Evelyn POV
We need to leave, I need to leave. Being here, being near him is doing things to me. Things I am hating myself for.
Rex is safe and there is no need for us to remain. Reuben is now with Vicky at the pack cells questioning her but I don’t need to wait for him to tell me what happened, what she says has happened. I was there, I lived it. And I won’t be a victim.
Noah also has expectant mothers transferring to our pack in the next few days and he will want to check them in. I had given my word to their alphas that they would be well looked after, one being an alpha’s daughter.
Rex and Elspeth also needed their home, needed normalcy again. Needed their own beds. I was an alpha and needed to return to my pack. Needed time to figure a few things out… The moon goddess keeps changing my path ahead of me.
At first I thought it was to build an alliance against him, but that was easy to do behind an alias. Can I now so openly do it, would Rex ever forgive me when he becomes Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack?
“Noah, it’s time we left. Can you organise all of our warriors to be in the front courtyard and ready to leave in an hour?” I push on the mind-link as I neatly pile the borrowed folded clothes for us four on the bed.
“I can. Are you sure?” His voice sounded hesitant in my mind.
“Very much so!”
It was almost an hour later and I knew I needed to leave soon, hopefully before he returns. I wanted to speak to Cassandra alone, for Noah’s sake. I could hear her in Vicky’s room, changing the bedding.
I look out of the window to see Noah and Donnie organising the warriors, while Rex and Elspeth were safely downstairs packing some snacks for the journey with Candice and Miss Smith. Noah wouldn’t be able to hear our conversation.
Reuben wasn’t back yet from the cells, yet some of his own warriors were congregating in the courtyard talking to mine. The Red Stone warriors conversing with the Silver Moon warriors, I never thought I would see the day.
“Cassandra?” I call out to her when I hear her footsteps on the landing outside the bedroom door.
“Alpha?” She pushes the door open more to find me looking at of the window. “Cassandra, please take a seat.” I gesture for her to sit down and she does, at the end of the bed.
“I wanted to talk to you.”
“There’s really no need Alpha.” Her back stiffens and I can tell that perhaps she is seeing me as her Vicky.
“But there is. I need you to understand that he isn’t rejecting you, on the contrary he is trying to protect you.” I say as I walk over and join her on the edge of the bed. No reminder of status, I need to talk to her woman to woman.
“Protect me?” Her face portrays her puzzlement of my comment.
“Noah is my best friend. He was the only person I had here. I should of sent him home but selfishly as a newly wedded young woman, I wanted him to stay to be my counsel. I was a long way away from my father’s pack. The day we left, we had been accused of all sorts and I needed to get him to safety. He had always been there for me, I needed to be there for him. To get him away from Reuben who thanks to Vicky’s twisted words had already attacked him. I couldn’t abandon him when he wouldn’t abandon me….” I pause when I hear chuckling outside.
“He was there for everything. Their birth, their first nappy, their first bad dream…he is very much their father… but he isn’t their father.” Her head whips to mine, a frown upon her face.
“He can’t not be their father, especially Elspeth, but he also needs you.”
“Reuben is their father?” She asks me, and I can see the relief as her shoulders take on a less tensed frame.
“I’m not ready for everyone to know, so I hope you can keep it to yourself?” She nods understanding that I am entrusting her with my truth.
“He’s a good man Cassandra and if you let him, he’ll love you and cherish you as a mate should be. But he comes with baggage.” I laugh nervously and she chuckles too.
“This is a lot to take in right now. But you would always be welcome at the Silver Moon pack, if you ever decided you wanted to give him a chance.”
She considers me for a moment before placing her hand on mine and giving it a squeeze, “Thank you, I will give it some thought.”
I leave Cassandra upstairs as I walk into the courtyard to rally the troops as it were. Even though Vicky was currently in a cell, I didn’t want to chance it that there wasn’t still a threat out there.
“Donnie, call ahead and inform the border patrol we are returning. Noah, let’s get everyone in the cars and then we can get the kids last. No point getting them to wait out here.”
As Donnie walks away to make the phone call, I take a step close me to Noah. “You need to at least say goodbye to her?” I whisper.
“And you? Don’t you need to say goodbye?” He whispers back at me, with a quirked eyebrow.
What was that supposed to mean?
“I’m guessing he has his block up if he is interrogating Vicky. Why else are his warriors here, spying until we leave, most likely pressing on his mind-link constantly waiting for it to open. Anyway, she’s your mate Noah…”
“What’s this?” Reuben’s voice enters the courtyard as he walks around the side of the alpha house.
Shit!
I turn to him with a polite smile plastered on my face, ignoring the flashback of him pressed up closely to me in his office, or the fact that he looks every mission. inch the sexy alpha on a He was wearing black jeans, a brown leather belt and a plain grey t-shirt.
“We are leaving…”
“Leaving?” He doesn’t stop until he is standing in front of me and Noah.
“Yes I have to return to the pack and we have urgent commitments to prepare for.” That sounded more Alpha like than, we have expecting mothers due any day.
“You’re running away again!” He takes a step closer to me, invading my personal space. Does he do it deliberately, does he know the affect his scent has on me?
Noah clears his throat and takes a step away, standing back to watch closely from the sides. Always my beta.
I groan at his accusation, turning my back on him and walking back to the house. Going to fetch my children. But he doesn’t let me get far, he speeds in front of me, blocking my access to the house.
Annoyed at his behaviour I turn again and walk towards the cars, really not wanting to be close to him. Distance was best for Reuben and I, and very soon we would have miles and miles between us.
“I have responsibilities Reuben, just like you. I would like to request that Cassandra transfers to us, if she wants to. I have given her some time to think.” I stop and turn on the spot. Reuben’s eyes flicker to Noah’s.
“If that is what she wants, then I can arrange that.”
“Thank you.”
I had never known the warriors to be so quiet, they were just all watching our open conversation. He takes steps towards me before he stops right in front of me. I know what he is going to ask.
“I would like…”
“Yes, once they are settled, I will arrange something with you.” Now he knows of their existence, he will want to see them more. I couldn’t deny them that and as long as it was on my pack under my watchful eye, then we can work something out…for them.
“I am sorry for what happened.” He towers over me, placing both hands on my upper arms. Sorry for which part? Sorry for not seeing it at the time or sorry for now knowing the truth too late.
“I need you to know…”
“I’m not doing this Reuben. Not here!” I cut him off and push past him to collect my children from the house.
“Fuck sake Evelyn! I’ve apologised, I’m willing to make an amends. I didn’t know alright? I didn’t know how manipulative and callous she is…” He roars at me in front of his own warriors, his anger getting the better of him.
“So what is it? Huh?” He takes a predatory step towards me. But I’m not some caged frightened animal, I’ll fight back if I have to.
“Make an amends?” I shriek out, my own anger now getting the better of me. No matter what I did it say there, in the out of my stomach like an infestation just waiting to spread.
“You think an apology will just wipe the slate clean? That all those years of pain are just forgotten?”
“Then tell me…” He’s closer to me now and cups his hands around my face.
“Then tell me?” He repeats.
“Don’t touch me!” I growl pushing him off me and releasing my aura. My warriors take a step closer, his own suddenly preparing to counterattack.
“Evelyn…” He cuts off when I slap him around the face. The sound loud for all present to hear. He grabs my wrists. again and I see Noah take a step towards me, waiting for my command.
“What else have I done? You left me? You should have stayed and fought for me?” He growls, letting his own pain out. Is that how he felt? That I should have fought for him? That I should have stayed and been ridiculed every day by her.
“Fight for you?” I try to wriggle my wrists from out of his tight hold but he only pulls me to him, placing them against his chest.
“Tell me?” He commands and I finally give in.
“YOU KILLED MY PARENTS.” I scream in his face before the pain becomes too much and my knees give way. It was as if I was fighting against a force more powerful than me and all my energy had vanished.
I’m kneeling on the ground, as the heavens open. Thick steady rain cascades down, a gift from the Moon Goddess to help hide my tears.
“What?” He gasps, as he helped lower me to my knees.
“You killed her parents!” Noah boldly repeats. I could see his desperation to come to me, to pick me up but my aura was telling him to stay away.
“What are you talking about?”
“The alpha house fire, I started it. I burnt down my family home.”
“Why?” He softly lowers himself onto his knees to be eye level with me. His grip still strong, I think he has forgotten the is holding my wrists.
“You ordered the killing of them and members of the pack.”
“I did no such thing!”
“Reuben, I saw the sword myself…with my own eyes. It had the Red Stone emblem on it. It was impaled into my mother’s chest, through her heart. You killed her because I left you.” I roar with the little energy I have left.
