Eric
I had the guys that had been tailing Lilith leave once she got to her mothers. I didn’t think she was facing any threat to her now. I shut down the computer and Noel and I continued with our day. Which honestly was nothing but me pacing around wondering what my mate had been thinking going in there alone. Axel said to me “I have to admit a gun that was kind of brilliant.” Of course it was. No shifter would ever consider using one. It was just something we didn’t do. Humans used them but they didn’t have claws or a bite. Rob had to have never seen it coming.
"Rob did teach her how to win, looks like she did. Imagine if we ever went to war. Her mind would be the way we won.” Axel said to me. He wasn’t wrong about any of it. I just wish she would have told me this was her plan. “I would have tried to stop Kali if I knew.” Axel again spoke. “You can’t think you wouldn’t have tried to stop her, or that you would have gone with her. None of it would have worked if we would have gone. Kali and Lilith knew it.” I knew this all, I knew Rob would be here and so would Bowie if Lilith had not acted I just hated being left out of it all.
Axel asked me something “Is it your ego, that you are struggling with? That a female shifter well half shifter was able to take out the two largest threats to her and this pack. Is it that she with being pregnant, was still able to do the job you think you should have done. Do you think you are upset because she saved herself and others instead of you swooping in and being her savior. Is that really why you are so upset?” I stopped pacing. Axel made a good point. I knew it, it was not about what she did it was that I couldn’t have been the one to rescue her. That I felt bad I didn’t do anything.
Axel spoke again “You did do a lot Eric, you brought her here, gave her a family, confidence, helped her with Kali, you are her rock. I guarantee she has been having a hard time keeping this from you. I know Kali would have. When she got back all she did was talk to me. Her hard shell had vanished being locked up in a cage. I know when she gets back, she will apologize for the secret keeping, and I can see she had a good reason for it. But don’t let that ego hurt you or them. Because believe it or not we have done a lot for them. But neither Kali nor Lilith need us to fight their battles. If they did, they would ask. They are not too proud to not ask for help if they need it.” He was right, I knew he was.
“Besides that, I am worried that Lilith lost herself in the torture. I know she did it, the guys saw her covered in blood.” I told Axel. I had met with them when they got back, and they had a detailed account of the shots her when she left the warehouse the explosion and then my truck that Lilith drove arriving at her mothers. After that they left, on orders to come back home. “So, what if she did? Did Bowie not deserve it? Again, this is an ego thing, I think. You are upset she got her own retribution, and you couldn’t do it for you.” I snarled. “I hate it when you are right.” I told my wolf.
It was dark now and I was wondering where the hell was my mate? I was about to pull up on the computer and see where her tracker was, but I got a mind link. She was close then. “Eric, I will explain everything, but I need you to do some things for me.” I heard Lilith over the bond. “What is going on is everything okay.” Lilith responded. “It is now, please get a room ready one that has a bathroom attached to it.” Why I thought but Lilith spoke down the bond again. “My mom is staying with us; she knows about shifters and no I didn’t tell her she already knew. So, you don’t have to worry about hiding anything from her. I will fill you in. Also, we need to get a drone over to the Draco Pack I have information, I do not think my father is there, nor do I think he is alive. But I won’t know until it is confirmed. Please ask Roxie to get a drone up, so we can find out.” I didn’t know what to say.
“Can you do that for me?” Lilith asked over the mind link. “Yeah, I will take care of it see you when you get home.” The mind link fell away. Why was her mom coming here? What happened? Maybe I should have kept the guys watching her. I thought she would be fine with the threats gone. I did as she asked though and got a room set up and talked with Roxie who was more than happy to comply. As I walked back it had begun to snow again. I saw headlights of the truck. I stopped walking and waited. She pulled up in front of the packhouse rather than parking in the garage. I mind linked Noel. “Come help out front and then please park my truck.” I knew he was on his way.
I walked out coming around to help Lilith out of the car. I noticed she had some blood on her. That didn’t make sense Marcus said she stripped a through her clothes into the explosion she called. She wouldn’t have this blood on her if she burned the bloody clothes. It was not all over either like what the guys told me. My face scrunched up. “I am fine I just need to get my mom settled.” She spoke. I nodded and she came around and intertwined her arm in her mothers. “What about my bags.” Missy asked. “Eric and I will carry them. You are in no condition to do that.” What the hell she was not in a condition to carry things. She was pregnant. Then I saw her mother.
She looked like she had been beaten within an inch of her life. Just then Noel came out his smile fell off his face seeing Missy. “Noel can you please help Eric carry my mother's things up to?” I looked at her. “The green and cream one.” I told her she knew which room I was talking about and nodded her, and her mother went into the packhouse. Noel turned to me. “What the hell happened to her, and why is she here. She is not a shifter?” I shook my head. “I don’t know, but Lilith said she knows about us, so she brought her here.” He paused. “And the blood I thought she burned her clothes. Also, her face has some blood on it, did she not clean all the blood off after she killed everyone in the warehouse?” I looked at my brother. “I don’t think she just killed them.”
He nodded and we brought the stuff up leaving it outside the door. I mind linked Lilith telling her about the bags and where I was and to find me after she was done with her mother.
Lilith walked into our room where I had been waiting for her. “What happened? Why is she here and the blood?” I asked. “Look I should just start from the beginning.” I listened to her tell me about shooting Rob her plan and how she killed Bowie. She didn’t go into too much deal on that other than he got what he deserved. When she spoke about killing Rob, I could see she was having a hard time, and I came in close and stroked her back. She told me about cleaning up. “Look, Lilith I didn’t set this up, but Noel did I knew what you were doing Noel put trackers on the cars and into your phone. He had Marcus, Tate, and Percy following you. I know about all of that. I didn’t set it up though. I am not mad; I had a little ego trip and was upset but Axel talked me down. But do you have blood on you now if you cleaned up?” I asked.
“Jim, I shot him in the center of his face, not a clean kill like with Rob and the others it was in the center think of nose center and it was messy.” Then she launched into everything she had learned. I was shocked. Her mother knew this whole time. “She was protecting me, this whole time from Jim. He killed some of the Draco wolves. Rob is all over this thing. We won’t find the full truth seeing as he is dead. That is why I asked for you to get a drone over those Draco wolves. I need to see if my mother can identify if any of them are my father.” I nodded. But just all of this was a lot to take in.
“How long is she staying I asked as Lilith made her way to the bathroom. “As long as she wants.” Lilith said and shut the bathroom door, and I heard the water running. Missy knew Jim would kill Lilith if she ran with her. Jim thought it was better for her to suffer feeling unloved. I wondered if there was more to it. Rob had given him the information for Jim to hunt down those wolves, that was obvious. What had been his motivation behind all of this? Was Lilith’s life have any more twists and turns orchestrated by Rob the mad man. I knew we would never know. Rob was dead and so was Jim. Whatever secrets he had died with him.
The real question was Balde still alive? And if he was was Lilith bring him around. No, I wouldn’t let it happen. He had killed to many of this pack. I fucking hoped Jim actually killed him and this insane hunt for him and answers was done with. I hoped we could all move on. Though one nagging question remained. If Blade was dead who was the current Alpha of the Draco wolves? I knew they were out there, giving into their insanity and loving the terror they inflicted upon others. Lilith was right to call for a drone fly over. We needed to know, if Blade was not running things who was.
At least all immediate threats were gone. “I am so fucking tired.” Lilith said as she walked out of the bathroom in a towel. I watched her crawl under the sheets dropping her towel. “No” she said. “What?” I asked. “I know that look, I just want to fucking sleep, okay?” I nodded and I watched as her eyes immediately closed. Not a minute passed, and I saw she was fast asleep. I got up and left the room. I walked down the hall and knocked on Missy’s door she opened it wearing her fleece Pajamas. “Hey, I talked to Lilith. I am glad you are here and safe. I just wanted to ask you not to leave the house until Lilith or I tell you to. We need to tell the pack you are here.” She looked so confused. “Just can you stay inside until we tell you otherwise?” She nodded and I walked off. I needed to fill in Noel and my father since he was still here, thanks to my forgiving kind mate.