The Found One

Chapter 38

Rowan POV

"Have you alerted your father?"

Rowan looked up, turning from the sight of his mate sleeping and unhurt on the motel bedspread and to his cousin. Hayden's hair was mussed, sticking up and falling across his forehead, his clothes rumbled and creased, the shadows of grief and exhaustion already eating at the small spark of light that had come back to his eyes. They had been travelling for hours, putting as much distance between themselves and Semper as possible, before finally pulling from the interstate to find somewhere to crash for a few hours, the others around them didn't look much better.

Now crammed into a room with two beds, Hayden finally found the strength to put into the words and question that had been plaguing Rowan since he realized there was no saving Austin. Taking a moment before answering he looked to make sure Olivia was still unconscious and resting peacefully on the other bed. The twins and Hayden had finally had to sedate her so she could get some rest. It was the only way to give her a few hours of relief from the pain and heartache. Satisfied that she was still out, her breathing even and calm, Noah reclined on the bed at her side keeping watch Rowan turned back to his cousin.

"Not yet."

"Are you sure you should wait?" Hayden asked, normally such a question would have sparked his temper, but now all Rowan felt was helpless and weary.

"No. I know I need to call, they need to be warned, but ... how do I tell them?" The words slipped out as he stared through the wall at where he knew the vehicles were parked. At where he knew, in one his Uncle, his father's best friend, and his mother's trusted courtesan - lay lifeless.

"It'll never get easier Row." Hayden said gently. "There's never going to be an okay time, or an okay way – you already know that."

Rowan let out a sigh hands rubbing his face to scrub away the memories, his shoulders sagging from the weight.

"We also need to talk about what our next steps are." Isaac added from where he stood by the door, he and Noah the only two who seemed untouched by the hours of adrenaline and lack of sleep.

"Semper will need to be addressed." Noah added on to his twin's words from the bed.

Rowan blew out another breath, "I know."

"Will we alert the other packs?" Noah asked, his voice low as to not disturb Liv beside him.

"Not until we know what happens, we don't have enough information yet. We can't go to them without knowing more first."

"It's an act of war Rowan."

"I know Hayden." Rowan said unhappily. "But we owe Jackson the benefit of the doubt, we can't just declare decades of alliance broken and gone."

"We don't have much a choice Row. They are either in open rebellion with the Crown, or else have splintered and are at civil war. Either way they are unstable and the others deserve to know. Hell, Jackson might have already lost control of the pack."

"He won't risk civil war." Zac said.

"Not with his mate in her condition." Noah agreed. "She's too vulnerable pregnant, he can't have the pack and the house insecure, he needs to keep the internal threats out."

"So he'd risk war with the crown?" Hayden asked in repulsed disbelief.

"He survived it once before, he might think he can do it again." Noah answered with a shrug of his shoulders, his attention moving to Olivia when she let out a small cry of distress in her sleep.

"He might think it's strategic, let us handle the threats and rebellion. He knows we know he wasn't behind it, and that we'd also need someone to eventually lead whatever is left of the pack. Playing both sides, he might see it as his only option" Isaac added, thinking through it out loud.

"He won't get out of it that cleanly this time." Derek said, looking at Rowan. "My Grandfather and the other packs won't agree to letting the traitors survive if they rebel a second time. Even if Jackson risks civil war and splitting the pack, the other's might think it's too big of a risk to let them continue."

Rowan ran his hands through his hair again, fingers pulling on the ends in frustration.

"Rowan?" Her voice was soft and thick from sleep; the others fell quiet as he turned to his mate. Her lids fluttering still heavy with exhaustion. Concern and agitation clawed at him, he wouldn't be able to properly relax until she was safe on his mother's lands, until he was sure she was away from the threats circling them.

"Right here cupcake." He smiled just a little as her nose wrinkled at the nickname.

"Is it time to go?" She asked blinking now so she could look at him.

"No, sleep some more. We'll leave in a few hours." He said brushing a few strands of red hair from her face as she burrowed back into the pillows with a long sigh, eyes closing once more.

His heart twisted, she asked for so little, her body and mind not used to the demands of his world, a world that his choice had thrust her into without her consent. A choice that put her at the center of the danger, that made her a target and pawn to the most powerful and ruthless of their kind. It was taking everything in him to block any thoughts of what Hayden and Derek had revealed of their encounter at Semper, if he thought too much on it he'd lose his mind.

"She needs more sleep." Hayden said quietly.

Rowan just nodded staring at his mate.

"It's better if we get to Silverblood territory, she can sleep there." Derek argued just as quietly. "We can't risk any other stops."

"Any more signs of Doyle?" Hayden asked looking at Isaac this time.

"There haven't been any spottings, but this time no one at Semper knew our route so I'm not surprised he's having more difficulty tracking us." Zac reported, eyes taking on a faraway look as he linked up with the guards positioned around the perimeter and throughout the motel. "Tenebris reported a few random attempts to breach their borders, but I get the feeling they were just feeling them out. Trying to see if we risked going back there."

"Fucking Semper!" Hayden cursed. "They're working with Doyle! With Rogues! For fucksake, we should declare war right now!"

"You know we can't do that Hayden. We can't just break the treaties." Rowan said unhappily, even though everything in him was screaming to do exactly what Hayden wanted.

"He was right there Row, ten feet from her. We weren't near the borders, we weren't even far from the pack house, and he fucking got to us." Hayden ranted, fists balling at his sides as he started pacing the length of the small room.

"I know Hayden. I know." Rowan said, pushing his anger to the side. It would do nothing at the moment but upset Izzy, who stirred at just the hint of emotion from him. Every day the bond between them grew thicker and deeper, tying them together. Of course, she could still break it; a single word from her and it would disintegrate into nothing, fall away like sand on the wind and she could walk away free of him forever. It wouldn't be the same for him, but she didn't need to know that, didn't need to know that he probably wouldn't be able to survive the loss this time, that he didn't think he'd want to. He needed her to choose him because she wanted too, not because she felt guilty for whatever would happen if she walked away.

A real smile broke out over his face for the first time in what felt like days as she started muttering in her sleep. The others had fallen into soft conversations around them, Derek and Noah using the opportunity to stretch out and nod off, catching a bit of shuteye before they took over driving for the last long leg of the trip. Rowan eased further onto the bed, sighing in relief as Izzy shifted closer in her sleep, curling into his side. As he listened, he felt his heart soar as his picked up his name mixed into her soft babbles. The first time he had heard her sleep talking, another man's name on her lips, he'd nearly gone on a murderous rampage. Now, knowing the story behind the low cries didn't do much for his temper, but over the last few nights they had become fewer, his and the other's taking over Centre stage in her nighttime mumblings. Tonight, he wasn't surprised that it was Austin's name that was nearly as constant as his own, her facing scrunching in pain as she called out for him. Pulling her into his chest, he offered what comfort he could even as his own heart called out for the same, clenching in pain when there was no one there to answer.