16

Warning: This story contains violence and abusive imagiry. Read with caution and at your own discretion.

Ada was woken rudely a few hours later. She felt hands on her and at first she thought it was Vincent. But she could feel that he was not in the house and instead the person shook her firmly.

"Ada wake up." It was Zack. She opened her eyes and glared at him.

"What the heck. Its rude to just wake a lady up like that." She said to him and sat up.

"How long have you known about the army?" He demanded. Ada yawned and scratched her neck.

"I found it the other night. I left the compound and just went to the last place I knew my group was. There was the camp close to where we were supposed to meet." She looked at him, seeing conflicting emotions in his face.

"Are you still with them?" He demanded, Ada narrowing her eyes.

"Of course not! You know what it was like for me to live out there. I've told everyone in the pack." She started.

"You could be lying." He pointed out and anger surged through her.

"You of everyone know better than that, Zack. You always know when I'm lying." She snapped, which seemed to catch him off guard and for a moment a pained look came to his face.

"The pack says you have been feeding information to the rogues this whole time." He growled, though she could not tell if it was at her or the situation.

"If that were true, they would have already attacked. I went to find the rogues to see how bad this was going to be. I was hoping I was wrong." She said to him.

Zack stared at her for a few moments before he sighed. Je helped her out of the bed and left the room as she changed. He then walked with her back to the court house. She took in a deep breath and walked in with her head held high.

It was loud in there. Every one was talking or shouting all at once. When she walked in the yelling got louder and she heard slurs thrown her way and there were a lot of angry faces. If they were thinking the same way Zack did, they must have been assuming that she was the reason that there were so many rogues.

As before she was brought to the table, but this time there were three others with her. Vincent, Zack, and Jessie were right there with her.

The Aloha got everyone to quiet down and he leveled a steely glare on her. She didn't flinch.

"Ada. We have been told that you escaped the compound to go meet with the rogues that you formerly met with."

"I didn't meet with them." Ada corrected, interrupting him.

"I went out there to see how bad it was. Rogues don't gather in large groups. It draws too much attention. If they are gathering like this then I was right. They are coming for a fight. If what I heard there is right, they plan to wipe out all packs in this region."

The entire room erupted in shouts and roars. Once more it was all directed at her. She didn't flinch. The room was quieted once more.

"How do we know that you are not the one that brought them here? How can we be sure that you are not still on their side? How do we know that you did not plan all of this from the start?" He demanded.

"You don't." Ada replied firmly.

"Almost none of you trust me, yet I have done nothing except what was asked of me since I got here. I never resisted, I never questioned what I was told. I have done everything to prove that I want to be here and I want to be a part of this pack." She replied to him. He seemed to consider her words for a moment.

"If you truly are a part of this pack then you will prove it. Swear your loyalty to myself and the Luna." He said to her, a smug look on his face. Clearly he seemed to think that she would resist or say something against it.

Ada stepped out from behind the table and approached them. She lifted a hand and placed it over her heart, closing her eyes and lowering her head.

"I swear on my life, to remain loyal to the Alpha, the Luna, and the Pack." She said to them. A pain shot through her head, but she only flinched and instead remained as she was.

Whispers broke out through the whole room until it all fell silent again. Ada remained how she was until the Alpha spoke.

"I will be honest with you. I was not expecting you to do it." He said to her and she opened her eyes and lifted her head to look at him.

"I was never one of them. I was doing what I had to in order to survive. That is how it is for many of them. Those that really believe the garbage they try and feed us are heartless. They care for only themselves. Those are who you will find in that gathering out there. Few of them can be saved." She then turned around and looked at those gathered.

"I can babe take back any of the things I've done. But I want to move forward. My whole life, trapped with the rogues, all I wanted to do was go home. We were hinted if we ran, so I knew the only thing I could do was wait. Wait for the right time to leave. That time came when I found my mate, something I thought impossible before that."

"Though most of you still hate me, this place has become my home. I will defend it and all of you with my life." She looked to all of them. There was a mix of reactions.

"Since you know rogues better than anyone else, what do you think they will do?" The Alpha asked. Ada turned around to face him.

"They will pick the strongest pack and wipe them out first. In the middle of the night they will rush the territory and as wolves, they will break into every home and kill as many as they can as quickly as they can. Even if they do not kill everyone in one night, it would weaken the pack and send them into a panic." She replied. More whispered broke out in the room.

"Whatever their end goal is, I have never seen so many rogues gathered in one place e before. The safest thing to do would be to join all three packs in one place." She added.

"You want the packs to leave their territories to the rogues?" Snapped the Beta. Ada did her best not to glare at him.

"No. The two smaller packs will join with the biggest pack." She started, it he cut in before she could cotinue.

"So you want two of the packs to give up their territory to the rogues. You just swore to protect this pack, but now you want to condemn the others?" She sounded unimpressed.

"Of course not. They cant hold the territory of the packs without making sure that all three are wiped out. There are enough rogue wolves out there to a single pack at a time. If all three packs join forces it will aid everyone and there is the potential to wipe several hundred rogues off the face of the earth." She replied, though the Beta still didn't seem convinced.

"It sounds more like you just want to give your friends the land they need to expand their numbers." He countered smugly. What he was suggesting made her feel sick and she narrowed her eyes.

"That is not it at all. I want all of the packs to live. This is the largest pack and has the most land. The other two packs can come here and join us in this fight." She said to him.

"And how will they get here? Traveling would make them targets for the enemy." He said, and he looked smug again.

"We will send some of the most advanced students from my training to guide them. With their own warriors reinforced with the ones we send, it should be more than enough to keep them safe on their journey here." She replied to him. Rage was building in her chest and her dark eyes seemed set permanently in a glare.

"That would leave us undefended, would it not?" He asked, Ada slowly taking in a deep breath.

"Not all of our warriors will go. Only 12 are advanced enough to actually go. It will be enough." She replied easily.

"What about you? Will you go?" He seemed to think he had her. As if this one question was going to make her entire plan and argument fall apart.

"If I'm asked to. Yes. I will go and defend the other packs to ensure their safe passage here." She replied and the look on his face darkened. Before he could say more, the Alpha cut in.

"Alright. Ada, we will go with your plan. Preparations will begin immediately to retrieve and house the other two packs. Gather your troops, Ada. You head out tomorrow." With that he stood and ushered all of them out of the room.

Ada walked with purpose toward the training ground. Word was already spreading of her plan and she walked with purpose flanked by Zack, Jessie and Vincent. She felt as though she had way too much to prove. Something about the way the Beta looked at and spoke to her made her uncomfortable.

It was as if he knew that she was going to fail and he was just enjoying all of it. The sinister look in his eye reminded her too much of Kyle.

She got to the training grounds and it was just a few moments before the others arrived. She filled them in on the plan and she could see most were on edge. A few had already fought the rogues and even managed to kill a few of them.

She laid it all out to them and they set out just before the sun set. They were in wolf form and they were going to run through the night. With Ada in the lead, they were able to stay away from the rogues and get them to the first of the other packs. They needed time to rest, and they would give the pack time to prepare.

Ada looked out at the ocean as the sun was headed back down to the horizon. She was on edge and she knew that if she let it show the others would lose their nerve. She had to be strong for them and let them believe that she knew they were going to make it. Honestly she didn't know if they were. This was a gamble and there was no guarantee that they could move this whole pack through the forest and not get spotted or attacked. This was a gamble and it was the biggest one that she had ever made.

She felt Vincent come near, but she didn't turn to look at him as he stepped up beside her and slid in arm around her waist.

"I'm not cut out to be a leader." She said to him and he shook his head.

"Yes, you are. Already you're proving it. Leading this group to defend the other packs and get them to safety. This is your plan. This is going to work." He said to her, giving her a gentle squeeze. Ada sighed and looked to the sand.

"I dont know if it will work." She admitted and he turned to face her, and turned her to face him.

"It will. Because no one knows these people like you do, and you have worked your ass off to get us ready. We twelve are with you. We will follow you to hell if that's what it takes." He lifted a hand to gently cup her face. She leaned her head against his hand. His words didn't take away her insecurities, but it did make her feel better.