Chapter Twenty-Nine

Seth

Five years had passed since I last saw her. The memory of rushing her unconscious body to the hospital was still fresh in my mind. After that, her grandfather took over.

Clayton had seen her, but I hadn’t. Her grandfather had taken her away to the mountains.

When Clayton told me she was coming back, I decided to make her the lasagna she had asked for the last time we were together.

I’d missed that little pup. She was tough, feisty. She had been through so much, both physically and emotionally.

The news about her brother and Alpha Gabriel, who she saw as a father, would have shattered most adults, let alone a pup. But not Ellie.

According to Clayton, she had just toughed it out.

Then there was her time in the mountains with her grandfather. Most pups wouldn’t have survived the solitude, or the lessons from that old man.

He was a tough guy, but as Clayton kept reminding me, it was for the best.

And it had been. She'd grown into a fine young she-wolf. I could still see her bold spirit. The typical teenage grumbles. But that smile, that laugh.

It could light up a room.

I had to laugh when she thought the tomatoes were blood. Maybe her grandfather had been teaching her too much about fighting and death, and not enough about life.

That was why she had come back, according to Clayton. She needed to learn to live like a normal pup. To make friends, to socialize.

What better way than a dinner with friends and family.

“So,” I started, “have you had your first shift?”

Ellie smiled, looking at her grandfather who returned the smile.

“I was a little nervous,” she admitted, “after what happened...but it was good. We ran up into the mountains, to the old palace.”

Clayton looked at Beta Alexander.

“What was it like?” he asked.

Alexander sighed, his face falling.

“Nothing like it used to be.”

His voice wavered slightly.

“I think it was beautiful once...and there was a picture of my other grandparents, the Alpha king and his human queen.” Ellie added.

Clayton frowned.

“That isn’t common knowledge, Ellie,” Clayton warned, “it’s best to keep that quiet until the time is right.”

Ellie rolled her eyes and huffed.

“If you’re ashamed of me, then what was the point of sending me up into the mountain for five years...I guess it kept me out of sight,” she grumbled.

I could see why Alexander had been eager to bring her back. Being in the mountains with her grandfather and a few warriors for training had left her isolated.

I knew that wasn’t the plan, it was mostly to keep her safe.

“Come on, Ellie,” I chided gently, “none of us wanted you to be away for so long, but you were in danger. Especially after what Joseph did, and the risk of other traitors among us.

“That risk is still there, but at least now you can defend yourself if you need to.”

She looked at me and sighed.

“I suppose,” she huffed, in typical teenager fashion.

I barely managed to hold back a laugh.

A moody teenage princess, socially awkward and at risk from assassins. You couldn't make this stuff up!

“Maybe a night of watching movies and eating snacks will cheer you up,” I suggested.

She tried to keep a straight face, but I saw a hint of a smile.

“I doubt it,” she grumbled, “unless you’re coming too?”

I smiled, “I’ll see what I can do.”

After clearing the dinner plates, I brought out dessert. I figured she had a sweet tooth, like most kids, so I’d made a chocolate dessert, topped with strawberries.

When I brought it out, her eyes sparkled.

“How did you know?” she exclaimed.

I frowned, “know what?”

She laughed. God, I loved her laugh.

“Just my two favorite things.”

I hummed, “glad I got something right then.”

She looked at me and frowned.

“I blamed him for the incident with your wolf, all those years ago,” Clayton confessed.

She made an ‘o’ with her lips. Then she smiled at me.

“I don’t,” she whispered.

I couldn’t argue with that.

Dessert was almost over, and I knew that Clayton and Alexander were eager to get Ellie to the movie night with the other teenage pups. It would be good for her to mingle with pups her own age.

Suddenly, I received a mind-link from Bartholomew, my chief warrior. He had checked the border the night I found Ellie in the cave.

There’s been a breach at the Eastern Border.

I mind-linked him back immediately.

Rogues or Zagan?

There was a pause.

Neither, just two males and a female, but I think you should come and see for yourself.

Damn, why did he have to be so vague? I stood up.

“I’m sorry, I have to go. There’s been a breach at the Eastern border,” I announced.

Clayton also stood, instantly switching to Alpha mode.

“Are we under attack? Should we get the females and pups to the safe room?”

I shook my head.

“No, Bartholomew would have told me if we were in danger. It’s just three wolves, I’ll update you as soon as I know more.”

Ellie stood up.

“Let me come, I’ve trained for this,” she insisted.

I chuckled and shook my head.

“No way, pup. I don’t let any of my trainees go to a live situation at the border. Not until I’ve tested them myself.”

She sighed heavily, “what was the point of training if I don’t get to use it.”

Clayton gently put a hand on her shoulder.

“There’ll be plenty of time for that, besides you have a date with popcorn and movies tonight if I’m not mistaken.”

Her shoulders drooped, and I couldn’t help but notice. She was eager, that was clear, but she was also unique. There was no way Clayton or I would let her get anywhere near the border.

Not when we knew what the council would do if they ever got their hands on her.

I was bummed that my time with Ellie had been cut short. But her safety, and the safety of our pack, had to be the priority.

I knew Bartholomew wouldn’t have reached out unless it was critical.

As I left the pack-house, I stripped down and shifted. It didn’t take me long to get to the border. As I neared, I could already pick up the scent of the strangers who had trespassed into our territory.

Bartholomew was right. They weren’t rogues, and they certainly didn’t carry the scent of Zagan’s pack.

At first glance, I only saw one stranger. A woman, quite attractive.

One of our warriors had a firm grip on her arm. Even though she didn’t seem like much of a threat, we couldn’t afford to take chances. I quickly shifted back and pulled on the shorts I had tied to my arm.

Bartholomew mentioned there were three. Where the hell were the men?

I looked beyond the woman, and that’s when I saw them. Shock was the first thing that hit me.

One of the men was sprawled on the ground. He wasn’t old, but he looked sick. Not just sick, but weak. The other man was crouched beside him.

Two of our warriors stood just behind them, ready to intervene if necessary. Not that the sickly one could do much. He looked like he could barely stand. He was skinny.

Too skinny, and he lacked muscle. He was also very pale, and his breathing was shallow.

I turned to Bartholomew.

“Who are they, and what are they doing on our territory?”

Bartholomew turned away from the two men and walked towards me, his voice hushed.

“They claim they’re from the Crescent moon pack,” he whispered.

Then he glanced over his shoulder, at the man on the ground.

“They said he’s the Alpha...Alpha Gabriel...The one that’s supposed to be dead!”

Shit! I didn’t know what to make of it. They didn’t seem like a threat, but it could all be a trick. They could be here to kill Ellie.

That being said, you couldn’t fake the condition that the supposed Alpha was in.

I approached the man who was crouched next to the Alpha.

“Who are you? Why are you here?”

He looked up.

“The council...” he started, then he glanced down at the Alpha, “he’s been in their dungeon for the past five years. They told us he’d left to find his daughter...Ellie.”

His voice wavered slightly.

“Emma...” he looked towards the woman, “she picked up his scent while we were at the council territory. We couldn’t just leave him.”

I turned to one of the warriors standing behind the two men.

“You, run back to the pack-house and bring a vehicle. I’ll inform the Alpha.”

I was about to strip off my shorts and shift again when the man spoke.

“Wait, you should know the council are amassing an army...” he began.

“I know,” I cut him off, “We’re prepared for them,” I growled.

He shook his head.

“No, you don’t understand. They’re planning to attack the humans. They’re going to wipe them out completely!”

I stared at him. Now the notes began to make sense.

“What’s your name,” I demanded.

“Murdoch,” he whispered, “We were supposed to train Ellie, before she was taken. I was going to train her as a warrior, Emma as a tracker. Please tell me she’s alright, she’s still alive?”

I stared at him. Still unsure whether to trust him.

I turned to Bartholomew instead.

“When you get back to the pack-house take the sick one to the hospital, the other two,” I paused, “lock them in the cells.”

I had to play it safe. It might be a trick. I would talk to Clayton first. If they were telling the truth, Ellie would be able to confirm their identity.

That being said, if the sick man was the Alpha and he didn’t make it, I didn’t want to put Ellie through the pain of losing him twice.