Chapter 47

**IM GOING TO KILL HIM **

“Grayson! No! No!,” my mate stepped between me and my oldest friend pushing me back as Enzo flashed across my face.

She pressed herself against me and Enzo calmed to her scent. She had became a soothing balm to my anger almost instantly. As if the moment I laid my head on her bed she was all I needed for peace.

But I still want to kill Steven.

“Grayson you made a promise my wife went on a dangerous recon mission for you. You take care of this beastly bear for us,” My highly annoying prick of a friend stated matter of factly.

“Steven, your timing is impeccable as always,” Lili pinched her nose and waved her hand at her husband.

I should kill him. I should break his arms and his legs and then kill him.

“We weren’t at war! Steven I am not leaving when I have a revenge plan set against my people you absolute-“

“What he means to say is our priorities have now changed and is there any way that this could be taken care of later,” Annette cut me off rubbing my arm gently.

“I can’t help you if I’m losing men and food sources to this monster Gray, do this now and we won’t have to worry about it later,” Steven crossed his arms. “It is my priority this is taken care of of and you promised Gray,”

A small growl came from my woman and I smirked at her ire. She was a woman of reason but she also knew when someone was being an ass.

“You do realize that you’re putting us at risk. Your oldest friend and his wife. Our people. I don’t think it’s very fair,” she huffed and her eyes turned icy as she spoke to him.

“I’m sorry darling but it has to happen I have had to many issues come from this bear I need Grayson to kill it,” He shrugged and played innocent.

“I am supposed to leave my mate as a huge threat has been set against us? For you?” I straightened and stepped towards him menacingly.

“You won’t hurt me Gray. I know you won’t as the Alpha of my pack I have to insist, unfortunate timing or not,” He sighed.

“Alright. Grayson will go. On the condition you send 20 men with him for defense when he returns,” Annette stepped between us again.

“And leave my pack open?” He scoffed at her.

“You ask the same of us and as someone claiming friendship I suggest you take this bargain I am extending or it will not be my mate you will have to worry about,” she set her face and shoulders hard.

I knew Steven since we were children and whenever he was nervous his fingers began to fiddle. His finger twitched for a second and he looked between me and my wife.

“Goddess be you two are perfect for each other. Your child better have a good morality or else they’ll burn the world down. Fine!” He stuck his hand out and I shook it.

Leaving her with this sword hanging over our heads and the prospect of a small little life we were supposed to protect was all too much. Still she had gotten the better of him, if I came back with even more men this meant it would be somewhat worth it.

“Annette,” I grabbed her hand and walked her away from our counterparts.

“I am not sure leaving you is what I should do at this moment at all. You’ve made it so we get a good amount of men in return. Still it is as if this is by design just as we learn of this danger, I have to go away from you?” I confessed the fear I held.

“Even if I am not entirely a fan of your friend, his wife I trust. Lilianna would not betray you I have no doubt,” she shook her head at my mistrust.

“Steven means well he just always has a way of pissing me off,” I gritted my teeth.

As children I learned everything from his father and Steven never once let me feel left out. He would tell me everyday we would have the strongest packs in the region and the world would be perfect.

Still he has a talent for being a shithead.

“He’s asked for you. You go alone, you take down his pest and I will be here with Matt, Brian, Elizabeth, and Aarron. And keep in mind I am an alpha as well they won’t be able to compete with me if they come,” She spoke to my senses.

I knew my warriors Elizabeth and Matt would give their lives for her. They knew their duty, and what would happen if they failed her.

I nodded to her and walked back to that son of a bitch. “I’ll leave in three days and then I’ll take care of your pest and I will select the men I bring back,”

“Now hang on-“

“Have a safe drive back,” I pushed him towards his vehicle.

“Thank you Gray,” Lili gave me a kiss on the cheek and a deep hug to my wife.

To say I was glad Annette had found people here was an understatement and that Lili had someone besides her moron husband.

I signaled for Matt and he followed me. If I was leaving her I was making sure that she was beyond protected

“I want Aarron and Elizebeth there too. Get me Charlotte as well,”

**I have to get things set up I’ll see you at dinner. **

*I have to look at the new warriors anyways but I’m a big girl and I know how to fight. *

**You shouldn’t have to fight anyone **

She was stubborn but I highly doubt she’d be my soulmate if she wasn’t. I didn’t want her to have a single doubt while I was away. She shouldn’t feel unsafe for a single moment.

I entered the keep that had people everywhere. The building had turned into a military base overnight after we announced the threat.

The people of our pack were not angry at all and many had large amounts of faith that I would protect them. I felt the walls encroach every time I stepped in here. So much to take care of and now I had to leave.

I opened the doors to my office and Elizabeth and Aarron were waiting for me. Soon Charlotte came in after bumbling a bit around the room.

“I do not want Annette alone at any point while I’m away. Elizabeth and Charlotte you will stay in my house with Ella,” I commanded

My wife, a woman who knew exactly what to do, invited Ella to stay with us once she’d heard what was happening. Annette set up a room for her and made her breakfast.

“I want warriors outside of our home all night long. I want the northern wall heavily defended and the new artillery is to be mounted at once. Aarron during the day you and Matt are to be my wife’s shadow. She doesn’t take a sip of water without you knowing. Do you understand.”

It was no question they understood or they left this room right now. Annette was going to be without me and I would beat the responsibility if anything happened to her while I was away.

“Is the Luna alright with this?” Aarron asked me.

“She knows that this is the only way I’m leaving her. I won’t be gone longer than a week. That doesn’t mean I will take leaving the pack lightly,” I nodded to them telling them the conversation was over.

“Charlotte, you can go and see to my wife now. The rest of you we’re walking the walls to see if there is any spots that need extra warriors, guns, or special defenses,”

I had walls surrounding us defenses and weapons set around the perimeter of my lands. No one was allowed to leave since the announcement of war.

So help the goddess I won’t let anyone down.

The defenses were to my standard on most of the wall I asked for five more men stationed at the easternmost point on the wall. I told them to put an oil dump at the fifth section on the northwest section.

Some things we used were medieval in practice but if someone is intending to take my home I will not use gentle practices to turn them away.

We had a few more defenses placed here and there that would surprise any would be attackers.

By the time I was done improving the defenses the warriors had enough work for the day so I decided to meet my woman in the sparring house to improve on the new recruits.

Mainly I just wanted to soak up all the time I could with her.

The next week will be spent in the cold tracking one of the only animals that could kill a wolf. I would be sleeping on the rocks and dirt. I would be without her scent and her warmth for at least 4 nights.

The thought alone made me want to stay and simply kill Steven so I don’t have to worry about her safety.

I walked into the gym to find her wrapping her hands and some young pup facing her wrath.

“If you will not listen to what I have to say as your Luna you will have to prove me wrong,” she hissed at him.

I hid back until they were in the ring so as not to spook of her prey. She was able to handle herself that much I was well aware of her ability to fight and injure people three times her small size.

The alpha blood that people so covet was worth nothing without proper training and not only was she well trained she was impassive to those goading her.

This new warrior was not in for an easy lesson. Poor poor man.

She waited for him in her stance as he inched towards her. She was already going to win.

He swung at her and she floated out of his way. She kicked his back with force and ire. He felt it for sure and swung again and gave room for her to punch him in the jaw.

I laughed as he stumbled for a second and he began blindly flailing for her. She attacked him with smaller more precise punches along his arms, weakening his power in them. She clasped her hands and slammed them into his right shoulder.

He howled in pain and turned trying to get to her. He couldn’t move his arm any longer. If he had a brain he would surrender but I don’t think she wanted that.

He swung again this time like a child in a tantrum. She laughed her musical laugh at him. His anger rising, his claws extended and he went for her face.

I marched forward without realizing, ready to break his hand. She was one step ahead of me as always. She must have been truly annoyed with him because she extended her claws while grabbing his hand and tearing up the underside of his arm.

He passed out from the pain and was taken from the ring. Aarron sighed and followed the young one out to the clinic to patch him up.

“When I give you instructions and you choose not to listen to them understand I have trained far harder than any of you and I will not take it easy on you in this ring,” she looked out at the group of new warriors.

They all had larger heads than normal after gaining the title they had coveted all their childhood. Now warriors of the Northern Eclipse pack not wanting to hear anyone else’s words on how they should fight.

My love handles that with class and certain authority that struck fear and respect at the same time.

“He will be feeling that for at least a week,” I called to her.

The new recruits all gasped and shuffled as they spotted me. They bowed their heads and looked away from me embarrassed by their behavior towards my mate.

“Some lessons need to resonate a while to be learned,” she shrugged walking to the edge of the ring where I met her, grabbing her waist and holding her to me.

She slid down me until she reached the floor the crowd around us dispersing as this was now a private conversation.

“You handled him well,” I eyed her as she continued unwrapping her hands.

“I know,” she looked over her shoulder to me her eyes teasing me forward.

“Elizebeth and Charlotte will stay with you while I’m away,” I wrapped my arms around her.

“For such a stoic man you worry far too much about me,” she leaned her head into my chest.

“Is it not my job to make sure you’re safe and happy?”

“You might be right,” she quirked her head to the side , turning in my arms to face me.

She was never one to tell me when I made sense. I knew she thought I had a big enough ego already. It’s not my fault that I tended to be right and could kick anyone’s ass who said otherwise.

*You are insufferable. *

I chuckled deeply at her antics towards my inner monologues. Hearing her with me will help being away from her touch.

“You don’t ever need to fear I will always be waiting for you, and you will always find your way to me,” she whispered in my ear, her soft lips ghosting my skin.

It had become a game of ours to walk the line on where we were physically. Some days she would touch me to see how far she could take me before I snapped and others she would wait for me to come to her restlessly.

We went to dinner in the pavilion after another hour or two of watching the new warriors spar and correcting their many mistakes. If they thought the hard part was becoming a warrior they were wrong.

The people didn’t seem phased by the looming war that darkened our horizon. Not at dinner at least. We ate together like we always did and we laughed, joking and playing around. I suppose together it was easy to forget when we had one another.

And then just like every night now I walked into our room and laid in her bed. Her hands ran through my hair and down my back.

It was torture.

She wore those nightgowns just to tempt me. They hugged her but we’re still lose making me want to see what lay beneath. Then she would hold me calming me down and keeping me sane.

I would rub my thumb on her hip and have my head on her stomach. We would speak to each other of anything and everything and all the while I wanted to kiss her.

When I couldn’t take it any longer I would cut her off and her sweet lips would coax my hand up towards her head to keep her close to me. Or lower. Where they would try and find themselves underneath the fabric that kept her from me.

This is why I’ll burn the world down right here. Her hands in my hair, my hands under her night gown. This is what will send me to hell.