Chapter 29

It feels as if there are weights on my eyelids pulling them down for a second longer with every blink. My head is still pounding only causing me to want to keep my eyes closed, but I know I can't because if I do have a concussion that would be the worst thing I could do. The cool breeze mixed with the rain still pouring down on us is soothing against my swollen cheek, although the heat radiating off of Jasper isn't enough to protect me from my constant shivering.

At the speed Jasper is going we should be home in a few minutes, and there is no way that Quentin hasn't already woken up. The sun is peaking out over the horizon casting a glow to the thick fog lingering between the trees. The storm clouds are moving fast so I'm hoping the rain will let up soon so that the patrol won't have such a difficult day because I'm sure they got reamed once Quentin put two and two together.

"Dammit Tessa!" I flinch at Carl's harsh tone. I knew he would be absolutely livid with me because every time I run I promise him it'll be the last time. I have a feeling it has to do with the fact he has no control on the situation if he doesn't know where I am, and it makes him feel helpless.

"What the fuck?" I lift my head my eyes connecting with a horrified Quentin as he takes in all the bruising and swelling littering the left side of my face. Sprinting over to us he gingerly lifts me off of Jasper's back and cradles me to his chest attempting to shield me from the rain. My clothes are soaked, and I can't stop my uncontrollable shivering.

"What happened?" Carl roars looking between me and Jasper throwing a pair of shorts at him waiting for him to shift back. I hide my face in Quentin's neck relishing in the comfort of being back in my mates arms safe from the horrors of reality even if it's for a few moments.

"We need to get her inside. Get Parker to meet us at our house." Quentin instructs tightening his hold on me before taking off toward our house. I peak over his shoulder making sure Carl and Jasper are following us because I still have so many questions for Jasper.

"I didn't think she'd actually do it." Jasper whispers shaking his head. Hearing the fear in his voice stirs an uneasiness in my gut, but I can't dwell on it too long because Quentin burst through our front door. Emma lets out a small scream jumping up from the couch with Oliver, who looks exhausted as well.

"Oh my! What happened?" Emma shrieks the second she catches sight of my face, and assists Quentin by grabbing a pillow off the couch while he takes his free arm and shoves everything off of the coffee table. He lays me down gently making sure not to jostle me as Emma slips the pillow under my head to support my neck.

"What hurts?" Quentin kneels down next to me surveying my body for any other obvious injures. I reach out taking his hand in mine and give it a reassuring squeeze. The combination of finally being home and chaos around me has woken me up at least.

"I'm fine. At most I have a concussion." In my head I assumed that would ease the tension and anxiety in the room, but I didn't take into account Quentin's protectiveness.

"Who?" He growls brushing my wet hair out of my face searching for an answer in my eyes, but I hold my ground. If I tell him now before Parker comes and repeats that I am fine he'll tear off down there and get himself killed. None of this changes the fact we still need to approach this war methodically and strategically, and letting our emotions get the best of us will only come back to bite us in the ass.

"Eric." Jasper spits, crossing his arms with a wicked look in his eyes. I saw the way he held back his instinct to rip into Eric earlier, and the authority that toppled off of him in waves would have impressed a lot of people had they seen it. I do however worry about those that did. The last thing we need right now is people digging into Jasper's pack. They are going to question who saved me, so I'm going to need to come up with a really believable lie.

"That son of a bitch." Carl snarls. The door bursts open once again revealing a disheveled looking Parker carrying his large medical bag. Sleep still lingers in his eyes as he stumbles over setting his bag down next to me.

"Tell me everywhere you got injured even if it was minor." He opens his bag pulling out his stethoscope. I glance at everyone in the room uncomfortable with all the attention directed at me.

"I got punched on the left side of my face, clearly. It caused me to fall to the ground where he then kicked me in the abdomen once, and lastly he threw me a few feet to the dirt and my head smacked against the ground." I run through it all because if there is one person I need to be transparent with it's Parker.

"Did you ever lose consciousness?" He shines a small flashlight into each eye blinding me temporarily. Shaking my head I move to sit up, but Quentin pushes me back down by the shoulders.

"Can I change please? I'm freezing." My hair is still damp, and my sweatshirt heavy with all the water that I never got the chance to ring out of it. Quentin looks apprehensive and turns to Parker for an answer.

"Yes. We don't need you getting pneumonia." Both he and Quentin help me to sit up slowly. "It would be best if you jump in the shower to clean off all the mud and leaves off so you don't get any infections." I nod my head taking the hand Quentin holds out. Parker's right because there is no way in hell that I don't have any small lacerations on my arms and leg which as of right now are covered in mud.

"Call Fletcher and Ryder and let them know." Quentin nods to Oliver who heads down the hallway to our office.

"You called my dads?" I frown. The whole point of the note was to keep them from panicking and sending out a search party. Quentin wraps a arm around my waist as we approach the stair case.

"We didn't know where you went, and I was hoping it was to your family." He sounds upset, his voice stiff. I never wanted to make him upset, but it seems I failed at that as well. I stay silent and allow him to help me up the stairs, but as soon as I step over the threshold of our bedroom I gently push him off me.

"This is why left. A rogue forced Victoria to give this to me, and said I was the only one that could convince them. Clearly they were wrong but I wasn't going to let anyone else die on my watch." I dig the note out of my underwear draw and shove it into his chest. Was it a cliche place to hide it? Yes, but that's not the point. If this was over anything else I would be understand why he is so angry at me, but there were lives on the line.

"You still could have been killed!" He yells throwing the note onto the bed. "It could have been a fucking plot to lure you out. Why didn't you tell me? Do you not trust me?" I can see the raw vulnerability in his eyes behind his angry facade. If the roles had been reversed I know I would be just as terrified as he is right now, and shouting isn't going to get us anywhere.

"I know. I'm sorry." I blink back the tears that so desperately want to escape. The weight of the nights events are starting to hit me full force, and I'm realizing how dangerous it actually was. In the moment it was just something I needed to do, but now being home and safe with Quentin my lack of thinking ahead is blatantly obvious. "I can't see anyone else die." I let out a shaky breath as he walks forward engulfing me in his arms.

"I can't see you die either." His voice cracks at the end, and the bond twist painful at mere thought of having to live without one another. We stand there holding each other for a few more moments before I shiver from the cold. "Let's get you in the shower." He walks into the closet coming out with a pair of pajama shorts and a shirt as I walk into the bathroom pealing off my dirty sweatshirt.

"Oh no you don't." I shake my head at Quentin when he pulls his own shirt over his head. "I can shower just fine by myself." I start the shower up giving it a second to warm up.

"You said it yourself that you probably have a concussion, so what happens if you get lightheaded and fall?" He crosses his arms leaning against the sink. His stupid smirk indicates that he thinks he's already won this argument, but I'm not backing down. It's not that I'm uncomfortable with it especially considering we've been more intimate than a shower together, but I just need some alone time to mentally prepare myself for the shit show that's going on commence as soon as I'm done. If whoever sent that note is right than we need to notify all of the packs and set up a game plan. Plus I need to get to the bottom of where my mother was from because if Eric is spreading lies about her than he's going to have a lot more to deal with than an entire army of angry wolves.

Ignoring Quentin's irritated sigh I hop into the shower letting the hot water wash away all the dirt off of my skin. Reaching for the shampoo I squeeze a hefty amount before scrubbing it into my hair making sure to be careful in the back of my head where I can already feel a small knot forming. The water suddenly feels hotter and it isn't until the room starts to spin that I freak out. Knocking over a few bottles I grip the shower wall at the same second Quentin rips the shower curtain back.

"I told you." He steps in wrapping one arm around my waist before shutting the curtain with the other. "Just let me take care of you this one time." He smiles down at me, his silver eyes shining as his hair slowly falls into his eyes from the water pouring down on us. "You would do the same for me." He reminds me as he holds me still while I rinse the shampoo out of my hair. I nod my head giving in because he's right, and he leans down planting a quick peck to my forehead before reaching over and grabbing the soap.

* * *

After finishing in the shower and getting dressed I let Parker finish his examination while Emma brushed the tangles out of my hair. It didn't take long for Parker to conclude and tell us all what I already knew, a mild concussion and some bruising on my face and abdomen. Quentin made sure Parker was the one to emphasize that I need to take it easy for a few days to be safe.

Now we are all in the dinning room sitting and standing around the table waiting to get the calls from my dads and Della. Carl is still furious and hasn't talked to me yet, but Jasper hasn't left my side since we came back downstairs.

"Thank you." I whisper to him my gaze still locked on Quentin. He sits at the head of the table with the phone sitting in front of him. From anyone else's perspective he appears calm and collected, but I can feel the stirring of anxiety over the mate bond. Not to mention the nervous tick of his bouncing leg under the table.

"I would do it all over again." He turns to look me in the eye. It's insane how much he's matured since I met him, but not all of it was by choice. I will always regret being the reason he was there during Black Moon's attack, but he's has handle everything with grace which is a lot better than others handled it.

"I can't let you be apart of it." I can already tell what's he's trying to hint at, but I'm not going to let him fight in another gruesome battle.

"I am the leader of a pack of people, whom all have suffered by the hands of people who are on the other side. What do you want me to say when they ask why I'm not doing anything to help?" It's rattling to see and hear the Alpha in him coming out more and more each day. He's right and I deep down I know I can't stop him, so I need to find a way he can help without sacrificing himself.

"Are you willing to lose your life? What about your future mate?" Jasper is extremely complicated. It's been hard to figure out what fuels him, so I'm just going to have to use every possible option.

"If it means he or she will get to live their life in a world with no council, and a proper structure between the packs, yes. They are safe and the world is better." He shrugs as if it's the simplest concept to understand. "You all are just as rogue as I am at the moment, and I can make the decisions for my own pack." I don't know if he's more stubborn or complicated. One minute I feel as though I've figured him out but the next it's like he's a stranger. Not in a bad way just a very difficult puzzle that frustrates me from time to time.

"What did they mean about my mom?" If there is anyone in this room who would know any information before it hit the rest of the packs it is Jasper. I don't necessarily believe what Eric was saying, but I need to get to the bottom of it and find out who started the lie because it could cause a lot of harm considering we can't prove it to be false.

"My opinion is that Eric is grasping at straws to try and strengthen his excuse to revolt against the other packs. He knows he has nothing of true substance, so he'll cling to each lie that in the wrong context could harm you." He smiles nonchalantly at me which helps put me at some ease, but the nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach makes sure I'm on the constant line between calm and anxious.

The phone ringing startles me to the point that I jump a little. I look around the room hoping nobody else saw, but from the quiet sneakers next to me I know Jasper certainly did. Thankfully everyone's attention is on the phones, so I step forward sitting in the chair to Quentin's left as he answers the phone putting them both on speaker.

"Tessa?" Fletcher's voice filters through the line and so does his frantic tone. I know Oliver called them while I was in the shower, but I doubt he went into specifics.

"Hi dad. I'm okay." I lean forward resting my elbows on the table so they can hear me better, but make sure my stomach doesn't brush up against it. The nasty blue and purple brushing has already spread creating a nauseating watercolor painting across the expanse of my abdomen.

"You scared the shit out of us! What the hell were you thinking?" Della shouts. "Where did you go, and why did you leave your pack in the middle of the night unannounced?" I peer over to the other end of the table where Oliver sits stiff looking between the phone and me. He must have not told them literally any details other than the fact I was back. Rolling my eyes I bite the inside of my cheek figuring out how to start without causing an even bigger blow up.

"I got a note from someone that Mystic Rivers Pack was the next target and I needed to go warn them." It's dead silent for longer than a minute, glancing to Quentin I raise an eyebrow.

"For fucks sake!" Della yells.

"A note? Who gave you it?" Ryder speaks over Della's cursing. In this moment I have two options either bring Victoria down with me or let her live to see her next birthday.

"It's not important, but it said I was the only one who could convince them so I couldn't tell anyone." I attempt to shift the conversation in a different direction hoping they drop the origin of the note.

"Nice try, who gave you the note?" Fletcher chuckles humorlessly. I should have probably factored in that my dads would see through my attempt considering they raised me.

"Victoria." I groan covering my eyes with my hands. Who or why this person wrote me the note is not my main priority. It's done and over with, but what isn't is this new bullshit Eric is spreading.

"Victoria!" Aidan's voice booms through the phone causing everyone at the table to wince. I cross my fingers that she won't be to angry with me for ratting her out.

"How did Victoria know who the next target was going to be?" Emma chimes in keeping her voice low so only we can hear her. I shake my head holding a finger up telling her wait one second.

"Did you wander into neutral territory again?" Della shrieks and I assume Victoria is now in the room.

"What?" She sounds so guilty to the point her voice goes up an octave. Pinching the bridge of my nose I make a mental note to teach her how to use a poker face.

"Who gave you the note?" Aidan asks slowly reigning in his anger. It isn't hard to imagine him clenching his jaw thinking about someone getting close enough to harm his daughter.

"I don't know some random lady. She said I had to give it to Tessa or we could all die! I'm sorry but I panicked." She sounds choked up and it hurts to have her dragged into this mess.

"I went over to convince Katherine and Evan, but Evan didn't want to hear it. Eric showed up and started saying things about my mom." I look down at my hands to avoid all the shock expressions surrounding me. Quentin is the first to recover, reaching forward he takes my hand in his. This isn't exactly how I wanted to ease into the subject but I could let Victoria get in anymore trouble, and with her big mouth the longer she talked the worse it would be.

"What was he saying?" Ryder sounds irritated but not at me. Maybe having this conversation in front of everyone wasn't the best idea. "Tessa?" He pushes after I don't respond. I don't know what I'm more scared of at the moment, the idea that Eric's words are true or that he is blatantly lying in order to turn others against us.

"That my mom was a "Dark Mountains whore", and that my father was a warrior for Blake." I squeeze my eyes shut wanting to just forget about it all, but I know in the end I can't rest without answers. At the same time I have to be ready to accept the fact I may never get any.

Quentin lets out a vicious growl that shakes the table underneath my fingertips, and I hear the angry curses and equal as ferocious growls from my family. I don't want to dwell on it any longer I just want to know if it's true.

"Is he telling the truth?" The entire time I was laying on Jasper back as he ran us home I sat and contemplated the idea that they knew all along and didn't tell me. My initial reaction was anger but than I remembered all the times in my life where I lied to protect those I loved. In the end it all depends on their reasoning behind it.

"No!" Della sound appealed that I would even suggest such a thing. "We dug up as much information on your mother as we could, but just because we couldn't find much doesn't mean that's she was from Dark Mountains. I knew almost everyone who lived there, and even after I left Fletcher would have know about her if she lived there." Having Della break it down makes me feel a lot better, but I still want to be sure. My silence must give away my slight apprehension to agree with her.

"Elijah knows a guy that lives way up in the mountains, who can track down most people, and briefly stayed in Dark Mountains before going rogue. I'll ask him to look into it, but in the meantime I don't want you stressing out about it." Aidan chimes in sounding calmer than he was a few minutes ago.

"He's right Tessa. Eric is known to spread lies to further his own agenda. He's a narcissistic manipulator who will sacrifice anyone to save his own ass." I nod my head even though they can't see me. I need to be focused on the real problems at hand. Letting it fester in the back of my mind will only cloud my judgement distracting me, so the sooner I get some answers the better.

"Can you call that guy tomorrow?" I ask timidly. Having all the attention on me is draining, and my eyelids are starting to feel heavy again. With all of the events of the past twenty four hours compiled with the emotional strain of my everlasting overthinking I might pass out before we finish the conversation.

"I'll call him in an hour." I furrow my eyebrows in confusion until I look out the window seeing the sun shining bright. My cheeks heat up in embarrassment, forgetting that I got back this morning instead. Thankfully Quentin takes over switching topics giving me a moment to think.

"Thank you, we will call you back tonight." A chorus of goodbyes ensue, reminders to stay safe, and I love you's. I lean back in my chair taking a deep breathe finally letting my muscles relax since I got back home. Going upstairs and falling into bed is the first on my list, so that I can be refreshed and ready for our call later tonight. Although I'm scared what my brain will conjure up during my slumber because I don't know if I can handle another nightmare filled with gut wrenching images of those I love meeting unspeakable ends.

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Song: Monsters (Acoustic Version) by Ruelle

I want to start off by saying that by posting this chapter doesn't mean I've forgotten about the importance of what happening in not only America but around the world. I wrote a long note on my profile if you want to go read it, and left a few links to petitions, places to donate, and the Black Lives Matter website. I love each and every one of you so much, and I hope you all know how important you are to me! I also want to thank you because this book reached 10,000 reads on Monday, and it means the world to me you all enjoy the series so much. Another note I want to make is that I said I was working on a completely separate book unrelated to this series, which I was planning on posting after this book is completed. But I'm not as far as I was hoping to be, so it's going to be a bit later than initially thought. I will keep you all updated on everything, and I'm hoping to get back to the posting schedule of every four to five days. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and if you did don't forget to vote and comment! Stay safe and healthy! Until next time.

~Stella Gordon