AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His movements froze. "It’s almost impossible for a wolf to move on once they've claimed and lost their fated mate."
"Almost doesn't mean completely."
"I know."
"What about your blind loyalty to follow Pierce and put Rosie's life in danger. Do you think Carly would approve of that?"
"Heh, you know as much as you and Sabina think alike, it's amazing how you guys weren't fated to each other."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean your friend asked me the same question before taking off to who knows where," Byron said, packing up the first aid kit.
So, Pierce was right, Sabina had taken off. But where did she go, to Rosie? When we were discussing our plans for running out of the pack, Sabina said she wouldn't join us. That she wanted to stay to keep an eye on the rest of the pack, but also keep tabs on Pierce. I didn't think anything warranted her to change her mind so fast, but then again, Sabina had her own secrets she never liked sharing.
"Do you know where she took off to?" I asked, feeling myself able to breathe a little easier now that the steam of wolfsbane lessened, and I was no longer bleeding out. I was still fighting the cusp of exhaustion, but I didn't want to pass out. Not yet. Not when I needed answers.
Byron shook his head. "I asked, but she wouldn't tell me. Only that she was needed elsewhere. I will say this, however." Byron pointed at me. "She seems to know a lot more than you or I do. What she knows remains a mystery, but according to her, we should be expecting a war soon."
My heart clenched, wondering what kind of war we could be dealing with, and curious how much Sabina knew and why she was keeping it from us. If we were in danger, she would've told us what to expect, wouldn't she? I trusted Sabina with my life, I had known her since we were kids in elementary school. She grew up never knowing her mother, but her father was always around. A typical wolf shifter with a passion for researching myths and legends. By the time we were sixteen, her father vanished during an expedition.
"If there is a war, you can be damn sure I'll continue fighting for what I believe in," I said without conviction. "I know you don't understand it, and I know you were raised to always be loyal to your alpha, but sometimes there are things far more important than loyalty. What Pierce is doing is wrong, and I know you know, in your heart, that you agree with me."
It was hard to get a read on Byron's emotions. I thought my words would fall on deaf ears, but judging from the flickering movement of his eyes, he may have been processing it in his mind, letting the gears turn until he came up with his own solution. With Sabina gone, I felt Byron would be my only hope for escape; if I could convince him to turn on Pierce. We were comrades. He knew that I would make a better alpha than Pierce, and I wanted to finally prove it to myself that I could do what's right for the good of my pack, and my family. I could only hope Byron would find it in himself to do the same thing before it was too late.
BYRON
Sometimes there are things far more important than loyalty. What Pierce is doing is wrong, and I know you know, in your heart, that you agree with me.
Joaquin's words repeated in a loop in my head while I worked with the remaining betas on their training. I was taught to believe that loyalty to your alpha would never leave you astray. That an alpha would know what to do for the sake of their pack. Pierce always mentioned how he wanted to be strong so nobody would dare challenge the pack. That nobody would fear our lands being taken away by an enemy pack. He seemed so passionate about wanting power for the sake of our pack's safety. Was that wrong of him?
No, it wasn't the notion of being strong enough to protect our pack and our land that was wrong. It was how he was wanting to obtain the power that was wrong. He kidnapped Rosie's grandmother. He was barely keeping Joaquin alive and using him as bait to lure Rosie into a trap. He was forcing Joaquin to inhale so much poison and silver burns that I was afraid of long-lasting effects. These methods were ruthless. Inhumane.
Joaquin was right, I knew in my heart that what Pierce was doing was wrong, but what could I do? Maybe I could reason with him? Make him understand that there were better ways of obtaining strength that didn't involve endangering the lives of many. If he truly was concerned about the safety of the pack, then I would do everything in my power to help him protect our home. That was never an issue.
After a grueling two hours of going through combat training with the betas, I sent them off to return to their duties. All of them scattered except for Whitney, who wiped her face with her towel and took a swig from her bottled water.
"How long to do you think it'll be before Pierce's Latin bitch comes back with her tail between her legs for our prisoner?" she asked me.
I shrugged. "Not sure. She won't be able to stay away for long since they've already claimed each other."
Whitney snorted at that. "Looking forward to it. I hope Pierce will let me gut her this time."
"You know he won't," I said. "She's still—"
"His fated mate," Whitney mocked-finished my sentence, then let out a growl. "If I have to hear that bullshit statement one more time—"
"It's not bullshit if it's true." I was already beginning to feel a headache coming on. Whitney's obsession for Pierce and obvious hatred for Rosie was getting old. She may be a good lay for Pierce, but she'd never be more than that to him. She didn't have anything to truly offer Pierce for him to consider the possibility of claiming Whitney as pack omega. She wasn't loved by the pack, she never offered support to others, and she never contributed to the safety or training of the pack. She simply followed orders, whether out in the field or in the bedroom.
"What's so special about this Rosie, anyway?" Whitney asked. "I don't get it. She was here for two weeks and managed to worm her way into Pierce, Joaquin, and the twins' attention."
"Joaquin and the twins love her." I may not have approved their relationship, but I wasn't blind to their feelings. They did love her; I could see that. Joaquin was literally dying in order to keep her safe. "As for Pierce, she's fated to him."
"But she rejected him, and Pierce won't let it go."
"Because she has something Pierce wants."
"Which is?" Whitney asked.
