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‘My friends… the other girls that were taken from my parent’s pack. I knew they were disappearing, but I had no idea this was happening. We need to go back for the ones that are left.’
‘We will. Do you know which of them turns of age next? We can focus our efforts on tracking her. We hadn’t been able to figure out where he was getting the she-wolves.’
‘Yes, I think it was Ruby. Next month, since Maya was next, but she’s safe.’
‘We will need you and Maya to work with a friend to get a composite of her together. Will you be able to do that?’
‘I think so. Markus?’
‘Yes?’
‘Do we have to tell Maya who I am? She will be mad. I lied to her. She’s the closest thing I’ve had to a best friend.'
‘I don’t think we should hide who you are anymore, love. You are safe. I won’t let anything happen to you. I will let you tell her on your terms, though.’
‘Will she think I failed her?’I asked, voicing the one question I always asked myself when I was in the deepest holes of despair all these years.
‘Fail her? How could you possibly fail her?’he asked with genuine confusion.
‘I am the alpha’s daughter. They were still my people, and I let the Alpha do this to them?’Markus let out a low growl. We were headed towards the rooms now, but everyone stopped and looked our way.
“Will you all please wait out here for a moment? I need a moment alone with my mate,” He said as he opened the door to his room.
Markus
IlaidCelestegentlyon my bed, placing my finger and thumb on her chin, and gently made her meet my eyes. I could see the deep sorrow she felt for what was happening to her people and that she really believed she had failed them. I understood then what Maya said. Celeste took the beating Sandra was going to give both of them. She took beatings from the ranked members in Blood Moon in order to feed the other girls. Despite being starved, beaten and in hiding, my little Tuli did everything within her limited power to protect her people. In that instant, I realized there was nothing I wouldn’t do for her.
I looked at her in a new light. For someone who seemed so fragile to me, when she told the room who she was, I felt her aura snap into place. It was almost like her aura also hid in order to protect her.
I was still young when it happened. My father was outraged and demanded the council investigate, but they said there was no way to disprove Alpha Geoff's story when there were no survivors. Dad was old friends with Alpha Cory and Luna Bella. I never met them myself because they mostly kept to themselves, but I knew their territory was only a half-hour drive from the southern end of ours, divided from us by the river. As far as I knew, it was still abandoned and untouched.
“You were eight when your parents were killed. Then, you were starved, beaten and practically enslaved. You put yourself in danger over and over to protect them. You have failed no one. You are one of the bravest warriors I ever met, and I could not be more proud to call you my mate,” I said, showing her with my eyes all the words I could not say out loud just yet. I watched her eyes scanning my face in amazement and gratitude. Then she hugged me, and I was happy to know my words helped her.
“Markus?” I heard her say a brief moment later.
“Yes, my little Tuli.” I felt her nose scrunch against my chest as she wondered what it meant, but I smiled, knowing that was a conversation for later.
“What’s your dad’s name?” she asked, surprising me.
“What?”
“You never introduced us. They have been waiting for us outside. Maybe we should bring them in?” she replied, blushing again. I laughed at her reaction and kissed her hair.
‘Come on in,’I mind-linked to my father.
The door opened, and my father, his mate and my beta shuffled in. I went to the other side of the bed and pulled Celeste against my chest so we were both facing the crowd.
“Dad, Marie, allow me to introduce you properly. This is Celeste Dellarosa, my mate.” I grinned like an idiot child.
“Celeste, this is Alexander Salonen, my dad, and his mate, Marie.” Celeste tried to get off the bed, but I held her firmly against my chest. I could still feel her exhaustion and headache emanating from her.
“It’s very nice to meet you,” she said shyly when she gave up trying to stand.
‘It’s rude not to shake hands,’she chided me. I chuckled through our mind-link, pleased that she initiated the dialog this time and trusted me enough to show her displeasure without fearing consequences.
‘I think he will survive,’I assured her smugly, and she gave me a light growl with no heat behind it.
“I am very happy to meet you, Celeste. My boy lost all faith in the mate bond a few years ago. I'm happy to see you’ve changed his mind so quickly.” Celeste blushed adorably while I tried to glare at my dad for ratting me out, and I doubted it came out as a glare when I was still smiling from ear to ear.
