The Bone Chapel

Beta

I gritted my teeth and raised one hand to cover my nose and mouth while the other clutched at the ward resting against my chest.

I didn't give Damien a chance to elaborate, instead I reached out to Everett, hoping to get the truth of the matter straight from him. However, once the tendrils of my thoughts found my mate, I was met with a wall of anger and repulsion. The emotions swirled in an amorphous miasma, incoherent and impenetrable.

"I can't reach, Everett," I said with a growl, my words directed to Damien. "What the hell is going on?"

"Mental links are disrupted when strong emotions are at play or when the other wolf is actively talking to someone. I wouldn't be surprised if Rett is doing both at the moment."

I nodded my understanding, though his explanation did little to quell my concern. Thankfully, he didn't spare a moment's hesitation before addressing my real question.

"I don't have the full picture, but I have been in communication with Luc since she left Moonshade for the town center. It was a little before dinner time that she departed in a hurry to tend to Rett. She has been reminding me ever since that a Beta's duty is to serve and protect an Alpha, and sometimes that means intervening when an Alpha acts on emotions and potentially makes a harmful and rash decision. That being said, Betas will support their Alphas no matter the situation if the Alpha's mind cannot be altered. Please keep that loyalty in mind as I explain the series of events that have happened today."

Part of me wanted to bark at him to just get on with it, but I couldn't bring myself to do so since I was so dumbstruck by the young man standing before me. How was this the same bratty teen that found every and any reason to bully me? Now he was like a sergeant reporting to his general. This dissonance between what stood before me and what image I had in my head was too jarring for me to respond.

He took a deep breath, though he grimaced at the flavor that coated the air, before continuing.

"A little after breakfast, Rett left your room to join the other elders in a meeting at the town hall. Luc stayed behind, as is customary. Elders do not bring subordinates, no matter how close they are, as Elder meetings are highly confidential. As such, they are also held in a protected room, similar to your bedroom. This meant that there was radio silence for most of the day.

"However, as we were preparing for dinner, Luc suddenly made a connection with Rett as he left the security of the Elder's hall. She could not tell what had happened, only that Rett was pissed."

A frown pulled the corners of my lips and my hand reached up to massage my forehead. Considering the seething barrier that kept me from Everett's thoughts, whatever happened only a few hours ago still had him foaming at the mouth. My heart pounded against my chest and my lungs strained behind my aching ribcage. Despite finding my body healed after my long rest, everything inside me resonated with the hot sting of fatigue.

Damien allowed me a moment to groan against the pain before continuing his retelling of the day's events.

"She dropped everything and bolted out of the pack hall at full speed. She didn't say anything to us on the way out until after she reached the town center and took in what was happening. From there she relayed everything and told me to instruct the pack to head to the park immediately. Neither she nor Rett knew what would happen, but he wanted the strength of the pack present as the mages hauled the hunters out of prison."

"What?" I gasped and regretted it instantly as I inhaled the rancid air.

Then, I knew.

My fingers tightened around my ward, my nails threatening to pierce the fabric of my shirt. That smell. Despite the sizzling, retched stench that burned away anything fresh and good in the air, I was able to recognize it for what it was. It was all too familiar, especially since it had only been a day since it last assaulted my senses.