Chapter 8

Zayde's Point of View It's been a week since we left to go check on the packs that have been attacked. All of their damages have been assessed and funds and resources for rebuilding has already been allocated to them. We also had the new security system installed in all packs. We questioned the vampires the other packs managed to capture as well, but they weren't able to supply any other information than what we already had. The council sent out teams almost immediately to survey the Black Hollow area, and they confirmed that there were indeed vampires present. They couldn't give us an exact number of how many there were, but we sent in reinforcements, and we have been taking out their scouts and teams that are sent out as quickly and as quietly as we can. One of the vampires we grabbed supplied a description of Lucien, and we sent it out to all packs, informing them to contact us if they encounter him. But, unfortunately, up until now, there has been no sign of their leader, Lucien. Though we know that he is in Black Hollow, the vampires we grabbed have confirmed that he is there. I am hoping he will show his face soon, as we are making quite a dent in his forces. A snore at the back of the truck catches my attention and I glance in the rear view mirror. I smirk and shake my head as I watch Scott, who is fast asleep on the backseat, with his mouth wide open. "I'll never understand how he can sleep that deep and so fast in a moving vehicle." Jack mumbles next to me and I chuckle as I glance at him. "It's not just in a vehicle. He can sleep through anything." I say, turning my attention back to the road. It is silent between us for a few seconds before Jack hesitantly speaks. "So... Have you spoken to Chloe yet?" Jack asks and I feel his eyes on me. My shoulders tense slightly as I hear her name and I quickly glance at him. "No... Why would I?" He arches a brow at me, and shakes his head before looking out the window. "She cried, you know..." He murmurs and I realize he knows what happened. I sigh and run a hand down my face. "I know... Who told you? Maya?" "Who else?? Chloe didn't want to say anything. And no, honestly... I don't think you know." He says and I frown at him. "What did she tell you?" "Briefly about what happened in the kitchen. Why don't you tell me your version?" "Honestly, what happened is between me and Chloe and has nothing to do with anyone else. Maya had no right to go telling it to you. So, I don't see the need to talk about it, and I don't want to. So just leave is be." I say, my voice clipped, and he frowns at me. "Yeah, no... I don't think so. I want to talk about it, whether you want to or not. You are my friend and Alpha, Zayde, but I am saying this to you as Chloe's brother. You keep saying you are protecting her. But from what? From you? Or from the idea that she might love you more than fate ever would? If you don't want her just say it out right, stop with all this I'm protecting you crap and the mixed signals and let her move on." "It's not that I don't want her. I do... I mean how could I not want her? Every time she walks into a room, I forget how to breathe..." "Then what the hell are you doing man?" He says, his voice slightly raised as he cuts me off mid-sentence. I sigh again, my jaw clenching. "I’m doing the only thing that makes sense. What if we’re not fated, Jack? What happens when her real mate walks in, and she decides she wants him? What happens when I’ve tied her to me, and she’s meant for someone else?" "You can't decide this for her! She can make her own decisions." "She's seventeen, Jack! Just because she wants me now, doesn't mean she'll want me when she's in her twenties. I'm doing this for her. I am doing this to protect her." "How? By hurting her? You think this is the only thing that makes sense? Zayde, all that you are doing is tearing her apart and making her feel like she's not worth the risk." A tense silence settles between us. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Jack glaring at me, his breathing labored. My jaw keeps clenching and unclenching as I try to contain my temper, remembering that he is my friend, and he only wants what is best for his sister. Once I feel calmer, I let out another sigh before I speak again. "She called me a coward..." I murmur softly and he scoffs, shaking his head. "In this situation, I have to agree with her. You are a coward, Zayde, because if you loved her, and I mean if you really loved her, you would fight for her. Whether you are fated or not." "I do love her, Jack." "Why are you saying it to me? You should say it to her. Or you should walk away and leave her alone. But don’t stand in the middle like a damn shadow, haunting her. She deserves better than confusion and silence." "I know... I know..." I hesitate for a second before continuing. "She said she’d choose me, even if we weren’t fated mates. She's sure she'd choose me even if her mate shows up." I say glancing at him and Jack just stares at me for a second, making me uncomfortable, and I turn back to the road. Out the corner of my eye, I see him run his hand through his hair before he sighs. "Well, if she's willing to do that, then maybe it’s time you ask yourself why you won’t choose her." He says coldly, turning away to the window and again the silence between us stretches. We continue the rest of the way in tense silence, with Scott still sleeping soundly in the backseat. Soon we reach the border and, as protocol dictates, the patrol checks the truck before letting us in. Jack turns around, throwing a closed packet of wine gums at Scott. "Hey! Sleeping beauty, wake up, we are here." In the rear view mirror, I see Scott slowly sitting up in the backseat, glaring at Jack as he picks up the packet and throws it back at him, making Jack and me both smirk. As soon as I pull into the garage, Jason appears from the pack house, his shoulders tense as he makes his way over to us. I am immediately on high alert, and quickly cut the engine before I get out and make my way over to him. I feel Scott and Jack flanking me. "What happened? Was there an attack somewhere? Did our systems pick up something?" I ask Jason in concern, but he shakes his head and my shoulders relax slightly. "No, luckily not. But we do have another problem. Right before I was linked by patrol, informing me that you were back, I got another link from a warrior that is on leave tonight. He didn't know you were back, and he didn't want to bother our parents, so he reached out to me." Jason sighs, running a hand through his hair before he speaks again. "It's about Sky, Chloe and Maya."