“Are you okay, Athena?” Andreas asks as he sits next to me on the sofa near the window of the pack house.
“I’m monitoring Cassia,” I say as I watch her and Michael out the window.
Andreas places his hand on my leg. “She’ll be okay. She’s a strong woman.”
“She’s important to me,” I sigh as I turn away from the window and snuggle into Andreas’s chest, wrapping my arms around him. “I’ll do everything in my power to protect her.”
“You can’t protect everyone, baby girl. You have to let people stand on their own two feet,” he says as he rubs my back.
“You don’t understand. She took a chance on me when she asked me to be her Delta, and when she was staying with me at Mom’s, we became really close. I’d do anything for her.”
“And I can tell she’d do the same for you. But you asked her to stay as Luna for a reason. You need to trust that she can protect herself.”
“I know you’re right. I guess it’s just hard to stop being her Delta,” I sigh, breathing in his scent.
I hear the door open, and Cassia comes in and sits on the sofa across from us with Harry and Leah.
“How’d it go?” I ask.
“He just wanted to apologize for everything and asked me if I wanted him to leave the pack.”
“What did you say?”
“I told him he should stay. This is his home. I would feel terrible making him leave it.”
“Do you think he’ll be a problem?” I ask Harry.
“He seemed genuine, Alpha. I asked him what he knew about Damon and his dealing with Costas and the rogue pack. He didn’t seem to know much, just that they used to meet in town at Costas’ strip club, but not why. He said that Damon left him out of a lot of things.”
“And you believe him?” Andreas asks.
“Yes, Alpha.”
“I do, too,” Cassia says. “Damon did a lot of things on his own. I don’t know if it was because he didn’t trust Michael or if he felt he only needed a Beta for more power. Like how he only needed a Luna for more power,” she says, rolling her eyes.
I take a moment to think about it. “I still think we should be careful. I want him monitored, and if he steps a foot out of line, I want to be told straight away.”
“Of course, Alpha,” Harry says.
“Also, I’ll leave it to you to discuss with Noah or Rich if you need anyone else from the Crescent warriors promoted to the Luna Guard.”
“I think we should keep it to the four of us for now, but I’ll discuss Michael and keeping an eye on him with them,” Harry says.
“Of course,” I say with a smile.
“Well, if that’s all, if you all don’t mind, I’d like to spend some time with my mate,” Andreas says, and the others smile and nod.
“Of course, Alpha,” Cassia says with a grin, and they leave the room.
Andreas stands slowly and holds his hand out for me. I take it and stand, and he pulls me in for a gentle kiss. “Let’s go and rest for a while, baby girl,” he says, and we walk outside and down the road to Mom’s house.
#
We both climb into bed, and I gently rest my head on Andreas’s chest. “How are you feeling?” I ask.
“I still feel really weak, but I’m okay,” he sighs. “I missed a lot while I was... gone. Noah caught me up on some of it, but he missed a lot, too, while he was away with Rich.”
I sigh. “So much has happened. It feels like years since that day in the cave.”
“I need you to tell me everything I missed, Athena, so we can start piecing everything together.”
“I wouldn’t even know where to start...”
“Why don’t you start with the day I was taken?”
I sit up and turn around so that I’m sitting cross-legged facing him, and I begin with being followed.
#
“And that brings us to finding you and the others and losing Dad,” I say sadly.
He sits up and hugs me, and I sob softly into his shoulder. “I’m so sorry, baby girl.” He says, pulling back and moving my hair out of my face. “You’ve been through so much. I’m sorry that I couldn’t be there to help you.”
“You need to stop apologizing,” I say with a sniff. “You were kidnapped and tortured, for fuck’s sake. Anything I’ve been through pales in comparison.”
He lies back down and takes my hand in his. “It doesn’t change the fact that it probably all could have been avoided if I hadn’t been such a stubborn ass.”
“We don’t know that,” I say softly, caressing his cheek.
“Noah said that you and Ryna chased someone through the woods after the explosion,” he says, changing the subject. “Do you know who it was?”
“Derek,” I growl.
“What does he look like?”
“Around 6’3, short black hair, brown eyes, medium build. Why?” I ask.
“And this Derek is the one that you were working with? The one that tried to kill you?”
“Yes...” I answer as I start to worry.
“You’re sure it was Derek?”
“I’d know that son of a bitch anywhere.”
Andreas goes quiet, and I can tell he’s wrestling with something.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“I think Derek is the one that was hunting me while I was a rogue,” he whispers.
“What? Are you sure?”
He nods. “It sounds like him. I just never knew his name. He was the one overseeing the questioning the first day I was there, too.”
“So it all comes back to Derek,” I growl. “He has to be high up in this stupid pack. Maybe if we can catch him, we can find out who is behind all of this.”
“He’s too dangerous, Athena. I don’t want you anywhere near him.”
“He’s only a human,” I say, rolling my eyes. “And I’m going to kill that motherfucker for everything he has done to us,” I growl angrily.
“He may be human, but he’s protected. There’s a reason why he keeps getting away, Athena. We need to be careful.”
I close my eyes and take a moment to calm down. “Okay,” I sigh. “But we should try to find out more about him. If we can do that, maybe that will give us an advantage.”
“Where would we start?”
I think for a moment. “Maybe his office in town? We should go to the humans that own the building. Maybe they have some information about him, like his lease agreement.”
“They won’t give that information out to just anyone. Do any of the humans there know about our world?”
“I believe the mayor’s office does. Dad would know,” I say, but then quickly realize what I said, and I cover my face with my hands as I try to hold back the tears.
Andreas rubs my leg. “I’m sorry, baby girl.”
I rub my face in frustration. “Harry might know. Or Michael.”
“We’ll ask them,” he says softly.
“Do you remember anyone else besides Derek and Doctor Shields?” I ask, changing the subject.
“There was Wren and Roy. They are the ones who interrogated us,” he says, looking uncomfortable.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “We don’t have to talk about this if it’s too hard for you.”
I watch him quietly as he stares at the ceiling, and I can hear his heart racing in his chest. I carefully straddle his waist, and I feel sad as I look down at my mate. He’s so thin I can see his ribs, and I have to stop myself from crying. I lean over him to take his hands in mine next to his head. “Look at me,” I whisper.
He looks at me, and my heart breaks at the sad look in his eyes. I lean down and kiss him softly. “You’re safe,” I whisper, looking into his beautiful amber eyes. “You don’t have to talk about what happened. But know that I will kill every single fucker who touched you. You’re safe now, and I will always protect you,” I tell him.
He sits up and hugs me hard, and I wrap my arms around his neck and gently run my fingers through his hair as he quietly sobs into the crook of my neck.
“It’s okay, baby,” I whisper. “I’ve got you. You’re safe,” I repeat over and over.
Eventually, his breathing evens out, and he lies down, pulling me with him so that I’m lying on his chest. I move down slightly, place my ear to his chest, and listen to the soothing rhythm of his heartbeat.
#
“Is it true that you never wanted a mate?” Andreas asks a while later.
I sigh. “My wolf has a big mouth,” I say with a yawn and sit up so I can look him in the eyes.
“Why wouldn’t you want a mate?” he asks, and he seems hurt.
“When I first left my pack to try and find the truth, I had a one-track mind. No matter the cost or how long it took me, I was finding the truth, and I didn’t have time for anything or anyone else. I thought that if I found my mate, it would keep me from my mission, and I wasn’t taking that risk,” I try to explain. “Even the day in Moonstone when Enyo came across your scent, I told her we didn’t have time for a mate.”
“What changed?”
“Everything.” I exhale. “So much was changing all at once. I found out about the chosen and that I was the reason my pack was attacked and my father was killed. But it wasn’t just about me anymore because it also happened to other people. Then Derek tried to run Jason and me off the road, and Catherine tried to kill me...” I trail off.
Andreas reaches up and traces his finger down the scar over my eye. I close my eyes and take a deep breath.
“And then this beautiful white wolf jumped through a two-story window and saved my life,” I say, smiling down at him. “When we spoke on the phone, I could feel the bond pulling me towards you. But when we met, that’s when it all changed for me.”
“So you don’t regret finding me?” He says, holding his breath.
“Never,” I whisper, leaning down to kiss him. I nuzzle his nose with mine and lay back on his chest again. “Try to get some rest,” I say, closing my eyes.