Chapter 2
AURORA
A tap on the door has Raina open it and give a tip of her head in respect to Councilman Flint as he enters the office. “Good day, Alpha Aurora.”
“Good day, Councilman Flint. Would you like a drink, something to eat, before we get down to the business of your visit?” I maintain a calm exterior and control my aura. Aztec, I should say, is controlling our aura because she doesn’t want us to give away any scent that may give away our nerves to the councilman.
“I would like a cold drink, and water will be fine.”
“Beta Raina, please get Councilman Flint a drink of cold water.” I have bottled water in my office fridge and know Raina will take one of those and pour it into a glass. All done, without leaving the office and myself vulnerable. That’s exactly how Raina will see it, and what makes her a good Beta.
I wait quietly for Raina to get the drink and place it in front of Councilman Flint. He is watching me closely, and I can feel his wolf near the front.
Aztec links and informs me of what she is hearing. Bruno, Flint’s wolf, is asking me what’s going on. I did not reply, and I’ll block him if he continues.
I give nothing away, and although he will know my wolf has spoken to me, he won’t know what has been said. Tapping my pen on the desk, I give Raina a smile as she places the water in front of the councilman.
“I’ve had someone contact me, giving me interesting information about pack members missing from your pack. Now it seems they are being held against their will. What do you know about it, Alpha Aurora?”
“Well, Councilman Flint, whoever has contacted you may be full of malice. If it was one Rona Whitewater, that is! Seems she may be looking for some payback for being put in her place a few weeks ago.” I give him an eyebrow lift questioningly but can tell he’s not believing a word I’m saying. “What exactly are you wanting to know, Councilman Flint? You and I both know that speaking about certain topics can cause danger to both parties.”
“We need a conversation, and we need one where I can help you with whatever is happening. With or without the council. I will stay here with you for a few days and if you need me longer, then I will stay longer. What I need is honesty, total honesty.”
“Councilman…”
I'm taken aback when I'm interrupted. “Call me Flint, forget the councilman bit for now. While I’m here I’m Flint, a friend of the pack and yourself.”
“Okay, Flint. You can call me Aurora. I am not sure how much I can tell you, because walls have ears, and those ears could get ten members killed.”
Flint shoots to his feet, paces the room a little, then turns to me. He says nothing for a moment, then surprises me when he walks out of the office and shouts over his shoulder, “Where’s my room?”
“Raina, show Flint to a room, and then come back.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
I watch Raina and Flint walk to the stairs before closing my office door and retaking the seat behind the desk. I run my hands through my hair, which I’ve cut short, so it takes less looking after. I just don’t have the time for pamper sessions right now.
The office door opens, and Taria walks inside. She gives me a smile as she throws herself into a seat. “Well, Momma, I’ve a little information for you. It seems Jackson was part of the Blackshadow Pack. He was friends with Bellamy. Bellamy was a lifelong friend of none other than the current alpha. Alpha Connell.
“Evangeline and Bellamy were bullies to Luna Tatiana of the Wolfsfoot Pack. Bellamy was a pack climber too, although he was in Connell’s inner circle. He wanted to be Beta or even take on Connell for the Alpha position once the old Alpha died. It’s all gossip, of course. None of us know for sure, not unless you speak to Alpha Connell or Luna Tatiana.”
“Maybe it’s not a bad thing that the councilman is here. He will know more about what is happening with all the packs and no-man’s-land. Maybe it’s time we remake the allied links we’ve always held with our neighboring packs?” I reply, but I’m thinking it through as I’m speaking.
“Momma, maybe it’s time you took a mate. It’s been a long time on your own. I’m grown and ready to find my own mate. You need someone you can lean on for a change.” Taria has surprised me, but her words have some value.
“I’ll think about it.” It’s the only reply I can give her because I vowed to myself I’d never take another mate.
Raina walks into the office and gives both myself and Taria a searching look, and when she’s satisfied with whatever she sees she reports. “Councilman Flint is in his room. He’s contacting his warriors, I think. I won’t swear on that, but it’s what it sounded like as I left him.”
“It’s what I expected. I think I’m going to have to enlighten him on our situation. We cannot afford for the council to come down on us, giving us a hefty fine or removing me as alpha. But I will confirm it was Rona Whitewater who ran and told what was happening and in doing that she endangered pack members. That gives me the right to ban her from the pack, and unless she is taken into another pack, she’ll be a rogue.” I rub my forehead because things like this never sit easily. I’m supposed to protect my pack, not throw them out to fend for themselves.
“I’m going out on patrol. Do you want me to have Warrior Vernon take my place here?” Raina knows what my answer will be, but she asks anyway.
“No, it’s okay. I’m not leaving the office for probably most of the day. If you need me on the border, link and I’ll come. Do not take risks, Raina. With your warriors or yourself.”
“I won’t. I’ll take warriors Crispin and Charlie with me and be back this afternoon.”
Giving me a tip of her head showing her neck and respect, I nod and she leaves the office. Taria is sitting with her eyes closed and looks like she’s napping. I give an enormous sigh, and that has the reaction I wanted.
“Okay, I’m going. I’ll see you later. If you need me, I’ll be with the warriors. I’ve stepped up my training and Warrior Wallace thinks I may make the elite team if I keep improving.” Taria rushes out of the office before I can respond, but she knows I would rather she didn’t become a warrior, but I also know she’d make an excellent one. Things may change drastically when she finds her mate.
A light tap on the office door has me calling out, ‘Come in.’
Flint steps inside, closing the door behind him. “I’ve spoken to the two warriors I trust most. They are coming here to help in any way they can. Now we need to sit down and be honest with each other, Aurora. If you have pack members held against their will we need to get them back safely.”
I lean back in my seat, close my eyes and speak to Aztec. ‘What should we do, Aztec?’
We can trust the councilman. We need help to get pack members back. Gone far too long now, Aurora.
Opening my eyes, I look at Flint. “Yes, I have ten members held by whoever is leading the rogues in no-man’s-land. Six females and four males. All the males are capable. Two were training as warriors. Three of the females are what you would consider troublemakers, but in the nicest way. They are mischievous, get into trouble often, but never because they have hurt anyone. It’s always a silly prank. But they are also the three that will stand up and protect any of the pack. They are the ones I am most worried about.”
“Tell me about each of them. I want to be able to visualize them, know them as best I can before any decisions are made. My warriors will be here as fast as they can travel. They will need a room and will need to eat.” Flint walks over to the table and takes a seat. “Okay, let’s begin.”
I walk over to the table and take my seat before speaking about my kidnapped members. I remember as much about each of them as I can. Relaying memories, knowledge and even my personal views of each. But the more I speak, the more I feel like vomiting. It’s the thought of what they have been, and what they are, going through in no-man’s-land.
“We need as much information about the patrol they may have along your territory border and the Spirit Walker Pack border. Lyle would help you Aurora, you both are the Alphas of the two packs that are at most risk. The three other packs will come when called. They will have no problem that you have kept your pack closed and safe. It is what each of them would have done.”
“My Beta is on patrol at the border, as we speak. She has two of my warriors with her, and they are looking for a weak spot in the rogues’ patrol. A gap that is long enough to allow me to pass through. I’m not sitting any longer on this mess. I want to know if they are alive, and if I can get them out. Nothing you can say will change my mind, so don’t even try talking me out of it.”
Flint pinches the bridge of his nose. “Okay, do nothing until my warriors arrive and we’ve looked at the layout, checked everything that may be relevant to the area. We cannot afford for you to get caught or killed.”
“Was the member of my pack Rona Whitewater?” I ask, taking Flint by surprise.
Sighing, he knows if he wants to keep my cooperation, he has to be honest, too. “Yes.”
“Thank you. I, Alpha Aurora Pearl of the Blood Pearl Pack, hereby banish Rona Whitewater from the pack forthwith and forever.” I take an intake of breath and release it slowly as the link to Rona breaks and she leaves the pack.
“You didn’t have to do that, Aurora. The female wanted what was best for her pack.”
I cut him off with a sharp snarl. “She did it behind her alpha’s back, and by breaking the order her alpha gave every pack member. I have put a lot of my life to the side Flint, for the good of the pack. I ask that my members are true to me, and she never spoke to me once. She didn’t try to persuade me to change any tactic I was thinking or suggest a way of getting the members released. She ran to the council like the bitch she is. Neither I, nor the pack, need a member like that. We have all been doing our best to find our pack members and get them home safely.
“For all she knew, the council could have gathered the packs and flew into no-man’s-land like a raging army. The first thing they would have done was murder my pack members, so you tell me Flint, how you would feel about Rona if she did that to you.”
“She came to me and has not spoken to other council members. I came after considering what should be done. I will have to inform the council once I know what is happening and how we can help get this resolved.”
“Do you know Jackson, the banished member of the Blackshadow Pack?”
Flint looks at me curiously. “Yes, I know of him.”
“He is the Beta of the no-man’s-land pack. He told me that himself. When I take the food parcels, he is the one that speaks to me. He stinks like a rogue, but I can still feel his wolf. He’s not strong anymore, but he hasn’t lost him. Yet, anyway.”
“Jackson was friends with Bellamy, who in turn was a close friend of Connell. But Bellamy, Jackson and Zoella disappeared from the pack.” Flint leans forward in his seat, brow frowning and thinking hard. “Didn’t Zoella come here?”
“Yes, and she was banished from here. Seems they were all rotten to the core. I heard that Zoella went into no-man’s-land, but I didn’t bother to have it confirmed.”
“Show me what you know about the area on the map.” Flint stands and walks over to the map on the wall. I step up to the side of him and point out where we know the pack members were being kept previously. But I don’t know if they are still held in that position.
“I want one of my warriors to sneak across and check this out.” Flint states, turning to look at me.
“If one of your warriors goes over the territory border, then I’ll be going with them. I know the area. Before the rogues took the land, I used to hone my hunting skills there. I can get us in and out if we know the border check times. My Beta will have that information later today. By then, your warriors will be here and we can have a meeting.”
Flint nods his agreement and we leave the office, heading to the dining room to find a hot meal. One that I will need if I’m going to be at full strength for the dash into no-man’s-land, and out again, safely.