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Sabina emphasized elsewhere with an air of mystery behind it. I furrowed my brow in confusion. “Where?” I asked.
“Can’t say,” she retorted. “But what about you, Byron? When this results in an all-out war, and trust me when I say it will, whose side will you be on?”
It was on the tip of my tongue to say Pierce. Mother Moon knew it would’ve been the right thing to say... right? But it was Mother Moon’s power that granted Rosie her immunity. It was Mother Moon’s power that Pierce was desperate to claim. Was it right for him to obtain it, or was it right for Rosie to stay away from him? I wasn’t sure anymore.
Something else Sabina said came back to me, and I latched on to that instead. “Wait, what do you mean by an all-out war? How do you know this?”
Sabina chuckled with an impish grin plastered to her face. “You’d be surprised by how much I know, Byron.”
“Why are you being so cryptic?” I asked. “And what is this path of yours? Where do you need to go?”
Sabina’s only response was to wink at me before pulling herself off the wall she was leaning against and headed for the front door.
“Wait!” I called out to her, jogging down the stairs to stop her. “You know you can’t leave the pack lands without Pierce’s permission. If he finds out you took off and he goes after you, I won’t be able to stop him.”
Sabina rested a hand on the doorknob then turned her head to face me. “If I were you, I’d worry less about what I’m doing and figure out what you’ll be doing. Think of it this way, Byron, the choices you make can help decide whether Rosie succeeds, or if Pierce gets what he wants.”
“What are you talking about? What are you trying to tell me?” I was so confused. How could my choice be a deciding factor? How did that make any sense? How would Sabina even know something like that? She was talking as if the future opened to her and revealed all events that have yet to come to fruition. Was that what was happening? Was Sabina some kind of psychic who saw what would transpire from all this?
I started to think about what all I knew about Sabina, which I now realized wasn’t a lot. She and I weren’t close. I knew she and Joaquin grew up together, but I worked with him more than her. Was there some big secret about her that I never knew about?
Sabina sighed heavily. “Look, there isn’t a whole lot I can talk to you about, nor do I have the time to explain everything. I have a long trip ahead of me. What I can say is this; pick a side, Byron. For your sake and for the pack’s. It’s important. If Carly was still alive, what would she say to you?”
Hearing my deceased wife’s name felt like a high-pitched ringing in my ear. Why was everyone bringing up my fallen mate all of a sudden? As if the pain of her absence wasn’t present in my subconscious whether asleep or awake. The constant dread over what could’ve been. Never being able to see her beautiful face again. Never getting to watch my son being born. Never getting the chance to hold either of them. The entire future was ripped to shreds by an angry, jealous wolf shifter.
It took me a moment to realize that I hadn’t said anything. My heart was pounding out of my chest, and my breathing was shaky. The somber look on Sabina’s face told me she knew where my mind wandered. I almost forgot what she asked me, but then it came back. What would Carly say to me?
“Think about it, and look after Joaquin for me,” Sabina said before opening the door and walking out, leaving me standing there dumbfounded, confused, and shaken up.
ROSIE
They said life was about the choices we make; that our decisions could alter the course of our path. As I sat in the bed of the truck huddled between one of my mates and my older brother, I began questioning whether or not the choices I made were the right ones. It was easy to say no to being the fated mate of someone who didn't even see me as a mate. Pierce didn't want me in a romantic way, all he cared about was what was buried inside me. A special gift bestowed on me since birth by Mother Moon.
An old fairytale told to young pups about the Wolf Moon turned out to be real—a special power that could forge the strongest wolf pack in a generation. The same gift that also granted me immunity to all forms of influences, including Fate's. We were barely able to scratch the surface of the mystery surrounding this gift. We still didn't know what it was exactly, or how it was supposed to birth the strongest pack. All I knew was whatever it was, it couldn't go to someone like Pierce.
I didn't heed his warning. I defied Fate and rejected him as a mate. I may have escaped his clutches for the time being, but the price I paid was having me second guess myself. How could I feel like I did the right thing when I ended up having to leave two people I loved behind?
Grandma. Joaquin. I hope you guys are okay.
Kai and Javier didn't bother trying to talk to me since leaving Kingsrose, and I was grateful for that. Silence was my security blanket, the only thing keeping me sane. My emotions were a tornado in my brain; chaotic and destructive. I was heartbroken for the loved ones I had to leave behind. Pissed that they weren't with us. Driven to get them back and hungry for vengeance.
We were on the road for over an hour, the sky was still darkened by night. The stars glittering above like an ocean of diamonds. Kai had already fallen asleep, his head resting on my shoulder and both arms looped around my left one. Javier had his eyes wandering about, mainly to the two vehicles tailing behind us. Del rode her motorcycle while the truck behind her was occupied by her four remaining mates.
"We should probably take a rest stop soon. I think we're far enough away from Kingsrose that we don't have to worry about anyone following us," I said, unable to take the silence any longer. I'd been dwelling in my own pity party long enough.
"Agreed. We'll stop at the closest gas station, then figure out where to set up camp for the night." Javier slammed his palm on the roof of the truck to get Kao's attention. When my mate behind the wheel rolled down his window, Javier relayed the plan to him. We were on a nearly deserted road for another five minutes before spotting a Shell station to our left. All three vehicles parked in front of the lit building. Thankfully, ours were the only ones on the lot.
"Kai. Honey, wake up." I gently nudged my mate awake.
Kai let out a groan before opening his eyes and setting his bronze-colored gaze on me. "Rosie? Where are we?"
"We're stopping for now. I figured you'd need to stretch your legs."
Kao and Javier had already hopped out of the truck, and I could hear the cacophony of voices huddled around Del. As Kai stretched his arms, I stood and was getting ready to jump out of the truck.
"Here, Rose, let me help you," a familiar voice rang. I looked over to the side to see a man with thick, black-rimmed glasses and long fiery red hair pulled back into a ponytail holding out his hands to me.
Raphael, one of Del's mates and former pack member of mine.
