Chapter 21
âAll clear?â
A masculine voice asked. A similar sound repeated before I heard the rustling of leaves coming closer.
âClearâ
A different voice responded. This time, female. The third wolf shifted. Lila peered up to me with wide eyes. She knew these were âthe bad guys that got Bentleyâ. Shaking in her thin shirt, she turned away in fear. Her little arms unwrapped itself around me and bent so she could cover her ears with her hands. I wanted to console her, to assure her everything was alright but now was not the time. If I wasnât careful, there will never be a time.
A cackle echoed.
âAnd they call us heartless.â
The male voice said amusedly. A loud crash mixing with a frustrated groan of aggravation followed by the fall of a tree sounded. The crows cawing flew to the opposite direction from where they originally perched on. I resisted the urge to make a sound, pressing my hand down on Lilaâs mou th harder when I felt a whimper try to slip through. The feminine voice laughed.
âTo think that Alpha ignored our threats. They think too little of us. How careless.â
She walked on,
âI heard the Beta sent his daughter here.â
The female said smugly. The mock and taunt clear in her tone. She was feeling quite proud of herself.
My eyebrows rose up when I realized what she had said.
Betaâs daughter?
I froze, turning to the direction of where they were and felt my heart pound. Were they talking about me?
âThe Beta sent his daughter here? Even though weâve been sending out warnings since three months ago?â
The third voice asked, not really expecting an answer. Warnings? My jaw clenched. My father knew?
They all knew thereâd be an attack? They knew and chose not to do anything?
My tongue darted out, licking my dried lips as I listened in. Anxiety crept up behind me. They were probably a few feet from where I stood behind the tree. They were only getting closer as they walked down the clearing. I couldnât exactly run when theyâd all chase after me and inevitably catch me. I decided that waiting out was the most logical route to handle this.
âThe fu cker clearly wanted her to d ie. She was unwanted. The mole reported the Alpha was her mate.
Yet the little sh it rejected her. Picked her sister, apparently. Guess itâd make it easier for him if his mate di ed.â
He laughed,
âAinât that a tragedy?â
Hot, fresh sets of tears rolled down my cheeks. In anger, I forced the emotions within me to calm. I couldnât have them sense my presence. I wasnât too worried about Lila since she was still a child. It was harder to detect childrenâs presence since they havenât shifted yet. Wereâs who had their wolves were very noticeable if they couldnt hide their presence. The more emotion you felt, the clearer you were to their sight,
My thoughts circled back to my âfamilyâ.
They knew. They received and ignored all warnings about an attack. They sent me here willingly to di e. They blocked my bond with them because they knew I would try to reach out for help. Help they would deny me. They had forsaken me and left me to the trenches of death. The grim reaper the only one willing to catch me when I fall. The ultimate betrayal of the people I grew up with. The man I called my father, the woman I called my mother and the child I called my sister.
I didnât allow myself to even think about that man I called my mate.
I shouldâve known they were heartless enough to lead me to my demise. I didnât think they were heartless enough to abandon them. The Nightwake pack had more than enough resources to send help; whether it be food, shelter or man power. If the pack warriors were to come running, theyâd get here in an hour compared to two days by car. The warriors were much more in terms of speed and endurance. A normal wolf would get here in at least a day even after shifting.
I was angry at the fact they allowed innocent lives to get involved. Packs never abandoned allies. A werewolves word was supposed to be law.
Nightwake and Duskfall were allies since 1807. They had the treaties and everything.
They purposely ignored the message and chose to overlook the attack. They gave shoulder to people in need of help. The sad thing was, three months ago, Alpha Harrison was still in charge. Hating Landon for it wouldâve been easier, but knowing that the Alpha even I respected had a part in this was simply too disappointing. They chose to let these people drown in a sea of blood.
They chose to allow the rogues to triumph.
It would seem they were trai tors in more ways than one.
âAre you sure we got everyone, Draxyn?â
âDraxynâ snarled at the question. His aggression rolled off him in huge bulks. My wolf rumbled at the pressure. She didnât like the dominance he was omitting to us even when it wasnât on purpose. She felt the urgency to get Lila out of here as quickly as we could. She knew the chances of us escaping was only slimming down the closer these wolves got. They all radiated a form of power. Wild, untamed, and raw power they werenât afraid of using without discretion.