For The Love of An Alpha

Discovery

"You really trust her?" Asia's voiced concern was the thought that lingered in everyone's mind. Her hand absently massaged her swelling abdomen. The tiniest pouch was visible on her small frame and her small hands took to massaging the baby bump.

"Yes," Henri's voice was firm. "I trust her with my life." His voice sounded exhausted, as though he'd been through this hundred's of times.

The small group moved through the front door of the pack house. Asia was ushering them into the dining area one by one, her eyes watching as they removed their coats and hung them on the rack.

"I do as well." Ashleigh spoke clearly to the group, her blue eyes looking about the room. Her hand grasped the chair back firmly as she locked eyes with Eli.

"I want to," Eli spoke out to the woman, "everything in me says I should."

"But?" Ashleigh urged, moving herself to plop into her seat.

"But I'm not that quick to trust people." He said, taking a seat across from the tall woman. His eyebrows shooting up as she huffed at him.

"She's dangerous." Asia spoke up, "Do you think you can trust her?" She examined her mate first, Sebastian's stance beside her stoic and untelling. Her eyes moved about the table, all of them giving the same hints. They all trusted her to some degree.

"You should have seen her expression when she threatened the elders." Morgan's voice boomed as he moved to take a seat at the large table. "She was serious." He shook his head and looked from his hands to Henri, "I think she means to kill them."

"But she released Winter's Cross from their agreement?" Ashleigh pleaded her case.

"Enough." Henri's calm voice cleared the air. "Eli, get the dagger and take it to Winter's Cross." His sharp blue eyes were weary as he turned to his Beta, his second in command that he could always trust. "Have the Elder's examine it. We need answers."

Eli nodded and moved without voicing his opinion, Ashleigh quickly rising with him. They passed a look across the table to each other, there was compassion and concern in an unspoken exchange.

Sebastian moved to sit across from his Alpha. "What's the plan?" He could read the turmoil on his face.

"I don't know." Henri held his head in his hands.

"Can we have the room?" Morgan asked of the others.

Asia nodded and showed William and Hektor to the family room, where she began to introduce them to the others. The eruptions of laughter and cheering alerted the men that they had taken to the sports game that was on the TV. Asia's laugh sounding like a bell over the bellowing laughter of the men in the large room.

Erick took a seat beside Sebastian. All eyes were watching Henri closely as a groan left his throat.

"I don't know what's happening." Henri's head still hung in his hands. "Two weeks ago I felt my heart get ripped from my chest." His eyelids opened as he lifted his head, his hands dropping with a thud to the table. "I felt my soul cry out as she was taken from me. A part of me was rent from within and I didn't know if I could get it back." He gave a sigh and looked to Sebastian, his eyes carrying the same weight of the lose of their Luna.

"The whole pack grieved," his voice was comber. A sadness drifting into the room a this words.

"That's just it," Henri's lips pursed, his body heat rising, "there is something about that woman." He looked to Erick, "You felt it didn't you?"

Erick's eyes looked away from the Alpha. Even though he had been forgiven, he still humbled himself as much as he could. Without making eye contact, he nodded his head slowly. His blond curls bounced about his forehead. "There is something about her," he glanced up to Sebastian, "something of authority."