17. Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Seventeen
Nyx
My head is still spinning as we walk down the stairs, in search of Cade, Alpha Daxton, and Alpha Wyatt.
I wasn't expecting our conversation to go in that direction—but fuck, I'm happy it did.
I really needed it. Not to ease any heat tensions—because thanks to Marie, I don't feel them—but to reconnect after the last few torturous days.
Unfortunately, I have no clean clothes here, and I refuse to put my grubby outfit back on. They are still caked in dirt, dried mud, and blood. But Lex popped downstairs quickly as I was getting dried and returned with a backpack. I was taken aback and a little emotional that they had the foresight to bring some of my own belongings.
I feel much better now, dressed in a pair of navy-blue shorts and a black tank top. Lex even washed my hair in the shower, and the damp strands are pulled back into a high ponytail. I feel like myself again.
As we step outside into the sunlight, I'm surprised to find the front of the house nearly empty. Cade is still here with Alpha Daxton, but everyone else has disappeared.
The two of them glance over to us as we walk down the front steps, heading over.
"I'm glad to see you've finally taken a shower," Cade teases with a smile.
Maverick grunts next to me, stepping closer into my side. "Well, she needed one when we were finished with her."
My cheeks turn bright red as Lex laughs loudly, obviously amused by the comment. Alpha Daxton on the other hand, wrinkles his nose in disgust, a quiet groan reaching my ears as he massages his temple.
"Where are the others?" I ask, trying to change the subject.
Cade points to a large building about seventy feet away. "In our community hall having lunch."
I look over, nodding as I remember walking past it with Annabelle. I place a hand over my stomach as it growls with hunger. I have no idea how I'm so ravenous again after my first lunch with Annabelle, but I suppose not eating for well over a day, followed by strenuous activity will do that to you.
"Come on, Red," Lex says, placing his hand on my lower back. "We'll grab you a quick bite to eat."
"She needs it after that," Maverick taunts again and I resist the urge to slap him.
Cade just smiles. "It's probably best to grab a quick snack. Then we can get down to business. No sense doing it on an empty stomach."
I nod in agreement, grabbing a hand from both Lex and Maverick and letting them lead me toward the hall.
Behind us, I hear Alpha Daxton and Cade making small talk, and I'm surprised that they are getting along—well, as much as possible. Alpha Daxton still sounds a little hostile, but then again… when doesn't he?
As we enter the large white open space, I take note of the long tables set up. Various pack members are seated along the sides, plates full of food in front of them as they all chatter among themselves.
Most of them glance up as we enter, giving a nod at our arrival before returning to their plates.
At the far end of the hall, I see a buffet style set-up, aromas drifting around. We approach it together and I spot a range of different foods—a variety of meats, salads, hot vegetables, and large pitchers of water.
Grabbing a plate, I join the small line as some members go back for seconds, dishing out some roasted chicken and vegetables onto my plate. Lex fills his plate with nearly one of everything, while Maverick appears pickier, opting for red meat and salads.
We don't wait for Alpha Daxton and Cade, slipping into some vacant chairs at the end of a table where Alpha Wyatt is sitting. I notice the last few empty seats are with us too, and the other alphas soon slide into them.
Cade looks around proudly, giving me a wink when he notices me watching him. I chew my pumpkin slowly, not returning his enthusiastic gesture, but not glaring at him either.
"So, are you going to explain to us why you felt the need to steal my mate?" Maverick asks sternly.
It feels like everyone in the room suddenly vanishes, leaving just us. I quickly swallow, my lips parting in shock at his words. Alpha Daxton raises an eyebrow in surprise, while Lex appears unfazed. Of course, it's our no-filter ally that addresses the elephant in the room.
"Oh! Does this mean that you are going to take Nyx as your mate now, Maverick?" Alpha Wyatt says excitedly.
Even though Maverick already told me in the bedroom that he wouldn't leave me, my heart beats wildly at hearing him claim me as his mate for the first time. Behind us at the next table, I spot Mason and Theodore, watching with wide eyes and open mouths as they eavesdrop our conversation—not that we're doing a great job at being discreet.
Cade leans forward, exchanging an intense glance with Maverick. "Oh, so she was still up for grabs?"
I haven't known him for long, and to be fair, most of our time together has been filled with some form of hostility on my part, but even I can tell he's teasing. Maverick, on the other hand, fails to see the humor. He slams down his fork, leaning across the table as he grabs Cade's shirt and rips him forward. "No. She's not up for grabs ."
Lex clears his throat, shooting Maverick an exasperated glance to remind them both of his presence… and the fact there was never any uncertainty when it came to our mate connection.
Neither of them pay attention to him. Maverick tightens his hold on Cade, while the other man smiles sweetly, completely unbothered. Around us, I'm eerily aware that we have the attention of everyone in the room. A few people stand—New Moon members mostly—and Alpha Daxton and I share a look that says this is getting out of hand, fast . I wait for him to do something about it, but to my horror, he points to me with his finger.
Shit—this is my job.
I try not to dwell on the fact that the Goddess Ophelia was this super mediator. She would have been negotiating with alphas that were out for blood, ready to go to war—not already sitting at the dinner table eating together. My job is obviously far easier, but I still have no fucking idea how to defuse this.
Swallowing the last of my food, I stand up, leaning forward to latch onto Maverick's hand. The stubborn asshole still doesn't budge, so I reach for Cade's shirt, the section bundled in Maverick's grip. Yanking them apart, my cheeks flush yet again as the entire room watches me.
"That's enough," I hiss quietly, hating the attention.
Cade stretches back into his chair, flashing me a grin. Maverick, on the other hand, returns to his food… ignoring me. Asswipe.
"I'm going to make one thing clear," I start, raising my voice a little despite the internal fear begging me to stop as people straighten up to listen. "I am not a possession." Pausing, I glare at Cade. "And I'm not up for grabs," I direct toward Maverick. "Whatever this situation is, we will work it out. But by we, that includes me ."
Lex smiles proudly as I sit back down, shielding my face with my hand as I try to hide in my food.
"Good job," he murmurs, resting his hand on my leg.
I don't say anything back, and thankfully, people start to return to their own food, chatter filling the room once more. But the alphas keep watching me closely, with a mixed range of expressions.
How does one become a qualified mediator to a bunch of psychotic leaders?
When we walk into Cade's office, I immediately clock Maverick narrowing his eyes on the cracked window behind his desk. His lips smugly upturn into a smirk, eyes darting to me.
"Don't ask," I grumble, taking a seat.
Someone has brought in more chairs, and we all sit down. I'm at the end, followed by Lex, then Alpha Daxton and lastly Alpha Wyatt. Despite one more chair being available, Maverick chooses to stand by the espresso machine.
Cade sits behind his desk, folding his arms. "Let's begin, shall we?"
I hold a hand up, palm facing him. "We're not here to discuss negotiations. I'm not something to barter and I've made my position perfectly clear. Lex and Maverick are my mates, and I have no intentions of walking away from them."
"Is that what he said to you?" Maverick asks heatedly from the corner. "That he wanted you to walk away from us?"
Before I can answer, Cade chimes in. "Yes, I guess you could say that. I said I would negotiate to have her as my mate."
Lex's voice starts to rise while Maverick simmers, but Cade just waves his hand. "I said that was my intention—however, I can see that it wouldn't be the correct route."
I blink in surprise, crossing my arms. "Then what do you want?"
He turns to me, flashing his dimples. "We can share."
I scoff. "You said you weren't great at sharing."
"I've never tried, to be honest," Cade admits. "But how hard can it be?"
Maverick snorts, rolling his eyes. "You'd be surprised."
Lex nods. "Let's be real here—none of us have needed to before. And this is an unusual situation. It's unprecedented with not much to go by."
"Except for the Great War history," I add. "But it's not quite the same thing."
Alpha Daxton glances over, and I realize that I haven't explained to him the revelations that Cade and I worked out. But I can tell by his face that he knows—coupled with the smug smile on Cade's face. I assume he filled my leader in while I was upstairs with Lex and Maverick.
"At the end of the day, the decision needs to come down to Nyx," Alpha Wyatt murmurs. "And while we are here, we should discuss the other situation with the disappearing packs."
I pause, turning my attention to Alpha Daxton. "On that topic, Cade is adamant that they never attacked any of us. But he did give a name."
At my direction, Cade nods, taking over the conversation. "We did see other wolves staking out Shadow Creek while we were gathering intel. Wyatt, I believe you know the Seventh Circle Pack, correct?"
Realization dawns on me when I realize why that name sounded familiar. Wyatt nods, frowning. "Our neighboring pack. Why is that?"
"They are the ones who attacked Tyler," I answer for Cade, locking eyes with Alpha Daxton. "We're not sure about the other incidents, but Cade believes they were other packs that abandoned their efforts when we stopped them."
"Wyatt, what do you know about them?" Alpha Daxton asks, looking at him. "Is this something that they would do?"
"Possibly," he admits. "They prefer to keep to themselves, but Orson does have an aggressive streak."
Lex squeezes my leg. "We traveled past them and the Moonlight Pack."
"And we were attacked," I say, stating the obvious. "After visiting Lydiana. I don't know what territory we were in though."
"It wasn't their territory," Alpha Daxton confirms. "But close by."
Maverick growls softly. "It would give them the perfect opportunity to attack. Plausible deniability since it wasn't on their territory, but close enough to get to us."
The pieces start falling into place, but I can't help but notice that Alpha Wyatt looks almost hurt. We were all looking for answers, and it seems as though they were right under his nose the entire time.
"You couldn't have known," I tell him. "None of us did. They would have been secretive about it."
Next to me, Lex nods in agreement. "Being hidden in plain sight was the best plan of attack for them. We wouldn't have thought to look at them…"
"If it wasn't for Cade spying on us," I finish.
Cade smiles, but this time, it's more genuine—not taunting. "See—life has a funny way of working out."
"Don't push it," Maverick shoots back.
"So, what do we do now?" I ask, directing the question to Alpha Daxton.
He's probably the most logical of the group, the least attached to the situation—which is weird because five minutes ago I would have given that title to Alpha Wyatt.
"I think we need to pay them a visit," he says. "We can detour that way tomorrow back to Shadow Creek. In the meantime, as for this situation," he nods toward me, Cade, Lex, and Maverick. "Stevens is correct. It's her decision. And you all need to respect that."