Chapter 67

**ARIA**

The only pack I've been in is Austin's, and naturally I thought all packs looked alike. I know in retrospect it seems a bit ridiculous. It would be like assuming that all American cities are the same.

This pack is a real fortress, we've checked our identity twice already and we haven't even made it to the pack house. Knowing that this is where Riley grew up makes me more apprehensive about this visit. I know that Alpha Jacob assured Austin that her parents wouldn't be present to avoid any outbursts... I know that we're entering hostile territory. Everyone here knows who I am, what I've done and my connection with Adam, who isn't exactly appreciated here.

While we've been on a tarmac road, we haven't come across a living soul or a single house.

"It's like a ghost town." I think aloud.

"That's because they didn't take us along the main road. There are deltas watching us from the trees." Austin answers me.

I turn my head to look out the window and notice the small wooden platforms in the trees and the armed men on them.

"They're werewolves whose neighbors are vampires and hybrids." Austin tells me. "They want to protect themselves."

"I can understand that." I reply, my eyes still fixed on the trees.

I was stressed because I didn't know if I was going to make a good impression, but now I don't know what to expect. We approach a red-brick house, which looks like a classic family home. As the car pulls up in front of the house, I look at Austin with a raised eyebrow.

"This is their pack house. Did you really think every pack had one as big as mine?"

"Are we still talking about the pack house?" I ask with a smirk and he bursts out laughing.

A man in his fifties, accompanied by a woman of the same age, descend the few steps in front of the porch.

Austin squeezes my thigh before getting out of the car and walking around to open the door. After a deep breath, I step out.

When we get out of the car, I let Austin approach first and greet them before introducing myself. He's so comfortable, which makes sense since he's been doing this his whole life.
They're outwardly friendly, but I can't ignore the condescending look on Luna's face. She looked me up and down twice and clenched her jaw as she shook my hand. We're clearly in a hostile environment, I can't deny it.

*Don't worry. I'll be with you every step of the way.* Austin tells me through the mind link and I return a small smile.

They invite us to follow them, and it's not until we're through the main doors that I see a few people in the hall. They stare at us and don't seem too happy about our visit.

“Miss Scava, I was thinking we could let our two Alphas talk amongst themselves. In the meantime, we could have some refreshments in my office.” Luna Brooke suggests.
I hesitate for a moment, unsure of how to respond, and Alpha Jacob turns to Austin. “She's safe within these walls, I promise.” 

Austin looks at me and nods. We then head off in different directions. She pushes open a door and we enter a small office with a cosy sitting area. She points to the sofa on my right and I sit on it, then she opens a cupboard where there's a small fridge, a kettle and a coffee machine. 
“What can I get you?” she asks without looking at me.
“Water, please.” I answer and she takes out two small bottles of water from her fridge. She hands me one and sits down on the armchair opposite the sofa.

“Let me be very clear. Nobody wants you here. Jacob invited you because he thinks appeasement is still possible.” 

I rest the closed bottle in front of me. “The people of the community were minding their own business. You're the one who started messing around.” I say as curtly as she does. 

She snorts. "If you hadn't decided to mate with an alpha and a fucking hybrid, we wouldn't be in this mess."

“I don't see what business that is of yours.” 

“She doesn't see... People are getting scared. It's one thing to have a group of outcasts but quite another to end up with an entire clan capable of breeding.”

She pauses, tilting her head slightly. “By the way, I'm sorry about your baby. Jacob told me about the poison.”

I look at her with a grimace, she's clearly not sincere and I'm torn between wanting to punch her in the face, leave or both in that order.

“The head delivery trick was very creative of your brother I must say. By the way, people are afraid of him too. I heard that as a human he was a force of nature, so a hybrid...” She shakes her head in amusement. “Personally, I think you have to accept that they exist and that you could one day have little hybrids as long as everyone stays in their place. If werewolves want to join them, good for them, but they shouldn't come to our territory if they're not welcome.” She takes a sip from her water bottle. “In any case, I must say you've got one hell of a pair of balls.” 

“This is the strangest conversation I've ever had in my life.” I think aloud and she bursts out laughing. I'm well and truly in front of a deranged person.

“People sometimes criticize me for having no filter and saying whatever comes into my head.”

“Maybe the world would have more people like you. Rather than people who make you think they're your friends only to stab you in the back.” 

“Riley was blinded by his hatred, fear and jealousy.” She takes another sip of water. “You know when Jacob and I found out we were mates, Riley was disgusted. It was the eve of her eighteenth birthday and I think she was hoping she'd be mate to the alpha of her pack. But no, it was me, the girl with no filters, who arrived there completely by chance. Well, not completely by chance.” 

When I arrived, I thought it was going to be one of the worst moments of my life, but in the end, Brooke is quite nice, in her own way, even if I don't think we're ready to make friendship bracelets.