Chapter 241
Aurora
Dane sat up straight away, his body tense.
âAurora,â Piper called out from the other side of the door. âWe have a problem.â
Dane was already up, tugging on his pants as I slung my robe over my shoulder.
There had been a note of urgency in Piperâs voice, I couldnât miss and her pounding hadnât let off until I opened the door.
Piper just stood there looking pale, breathing shallowly. âItâs Rowan,â she said.
âHeâs doing it again. He just got into another fight.â
I blew out hard and suddenly it was as if a boulder was lying across my chest. âWhat happened?â
âHe accused Trajan of receiving special treatment,â Piper said.
âIt just totally blew out of proportion, and then some of the younger wolves started agreeing with him.â
She paused, pressing her lips together in a thin line.
âAlina was there, too. She didnât say much, but I could tell she was fueling it.
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Dane came to stand beside me, setting his hand over my shoulder.
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âThis canât keep going on,â he said. âItâs ripping the pack apart.â
âI know,â I said softly, pinching at the bridge of my nose. âIâll handle it⦠but not tonight.â
Piper nodded. âGet some rest, we will see what we can do, Warrick, Trajan and I.â
I nodded and closed the door back as she left.
âWill this end?â I asked as we went back to bed.
âNo thinking tonight⦠we have to rest tonight and think about. this tonight.â
I nodded and he cuddled me closer to himself.
*** *** ***
It wasnât as noisy in the training yard today as it was yesterday. when I showed up to it the following morning.
Trajan stood around the edge with Joclyn, speaking softly, as one might converse over tea with a friend, a dear friend.
On the opposite side, sharp and deliberate in the motion, stood Rowan running a whetstone over some blade.
First, I moved towards him purposely. âRowan,â I said, clearly voiced yet even.
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âTo talk,â I said, stopping a few feet away. âAbout yesterday.â
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Rowan set the blade down and turned to face me, his eyes hard.
âWhatâs there to talk about? Everyone knows Iâm not part of your inner circle. Iâm just here to make up numbers.â
âThat is not true, and you know it,â I said. âYou have always been of value, Rowan. Yet with some of the actions lately, nobody can see it.â
He gave a harsh laugh. âOf value? That is the word you use for being ignored as Trajan and Piper are praised over every little thing?â
I drew on a deep breath and tried not to lose my patience.
âItâs not about them, Rowan. Itâs about you and the choices. youâre making. What the pack needs right now is unity, not division.â
His eyes flashed to Alina, standing a small way off and watching us cross armed, the smirk spreading further across her face with every ticking second, really pissing him off.
âMaybe not yet is the time for unity,â he growled, striding off.
I found Piper a little later that day helping Warrick work, lining up provisions for the week.
âNot a hint?â she asked when I reached them.
âNot really,â I answered. âHeâs just too strongâheaded to listen. Itâs totally Alina all over the place inside his brain.â
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Later that night, I retreated to Daneâs quarters. He sat by the fire, his shirt undone, staring into the flames.
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As I came in, he looked up and opened his arms to me. âYouâve had a bad day,â he said, pulling me onto his lap.
I leaned my head against his chest, and the warmth filtered into me. âIâm starting to feel like Iâm losing the pack,â I said.
âYouâre not losing them,â Dane said matter of factly. â
Rowan and Alina are being loud, but the wolves that count the ones that believe in you are still with you.
The words were soft, but that did little to let the fear leave me. He reached up to tip my face higher, making my gaze find his.
âYouâre strong enough for all of this,â he whispered.â
And so I will help remind you when you get discouraged.â
I kissed him then, needing reassurance, anything to make something real certain in our turmoil.
He took my hand, âI have something to show you.â
He helped me to my feets and took me to the wardrobe. He opened it up and brought up a book. It was an old, dusty, brown leather book.
âCome sit,â he held my hand and led me to a chair. I sat down and he placed the book on the table as he stood by my sides and flipped the pages.
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âWhat book is this?â I asked out of curiosity as I rubbed my hand on a page. It felt ancient.
âBook of the laws.â
âBook of the laws?â I asked as I squinted at him.
Dane nodded, âYes.â
I furrowed my brows as I looked at the book once again, âWhy this?â I raised my head and looked at him, âWhy did you bring it here?â
âBecause of Rowan.â
I gulped. âBook of the laws⦠Rowan? Whatâs the connection?â
âRowan is breaking the law, Aurora, we have to keep him at bay.â
Daneâs reply made me grit my teeth. He pointed at a page.
It was titled, âREBELLION.ââ
I gulped as I read down, âANY WEREWOLF FOUND REBELLING AGAINST THE RULERS OF THE PACK, AND WHOSE ACTIONS WOUDL ENDANGER THE PACK IS TO BE LOCKED IN THE DUNGEON WITH THE ICE CHAIN FOR TEN YEARS.â
âI know you care about Rowan and you want every member of this pack to be safe, but you canât risk the safety of the whole pack, just because of one manâs rebelliousness,â Dane said as he closed the book and sat on the table.
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âHis boldness, to stand against the elders and you⦠itâs already a red flag⦠he needs to be constrained, else your worry will never end and he would one day destroy all the peace weâve sacrificed a lot to get.â
Dane is right. Rowan is getting out of hand. I gulped and looked away, âI donât want to be unjust, Dane.â
âYou arenât,â Dane kissed me softly, his hand brushing a strand of hair from my face. âNo matter what happens,â he said, âyouâll always have me.â
âI know,â I whispered, and for the first time that day, I felt a spark of hope.
It wasnât supposed to be the peaceful night the moment. promised at least as a weird knock gave us a good scare and Dane was upright in an instant, tense again.
âDane, Aurora!â Trajanâs voice came from the other side.
âYou need to see this. Now.â