Page 44

Just to let you know, I’ve got a few more things to add.
My heart was beating faster as the phone rang. Don’t worry. I felt a bit sick as I held my phone more tightly. I was a bit shaky as I breathed in.
I looked up at the dark sky, which was dotted with twinkling stars. There was a slight breeze, causing a rustle to come from the millions of leaves in the forest behind the pack house. I was sat on the porch steps waiting for Elias to pick up and it was quiet.
“Hi,” a voice said from the other end, sounding tired.
“Dar,” I said, my voice wobbly. “What happened? Why didn’t you give me a call? Did something happen with your mum?”
“I’m sorry, Talia,” he said. “I just didn’t want to bother you. I knew the packs planned a welcome back dinner.”
“My mum is my top priority. It was the reason I came here.”
“She’s fine,” Elias said, his voice a bit lighter. “The doctor said she’d be able to eat again in a couple of days.”
“Can I visit?” I said, keen to give my mum a hug.
“Yeah, you can come over now, but she’s sleeping,” Elias said.
“Oh,” I said, a bit disappointed. “I’ll swing by tomorrow after the meeting. She’s having a rest. I don’t want to bother her. She needs her rest.”
“OK, then I’ll head over there to see you,” Elias said. I heard the jingling of keys. He yawned. “I’m really sorry I wasn’t there to welcome you home.”
“Elias, just get some sleep. I’ll swing by tomorrow. Don’t worry. I’d rather you take care of mum than welcome me home.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course,” I said, smiling even though he couldn’t see me. “Just so you know, I’m smiling right now.
“That’s right, kiddo,” I heard Elias say, sounding pretty happy. “Keep your chin up and grin. Hey, just a quick note to say that the stand is ready.
“Stand up tall and stay strong. You are strong,” I said, remembering the words my older brother always told me when we were going through rough times. I let out a sigh and said, “You too, Elias.” I was hoping my brother was okay. “Are you OK?”
He paused for a moment and then sighed. “I’ll be fine. Now go and get some sleep. You must be tired from your road trip.”
“See you tomorrow. Good night, mate. I love you.”
“Love you too, little sis,” Elias said, before the line went dead.
Tears slid down my cheeks as I felt the urge to give my family a big hug. I felt useless sitting here crying when I could be over there to help Elias take care of my family. There was only one reason I chose to stay in the pack house during my time in Oakmere.
I had a hunch that the only reason they went after me was because of my mother, and I didn’t need to put her in any more danger.
“Are you OK?” I heard a voice I recognised say. I closed my eyes and relaxed, my chest tightening at the soothing voice of the man. I really didn’t like the idea of him seeing me like this, but I couldn’t help shivering.
I got up from my seat on the porch steps and turned to face Kieran. His eyes, as clear as crystal, still held a lot of emotion. He flinched a bit when a tear of sadness rolled down my cheek.
I said, “I’m fine,” and walked past him into the house.
“Talis,” he whispered. I felt a stabbing pain in my chest when I heard him use the nickname he’d given me. I closed my eyes again and started walking towards the door, as if I hadn’t heard him.
“Talis,” he said, sounding worried. I was frozen when I felt his hand on my arm, and the usual warmth and tingles spread all through my body. My wolf howled, wanting to be closer to her mate.
I refused to turn around and face him, and more tears rolled down my cheeks. I was a bit all over the place after I spoke to my brother and Kieran finally wanted to talk to me after fourteen months. “Yes?” I whispered, my voice wobbly, and I told myself off for being so weak.
“Can we talk?” He asked after a short pause. He let go of her hand. I could feel him looking over my shoulder.
“What do you want to talk about?”
“We need to have a chat – or at least I think we should – about where we’re at,” Kieran sighed. “Can we talk about us?”
“There’s nothing to talk about,” I shrugged. Even if my back was turned, I could tell he flinched.
“We need to talk about us, and I know you’re probably wondering about Pamela,” Kieran said, his voice trembling.
“Kieran, there’s nothing to talk about, okay? I’m the one who messed up and we’re not together anymore. I’m happy for you and Pamela. You deserve to be happy.”
I didn’t give him a chance to answer as I went straight into the house. Once again, I walked away from Kieran with tears in my eyes.
“First off, please welcome back Talia,” Kieran said to the crowd of people in front of him, pointing at me. “Also, please meet her cousin Logan Sinclair.”
The crowd clapped and smiled. It was pretty rare to see a pack meeting with this many people. I guess the Eclipse and the Moonfire pack decided to have today’s meeting together.
It was pretty rare for the two packs to get along well. They sat together and had a bit of a chat. The men shook hands with each other while the women hugged.
We were all packed in like sardines in the meeting room in the Pack House. Everyone shared chairs, the kids sat on their parents’ laps, and the men stood at the side of the room. The pack’s representatives – Luca, Kieran, Beck, Cruz, Lila, Brielle, Maren, Damien, Avery, Roman, Logan and I – were at the front. The only people not there were Elias and my mother.
The thought made my heart sink, but I quickly got rid of it. I was really looking forward to catching up with them after the meeting. I wouldn’t be surprised if I bolted out of the room before anyone else did once the meeting was adjourned.
“As you all know, I’m Alpha Kieran Redford of the Eclipse Pack,” my mate said, smiling warmly at the werewolves. My wolf felt proud when I mentioned my mate’s high title. He gave Beck a pat on the back. “This is Beta Beckett Morven.”
“I’m Alpha Luca Carson of the Moonfire Pack,” my best friend said, flashing a perfect smile. He pointed at Damien. “This is Beta Damien Lowell.”
Damien, Roman, and Avery welcomed me back this morning. They weren’t really around the Eclipse pack much as they couldn’t stand it, but they were still great friends of mine.
I shot a look at Beck, who looked like he was about to tear Damien to shreds. Damien rolled his eyes, still standing next to Brielle. “You better stay away from her, pup,” Beck whispered so we could hear. Roman and Avery let out a growl at Beck, just protecting their Beta like they’re programmed to do.
“Look, Morven, Brielle and I are just friends,” Damien snapped. “I respect her decision to be with her soul mate. You’ve got her now, so I’m not sure why you’re getting so worked up.”
Just to refresh your memory, Damien and Brielle were an item fourteen months ago. A month after I left, Brielle broke up with Damien, telling her she felt it was wrong to date someone else when she was lucky enough to have found her perfect match. Damien let her go. Two months after that, Beck and Brielle got together.
The Alphas shot a warning look at the Betas, clearly telling them via the mind link to stop being immature.
After I left, I put up a block to hide what I was feeling and all my thoughts from Kieran and the Eclipse Pack. They didn’t need to know the full story or why I was leaving.
“It’s great to see everyone here,” Luca said. “We’re super proud to be the Alphas of such a dedicated pack. I’m pretty sure you know why we called this meeting.” There were a few nods of acknowledgement, and a feeling of fear and concern spread across the people in front of us. “So, Alpha Kieran will explain further.”
Kieran cleared his throat and said, “A few days ago, we got attacked by hunters in the forest with weapons laced with wolfbane. We found out that they were customised guns, spears and arrows used to take down werewolves.”
There were a few gasps, including from me. I could feel the tension and the fear starting to set in.