Chapter 62

Krey didn't sleep a wink for the rest of the night. He woke Pip at the first sign of dawn, thankful they had made it so long without getting hurt, and for Pip to have at least five hours of sleep.

"Pippor," Krey said as gently as he could. Pip mumbled lowly, struggling to open his eyes. He smiled tiredly up at Krey, and Krey very nearly smiled back until he remembered that his mother was in the room. "Time to get up."

Pip struggled to sit up, but at least he didn't wake with a sore head and throat like he had for the past few weeks. Connecting the bond had done wonders to Pip's health, and he had a lovely dream about Krey. Pip dreamt that he and Krey were back on Crescent Hill, only this time, it was summer, and they were surrounded by flowers of all sorts of colours. In his dream, the sun softened Krey's brown eyes, and basked his skin in daylight. They were laughing, making jokes, flirting. Pip hoped they could be like that in the future, and that his new life wouldn't always be caught up in trouble.

"Makena," Pip beamed, seeing Krey's mother sitting peacefully in the corner, still in her long black velvet dress. He was pleasantly surprised by the warmth of the room. "What time did you get here?"

"A few hours after you." She handed Pip his clothes. "They dried by the fire. Even your shoes."

"Thank you so much!" Pip changed into his smart blue jeans, his black top, and black knitted jumper with a white wolf's head embroidered in the middle. Putting on dry socks was a nice feeling and a luxury Pip might not get for a while, so he cherished his warm toes.

He gave Krey his t-shirt back and laced up his converse.

Krey had maybe slept an hour during the night, from the time his mum left to find firewood, and to the time she came back with some firewood. He wasn't tired, just anxious to be home again. "Let's see if Viktor will offer us breakfast." Krey took Pip's hand and ignored his mother's wide grin.

Mark and Victoria left their room at the same time. Victoria smiled and Mark shuffled behind her at the first sight of Krey. Krey's fists clenched at the first sight of Mark.

"Have you tried phoning your parents?" Krey asked.

"Yes, they didn't pick up, so I left a text to my mum saying I was safe, though I didn't tell her where I was. I don't want the text falling into the wrong hands."

Pip felt uneasy as they neared the room packed with werewolves. Pip didn't know any of them very well, and he didn't know if any of them wanted to get to know him, a human.

Francis bounced over and hugged Pip, lifting him off the ground and squeezing him tight. "I was so relieved when Krey had found you! I'm so sorry you had to run off on your own like that."

"I was with him," Mark said.

Francis looked Mark up and down blankly. "There's toast and eggs if you want some?" she said to Pip, steering him through the room, forgetting that he was her Alpha's mate and treating him more like a friend.

Krey, surprisingly, didn't mind because Pip was happy to be in her company, and he didn't want to be his controlling werewolf-self and get jealous whenever anyone spoke to his mate. I will give him room to breathe. Krey approached Sid to see how his arm was doing while staring at Pip from the corner of his eye.

Pip had as much toast as he could eat, and two boiled eggs, not sure when he would next be able to have food. Every time he looked up, people were staring at him. Pip wanted to say hello, but his nerves got the better of him. "What d-do you think will happen today?" he asked, making a black coffee with no sugar for Krey.

"I think we'll try to persuade Viktor's pack to join us in the fight for our home, therefore forever being in his debt. Viktor's not a bad man, but he's not really a fair one."

Francis's words churned his stomach. "Do you think we will get the institute back? I mean- the Packhouse."

"We're a strong pack. I think we have a good chance."

Pip wanted to weave back through the people who crowded every inch of the room. "F-Francis, can you give this to Krey." He held out the coffee.

"Pip," Francis whispered. "Don't be afraid. You rank higher than everyone but Krey in this room."

Don't be afraid. Pip looked back towards the tallest man in the room, and the strongest, with his black hair and the cute strip of grey at the front. Krey was already watching him, and Pip pursed his lips to conceal a large smile. "Okay," he squeaked and awkwardly shifted through the people. They watched him as he went by. A few of Krey's pack smiled at Pip. Some even mumbled a hello.

Krey's arm wrapped around Pip as soon as he was close enough. He was very grateful for the coffee.

"We discussed all through the night about the best way to get our Packhouse back. A lot of us think we should charge through the entrance and kill as many wolves as we can. They have about twenty members of our pack, alive or dead. We need to at least rescue them, Alpha." Sid sharply inhaled when he bumped his elbow on the side of the chair. His arm was still in a self-made sling. His deep cuts had been bandaged up and was healing quickly.

"And if we do charge in and fight, what will you do with a broken arm?"

"Well, I thought about that too. If Sea Claw pack refuse to help us, I'll hang back in the woods, close enough to see if they leave. The last thing we want is for them to be working with southern wolves and attack when our backs are turned."

"Do you think they will help us?" Krey asked.

"I don't know, Alpha."

Francis soon approached. She also had the same ideas as Sid, and nothing more sensible than charging through the entrance to Crescent Packhouse and fighting till the death.

"I need to speak with Viktor. Francis, find the Beta, and tell him to bring Viktor here. We can discuss his loyalty in front of my pack."

Viktor was easy to find, because he stood down the corridor with his Beta wolf. Francis suspected they were eavesdropping. She didn't like that. "Alpha Krey would like to speak to you," she said with a respectful head bow. Her dreadlocks hung by the sides of her face. Her nose ring glimmered in the morning sun peeking at them through the window.

"Interesting," Viktor said, looking Francis up and down. "An Omega being treated like a Beta. No, wait..." Viktor stepped closer. "An Omega giving off Beta energy. How odd."

Francis lowered her eyes. "Our Alpha is waiting."

Viktor passed her with a smirk, sauntering down the corridor like he didn't have a care in the world.

The room silenced when Viktor entered. He took his time to stare around the room, connecting eyes with everyone in the room before he finally stared at Krey. "Well, isn't it quite the party in here."

Krey crossed his arms. The cuts on his face were starting to itch. "Tell us what you know." Krey was going to ask if Viktor wanted to help them win back Crescent Packhouse, but in a moment of anger that his allies might have plotted against him, Krey wanted answers.

"Know about what?" Viktor glanced to his Beta wolf, who quickly diverted his gaze.

"Why didn't you go to the annual meeting? Why didn't you ask questions about why I was here last night?" Krey felt the strength of his pack behind him. He had never felt that before. "Did you know that southern wolves would attack Shadow Packhouse? Are you a part of their plan to run me into the ground?" Krey asked no more questions when his mother put her hand on his arm, silently telling him not to get too heated.

"Dear boy," Viktor spoke softer, despite his eyes hardening. "We should speak privately about this."

Krey stepped away from his mother and Pip. "Are you a part of the southern wolves plan?"

Viktor sighed and tapped the ends of his fingers together. "I'm not a part of that plan. Though I feel like I've walked into another."

"What other plan?"

Viktor looked at Victoria. "The Shadow Pack didn't come to your aid last night, is that right?"

"Yes."

Victoria stood with Krey. "What are my parents up to?"

"The Shadow Pack discovered something out about the Bedlam Pack of the south. Something that... well-" Viktor's frown made him look like a frustrated old man with fierce frown lines and white bushy brows pushing into his eyes. "I don't know if this will be a hard hit or a relief to you Krey. We really should speak about this in private."

"Say it," Krey demanded.

"Fine." Viktor stood tall, staring into Krey's eyes with the tension Alpha's couldn't help emitting. "The night you dropped the Alpha's mate off the roof was a set up."

At first, Krey was confused, until he remembered why he had dropped the werewolf to her death. "Jordan," Krey said through gritted teeth. "He scared me on purpose, so I'd drop the Alpha's mate."

"We all know you didn't mean to kill her, but I will admit your actions were idiotic." Viktor rubbed his white stubble with a thumb. "But I'm afraid that night is more complicated. You see, the Alpha's mate you killed wasn't really the Alpha's mate."

That hit Krey harder than a ton of bricks falling on his head. For a moment, his heart thumped in his ears.

"Your hunger for power walked you right into their trap." Viktor sounded a little sad for Krey who stood speechless.

The pack behind Krey was just as silent, too shocked to even murmur about how shocked they were.

Krey couldn't find his words, so his mother asked, "Then who did he kill?"

"Some Omega of the Bedlam Pack. The Alpha had made her wear his t-shirt underneath her jumper. The scent was good enough for Krey to be convinced. Well, that and the fact that the southern Alpha showed her off to everyone for about a week, pretending she was his mate, to extra convince Krey."

"So, all of this was planned from the beginning? And the Alpha's mate is still alive?" Makena asked. Her voice was a little wobbly, and a little unsure of what she was saying. Nobody in the room could barely believe the news.

"Yes. Actually, well..." Viktor shifted uncomfortably. "The Alpha's mate was alive until you pushed him to his death on Friday."