Chapter 27: Chapter 27

Christopher was already on the move as we headed to the council. He was making calls, organizing things.

“You need protection more than anything right now,” he told me, his voice firm. “I’m going to get Thomas to head your security detail.”

Thomas had been left behind at the pack. He was knee-deep in a murder investigation and had been tied up in meetings with other guards the day before. But the crimes had ceased about two weeks ago, and I needed him here with me now.

Without wasting a moment, Christopher was on his phone, making the necessary calls.

The scenery started to look familiar, signaling that we were nearing the council. We passed through the gates, our convoy of cars continuing to surround us. Even within the council’s boundaries, our guards remained close.

Christopher held the door open for me, and I noticed that we were always flanked by eight guards, with others stationed nearby, providing security from a distance. Despite all this, I couldn’t shake off a sense of unease.

Christopher seemed to sense my apprehension. It felt like our connection had deepened. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder, pulling me into a comforting hug.

I felt his lips press a gentle kiss to the top of my head before we ascended the stairs leading to the council. The echo of our footsteps on the marble floor filled the air as we approached a large wooden door. Christopher leaned in, his lips brushing against my ear.

“Scarlett, I hope this doesn’t frighten you,” he murmured. I watched as he took a deep breath before forcefully pushing the doors open.

“What the fuck happened?” he bellowed.

I hesitated for a moment before deciding to follow him. I trailed slightly behind him until I could see a large, wide wooden table with three imposing chairs at the end and smaller ones surrounding it.

At the head of the table sat three ancient alpha wolves. They were the triad, the most powerful within the council, and the rest of the council members were scattered around them. Christopher’s dramatic entrance had everyone turning to look at him, their eyes wide with surprise.

“Alpha Christopher, we apologize for the incident, but we too have suffered a loss,” one of the triad members responded, gesturing to an empty chair. A pang of sadness hit me as I realized that Neil should have been sitting there.

“Are you sorry? Really? You lost a limb. I lost a friend, and I almost lost…everything,” Christopher retorted, his voice changing in tone. The pause before he said ~everything~ felt like a punch to my gut. “My pack is on the brink of being without an alpha, and I still don’t have a beta. If I were to die…” His voice cracked, and he stopped speaking. His eyes widened as he turned to look at me.

“What’s wrong, Alpha?” another triad member asked.

“Since I don’t have a beta yet, if I were to die, my heir would die too. The pack would go to my next living relative, which is Joshua.”

Suddenly, everything clicked into place. I understood Christopher’s anger. This was all a part of Joshua’s plan. Perhaps even our trip to the council, our visit to the temple—it was all a ploy to kill us. With Christopher out of the picture, Joshua would regain power, reunite the pack, and take control of everything.

“We can’t accuse another alpha like that without proof,” a council member interjected.

“No proof? Joshua was there; he was the one who ordered the wolves to attack us,” I retorted, my voice echoing in the room. I could see the surprise on their faces; they hadn’t expected me to speak up.

“It’s your word against his…”

I felt a surge of anger. I couldn’t believe this was happening. As if he could read my thoughts, Christopher chimed in.

“Are you serious? You’re not going to do anything?”

“I didn’t say we wouldn’t do anything. A council member was killed; an investigation will be opened, but we can’t just accuse Alpha Joshua without proof.”

“And how did so many wolves manage to get inside the temple? My guards stayed outside because it’s a sacred place, but we were attacked inside,” Christopher argued, his disbelief evident.

“This will also be investigated,” another council member assured us. I could feel Christopher’s agitation. He reached for my hand, holding it tightly.

“We’re leaving. I’ll wait for updates on the investigations,” Christopher declared, gripping my hand as he practically dragged me out of the room.

I stumbled over my own feet, and then he wrapped an arm around my waist, guiding me out. It reminded me of the time he had whisked me away from the dance floor at Tyler’s, but this time our guards were rushing to keep up with us.

“Christopher, what’s happening?” I asked, trying to meet his gaze, trying to understand what he was thinking. But he didn’t respond, remaining silent until we reached the car. He opened the backseat door and practically shoved me inside. He walked around the car and barked orders at the fleet.

“We’re heading straight home and we’re not stopping until we reach the pack,” he commanded the guards. Then he slid into the car and took a deep breath.

“Hurry,” he instructed the driver, before turning to me. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. Joshua couldn’t have known that we were in the temple; the meetings are confidential, especially when it involves something religious. And for him to be able to get in with those exiles, he had help from within. Someone from the council is involved with him. That’s why I didn’t achieve anything the first time I came, because they didn’t want me to. Every second here is a risk for us,” he explained, and I felt my heart rate quicken. With every meter the car covered, I found myself counting the seconds until we could escape.

“What if this was all a trap to lure us here? We weren’t planning on making this trip until Bertha mentioned the prophecies.”

My words made Christopher lean his head back against the car seat, his eyes closed in frustration.

“Give me a map,” I demanded, and Christopher’s eyes snapped open to look at me. The guard in the passenger seat opened the glove compartment and pulled out a map.

I spread the paper out and began to study the geography of the area.

“Let’s head north. You can call Brennon and ask him to let us pass through there. It’s not ideal, but we’ll gain a few kilometers in friendly territory. How trustworthy is Brennon?” I needed to know.

“Very. I’ve known him my whole life. He’s a Hasendolf, from a traditional family of alphas,” Christopher replied. “You’re right, that’s the best route. And if someone is following us, it’ll help us lose them.”

He took out his phone and made a few calls, then instructed Thomas to meet us on the way and return with us.

When we entered the north, more guards were waiting for us. We weren’t planning on stopping, just passing through the territory, but Brennon had sent guards and a picnic basket as a gesture of goodwill. I silently thanked him because I was starting to feel hungry.

We skirted the northern boundary within their gates, but once inside, we had to keep moving. The journey was the most nerve-wracking I’d ever experienced.

Christopher seemed distant, his gaze fixed out the window, his mind clearly elsewhere. I reached for his hand, pulling his arm around me and nestling into his hold. He inhaled the scent of my hair before pressing a kiss to my forehead and pulling me closer.

Halfway home, Thomas joined our convoy in his car.

As we caught sight of our familiar hills, the sprawling oak forests, and the pack gates in the distance, a wave of relief washed over me. I heard Christopher let out a heavy sigh, echoing my own relief.

We headed straight for the pack’s house. Night had fallen, and exhaustion was setting in. I hadn’t been able to sleep during the journey, and the trip had been draining. All I wanted was to crawl into bed.

But we had to meet with the leaders, and truth be told, I was craving the comfort of my parents’ embrace. The guard cars parked below, while ours pulled up to the side entrance. We made our way directly to the meeting room on the third floor.

Upon entering, we found the room filled with all the leaders. They turned to look at us as we walked in, standing as a sign of respect. But one person stood out in the crowd: my mother.

She was still in her scrubs, I noticed, as she rushed toward us. She collided with me, wrapping me in a tight hug. Normally, I might have asked her to give me some space, but I put myself in her shoes. If my son had just returned from a dangerous situation, I’d want nothing more than to hold him close and ensure he was safe.

Christopher moved past everyone and took a seat at the end of the table, followed shortly by a few more guards and Thomas.

“Scarlett, are you okay?” Mom asked. I nodded in response, but before I could verbalize my answer, Christopher’s commanding voice filled the room, drawing me to his side. It was as if I already knew that’s where I belonged.

“We have a lot to discuss, but there are a few critical points. We’re under attack from the south. It’s crucial that we fortify our borders and stay vigilant. I know some of our people have family in their territories, but we need to limit movement. There’s a prophecy about us, a primordial. It speaks of Scarlett and our son.”

“What does the prophecy say?” Carl asked. Christopher turned to me.

“Don’t worry, I think I remember,” I said. Then I recited, “The first came to teach, The second to change, She is the warm fire, And no one can stop her desire, In the midst of the war, Red comes as a salvation, Bringing hope and new life, To the whole new nation, The second chance was the right mate, Which was already decided by fate, And there is born the new leader withstood, Of the people gathered again for good.”

“Red?” one of the members asked.

“Red. Scarlett,” my mother said, her mouth agape. “When I was pregnant with you, I had a dream about the Moon Goddess. She said you would bring warmth, and your name would be Scarlett.”

“I would think it was someone with red hair,” Carl said.

“They did too,” I said, a realization dawning on me. “That’s why we’ve had the spike in murders that Thomas has been investigating. Every victim has had red hair,” I said, locking eyes with Thomas. He understood immediately.

The entire guard was left speechless.

“We were close to identifying the people who ordered the killings. The perpetrators were some exiles,” Thomas said.

“There were exiles who attacked us too. I understand they’re angry with the entire hierarchy and the alphas, but why would they align with Joshua? Why follow his orders?” Christopher asked, rubbing his face with his hand.

“Because he promised them something,” I said. “But what?”

Then the end of the prophecy came back to me. “If the prophecy is talking about uniting the packs again when it mentions the people coming together, and Joshua is banking on that, maybe he’s promising land to the exiles.”

“But there’s something worse. We were attacked inside the temple, inside the council. I suspect…” Christopher didn’t finish his sentence.

“That there’s a mole,” Carl finished.

The betrayal was too much to process.

“For now, we can’t solve anything,” Christopher said. “The priority is to secure our borders, continue the investigation into the redhead murders, and see if any information aligns with our attack earlier today. I’ll request information from the council for the investigations, but we won’t share anything with them. Tomorrow morning, we take action.”

I was exhausted, and I knew Christopher was right. We all needed rest. The leaders bid their goodbyes, the guard beefed up security, and I hugged my parents tightly before we retreated to our room.

I took a quick shower and slipped into the most comfortable Christopher T-shirt I could find. I collapsed onto the bed, my mind spinning as my thoughts raced uncontrollably. It seemed like even in rest, I couldn’t find peace.

Christopher was on his cell phone, reaching out to other alphas. He showered after me, and when he finally joined me in bed, he didn’t spoon me like he usually did. Instead, he laid his head on my chest, one arm tucked under the pillow and the other wrapped around my waist.

One of his legs draped over mine, and despite being the strongest man I knew, he didn’t feel heavy. He was seeking comfort in me. My fingers combed through his hair, and I heard him sigh deeply, his eyes closed. My fingertips traced his features, and I found myself wondering if our son would look like him.

“I love you,” he murmured, his eyes still closed.

“Me too, always and forever,” I replied. Despite the whirlwind of thoughts, I found peace with him, and sleep claimed me.