Love And Betrayal | ✔️

47. Stay one step ahead

I SPEND THE rest of the day training the cadets with Jared.

By evening, I'm in a pissy mood partly because the obnoxious Chief Warrior had grated my nerves for twelve hours straight, but mostly because dealing with him had made me hungry.

When I finally make my way to the kitchen, it is already empty. The Omegas have made themselves scarce, and the counter wiped clean indicating they are probably done for the night.

For a moment, I consider skipping dinner, but my stomach grumbles loudly. Not in the mood to eat alone, I grab a couple of protein bars from the cabinet and stomp up the stairs to my room. I switch on Netflix, contemplating whether to start a new series or watch an old one.

Just when I've decided and about to press play, Ashton mindlinks me. I suppress the groan of irritation when I answer. "What now?"

"Come to the conference room at once." His voice is cold and authoritative, so unlike what I'm used to.

I frown. "Is everything okay?"

A beat of silence. Then-

"Just come."

"Am I in trouble?" I ask.

No response. Worry gnaws at me even as I spring out of bed and hurry to change. "Ash?"

A tired sigh ensues. "What do you think?"

With an uneasy sense of foreboding, I walk in ten minutes later only to be met by a circle of Alphas and Lunas waiting for me. Arms crossed over their broad chests, shoulders squared, they stare me down over the bridge of their noses. Ashton's brown eyes peek at me over their shoulder, regret written all over his face.  

Well, shit.

"Luna Evergreen." Alpha Nate Raven is the first to speak. He is the most intimidating of the lot—his big hulking size easily giving him an edge over all the others. There's coldness in his eyes while he surveys me from head to toe. "It's been a while. Anything you'd like to share with us?"

The underlying taunt is lost to none in the room.

Sweat trickles down my back as the silence grows. Aden's jarring absence is like the final proof anyone ever needed to figure out what's going on. The guilt in my mind and the accusation makes me want to squirm like a hormonal teenager caught hoarding dirty secrets. A faint blush creeps up my cheeks even when I refuse to let the guilt show on my face.

"I am well. Thank you asking." I force a smile.

Only it's more of a grimace than an actual smile.

The condescending smirk on Alpha Nate's face grows. "Really? That sounds like great news." He pauses dramatically as he turns his gaze to rest of the little crowd. "Unlike what we've heard today."

Time to face the music, Ki. There's no escaping this.

"What do you want, Alpha Raven?"

It's been a while since I saw them, the last time we got together it was at Nora's funeral. With the shadow of death looming over all of us then, we didn't have time for pleasantries.

Something tells me we won't today either.

"Tell us the truth. Is the Alpha of the Dark Wolves doomed to die?"

I flinch, actually flinch. For the briefest moment, I feel their expressions waver when they take in my horror, but then the grim look is back on.

"Nate, sweetie." A cool feminine voice from the back of the room tuts him, cutting into the heart of the tension. "That's no way to talk to a Luna. I thought we agreed on more civility, didn't we?"