Part A: Chapter 8

***Aidan’s POV***

I hated being away from her for long but I had to. I had to protect her from all forms of threats and it didn’t help that my father had to make so many enemies when he was still off. That man pissed off anyone he could just for the fun of it like the delusional, manipulative and controlling old man that he was.

I sighed as Carter briefed me of the latest advancements of the Night Walker Pack, one of the many enemies we had to worry about.

“They have advanced closer into our territory and in a few days will be crossing our borders,” Carter said, cracking his knuckles, a bad habit he had gotten from the many unsanctioned missions that my father had sent him on. “We can have our men surround the borders, some hidden and some visible in case something breaks out and we can’t get there in time.”

Racking my fingers through my hair, I paced back and forth, really pissed off with having to deal with all the unneeded attention from the most pathetic pack that ever existed. “How fast can they get there? The first group?”

“Probably early morning if they start off in the next three hours,” Carter replied. He looked tired from the sleepless nights he had spent locked up in meeting after meeting trying to come up with the best course of action that the elders would approve of. “But I don’t think our men are ready for yet another ambush like last time. Some of them are still healing from the previous encounter with the Shadow Pack.”

I hated doing things by the book but it was one way to please them and I had to make sure they were always pleased if my mating ceremony was to take place without any incidents taking place. “Then we’ll have to go to their place, buy ourselves enough time while our men prepare themselves.” As soon as the words left my mouth I knew Carter was going to object but I didn’t care, if protecting Jemila and everyone in my pack meant going out to fight them, then so be it.

“You can’t do that, it could be a trap for crying out loud,” Carter barked, his hands flailing wildly to make his point. “You can’t keep making reckless decisions without considering the consequences.”

I knew what he meant but if my people weren’t ready, then I had to step in as their leader. I wasn’t going to sit and watch my people die. “It can’t be helped, some things are more important than others.”

Jemila’s disappointed face flashed before my eyes, making pain sear through me. I had spent so many nights that every time I went back to the room, she was always fast asleep and I never bothered waking her up because I knew she needed the rest from all the training Ivan was putting her through.
Then how was she going to react when I told her I had to leave for a couple days? Was she going to hate me or was she going to understand that I had to put my people first?

“You are unbelievable,” Carter scoffed as he pushed back his chair, making it fall to the marble floor with a loud thud. “Just when I thought you couldn’t get more stupid, you always end up proving me wrong.”

I glared at him from my spot as murmurs erupted from the other members present in the meeting. “Watch your mouth Carter, I am still your Alpha and I instantly break your neck if you so much as cross the line. Do you understand Beta?” I said using my Alpha voice, something that I rarely used unless need arose. As much as Carter was like a brother to me, I wasn’t going to let him undermine my position in front of everyone. He can call me out in private if he wanted, but there were rules and being Beta or Alpha was no exception from the punishment that came with breaking the rules. “You will apologise and be assigned pack clean-up duty for the next few weeks when we are back.”

Carter bowed his head in submission. “I apologise for my behaviour and accept my punishment,” he said curtly.

I waved my hand in dismissal, “everyone is tired. Get some rest because we leave in a few hours,” I said and left the room, feeling exhausted and ready to see and hold Jemila in my arms.

Carter followed after me but kept a safe distance, not saying anything until we were alone. “Bullshit, how can you just leave her like that?” he asked as he grabbed my jacket spinning me around so I was facing him, “I know being Alpha comes before everything to you but she is to be your wife, our Luna, the mother of all the children. How can you make such a decision without considering how she would feel?” He was now holding me by the collar. “You just brought her here not more than two weeks and now you want to leave her alone?”

“She has Ivan and Shelly and everyone will protect her,” the words didn’t even sound convincing to my own ears.

“Bullshit, you know Shelly hates her and will only make her life miserable if none of us are here to look out for her,” Carter snapped, “and Ivan is wrapped around Shel’s finger, he will do whatever she tells him to without so much as a second thought.”

I was hopeless but there was nothing I could do. There was no way I was bringing me on this mission, she was too valuable to me and I didn’t want anything to happen to her. But leaving her alone with Ivan and Shelly was a terrible idea. After what I had done to Shel, she always looked about ready to snap Jemila’s neck.

“Then what would you have me do, huh?”

Carter let go of me and shoved me hard, “we all expect you to act like the damn Alpha who has more to lose than any of us,” he said and walked away, but not before bumping his shoulder into me.

Fuck, I had no idea what I was supposed to do much less act. I wasn’t used to making decisions that did not affect me but also my wolf and since my wolf was known for being untamed, I didn’t know what choice was the best for both of us. *Fuck, fuck, fuck*.

I mindlessly walked back to my quarters dreading meeting Jemila there but knowing it was inevitable and I had to talk to her. I slowly opened the door and froze when I found her sitting by the rag with a book open on her lap. When she saw me, her eyes brightened and she took off her reading glasses, placing them on the table next to the chair she was sitting on.

“Hey there stranger,” she said, getting up and walking over to me. She wrapped her arms around my neck, engulfing me with her sweet scent and all I wanted to do was taste her, mark her so everyone knew she was mine and off bounds.

I wrapped my arms around her waist and hugged her closer to me, I had missed holding her like this. “Hey stranger, how are you?” I breathed into her hair.

She giggled as she pulled back and pecked me on the lips before pulling back. “Much better now that you’re here.” I could hear the happiness in her voice and it broke my heart that I had to leave her alone again. She took my hand and led me over to the sofa, patting the spot next to her for me.

“I have to tell you something,” I had to get to the point before I lost my nerves but when she wrapped her arms around my neck and her lips were on mine, all train of thought was lost on me.

“What is it?” she asked in between kisses.

“It can wait.”

I picked her up and dragged her to the bedroom. Fuck everything else, I wanted her badly and I was at least going to have a taste of her before I went days without seeing her. I tossed her onto the bed and she squirmed as I quickly took both our clothes off in record time, grabbing a condom from the nightstand and entering her ready sex.

We had sex until she was too tired and passed out. I crawled out of the bed, taking a quick shower before changing into a clean set of clothes. I watched as she slept, feeling that gnawing feeling clench my insides. I had to leave before she woke up. Kissing her forehead, I placed the letter I had written her next to her head and left, not once turning back.