We make our way downstairs. Unfortunately the first person we run into is a face etched into my mind.
Sarah.
She runs up to Nathaniel, ignoring me completely.
"Babe" she whines. Throwing her arms around his neck as Aurora growls.
Nate pushes her away, firm as he clenches her hands in front of her.
"Leave Sarah, now" he growls. Her face drops. "What do you mean?" She whines again, her tone annoys me instantly.
Aurora takes over and I allow it. She jumps forward and throws the girl away from our mate growling.
"He said to leave" We growl. Watching as she wavers between fear and defiance.
Nathaniel laughs gently as Tristan gives him a dirty look.
Aiden growls; "Disrespecting your Luna is punishable by death in respectable packs, yet you laugh?" Nate stops instantly. Remorse filling his features.
"Let's move on, leave Sarah, or you'll spend the next few weeks starving in the dungeon to learn some respect" Tristan orders taking my hand.
The sparks fly up my arm, calming me and Aurora instantly. I lean into him, allowing him to lead me away.
Sarah decides to make the smart choice and keeps her eyes down until we're gone.
Aiden is quiet as we make the walk to the training grounds. I see the way he looks at Tristan, I feel the growing respect and appreciation towards him. I can't help but smile. Maybe things will be okay between them one day?
The training grounds are large. Wolves paired off into pairs to spa. They instantly stop as their Alpha's approach.
So many people.
I feel each of them stare at me.
An array of emotions coming from the group.
Happiness, hesitance, respect, curiosity.
Then it hits me.
A darkness.
Resentment, hate, anger.
Aurora is instantly on high alert as we search the crowd.
I'm trying to find exactly where it is coming from. Our eyes suddenly meet a pair of eyes reflecting each of those emotions. Not towards me.
Towards Aiden.
I sense what his about to do and throw my hands out to put a barrier of power around Aiden.
The wolvesbain soaked silver dagger stops mid-air as Tristan dives towards the wolf, shifting into Karos instantly as he tackles the man to the ground. Another wolf steps forward, ready to throw another dagger, but I don't even need to react.
Karos pounces off the first wolf to the second, and his jaws clench hard on the man's arm as he screams in pain.
Aiden growls and approaches the first man. Holding him up high by his throat as I stand beside him protectively.
"I do not know you" Aiden growls. "You knew my father" the man spits. "You killed him" Nate joins Aiden, staring angrily at the wolf.
Tristan soon shifts back, putting on a pair of shorts before joining us. Blood down his chest.
The man he jumped on has been pinned by several wolves. He wasn't going anywhere. Badly beaten and holding on to his arm.
"You hold a grudge for something done when our pack attacked theirs?" Tristan growled. "I'd expect better Tate" Aiden releases the man's neck and he falls to the ground.
Tristan nods to a group of wolves who collect him from the ground. Holding him in place before Tristan. Who looks out to crowd before him. "Aiden has accepted the position of Beta of our pack on a trial basis" he booms. "His skills, knowledge and connection to our Luna are what is going to make sure we can keep her safe in what's to come. Any attacks on him are an attack on your alpha!" His tone slips into his alpha tone and heads go down instantly. "They will not be tolerated. Our Beta and Luna will decide the fate of those who chose to attack today. " The wolves nod in respect.
Tristan places his hand in mine.
I smile up at him as the wolves are taken away to the dungeons. To apparently await mine and Aiden's punishment.
We settle into the flow of training after that. I still feel hidden hate in the group, me and Aurora finding 4 wolves that we tell Tristan are not safe.
By the end of the training session the pack are respectful and admire Aiden and I. Respecting the knowledge we bring.
My body is tired and hungry when we break. Heading towards the pack house for lunch.
After eating, Nate kisses my head and excuses himself, sighting pack business, while Aiden & Tristan are deep in talks about training schedules, border patrols and sharing updates about Blood Moon and the lycans.
Their attack could be any day now. Wolves have been seen trying to find holes in the Eclipses defence.
Anxiety fills me as I think about anyone hurting the men I love. I couldn't handle losing any of them.
Tristan is mid sentence when the air changes and he turns. Karos sprinting from the room with a loud howl.
I look to Aiden confused.
Aiden listens for a minute before growling and standing quickly. "Go upstairs, Armina," he orders. "What? No! You know I can fight!" I growl.
"Please, you don't want your Alpha's distracted while their dealing with this" he pleads. Distraction. The thing that kills skilled wolves in every war.
I shake my head. Wanting to fight.
Aurora pushes me to fight too and I obey. We run towards the door as Aiden tries and fails to catch me.
Sensing where Tristan is, I find him quickly. He is standing over two men I recognise immediately. Bodies of wolves and lycans surround Tristan and 2 of his wolves.
Did 3 of them do all that?
Alpha Ethan & his future Beta son Kade stare at Tristan as he growls. Fear evident on their features. It doesn't take long for me to sense Aiden behind me as he looks at Ethan and growls.
Tristan looks to Aiden and stands back. A sign of respect and submission rarely seen from an alpha. Especially one as powerful as him.
"You really came here to attack my daughter?!" Aiden growls. His eyes are black as he makes his way to his former best friend. Ethan looks down. "We wouldn't need to if she had made the right choice" he whispers as Tristan growls.
"She chose this pack of savages, even after our pack made sure she survived her toddler years" Ethan's eyes looked to me with hate.
"You were meant to choose Leo, or an alpha from a pack that could help us take these monsters down" He looks to Tristan. "They killed most of our pack, and you stand here with their marks" he spits on the ground in front of me. Aiden's fist connects with his face. The Alpha glaring at his former Beta.
"How many more are coming?" Aiden demands. Ethan laughs. "You won't win this, no one wants to see this pack of degenerates get any stronger" Tristan growls. I see him fighting against Karos for control.
He wants to snap his neck. I feel it.
The next second, Kade jumps forward. Attempting to go for Aiden's throat. I don't even have a chance to lift my arms before Tristan is there. In one movement, he snaps Kade's neck.
"Nooooo" Ethan screams as his son falls to the ground dead. He looks to Aiden and finds no sympathy. Aiden stands over him.
"You were stalling me for him to kill me" he states simply.
"I know when you're stalling" Ethan's eyes darken. "Not well enough" he says eerily as growls fill the lands around us.
Ethan smiles darkly as he jumps at Aiden. A wolf jumps out at me from the trees, and I quickly shift. Tristan shifts, ripping another wolf from near me and sinking his teeth into its neck.
We didn't know how many there are. It's kill quick and move on. That's the only one to survive.
Surrender to the heat of battle.
YOU ARE READING
Conflicted - Twist Of Fate
Hombres Lobo"I can't" I say breathlessly as Tristan's hand holds my cheek, his lips moving dangerously close to mine. "You're mine" he growls, his hands reaching around me crushing me against his body. I feel his manhood growing and pushing against me as I try...
