"So, this is it." I completed the whole story from the meeting, the threat, the Oracle, and of course, the attack, covering every single detail. I drank the water from the bottle and looked at the expressions of the people sitting in front of me. My mother and beta John were looking deep in thought. August was silent during the whole meeting, and I was getting anxious by looking at him.
"What has he done to you?" he finally spoke, his voice so cold it could cut through the ice. His eyes turned evil red. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I don't want to tell him about Reed and my relationship, but he won't be convinced about me going to their home.
"It's past and buried." His eyes turned redder if possible. By now, I can say he could change any second into his wolf. I quickly signaled Mom to handle him. Our mom was the only one who could take us.
"Listen, we don't need his help. Send him to his fucking pack before I behead him with my bare claws," August spoke, his claws lengthened as if in agreement.
"August Benjamin Rockwood." My mother said his full name. He stopped thrashing and stood silently. Our mother only addressed us by our full name when she's angry and when she is angry...no one wanted to mess with her.
"He helped your sister and protected her; he had the knowledge to deal with this voodoo stuff. Now, I will only repeat myself once. You will not do something stupid until this whole mess sort out. Am I clear to you?" my mother asked him, looking him straight in his eyes. August was at least a foot taller than her, and the sight of a shorter woman dominating and ordering a man like him brought a smile to my lips.
A knock interrupted our conversation. We already knew who was behind the door. The room suddenly had pin-drop silence. The door opened with a creaking noise only to reveal my mate.
His eyes instantly fell on me, followed by a growl from August. He sprinted towards his direction and stood in front of him. None of them broke eye contact. The surroundings were already charged with electricity.
"Stay away from my sister. Trust me. It isn't a warning." With that, August left the room and closed the door with such full force that the door almost broke from its joint.
Reed looked as if he didn't care about the recent threat and continued walking inside the room. He sat beside me and examined the stuff on the table.
I cleared my throat and tried to change the topic. "As we know, the witches are going to attack us on the blood moon." The blood moon was the time during which we she-wolves experienced our heats and are most vulnerable. The pain sometimes is so unbearable that some of us tried to kill ourselves to stop the pain. A heat is most painful for the unmated she-wolves.
Clearly, the witches were wicked enough to attack us during this time.
"We have three days to prepare ourselves, prepare ourselves for the war. I have already talked to other packs, and they are on their way, but they won't be here till the blood moon. So, we are by ourselves."
Reed held my hand and motioned me to sit down.
"The witches will never fight one-on-one. They will attack us when they think we are weak." He looked at me. "They don’t want Esma; they want me. They want their revenge on me."
All of us looked at him with bewilderment. He stared at the table to avoid eye contact and continued.
"A long time ago, I made a deal with the witch named Hecate. She was the head of her coven; you probably know by now it was none other than the Oracle. I was naïve and stupid to think that they would help me. I trusted them and made a deal," he said and balled up his fists. His knuckles turned white.
"Hecate was pure evil. She thought of herself as some kind of goddess. They are hungry for power. They tricked me, and when I knew that, it was already too late, so I ran and didn't complete my part of the deal."
"Can you please elaborate on what kind of deal you made with her? And what task you were assigned?" Beta John said this time. He was in his late forties and a very trustworthy man of my father. He was like a father figure to me.
Reed looked hesitant before looking at him. "It's none of your business. It is the past, a past old and buried for good," Reed said, making himself clear he didn't want to talk about it, and left the room immediately.
"He is very hotheaded," my mother remarked.
"He sure is. The meeting is adjourned for now. John, please look out for August. I don't want him to do something stupid. Especially when the witches are breathing down our necks," I said and gathered my stuff.
"Yes, Dumeny, I know. I have already tightened the security on the borders." Dumeny had been talking my head off as soon as he got the news that the witches were going to attack my pack. He was like an angel in disguise.
I walked to my room but instead found myself standing in front of the adjacent room. I lifted my hand to knock, but before I touched it, the door opened on its own.
Reed stood before me, half-naked in a towel. His hair was wet. My eyes traced the tiny droplets of water from his hair to his chest and finally making their way to... I gulped audibly. His musky scent hit my nose, and for some reason, I wanted to inhale his hair to know his shampoo's brand.
"Sorry, I didn't know you were busy," I trailed and found myself soon looking at his well-sculptured abs and his v-line.
He gave me the way to his room. I entered and looked at the opened door of his bathroom; soon his images of taking a shower naked popped inside my head, and I knew by now, I was sure my cheeks turned red. He wore his shirt, much to my dislike, and took his pants and looked at me awkwardly. The previous episode of blushing I had returned quickly. I turned my back and bit my lip. He was intimidating.
"You can now turn, and please stop biting your lip," he said, his voice sounding troubled.
He was now looking more handsome; I had never seen him in jeans, and the denim suited him. He was looking more handsome and younger. August's clothes fit him. I smiled, thinking of August finding Reed in his clothes.
"Do I amuse you?" he asked, and his lips twitched. He wasn't serious and grumpy. He sat on the sofa and motioned me to sit. I wanted to know what kind of deal he made with Hecate. Why did he make a deal with the witches?
"You asked for the blade." I voiced my thoughts. He looked surprised for a second but soon recovered. He nodded after a momentary silence.
"Why? Why had you wanted to kill your alpha?" Alpha Andrew was a kind man. I had seen him at parties when I was a child.
He stared at me for a full minute before he stood from his sofa and walked to the balcony. I followed him and stood beside him. He looked deep in thought but didn't say a word. Maybe he didn't want to talk about his past. Maybe I crossed the line. Or maybe he didn't trust me. I pursed my lips and started walking back to my room.
Before I would have left his room, I heard his voice, his voice broken and raw with emotion.
"Because he killed my mother."