Chapter 55: Chapter Fifty-Five

Sullen

Sullen ran because Roan wanted her to, not because she thought leaving him there with her deranged ex was a good idea.

But Roan would know Ridge better than she would, apparently.

She vaguely remembered Roan mentioning a brother when she snooped in his room that day, but he mentioned nothing else about it.

Obviously, they weren’t close.

Especially since Ridge wanted to kill Roan for some reason. For some power-hungry reason, it seemed.

Sullen swallowed the vomit lodged in her throat, and ran as fast as she could toward the woods, hoping to make it to the pack house.

There was a full-blown war taking place around them. Rogues and pack members were tearing each other to pieces.

Sullen stopped to shift, her wolf full of pent-up anger from finding out the truth. For being trapped in a war that was stupid, and selfish. Ridge had missed his calling, for sure.

He'd fooled her completely. If Ridge made it out alive she’d suggest acting school, since being an alpha was definitely not for him.

Sullen’s wolf dodged overturned trees and raced past wolves in the midst of fighting. The hair on the back of her neck stood up as she heard teeth gnashing.

Her first thought was to fight, but she wanted to check on her mother. See if Kevin knew anything about Ridge and his plan for world domination.

Sullen made it to their house and shifted on the porch.

The house seemed empty, but when she made it to the kitchen she saw her mother worriedly pacing the floor. Her tear-filled eyes turned to Sullen. “Oh, thank God, you’re okay,” she said, running toward her.

“Where is Kevin?” Sullen asked, patting her mother's back.

She waved her hand into the air. “Since your father showed up he’s been missing. I texted Roan about it.,”

“Roan is busy, mother,” she said. “Do you have any idea where Kevin is or where he would have gone? Or has he mentioned anything about his other son, Ridge?”

She nibbled on her bottom lip and jumped when a wolf cried in the distance. “Maybe a little, that he abandoned the pack, or left. What is going on? The rogues showed up, I assume?”

Sullen closed her eyes. “We need help. Where is Dad?”

“I haven’t seen him,” she said, turning her nose up. “I let him have it, and I haven’t been back. The bastard put both of us through all of that, and shows back up when I find a new lover...”

Sullen turned and left her mother in the kitchen. She raced from the house, trying to pick up her father’s scent. Surely he didn’t stay in his room when the fight broke out. The guards would have let him out, wouldn’t they?”

Sullen raced into the quiet pack house and toward her father’s room. She opened the door and saw him pacing the room in a similar manner as her mother. “You’re still here?”

“I was given strict orders not to leave this room,” he grumbled. “Is he here? The rogue in charge?"

Sullen nodded. “Yeah, he’s Roan’s brother apparently. My ex-boyfriend.”

Her dad looked confused for a few seconds.

“He hid his scent. I thought he was a human the entire time. Anyway. I need to know how to take them down. What advice can you give me?”

He laughed deeply. “Fight them tooth and nail?” he suggested. “There isn’t a magical way to beat them. They have the numbers. We have to fight, and outsmart them somehow.”

Sullen opened the door to the bedroom. “As Luna, I’m giving you permission to leave this room, and help me save this pack.”

Her father walked closer and cupped her face with his palm. “I’ve missed you, Sullen. I’m sorry I left.”

Sullen wanted to believe him, but she wasn’t sure just yet. She’d get a truer understanding of him during the fight.

She opened the door more with her toe and gestured for him to go ahead. He seemed confident enough to walk outside blindly.

Several wolves were fighting in a nearby field, and the sounds of the others were closing in. “Where are Roan and Ridge?” her father asked.

“By this waterfall in the woods. Are you going to them?”

He shook his head. “You are. I want you to watch them, make sure none of the rogues jump Roan. They are known for fighting unfairly to win. If you see rogues making their way toward them, mind-link me. Let’s see if we can still do that. It’s been a long time.”

“Ridge did something to me so I can’t mind link. I tried with Roan, and it wouldn’t work.”

Her dad frowned and touched her forehead. “The boy seems knowledgeable in magic, doesn’t he?”

She nodded. “What are we going to do?”

“You go,” he said. “Go help him if he needs it, and I’ll be there after I make a quick round of the grounds.”

Sullen nodded. She raced toward the field, shifted, and followed the path she’d taken. Wolves howled and fought in the near distance. Her wolf begged to join in, but Sullen had tunnel vision.

She couldn’t let them jump Roan. The thought made her wolf’s heart hurt. Roan was her other half, and it would kill her if he died. It made her run faster, harder, toward the waterfall.

She made it halfway when she smelled a scent too familiar.

Natalie. She was surrounded by two wolves, one she knew too well, and another was a rogue.

Whitney snapped at Natalie’s foot, drawing blood, and forcing her wolf to whimper. Sullen could have guessed Whitney would ditch the pack to survive. 'Coward' should be imprinted onto her forehead.

Sullen leaped forward and knocked Whitney onto her back. She sensed Natalie fighting the other rogue, while Sullen stared into the eyes of Whitney as she grew more afraid. Sullen's wolf loved it. Sullen snapped at Whitney’s neck, and slowly stepped off of her, giving Whitney a chance to defend herself. But it didn’t happen. She bent down in a submissive way and bowed her head.

Sullen wasn’t sure she could trust it. All it would take would be for Sullen’s guard to lower, and Whitney would attack.

Sullen didn’t get the chance to judge the situation.

Natalie chased off the rogue, lunged forward, and snapped Whitney’s neck with one solid move.

Sullen stared at Whitney’s lifeless body and attempted to mind-link Natalie with no luck. She pointed her snout toward the waterfall, and Natalie fell into line behind her as they raced toward Roan.

Hopefully, they wouldn’t meet many rogues along the way.