Book 1: Chapter 72

*** Noah’s POV *** 



I slammed the door to my Jeep shut as I put my hands in the pockets of my jeans. This was the third time I was going to the store this week. Finn’s pregnancy cravings were getting out of hand and with Solaris not being allowed to drive, I had to make all the runs. The workers in the store were starting to know me on the first name basis at this point. As I walked through the sliding doors, I pulled out my phone and looked at the list Finn gave me.

Cucumbers, peanut butter, a berry tea, every type of chocolate, and vanilla wafer cookies. The last one had a note in parenthesis. ‘Aelia wanted these but she didn’t want to bother you’. I sighed and ran my hands through my hair. I was angry with her. The Alpha King showing up with never a good thing. It always meant something bad and the fact that he had his serious face on only proved the point. Her ordering us upstairs and then not telling us what it was about threw me over the edge.

Was I still angry with her? Yes but not as much as I had been. It just got hard to talk to her. Something in Finn switched and I could feel him starting to take care of all her needs more acutely. I fought with him often that he needed to be careful that he didn’t fuck her dead which proceeded to either make him cry or make him angry. I just didn’t know how to bridge that gap.

The fear I felt was tainting every single move I made. The fear of her just dropping dead in my arms. The fear of her leaving and not being able to say goodbye. The fear of doing something to make everything worse. The last one I knew was what my fear was already doing. She tried to reach out to me multiple times but lately she stopped. I could feel her eyes watching me and I caught the wistful look before she looked away. It was my doing and I was breaking Sol before we even lost her.

My head was down looking at the list and I bumped into someone. Apologizing, I looked up to a smiling familiar face.

“Woah! Beta! Heads up!” Dylan smiled and patted me on the shoulder. “Long time no see. How’s our Alpha? I haven’t been able to see her yet.”

Blinking, I tried to register that he was actually here. Dylan was from Group 2 and then next to him Blythe was from Group 11. My mind tried to run through what was going on but it came up blank.

“What are you guys doing here?”

Blythe smiled and lifted up a case of Dr. Pepper. “Just here to refuel on some soda and snacks.”

I shook my head. “I mean here…in the city.”

The two of them looked at each other, confusion running across their face. Suddenly, sheer panic set into Blythe face and he shook his head. Dylan, though, rubbed his face and sighed.

“Beta, everyone is here. Well, almost everyone. I think Group 12 and 14 are still trying to fly over from the Netherlands.”

“What do you mean ‘everyone is here’? Who the hell…?”

Blythe shook his head. “Alpha called us all in. It’s all hands on deck right now. We didn’t realize…you didn’t know…”

My initial shock turned to a burning anger. What the fuck was going on? What the hell was Solaris doing behind out backs? How long was she going to keep this huge fucking move from us? This was a huge shift in military power and she was just going to let us be in the dark? Did Finn know? Was he keeping this from me too? The questions kept popping up in my mind making me more angry.

“Beta?”

Turning, I gave them a quick wave before exiting the grocery store. Fuck the list. I needed to know what the hell was going on. Getting in the Jeep, I drove back to the Tap. It was around three and we hadn’t opened up for the Friday night rush. Pulling the door, I let it slam against the stopper. Finn was behind the bar cleaning glasses and Solaris was sitting at the bar, a rag in hand as well.

“That was a quick trip. Did you…?”

Cutting off Finn, I roared at him. “Did you know? Did she tell you what the hell was going on and I was the only one left out?”

Finn looked shocked. “What are you talking about, Noah? Know what?”

“You’ve been such cuddle buddies lately, I figured I was the only one not privy to any information on our whole fucking military moving!”

Finn’s mouth dropped open and his brows furrowed. “What do you mean the whole military? Noah…what…?”

I felt a little better knowing that Finn didn’t know. That he wasn’t keeping secrets from me as well. It only felt marginally better though. My eyes swept to Solaris, she was sitting up straight in the stool, her eyes focused on me.

“Alpha.”

She took a deep breath and I watched her chest rise and fall. “Who told you?”

I scoffed at her. “Who told me? Who fucking told me? I ran into Dylan and Blythe in the market as I was walking in just getting drinks and snacks. Like it was the most natural thing that Group 2 and Group 11 being together was a normal occurrence.”

Stepping up to her, I towered over her as I struggled to hold back my wolf. “I asked what the hell they were doing here and you know what they said? That everyone was here. That you called them all here. Not to mention I looked like a fucking fool as I had no idea what the fuck they were talking about. Me, a Beta in charge of the military movement of the First Alpha Princes army, didn’t know the whole damn army was in town!”

“What? Sol…what’s going on?” Finn set down the glass and was looking from me to Solaris.

She, however, wasn’t breaking eye contact with me as I breathed out of my nose trying to control the rolling anger. Her face didn’t change, a blank slate as she looked up at me.

“It doesn’t concern you, Beta.”

I roared and Wye, my wolf came forward. He growled, his canines slipping down and my hands shifted into claws. Finn looked like he was about the jump the bar but Solaris didn’t flinch. She didn’t move an inch or even show anything on her face as she stared at me.

“Calm the fuck down, Beta.”

Growling, I reached out for her. I was angry, livid, and I wanted answers. Wye was in control. My anger slipped as his claw wrapped around her neck and he lifted her up. Slowly, my body morphed into my lycan form and I couldn’t stop it. I tried pulling him back as panic filled me and I clawed at his mind to pull him back. Horror filled me as I could only watch as he lifted her up higher with his shift. Finn was screaming at Wye but it fell on deaf ears. Part of me wanted him to stop so Wye didn’t turn on him. Finn wasn’t in a position to be fighting anyone, especially Wye.

My focus went back to Solaris but she didn’t look afraid. Wye was breathing in her face, his teeth bared to her. Her disrespect he felt was too much to ignore and I could feel he wanted to break her neck. That she had become weak and he shouldn’t need to listen to her anymore. I tried to reason with him. She was still our Alpha, she still was Solaris no matter how weak she was.

I felt her hands come up and touch our arm that held her up. She wasn’t struggling against him like he wanted. She wasn’t crying or screaming or begging for forgiveness. Her hands tightened around our arm before I watched in horror as her eyes lit up gold.

“Leave Finn for a moment. Go out the front door and shut it behind you.”

Her order didn’t leave room for any back talk. He slipped from behind the bar and went around the back of her, tears streaming down his face as he stepped outside, the door closing quietly behind him. Wye tightened his grip on her neck but she still didn’t move except for her grip tightening on our arm, her nails digging into our arm.

Suddenly, the stale air inside of the bar started to whip up and around us. Really, it was around Solaris as her golden eyes flared to life, almost burning like fire. The breathable air dropped significantly and the pressure from her presence alone was already forcing Wye to lower not just her but himself. He growled and tried to fight against her, his hand trying to tighten but the issue was, she was his Alpha. She was stronger than him and in her strength she forced him to yield to her. Every time he came out when he shouldn’t have or even when he refused to be controlled, she was there to force him back.

“You will let go.”

Her command was so strong, Wye let go of her like she was made of the fire that burned in her eyes. His body dropped to the floor and his forehead bowed to the ground before her.

“How dare you question me.” She stepped up to him and grabbed the hair on our head, lifting him up to stare in her eyes. “You have the audacity to challenge me? Your Alpha? Is this what you wanted? To watch your mate leave in fear of you hurting him and your unborn pup? Were you trying to just get a rise out of me?”

Both Wye and I wanted to shrink away. I knew she was talking to both of us. The fear of hurting her turned into the terror I always felt when she dipped into her power. Her hair whipped around with the wind as her power cut through the very space she inhabited. My voice was so small but I tried to plead with her to stop. To stop using the very power that was killing her.

“Shift.”