Chapter 49
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Ignatius
more than
The news of Angie’s family betrayal rocked me. We were losing members. We couldn’t afford to be
whittled down more we already had. I was beginning to wonder if Elliot might have been right.
Maybe we should haveunched a counterattack from the moment the first shifter attacked Angie that
night. Maybe all of it was my fault, I had been too forgiving, too cautions. I wasn’t ready to sacrifice
lives for a promise of peace,
This betrayal could also possibly exin my sudden heat that home the moment I got back to my own
territory. Tor had sensed then benaval long before I had and it drove him to a frenzy.
Dorothy tugged at my hand. “Who do you think it could have ligen – that man who approached Angie’s
grandfather?”
I looked down at my mate. She looked scared. I hated the Tally for threatening our praceful existence
together. I would keep Dorothy safe. I had vowed to protect her with my life and I intended to keep that
promise.
“I’m not sure.” I said, trying to keep my tone from revealing just how concerned I really was
“Could have been the Tally leader. Then again it could also have been..” I trailed off I didn’t want to
bring back the memories Dorothy had been trying so hard to leave behind. But she already knew what I
was going to say, she had been thinking it too
“Johan. It could be Johan, she whispered it like she was afraid that saying his name too loudly would
summon him on the spot
“Don’t think about that right now, I tried to reassure her. We don’t know anything for sure yet. Wait until
Fae and Gideon start their search.”
I turned towards the house, realizing I was still standing in just my towel “I need to pay a visit to some
of the elders. We need to be sure who exactly is still on our side. We can’t trust anyone.
“What about Rita?” Dorothy asked, hurrying along behind me. Her towel was still wrapped around her
b*dy and over her head and 1 wanted to scoop her up in my arms. To carry her away from the mess we
had found ourselves in
I have to speak with Rita too. She’s kept secrets from us before secrets about you and your powers.
Who knows what else she’s hiding.
“But she’s been so helpful to us. Dorothy insisted. “She wouldn’t do as much as she has if she wasn’t
on our side.”
“I’m not using her. Trust me, I don’t want to suspect anyone either. But we have to be sure?
I rushed up the stairs to get dressed while Dorothy stopped at the bottom and let go of my hand. “What
if Johan’s after me?”
I paused halfway up the staircase as she continued, “What if this all my fault. Maybe if I just gave
myself up he would Jeave the pack alone?
“No, I growled,unching downs the stairs and grabbing her face in my hands. “Don’t think like that.
Even if that is what’s happening and you’re what he wants, he’s sure as hell not going to get it. I’m not
going to let you throw your life away. Dorothy”
Her eyes welled with tears. “What it it’s the only way,” she whispered. “He’s already rallying people, and
he has the Tally army behind him. You said it yourself we don’t have enough people on our side.
I didn’t have the answers forrr I didn’t have a solution to stop her tears that trickled down her cheeks
and wet my fingers. All I knew is that I would let nob*dy take her from me.
No one would harm a hair on her head so long as I was breathing. What kind of mate what kind of
Alpha – would I be, if I let innocents surrender themselves in order to save the rest. There had to be
another way, and I would never, ever give up Dorothy in the name of peace. They would take her over
my own dead b*dy.
Fri, Jan 26
Dorothy looked like she was already set in her conviction that sacralicing herself was the only way.
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“Look,” I k*ssed the top of head head gently, “We’ll talk about this when I get back. Don’t do anything s
tupid while i’m gone. though okay?”
Why can’t Ie with you?” she followed me up the stairs and into our bedroom while I pulled on the
first items of clothing I could find.
“Because if the elders have been turned, it could be dangerous for you to be there. If they’re capable of
treason theyre capable of a lot more than that. I don’t want you getting hurt if things get ugly”
I was already dialing Geranium to ask him to keep an eye on the house. Of all the members of my
pack- aside from Angie. Geranium was someone I trusted the most. His cell rang and raig and
eventually I was directed to voicemail. I frowned. staring down at the dark screen. It wasnt like him to
not answer is phone immediatly.
I was torn. Bringing Dorothy with me would mean putting her in danger but leaving her behind without
protection was not an option either.
I pulled on my boots, “You have your knife with you?”
Dorothy looked at me quizically and then knelt under her side of the bed to remove the de from
where it was wedged between the mattress and the bed base. It wasnt much but It would have to do.
“Good. Keep that with you. Lock the doors and don’t answer for anyone, got that?”
I knew my serious tone was scaring her, but I didnt have a choice. Things were looking grim and
Geranium’s silence only adding to my unease.
I pulled her into my arms and hugged her tightly, tilting her head up for one more passionate k*ss
before bounding down the stairs. “I’ll be back before you know it, okay? Be safe
Myst glimspe of her before I shut the door was my mate standing dismally at the top of the stairs. Her
hair was bedraggled and she stood clutching the towel around her small fragile frame. She raised a
hand to wave goodbye before the door shut between us. It hurt me to leave her like that. But this had to
be dealt with as soon as possible.
1 was dialing my father by the time I got to my car, “Elliot. We have a problem. Are you at the elders
hall?”
“You seemed to have calmed down since yesterday.” My father’s voice was nd, cutting for no real
reason other than to spite me for the sake of it.
“Someone is tempting members into joining the Tally. Angie is sending out a search for him now. We
need to figure out how many have already betrayed us.”
His grim silence was deafening as I started up the car and screeched down the road.
-Angie-
I didn’t go home and rest as I had promised. Instead, I drove to far’s house and h onked the car hom
repeatedly until I saw her drowsy face in the window. Her eyes widened when she recognized me and
she held up a finger to ask for a minute. While I waited, I dialed up my grandfather and growled into the
phone. “Ignatius knows about what you’ve done. If you dont want to see anyone get hurt expect you to
stay home today and don’t leave for anything. There are already guards posted outside”
My grandfather hang up without a word. I took that as an affirmation. He wouldnt risk the lives of my
mother and brother by daring to cross the guards..
Half a minuteter, Fae was at the front door and walking to the car, still in the process of slipping on
Têxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.
her shoes. “Angie? What’s up: What are you doing here so early!”
“You wanna help me track an imp?ster?”
I didn’t need to ask her twice, Far rounded the car without another word and climbed into the
passenger seat next to me.
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She took in my sunken eyes and wild hair with a raised eyebrow. Have you heard of the concept of a
hairbrush?”
“I’ve been a bit preupied, I mumbled, kicking the car into gear and speeding towards Gideon’s
house next. “We have a problem. I need your help.”
Fae wiped sleep sand from her eyes as she checked her reflection in the rearview mirror. “Who is this
imposter we’re tracking? Has there been another Tally attack?”
“Not exactly,” I exined the situation to her while we drove to Gideon’s house. Faes’ eyes grew wider
and wider as I continued and her mouth was set in the shape of an O.
“Are you serious?” she eximed as we pulled up right under Gideon’s window. I reminded myself to
apologize to his motherter for wrecking her tulips under the wheels of my car. “How many others
have turned too!”
“I’m not sure,” I said as I leaned out of the window and called upto Gideon who I knew would still be
fast asleep at this time. of day. “Wake up, a sshole! We have a job for you.”
After a minute of waiting and Far tactically chucking a pebble through the open window, we heard a
loud thump and a groaning from inside as the pebble hit its mark.
Gideon’s sleepy head peaked down at us. His hair was dishelleved and he blinked like he was only just
emerging from thefort of his nkets
“Did you just throw a rock at me?”
“No time for apologies,e down. We need your help rapunzel
“Bit ches,” Gideon mumbled under his breath before heaving himself over the window sill.
“Um, stairs exist, Faemented as we watched Gideon slide down the drainpipe with more grace
than was to be expected Trom a man who spent most of his off time ying video games and eating
microwaved macaroni straight from the foil wrapping,
-This is faster,” Gideon stated as he climbed into the back seat. “And besides, if my mother follows me
out she’s going to be appalled at what you just did to her daffodils
Those are tulips, Gids.”
“Fae darling, I have been awake for all of ten seconds and I am severelycking in the hot caffeine
department. I don’t give at hoot about exactly what kind of flowers you just crushed.”
“Fair enough, Fae giggled. “Anyway, Angie’s family justmitted treason and now we’re going to
track down a Tally shifter who may or may not still be lurking around the area
Gideon blinked at her slowly. The tendrils of sleep slowly leaving his eyes.
“F ucking brilliant,” he mumbled and leaned back in his seat. “I love me a good heart attack in the
morning”
“Gideon, if we actually manage to catch the guy and get out of this alive, I’ll buy you all the coffee you
could ever want
BB