Chapter 24

Just as the sun was setting, we heard a howl loud enough to rattle the gods.

Asher just laughed, the sound echoing around the large library room where we earlier decided to conduct our discussions.

"Tolkien is such a show off" Ash laughed in friendly humour.

"Are you on good terms with him?" I inquired.

"Yeah, we grew up together as our parents our very close."

The library we were in was incredible. A large oak table was in the centre of the cavernous room, and only me, Asher and our closest advisors and pack members where seated in the room.

I peered out of the bay window, standing professionally whilst watching the wolves stalk out of the darkening forest. I counted around 30 of them altogether, and my heart was beating faster and faster with anxiousness.

Don't be worried. You're gonna be great. He pressed a light kiss to my temple.

As he pulled away, eclipse pack members trailed into the room, adjusting the clothing they had no doubt just thrust on.

They began filling up the seats, the warriors being shown to their rooms as this meeting could only house so many.

Me and Asher moved towards the door as the last three people walked in.

The man at the front was without a doubt Tolkien. He had deeply tanned skin with completely contrasting blue eyes.

Ash pulled him into a hug, a genuine smile on his face as they greeted.

As they pulled away, Tolkien looked over at me.

"You must be Luna Rose. It is a pleasure to meet you,I have heard a lot about you." He pulled me into a warm embrace aswell and I offered him a grin .

"It's a pleasure to meet you aswell." I smiled.

"This is my mate and beta, Andrew." Tolkien adjusted his body so I could look at his mate, and I was almost speechless.

Andrew was almost as tall as Asher, and he was one of the most muscular men I had ever seen.

"Luna, I've heard a lot about you"

Andrew spoke, his deep voice reverberating around the room.

"All good I hope" I laughed as I shook his hand.

I moved my head to peer over at Asher just in time to see him bring the 3rd person into a warm and close embrace. I could hear the woman seductively whisper into Asher's ear,

"It's a pleasure as always" before pulling away, nearly skimming her lips against Asher's.

A spike of jealously and anger ran through me, but I pushed it down.

Asher took one glance at my face and gulped nervously. Damn right.

As the girl pulled away,I could properly see her face.

There was no doubt about it: she was beautiful.

Long blonde hair and the same striking blue eyes as Tolkien . Her figure was incredible and envious aswell.

"Luna Rose, how lovely to meet you. Im Tolkiens sister, Vanessa"

She smiled at me, displaying a row of white teeth.

Her smile was ridiculously fake, most likely like her breasts.

I offered her a tight lipped smile in response, repulse seething through me.

"Lovely to meet you aswell. Should we get seated and begin?" I spoke politely through gritted teeth as everyone began moving into the available seats.

The visiting pack went first, and as I walked towards the spare 2 seats which were paired together, to my complete anger, Vanessa swooped in and sat down, patting the seat next to her and looking at Asher with lovestruck eyes.

"Ash, I've not seen you in weeks, come sit here"

As Asher, whom I could tell was visibly uncomfortable, moved past me to the seat,I moved my body away from his passing touch making it clear how annoyed I was.

Fortunately, the last seat was next to our beta James.

He offered me a smile of understanding as he moved back the chair so I could sit into it. As soon as I was sat down,

Asher began speaking, his gaze cool and steely, a sign that his facade had been erected.

"We have called this meeting in order to form a plan on how to stop the witch attacking both of our packs borders. We are the strongest packs in America and we have the greatest enchanters in the world" Asher sifted his hand through the air to pint as Laurent and a few people I didn't recognise from Tolkiens pack.

Vanessa remained too close for comfort. One of her hands disappeared under the table, and my imagination was running wild. I was hurt that Asher didn't immediately make it clear that he was in a committed relationship with me. It was blatantly obvious that there was a past between these two, but Vanessa could at least have the respect to keep it in the past.

For the next hour or so our packs compared attacks and offered strategies and ideas in which we could track the witch or at least find out her motivation for attacking us.

James piped in about what the rogues we tortured said.

"They kept repeating the words 'woods, crimson, vengeance, break and baby'. The witch has been gathering the rogues and forcing them to do her dirty work" James snarled.

I began speaking as soon as James finished.

"The word Woods must relate to the forestry surrounding our packs. So that must be a sign to where the witch is hiding."

Tolkien put his finger up in the air, demanding silence. His calculating eyes turned to Asher,

"There's castle remains deep into your terrain that we used to go to as kids remember? It seems like the perfect place to hide somebody; the middle of nowhere"

Asher's eyes turned stony and calculating aswell. "We will send scouts to that area tonight"

I nodded along, not making eye contact with Asher, and proceeded.

"What we have worked out so far, is that crimson must relate to blood loss, so that could mean the recent attacks against our borders." Collective nods from around the table made me proceed,

"Vengeance means that this witch has a vendetta against our packs and we need to work out what. She desperately wants revenge, so we are going to need to filter through the murdered and tortured lists etc"

It surprised me how emotionless my voice was surrounding these topics. But I must show these people that we are a strong pack capable of making decisions, despite the moral impact.

"Break. We have heard rumours that the witch can break mating bonds" murmurs and gasps circled the table.

"So because of this extreme rumour, we need to get rid of the witch as quickly as possible just in case there is any truth behind it."

"Baby is the only one we haven't been able to work out." I finished.

"Well, it's more obvious than it seems " Andrew spoke up for the first time,

"Baby means pregnancy."

Pregnancy.

For the first time in this meeting, I throw Asher a glare.

We forgot to use contraception this morning.

His eyes lock with mine and I give him an anxious, worried stare.

He must understand what I mean, however he doesn't break the facade he has mastered.

I can't believe that I was too caught up in Asher to forget one of the most important things.

Almost instinctively I peer down at my stomach.

Of course, there is so bump that has grown over a matter of hours, but I'm still terrified.

Later on I'll have to go to the pharmacy and get myself onto the contraceptive pill.

Ash I practically shout through the mate bond.

Rose. He replies stiffly and harshly.

Don't use that tone with me when I'm freaking out! We forgot to use protection this morning. I shout anxiously, still very much angry at him for the Vanessa situation aswell.

I know he countered, as if he couldn't be bothered to reply to me.

I honestly was at the end of my tether.

Well then, you can go and fuck yourself! Or get fucking Vanessa to do it, god knows she would oblige. I screamed at him, then shut him off and tried to concentrate on the meeting.

No one else would of been able to notice Asher flinch at my words, but I did. And I didn't feel remorseful for what I said either.

But I was done caring, I was extremely pissed off, fire was burning and writhing through my veins.

I tried to tune back into the remainder of the meeting, however other things were running through my mind which I couldn't push down.

Finally, when everyone began standing up I stood up with them, almost in a robotic motion.

I didn't bother to say goodbye to anybody, I simply strode out of the room and reached the front door, throwing it open to reveal the almost pitch black woods and trees silhouetted by moonlight.

The soft wind attempted to cool my anger, however everything was becoming too much to handle.

I began to stride out of the doors, my feet stomping on the grass.

I was just reaching the end of the meadow when I heard thumping behind me.

Instinctively, I turned around and saw Asher bounding towards me.

"Rose-"

"Just take me home. Don't speak to me" I interrupted , malice pouring from my voice.

He nodded his head rigidly, his body shaking as he transitioned into his wolf form.

His wolf wouldn't look me in the eyes as I climbed on, hanging onto his fur as he started running, running faster than I'd ever seen.

Leaves attacked my face and as I closed my eyes, I could almost feel words being brushed into my mind.

Forgive me.