AFRAID OF THE DARK

CHAPTER 24

"I slept with his brother. Aidan has been loyal to me and staying strong with whatever temptation they offer, but I break for his hotter brother. I've just weakened him. I've just compromised the pack's survival by weakening their Alpha." I cry and walk towards the pack territory again, but almost trip over my own feet after I realize I called him hotter. I have trouble breathing with each step I take away from him. What is going on with me?

I'm again pulled back. His hands are placed on my shoulders and he is telling me to breathe. I find myself copying his breath until I'm breathing regularly again. He asks if I'm okay now and I nod. His eyes then travel down before meeting mine again. I suddenly remember I'm naked, but I don't care.

"Don't leave me." A tear falls down his cheek. "I'm nothing without you."

"The girl you believe is your second chance will be back for you. You can be with her." My wolf and I growl at the thought.

He gives a hopeful smile. "You're jealous."

"No." I purse my lips and look away, but we both know I'm lying.

"So, if I say I want to be with my second chance..."

"You are mine. Only mine." My wolf growls.

"I am yours, but are you mine? Only mine?" He questions and I know we both feel the pain with the question.

We have only known each other for a couple of days. I have a mate. A mate that had marked me, yet I feel so much for Jaivan already. That love at first sight I had thought I would feel for my mate when I first met him, I have it with Jaivan. The thought of walking away aches me. Leaving him makes me feel physically ill. Is this another trick? Is this the Dark's doing?

He sighs and looks around until he finds one of the trees they hide clothes in. He tosses me a long shirt and looks back towards the territory as I dress. "Why is it so quiet? Where is everybody?"

"I don't know." I sniff at the air and stiffen when I smell a scent similar to Rachel's.

Jaivan moves me behind him protectively when we see the man come out from behind the trees. I remember Jaivan doesn't have his wolf. I move in front of him and he pulls me behind again. We do this several times to protect one another before the man in front of us laughs. I freeze and study the situation we are in. I feel my shoulders relax at the warm greyish blue eyes staring back lovingly towards me.

"It's okay. He's here to help." I say somehow knowing he's not going to harm us. "Dad, how do we save them?"

He smiles, but becomes serious when we hear a sound similar to a gong. He gestures for us to follow. "We don't have much time. They have began the ritual."

Jaivan hesitates and begins to say he's not sure this is a good idea, but I'm already following my father. My heart is hammering in my chest as we run for several miles to the center of the territory where the cells are kept. My dad orders us to walk upright with no emotions. I try, but with each step I take I know it is closer to Aidan. I should be rejoicing at seeing him again, but instead my heart feels as if it is going to painfully burst. Jaivan is not doing well hiding his pain either. His expressions are revealing a man that is about to have his heart ripped from him knowing he will have to give me up to his brother.

I find it difficult to breathe as we pass the training grounds where we see the rogue pack and Aidan's pack convulsing where they stand. There's a masked cloaked figure standing above them with her hands holding a black mist. I can't see her face, but I can see her feminine body to know she's female. Memories of this same figure begin to pop up into my mind. I see the Dark Wolf watching, but he has my father's warm eyes. They are not a full black.

"Run, Cami!" I hear grandma.

I turn and a scream catches in my throat when I see a figure standing behind my grandmother. My grandmother's blood splatters across my face and clothing when sharp nails of the cloaked figure slashes my grandmother over and over. The blood curdling scream escapes me as I watch in horror. The masked black face looks upward from grandma's dead body. I imagine a sinister smile below the mask. She waves her hand in some sort of call to the wolf for him to follow. His eyes are again black. I look down at my blood covered body and my grandmother. Panic sets in and I become traumatized.

"Camilla!" A boy runs towards me fighting off members of my pack.

He looks down at my grandmother with wide eyes. My body shakes at the sight. I hear wolves getting ready to attack the boy, but grandfather yells out for them to halt. The boy is no danger. I feel as if I'm in a tunnel and all I can see is blood everywhere around me.

"Take her inside and stay with her. Help her calm down. I want five of you guarding. Don't let anything happen to them." I hear grandfather say to the boy and members of our pack before the memories fall from my mind again.

My father's lowered voice brings me back to the present time. "She's reading their sins to give to the black wolf as fuel. The black wolf will then be sent to the strongest of them. I am no longer that man." He looks at me with love and sympathy. "I felt the darkness leave my body. It had attempted to re-enter me, but it screamed out in pain. I went to a dark part of my life when I couldn't save you, but I've met your mate and see that he loves my daughter. Love is stronger than anything."

Jaivan looks down and another tear falls when father talks about my mate.

"I don't understand? You did save me. I'm still alive." I say quietly enough for the others not to hear me.

"Not before your mother attached that creature to your soul. You're the one that keeps it alive. It becomes stronger with the anger and hurt you experience." He explains sadly and it takes the both of them to keep me from falling. "You need your mate to keep you strong."

"Dad, how do I kill it?" I move with need to be closer to Jaivan.

Dad shakes his head. "I don't know. There's another problem. The female has found a way to control it. We fear it will give her powers to control you as well."

"I won't let that happen." Jaivan tightens his fist and I become scared after seeing his anger. I don't want the creature taking him to the dark path like the others.

"The answer is yes." I grab his hands and he looks at me confused. "The question you had asked me earlier. It's yes. Only you."

We stare eye to eye in understanding, but become tense when my dad hurries us to get my mate back. Jaivan grabs my hand and squeezes. I squeeze it back. The memories of my past come forward and I feel love instead of fear as I walk towards the cells that had once been my nightmares. I don't know how I'm going to tell Aidan. I'm going to break his heart, but I no longer see him as my mate.

"Luna." One of the pack members notices me first. "Jaivan?"

I look inside the full cells, but they are not as full as I had hoped for rescuing. This is not nearly half of Aidan's pack. Majority of them are male with only a few females. I pray the she-wolves and children have either escaped or are in hiding. I pause at the cell holding the two men that had thought I had gone crazy when I heard the meows of a cat.

"Our loyalty to you has kept us strong, Luna. We want to fight against the Dark and his leader." One man says and the others agree.

"Do you know who is leading them?" I ask.

"No, Luna. We know she is female. That is all." He answers and the others become noisy wanting revenge and the death of those responsible.

"Shh. All quiet. We don't have much time." My father exhales in relief when he finally taps in the correct sequence of numbers to open the cell doors. "Follow me. I'll take you to your mate."

The hold Jaivan has on my hand becomes tighter as we walk to the last set of cells. I give his hand a reassuring squeeze. I'm choosing him. The members are watching with some kind of anticipation. Guilt hits me. They have so much hope and praise for me and their Alpha, but I'm about to do something that may cause them all to hate me and harm them. I gaze into the dark cell and gasp when a figure steps out of the shadows. I look at my dad in confusion and worry. Is he trying to trick me? What is the meaning of this?

"Where is Aidan?"