Chapter 25

"Oliver send a third of our warriors to Crescent Pack, and keep the rest on the pack line just in case." Quentin orders rapidly while clutching the back of the front seat. We didn't stick around for even a second after the chaos ensued. Many other pack leaders followed us in bolting out of the meeting room to help Elijah and Nora in any way we can. Right now Della is driving well over the recommended speed with Aidan in the passenger seat and Quentin and I in the back. There wasn't enough room in the car so my dads took a different one. Nora and Elijah couldn't hold back and shifted right as they stepped out of the front door tearing off in the direction of their pack.

"Emeric get the kids in a bunker with Melody, and prepare the pack. We don't know yet, and send them some help. Yeah they are behind it." Aidan sounds winded even though we are sitting in a car, but it could have something to do with the sharp turns and near misses from Della's driving. Sitting here doing nothing but letting my thoughts consume isn't going to help so I dig my own phone out.

"Listen I know you are mad but..." I silence him before he can dig himself a even bigger hole.

"I'm beyond mad Jasper! Do you know how much danger you've put yourself in? We will go into this later, but for now I want you to get your pack under lockdown because Crescent Pack is under attack as we speak." It's silent on the other end for a solid minute before I hear him incoherently shouting to someone.

"Do they need help?" If it were possible steam would be coming out of my ears.

"Are you fucking crazy?!" I shriek causing the car to jerk as Della turns her head to see what's going on. "Absolutely not! Does everything I tell you go in one ear and out the other? Listen plenty of backup is on the way as we speak and until I talk to you later I want you bunkered down at home doing nothing. Nothing!" I emphasize glaring at my phone as I hang up. Jasper is going to be the death of me I swear.

"How did your dream end?" Della looks at me in the rear view mirror for a split second before switching her eyes back to the road. Quentin turns to me confusion written all over his face, and my guilt for not telling him spreads through my body again. I knew he had enough on his plate as it was, and considering he was in a coma for a week not too long ago I thought it was best to keep my dreams to myself.

"Two men and one woman arguing behind a tree. I couldn't see faces but now I know one was Ivan. When I turned to run a wolf lunged for me." I admit trying not to fall further into the depths of it. I bite my lip debating whether to mention my theory that I was seeing my mothers last moments and Ivan's parting words. Looking out of the corner of my eye I notice Quentin's eyes locked on my nervous habit, so there is no point in hiding it because he knows there's something I'm not mentioning. "I think I've been dreaming my mothers last moments." I admit quietly feeling silly for even suggesting it, but I know they heard because Della slams on the breaks causing all of us to lurch forward our seatbelts keeping us intacted.

"Why do you think that?" Della looks troubled by the idea, her eyes swirling with sadness and hands gripping the wheel tightly. Aidan rubs a hand down his face as he absorbs it all, and Quentin looks especially heartbroken his lips cast downwards in a frown. His silver eyes are raw with emotion to the point where I have to look away when I answer afraid my voice will crack.

"He told me I was just like my mother." I utter not looking any of them in the eye too worried of what I'll see. It's silent for a solid minute no one daring to speak first, but it's gone as quick as it came.

"That motherfucker!" Della roars punching the steaming wheel a few times. I flinch at the outburst shrinking back into my seat, but Quentin takes my face into his hands sarrow written all over his face.

"I'm so sorry." He breathes leaning forward and kissing my forehead. It's blatantly clear they all believe what deep down I've know for a while now. I'm frustrated that I didn't decipher it sooner, and there is no one to blame but myself because I chose to ignore the nightmares pushing them to the back of my brain the second I would wake up.

"I'm going to kill him." Della snarls stomping onto the gas sending us speeding forward way faster than what is safe. I knew she would be furious but not this enraged. Gripping onto Quentin's arms I look to Aidan for help. There is no person in this world that can calm her like Aidan. It's just a mate thing.

"Della we can't help if we're dead." He turns in his seat so he's facing her, but her eyes never stray from the road. I've never seen her this upset before and it makes me wonder if she didn't have a inkling about it before. "Della." He's soften spoken but with a hint of irritation. Unfortunately it only makes her squeeze the steering wheel tighter, her knuckles turning white. "You are angry, but Laura would be disappointed if you hurt Tessa because of it." That snaps her out of it.

"I'm sorry." She whispers slowing the car to a stop looking at me over her shoulder. I send her a small smile my heart breaking at the tears in the corner of her eyes. Aidan reaches over pulling her into his chest giving her a moment to compose herself while whispering sweet nothing to her. I can't blame her for the way she reacted we have all been through hell and back today and it's not even half over.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Quentin doesn't sound angry but hurt which pains me more. Della starts the car back up continuing our ride to Crescent Pack.

"I didn't want you to worry about it. You were just in a coma and I thought telling you was dangerous." I admit playing with my fingers embarrassed at how silly it sounds now that I said it out loud. He takes ahold of one of my hands lifting and placing a kiss on my wrist.

"I understand, but in the future please tell me regardless." His eyes shine, the sunlight peaking through the trees and into the car casting a radiant glow across his face. I just wish we could just get absorbed in our own little world and forget everything going on around us, but life isn't that simple. One day we'll be able to hide way from the rest of the world without having to worry about an impending war, but until than getting justice for all the innocent people is our top priority.

* * *

Pulling into Crescent Pack I can already tell that the initial attack is over based on the eerie silence blanketing the pack. Since I have only been here a couple of times I don't know which way to go, but thankfully Della and Aidan do. They lead us down a trail that ends up getting us to the pack house where bloody men and woman are being treated by frantic doctors and nurses.

The attack may be over but the devastation still remains with the stench of blood lingering in the air and the bodies being carried to a designated area for the dead. A blood curdling scream rings out amongst the chaos catching everyone's attention. Nora comes bolting out of the pack house towards two people who are moving a covered body towards the ever growing section of innocent victims.

"No." Nora wails pulling back the sheet revealing a woman with matching auburn hair and similar features to her own. It has to be her sister. I swallow the bile that rises in my throat surpressing the reflex to gag at the sight of her wounds. Large claw marks slice one side of her face dragging down and disappearing under the sheet.

"Oh my god." Della gasps covering her own mouth tears welling up in her eyes. The atmosphere is heavy with despair as we all watch the heartbreaking scene unfold in front of us. Elijah comes out of the house going straight for Nora wrapping an arm around her waist to hold her up as her knees give out.

"This has to stop." I whisper surveying the sea of absolute destruction in front of us. I don't know if I can handle seeing anymore death, and I feel even more guilty for not being their for our pack when we were going through this exact situation. Quentin and I didn't see our own pack after the attack because we were both unconscious, but we both aren't new to this act of violence.

Turning to Quentin I can automatically see the recognition in his eyes. I have a feeling he's remembering and reliving his packs attack that killed his parents just like I'm remembering Blake's final attack on Black Moon when I was young. Although this is different because Blake's ruthless attack was expected especially with his history, but no one could have imagined the council turning on their own packs.

"How can they do this?" I shake my head unable to fathom how anyone just accepts the fact they are killing so many people. And for what? Power? They already have that, so why do this?

I turn around hearing footsteps growing closer to us and see a few more Alphas and Lunas showing up. Some move to help the nurses and doctors with patients while other are still in shock at the scene in front of them.

"This ends now." Quentin's gravelly voice gives away how livid he is. His eyes concentrated on taking in it all, but his mind is somewhere else. I'm not going to say anything yet because I know by the look in his eyes he is choosing his next words very carefully.

"Oh Nora." Della steps out of Aidan's arms moving towards her grieving friend. I feel a bit helpless at the moment since I have no medical background meaning I can't really help the doctors. Aidan walks over to us with a grave expression.

"Neither of our attacks were this deadly. This was retaliatory for what happened in that meeting." He's right even though I wasn't awake to see the immediate aftermath of ours I can still see that Crescent Pack has lost more lives than both our and Black Moon's attack combined.

"Do you see this?!" I jump at the sound of Quentin's bellowing voice cutting through the forest. He faces the small crowd of Alphas and Lunas who followed us to help. More arrive as the minutes pass, but I know some stayed with the council sealing their own fate. "These rogues already attacked two packs where they lost men, yet had the man power to slaughter dozens and injure hundreds today." He's fuming his chest heaving with every breathe. It's still bizarre to see him this angry since I'm so used to my kind hearted Quentin at home, but at moments like these he has a right to be upset. We all are and now is the time to use that emotion to get stuff done.

"We all know who is responsible for this, and it's up to us to make sure that it doesn't happen again. That another family doesn't lose a mother, father, sister, or brother." An older Alpha towards the front of the group steps forward pointing his finger at us.

"How do we know this isn't because of you guys? We hadn't had any issues for years until you let a rogue become Luna." My mouth drops at the man response. From the stories I heard growing up no one had issue with the fact Della used to be a rogue. Aidan snarls at the man his nostrils flaring, but I step in front of him so he doesn't lash out.

"Why the hell would we harm our own pack members?" I glare at him for even suggesting that we had a part in this. "For fucks sake both Quentin and I ended up in the hospital." I don't know why he came all the way over here to just point fingers despite the proof we provided.

"I wasn't talking about you girl." He sneers looking me up and down shaking his head. That's all it takes to have Quentin storming towards the man. I jump in front of him flattening my palms against his chest pushing him back. "Do you think I'm going to believe that the children of Blake Hale are saints who do nothing wrong? You and that brother of yours are probably trying to continue on the family legacy." His words are full of venom but Della doesn't bat and eye. She takes her hand off of Nora's shoulder and walks to stand next to Aidan.

"Eric my son was severely injured in our attack, so if you seriously believe that I would hurt a single hair on my child's head than you are brainless." Della has always been composed while facing those who insult her, and it saddens me to think it's from years of experience.

"That didn't stop your father." Della grabs Aidan's arm as she doubles over in laughter. Any quiet conversation around us goes silent at Eric's bold remark. Della stands up straight with a smirk adorning her face.

"And it did stop me ending his life." Eric closes  his mouth but the enraged expression still remains. Although I'm sure more so because of his bruised ego than his anger of the Hale's. "My father was a sick man but my brother and I time and time again have proven we are nothing like him, and if we were I'm sure you all would have brought up this concern of yours  a long time ago." She turns her head nodding at us.

"Now is not the time to tear each other down. We need to act because if we don't this will continue killing thousands of innocent lives. Your pack member could be next, doesn't that scare you?" I need them to see what's at stake here. "At this point even if you don't believe us that the council is behind all of this, you have to admit that doing nothing about it is the wrong answer. We can figure out a different system to replace the council as soon as we take care of this rogue army, but if we don't work together it's all useless." Quentin steps forward taking my hand in his interlacing our fingers.

"I want a better world for our future children and their children, and the first step to that is dealing with the immediate threat and then disposing of a broken system. Our ancestors did the same thing and now it's our turn." Quentin's words have my heart hammering in my chest. Children? I mean we haven't had that conversation nor have we actually had sex, but it all still makes me nervous.

"We will fight with you." A younger Luna and Alpha step forward walking over to us standing to our left. I send them a grateful smile over Quentin's shoulder. After a few more second more leaders follow suit moving onto our side of the invisible line. It's a huge relief to have others finally standing with us, but the few who stay on the other side across from us with their head held defiantly high worry me. I know they stand with the council on this situation but who knows what the council will ask them to do once they find out.

"I'm sorry that we don't see eye to eye, but if you change your mind we won't shut you out." Some of them are no doubt terrified of everything that went down today and I wouldn't blame them if they aren't thinking clearly, so letting them know that they can come back to us later will hopefully persuade them in the future.

"Please leave our pack." Nora stumbles to the front looking drained. Her hair is disheveled, cheeks stained with tears, and hands coated in blood. "But just know that any more blood spilled after this is also on your hands." She raises her hands palms up before flicking the excess blood onto the ground between both groups. "Now if you'll excuse me I have to families to notify that their loved ones were slaughtered." Her words hang heavily in the air sending a shiver down my spine. Without another word she storms off into the pack house Elijah following right behind her.

Eric is the first one to shift sprinting out of the territory, but not without one last bitter glare in our direction. The rest slowly flilter out, and I notice a few with apprehension in their eyes torn on what to do. In the end no one else chooses to side with us, but that's okay we have enough for now. For the first time in a while I feel hopeful.

"We need to prepare." Della moves to stand next to me as a few of the Lunas and Alphas volunteer to help go get more medical supplies from their own packs for the injured.

"I know." I chew on my lip nervously scanning the sea of devastation knowing this could just be the beginning if this turns into a full blown war. Catching my dad's eye I send him a thankful smile since they both didn't step in to take over the situation, trusting me to do the right thing. I wave to Ryder as a small gesture that I'm fine even after that emotional roller coaster. My face falls when he waves back with his bad arm evidence of what this violence can result in along with all the mental scars it produces.

***************

Song: Revolution by The Score

I can't describe to you the shock I felt when I logged on last night and saw that Rogue To Luna was #2 in romance! I'm so thankful for each of you no matter when you started reading my books yesterday or six months ago because each and every one of you helped get these books where they are today. Rogue To Luna is at 74,000 reads right now which I haven't even processed yet, but I'm also so excited to say that Rogue Revolution has passed 2,000 reads! It feels like just yesterday I was celebrating the same milestone with first book. The past twenty four hours have been so surreal and something I never anticipated happening when I started this series so thank you again. Someone asked if I could make a Spotify playlist of all of the songs in each book, so I did this morning and you can find the link to it in my bio! I feel like this note should be longer but I'm still kind of at a loss for words. All I can say is thank you over and over again because I truly don't know how else to express my gratitude towards each of you. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and if you did don't forget to vote and comment! Stay safe, healthy, and home! Until next time.

~Stella Gordon