Chapter 24

Aria's POV

I knew I had to go and talk to the pack. I couldn't leave them like this, not trusting their Alpha. It was my fault and I'd put it right.

I had to wait for the right time to do it, I couldn't just walk out, it would be suspicious, so instead I made sure the place we were visiting the next day was close to the pack house, I could sneak away. I just had to act normal until then.

"Are you hungry?" Forest asked from beside me on the sofa, we had been watching a movie,

I nodded. "I am, do you want any?" Forest thought about it for a minute before answering.

"I'll cook it, you stay here, I've seen this movie loads anyway," We were watching Aladdin, which I had never seen, but apparently, 'It's a classic, you have to watch it at least once.' So here I am, watching it.

Forest soon came back with some food, beans on toast and a hot chocolate, an odd combo but tasty none the less. I smiled gratefully at him and ate my meal, hoping he didn't mind much about my plan, not that I was going to tell him, he'd almost certainly try to stop me.

Once I finished my plate I passed it to Forest and curled up, pulling my feet up towards my chest while Aladdin flew around on his magic carpet.

As the movie played I felt my eye lids droop, I felt Forest pick me up and carry me to bed, pulling me close.

Knowing my mate was by my side, and knowing with finality what I had to do, helped me drift quickly into an uninterrupted sleep.

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The next morning flashed by in a blur, I was set on what I had to do, so set I was barely there. Forest suggested I stayed home because, 'I didn't seem quite right', but I told him I was completely fine, and made sure I wasn't left behind.

I had to do this.

We got in the car, driving to the pack training grounds, they were a few minutes away from the pack and I hadn't seen them before, a perfect opportunity for me to get close to the pack house.

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The training ground were quite busy, full of warriors fighting, doing press up or just running around.

We walked around for a bit, Forest showed me the fighting rings and the monkey bars I was already itching to have a go at.

I didn't miss the curious looks the warriors were giving me, or the way they looked at Atlas every time he spoke to me, they didn't trust him anymore, and it was my job to make it right. I wouldn't let my past haunt my future.

As soon as a few warriors came over to talk to Forest and Atlas, I snuck off, making sure no one saw me as I walked quickly towards the pack house.

I knew I had to be quick because as soon as Forest noticed I was gone he would track me down, and he was fast,

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I walked into the pack house, closing the door with a bang, causing some of the wolves I saw yesterday come scurrying out from various rooms.

As soon as they saw me they turned their noses up in disgust, "What are you doing here rogue," The venom in their eyes that held my gaze was enough to make me flinch, although only slightly.

"I've come to tell you the truth, and to clear your alpha's name." I said, my voice unwavering. I had one job and wild horses wouldn't stop me from accomplishing it.

They all scoffed but followed me outside, where more wolves had gathered to hear what I had to say.

"I know I smell like a rogue, but I promise you I am not." I started, I knew what I had to say, what I had to do to keep my family safe.

I saw some of the wolves start to take interest, while others still looked at me with hate.

"I'm not part of a pack, because I didn't know about werewolves. Your alpha saved me, he figured out I was a wolf and has been looking after me while he showed me how to control my beast and how to live as one of you."

I saw some more wolves join the group, some wolves from the training, I was running out of time. "Your alpha decided to leave me as a rouge for a bit, while I learnt a bit about pack life, he didn't want to overwhelm me or put the pack in danger, so that is why I smell of rogue, I, however, am not a rogue."

I could see the wolves in the crowd gathered around me nod their heads, they believed me, I had managed, they trusted their alpha again. Nothing could go wrong.

"Lies." I heard someone from the back yell. I looked over at them. The guard. Of course, it would be him. She is lying, she is working with the rogues, getting you to trust her so she can attack our pack."

I saw some of the wolves' nod in agreement, but some still seemed to believe me, it wasn't a lost cause. Yet.

Until a wolf came charging through the woods, "There had been a rogue attack, the warrior wolves are fighting them off, but they're outnumbered."

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I shifted and ran as fast as I could to get to the clearing where the training was done. I got there just at I saw a rogue leap for Isla, an injured Isla. Some stupid rogue was threatening my family. I saw red.

I jumped at the rogue, knocking them out of the air and away from Isla. With no remorse I killed the rogue, ripping out his throat before tossing his limp body away and moving on to the next one.

I stood keeping guard over Isla, keeping any rogues away from her while looking for Atlas and Forest. The clearing was a massacre, littered with wolf bodies, dead and injured. Luckily, from the stench, it seemed to be mainly rogues.

I saw Atlas fighting nearby, he looked pretty beat up, his wolf seemed to be limping and he was bleeding out from a gash on his flank, but he was still fighting and standing strong. Making sure Isla was being covered by a warrior wolf I ran over to help him, knocking the wolves over and ripping out their throats.

I still couldn't see Forest, but I could see the number of rogues where diminishing, we were winning, it would be over soon.

I took out another wolf who tried to sneak up on Atlas before the remaining rogues retreated, realising they couldn't win.

I saw Ash, his parents, and Skye, who had joined the fight a bit after me, running after them, as well as a few warrior wolves. They wouldn't get far.

Atlas limped over to Isla, nudging her with his head before the blood loss seemed to catch up on him and he fell net to her, I saw the pack doctor hurry past and I went to find Forest, hoping they would be ok.

I saw Forest on the edge of the clearing. He was lying limply on his side, I ran to him, checking he was still breathing, which he was, but shallowly. He had shifted back, and I had grabbed some clothes on the way which I covered him up with to keep him warm.

Some wolves ran over to carry him to the doctor, I was worried about him but, just like Isla and Atlas, there was nothing to do except hope. I saw the head of warriors, a man I met yesterday, looking over at the injured, Atlas, Isla and Forest had got the worst of it since they had been protecting the other wolves as well as themselves. "It's all my fault," He said, hanging his head as he watched the doctor treat Atlas.

I shook my head, he couldn't know they would attack. "No, it's not your fault, you didn't know they would attack."

"She's right, it's not your fault, it's her's." I turned to look at who was speaking. The guard. Oh no. I saw various wolves around me start to nod their heads. "You distracted us, wormed your way into the Alpha trust before stabbing him in the back and telling the rogues where the Alpha family would be today, so they could attack."

I shook my head, no I could never do that, they were my family, but with the only people who could protect me were either hunting after the rogues or lying unconscious on the ground, there wasn't much I could do to make them change their minds.

I was grabbed from the behind, my arms were pinned behind my back and I was dragged towards a pole with a metal collar on the end of a chain. It looked like a dog collar, but so much worse.

They pulled me up to the pole and snapped the collar shut round my neck. It burnt as it touched my flesh, but I didn't feel it. All I could think about was how my mate and my family, the people I cared for most in this world, were lying unconscious in the pack hospital.

I would trade in my own life for theirs.

I saw some wolves gather around me, disgust written on their faces once more, "You will be chained up here until the Alpha and his family are better, if they survive, they decide what to do with you, if they die, so do you." I was glad at that, if they died I wouldn't want to keep on living. As long as I was chained up my family was safe, I took comfort in that, if I was let out, they were better, if they died I would die too, I wouldn't want it any other way.

I would have preferred to not be chained up, but if I had to be at least I was ok with the terms. I knew as soon as Atlas, Isla or Forest got better I would be out of here.

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I was drifting somewhere between awake and asleep. I wasn't awake, but I couldn't sleep with a collar round my neck. It burnt my neck raw and bit my skin, but the pain of my family being hurt was worse.

Suddenly, from the tree line, came charging two figures I recognised. Ash charged over to the guard, a nice, normal guard, while Skye came over to me.

"I'm so sorry, we didn't know you were here, Ash has been yelling at the pack for hours, but they won't let you go, they won't even listen to Albert, and he's the beta. Short of telling them you're Forest's mate, there is nothing more we can do."

I shook my head at her, "It's ok, the pack is in flux until their alpha family gets better. I am in here until they get better, as long as they get better I'll be fine. Just keep an eye on them for me, keep them safe."

Skye nodded, a promise she will keep them safe until they are better. Ash came over, anger written all over his face. "They won't listen to me, I tried to at least get them to chain you with normal metal, not silver, but they said you betrayed the pack, so you deserve much worse. The only thing stopping me from killing them all is the satisfaction I will get from seeing Atlas, Isla and Forest's reaction to this, They won't let the pack keep you chained up and it will be funny to see Atlas explode at the guards who thought it could possibly be you who hurt them."

I grinned at Ash, he was right it would be a sight to see. They kept me company for a bit longer, keeping, my mind off Forest and the silver biting into my neck, until they had to go.

I drifted off to sleep hoping my family recovered soon.