CHAPTER 69
As he walked in the dark, he said to himself "I had better watch my step, if I didn’t want to sprain my ankle on the tree roots", As it was very dark, only the full moon high up in the sky illuminating the landscape and carnick bars stretching across the thickets around the pack lands. In the heart of the woods, out of sight and at this time more importantly, out of hearing one man was pacing with anticipation.
Suddenly, there was a break, of the twig in the night darkness, but before anything could be seen, Jake jumped around and sprung into motion.
He had finally arrived at his destination, Out from behind the curtain stepped a man of a height of what Jake estimated to be about six and a half feet tall and muscular to boot.
“Beta,” he muttered, getting down on his knee, which was a show of respect.
Taking a breath to calm his racing mind Elijah stepped out into the diluted light of the moon. “Report Jake,” Elijah said quietly, pulling Jake to stand.
Jake could feel the nerves setting in as he prepared to give out information that he was more than sure would cause a flurry of activities. “Beta, they have found her; Ema’s top team just came back with information that Amelia is somewhere in the city. ”
Hope and fear danced in the round brown pupils of Elijah as he looked fixated at the cup. “Where?” he said peremptorily, and his voice was noticeably guttural.
“Seattle,” Jake replied. “She is an employee at a bookstore called Bookmark Haven. Ema’s rogues follow her to make sure she is the real person they are looking for and to make sure she is working at the said place. ”
As was the case with almost every item of news that he received, Elijah got to thinking as to how he could approach the matter in front of him. Days turned into weeks, and weeks into more weeks before they were finally presented with a lead. Die to his daughter who was alive and above all; she was liberated. But for how long?
They stare at each other silently for some time until Elijah asks, “What does Ema have in mind?” He already knows he will not like the response
Jake just shook his head and there was clear irritation in his voice. “I don’t know specifics, Ema isn’t tipping her hand. However, from what I gleaned, she wants to come back in the short term; rather than move immediately. She wants to enjoy this and wants to plan something… grand. ”
The sound of a low growl emerged from the chest of Elijah, and for the first time, the young man could see the anger simmering in the blue color of the man’s eyes. This time, contemplating the conflict between Ema and his daughter and enjoying the fact that he will be able to bring suffering to her, the man’s wolf roared with rage.
”You’ve done well, Jake”, Elijah said putting his hand on the younger wolf’s shoulders. “But I need you to remain with Ema’s rogues for a while longer; I have to have you inform me when she moves. ”
Jake nodded his head in agreement as he knew that was his responsibility now. “Why of course Beta I will not disappoint you”.
As Jake disappeared into the forest along with Ema’s rogues, leaving behind a place of danger for him, Elijah stood alone in the clearing, deep in thought, plotting and strategizing.
Following on from what Ema is probably having the time of her life right now but she is just completely off her rocker. He had to get to Amelia first and take her home like she needed to be not to endanger herself any further.
New found determination, Elijah rushed to the pack house. When he dashed outside it was pitch dark, and as he moved up to wake some pack members the first hint of dawn could be seen in the sky.
Elijah yelled out Bruce’s name and the sound echoed and repeated all over the walls, the ceiling and everything in between as if he’d spoken through a loudspeaker. “We have to talk, as soon as possible. ”
Soon Bruce came out, he looked rather disheveled with a look of sheer panic on his face. ‘Sup?’ great Elijah and the friendly tone was immediately met with a stern and focused gaze from Elijah
Scarcely had Bruce finished listening to the details given to him by Elijah from Jake when the innocence that could be read on the former’s face changed into determination.
“We have to go get her,” Bruce said standing up from the settee to ascend the stairs.
“I’ll pack a bag, We can be on the road in an hour”, Bruce supposes.
Elijah seized Bruce by his arm and stopped him from the sentence that he wanted to complete. “Well, Bruce let’s not make hasty decisions here Ema’s rogues are already there following her if we storm the place then we will be endangering Amelia even further.
Bruce eventually began to understand the depth of what was said by Elijah, looking sad. ‘Then what do we do We can’t leave her there and let her be easily attacked by the enemies. ’
Elijah pointed to his head; he was still trying to puzzle out everything in his head. “No we can’t However we have to be wise on this We have to plan”
Bruce reluctantly agreed.
So for the next few hours, Elijah and Bruce closed themselves into the study where they discussed the map of Seattle and their further plans. It is at this juncture that they summoned their most loyal pack members to go around the social strata to assign working posts.
“Max,” Elijah spoke to one of their best trackers, “I have to get to Seattle a little earlier than you guys. I want you to do a recon of the area around the bookstore, but don’t get too close. We can’t let the rogues know we’re coming for Ema. ”
Max watched him nodding while his eyes fixated determinedly on the boss. “Alright, Alpha, that is a good plan let me do master. ”
“You, Sarah” Elijah turned to a young wolf with a talent for blending in with humans, “You will shop as a customer in the bookstore. Try to get close to Amelia if you can but do not approach her directly. We must discover her schedule and her activities.
Finally, the plan was evolving and for the first time, Elijah started to feel a ray of hope. There was an opportunity, though it was a rather small one, of getting Amelia back home safely.
But there was one more thing that the Beta still had to consider regarding the strategy.
“Bruce,” Elijah continued after everyone apart from those going on missions left, “there is more to this. ”
Bruce was lost in thinking while reading a map; then, suddenly, he scowled. “What is it?”
Elijah drew in a long breath, understanding, that what he was about to say, would pain both of them. “You and I have to sit Rosa down and explain to her. ”
Bruce rolled his eyes in shock before enlightenment took him over. “Yes, you are right,” he added after a while. She should be told. The woman’s eyes lifted to Elijah‘s face, however, her eyebrows arched, and she gave him a contemplative look, “But Elijah, are you prepared for that?”
The last question sat in the space between them like a heavy lead weight. Especially, it can be mentioned that Elijah had a bad history with Rosa.
The day after he had the trip to Rosa's place, he had sat Bruce down and told him almost everything about Rosa who happened to be Amelia's Mother.
He had told him that he had been the true loves of each other’s lives, but fate and decisions had pulled them apart like any others in the pack. Elijah understood that Rosa had decided to leave the supernatural world and start a new life. But now a situation – in which Amelia was in some sort of trouble – the division between the two worlds was not so distinct.
“I have to be,” Elijah said finally. This has nothing to do with me or how I feel. It’s about Amelia.
It’s about Amelia. Rosa is her mother. She has every right to know what is happening because she is a wife and a mother. ”
Bruce also raised his head and with what could be described as sympathy nodded at her. “You are going out, do you want someone to accompany you?”
Elijah shook his head. “No, I prefer it this way; someone has to be here to organize things Anyway, I believe in your capability to handle things when am not around. ”
When the two of them finally started clapping for Bruce, Elijah was filled with somewhat of pride and happiness to have such a friend. Together, they had guided the pack through so many trials for them this was the only way to win. This would be their greatest test yet.
