Alpha Vaughan

Chapter 45

"Yes, it's me." Her voice sounded rushed, panicked. "Hil, there's something you need to know."

I let out a shocked breath. "I thought you were dead!" Vaughan instantly threw me a glance, his gaze questioning.

She exhaled impatiently. "Well, technically I am. But that's not the point!" She sucked in a breath. "Did you put Jim at the gates?"

My brows furrowed in confusion. "What?"

"Jim. I asked if you put him at the gates. If you did, then you guys better head back to Beastclaw now!"

I sat up straighter. "What? Why?"

"He's the one who told the vampires our pack's location in the first place. And if my guess is correct, he's gone to the Beastclaw pack to play spy for the vampires and let them in as well."

Blood rushed out of my face. "Why would he do that?"

"It's a long story, but you've got to go back now! Don--oh no, he's coming."

"He? Who i--"

The line abruptly went dead. I stared down at my phone, a mixture of shock, happiness, anger and sorrow filling me. Jim? Why couldn't it at least have been someone else? Someone I didn't feel like I shared a bond with?

The betrayal was instant and sharp, cutting deep into my insides and clamping around my heart like a vice. A tear slid down my face and a sob escaped me.

Vaughan snapped his head towards me, then he was pulling up at the side of the deserted road. "Hilda, what's wrong? Who was that on the phone?"

"Eunice," I pushed out, sounding as shocked and confused as I felt.

After a beat he cupped my face. "Are you sure it was her?"

"Yes I'll recognize her voice anywhere."

He held my gaze. "What did she say?"

The confusion I felt instantly dissipated, getting replaced by raw guilt. "Oh, my God. Oh, my God, It's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's..." I continued to repeat, tears pouring down my face.

If Vaughan was startled he didn't show it, just cleaned away my tears and asked calmly, "What is your fault? Talk to me, Hilda."

"Jim. I've put the whole pack in danger!"

"What do you mean?"

"Please don't hate me Vaughan. Goddess, I already do. Please forgive me, I did--"

He caught my lips in a deep kiss, startling me into silence.

When he drew back, he said steadily, "Now what is it you wanted to tell me."

Drying my face and partly hiding it with my hands, I said, "If you remember, a werewolf from my former pack came to see me, and I'd told you to put him at the gates because that was where he'd worked at Stillmoon. Did you... Did you still put him there?"

I prayed to the goddess with all my heart that Vaughan hadn't listened to me. But when I saw his throat bob, I squeezed my eyes shut as a new wave of tears slid down. I whispered, "I'm so sorry."

"Look at me," he said calmly when I covered my face with my hands.

When I did, he cupped my face, saying slowly. "Now, get this clear. It's not your fault, you couldn't have known Jim was working with the vampires so don't you dare blame yourself. We're going to fix this, you hear me?" he asked to which I nodded. "We're going to fix this."

He turned on the ignition and started to speed down the road.

When we came down, I looked at the large cottage, a new worry raising its head in my mind. I waited until Vaughan got off the phone before saying, "We'd never be able to make it on time to Beastclaw if we use your car."