I don’t wear a dress the next morning when I go to the compound to meet Zayne, I’m in a back shirt and dark jeans even my new kiss ass boots have come out to play. My hair pulled up in a high pony tail.
I look like an enforcer, a Dark Woods enforcer, because that’s what I am. I’m not a lost little girl.
I am a survivor.
I know I’ve made the right desicion when Zayne sees me, his lips tips to side in a small smirk and he nods at me once.
The walk through the woods is silent, halfway there, Sky appears from goddess knows where, joining us the rest of the way.
The woman is here today, the male beside her looks to be slightly older with dark brown hair and an angular face. He is a large male, dwarfing the female, wide shoulders clad in a dark brown button up and black pants. His eyes would have been an actractive blue if it weren’t for how hardened they look. Like blocks of ice, a shiver runs down my spine. Beside them are two other males, enforce
When I return, the lodge is silent, I make my way to my room and fall face-first into bed and I just shut it off, I really need to stop crying. I don’t think I’m a crier but this is well, it’s terrible. So, I just shut it off. And for a while, my head on a pillow, on my back and my eyes closed, I don’t think or cry or do anything. And it’s the most peace I’ve had in days. It’s hours later that I leave my room when I can no longer ignore the biting pangs of hunger in my belly. I’ll just get some fruit and go back upstairs. I nod in agreement at the suggestion. It was when I get to the bottom of the stairs I know I wouldn’t be able to escape any questions today or see anyone. The entire pack is here. Well, sacred heart anyways. I look from person to person: Mile, Lily, Kent, Winnie, Mara, Esther, Rafael, Mason, Liam, and Logan. And Ethan. Everything that’s left of our home. “Hey girl” Mile is the first to
“I will speak with my daughter alone.” The alpha of the silent wolf pack says the moment we step into the conference office the next say. On the walk here, I decided that this would be it. No more dallying around, I have other things to do than worrying about this. Training to complete, justice to seek, people to hunt, I need to get back on that. In the end, this would just be a setback like so many others and I won’t let it get to me. It doesn’t matter who gave birth to me, I know who my parents were and I know myself. And I know what I need to do. In the end, that’s what truly matters. Zayne looks at me and I nod, telling him I’ll be fine, he shoots a look at the other alpha in the room before walking in the other direction to his office. I take a seat on the opposite side of the table. Light blue eyes look at me, and I hold his unflinching. “Your mother says you still carry the loss of your people with you, you want to know
Now I know why Marc said these talks with alphas just go on and on, without coming to any agreements. His ego is too large for him to see that there’s no way I’ll be leaving with him. So, he is resorting to threatening my pack. Even though fear has a tight grip like a fist around my heart I don’t shake, I glare at him instead. Refusing to break. I’ve not come this far to give up now. We’re locked in a battle of wills when the door to Zayne’s office opens. He came in at the right time. “I’d done talking to him” I try not to snap as I stand up but I know I’m unable to hide my annoyance from Zayne. It irks me that this male has managed to get anything out of me in the first place. Talking to him is useless. He doesn’t even admit his wrong. What a monster. Zayne comes to stand behind the leather chair closest to him his hand resting on the high back. He couldn’t look more disinterested in the situation if he tried, he looks bored even. Cade stands up as well coming around the table h
“I demand to see your Alpha” I tilt my head at the commotion, wondering how Alpha Cade managed to get so close to the compound. Zayne waves at Eli and Sky who are standing in front of Cade, blocking him from going any further. he must have sensed us because he turns around almost immediately. “It’s late Cade, what do you want?” Zayne ask slipping one hand into his pocket, if I wasn’t standing so close to him, I would have missed the tension in him. He is certainly not happy to see Alpha Cade right now, especially so close to the compound where many vulnerable wolves are. “I have decided that we must talk now,” the other alpha says tersely. “So, talk” Even though it is dark, I notice a muscle pop in his jaw betraying his annoyance “I know what you are doing and this has gone on long enough, I leave for my territory tomorrow.” he paused “You have until noon to give me your answer.” All this he says without acknowledging me, not even a single glance. Zayne throws an arm around m
I wanted to be here. Zayne and I argued about it last night as we returned to the compound, he told me my presence wasn’t necessary and he has dealt with this many times. I accused him of babying me which he hadn’t bothered denying. This only annoyed me the more, knowing if I was Jida or that other female Mercy, he wouldn’t have told them to sit back while the males defended the pack. I argued that this was about me, the challenge and if he was going to be putting his life on the line, I should at least be there. I didn’t even want him fighting in the first place, the thought of it terrified me. I told him that, if there was another way. “I am your alpha, you will be my mate, it is my duty to defend you” “Then I will be there” I tried to be firm. He looked away from me, “You might not like what you see when I am being alpha Zayne” his eyes returned to mine and I almost drowned at the intensity “I can be a little different” “I was there that night remember, when you killed those
I slept in Zayne’s room last night, he wasn’t there but I felt better being there, probably because the last time we had visitors, they circled back after showing every intention of admitting defeat. I definitely did not want any late-night visitors. It’s the only reason I slept in his room because I didn’t want to sleep with one eye open. Yeap. There was no drop of disappointment in my gut when I woke up with my face stuffed in his pillow breathing in his scent but his side of the bed was cold and without a single crease. At least I hope he’s not still roaming in wolf for somewhere in the territory. Right now, Rachel fills me in on the training I’d missed the past few days. They hadn’t gone for patrol. “We were in the compound during the challenge though., you know, if things went south, even though the chance for Zayne to lose was close to nil, we still had so measures in place” I give her my full attention. Raising my eyebro
Things are rather calm the next few days following the challenge. Like me, everyone has being holding their breath for any backlash from the fight. There’s been no news from the council, even the attacks from the intruders reduced then stopped completely. I know this because I ask Sky and Marc for updates whenever I see them which is almost everyday, the one I don’t see at all is Zayne. Haven’t set eyes on him since he left the clearing in wolf form. But I know he hasn’t left the territory. Yes, I asked. The peace from the past few days has lead everyone to feel more relaxed, which is why we are able to have a normal full moon gathering. And by normal I mean loud with music and booze and dancing around the bonfire. Dark woods style. I danced a little with Oliver and Mile, until I got tired about an hour ago, Winnie off somewhere with Philip, Mile had whispered to me over the fire that she expecting the news of mating from them anytime soon. Now I’m sitting in the cool grass watc
I’ve been feeling restless all day, hyped up. And maybe a little angsty. We had a grueling day at training today. I should be beat, passed out in my bed but I feel like I could go another few hours. I don’t know what to do with all this energy. It’s strange for me, for a moment I wonder if it had something to do with soaking up the energy for moonlight, I know Zayne brought us inside the house not long after I slept off because I woke up to him placing me in the bed and then joining me. I swing into a corner and jerk to a stop. “Watch it!” “Sorry” I mumbled, biting my lip in embarrassment as Jida glared at me for a second. I tense, watching her. She slips out a dagger from the sleeves of her jacket and begins to clean her nails with the pointy end of the blade. I clench my fist. I couldn’t take Jida in a fight. She’s a senior enforcer for a reason. I can hold my own against Naya but I suspect it’s because Naya trained me, I have learned her moves and fighting style to a certai