Chapter 54

Chapter 54
Chapter 54 - Dex. pov.

Pride, that's all I feel right now.
This woman was so nervous, so full of doubt, that I was afraid she'd run away. The last thing I expected was for her to address the pack. And man, I've addressed these people countless times. Give them orders, encourage them. But none of those times comes close to how Lilly talks to them.
Her nerves are slowly but surely easing, but the pack doesn't notice. The way she speaks is anything but nervous. If there were any doubts among the pack members, she dispelled them word by word.
She chooses honesty over fear. And the pack senses that. I see it in the eyes of the pack members closest to us; they see the same thing I do. Lilly is a natural-born Luna. I see it in Ronan and Reece's eyes. Proud of their Luna. MY Luna. 
When she's finished, she looks at me expectantly. I see the unspoken question in her eyes. "Was I good enough?" I nod approvingly, and she gives me a quick smile, her relief palpable.

I briefly tell them what to expect. They'll have to wait a bit longer for further orders, as we haven't had time to discuss everything thoroughly yet.
"Everyone will receive their orders soon. Until then, keep your eyes and ears open. Meeting dismissed." I closed the meeting.
I can hardly contain myself from letting Lilly know exactly how proud I am of her. My cock twitches at the thought.
I'm guessing Lilly senses my excitement, because she looks away, blushing. "I... I," she stammers. "I have to get Claire." I grab her by the waist before she can walk away. "You were amazing," I tell her, pulling her close. She smiles shyly. "You think? I was so terrified." I smile. "I know. The pack didn't notice," I assure her. "I saw their looks; they already think you're amazing, Luna." She doesn't react and looks away doubtfully. I gently pull her lip from between her teeth. "What's wrong?" At first, she avoids my gaze, but after a few seconds, she sighs and looks at me. "What kind of Luna am I, if the pack is in danger because of me? What if all this could be prevented if I give my father what he wants?"
Just as before, I feel her doubt, her fear, taking hold of her. "By staying here, I'm not only endangering you, but Claire as well. If anything happens to her..." Her voice breaks, and I hug her. "Nothing will happen to her; we'll make sure of that," I reassure her. 
"I know," she says softly. "But still... I'm endangering all of you." Her voice is soft. "No, you won't," I say, somewhat sternly. "But..." she sputters. I step back. "If anyone is to blame, it's me. I chose this for you. And everyone else, too. We choose you." 
My eyes bore into hers. I need to know she understands. That she'll forget the idiotic idea that her leaving would solve anything. I need to know she doesn't blame herself; I can't bear to feel her pain. 
She nods slowly. "Now, go to Claire. I have to make a plan with the men. I'll see you later." I kiss her and playfully squeeze her butt. She giggles but returns my kiss. I have to stop myself from deepening the kiss.
I watch her go, and once she's out of sight, I walk with the others to my office.

"Okay, where are we? What do we know so far?" I ask, looking around the table. Ronan is the first to speak. "The patrol group is aware of the new schedule, and everyone has received a digital photo of Alex." Reece takes over. "Meanwhile, I've informed our contacts in the city. Of course, only what they need to know and who to look out for." I nod approvingly.
This is why I chose them as my Beta and Gamma; they know what I want before I even ask.
"How far do we think Lucy will go?" I ask Bruce more than the others. "I honestly have no idea. She seems blind to the fact that Alex despises our kind and will just as soon get rid of her when he no longer needs her." He answers, but I shake my head. "I don't think so. Lucy's smarter than that," I say thoughtfully. “It's clear that she doesn't give up, no matter the costs.” 
Ronan's face looks doubtful. I can tell by the look on his face that he's having unspoken thoughts. "What are your thoughts?" I ask him point-blank. He glances around the table. "I agree with you that Lucy is too smart not to realize that Alex will try to kill her when he no longer needs her." I gesture for him to continue. 
"And as you said, she doesn't care about the consequences, as long as she gets what she wants." I grow a little impatient. "Get to the point." 
"What are the chances she'll also seek help from another pack? Let's say, the Silverpaw Pack..." My jaw tightens. He has a point, and knowing Alpha Josiah, he'd be more than happy to help. The Silverpaw Pack is the only pack in the area with which we don't have a good relationship. The only time Josiah and I meet is at the big Alpha gatherings every few years. And even then, we avoid each other. And that's just because he can't stand the fact that I told him what I, and the other Alphas, think about the way he runs his pack.
"Do you really think she'd go that far?" Reece asks dubiously. 
"I wouldn't rule it out," I reply reluctantly. "She's no stranger to the other Alphas, and she has the connections." I concede. "Yeah, but Josiah?" Bruce also refuses to admit there's a good chance she'll seek his help. "He's the worst. The most unreliable accomplice there is," Reece points out. 
"Yes, but also her best option. Josiah despises Dex. If there's a way to get to him, in this case by taking out Lilly, he'll do it," Ronan counters. My blood boils just thinking about it.
"Okay. How are we going to find out if she actually did that?" Reece asks, and they look at me expectantly. 
"We don't. If we start asking around, and he finds out, he'll definitely get suspicious. He'll see it as a potential threat and attack. We can't use that right now. For now, we're focusing on Alex," I say. "If we track their movements, we'll find out if she's working with other people."
"Is it clear to everyone what he has to do?" I ask one last time. "Good, now, I have a mate I need to go to," I say when everyone nods, and I stand up.

Thanks to the mate union, I don't have to look for her. I feel that she is close by. I walk straight to our bedroom.
I smile when I find Lilly cuddling with Claire on the bed. Claire seems to be in a deep sleep, and judging by Lilly's eyes, it won't be long before she falls asleep too. "Hey," she says softly as I walk over to her. I kiss her gently. Carefully, I take Claire from her. Her little arms shoot up instinctively, and I stand frozen, praying that she stays asleep. In slow motion, I lay her in her own bed. "What's the plan?" she asks, yawning, as I sit down next to her on the bed. I stroke her hair and cheek. "We'll discuss that tomorrow. Go ahead and sleep." I kiss her forehead, and she grabs my hand. "I have to go quickly, checking in at border control, but then I'll crawl into bed next to you," I whisper before kissing her again. She yawns. "Okay. I can stay awake," she mumbles. I smile, knowing that she will fall asleep within a few seconds as soon as I get up. "It's okay, get some rest."

I had just walked out of the packhouse when I overheard a conversation. I stop. Usually, I pay no attention to conversations between pack members, but this feels different. They are speaking in a hushed tone, as if others shouldn't hear it.
“She spoke well,” one of them says. “I’ll give her that.”
“But she’s human,” the other counters. “And Alex is her brother.”
My jaw locks.
“That doesn’t mean—”
“It means blood ties don’t disappear just because she found a mate. What if he uses her again?”
I don’t step out. I wait for what else is to come.
"I'm telling you..."
That is the moment I reveal myself. "I would choose your next words carefully if I were you." Their eyes widen in shock.
"Alpha," They say simultaneously and look at the ground. One of the two looks nervously at the other. I guess that is the one who spoke well of Lilly. I take a good look at them.
"Alpha, I didn't mean..." the other stammers.
"Shut up. I don't want to hear it." I cut him off. I look at them one by one. "I think I was pretty clear about my expectations regarding my mate. You treat her with respect, and if you can't do that, this isn't the place for you." I assert my Alpha power even more. "Y- Yes, Alpha," is the answer from the first, his gaze still on the ground. "This is your last warning. Now leave." I growl.

They make a quick getaway, and as soon as they are out of sight, I drop my mask.
I was so sure that everyone trusted her... Did I misread the pack so badly?
One thing I know for sure, Lilly can't find out. It will only fuel her doubts.