Chapter 46

SOMA:

“Arrgh!” I yell out in frustration as I hit the pillar in front of me. Everything that went down in there was horribly terrible. And it was no way to solve the ongoing issue.

I can’t believe I actually announced that I have a mate in their pack. Now they will be curious as to who it is. The worst thing is that I might eventually not be allowed to go on the intended mission because they would feel I might let my emotions have the better of me.

Speculations upon speculations. That’s just how I live my life most time. Most of the time it is a means for me to make out excuses for the wrongs of someone and I’m starting to find it annoying.

There is this urge to hit the pillar again but I withhold myself from doing it. Mainly because I do not trust the strength that would accompany the hit. What I eventually do is grab on to it, gripping it in full force to vent my frustration.

Approaching footsteps come from behind me, and I am grateful it is neither of the men judging from the scent. I cannot face them at this point because it would be so embarrassing to do.

When the footsteps stop, I know it is because the person is standing right behind me. Don’t need much to know it is Hailey. And suddenly I feel her warm hand on my shoulder which makes me feel more relaxed than I have been since the whole hullabaloo started.

“I know how you feel,” she says and I cannot hold it in me anymore. So I turn around to embrace her because that is what I need the most right now.

Thankfully she reciprocates, gently caressing my back with care. It’s been long since I felt something like motherly care attached to a woman. Especially since mom started her whole ‘travel around the earth’ trips with dad.

I can’t say how long the embrace lasted. But I am instantly flushed with embarrassment when I pull out of it. Feels like something I would never expect myself to do.

“I’m sorry about that,” I tell her, too ashamed to look in her face.

I can tell she is smiling when she says, “It’s fine,”

After that, I take my time to at least feel much better because I cannot get the whole thought of this crisis out of my head. Like Tyrone said, it’s none of my business. But it already is since Luis is now a victim. And until Luis is found, I do not see myself minding my business.

“You said you know how I feel,” I suddenly say, turning to look at Hailey in the process, “How?”

“Well,” she starts with a smile but then lets it leave her face, “I remember Tyrone being in a situation similar to what our warriors are in now. I’m sure you recall the constant rogue attack of some years ago. Well, during the crisis, and in Tyrone’s bid to curb it, I felt he had gotten injured because the link between us started to sever. I confirmed it when I contacted Zane and thus put me in a state of frenzy,”

“So what did you do?”

“I didn’t know what to do at first because I know how stubborn Tyrone can be when it comes to receiving help. But I couldn’t sit in the pack and find out that he is dead. No, I couldn’t do that. So I took some of the men and went to where the crisis was ongoing just to save him. If I had been a day late, I would have lost him,”

As she finished with her statement, it brings me to the time the rogue attacks occurred. I put two and two together to realize that it was after Tyrone was whisked away from the venue of the crisis was my pack alerted to help curb the issue. Although it wasn’t much remaining, we managed to do what we could do to end the then issue.

“Takes a lot of courage for you to do what you did,” I tell Hailey, admiring her for what she did. The same Hailey that hardly knew a basic rule about combat went into an ongoing battle just to save her mate.

“I know,” she seems to be blushing now, but I won’t rub it on her. “But I would do it again if it comes to that once more. So when you say you want to go into that mission because of your mate in there, trust me, I understand your feelings. And that’s why I’m saying now that I support any decision you make about it,”

“Thank you so much, Hailey.” I produce a sincere smile at her. Probably the sincerest I have ever produced in a very long time.

She nods. “So are you going to tell me who the said mate is?” she asks, igniting a hesitation in me.

“Uhm, I don’t know,” I first say but then shrug off any feeling that would make me reluctant to speak. “Okay, I’ll tell you. It’s—”

“Luis?”

Ignoring the interruption, I’m particularly stunned that she actually got it right. “How did you know?” I can’t help but ask.

She shrugs, a bit of nonchalance attached to it. “Let’s say I have a keen for observing things.”

“Did I make it too obvious that I was into him or something?”

“Not just that. I was curious about your constant interaction with him whenever you come to our pack. As well as your insisting that you train me here and not in your pack. I could only guess that it had something to do with Luis being your mate and now that you mention having a mate that is missing, I put two and two together to guess right.”

The urge to smack myself kicks in. Little wonder Leonard was able to guess right as well about having something to do with Luis. I should have been more careful, though.

“Well, it is what it is.” was what I say much after as a means of letting her know that I had totally admitted to what she said.

We both stay quiet after that, observing the scenery of the premises. Even though they had gone through a recent crisis, the activities around here look the same. The warriors and ladies were going about their business as usual and it brings more admiration from me to them. Can’t see my pack doing the same if we go through the same ordeal.

“Do you want to go in now?” Hailey asks.

First, I take in a deep breath and then exhale at once. I need to prepare my mind first if I am going to do anything. And after feeling much better, I say, “Let's go in. But you have to help me convince them that I am going for the mission. And if they do not agree to it, I don’t mind going solo,”

“Don’t worry, I’ll try my best,”

And with that, we both turn around to head back into the building where the meeting is taking place.

When we get in there, all eyes fall on us. At first, it makes me a bit nervous, but then I do as I always do in such situations — I ignore their stares. And with that head back to my seat in between Mark and Leonard.

“So what did you guys discuss while we were out?” Hailey questions them all while I look at all of them.

“Nothing,” Leonard responds to her question.

“Nothing?” she sounds a bit surprised. “That was a whole five minutes out there. Why will you tell me you all had nothing to say?”

“Because we wanted the table to be complete before going on with our discussion,” Tyrone chooses to say to her, particularly looking in my direction when he speaks. He wants a showdown? Well, I give it to him instantly until he takes his eyes off. “Now that you both are back, we will go back to what we were discussing,”

“Before you do any of that, am I going on the mission or not? At least me know so I can tell if I would be continuing with this meeting or not,” I bring that to their notice because I still haven’t changed my mind about the whole issue that resulted in a conflict between us.

“Let’s first go over what you proposed,” Leonard says in place, and I nod while relaxing back on my seat. “So you said we should go with few men, and then add more than one expert into the team to reduce the number of casualties, right?”

“Yes, that’s what I said,”

“And you volunteered to be one of those experts going on this mission?”

“Yup,” I say, not getting the point yet. “And what are you driving at, Leonard?”

“I’m trying to bring to your notice that the mission isn’t going to be any easy. We could be walking right into a trap for all we know and that as well could lead to your life being endangered,”

I shake my head at his naive Leonard sounds. This is the first time since I have known him that he would sound this way and it’s extremely disappointing. “Let me ask you something, Leonard. Did you have a backup plan when you proposed the first idea of penetrating the Black Lotus’ secret base?”

The weird expression that appears on their faces, excluding Mark and Hailey, proved that they did not even think of something like that. How dumb!

“From the look of things, you all did not even think of having a backup plan should in case the first one goes into shambles,” And so I stand up to my feet, looking at each of their faces with a sense of pride accompanying my aura. “I have a backup plan. And just like my starting plan, it’s going to help in solving all of these issues with your pack. But I am not spilling until you include me on the team.”

Tyrone exchanges a look with Leonard, Hailey, and then Zane. I can’t tell what they have in mind, but if they disagree with my request, I am walking out of this meeting.

Finally, Tyrone speaks, “Okay, you can join the team.”

The side of my lips curves into a smirk. “Now that’s what I wanted to hear.”