Chapter 23
TALIA
Shouting filled my ears as Jaxon and I approached the pack houses.
Pack members were gathered while Declan was standing in the middle of the lawn, still wearing his patrolling uniform.
Black leather fighting trousers covered his legs, fitted to his muscular thighs.
He had several knives strapped to his legs with leather fastenings, and heavy work boots adorning his feet.
“The mages and wolves at our borders have managed to break through the barriers.”
He informed them.
Voices began to raise, questions being shouted into the crowds.
“Are we still safe?”
A mother who was holding her two young children asked.
“Do we need to worry about our families?”
Another male shifter shouted.
“What about our children?! We need to get them to a safe house!”
People were beginning to panic.
Children were tucked up under their mothers and fathers, wide eyes and panic consuming them.
Declan stepped forward, eyes glowing and spoke, “Quiet!”
his deep, gravelly voice travelled across the yard.
Everyone became quiet as he addressed them all, “We have managed to either capture or kill all the wolves who made it past the borders.”
Murmurs broke out through the crowd.
“No mages have been found inside the barriers.
They are still on the outskirts of the pack territory.
We are safe.
For now.
The pack enforcers will be coming around and briefing each family on an evacuation plan should the need to flee to a safe house arise.”
He spoke.
I wonder how many safe houses he has.
Does he have enough for all his pack members? “What about the fact they broke through the shields?”
A man with dark black hair stepped forward.
His eyes were deep brown, almost black.
A chill ran through me as he turned in my direction.
Declan followed the man’s gaze and his eyes met mine.
His gaze softening momentarily before he turned his attention back to his pack member and said, “Jarome, Sasha and her coven are enforcing the shields across the territory as we speak.
They also brought in a sister coven to increase its strength.”
Jarome nodded while slowly stepping back in the crowd, but I couldn’t help but feel like he would be a problem in the future.
Something just felt wrong when he looked at me.
A deep chill and sense of foreboding washed over me while under his gaze.
“What about our missing women? Our daughter Heera still has not been found, she has been missing for two weeks now.”
A woman with long gray hair, and dark weathered skin asked with tears trailing down her face.
Sorrow filled her blue eyes as she waited for him to respond.
Declan took a deep breath while rolling the sleeves of his dark grey shirt up to his elbows.
His brows furrowed for a moment, while he collected his thoughts, before he turned his eyes towards her.
He released a deep breath and replied, “Elder Shara, I am sad to report that on our patrols tonight we came upon the body of another female.
One who was badly burned at the stake.”
A choked cry left her as she asked, ”What of our dear daughter Heera? She was not but eighteen years young.”
I nudged Jaxon with my nose and nodded my head towards the house.
I needed to shift and change back into my clothes.
I trotted over to the side of the house where I had left my clothing and shifted back.
I reached down and grabbed my jeans and white blouse I had left behind earlier.
I stepped into my pants and pulled my shirt on over my head.
I turned around for any sign of Jaxon or Declan but they were both still out with the pack.
Good.
Taking a deep breath I prepared myself for what I was about to do.
My heart rate increased as I turned the corner to the front of the house, sweat was coating my palms as the pack came into view.
There had to be over one hundred pack members at this meeting.
Elders, pack enforcers, women, and children were scattered throughout the property, going as far back as the entrance to the forest, all listening to my mate speak.
The snow crunched beneath my feet as I slowly made my way to the front where Declan was still speaking to his pack.
Closing my eyes briefly, I counted to five to center myself then I walked up next to my mate.
His gaze shifted in my direction as he asked, “What are you doing?”
concern lacing his voice.
I just smiled, refused to answer his question and turned to address his pack, my pack.
If they will have me.
I cleared my throat as I took a good look at all the men, women, and children in front of me.
They all looked a bit confused, but also curious since I hadn’t really spoken with many people since I got here.
“You all must have many questions regarding your Alphas mate, and I know I haven’t been very social since my arrival.
Some of you were there when I sparred with Declan a few nights ago,”
I told them.
Murmurs broke out as I began again, “My name is Natalia Thornsgate, I am Declan’s fated mate, and I am sorry that I have not been around to meet everyone.
I also apologize for the threat that I have brought to your doorstep.
Assassins have been hunting me.
My lineage is somewhat of a threat.”
A hand wrapped around waist, and I turned to find my mate standing next to me, concern filling his glowing blue eyes.
His grip on my waist tightened as he leaned down and whispered, “I will ask again, what are you doing little wolf?”
I turned to meet his gaze, and told him, “I am introducing myself to my new pack, like I should have done weeks ago.
They deserve to know the whole truth.”
His eyes widened in surprise, brows furrowing as I turned back to the crowd.
“When I met your Alpha, I was running from someone.
Someone who had harmed me in the past, and I am not one who is quick to trust.”
A small voice spoke up, causing me to look towards the movement in the crowd.
A little girl with blonde curls and bright blue eyes stepped forward and asked, “Are you going to be our Luna?”
Her eyes brightened as I gazed down at her.
A small smile broke out on my face as I answered her, “I would very much like to be.”
“Does that mean you are going to marry Alpha Declan?”
she asked.
A laugh escaped me as I turned my head towards my mate.
Hoping he still wanted to be mine, and responded, “If he will have me.”
Children were never ones to beat around the bush.
Declan’s hand gripped my waist so tight I could feel the bruise forming.
I tilted my head up to look at him and found him already staring back at me.
His blue-green eyes glowing as a smirk appeared on his lips.
I moved a hand to my side and rested it on top of his and gave his hand a squeeze.
A deep voice shouted from the crowd.
“Why should we accept you? You have not tried to become a part of this pack, and you seem to have brought this threat you were running from to our pack borders.”
I looked in towards everyone and found Jerome to be the one speaking to me.
I knew he was going to be a problem.
I met his darkened gaze and spoke, “I do not deny that the threat at the border is here for me, I do however want to give my deepest condolences to anyone who has lost a loved one because of my presence here, and I plan to make this right so no one else gets hurt.”
Please don’t let Declan hate me for my next words.
" My name is Natalia Thornsgate and I am the only living Heir to the Throne of The Scarlet Vales." Hushed murmurs broke out throughout the crowd, expressions of shock covered the faces of many.
Concerns filled those of others, and curiosity on some.
I lifted my hands to ask for silence amongst the crowd before I spoke my next words.
“I will be turning myself over to the men hunting me, I will not allow anyone else to be taken in my place.
I am who they are here for.
I will give them what they want.”
I told him, while bracing myself for their reactions.
“The fuck you will!”
“You are our Luna, the fated mate of our Alpha, our Queen and you are under our protection.
We will not let harm befall you.”
Jaxon roared, while staring me down.
Jaxon must’ve shifted in the crowd, because there he was standing naked as the day he was born, arms folded across his chest.
Pissed.
His eyes had darkened, he was breathing heavily and his jaw was clenched tightly as he maintained eye contact with me.
A woman stepped forward, a determined look on her weathered face as she spoke, “Jaxon is right.
No matter how much we know about your or your past, Fate chose you for our Alpha, which means she chose you for our Luna and no matter what danger is after you, we will protect you, and we cannot allow you to give yourself over.
It would be our honor to protect our Queen.”
Her eyes met might for a moment before she turned her gaze towards Declan.
Declan who had been silent this whole time.
He released his grip on my waist and stepped forward, his deep growly voice caused a shiver to run down my arms as he said, “I will not allow my mate to become a sacrifice, no matter how selfless and noble it is of her.
We will protect our pack together as a unit, as a family.”
Someone else stepped forward to speak, and Declan held up his hand to stop him, “Anymore questions for my mate or myself can be addressed tonight at the pack bonfire.
Until then please head home and wait for the pack enforcers to come by your homes.”
He stepped back, took my hand in his and turned towards the house.
“Declan, please just let me help.”
He looked at me, his pupils completely blown.
Fuck he was fuming.
This was not going to end well for me.