Chapter Seventy Five

I took a shuddering breath and stepped away from Catherine as though I’d been scorched, and perhaps I had been.

Heat bubbled in and out of me, my temperature rose instantly and I felt my throat burn from pain and betrayal. I was evidently trembling as I gaped at my sister; stared at the stranger who stared back at me.

She was sobbing. “I don't know how it happened, what I was thinking and now I think I've even made a bigger mistake.”

I couldn't get a word out —there was more?

“I was scared for Theo and I let it slip that you were planning an attack.” She shook her head. “I know I shouldn't have but I was terrified out of my senses, I thought if your army came across him they'd kill him too and you wouldn't stop them, not after all he’s done to you, to us.”

Fear and anguish slammed into me at once. My mouth dried up and I felt my dinner rise up to the back of my throat, it felt like I was being strangled. My body in itself felt like a mangled piece of work.

Shouts came from outside, a ruckus that I knew to recognize well. It was one of terror, the complete horrifying terror that could only come from one thing;

An attack.

“What have you done?” I asked my sister.

****

Blood thrummed in my veins as I hurried along the hallway before making a turn and running down the stairs headed to the drawing room. The manor was awake, servants bristled about, dread thick in the air. Bodies moved disorderly in different directions, their cries and confusion evident.

A servant bowed in front of me. “Luna, please tell us, what has happened?”

I walked past him. “Get everyone to calm down, the Alpha shall address you soon.”

I pushed open the door to the drawing room and stepped in, Nikolai came in after me almost immediately.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his gaze intently on me.

I nodded before turning to the group that had been waiting for us; my mother, sisters, Luther, Callan, and the Beta of the Night Blood pack.

“We have just received news from the border,” the Beta said. “The town is under attack and the enemies army is quickly approaching.“

“Who is it?” Callan asked quietly.

“Silviu Alden of the Mystic Hollow pack, he is being accomapnied by Jeremy of Icepelt pack. The young warrior who’d sighted them informed me that they have an army of five packs.”

That was more than what we had, more than what we’d thought they had.

“He knew,” Luther said. “Someone had tipped Silviu off.”

I said nothing, my legs felt wobbly and it felt like any minute now I would collapse. I couldn’t tell them what Catherine had done, I found it hard to believe it myself. She had single-handedly ruined our plans and plunged all of us into jeopardy. She’d forsaken our safety without a single care in the world. How could I admit that to them?

I should never have trusted her. Nikolai had suggested she was the one who killed Gregory and I hadn't believed, if I had… If only I had allowed myself to grow suspicious of her even slightly we wouldn't be in this mess, I should have known she wasn't to be trusted.

This was my fault. How could I have been so stupid and trusting?

Luther turned to me. “You aren't saying anything, Natalie.”

I remained quiet and somehow that drew more attention to me.

Nikolai tried. “Natalie…”

“You knew,” Luther accused.

“You knew who killed Gregory and you never said a word!” I retorted.

Luther’s face went blank. “That was obvious, Augustine did, right?”

I cleared my throat. “That is not what matters now, we should think of how to fight back. We have a—”

Marilyn interrupted. “It was Kate, wasn't it? She doubled-crossed us.”

My heart exploded, pain seized my chest and my vision began to blur. How could this have happened? This should never have.

What could we do now? What more was left to be done?

'Fight back!' my wolf screamed at me, begging me to snap out of this but I was tired, weak. I was exhausted and my brain refused to function properly. I couldn't get past what had happened.

Silviu. Silviu. Silviu.

The room felt stuffy. I felt as though I was being pushed against a wall, sweat trickled down my chin, and my breathing became shallow.

Voices called out to me, all at once.

“No, she wouldn't. Right, Natalie?” Sophie asked.

“Speak to us, Natalie.” Callan.

“Luna?” The Beta.

“Natalie, tell me Marilyn is lying, please.” My mother.

“Natalie, talk to me.” Nikolai.

My eyes found my mate’s and he understood. Nikolai pulled me into his chest and I began to sob. He turned us away from the group, his back to them. “Sshh, it's okay, it's fine. I'm here.”

“It's all my fault, isn't it? We are ruined now, it's over.”

“No, it’s not.“ His chest vibrated when he spoke, his voice was deep and soothing. “You did nothing wrong, darling. You were perfect and you did your best. Don't give up now, we can do this. I promise you.”

I looked up at him, scared witless. The racket outside was rising by the second. “You promise?”

He nodded. “I do.”

He wiped my face gently before bringing down his face so his lips met mine in a soft kiss.

We returned our attention to the group and I noticed Luther’s eyes linger a little too much on my face before he looked away.

“We are at an obvious disadvantage here. Yes, Kate had let slip our plans and given Silviu ample time to turn the tables against us, we are also very ill-prepared considering we simply have two-pack armies here but we wouldn't concede,” Nikolai said as he took his position at the head of the room addressing everyone.

“Mathew,” he referred to his Beta. “Go along with Luther and get our army together, we have very little time now and our town is under attack. We know Silviu’s target but our people need to be secured as well. We’ll meet you in a few minutes.”

Mathew bowed and hurried along behind Luther who’d already sprinted out of the room barely allowing Nikolai to finish, he had a look of determination on and I admired it. I admired how he was always ready to go to war to protect people. It was what he’d been sworn to and he always did it without hesitation whenever the situation arose.

“Is there anywhere safe where we can keep the women and children?” Callan asked, stepping forward. He glanced at Sophia and I saw a glimpse of raw anguish in his eyes in those few seconds their gaze met.

“There is an underground vault for situations like this,” Nikolai said. “I'll get someone to lead them to it.”

The door pushed open slightly and a mass of dark-colored hair stuck in. “Mom?” Lyle asked, his voice trembling.

I reached out to him immediately and pulled him into my arms.

“What's happening?” he asked.

“It's okay, everything is fine.”

The Beta’s mate, Felicity, came in after him. “Alpha, Luna.” She bowed. “I found him roaming the halls calling for you.”

“I was scared,” Lyle explained. “There is so much noise.”

Nikolai’s hand rested on his shoulder. “Don’t be, no one can hurt you.”

I looked up and Nikolai’s eyes met mine. “Not as long as we live,” I said through the bond.

I got up. “Sophia, get the baby, we need to get everyone moving now. Meet in front of the library as soon as you can.”

“I'll come with you,” my mother said to Sophia and went along with her.

“What can I do?” Marilyn asked.

“You’ll take care of him in the vault,” I said, squeezing Lyle’s hand.

Nikolai turned to Felicity. “Get your child and head to the library to wait for Sophia before heading to the vault. Go with Marilyn and Lyle, I'll meet you there.”

He stepped out of the room and I faced Marilyn. “Don't worry, okay?”

“I am not, not for myself at least,” she said. “How about you? Will you be fine?”

My throat tightened. “Take care of him, will you?”

She nodded and took Lyle’s hand and they headed toward the door. Marilyn held the handle and turned to me. “Come back alive.” She swallowed. “Please.”

I shut my eyes and released a breath I didn't know I’d been holding when they left just as I felt Callan move closer to me. “You can do this, we all can.”

I opened my eyes. “Even with the obvious disadvantage?”

His eyes were an orb of steel. “He is going to be facing the rage of three Alphas. You are one of the strongest I know, Silviu should be worried.”

I nodded and my lips pulled into a small smile. “He should be.”

The noise rose right before an explosive sound rang out, one that flung me across the room. My body slammed against the wall and I felt my head split from the searing pain. Blood trickled down my neck and my heart sank into my stomach.

This was it. They were here.