Chapter 210

Chapter 60: Ayla I was pacing the room as I waited for some kind of news. It was already passed midnight and we hadn’t heard from anyone what was going on.

“Ayla, sit down, please,” Mina said. “I’m sure they’ll be back soon.”

“To say what?” I asked. “How I’m causing even more trouble for everyone?”

“You know that’s not true, sweetheart,” Grace insisted. “You haven’t caused any of this. It’s the Waar P ak.”

“But they wouldn’t be doing any of this if it wasn’t for me,” I sighed. “It’s not like we’ve found any evidence that they’re so concerned about Kylee and she’s my sister. She has the same blood I do. No” – I shook my head – “they only care about me.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s your...”

The front door opened and Theo, Briggs, and Jimmy walked in. I breathed a sigh of relief as Theo and I fell into an embrace. I could feel the tension rolling off of him but he was physically in the same shape as he had left. Theo led me to the couch. He kept his arm around me as he informed us about the night’s events.

“We can’t keep doing what we’re doing,” I said when he was finished. “We need to be more proactive about this. It’s time the Waar P ak became our priority.”

“What are you suggesting?” Alpha Torin said.

“Well, first, I’m going to put college on hold for a little while,” I said. I raised a hand when Theo went to protest. “No, it’s time we face that it needs to be done. I’ll have more time later when all of this is over. Second, I’m going to be working closer with Luna Grace. Mäke more of an effort to get out and let people see me in the Luna role.”

“I think that would be very beneficial,” Alpha Torin agreed with me.

“We’ll get all of that figured out tomorrow,” Theo interjected. “For now, I think we all need to sleep on this. We’re all exhausted and will be making better decisions in the morning. Why don’t we meet in my office around ten?”

Everyone acknowledged their agreement and started to make their way out. When they were all gone, Theo took my hand and led me back to our bedroom. He sat me down on the edge of the bed and knelt down in front of me. His arms wrapped around my waist and he laid his head on my chest, holding me tightly.

“What’s wrong, Theo?” I asked gently as I stroked his hair.

He sighed and pulled away, looking up at me. “You know I love you more than anything, right?”

“Of course,” I said, getting more worried. “I love you, too.”

“I know that,” he said strongly. “I know with every fiber of my being that we were meant for each other. I just need you to know that. Without any doubt.”

17 1 1. Theo, what is this about?”

“What Hawkins was saying...” he began, “He still seems to be loyal to my family. If... if I’m going to get more information from him, the best way is to make him think I believe him.” He rested a hand on my stomach. “But it would kill me if you ever thought I would.”

“That won’t happen, Theo,” I said firmly, ignoring the tightening in my chest.

“Ayla, it’s a dangerous game to play,” he said. “But it’s the only way to avoid hurting my pack members.”

“Then that’s the way we go,” I said. “We’ll make it, babe.”

He finally looked up at me with every ounce of love and faith in his eyes. His hands went to my face, pulling me into a deep and passionate kiss. He pulled my shirt over my head before sliding me up on the bed. We stripped each other down as our hands trailed across the other’s skin. Each movement was slow and deliberate. His tongue grazed my mark as his fingers touched between my folds, sending electricity through me from both directions.

I groaned as he worked my cl it. I was getting close to my climax when slipped inside me, removing his hand only when he filled me to the hilt. We stayed still for a moment, reveling in our connection. Feeling every inch of each other, sensing our souls mingling into one.

Theo began to move, hard and steady. His lips pressed firmly into mine. My legs wrapped around his waist as he pushed deeper inside me. I whimpered as I felt my walls tighten and my release came closer. His thrusts became more urgent, sending me hurtling over the edge. His growl vibrated through me, deep and resounding, as we came together.

He rolled to his side, taking me with him as he held on tight. We lay there as we waited for our breathing to slow. When we had relaxed, Theo moved to pull the covers down, tucking us in beneath them before pulling me back into his arms. We lay there tangled up in each other. His hand sliding through my hair as I started to drift off to sleep.

“You’re right, you know,” he said softly. “It’s time we started fighting back.”

I looked up at him, resting my chin on his chest.

“Mom will have a circuit of events for you to help her with,” he continued. “And we’re going to need you back on the investigation.

Primarily your father’s documents. But you can’t quit school entirely. We’ll cut you back to one class, but I need you to maintain a presence on campus.”

“Why?”

“Two reasons,” he said. “One, to keep those who have already taken a liking to you on our side. And two, to keep an eye out for recruiters. Maggie will be a big help with that, and Jimmy is going to be working with campus security even closer now. The more recruits and meetings we find, the easier it will be to track the information back to the source. That’s the most important thing.

That’s how we’ll take them down once and for all.”

“Do you think they’ll still be recruiting there if I’m still attending?” I asked.

“I’m counting on it,” he said. “My guess is they’ll try to use your status as Luna against you. Try to push the idea of favoritism.

There are ways to narrow down those students that would be most susceptible to that kind of rhetoric. And honestly, I feel safer with you on campus than traveling around the pack territory. This will keep you close to me until this is over. Especially if...”

He paused, not wanting to say his next words.

“Especially if what?”

He sighed. “I may have to start distancing myself from you in public,” he said sadly. “If I’m going to convince Hawkins that I’ m on his side, I’ll have to appear to distrust you. But only in public. He knows I wouldn’t be able to separate from you completely.” He reached up and brushed his knuckles along my cheek. “You’ll still have every part of me when we’re in private.”

I pushed up on my elbows, letting a smile cross my face to lighten the mood. “As long as I don’t have to decorate the nursery alone.”

Hello, fans! I apologize greatly for my absence! I had a family emergency that took a LOT longer and a bigger toll than I had expected to take care of. But I will be dropping a lot of chapters over the next few days to catch up and get back on track. Thank you so much for your patience and continued support!