless you plan to step in as your father’s successor.
There was a pause then the wind continued: We did not think so; be true to yourself, Grace, and we wish you happiness in your new life.
The wind died down and Grace raised her head as she howled into the night sky.
In the distance, the pack trudged away from Alistair as they reviewed all the things that they did on his order.
Beta, what are we going to do?
The Beta did not know himself although he knew what he would like to do.
I, Grace Hawkins, give you the right of Alpha. May you lead the Fire Blood Pack back to its former glory, and may you find happiness along the way, he heard as he lead the pack away from their dead leader.
He stopped in his tracks and turned his head back the way they came. He could not believe what he heard, and he wanted to shake his head to dispel the voice.
Believe, the wind whispered, and his head lifted back as he felt the power go through him. He felt his wolf howl at the sensation, and he smiled as he realized he finally got his wish. He was finally going home.
Let us go. I know where we are headed, he said and led his pack away back to the place he should have never left although it had not been by his choosing.
Thank you, he whispered, and he heard the laughing reply, you are welcome but do right by them Trace Roberts, or you will be answering to me.
The voice faded away, but he knew that she would be true to her word if he led the pack astray as Alistair had done.
He headed home, and with that, a peace of mind as his life was starting over.
Chapter 20
They trudged back to the pack house in wolf form as no one had a change of clothes with them, and as they entered, Grace was aware that the pack members were giving her black wolf weird looks.
Something is wrong; she told her wolf who agreed silently as Artur shifted into his human form as Rob tossed him a pair of boxers.
He was slipping them on when Rob said suddenly, “So Grace is the daughter of the Fire Blood Pack Alpha?”
Everyone froze at his question and Grace gave a silent sigh as a voice said softly into her mind, the pack needed to know the truth.
Grace could not argue with it, but she believed that knowing was going to cause more problems than not knowing.
“Let’s talk about this later,” Steve said to Rob, and he gave the rest a look before he indicated to the others to go up the stairs to their rooms.
Grace followed Artur up to their room where she shifted as he closed the door, and Artur wasted on time in wrapping his arms tight around her holding her close to him.
“Artur,” Grace said relaxed in his strong embrace, but she knew that they had to talk about what everyone learned tonight.
“No,” Artur said leaning back to look at her with narrowed eyes. “We will talk tomorrow and worry about the situation then, but right now I just want to hold you.”
He did not wait for Grace to respond back as he lowered his head and kissed her hard with passion and relief, and Grace decided he was right as she wrapped her arms around him and he walked them over to the bed lowering her down, they would discuss it tomorrow.
The next few days were strain with tension as the pack started looking at Grace differently as she knew they would if they learned her parentage.
“Artur,” Grace said as they went up to their room that night.
“Hmm,” he said distracted as he looked through some paperwork that Steve gave him earlier to look at. He looked up after he marked something on the paper, “What is it, sweetie?” He asked her.
“I think I should go back to my house for a little while,” Grace informed him, and he stilled in his seat at his desk.
“What do you mean?” Artur asked with a hard note in his voice.
Grace sighed, but her violet eyes flashed with anger as she told him, “The tension in the house is going to drive me crazy, and I think it would give the pack members a relief from my presence as they do not know how act toward me.”
“Grace, I cannot leave the pack house at this time so we will go to your house later on,” Artur told her, which was the wrong thing to say to her.
Grace’s hands clenched into fists as she told him in a loud voice, “I am not asking for your damn permission, Beta.”
Artur’s eyes narrowed even further as he put down the papers he was holding on the desk and stood up.
“That is right, I am the Beta for this pack, and I have responsibilities,” he told her just as loudly. “One of those responsibilities is making sure that you are safe.”
“I can take care of myself,” Grace stormed at him.
“I know that, Grace, but we still do not know who has been calling you,” Artur stormed back. Their voices were echoing around the pack house, and Steve glanced up from his office where he was going over some paperwork that he would give to Artur later to look at.
“Should we go up and calm them down?” Amy asked as she entered the office closing the door behind her.
Steve shook his head as he leaned back in his seat giving her a ‘come here’ smile.
“No, let them work this problem out for themselves. Besides, maybe it can also work out the tension that has developed within the pack since we returned from getting Grace back,” he told her as she walked over to settle in his lap.
“Did you know that the rest of the pack knew about her?” She asked as she lifted her eyes to meet his, and he shook his head as he leaned down to kiss her softly.
“No, but I told the pack not to mention it outside this pack house,” he told her as he kissed her again, and neither one heard the rest of the argument between their friends.
“Artur, you are being unreasonable,” Grace shouted at him her eyes flashing violet fire. “I have not received any phone calls since I moved in here, and I doubt the man has left any on my answering machine.”
“I am being unreasonable?” Artur yelled at her. “You have some maniac calling you and harassing you, and I am being unreasonable because I want to keep you in a place I know that you will be safe.”
He turned away from her to slam his hand into the wall creating a fist size hole in the wall. He turned back and yelled at her with his own eyes flashing blue and gold fire at her, “Why can you not understand that I love you and I want to protect you? As long as you are here, then I can focus on my Beta duties without being distracted by the idea of you in your house alone.”
Grace froze where she stood as what he said sunk into her stubborn mind, and her eyes closed with regret.
“I am sorry, Artur,” she said finally as the silence lengthened uncomfortably in the room. She ran a hand across her closed eyes as she admitted, “Besides my parents, no one has really worried about my safety until recently. I learned to rely on myself that I forgot you are the Beta of this pack, and you have other responsibilities besides me.”
She sighed and sunk down onto the edge of the bed before she continued, “I guess I did not realize how much I was interfering in your work.”
“Grace,” Artur said coming over to kneel at her feet and he took her face into his hands. “I understand how independent you are, and believe me, I get that you are used to doing things your own way, but as my mate, you are one of my main responsibilities and one that relish.”
Grace’s eyes flashed open as she told him, “But you also have a responsibility to this pack, your friends and members who rely on you to help their Alpha.” She laughed chokingly, “I forgot about that, though. I just wanted to release the tension that has built since the pack learned who my father was, and I just thought my leaving would lessen their uneasiness.”
“Grace, thank you for thinking of the pack,” Artur said leaning forward giving her a light kiss on the lips. “But if you were not here, I would not be any good for my pack which they saw when you were taken.”
Grace looked at him in confusion as he said sheepishly, “I was so worried that my wolf and I actually forgot about our ability to sense you, and how you were feeling.”
Grace only shook her head as laughter bubbled out of her, and Artur smiled as she pulled him up before following back on the bed taking him with her.
He rolled to the side taking his weight off her, and Grace snuggled into his chest as she sighed, and said, “That is twice I have given in when we argued.”
Artur laughed lightly as he ran a hand through her hair, “Yeah, but it is only because you understand the importance of what I am saying. Besides, I have given in with the same argument if I remember correctly.”
“True,” Grace remarked as her eyes began to drift close, and Artur held her to him letting sleep claim the both.
The next morning Grace was heading downstairs when Rob called out, “Grace, do you think you can do me a huge favor?”
Grace startled to have him talking to her, as Rob had been the most uncomfortable around her that she found herself agreeing to his favor before seeing what it was.
Twenty minutes later, she was in the kitchen cooking breakfast for the pack house as it was Rob’s turn to cook, and she glared at him as she was scrambling eggs.
“Next time, I will make sure to know what the favor is it before I agree,” she told him dryly as she checked the bacon and then went back to the eggs. “It is a good thing that I enjoy cooking.”
“After the last few days, I think you owe us this much,” Rob told her teasingly.
“Watch it, Rob,” Grace said waving the hot pan at him. “My aim is damn good and besides, it is not my fault that you took it as if I had changed.”
Rob’s smile slipped as he said seriously, “You are right, but to learn that you are rightfully an Alpha yourself, it just…” he stopped shaking his head.
“I gave up the Alpha position,” Grace told him as she scooped up the done eggs and put them on a hot plate so they would stay warm. “Besides, I really do not know how to be an Alpha, and the Fire Blood Pack will need a lot of rebuilding so I passed on the position to another survivor of the pack who I hope will bring it back to its rightful place among the werewolf packs.”
Rob smiled at her as other pack members filed in the room each calling out a ‘good morning’ to Grace whose eyes widened in astonishment.
Artur and the others came in not too long after, and Artur asked in amazement, “What happened?”
“Easy,” Rob said as he swallowed a forkful of eggs. “We heard you arguing last night, and when everyone realized that Grace was willing to leave to ease the tension, they also realized that she had not changed from the woman we had met from the beginning.”
“She put the safety of the pack before herself,” another voice chimed in.
“Then she showed her loyalty to you by deciding to stick it out so you could
focus on the pack, and not worrying about her,” another interjected although all of them were eating as they spoke.
“I think we need to get some sound proofing in here,” Artur muttered as everyone laughed, and he glanced over at Grace to see a blush covering her cheeks as she stayed focus on the stove.
What do you think, he asked her.
You have an amazing pack here, Artur, she responded back giving him a look over her shoulder before turning back to the stove.
Artur smiled before he said, “You better have left me some breakfast” as he headed over to the table.
Everyone was laughing as he made himself a plate shaking his head and muttering at the meager food leftover after the others had eaten their full.
Ted came over a few hours later as Artur and some of the others decided to train out in the backyard.
Ted smiled as he noticed the women were doing the training; too, as Grace reacted fast throwing one of the males over her shoulder.
“Grace,” he called out catching her attention, but unfortunately, it was at the wrong time as one of the males tackled her to the ground.
“Damn,” Grace muttered as the male got off her quickly, and Ted surmised it was because a small growl had escaped Artur’s lips at that moment.
“Sorry, Grace,” the man said offering her a hand up.
“Do not apologize,” Grace told him as she got to her feet. “It was my fault for being distracted. Besides, this is one of the reasons that we train so we can learn to block distractions when it is necessary.”
Grace gave him a smile before she jogged over to Ted who smiled sheepishly as he told her, “I broke your concentration.”
Grace only shrugged her shoulders as she walked over to the table where water bottles were in a cooler. “Just means I need to train a little harder,” Grace told him as she grabbed one.
She took a long drink before she asked, “It is nice to see you, Uncle Ted, but I can see that there is a purpose behind this sudden visit.”
Ted laughed as he sat down in one of the chairs before he said looking out over the pack who was still training although a few were heading in their direction.
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