Chapter Twenty-Two
Iwalked into my father’s office to find him surrounded by the other Alphas. “Daddy?”
He smiled as he stood. “Baby girl, you-” He stopped dead in his tracks as his eyes fell on my neck.
Rowan came in and my father’s eyes snapped to him. “Gavin.” Rowan started. “I-”
Everyone quieted their conversations, and tuned in to the tension between the two males currently glaring at each other.
“You two mated?” His voice was soft and my father was never quiet.
I stepped in front of Rowan, and my father’s eyes snapped to me. I opened my mouth but Rowan pulled me back against his chest and then stepped in front of me. “Not now Rabbit. This is between your father and me.” Rowan stood straighter. “Yes.”
There was a soft growl. I leaned around Rowan’s side so I could glare at my dad. “Is this what you want, Amy?” My father’s eyes connected to mine, and I could see he was warring with something.
I nodded. “He’s my second chance mate, daddy.” I turned to look at Rowan’s face. “Honestly, I think he was always going to be my mate.”
My dad seemed to settle with my words. He shook his head and blew out a breath.
“You’re probably right.” Everyone turned to him in surprise and he smiled.
“I may be a stupid Alpha, but even I can see that is a Goddess mate mark. And with what happened the first time around, I can only assume this was all a part of her plan.” He shook his head before he looked back at Rowan.
“You are my king, and I respect you. Like you even. But if you hurt her…” His eyes hardened. “I will kill you,” everyone gasped.
“Daddy.” I grabbed for him. “You can’t say that. That’s treason.” I was terrified for my father.
“Deal.” Rowan’s voice was firm, and he stuck out a hand.
I froze and turned on Rowan. “What did you just say?”
He grabbed me with his other hand, keeping the first outstretched towards my dad.
“I said deal Rabbit. I can understand your dad’s worry.
And I will never, ever hurt you again.” He kissed the tip of my nose before turning back to my father.
“You can kill me if I hurt her…I’ll even let you.
” He grinned as my dad glared at him for a second before he smiled back.
“Deal.” My dad slapped his hand into Rowans, and they shook on it.
I tossed my hands in the air. “Men are stupid.” I turned away to the bookshelf and started looking for the picture that Rowan had spotted last night.
There it was, up at the top, like he said.
I jumped up and grabbed it, hanging off the bookshelf and staring at the picture.
I recognized the two in the photo, and I wasn’t sure how.
“Get down.” Rowan rumbled under me.
I smirked as I dropped into his arms. “I am a werewolf…like you.”
He put me down on the ground. “We are lycans, and that doesn’t change the fact that I don’t want you to jump up and dangle off a rickety old shelf.” He shook his head as he looked down at the photo. “Why did you grab it?”
My dad walked over and plucked the photo from my hand. “Why did you grab this picture?”
Rowan looked at the photo. “We talked about it last night.”
I grabbed for the photo, still confused by their faces. “I felt the urge to see it.” I touched the face of my grandmother. “They look so familiar.”
My dad placed a hand on my shoulder. “Not possible, bug. They were gone before you were alive.”
I nodded, but I felt the tug in my chest. I recognized them and I needed to find out where. “Can I keep this photo?” I looked up at my dad.
“I don’t see why not.” He paced away. “But the picture isn’t why you are here. The rogues are starting to move. I sent Cass back this morning. She sent one text before she went silent.” He handed me his phone.
I read the words on the screen and I staggered back a step.
Cass- Rogue spotted me. Had to run. Going silent.
My eyes snapped to my fathers. “She’s been found, right?
” I waited for his answer, but none came.
“Right?” I turned to look at Ronnie, but he wouldn’t meet my eyes.
“How long?” I yelled, as I hit the text to see the time it was delivered.
I stumbled back against the bookshelf. “Two hours?” My head snapped to my fathers.
“She sent this two hours ago, and you just came for me.”
“Baby, you have to understand that she was trained for this.” My dad stepped towards me, but I sprinted from the room. “Amy!” My dad yelled, but I was already out the front door and shifting.
Erubus was next to me in a second. “We will find her, mate.”
I ran for what felt like hours until we got close enough to the caves. I dropped down to my belly, and Erubus joined me. We inched under the bushes and then I sealed our voices around us. Even if we talked, not one soul could hear us. “Cut off your scent.” I whispered to him, and he licked my face.
“I already did.” He shook his head and then leaned closer. “Did you use magic to create a bubble around us?”
I shook my head. “No…well kinda.” He laughed. “I used magic to make sure no one would overhear us.”
He tilted his head. “Then why are you still whispering?”
I opened my mouth, but Megan started laughing. “I don’t know.”
“Someone is coming.” Erubus pushed closer to the cliff, peered under the edge of the bushes, and we waited.
We were right over the cliff face that looked down at the cave of the mouth.
We could see the overhang, and the rocky terrain heading down towards another thick forest that led away from the pack lands.
If you ran long enough, you would reach human territory.
Dangerous for wolves, worse for werewolves.
Someone walked out of the cave and was pointing off down the hill.
“She went that way.” He turned back to the cave entrance.
“No, I know the witchling went after her, but the tracker doesn’t fucking matter.
The brotherhood is expecting us at Vince’s pack by the end of the week.
” A few others stepped out of the darkness.
“Keep moving the explosives. Once the little Alpha is mated to the whore, the brotherhood is attacking the capital. They are making their move on the Lycan King.” He pointed to the giant crates stacked in the corners.
“Those need to make it to the cars. Carefully.”
“What happens if the witchling catches the tracker?” One of the others asked. “Can’t we stay here?”
The first guy seemed to consider it. “I’ll ask, but the chances that no one else knows are slim.”
Another wiggled a phone in his hand. “We have her phone. The only text she sent was that a rogue spotted her.”
The first wolf held up his hand and dialed a number.
“Yeah, the boys want to know if the witchling catches the tracker, if we can stay in the caves?” He held out his hands to the third, and the other man slid the phone into his hand.
“No, she said nothing about the cave. Just that she was spotted by a rogue and she was going silent.” There was another pause.
“I don’t know, man. They just want to know.
” He sighed. “Okay. Tell the big man it doesn’t matter.
Everyone is in place. We are moving the explosives tonight.
We will wait here until the mating ceremony. Are you sure the king won’t show up?”
Erubus looked at me, but I was focused on the group. “Show up for what?” One of the men leaned over to ask the second guy.
“To the mating ceremony, stupid. Brandon’s mating the whore, and he invited the king, he thinks the king will show up and it will be the easiest way to kill him.
” The second guy scoffed. “He’s as stupid as he sounds.
He had the strongest she-wolf in his hands and he lost her for the whore. ” The guy shook his head. “Pathetic.”
The others nodded. But the first held up his hands. “No, just the guys talking about everything. Has the king responded to the invitation? I’d rather save the explosives if the idiot is right and we can kill him with silver.”
A voice rang out from the caves. “Even if he doesn’t show up for the ceremony, won’t the other witch be able to kill him? She said she had him under her spell, didn’t she?” A man stepped out that was missing an arm.
Erubus tensed. “Holy shit.”
“What? Who is that?”
“That man…was the head of the guard when my father was killed. He supposedly lost his life trying to give my father a chance to escape.” He vibrated with anger.
“Well, I guess we see how they got in that night.” I blew out a breath as I nestled closer to him, trying to soothe him. “Calm yourself. We’ll make them all pay.” He settled and eventually nodded, turning his attention back to the wolves below.
“Yes, I understand. We will watch for the she-wolf here, and if we can take her, we will.” The first wolf walked back into the cave, with the others trailing behind him.
I felt my stomach tighten, but a plan was forming in my mind.
I nodded for Erubus to follow me and then I shuffled away.
I had heard everything I needed to. They confirmed that they were working with the brotherhood, which we had already figured, but it was nice to get confirmation from their mouths.
“Where are we going?” He whispered as we ran away from the caves.
“Hunting.”
We worked our way down the cliff face far enough away from the cliffs that no one would see us, and then we worked our way back towards the caves. “Nix.” Erubus called from behind us.
Nix pushed forward to answer him. “Yes?”
He watched us for a second. “Was Amy up front?” He sounded confused.
“She was.” Nox agreed. “I love Cass, and I will do anything to keep her safe, but Amy in charge gives us easier access to our magic.” Nix turned fully back to face him. “Why?”
He stared for a second before he nodded. “I am just trying to figure out everything. With the three of you, I want to be able to tell you all apart.”
Nix stepped over to him and ran her side down his. “Does that matter to you?” He nodded. “Why?”