Chapter 19

Silently, we all walked towards a group of waiting black cars, sitting at the back of the driveway, that I hadn't yet noticed and pilled in, one by one. Blake and I jumped into the back seat of a large Range Rover while Beta Alistair jumped into the driver’s seat, followed by Damien.
Loudly, the car wheels spun on the gravel as we pulled off and raced down the drive and out towards my old territory. I could feel my heart beating in my chest as the car sped through the pitch-black forests and back towards my old part of the big city.

The city was free land, so that meant that we could travel without persecution from other leading Alpha males, but I knew that the minute we stepped into my old territory, it would anger my old packmates. In their eyes, I would be a deserter. As if he had read my mind, Blake coughed loudly, making me jump.
“Don’t worry about your old packhouse,” he murmured, clasping my hands in his. “They won’t do anything about us being on their lands. We are much more powerful than them! If anything, they will cower away like the cowards they are!”
Nodding silently, I turned my head and stared back out of the window, watching the world fly past in a blur of colour. The car snaked through near-empty streets, only occupied by those who preferred the company of the nightlife and the many bars and pubs. As the car stopped and came to a half for a red light outside a popular bar I knew, I turned my head to see if I could notice anyone I knew. Immediately, I froze at the sight of two pretty brunettes, who were leaving the bar and heading further into town. Luckily, they hadn't spotted me and they soon disappeared into the darkness.
"Anyone you know?" Blake's gruff voice called out, making me turn my head in surprise.
"Um, no. Just some girls I went to school with," I shrugged casually.
"Friends?" Blake asked again, looking at me intently.
"No, not really," I admitted while shaking my head. "Nothing in this part of the city was that good for me!"

It wasn't long before we finally made our way towards the west of the city. A large housing estate began creeping up on us, which marked the beginning of the Eclipse’s territory. A lump began to form in my throat, and I could feel my breathing start to quicken as I neared my old packouse. My mum and dad used to bring me here lots as a child when they had work to do. Would the Alpha here even recognise me? Was I even doing the right thing by being here?

As the car turned off from the main road and made its way down a familiar lane, towards a luxurious three-storey house, a loud howl echoed through the night air, sending the little hairs on my arms to stand up and my blood run cold. They knew we were here! I stared out of the window silently as the car raced through two brown, wooden gates that were slowly starting to shut and pulled up on a large, gravelled drive.

The luxurious home was complete with a double garage and a neatly mowed front lawn with a large spectacular water feature, consisting of two wolves playing. The hedgerows were perfectly trimmed, and colourful border plants lined the drive. The house was oddly silent and there was no sign of anybody being home, which was odd for a packhouse. Opening the car door hurriedly, Blake undid his seatbelt and looked at me intently but firmly before jumping out.
“Stay here! I want you to wait in the car!”

I watched as Blake joined his hunters and warriors, leaving me behind in the car. Sighing, I undone my seat belt and climbed out of the car, before following Blake's footsteps and joining him and his pack. Slowly, Blake turned around and looked at me before shaking his head slowly.
“Don’t you ever do what you're told?”
“Mmm, no, not really,” I shrugged casually. “I told you that I’m coming with you!”
“Fine,” huffed Blake quietly, sensing that he wasn’t going to win this argument. “But I want you to stay close to us, okay? Come on, let’s go!”

Before we could take one more step towards the house, a loud noise from behind us surprised us. We turned around to see three, menacing black wolves walking towards us, snarling angrily, their fangs exposed. Their eyes glowed in the dark like polished sapphires, as yet another loud growl echoed out from behind the house. As we turned back around to identify the second noise, we came face to face with another six of the Eclipse Pack wolves. One by one, we all began to change into our own wolves, including myself and began snarling back until one of the wolves finally spoke.

“What are you doing here, on our territory?” snarled the biggest wolf, who I recognised as a Warrior wolf named Ricky. “You’re trespassing! Isn't your territory good enough for you?”
“Ahh, finally, the calvary turns up!”, Blake mocked loudly, licking his lips hungrily. “We'd been wondering where you lot all was hiding!”
“What is your business here, dog!?” Ricky growled, completely ignoring Blake’s sarcasm. “You have two minutes to get the hell out of here before we rip you and your pretty little she-wolf to pieces!”
“Speaking of whom, I want to see Alpha Alec, regarding the treatment of my she-wolf. Who, incidentally, also happens to be my Mate. You may know of her! Libby Westwood! Does her name ring a bell?” thundered Blake angrily, pawing the ground impatiently. “Now, where in God's hell is he!?”
“Libby Westwood?” Ricky growled slowly while cocking his head to one side in interest. “Wait, It can’t be? What is she doing here, with you? She is meant to be dead! Buried alongside her parents in the Great Lake Cemetery!”
“Dead?” laughed Blake sarcastically before nudging my white fur. “Does she look dead to you? Let me guess. Did Julianne make that one up?”

Before anyone could say another word, a tall, stocky man with short brown hair ran out of the house and gasped loudly at the sight in front of him. Angrily, he marched up towards Ricky and Blake and stood in between them both. With a deathly calm voice, he turned to Ricky and the rest of the Eclipse Pack and muttered one word. Instantly, the wolves shifted back into their human forms and looked at us apologetically. Feeling no longer threatened, we too, all shifted back and stared back at Alpha Alec furiously. Feeling nervous about being in the presence of my previous Alpha, I stepped behind Blake and tried to cover away.

“What are you doing here, Blake?” Alpha Alec asked curtly, sounding bored of the whole fiasco. “Not even been Alpha for a day, I hear, and already you’re stirring up trouble.”
“I’m here to get justice for my Mate,” growled Blake loudly. “I’m sure you will remember who she is! Libby Westwood. Does the name ring a bell to you?”

Alpha Alec slowly peeled his eyes away from Blake and looked at me, his expression turning from annoyance to shock. Stumbling slightly, he shook his head in confusion and began to stutter in panic. It looked like he had seen a ghost due to how white his skin had now become.

“It can’t be?” Alpha Alec spluttered. “We were told that she ran away from the pack and died at your very own hands for entering your territory!”
“And who told you that, I wonder?” snarled Blake angrily, his fists clenching tightly. “James and Julianne by any chance? Or was it Louisa?”
“Well, yes, if I remember rightly. It was Julianne,” murmured Alpha Alec quietly. “They told me that they managed to retrieve her mangled body from your territory. They said that they tried to save her and stop your attack, but it was too late. They told us that they buried Libby alongside her parent's graves, in the cemetery in an unmarked grave.”
“An unmarked grave! Are you even for real?” thundered Alistair loudly, pushing past me and standing in front of Alpha Alec. “And you believed them! How often do people just bury bodies in a cemetery with no official records of them being there Alec? Come on! Surely you are not that stupid! Did none of you care that she was gone!? And for starters, there is no grave for her parents. Both of their bodies were never recovered!”
“Julianne told us that Libby no longer wanted to associate with wolves or her Pack. That she had disowned us all!” shrugged Alpha Alec nervously. “She told us that Libby had decided to forgo her wolf and embrace a more natural human life. And that’s why she ran away. That’s why we never bothered chasing Libby up about it. We just kind of guessed, with having both parents deceased, she didn’t want this lifestyle anymore.”
“Do you even know what Libby went through at the hands of those scumbags!?” hissed Blake angrily, his eyes glowing with anger in the dark. “I shall do you the honour and tell you! James raped her and repeatedly sexually assaulted her, while Julianne, kept her locked up in the home, forced her to be a slave and beat her up on numerous occasions. How is that okay!? Do you even know the laws regarding the safety and treatment of pups?"
“Of course, it's not okay! I am so, so sorry Libby. I didn’t know,” gasped Alpha Alec sadly. “I honestly didn't! If I had known, I would have sent the warriors out to come and get you and bring you to safety. And of course, I know the laws! I helped write at least seven of them! Plus, I am a very law-abiding citizen!”
“Ha! Okay then. You keep telling yourself that!” smirked Blake incredulously, becoming increasingly more angry towards Alpha Alec's lack of compassion. “If you say so! Where are James and Julianne now? Bring them to me! I am going to arrest them and take them back to our courthouse and have them punished for what they did!”