I hummed to myself as I placed the last plate of food on the table.
I turned to the fridge to get out some fruits to cut only to be slammed to it harshly.
I didn't have time to react as whoever was attacking me grabbed me by my hair and slammed my back to the fridge door.
My eyes met those of Uncle Adam's.
His eyes were pitch black and I could see the anger gushing out of them as he held my throat, blocking all air from entering my lungs.
"You, being the former alpha's daughter, will remain a secret unless I say otherwise. Understand?" He growled in my face, low and menacingly. My chest started aching and I struggled for air.
"I don't want the King or the prince, or anyone for that matter to know that you're alive. You're dead, you hear me!" He continued.
"W-why? Afraid I'll take my place as the rightful alpha from you?" I asked as I struggled to breathe. My voice was raspy, and truthfully I didn't know why I was taunting him right now.
He answered my question with a punch in the gut, knocking whichever air I had left out of me.
"Listen here you bitch. You are nothing but a killer, a weak and pathetic slave here in the pack. Do you really think you'll become alpha?" He snarled in my face.
"Th-then what are you af-afraid of?" I asked as he tightened his grip on my air ways. I should really shut up.
Another punch to the gut got me to zip my mouth.
If I wanted, I could easily switch our positions and kick his ass, but I refrained from doing what I had the urge to do.
"That has nothing to do with you. You listen to me and listen carefully. You open your mouth and your little friends will be as good as dead."
My eyes widened at his words. I knew exactly who he meant, and I'd be damned if I let him touch them.
I fake whimpered before nodding.
He dropped me on the floor, and I kept my head lowered so as not to show him my black and angry eyes.
"I want no mistakes." He ordered as he left the kitchen.
'How dare he.' Rose growled inside my head.
'Forget it Rose. He's not worth it. This will be over soon.' I replied back as I got back up on my feet.
I didn't want to cut up fruits anymore, so I just started making coffee as my pack members started filing in, their noses flaring at the smell of food.
I left them to their feast and went to look for Hugh.
As I got closer, I could hear the soft sobs and whimpers of Gabrielle. I picked up speed and in seconds, I was knocking on their door.
"It's me Gabrielle." I spoke to reassure her, not sure if Hugh was there with her.
"Come in April." I heard Hugh say from behind the door.
I slowly opened the door and made my way inside.
Gabrielle was sitting on the bed sobbing uncontrollably while Hugh held her shaking form. He had a pained expression on his face.
"What happened Gabrielle? What's wrong?" I asked softly as I sat next to her on the other side.
"M-my p-pack and family. Th-there was an attack a-and..." She couldn't finish her sentence as a new flood of tears escaped her eyes alongside yet another sob.
"It's okay. You don't have to say anything right now." I cooed as I ran my hand down her brown hair soothingly.
"Get some sleep baby. You're tired." Hugh whispered into her ear.
She was already leaning on him, her head on his chest and her eyes closed. She looked terrible and it seemed that all that crying drained all the energy out of her.
Hugh didn't wait for her to respond as he picked her up bridal style and placed her gently on the bed before pulling the covers over her body.
He kissed her forehead gently before turning to me, telling with his eyes that we'll talk somewhere else.
I nodded my head and started walking out the door with him following behind me.
He shut the door gently so that he wouldn't wake his mate up.
"What's going on Hugh?" I asked once we reached the confides of my room.
He sighed deeply.
"The Silver Stone pack attacked her former pack yesterday." He said.
I gasped.
"What? Why?"
"I don't know for sure." Hugh shook his head. "But it seems that some kids played a prank which angers the alpha. He thought that it was an indirect attack from The WinterHails and attacked in return." He explained.
The WinterHails is the pack which Gabrielle came from. She's the daughter's beta but decided to move here when she met Hugh.
They still visit her family and I've had the honour of meeting them too when they came to visit once.
They were very lovely people, just like Gabrielle is.
"What about the casualties? Any deaths?" I asked, afraid of the answer.
Hugh sighed once again.
"A lot." Was his reply. I growled loudly.
"But April," Hugh called making me look up at him.
"They took her mother, along with many other hostages." He finished with a pained expression. Mrs. Witmer was a mother to him after his own mother's death.
"WHAT?!" I yelled angrily.
She was a mother figure to me as well and anyone that would dare harm her meant that he's stepping on my wrong foot.
I was trying my hardest to control myself for the time being.
"Are they still in war?" I asked.
"Yes. Mr. Witmer won't stop until his mate is back and obviously, the alpha and the whole pack is with him. That of course, and the fact that the Silverstone pack won't stop." Hugh answered.
"I'll deal with them. I promise you Hugh, I'll stop this nonsense and bring Mrs. Witmer and the rest back." I vowed more to myself than to Hugh.
"No April, please. That's a whole pack, you wouldn't stand a chance. It's a whole army!" Hugh pleaded.
"Hugh." I said as I grabbed his shoulders and looked him directly in the eyes. "It looks like you have no faith in me anymore. I don't care if it's a whole army, someone I care about is in danger. I can't just sit here and do nothing."
"April, yo—" Hugh said, but I cut him off.
"Don't Hugh. I'll be fine but I'll need your help for it to work. I can't do it alone." I told him.
He began to protest once more but I didn't give him the chance.
"Are you going to help me? Or will I have to do it on my own?" I asked sternly, leaving no space for arguments.
I heard sigh deeply for the nth time today before nodding.
"Good, now I need you to find me the exact number of warriors sent by the Silverstone pack and what type of weapons do they use. I want you to know the number of hostages and if possible, where they are being kept." I ordered.
"On it." He saluted before turning around to leave. A small smile grazed my lips at his hopeful expression.
I promise you guys, I'll end it.
I started making my way downstairs once again to clean up the breakfast mess that my pack have done.
I cleaned the table and washed the dishes before going about with my other chores.
I didn't miss the death glares that Uncle Adam sends me whenever our eyes make contact. It was his warning to keep my mouth shut.
I tried my best to ignore him though, since I've already decided a long time ago that I won't tell even before he threatened me.
I still have a long way to go before I bring out my true identity. I know that the rest of the pack knows who I truly am but none of them would dare say a word since their Alpha's words are law.
I was bringing the laundry back to their respective owners when I heard two of the pack warriors talking in the kitchen.
The names Silverstone and WinterHails made me stop in my tracks, hide behind a wall and shamelessly listen onto their conversation.
"I heard that this war will raise several others between packs." One of them said.
"But shouldn't the King or the council do something about it?" The other asked.
"They're the weakest of us all, hiding behind their statuses and guards. Do you really think they'll danger their lives and waste their times to stop a war between two packs from one hundred?" The first one replied.
"I guess you're right. They might as well just wipe them off and get it over with." The second stated making Rose growl inside of me in anger.
Was the council really that bad? And the king? Wouldn't he care too?
These thoughts made me wonder about Lucian. He was the prince of werewolves and soon to be King. Was he just like them?
The thought made Rose whimper in my head. She didn't like the idea of her mate being so heartless and cruel.
'We can't be sure though Rose. He might be different.' I reassured her but I was honestly trying to sooth myself more.
She didn't answer me and went to the very back of my mind.
I sighed deeply. I'll stop this war and it wouldn't matter whether the council or the royal family helped.
As the day passed by and the sky was covered with the night's black curtains, I started readying myself to fight and bring back Mrs. Witmer.