Chapter Sixteen
Phoenix
It was the scent that nearly brought me to my knees.
We knew the coven had been close, but as all my wolves spread out protectively as we made our way back to the pack, I knew we’d missed one.
And I knew a good few moments before everyone else.
My scenting abilities had grown exponentially since I’d mated, but not one single beta, or the wolves they commanded, ignored my reaction.
My wolf sprinted back. The only thought in our mind was our mate.
I sensed my wolf’s relief a second before the scent of my mate hit me.
Emery was alive, and I raced into the pack circle, the rest of the warriors following me.
What infuriated me—sickened me—was that he wasn’t underground and safe, but he seemed to be in one of the cottages. I charged through the door, shifted into my human, and came to a stop. Emery turned around from the sink where he’d been rinsing a soda can, like everything was utterly normal.
“Are you hurt?” I demanded.
My betas crowded around me. He frowned.
“I’m fine. I’m assuming everything’s okay since you’re back. But a couple of the elders might be sick. Can someone go let them out?”
Isla and Simeon hustled the others outside and closed the door. I inhaled. The scent of the silver-skins was still there, but very faint. “They’ve been here.” I knew they had.
“Go make sure everyone is safe, then I need to talk to you. Your dad and whoever you trust are going to want to hear this, as well.”
I searched his gaze, and while he seemed annoyed, he was physically unhurt, so despite my wanting to grab him close just to breathe him in, I did as he asked.
I waited while he straightened the dish towel, glanced around the room to make sure nothing was out of place, then preceded me out of the door.
Esther was frantic as she ran up the steps, and she rushed over to Emery, practically shaking. “Where were you? I thought you’d gone down in front.”
Emery nodded, but he disengaged himself, and I saw the flash of hurt on Esther’s face.
When he heard Simeon saying that all the elders were fine, just shaken up, he turned to me.
“There were at least four wolves that ran off in that direction.” He pointed to the forest. I frowned and glanced at the two elders who’d been responsible for getting everyone to safety.
Both of them immediately avoided my gaze, and I quickly directed Matthew to do a head count and organize a search.
Emery turned and headed for the pack house.
It took over an hour to find the four wolves that had panicked, but luckily, all Esther had to treat was shock as the few with lacerated paws had shifted immediately when they felt safe enough to do so.
I gathered my dad, Esther, Simeon, Isla, Nicholas, and Matthew, and we walked toward the pack house, and met with the heavenly smell of coffee wafting out.
I led everyone into the kitchen, following both the smell of the coffee and also my mate.
My eyebrows shot up at the cookies on the table, and my dad grinned as he sat down, and Emery pushed the plate toward him.
“Oh my God,” Matthew mumbled, chewing quickly. “Are these real?”
Emery rolled his eyes. “Real from a packet, anyway.”
I hadn’t taken one, and after a moment, when Emery seemed to consider everyone settled, he looked over at me. “I don’t know everyone.”
I flushed because, duh, and I quickly went through everyone and what they did for the pack. Emery tilted his head consideringly when I got to Isla, and then he smiled. “You have to be related to Bayer.”
Isla glanced at me warily, but I nodded. “I’m his older sister.”
Emery grinned. “And I bet you have lots of blackmail material on the three of them.” Humor lit Isla’s eyes, and I saw her relax.
“Maybe.”
Simeon was formal and greeted him as alpha-mate, and thankfully, all Emery said was, “Please call me Emery.”
Simeon, much to my surprise, seemed to agree.
He was familiar with both my dad and Esther, and he remembered Matthew. Nicholas was also introduced. Nicholas thanked him for helping his mother get to the shelter. She’d been particularly impressed that he didn’t just head for the bunker but stayed to help people.
“Why weren’t you in there?” I finally snapped out.
Emery nodded. “I’ll explain, but can you tell me, when that sort of emergency happens, who exactly is supposed to be in charge?”
I sighed and looked at Dad, knowing I’d screwed up. “It wasn’t all on you,” Dad said, then glanced at Emery. “Traditionally, the alpha-mate runs things, but as my mate no longer lives in the pack, two of the elders would have done it.”
Emery seemed to consider this. He reached out and took a cookie, absently crunching it and following it with a gulp of coffee, then he sighed.
“Look, I get it. I know a lot of things have changed, but honestly? My kindergarten class would have done a better job of responding to an emergency than your wolves. It was appalling.” He leaned forward.
“I know you don’t, but what if you had any pregnant she-wolves either left outside or knocked over?
Not one single person was taking any count of who was safe.
We had two elders that were hurt, one because they were knocked over by a panicked wolf.
” He shook his head. “If the vampires had come, you would have had no idea who they could have taken.”
“This was my fault,” I said before anyone else had a chance to.
Emery arched an eyebrow. “Ultimately, yes, the buck stops with you, but isn’t that why you have betas?
If our principal was out sick and we had an emergency, every single staff member knew their roles.
I counted four wolves that panicked because of where they were asked to hide.
If you have wolves that have claustrophobia, then it needs to be addressed beforehand. ”
I opened my mouth, but Dad put a hand on my arm. “Emery, you are correct. Son” —he looked at me— “this isn’t your fault. It’s mine. Traditionally, the alpha-mate would take care of the pack in situations like this, but my mate chooses to live elsewhere, and I haven’t wanted to face that.”
Emery’s face softened. “Then, Draven, maybe it can be something that’s a priority?”
“You mean you’re not going to take it on?” Simeon asked. The growl was out of my throat before I realized. “I’m asking because you just heard it was the alpha-mate’s role. You’ve been presented to the pack as such, but according to what I hear, you’ve made no such commitment.”
I was ready to rip out Simeon’s jugular.
“Weren’t you Draven’s assistant?” Emery got in before I could say a word.
“I was his beta commander,” Simeon nearly growled.
Emery nodded. “And as such, how many drills did you run for just this eventuality?”
Simeon frowned. “What?”
“Practices? So everyone understood what they were supposed to do?”
“They just needed to follow orders,” Simeon snapped out, and Emery put his chin on his hands, looking exasperated.
“And when there was no one there giving out these orders?”
Simeon clamped his lips shut, but I knew Emery had scored a direct hit. Emery turned to me. “Just so I understand, you all believe that somehow the silver-skins are responsible for your females not going into heat and therefore not having kids?”
I nodded.
“But you can’t prove this, and any challenge would be a bad move?”
I sighed. “I honestly don’t know. I don’t know their numbers. I know the rate of missing persons in the areas where there’s no functioning pack has increased tremendously. It’s too much of a coincidence.”
“How do vampires have kids?” Emery said.
“What?” I asked, the question taking me completely by surprise.
“Lady vampires?” Emery asked, a smile tugging at the bottom lip I suddenly wanted to cover with mine.
“No such thing,” Esther said, speaking for the first time.
Emery turned to her, shock on his face. “I was joking, but really?”
Simeon shook his head. “I was told by my grandfather that there used to be, but that no female silver-skin had been born in thousands of years.”
I glanced at Simeon. I knew the old legends, but I had no idea if it was true.
“Wait,” Emery said, putting his hand up as if calling for quiet. I imagined him doing that with his kids. “How are vampires born then?”
“Human females. It’s rare because the pregnancy, if not the birth itself, usually kills them,” Esther said. “The fetus destroys the mother. The human mother doesn’t have the blood volume needed to support the growing fetus.”
Emery frowned. “So basically, you’re telling me that they’re in the same boat?”
I frowned. “What?”
“They’re fighting for their survival in exactly the same way you are.”
Everyone started decrying Emery’s words, except me. I just met his gaze. We both stayed silent because he was right. I knew it. Emery knew it. I just had no idea what the fuck to do about any of it.
Emery
When the noise died down, I knew full-well I had to tell them something else. I had no idea what to make of any of it, and Phoenix and I had to spend some time together when we weren’t either in the middle of an attack or having sex. I stifled the groan and refused to look at him.
“I think you have something else to tell us,” Phoenix guessed correctly, and all the others quieted.
I met his gaze and felt the power in it right in my gut. “I went into that cabin because one of the panicked women, wolves, headed this way and knocked someone over.” I saw Phoenix flinch, but I couldn’t soften this. It was too important. “There was a vampire in there.”
I heard a few gasps, but every bit of my focus was on Phoenix, and his on me. “It was a child,” I added. “He told me he was running from the coven elders because he’d skipped his lessons, and his father had sent them to find him.”
“Fuck,” Draven whispered, which surprised me.
“He didn’t hurt me,” I assured them. “If anything, he led them away from the pack.”
“How old would you guess?” Phoenix asked, his face a blank mask.
“A young teen. Thirteen, maybe fourteen at most.” I looked around at all the stony expressions. “Why? Do you know him?”
“Did he give a name?” Esther whispered.
I nodded. “Rhys. He said it meant fiery warrior.”
Draven looked at Esther. “Do you think it was him?”
“Who?” I asked, a little annoyed.
“Vampire births are very rare,” Phoenix answered me. “We heard a rumor that one had been born around fourteen years ago, but we hoped it was just a rumor.”
“And it wasn’t wishful thinking,” Draven added. “This child was the son of the leader of the silver-skins, Alessandro, and groomed to succeed his father on his thirtieth birthday.”
“When he loses his soul,” I whispered. That scared boy I really liked was destined to become a monster, and there was nothing I could do to stop it from happening.