After the meeting, Ethan and I went into the garden to discuss the situation, and it was the perfect day for it. It was a warm day, and though there were a few clouds in the sky, the sun was still managing to shine brightly. However, despite how good the day was, there was nevertheless a shadow hanging over my heart, despite my relief at being with the pack I most desperately needed to see. And Ethan's face as we sat down by the fountain told me he had something bad to say. "I don't even know where to start," he admitted, taking my hand and holding it tightly.
"Just cut to the chase," I said. "I can take it, I promise."
Ethan nodded. "Very well." He took a deep breath. "You might not remember the events immediately following the defeat of the three Alphas," he said, "but it was ugly. After Simon let all and sundry know he had won, a brawl broke out. The Lunas were pissed he'd managed to singlehandedly kill their mates, and they just about ripped him to shreds. Sadly, because of the Alpha connection that was still riding high in the wake of the challenge, the rest of our pack joined in. That sparked a very savage fight. In the meantime, Samuel grabbed you and knocked you out, before locking you inside the shed."
I shivered. "I remember that," I said. "Well, I don't remember the fight, but I do remember getting knocked out. What happened afterwards?"
"Simon managed to kill a few more wolves," Ethan said, his lips pressed together in a thin line. "I know all the Lunas were killed, and quite a few others from their packs also died. But we did lose a few of our own, unfortunately." He hesitated, before pressing on. "Sadly, all your friends were killed. I won't describe how they died, but let's just say, a torn throat would have been a kindness."
"Damn it," I swore, tears filling my eyes. Ethan put an arm around my shoulders and held me close as I started crying, the hot tears spilling down my cheeks as I grieved for my friends. It was a little while before I could pull myself together, but I kept myself tucked in the crook of Ethan's arm, glad I had someone to lean on while I grieved. "How long did it take Simon to die?"
"He died that night," Ethan said grimly. "James was also very badly injured, and he went into a coma to heal himself more effectively. The rest of the pack - well, there's only about a half dozen of us left - myself, Daniel, Skylar, Caleb, Zachariah, and James. And all our allies are about ready to go to war with the Blackwaters, Redwoods and Rainbow Hearts."
"I was half expecting them to take over the packhouse," I said, trembling with the reality of having to face another war.
"They did," Ethan said. He sighed. "We were told to either let ourselves be assimilated into one of their packs, or die. Everyone barring Samuel did so."
"Then how did he manage to keep me locked away for so long without anyone noticing?" I demanded, horrified.
"He lied and said you were dead," Ethan said. "He also made sure he was the only one who fed you, since he didn't want to risk someone discovering you. But it all fell apart the night he kidnapped you. Someone from the Redwoods finally put two and two together after failing to track you. That someone confronted Samuel, and another fight broke out. Unfortunately, our allies also chose to attack the packhouse, and in the chaos, Samuel fled with you."
"Then who was it that came to give me food?" I asked, confused.
"Samuel," Ethan told me. "He used a spell to disguise his face, but evidently he decided about halfway through your captivity to reveal himself and start your psychological torture. And I am going to rip him limb from limb, if James doesn't beat me to the punch first.
"Fortunately for you, the Redwoods were able to track you here to Reading, and once it had been established you were safe, I was sent to bring you home." He hesistated. "It was stated in no uncertain terms, however, that you were free to choose where you wished to live. I've been talking to our allies in the meantime, and I've managed to convince them to stand down. They'd never heard the full extent of Simon's depravities before, but once we told them how vile he had been, including what you heard today, they washed their hands of him."
"So what happens to the surviving Whitewaters?" I asked.
"We've all joined the Blackwaters," Ethan told me, a faint smile gracing his lips. But the smile soon faded. "And while it's nice to belong to a less, well, psychotic pack, it doesn't erase the bloodshed that was enacted the day of the failed negotiations."
I swallowed old shame, knowing deep down it hadn't been my fault. "So they don't trust you entirely," I said. "And they haven't let assimilated you into the pack."
Ethan shook his head.
I sat up, firming my shoulders. "I've got an idea," I said. "It's crazy, but it just might work."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7g0oIevSuq
