Chase
Chapter 27
My parents were thrilled that Jenna and I had changed our minds and decided to stay longer. Life seemed to be moving in the right direction. I felt on top of the world and could clearly see our future planned out before us. It was wonderful . . . and then it wasn’t.
On Thursday morning, Kyle called me down to his office. I had never seen him look so stressed before. The Betas and the entire Pack Council were there, but also present were two members of the Grand Council.
The Grand Council oversaw, and sort of governed, all packs. They weren’t supposed to be affiliated with any one specific pack, but we all knew they each had their favorites. It wasn’t a perfect system. We were all human, after all; okay, well, half human at least.
Being the youngest of the family I had never been invited to even a Pack Council meeting, let alone one that included Grand Council members. I couldn’t fathom what they’d want from me.
“Chase, have a seat,” Kyle said when I walked in to the room. To say I was nervous was an understatement. These men intimidated the crap out of me and made me feel like a small child again.
“Something’s come up,” Patrick told me.
I bit back my need to sarcastically reply, “Because, duh, why else would they have asked me to sit in on this meeting?”
“There’s really no easy way of saying this,” Kyle started. “King Lockhardt has gotten word of your mating to Jenna. He has declared war against the wolves and is rallying the big cats to battle. We’ve been given warning. They are coming for us and, I quote, ‘Humbly request a neutral battle ground.’ The battle is to take place in the badlands this Saturday. It gives us very little time to get our own resources together. I think he’s underestimated the size of Westin Pack and the wolf alliance.”
My heart dropped into my stomach. I knew Kyle had been concerned about this very thing. Neither Jenna nor I thought for a second her father would go through with it, though. I knew it was going to hurt my mate when I told her. As this reality sunk in, my wolf stirred in fury and I growled.
“Keep it cool, brother,” Kyle warned. I could feel his Alpha power pressing down on me, trying to control me, and it only pissed me off more. I stubbornly wanted to fight against him, even knowing I shouldn’t. I forced myself to calm down.
“What’s our plan?” I asked when I felt safe to speak again.
Cedric, one of the Grand Council members, spoke up. “He notified the Grand Council directly, Chase. I’m not going to even bother trying to lecture you on the dangers or mating outside our kind. I can’t even comprehend how you managed to convince Jenna Lockhardt, Princess of the panthers, to bond with you, but what’s done is done and we have to deal with the threat at hand.”
I shrugged. “It was simple. She’s my one true mate.”
Whispers of disbelief went around the room, but I ignored them.
“That’s not even possible,” Cedric said.
“Believe what you want. I know it. Jenna knows it. She is my true mate,” I said stubbornly.
“At this point, it doesn’t really matter,” Ambrose, a Pack Council member, added. “What does this mean to the wolves?”
“Can’t we just not show up? Force his hand to bring the fight here? See just how serious he is?” I asked.
Patrick spoke up. “I’ve already put in some inquiries. He’s serious, Chase. There’s movement on the East Coast. It appears the felines are rallying behind him in force.”
“What does he want? I mean, seriously, what does he hope to accomplish from this?” I wasn’t one hundred percent sure I wanted to know, but I needed to.
“He wants his daughter back and you dead,” Cedric said.
I growled, but Patrick and Cole Anderson held me back when I started to lunge toward the threat, even knowing that Cedric was not the actual threat to me.
“Get a grip on it, Chase.” Kyle snarled, letting his damn Alpha power subdue me once again. “He won’t get Jenna. I promise you. How many are we talking, Patrick?”
“Hundreds, possibly thousands. Every flight into the area is booked. We’ll have to go in on the ground. The area chosen is surprisingly far more wooded than you’d expect. We can plan for an aerial attack as well as ground. The cats will take to the trees, I’m certain of it. It will make it much harder to defend ourselves,” Patrick briefed.
“This is not just a Westin threat,” Cedric spoke, again. “They directed this to the Grand Council. We do not take lightly to such things. Kyle has agreed to temporarily lift the ban on the Bulgarians and their allies for this. Representatives from the fifteen largest packs worldwide will arrive tonight. We will formulate our plan then. First, we have to unite the packs before we can face an external enemy and hope to survive it.”
The meeting ended shortly after. Unbeknownst to most, Patrick and Cole Anderson, as pack Betas and heads of security, had a lodge built just past what we considered our pack line. This was to be a place for visiting packs and representatives, a neutral territory that kept them off Westin land while trying to mend the breaks in the Grand Council alliances caused from the war with the Bulgarians. Our foreign visitors would be putting the place to use while everything got sorted.
I was relieved they would not be on Westin soil. Still too close, but better than the alternative. The Bulgarians had tried to kill Kelsey and had almost killed my father in the process. I was not ready to forgive all that had happened, and neither were most Westins. If they truly accepted the temporary peace treaty being discussed to go to war against the big cats for my mate, I would have to find it in my heart to make peace with them, because I would have an eternal debt owed to each and every one of them.
When I was finally dismissed, I headed out to the living room and found Mom and Jenna with their heads together on the couch looking over the pictures Jenna took of Zander for the hundredth time.
“Princess, can I talk to you in private for a minute?” I asked her.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, clearly feeding off my own anxiety.
“Private,” I said.
“It’s for the best, dear. We can finish this later,” Mom told her. I think that terrified her even more. I had no doubt my father had relayed the information to my mother already through the telepathic connection of their bond. Someday Jenna and I would be able to do that, too.
I led the way upstairs, double-checked to ensure the dampener was still on, and sat her down on the bed.
“You’re really freaking me out, Chase,” she admitted. “What’s going on?”
I didn’t want to tell her, but she had to know. “Your father has found out about us.”
“What? Already? The girls swore to keep it a secret,” she said, starting to cry. “How bad is it, Chase?”
“Worse than we imagined. He’s notified our Grand Council with declaration of war against the wolves. He’s rallying the big cats together and we’re to meet for battle this Saturday in some obscure areas of the badlands in North Dakota.”
“Why? What does he hope to gain from that?”
“You,” I said simply. “He wants you back and me dead.”
She gasped and started to sob. I dropped to my knees before her and hugged her close. “I won’t let it happen, sweetheart.”
When her initial sobs started to subside, she reached in her pocket and took out her phone. It was too late to stop her when I realized what she was doing. I could hear the phone ringing on the other side.
“Is he insane? Has he lost his mind? Please tell me this is dementia or some onset to Alzheimer’s, Mother. What is Daddy thinking, calling a war against the wolves?”
“Jenna?” the woman asked, like she wasn’t sure she believed it was really her.
“Yes, Mother, it’s me, Jenna. Do you know anything about this?” she asked.
“Jenna, are you hurt, baby?” The woman on the other end was clearly upset and crying.
“Why would you think I was hurt, Mother?”
“We heard the
wolves had you, baby. Your daddy says they have you hostage and won’t let you come home. I spoke to Tessa earlier, and she admitted you weren’t with the other girls in Cabo. Your daddy’s going out of his mind trying to get you back safely.”
“Mother, listen to me. I am not hurt. I am not being held against my will. I’m free to come home or go wherever I want, anytime I want. You don’t need to worry about that.”
“Are they telling you to say that?”
“Of course not. Tell me what you think happened,” Jenna said, sounding far more patient than I ever could in this situation.
“They said you met a boy at school, a wolf. He became infatuated with you and took you off to his territory over spring break and plans to keep you. We’re so worried, baby.”
“Mother, listen closely.” Jenna’s voice became harsher now. “I did meet a boy at school. His name is Chase, and he’s my one true mate. Daddy knows this, because he’s threatening to kill Chase, take me home against my will, and has threatened war against all the wolves. I don’t expect you to understand, but this is my choice. My decision. No one else’s. I choose Chase, my true mate, Mother, and I love him.”
I heard the gasp and the sobs. I held Jenna close as she shook. The vibes flowing off her through our bond were angry ones. I could understand that. I hadn’t expected it, but I knew that if my family threatened her in any way I’d have the same reaction.
“You’re too young to understand what’s happening, Jenna. Maybe we shouldn’t have sheltered you so much, but a wolf cannot be your mate. It’s not possible.”
“It is actually, and if you and Daddy weren’t so racist, you’d understand that. We’ve already sealed our bond, Mother. To hurt Chase is the same as hurting me.”
“For a while, maybe, but it will get better in time. You’ll see. Your daddy knows what he’s doing to protect you, Jenna. Please don’t fight this.”
“Don’t fight it? Just come home. Let him kill my mate and all will be just fine? Do you even hear yourself?”
“The seer said this would happen,” she muttered under her breath.
“What? The seer said what would happen?” Jenna demanded.
“The seer said upon your birth that you and the pride would be the undoing of the panthers. You’re going to destroy us all. So, you see, this young man cannot be your mate, Jenna, because your true mate is a lion. We’ve always known this.”
Jenna became very calm. I expected her to be shocked, to cry, to freak out, but the eerie calm that washed through her scared me far more.
“You don’t know shit, Mother. Goodbye. I’ll see you on the battlefront.”
The woman was yelling for someone and crying hysterically as Jenna calmly hung up the phone.
She had a far off look in her eye when she spoke again. “Did you hear what she said—the part about me bringing destruction to the panthers?”
I nodded, but wasn’t sure she was actually seeing me. “Yes,” I said.
“It all makes so much sense now. They always treated me carefully, different from Tessa—like they were afraid to upset me, even though I never gave them any cause to worry. Never. It all comes back to some stupid prophecy a seer told them. I’m sorry it’s coming down to this, but if it’s a war he wants, it’s a war he’ll get. I’ll kill him, Chase. I’ll kill my father before I let him hurt you.”
The lethal tone in her voice would have scared the shit out of a full-blown Alpha, but it just made pride well up within me. My princess was ready to fight for us at all costs. I hated that there would likely be casualties. I hated that others had to go war for us, but when Kelsey had been threatened, the pack rallied behind her, and I had zero doubt they would for us, too. I had proudly fought for my brother and his mate, and I could not take that choice away from anyone else. If they chose to stand with Jenna and me, I would accept the help with gratitude.
Before we had a chance to discuss, my phone started ringing. I picked it up, more out of habit than anything, and saw Matt Williams’ face smiling back at me.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Hey man, so I just got a call from my dad and you know what he said?”
“Matt, I got some shit I’m dealing with here, can you either spit it out or I’ll call you back later.”
“Yeah, that’s pretty much what he said, too. All big cats are being requested to stand with King Lockhardt in North Dakota this Saturday. You know why?”
I sat down, feeling a little deflated. “I know, or at least I had heard. He issued war against the wolves. We had a meeting about it a little while ago.”
“Aren’t the wolves already divided in war?” Matt asked. Jenna’s eyes were huge with questions, but I smiled trying to reassure her.
“Yes, but the Grand Council has already called a temporary peace. Representatives from the largest fifteen packs are coming together tonight to discuss. I have to believe it’s going to work out okay.”
“I’m calling the brothers in,” Matt said. “I’m not a panther and he’s not my King, but you are my brother and I will fight by your side to the death.”
“Thanks, Matt. I really appreciate that, dude. Let’s hope it doesn’t come down to that.”
Jenna
Chapter 28
When Chase got off the phone with Matt, he kissed me and left. As much as I loved him, I was glad for a few minutes alone for my meltdown. After a good cry and a shower, I picked up my phone and called Tessa.
“Jenna, are you okay?” she asked. “Mother just called. Daddy’s ordering all of us to North Dakota. He says he’s coming to get you and bring you home. I swear I didn’t tell them anything.”
“I know you wouldn’t have done that. I just can’t believe he’s acting like this. Mother didn’t even want to hear my explanation. She just started ranting about how Chase couldn’t be my mate because the seer said I’d mate a lion and it would destroy the panthers or some nonsense like that.”
Tessa was quiet on the other end, and it gave me a bad feeling. “Tessa?”
“She really told you about that?” she finally asked.
“You knew?” I couldn’t help the hurt that knowledge caused.
“Yeah, everyone knows. Daddy said that telling you could lead you down the path, that we should never discuss it. He had all of us relocate to the ARC so we could keep an eye on you and take out any lions that tried to come too near you. It’s the real reason he’s so hung up on this pure bloodline stuff. He’s spent our entire lives trying to keep the prophecy from becoming reality. The seer terrifies him—it’s why he keeps her close and happy.”
I was stunned and didn’t know what to say.
“Jenna, are you still there? Hello?”
“I’m here,” I said, feeling disconnected from it all.
“I’m sorry. We were sworn to secrecy—never to discuss it with you. Most of us were relieved when you started showing interest in Chase, though shocked when you mated him. Still, it wasn’t a lion, so we thought the prophecy couldn’t be fulfilled now, and yet here we are about to walk into war, felines against canines. It’s insane, and Jenna?”
“Yeah?”
“I don’t care what he says. I know you chose Chase of your own free will. You told me you love him, and I’ll support that. If it comes down to it, I won’t fight against you. You’re my sister. There are others here who feel the same way.”
“Thank you, Tessa. I love you,” I told her honestly. I didn’t know what else to say. Her choosing me meant more than I could ever explain. “I guess I’ll see you Saturday on the battlefield.”
“I guess so, and I love you, too.”
When Tessa hung up, I realized I was numb. So much had happened. I had so much information to digest. It was too much. I curled up in a tight ball and let the darkness take me over, grateful for it.
When I stirred again, the room was dark. I could feel Chase’s arm draped heavily over my waist and his warm body pressed against my back. Safety and love washed over me. I pushed aside the though
ts running through my head, threatening to overtake me, and just reveled in my mate. I breathed in his woodsy scent and snuggled back into him a little closer. He was snoring lightly, but his arm flexed protectively tighter around me.
Pain, hurt, and fear were prevalent emotions after all I had learned. Our pack, and from the sounds of it, many other wolves, would be marching into battle for me. I’d have to live with the outcome of that. My parents would do anything they felt necessary to get me back, not even realizing I was right here and if they’d just open up and talk to me they’d see that. But they were too blinded by their own ignorance and assumptions to even consider what impact their actions were having on me, their own daughter.
Somehow I must have fallen back to sleep, because the next conscious thing I remembered was Kyle standing over us. I yelped and pulled the covers closer around me. Looking down, I had my pajamas on and remembered changing before Chase came in. Relieved, I sat up and stretched.
“Hey, man, what’s going on?” Chase asked Kyle.
“I think you two should be present for this morning’s meetings. Sorry to intrude so early. Breakfast is ready and we’ll be heading out in thirty minutes,” he said, before turning and walking back out of the room.
I relaxed when the door closed behind him. It wasn’t that I had anything against Kyle, I didn’t. He had just startled me and set my panther on high alert with the awkward wake-up call.
Chase groaned and pulled me back into him. He started kissing down my neck.
“Today’s a big day, we shouldn’t keep him waiting,” I reminded him.
“You understand what’s going on today, right?” Chase asked.
I nodded. “I think so.”
“They are going to parade us around to the Alphas of the largest known wolf packs in hopes of garnering sympathy and aligning the wolves. I hate that they are going to put you on display like that—the little panther whose only fault was falling in love with a wolf. We could just leave, you know? Disappear.”
Confusing Hearts (Westin Pack Book 4) Page 26
