20. Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty
Nyx
Alpha Daxton has arranged for Cade to stay in one of the guest houses, and asks—okay, demands—that I show him the way.
Since Maverick and Lex are also staying in the same block of guest houses, the four of us walk together across town.
I've already decided to stay with Lex tonight, desperately needing some one-on-one time. When we arrive at the guest houses, I silently check the numbers on the front of the houses and realize that Cade is right next door—between Lex and Maverick. How fitting.
The houses all look identical and I'm willing to bet that inside is the same too.
Maverick looks disgruntled about having to say goodbye, but I reassure him that I'll spend tomorrow night with him. He reluctantly agrees, and already, I'm getting a taste of this shared custody arrangement.
After kissing him, I watch him walk off, and when he's inside, I give Cade a little wave goodbye.
"If you need anything, let me know," I say, tapping the side of my head to indicate mind linking, still baffled by the four-way connection.
"I'm sure I'll manage," he grins, glancing over as his pack members arrive to find their own accommodation. After the meeting, they went into the town center to eat dinner with some of the Shadow Pack members. Unfortunately, the rest of them don't have alpha privileges and have to share a house—especially since we are hosting so many wolves and don't have enough space.
Taking that as my cue to leave, I grab Lex's hand, leading him up the front stairs. When I step inside, it's like all the tension evaporates from my body at the sight of the familiar house. The last time I was here, I was in a daze, overcome with grief. Then, I went for a run and didn't come back.
Lex clearly has no intention of letting me leave, immediately deadbolting the door behind us.
"Do you want to take a shower?" he asks, stepping up behind me.
I nod, closing my eyes for a second as exhaustion threatens to put me into a coma. "Just a quick one though. I'm wrecked."
He grabs my hand, leading me to the bathroom. Before I can reach for my shorts, Lex is unbuttoning them with his fingers, pushing them down my hips with my underwear. I quickly discard my shirt and bra, waiting as he sets the temperature of the water.
Steam starts billowing around the room, and when it's ready, he holds out his hand for me. I take it, squeezing gently as I step into the shower and pull him in behind me.
"I'm so happy to be back here," he murmurs, standing behind me with his naked body pressed into mine.
"Same," I mutter quietly. "I was so worried I'd never see you again."
Lex's hand runs down my stomach, holding firmly against me as he kisses the side of my neck. "That was never an option, Red. I was going to find you no matter what."
I can't help the tiny moan that escapes, his lips feeling like home on my skin. Behind me, I feel his cock growing, the hard length pressing into my lower back.
And suddenly, it feels like I have found a second wind.
Spinning around, I crash my mouth into his, our heated kiss turning aggressive in an instant. My hands grip his hair on the back of his head, tugging him closer to me as our tongues fight for dominance.
Lex's hands slide down the sides of my waist, squeezing my ass before they trail down to my thighs. I jump at the same time as he grabs me, wrapping my legs around his hips as he lifts me up. My back slams into the shower wall as water rushes down our chests.
"I need to be inside you, Red," he growls against my lips, and I feel exactly the same.
Reaching between us, I grip his cock tightly, giving it a few test strokes before I line him up with my entrance and let my body sink down onto him. Lex inhales sharply while I throw my head back, relishing in the feeling of our joined bodies.
"Fuck me—hard," I beg, cupping his face in my hands as I seek out his lips again.
I cry out into his mouth as he pulls his hips back, slamming into me. My back slides up the wall against the slippery tiles, and I tighten my legs around him.
He fucks me even deeper, pushing me into the wall as he impales himself in me, mouth never leaving mine.
Lex is everything and all I need at this moment, my body aching for him. There are no words to explain how good it feels to be connected—not only physically, but spiritually too. The mate bond is strong, rushing through our bodies with explosive desperation as our hands explore each other's bodies.
"Touch yourself for me," he whispers into my mouth, shifting slightly to give me room.
My hand slides in between our bodies, nails dragging along his skin until I reach my throbbing clit. My fingers find it quickly, circling the sensitive spot as I clench around him.
When he growls against my mouth, the vibration buzzing against my lips, I come hard, squeezing his cock so tight that he loses his rhythm for a second.
"Red," he groans, lifting my thigh higher as he slams into me one final time, his release spilling into my pussy.
Our kisses start to slow down as he lowers me to my feet, and I feel his release drip down my thighs, disappearing into the water below.
Lex reaches for the soap, taking his time as he washes my body while I lean back against the wall for support. Once he's finished, I push off the tiles, returning the favor until we both smell like coconut.
We climb out of the shower, drying off, and dismiss the idea of clothes as we fall into the large bed, pulling the blankets over our naked bodies. I cuddle into his side, adjusting my pillow, and as soon as my head hits it, I instantly fall into a dreamless sleep.
The next morning, I'm woken up by Lex kissing my shoulder as his arm curls around my waist.
I know what today's going to bring, and surprisingly, I'm not worried at all.
We're set to meet Alpha Daxton in his office to discuss the next steps. In addition, I've decided it's time to speak to my alphas together. We don't have time to avoid all the awkward conversations, and I feel like I need to embrace all of this. After all, it's my duty and fate to step into this role. I have no idea what that's going to look like, but I know we'll work it out together.
Lex is on the same page, thankfully, and has reassured me that he'll help work out logistics. The challenge is going to be Maverick, but regardless of everything, I think we both finally realize that we're stronger together. As much as I hate to admit it, getting kidnapped was probably the best thing to happen to us. It forced us to face our unspoken feelings, pushing us together.
I know that there's still a lot of trauma for him, particularly with the fears about his parents. But I'll do whatever it takes to help ease them.
After we've gotten dressed and had some breakfast, we head into town. When we step into Alpha Daxton's office, I spot Maverick and Cade, sitting on opposite sides of the room. My leader is in his usual spot behind his desk, and he gives us a nod as we enter.
"Last as usual," he goads.
It feels like déjà vu and I elbow Lex, already sensing the crude comment forming on his lips. He laughs under his breath, guiding me over to the vacant seat next to Maverick.
Before I sit down, I stand over him, watching as Maverick glances up. When our eyes meet, I lean down, grabbing his face and kissing him. I feel his surprise as his body tenses slightly, but to my relief, he kisses me back without shame or hesitation.
"If you're finished now…" Alpha Daxton says, annoyed.
Across the room, I sense Cade's eyes on me, and I start moving toward him before I even realize. He watches me warmly, and the tension in the room kicks up a notch. Leaning down, I grab the sides of his face, placing a small kiss on his forehead as a sign of good faith and unity.
I go to pull back, but his hands shoot to my hips, holding me in place.
"Come on, Rocky. You can do better than that," he teases, laughing as I scowl at the nickname.
"Seriously?" I snap.
Cade grins, lifting one of his hands to brush some fallen tendrils of hair behind my ear. "Sounds quite fitting to me," he muses.
"Don't push your luck," I grumble, moving back to take my place next to Maverick.
Alpha Daxton lets out a sigh, shaking his head. Thankfully, he doesn't say anything further on the interaction, jumping straight into business. "I'm still undecided as to what to do about Orson's attack. As much as I want to sort it out right now, I don't think it's the time to act hastily."
"We have to avenge Tyler," I say firmly. "We also don't know what else they have done—if they were responsible for some of the other attacks. Not to mention if they have done it to us, what other packs have they targeted?"
"We will," Alpha Daxton promises. "But until we have everything under control, the last thing we need is an all-out war. We need time to prepare so that we don't lose anyone else."
Lex grabs my hand, stroking my knuckles with his thumb. "The other issue is now that Orson knows we are here, our packs are vulnerable. He might see it as an opportunity to attack."
Maverick nods, crossing his arms. "We're between a rock and a hard place. If we leave here to protect our own territories, he might come back if he thinks there's a chance to gain leverage against Daxton's pack. But if we stay, he could target mine and Lex's packs."
"And mine," Cade chimes in. "Or am I just chopped liver?"
Maverick shoots him a dirty glare. "You can be if you want."
I roll my eyes at their bickering. "Let's not kill each other. That will make Alpha Orson's job so much easier."
"Agreed," Alpha Daxton replies, firing up his laptop. "If you feel it's best to head home, then please do so. We'll manage here."
"But what about Nyx?" Maverick asks, turning to face me. "Now, we're exactly in the predicament I feared."
I nod, understanding his concern. "I'm staying here," I answer. "This is my home—at least for now. I'm going to help protect it."
"Then I'm staying too," Maverick shoots back without hesitation. "Besides, if Nyx is the one that Orson wants, then it only stands to reason that he will follow where she is."
"How confident are you with that?" Lex asks in a serious tone. "Because Orson will probably do the unexpected. We don't know for sure that it's Nyx he is after."
Frowning, I glance over to Cade for his input. I'm surprised to find his head down, scanning over paperwork. When he senses me looking, his eyes dart up, smiling. "Don't mind me. I'm just looking at this map that you guys have drawn up."
"Of the territories?" I ask, remembering how we tried to pinpoint and distinguish any patterns between the packs that had disappeared.
He nods. "You have written here that there's a curve."
"That's right," Alpha Daxton says. "But nothing prominent in terms of order. We were starting to investigate if the White Pack vanished by unrelated means to the celestial events."
"Well, maybe not the order," Cade starts, frowning. "But there's certainly another pattern forming."
We all stare at him with perplexity, wondering what we missed. The furthest we got before things went south was looking into nearby packs that could have potentially had it out for the White Pack—presuming they weren't sucked into the oblivion by the universe. Alpha Kingston was little help when we asked—only grumbling that everyone had enemies.
"What do you see?" Lex questions, eyebrows furrowing.
Cade circles his finger around the paper. "Territory invasion, perhaps? It's hard to say but even though the disappearances are sporadic, it's leaving large patches of unclaimed land. And they are all centering specific packs."
"Kingston did say that the White Pack was considering expanding their territory," Maverick notes with a frown. "If another alpha got wind of that, then they would want to put a stop to it. But to make them vanish completely? That's insanity. They would have to have a strong motive to go to such an extent—especially if they intended for this to be the end result."
"Wait," I interject, holding my hand up. "Are you saying it's entirely possible that one pack intentionally wiped out another, not just for the land, but to spark mass fear? Essentially making other packs think they were disappearing on purpose like the Great War… and starting a new war? "
The idea that someone would intentionally start a celestial war is even harder to comprehend than packs sending out hunters. But if what they are saying is true, that a pack intentionally started it—they are the reason for the hunters. And even worse, they are the reason that the universe had to take matters into its own hands to restore balance.
"It's possible," Cade says, and my heart sinks at how somber he looks. It's the most crestfallen I have seen him and for some reason, I hate it.
"It makes sense," Maverick replies lowly. "A domino effect. All they had to do was make the first move, then sit back and watch everything crumble around them as other packs scramble."
I shake my head. "But how does that make sense? If someone wiped out an entire pack, wouldn't the universe instantly be like ' You're bad. Bye ' and obliterate them?"
Lex looks over at me, deep in thought. "Not if they were defending themselves in the first place. If what Kingston said is true, and Thom was trying to start a territory war, a pack has every right to defend their people and land. And if he pissed off the wrong person, it's possible that they used it as an opportunity to start this mess. Then, other packs would send out their hunters, tipping the scales. Their own actions wouldn't even come into question."
"And once other packs start disappearing, territory would be up for grabs. It would be unclaimed," Cade adds.
Alpha Daxton runs a hand across his face. "Terra nullius? It's certainly an easier alternative than entering into a war with a pack. They would just have to wait until the pack vanishes, then there would be no one to stop them from taking over the land and expanding."
"We need to look back at our notes. Which packs were we going to look into regarding the White Pack's disappearance?" Maverick questions, turning to Alpha Daxton.
He flicks through some paperwork, pausing when he finds the right one. Eyes scanning over it, his expression hardens, putting me instantly on edge.
"Which ones?" I ask, dreading the answer.
Looking up, he locks eyes with me as his voice darkens. "Wyatt's neighbors—the Moonlight Pack… and the Seventh Circle."