Fangs and Roses

Chapter Twenty-One: Unspoken Words

Sapphire Nightborne
Jared stood at the side-door of Xanders office, blanket in hand waiting for me. I shifted and ran into his outstretched arms, he wrapped the blanket around me holding me close to his chest. He stroked my hair in an effort to comfort me as I sobbed into his shirt.

"He said that he would have allowed me to carry out this plan if he knew about, he said he trusted me. What have I done?"

I was not sure if Jared could even understand what I was saying, he just continued to stroke my hair as I blubbered through my words.

"You didn't know how he would have reacted, Sapphire. You have many gifts, but foretelling the future is not one of them."

"I should have trusted him, like he trusted me. What kind of mate am I?"

Jared took my face in his hands and tilted it upwards. His eyes showed a mixture of pity and understanding. I hated people feeling pity for me, but right now I just needed someone to tell me things were going to be okay, that I was not a horrible mate. The concept of soulmates had always been a hard one for me to grasp, there were not many good ones for me to look up to. My father always told me about how much he loved my mother, but I never saw them interact as she had passed right after I was born. Amelia's parents, my sister's and even my relationship with Damien caused me to put up a guard against this whole process, I resigned myself to be in a tolerable relationship at best, but I found Xander and things changed... and I ruined it.

"Sapphire, you both were doing what you thought was best for the pack. I am not saying patching with Xander is going to be easy, but you need to remember that he loves you more than life itself. He is not angry with you, but rather your actions, give it time. Right now, I need you to become Shadow Mountains Alpha Female and give us instructions on what to do with Emery and Alissa."

I gulped down small breaths of air in an effort to sober myself up, I needed to show strength now, not weakness. Roughly, I wiped the tears from my eyes. I wrapped my hands around Jareds neck, resting my chin on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Jared."

"What's family for? Besides, Chloe would have my hide if she knew you had been crying and I did not nothing, and I do not want to cross a heavily pregnant she-wolf."

"No you do not."

He let out a short laugh before we began the descent into the lower levels of the stronghold. I looked into the interrogation room to see Alissa in her wheelchair at Emery's side, he was still strapped to the chair. They were speaking in hushed voices, stopping completely when I came into their view.

"Hello, Sapphire—"

"What are you going to do with us?"

Alissa rolled her eyes at her brother's interruption. He was still unsure if we could be trusted, an understandable concern given that he was still bound in silver.

"I cannot release you. Despite your cooperation, you are still guilty of crimes that cannot go unpunished, it will not be a good example if I let you go without any repercussions. Besides that, it would be in your best interest if you stay in the dungeons."

"I don't get it."

"The families of those killed by the vials you crushed are still grieving. They know who you are, and if I knew that those responsible for the death of my family were in reach, well lets just say that there is no way it would end pleasantly."

"Couldn't you offer us protection?"

"Well, besides the fact that I cannot release you due to my own moral code, even if we did... it would do you no good. Damien is going to storm this place soon, a perfect cover should you two be killed in the crosshairs."