Alphas War

Chapter 31

I stayed in the office, growling under my breath at my misfortune until Zach knocked on the door. "Sweetheart?" He called, stepping in and pressing the door closed. "Are you okay? I saw your dad when he left...it's bad isn't it?"

With a huff, he dropped onto the sofa beside me and clasped my hand in his. The warmth of his skin wrapped around mine brought me a little comfort but knowing that what I had to say would hurt him caused an ache in my chest.

"I should've known a week off was too good to be true," I said softly, shuffling to rest my head on his shoulder.

"Tell me whats going on," he ordered, his voice soft but demanding while his thumb brushed across my knuckles.

I pulled back and kissed him for as long as I could, savouring the feeling of his lips on mine. He kissed me back just as tenderly until we had to pull away for air. "Come on," I said, taking his hand and pulling him up off the sofa.

"Ella?" He pulled on my wrist, slowing me to a stop as I tried to lead him out the room. "Tell me."

I nodded and pecked his lips again. "I will," I promised.

I dragged him out the office and out of the front door before knocking on the door of the next house. Beside me, Zach frowned. "El?"

I squeezed his hand before the door swung open and Liam stood in front of me with a deep frown on his face. "Hey... what are you doing here?"

"I need to speak to both of you," I said, peering past him to where Chris stood further down the hallway with a similar confused frown.

"This can't be good," Liam muttered, looking between the two of us expectantly.

"It's not," I mumbled, still clinging to Zach's hand. "Some woman attacked my dad at the border earlier," I said. "He managed to fight her off and she is in the cells."

"What woman?" Zach asked me.

"Is he okay?" Chris asked at the same time, his face crinkling with worry.

I nodded. "He's fine, but he said the reason she attacked was because he killed her pack," I continued, "which means..."

"No," Zach grunted beside me. "Please tell me he wiped out another pack and this woman is not here to hunt you down and kill you."

"He didn't," I mumbled. "But I don't know if that's why she was here, she was after my dad and then..." I trailed off, having no idea how I could tell them this.

"Then what?" Chris asked.

"She's asking to speak to you guys," I whispered, looking up to see confusion written on their faces. "She says she's your mother," I finished, my voice as soft as I could make it.

I watched as Liams eyes widened and landed on Zach while Chris furrowed his brows and also looked at his youngest brother. Zach's hold on my hand tightened as he clenched his other fist and shook his head. "Shes lying," he snapped, "our mother's dead."

I curled my other hand around his wrist and slid it around the back of his hand so it was trapped between both of mine. "You can find out for sure," I whispered gently, "she's asking for you."

I decided to leave out the part about her also asking for me since he was already seething at the first part of my news. "I already am sure!" He growled, "I saw her dead."

I raised to my tip toes and pressed my lips to his ear. "You've managed to do a convincing job of playing dead before," I reminded him. "Its not impossible."

"It's not her," he insisted, dropping my hands. "I'll prove it."

Before I could register his words, he was charging past me and across the inner circle. "Zach?" Liam called, grabbing me and chasing after him.