Chapter 118: I Stand With You

Chapter 118: I Stand With You


Bernard

"How long?" I asked Jasper.

"At most an hour, Alpha."

He was looking panicky the same way I felt on the inside but I couldn't let it show. I need to remain composed for my Pack and Elena. I looked at my mate who was still in my arms, I could see the worries dancing behind her eyes.

The only thought in my mind was finding a way to hide her. Richard is coming and if what had just happened was any indication, she is not ready for this fight. I knew I could fight off Richard but if worse came to worst and he got his hands on her, I don't even want to think what will happen.

"Call all the captains and sound the sirens." Jasper nodded and took off, I turned my attention to Kaba.

"You need to go to your warriors and instruct them to go to their assigned stations, Kaba. Jeff, you will be needed with the other doctors. There will be bloodshed and we need to get our wolves the attention they need as quickly as possible."

Both of them turned to leave but Kaba gave me a look that said, are you sure you can handle this alone? I nodded and he seemed satisfied with the response, he left me with my mate.

Elena sat beside me and ran worried hands over her face as she tried to center all her thoughts. I could feel her anxiety and it was doing nothing to aid my worry. I reached for her hand causing her to look at me.

"I won't let anything happen to you."

I hook my fingers under her chin forcing her to look directly into my eyes.

"You may not like what I am about to say but….."

"No," she cut me off and stood up.

"You want to stash me away somewhere so that I don't fight in this battle. Well, I hate to burst your bubble but I am not doing it, Bernard. I am going to stand alongside you and fight with the rest of this Pack."

The sirens started blaring all around us, signaling an emergency. In just a few minutes, the children and young females who were tasked to care for them would make their way to the underground bunkers.

"You hear that? War is coming, Elena, and you aren't ready for it."

My words were like a slap to her face, I turned away so I didn't see the hurt in her eyes. I didn't want to hurt her but I needed to tell her the truth. She is not ready for this and if I was being honest, I don't know if I was either.

"But you said I was doing good."

She moved so that she was in my eye line once again.

"You said that I was getting just as good as Doris or were you lying to me trying to give me false hope?" I stood up and walked away, needing a little distance from her.

"I wasn't lying, you are getting better but you are not prepared for this, Elena. You failed to activate the Alpha gene, how do you expect to face off with these warriors that have trained all their lives for days like this?"

"I expect to fight and do my best to stay alive." She lifted her hands to the sky exasperated.

"Your best could get you killed, you don't understand that, right?"

"I won't die, Bernard. Richard needs me alive, he would have instructed his wolves not to kill me."

Was she being serious right now?

"And him marking you is better than him killing you? Are you forgetting what it would do to our bond? I would rather die than lose our connection. Wait, I would die because if he marks you, Elena."

"I wouldn't let him mark me, Bernard. Why can't you trust me to hold my own in this fight? I have done the work, I have put in the hours and I am ready to fight?"

"For three days!"

My voice boomed in the garden, the sirens had stopped and I was sure anyone within a ten-mile radius had heard me. I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself.

"You have training only for three days, Elena. Richard had been at this for over three decades, he was a dangerous and ruthless man. I can't fight him and worry about you at the same time."

She closed the distance between us and cupped my face in her hands.

"Then, don't worry about me. Focus on your fight and I will focus on staying alive and protecting my people. But one thing I will not do is sit on the sidelines while others lay their lives down for me. I need to fight alongside them." I leaned my forehead against hers.

"Please, don't do this, Elena. What can I do to convince you to stay in the bunkers?"

"Nothing," she smiled softly.

"I need you to have faith in me because if you start losing faith in me, how can our people have faith in me?"

"But the Alpha gene…."

"I am an Alpha with or without activating the gene. I am strong, I am ready and I am very much capable of living through this with you. Believe me and trust that I have what it takes."

I wanted to believe her but I had my doubts it didn't matter though. If she strongly believes in herself then I have to trust that she is capable of handling herself.

"Okay, I trust you."

"Good, let's do this together." She pulled away, grabbing my hand.

"Let us go speak with your captains."

I allowed her to lead me back into the house, my eyes watching her as we made our way up the stairs. Looking at her, she was so small and breakable. I knew that going into battle, my mind would be split between killing Richard and making sure that Elena was okay.

We entered into my study and found all of my captains and Jasper ready. They all stood when they saw us enter.

"Please sit." I ordered.

Elena wanted to let go of my hand but I held onto it tighter needing her strength. I am going to take every opportunity before this battle to hold onto my mate for as long as I can.

"As you all know, Richard is about to breach our boundaries. Many of you have wondered why and now I believe it is time to let you all know." I looked at my mate.

"Richard is after Elena, he is her old Alpha. He killed her parents in cold blood because Elena's father had a claim to the Alpha title. It is the Williams bloodline that is the rightful ruler of the Silver Crest Pack."

All their faces were stoic and giving away nothing. I saw a few of them flick their eyes to Elena briefly before they returned their attention back to me.

"We only recently learned Elena's true identity two weeks ago. The reason we didn't reveal anything to anyone is due to Nicholas and the threat of another mole within the Pack. I hand-selected all of you and some of you even trained me as I prepared for my role as Alpha. You know I would die for you all, I would protect you all till my last breath."

I looked at each of them, they were the faces of brave, strong, and loyal men who had fought for my family and laid their lives down for this Pack.

"I know you have given so much of yourselves already and I have asked a lot from all of you?" I squeezed Elena's hands.

"Today, I must ask you to risk your lives once more for the woman I love. Elena is my heartbeat, my life source, and my light. Without her, I am not alive which is why she needs to be protected."

All of a sudden, I felt a lump form in my throat, nearly blocking my next words.

"I ask you to fight for her and to fight for me. I ask you to fight bravely and calmly, I call upon each of you to protect your Luna."

The room fell silent as my words hung in the air. The silence was deafening, I could feel Elena's eyes on me but I didn't dare to look at her. No one moved and no one uttered a word until Elena finally spoke.

"I haven't known you all very long," she began.

"But what I do know is that you are brave and loyal men. I would like to correct what Bernard just said, I don't want you to fight for me. I want you to fight for us, this Pack, this family. I want you to fight for your parents, your siblings, your mate, and each other."

I dared to look at her, her words had all my captains transfixed on her.

"Richard killed my parents, yes but what Bernard didn't tell you is that he is coming to try and mate with me so that he can have a rightful claim to my land. As you all know, I have already been marked by your Alpha, Richard plans to remove this mark forcefully. By doing so, Bernard will die and give Richard the chance to take over this Pack as well."

I could see a few of my captains fighting back their anger.

"I don't like sending any of you into the line of fire but our home has to be protected. So I ask you, gentlemen." She let go of my hand and took a step forward.

"Will you stand with me and my mate as we protect our homes?"

They all look at each other for a moment. Brown was the first to stand, he looked at his peers and then turned back to Elena and bowed his head.

"My life is yours, Luna. I stand with you. One of the captains said and then Jasper also stepped forward.

"My life is yours, Luna. I stand with you."

All of them followed one after the other, pledging their loyalty and their lives to us and the Pack. I came to stand beside my mate and grabbed her hand once more. We looked at each other briefly and then turned back to our captains.

"Let's go to war." I muttered.

I don't know how this battle was going to be but I had faith we would come out on top, we had no other option.