Chapter 50 Accusations
Chapter 50 Accusations
They packed up quickly and left the hotel. There wasn’t time for Mova to find a new blouse, so Rine gave her his jacket. They didn’t speak on the plane, and the silence stretched thin and brittle.
Cassian’s gaze kept flickering between them like he woild rather be anywhere else. He obviously knew what went down in the hotel room.
“Was it humans?” Rune finally asked.
“Rogues.” Cassian replied.
“How many casualties?”
Cassian’s voice was strained. “We won’t know until we get there. But Leo seemed quite panicked in the phone. He hasn’t handled a situation like this before. We should have been there.” His eyes briefly landed on Nova in accusation.
She swallowed hard and looked away in guilt.
The landing was smooth, but the tension in the ground was not. Patrols met them immediately, theur faces grim. The streets were deserted, everyone still locked in their homes, reeling.
Leo and Maple were waiting at the house. Maple rushed forward and pulled Nova into a tight embrace.
“I’m so glad you’re alright.” Her voice was thick with relief. “No one expected Lucien to pull a stunt like this. How dare he try to abduct you?”
Nova opened her mouth, but she couldn’t bring herself to tell her the truth. Thankfully, Rune intervened before she could say anything.
“Is everyone alright? How many casualties?”
Rune turned to Leo, who looked worse for wear. He had a few scratches and bandages with prominent dark circles under his eyes.
Leo exhaled. “No one died. But a lot of our warriors are severely wounded. They’re in urgent care.” He ran a hand over his face. “The patrol that first sensed the rogues took the worst of it. Before the rest of us could mobilize, some of them had already broken through the defenses. They were heading straight for the pack house. Thankfully, everyone was already in lockdown.”
“But why would rogues attack? They are werewolves too.” Nova asked in concern.
“Precisely why we were so caught off guard. Most rogues live in the cities, away from pack influence, but we all share a common understanding. They don’t do this.” Leo replied grimly.
Maple’s eyes shifted to Rine. “Things woild have been better if you were here. But thank God you went after Nova instead. Everyone was worried.”
Cassian’s voice was quiet. “She didn’t really need saving. She went with Lucien herself.”
The silence that followed was sharp.
Maple’s head turned to Nova, disbelief plain in her face. “What? Tell me that’s not true. What were you thinking?”
Nova let out a breath. “I don’t know. He offered, and I took it. I just needed to get away for a while.” Her voice dropped. “I never expected this to happen.”
A snicker came from the doorway. “Didn’t you now?”
Amberle limped inside, her arm in a sling, her right leg dragging slightly. Her eyes landed on Nova with unmistakable venom.
“Amberle, what happened?” Cassian’s brows furrowed at her state.
“She was one of the people at the frontlines.” Leo answered. A flash of understanding cross everyone’s face.
Amberle ignored them and stood in front of Nova.
“Isn’t it convenient that the day you left, we were attacked?” She said, her voice dropping with accusation.
Nova’s eyes narrowed. “What are you implying?”
“We haven’t had an attack in years. Years.” Amberle stepped even closer. “And today, we did. And conveniently, the Alpha and Beta were both absent.” Her gaze swept the room. “Today was the only day we were defenseless. Because of you. You lured them out.”
Maple stepped forward. “Amberle, enough. Do you hear yourself?”
“I hear myself perfectly.” Amberle’s voice rose. “She’s a mole. She’s working with them. I told you from the very beginning we couldn’t trust her.” Her eyes flicked to Leo and Maple. “Imagine if we hadn’t acted in time. If the rogues had reached the school instead.” Her voice softened, turning cruel. “Imagine what would have happened to the pups. To little Seb.”
At the mention of their son’s name, both Maple and Leo stiffened. A low growl rumbled from Leo’s chest.
But Nova could see doubt creeping into their expressions. Her hand’s curled into a fist.
“I am not working with anyone. That’s a vile accusation. I’ve been in this pack for weeks. How could I have possibly been in contact with rogues?”
“You must have known them before you got here. You came here on purpose, didn’t you?” Amberle’s lips curved.
“I didn’t even know werewolves existed until I crashed into this territory. This is not my fault.”
“It is!”
“Enough!” Rune’s voice cut through the room like a blade. He couldn’t take the arguments anymore. “Nova is not a mole. She is not working with the rogues.”
Amberle’s face crumpled, disbelief warring with hurt. “How can you be so sure? She lured you away on purpose. She left us to die.” Her voice cracked. “Can’t you see what she is?”
“Stop talking,” Rune snapped.
“Why are you refusing to acknowledge the fact that she’s using you?”
“SHUT UP!” Rune’s growl reverberated through the room, and Amberle flinched. Everyone else went rigid. He glared furiously at Amberle. “Get. Out!”
She bit her lip, fighting back tears. After everything she’d done, Rune still chose Nova over her. She couldn’t bear the pain. She turned and stormed out of the house.
The silence that followed was thick, no one was daring to break it.
Cassian finally spoke, his voice measured. “She has a point, though. We might have a mole in the pack.” He turned to Leo. “Did anything seem off about these rogues? What do you think they were after?”
Leo shook his head. “They didn’t seem to be after anything specific. Their movements were erratic and unfocused. It was the only reason we took them down as quickly as we did.” He paused. “We captured one. We were waiting for you to start the interrogation.”
Rune’s jaw tightened. “What were we waiting for? Let’s go.”
“I want to come.” Nova stepped forward. “Everyone thinks I had something to do with this. If being there helps clear my name, I want to be there.”
To her surprise, Rune didn’t refuse. “Come if you want. No one’s stopping you.”
He turned and walked out without looking back. Nova and the others followed.