Obsidian Night Pack

62

Against my protests that I was fine, Alaric didn't believe me. In fact, he insisted we get food in me before anything else.

"I want to see her, I want to see Iris." Alaric sat silently beside me as his fists clenched together. Something had happened, I knew that much, things didn't stop or slow down just because I wasn't there, and yet I felt Alaric hesitating to tell me just what occurred while I was... away.

"Not yet, today, but not yet." I waited patiently.

"We discovered some things while we were looking for you. For one and you might already realize t his, but Iris is a bitch. She basically will do anything to get what she wants and screw the other party at the same time." I nodded in agreement. 

"I thought the same thing, it was too convenient that Region was there the exact same moment that Ash and I were retrieving the bones of her dead sister." 

"The fact that rogues were there wasn't a coincident at all. They were most likely watching the surrounding areas of Bright Moon in case you returned. A runaway Luna would most likely return to her old pack, based on the rumors that were flying around at the time." I was about to ask what rumors, but I quickly shut my mouth, no need to pour salt on an old wound.

"What was definitely not a coincidence was that Region was there," I sated. Finishing Alaric's thought.

"He's too proud of himself to be on a lowly watch dog dutty with the rogues. There was no rhyme or reason for him to be there unless he was tipped off by someone. And the only people who knew we were there was Iris herself as well as you and Sander." Just then a plate of fresh fruit was placed down in front of me along with a glass of water and some bread. Something small to see what I was able to keep down and what my stomach was able to handle. 

It took me a moment to actually understand that I was allowed to eat this. Even when I earned my food when I was with Region I never knew if I had earned the right to actually eat it. One of his favorite power plays. 

I felt Alaric's eyes on me as I looked at the food, for what was probably too long to be counted as normal. It wasn't untill I forked a piece of watermellon into my mouth and chewed that he was satisfied. Maybe he was afraid I wouldn't eat? There was a time when I  wasn't even able to stomach the food I was given...

"That's the same conclution we landed on as well, however there is more." He paused for a moment to either gain back my full attention or to simply watch me scarf down all the food infront of me, making my weight issue that much more noticable, making it a problem that was alive.

"We know who he is, where he's from." That deffinateley got my attention, because even I didn't know that much.

"He's from a pack called the Iron Providence pack." 

"I've never heard of that pack before." Alaric, closed his eyes and I watched his jaw tighten.

"You wouldn't, my father destroyed it. Ended up killing almost all the members and the one's that did survive he made them rogue." My mouth dropped open in shock. 

"Why?" I asked, because at the moment I wasn't trusting the rummors that I heard as a child about the Obsidian Night pack. How their Alpha was simply greedy and power hungry. So much so he found weak packs and destroyed them. 

For a moment again Alaric said nothing, just simply stared at me. Something was wrong... I was wrong it wasn't the information that was bothering him I didn't think... Before I could start to break down what might be going on with Alaric he spoke again.

"The Alpha and Luna were abusing their power. The pack was known to be a poor one, or rather not well enough off to go to war or make a big impact of the werewolf communite. If there was a council meeting being held the Iron Providence pack, despite it's name, wouldn't be taken seriously. In order to change there image the Alpha and Luna decided to earn the pack more money. They entered the black market for supernaturals. Where they started by selling the remains of deceeced pack members. Only to realise that they weren't making enough money fast enough. So, they upped their game, they began killing pack members. Slowly but surely they crafted and determined the type of pack memeber that would get them the most amount of money the fastest. Pups, live pups. That was their Luna's job. To gain the trust of the females in the pack only for her to help them give birth and say thay their pup had died shortly after."

I didn't speak. I didn't even look at Alaric as he continued with his explination.

"The Alpha's son at the time had turned 18 and had left the pack to find his mate. He didn't know about what his parents were doing because he didn't return home until he had found his own mate. Even then it was kept from him, but he noticed the change in his pack. The members were scarce and the life that was in the pack was gone, but the money was overwhelming."

"H-how did your father find out," I whispered.

"Paper work, small pieces here and there that would have gone unnoticed if not for my father. The Iron Providence pack could have lied on their records for how much money they had, but then they would lose the one thing that they wanted every one to know. That they had power."

So that was it hu? That's what it was, that's why Region had such a fasination with Alaric? With me? Because some crazy Alpha killed his psycho family?!?!?

"His name isn't Region, that was his last name, his first name is Vincent. And because of him being unaware of the crime of his pack my father spared his life, but because of his ignorance and lack of action against his pack my father deemed him unworthy of being an Alpha and turned him rogue."

"What about his mate?" I asked even though I knew the answer. There was only one reason why Region or I guess Vincent now would have been so intrested in hurting me.

"She was killed during the attack, I can't say for sure if it was meant to happen or if she was simply a causlty of the attack. Once I found the papers the my father used to discover the Iron Providence's secret I found the file of my father's that recorded the attack and events. Every pack is required to fill out "war declarations" or so they're called. When one pack attacks another."

"So, the council can see if the act of aggression was fair, right?" Alaric nodded. Although the council didn't oversee all of the packs actions they did come together to discuss major actions such as war.

"Even when my father went before the council the other Alphas didn't reprimand him because everyone else had simply ignored the signs." The food in my somach began to churn and not sit well with me anymore the more Alaric explained. I placed my head in my hands and ran my fingers through my hair. 

I was an idiot.

I knew that from the beginning. After hearing all of this, it was just a fact. How could I not see it? All the signs were there! I was just so stupid.

"Shit," I mummbled as the plate in front of me began to get blurry.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Screamed as I picked up the plate at threw. Imediantly Alairc was up out of his seat and getting closer to me. He didn't know what was wrong, but he knew it was something he said.

"What is it? What's wrong? Was it too much?" I shook my head furiously as the tears came from my eyes in waves of emotion.

"T-there doing it again!" I screamed. I was mad, mad at myself that I didn't see it before, that I only saw my own suffering and pain. 

"What, what are they doing? Who?" Alairc asked as he tried to get me to look at him. Goddess, no. I couldn't look at him I couldn't face this. My breathing increased and I began to shake. It was like the world was tipping and only I could feel the twist in gravity.

"GET HELP!" Alaric screamed to anyone who could hear.

"Clover I need you to calm down baby, breathe and look at me." I turned my attention to him, focus on him. But my eyes just shifted away from him moving on their own free will. Alaric took my face in his hands and pulled my face closer to his.

"Breath, slow down and look at me." My breathing didn't decrease, but I was able to keep Alaric in focus. Slowly but surely my breathing returned to normal. My face wet with tears and sweat.

"I-I-I'm s-or-ory." I mummbled out between breaths.

"I-I hel-helped."

"Shhh, don't talk it's okay. Everythings fine." 

"N-no, I-I he-help-ed them." Alaric seemed to understand that I wasn't going to stop talking.

"Who did you help?"

"Region. Black market, h-e's in again." I choked out.

"Vincent is in with the black market again?!" Alaric repeated shocked. I nodded.

"I-I hel-helped." Alaric looked back down to me.

"Bodies, s-so m-many b-bodies."