Elias clearly didn’t trust Holt, and he wasn’t trying to hide it. Trust was going to be something Holt had to earn through actions, not words. For now, Elias arranged for him to stay in a house with <i>no </i>kids and three warriors stationed inside–men who would be watching his every move, day and night, with <i>no </i>intention of being discreet. Elias wanted the message to be loud and clear: Holt was <i>not </i>to be trusted, especially considering his background with my father’s pack.
Still, we heard him out. He told us everything he possibly could about this military organization my father had allied with. And this agency didn’t sound like anything we’d evere across before. It was darker, more dangerous. Unlike any standard government body, this one was built <i>to </i>deal with supernatural beings–werewolves, vampires, witches–anything not entirely human. Listening <i>to </i>the details chilled me to the bone. I had never believed such an agency could exist outside of fiction. But I had been wrong, <i>and </i>
now that ignorance was going to cost me.
For the time being, Elias and I were staying at Luke’s house. That night, we tried to rest, lying in bed together, but sleep was hard toe by. Both of us were silently fighting to switch off our minds, trying to shut out the looming threat ahead, but neither of us seeded. There were too many threats piling up against us, and none of them were provoked by us.
Elias created this pack with good intentions–to offer protection, to give help to those in need. Somehow, we had ended up as the targets of everyone’s rage and aggression, and we had no idea how it escted
to this point.
The next morning, I got out of bed and made myself a cup of coffee before stepping outside to the front of the house. From there, I noticed that all the mess and wreckage left behind at our home had already been cleared out, and a group of workers was up there starting on something new.
Elias joined me shortly after, slipping an arm around my waist. He reassured me that the house would be rebuilt as soon as they could manage it. His crew was going to be working on it daily until the new structure stood in ce.
“How long does it usually take for your crew to finish building a house?” I asked him.
“Not long at all. Maybe one to two weeks for a full two–story home,” he replied.
“Damn. That’s fast,” I said, impressed.
“They work long shifts and don’t waste time. And when it’s done, they’re rewarded pretty well for their efforts,” Elias added. I leaned back slightly, resting my head against his chest.
It was still early, and the coolness of the morning air was refreshing. I always liked stepping outside during
this time of day, before the sun really started heating everything up.
“Elias, Holt said my dad’s pack is abandoned now. Completely empty,” I said thoughtfully.
“Yeah. That’s what he told us,” Elias responded.
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“Well, if that’s true, then now would be the perfect time to go back. See if anything was left behind,” I
suggested.
“You’re still hoping to find something about your mom, aren’t you?” he asked.
“I’m convinced he had her murdered. But I don’t think that’s the whole story. There’s more. I can feel it,” I
said, staring off into the distance.
“I believe you. I’ll organize some scouts and send them to survey the territory. If they confirm the area is
truly deserted, we’ll go there ourselves and search for answers,” Elias said.
“Thank you,” I told him softly.
Elias didn’t waste any time. That same day, he gathered a team of scouts and gave them detailed
instructions. They didn’t hesitate. By nightfall, they had already set off on their mission.
I was honestly surprised by how quickly people got things done around here. They moved fast, not wasting a second, eager to get to my old pack grounds and begin their sweep. As soon as the area was cleared, they were going to call Elias with an update.
But since the territory wasn’t close by, they wouldn’t be arriving until the next day at the earliest. So for
now, all I could do was wait. <fn20f8> Th?s chapter is updated by Find~Novel</fn20f8>
Later that evening, I went along to observe another training session. Elias and Luke were both leading it,
and I stood off to the side, leaning against the building, just watching. That’s when Hailey came up and
stood beside me.
“Why don’t I ever see you out there training?” I asked her.
“Because I’m pregnant,” she replied casually. “Elias banned me from participating. He’s worried I’ll get
injured.”
“I didn’t realize you had a mate,” I said, a little surprised.
“I don’t,” she replied, ncing over at the training field. “I’m going to raise the baby on my own. It happens. I made a poor decision, and now here we are.”
“I’m sorry. Does the father even know?” I asked her gently.
“He knows. But he doesn’t want to be involved. I’ve epted it,” she said simply. Then, shifting the
subject, she added, “So, what about that shopping trip we mentioned?”
“I’m not sure. There’s a lot happening right now, and everything feels so uncertain,” I said with a sigh.
“Yeah, I get that. But when you’re ready, let me know. I’ll talk to Elias and sort something out,” she said
with a small smile.
“Sure,” I replied. She turned and walked away, and I kept my eyes on her as she did. I noticed her nce toward the warriors still in the middle of training, though I couldn’t tell exactly who she was looking at.
I figured it must’ve been the father of the baby, though, like she said, he didn’t want any part in raising it.
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That was going to be difficult for her, especially in a pack like this one. Everyone here seemed so tightly connected, like family. Still, I respected her. If she was determined to go through with this all on her own,
that took strength.
I didn’t get the sense that she didn’t want the baby. It wasn’t like that at all. She was just going to be raising it alone. And right then, I made up my mind–I was going to help her however I could. I knew she would
probably need support.
When I got back to the house, I went straight to the kitchen and began making dinner. Elias and Luke
arrived not long after I started.
They both went off to clean themselves up, and by the time they came back out, dinner was hot and ready.
We all sat down together at the table to eat.
“This is exactly what we needed. Thanks, Lyra,” Luke said gratefully.
“Don’t mention it. You guys have been working hard with the warriors all night,” I told him.
“Yeah, I’ve been thinking about giving them a few days off. With everything that’s been happeningtely,
especially after the attack from Damon’s pack, they could use the rest.”
“Well, I doubt those assholes will beunching another attack anytime soon,” I said.
“No. I don’t think so either,” he agreed.
“How’s your training going?” Luke asked me.
“We keep having to pause whenever something new happens around here. But we’re making progress-
slowly but surely,” I replied.
“That’s good to hear. You’ll be in fighting condition before long. Especially with Elias as your trainer,” he
said with a nod.
“Yeah. That’s the goal,” I said, then paused. “Actually, I was talking to Hailey earlier. She told me she’s
pregnant, and that the father doesn’t want to be involved. Do you guys know who he is?” I asked. As soon
as I did, the two of them exchanged a quick, somewhat awkward nce.
“That’s really not our ce to say,” Elias said cautiously.
“Fair enough,” I responded. “I was just thinking maybe we could throw her a baby shower or something. If
she’s going to do this on her own<b>, </b>it might help take off some of the financial burden. All the stuff a baby needs can be expensive.”
“I think that’s a very thoughtful idea,” Luke said. “Have you asked Hailey about it yet?”
“No, not yet,” I admitted.
“Well, maybe talk to her first. See if that’s something she’s interested in before nning anything,” Luke advised.
“Alright. I’ll do that,” I said with a nod.
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“Do you know how long a werewolf pregnancy usuallysts?” he asked me.
“I know it’s shorter than a human pregnancy, but I’m not sure of the exact length,” I replied.
More Rewards <b>> </b>
“It’s about four months total,” Elias exined. “She’s not really showing much yet, but she’s already around
seven or eight weeks along.”
“So, she’s close to halfway through. Four months is only sixteen weeks,” I pointed out.
“Exactly. She probably should be showing by now, but she’s been wearing a lot of loose clothestely. That’s likely why you haven’t noticed anything,” Luke said.
“Yeah. That makes sense,” I agreed.
After dinner, I stayed behind to do the dishes and clean up the kitchen. Once everything was spotless, I took a shower and then went to the spare bedroom, where Elias was already sitting up in bed going through some paperwork for the pack.
I climbed into bed beside him and spent a few minutes scrolling on my phone. Then I let it fall onto the
mattress and turned to look at him.
“Luke’s the father, isn’t he?” I asked suddenly.
“Why do you think that?” Elias responded, not looking up right away.
“Because of the look you gave each other when I asked. It was strange. And I know you know more than
you’re letting on,” I said directly.
“I do know more,” he admitted. “But honestly, it’s none of our business. Even as Alpha and Luna, that kind
of thing is personal. It’s Hailey’s story to tell.”
“Alright. If that’s how you feel,” I said, letting it drop for now.
The next morning, I was feeling restless. I started cleaning the entire house from top to bottom to keep myself busy. Then finally, Elias came into the bathroom where I was scrubbing the floor.
“Lyra,” he said. “They just called. The whole pack’s abandoned. There’s no one left.”
“Is the packhouse still standing?” I asked immediately.
“Yeah,” he said with a nod.
“When are we leaving?” I asked, already feeling the adrenaline spike.
“Whenever you’re ready,” he said.
“I’ll go get changed,” I told him, heading straight for my room.
We were leaving now.
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