Chapter 43-Deceit and Cowardice

Harry places my clothes on a desk in the small guard office and then exits so that we can shift. When I’m dressed, I walk into the bunker’s main area, where everyone is waiting, and everyone falls silent.
I stand there awkwardly, shifting my weight from foot to foot while everyone stares at me.
‘*Remember that dream you used to have about showing up to pack school naked? This kinda feels like that*,’ Enyo laughs, and my cheeks go red.
“How did you command me like that, Delta?” Harry asks, breaking the silence.
“I… I don’t know. It shouldn’t be possible,” I say as I run my fingers through my hair.
The door swings open behind me, and Ryna, Uncle Alex, and Jason enter but stop when they sense the tension in the room.
“What’s going on?” Jason asks.
“Athena can Alpha command,” Tony blurts out with excitement.
“What?” Uncle Alex gasps.
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “It wasn’t an Alpha command,” I say with an exasperated sigh.
“Then how do you explain your command being stronger than the Lunas?” Jess asks.
“He bared his neck in submission to you, Athena. That’s not something you should take lightly,” Cassia adds.
“Oh, who cares! Do it again! I want to see it!” Tony claps his hand like a child getting his favorite toy.
“I’m not a bloody dog performing tricks on command, Tony!” I shout.
“You can resist Damon’s Alpha commands,” Cassia says. “There has to be a reason why you can.”
Ryna snorts. “That’s just pure stubbornness,” he says, chuckling, but he quickly stops when I glare at him.
“I don’t know how I resist his commands. It just doesn’t have the same effect on me as it used to,” I explain.
‘Don’t tell them everything, Athena. We need to still protect ourselves, no matter how much we trust these people,’ Enyo cautions.
Cassia walks up to me and places her hand on my shoulder. “Let’s just try, Athena. We’ll see if you can stop my command,” she says, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
“I’m not even sure how to do it,” I admit, hesitantly.
“Come on, it’s easy. Just trust your instincts and put your emotions behind your command,” Cassia says and turns her attention to Uncle Alex. He looks nervously between us as Cassia clears her throat. “Gamma Alex, break Ryna’s arm,” Cassia commands.
“What?! What are you doing?!” I ask, panic rising in my throat as Uncle Alex takes Ryna’s arm.
“Command him to stop, Athena,” Cassia says, crossing her arms over her chest.
“What the hell, Luna?!” Ryna asks, panicked.
I look at Uncle Alex as Ryna yelps in his grip and I yell, “Uncle Alex, Stop!”
He pauses as he struggles with both commands, his face turning red in pain, but he doesn’t stop completely, instead tightening his grip on Ryna’s arm.
“With more authority, Delta! That’s your Gamma! You will need a stronger command on him,” Cassia explains.
I look between the two men I love dearly as Uncle Alex raises his other hand to Ryna’s arm, about to break it.
‘*If she wants us to show our strength, then let’s do it, Athena. Command her instead*!’ Enyo growls.
‘*What?! That’s crazy! There’s no way we can do that*!’
‘*Just trust me! Do it*!’ Enyo yells.
I close my eyes and breathe deeply. When I open them, a blue hue falls over the room, and I feel a power settle over me, just as it did when the rogues attacked. I shift my attention to Luna Cassia and direct my power at her rather than Uncle Alex. “Luna! Command them to stop!” I yell, and I feel a tidal wave of power rush from my body.
Cassia yelps and yells, “Gamma Alex, stop!”
Uncle Alex releases Ryna’s arm, and the two of them breathe a sigh of relief before looking at me with wide eyes.
“How the hell did I just do that?” I ask out loud.
‘*Told you that you could do it,*’ Enyo beams with pride.
“You… You just commanded your Luna…” Jason stutters in disbelief.
“That… Was… AWESOME!” Tony yells.
“Luna, I-I’m so sorry!”
“Don’t be,” she says, a big grin on her face. “Everyone, no one is to breathe a word of this to anyone,” she instructs everyone in the room. They all nod their heads in agreement, and the room is so quiet you could hear a pin fall. “Luna Guard, please guard this room and ensure no one interrupts us. I want to talk with Delta Athena.”
Luca exits the room with a nod as Harry, James, and Leah follow him.
“Warriors…”
“Crescent Warriors, Luna,” Tony interrupts her.
“I’m sorry, what?” Luna Cassia asks him, confused.
“We’re Delta Athenas Crescent Warriors,” he says proudly, showing Cassia his marking. One of the other warriors’ elbows Tony in the side, glaring at him. “Ow! What?” He asks with a shrug.
“Do you all bear her mark?” Cassia asks.
“Yes, Luna,” the warriors all say at once.
She smiles even wider and says, “perfect. Crescent Warriors. Please return to your duties,” she instructs them. “Gamma, Ryna, Jason, and Jess, please stay.”
The warriors all leave the bunker, leaving the rest of us alone.
“Luna, please don’t be angry. The warriors refused to follow Damon anymore and pledged themselves to Athena. But I assure you, they still see you as their Luna,” Ryna blurts out quickly.
“Why would I be angry?” Cassia asks. “This is awesome! I know now how to get the proof we need!” She says excitedly.
“What?” Jess asks. “What do you mean?”
“I’m not sure how Athena can command anyone. But if she can command her pack’s Luna, she might be able to command her Alpha,” Cassia grins.
We all look at each other in confusion.
“What will that prove?” Jason asks.
“Don’t you see? She can command him to tell the truth!” Cassia explains.
“That’s completely insane. I’m not even sure I’d be able to command him if I tried,” I say in exasperation.
“You can and will,” she says with a smile.
“Athena, this could work,” Uncle Alex says. “We could get him to tell the truth in front of the entire pack.”
“No, not just the pack. In front of all the packs. During the mate ball,” Cassia says. “Damon has invited nearly every pack in America to this ball, trying to show off what a great Alpha he is. And if it’s true that the Elder Council can’t be trusted, what better way to get support to kill Damon than to have him spill his secrets in front of everyone?” she explains.
“Cass, no! If he’s killed, we don’t know what will happen to you! You could die as well!” Jess yells, terrified. “Banish him! Lock him in here! Anything but that!”
“My dear sister. If he is the monster we believe he is, he cannot remain in this world. But I’m tough; I’ll make it,” Cassia says as she embraces her sister. Cassia then pulls away, smiles at Jess, and returns her gaze to me. “Will your Crescent Warriors only follow you?” She asks me.
“Yes, as well as Gamma Alex and Ryna. As Ryna said, they have pledged themselves to me.”
“Excellent. They, together with the Luna guard, will serve as the night’s security detail.”
“What about Nick’s men?” I ask.
“They’ll be on border patrol. That’s what I planned for them originally,” Cassia explains.
“Nick is flying in a few days earlier so that I can catch him up on everything that’s happened,” I tell them, and Jess and Cassia stiffen.
“Please tell me you haven’t told him anything yet?” Cassia asks.
“Not specifics, just that I’d found some things out, but couldn’t speak about them over the phone. The same thing that I told Jason and Jess,” I explain. “Why? I thought he was your cousin?” I ask.
“He is,” Jess says. “But don’t trust him with this.”
“I don’t understand. Why shouldn’t I trust him? You’re putting our pack’s safety in his hands,” I say, confused.
“We love him. He’s always looked out for us, and we trust him with keeping us safe. But he’s always been a bit… Off,” Jess explains.
“Mentally…” Cassia adds.
“Huh. I never got that impression from him. But I trust you guys. I won’t tell him anything, but he’s already flying in early for us to talk. What am I going to do?” I ask.
“I’ll handle Nick, don’t you worry,” Cassia says with a reassuring smile. “Gamma Alex, Ryna, we’ll meet next week to work out the details for the Crescent Warriors, as well as the remaining warriors.”
“Yes, Luna,” they say.
“Make sure they know they’re still to distract Damon if he looks like he’s even thinking about the Luna,” I tell them.
“Of course, Athena,” Ryna says. “However, after today, I don’t think it’s safe for you to stay in your room at the pack house, Luna.”
“He doesn’t even share a room with you?” Jason asks, surprised.
Cassia sighs and shakes her head. “No, I have my own room. But Ryna could be correct.”
“There’s plenty of room at my mom’s house, as well as a room for Jess and Jason, so they’ll be close by,” I suggest.
“Perfect. Jess and I will go and get my things, and we’ll meet you over there.” Cassia says, and we all leave the bunker room.
‘*Harry, Leah, and Luca, please accompany the Luna and her sister through the pack house so that the Luna can pack to stay at my mom’s house,*’ I instruct them.
‘*Yes, Delta*.’
I sigh as I walk along the footpath with Uncle Alex and Ryna.
“What’s wrong, Athena?” Ryna asks.
‘*I don’t know,*’ I mind-link. ‘*Even with everything she’s been told today, she seems way too happy with this plan that could end up killing her mate.*’
‘*He’s been cheating on her, and she just had his mistress killed. I don’t think we have to worry*,’ Uncle Alex says. ‘*I am worried about why you killed Laura for her*.’
‘*She’s been through enough*,’ Enyo answers.