Chapter 6

"You're kidding right? You don't know what Mac'n cheese is?" Jace asks dropping his spoon.

My cheeks flush red and I look down at the plate of white cheesy noodles. I pick up my spoon and stick a spoon full of The noodles in my mouth. I instantly hum in bliss, never have I ever tasted something so good in my life.

"Oh my gosh this is amazing!"

Jace laughs beside me, "You've never had this before? It's like a quick easy meal for a lot of people. Humans especially love it."

I shove more spoon fulls in my mouth until I've eaten the whole bowl, "I was never allowed to have what the pack ate, I was given sandwiches or bread and soup. Sometimes my brother would sneak a piece of pie to me at night when my parents were asleep."

I lick the spoon and place it in the now empty bowl. I look back up and see Everyone staring at me.

Confused I ask, "What?"

"Mariana what pack were you originally from?"

I don't say anything, if my parents ever found out I said anything they'd kill me. My brother can't protect me anymore, and I have I can't go back. Not after everything that's happened..

"Princess?"

I feel Jace's hand on my arm and I move away, If he every found out why I left.. He'd hate me.. He'd leave me. Not that I wasn't expecting that to happen anyway. Everyone eventually leave-

"Mariana listen to me."

I snap out of my thoughts and look up at his stern eyes. He's holding his phone and the cook and his mother have left. I hear faint footsteps going frantically up and down the halls.

"What's going on?"

He gets up and rummages through his drawers, throwing a t-shirt on and coming back over to me, "Princess I need you to stay here."

"Why, what's going on Jace?"

He looks hesitant to tell me anything, "Aaron is at our border, with a large group of wolves."

I freeze, "He's come for me?"

He wraps his arms around me and pulls me close, "Stay here Mariana, Do not leave this room. I won't let him take you."

He lets go and kisses my head running out into the hall and closing the door behind him. I get up slowly and walk over to the window, but notice that its most likely the back of the house. I grab a blanket and wrap it around my shoulders, creeping over to the door. Cracking it open, I glance out into the hall, seeing wolves running up and down. Kids being pulled by their parents down the stairs. Warriors guiding pregnant women down the stairs carefully.

I step out into the hall and get shoved hard by a couple of teens. One stops and turns around to look at me.

"Are you okay Miss?" He comes over and helps me up.

"Yes, I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention. Where is everyone going?"

He gives me a funny look but the recognition sparks on his face. "Luna! You're the alphas mate!"

Wolves close by stop to look at who the boy is talking to and my cheeks flush red. They all rush over to me to get a good look, placing a hand on part of my shoulder or arm. All of them talking at once, I start to panic.

Marie calm down, this is our pack now. You must get them all to safety.

I breathe in and out before clearing my throat, "That's enough. Everyone needs to make their way down to the safe room. Now."

Everyone nods running down the stairs, the boy takes my hand and helps me down the stairs leading me to a metal door down another flight of stairs. Several men stand guard outside the open door while women and children make their way in. The boy tries to pull me towards the stairs and I stop him.

"Luna? We need to take cover." He says pointing to the room.

I shake my head and let go of his hand pushing him gently towards the stairs, "You go ahead, I have to go find someone."

He smiles and nods, "Please be safe Luna!"

I smile back and nod my head, I watch him descend into the room and disappear before I turn around and make my way to the front of the large room. I look up to see the same beautiful, glittering chandelier. Pushing open the front doors, I see many wolves rushing into the woods, some men running and then shifting in mid air. I walk out slowly and lift my nose to the air, I close my eyes and focus on the wind, the smells the sounds.

I recognize the citrus smell and rush forward into the woods. I shift and I hear Shiver howl in my head. We run full speed into the woods, jumping through bushes and dodging trees. Definitely paying more attention to what's around me.

Marie what are we doing? If Mate finds out we left the room he will be angry.

I'm not going to let Jace fight that monster alone. This is my fault, I should be the one helping.

I slow my pace when I hear the voices, crouching behind a bush. I look through and see Aaron plain as day standing in the middle of the field, Jace standing a few feet away from him on the other side, this back to me. Both sides backed by a large group of ungrateful looking wolves ready for blood. Movement to my right catches my eyes and I see a slightly smaller wolf joining the group of hungry wolves.

My eyes widen, that's the kid I was just with! Frantically I crawl quickly to the back of the group and walk up to the pup. I nip his tail and he turns around half snarling before he realizes its me. He gives me a wolf grin and wags his tail. I give him a stern look and turn my head to the woods, urging him to go back. I hear the wolves start growling and I look up to see Jace and Aaron now in wolf form snarling at each other. I grab the pup by the back of the neck and run back into the wood, half dragging half carrying the poor boy.

I drop him when I feel he's far enough away and growl lowly, he whimpers and runs back towards the house. I turn and head back to the field in time to see the wolves running towards each other. I crouch and stay hidden behind a bush, trying to find my mate in the middle of the mass of bloodied Canines. A pair of jaw locked wolves crash towards me, One biting the neck of the other before tearing through its flesh. Blood splatters all over me and the wolf looks up at me snarling.

Not on our side!!

I jump up and take a fighting stance, The wolf lunges at me and I dodge to the right turning to bite down on his back. He turn's fast and kicks up his back legs causing me to loose balance and let go. I wall onto my back and scramble to get up.

These wolves have humans guiding them, they are not like the rogues that have no humanity. They will not be as easy to beat.

Stay on your feet, let me take control!

I switch with Shiver and she growls lowly and menacing. The power rolling off us confuses him and he steps back a bit. We take that opportunity to lunge at him locking out jaws down on his front leg. He yelps and bites down on our back. We yelp back and claw at the meat on his chest. Our claws connect with the flesh of his chest and he whimpers backing up. We jump up and crash into him, we wrestle around with me landing on top. Before he has a chance to think I take control and lock my jaws on his through tearing through his flesh. Blood rushing into my mouth, the taste of the metallic liquid making me go crazy.

I jump off of the now dead wolf and drop the piece of meat in my mouth before slowly walking out into the field. My senses now on hyperdrive, a permanent snarl on my face. My sharp canines showing plain as day. My mate's pack sense my power and make a path for me while keeping the other wolves from reaching me.

I continue my walk to the center of the field where Jace and Aaron are facing off. Jace's ears perk up and he turns around, eyes wide when he sees me. Aaron stops mid bite and looks wide eyed at me as well. He wags his tail and tries to trot up to me when Jace steps in front of him growling lowly. I hear Aaron shift and I walk closer to them, keeping my muzzle low ready to attack.

"Step aside! My mate has come back to me!" I hear Aaron yell.

Jace shifts and yells back, "She's not yours!! She. Is. MINE!"

He lunges for Aaron but I bark at him to stop. My growl now more dangerous then before, I stand high and tall. Making myself look taller and bigger. Jace looks at me in shock and I walk right past him. I can feel his emotions in my heart, his sadness, his feeling of betrayal. I don't look back, I stare right at Aaron.

"Ah, my flower. You've finally realized who your true mate is."

I snap, lunging forward. My jaws connecting with his arm, his scream echoing throughout the field. Every wolf stops dead and watching the scene before them. The look in his eyes change and they glow bright red. He shifts landing on top of me. I try to wiggle my way out but he bites down on my throat. I instantly freeze, if I so much as move once my throat will be torn. If someone so much as moves Aaron off of me, my throat will be torn.

"NO!" I hear Jace yell, running towards us and shifting mid air.

"Jace don't! If you move him her throat will be torn out!"

I close my eyes no knowing where the voice came from, but silently thanking them for stoping him. I open my eyes back up to see Aaron's crazy, wild eyes staring back at me. He clenches his jaw and I whimper.

Shiver we have no choice we have to submit. He's going to kill us.

We have a choice, we have to get Aaron off of us! You know what we have to do..

Shiver are you crazy!? Levi is uncontrollable! He won't just kill Aaron, he'll kill anyone that comes close to him. He would even kill our mate!

What other choice do we have Marie, Levi can get us out of this. Aaron won't let us go without a fight. And if he can't have us then he'll make sure no one can.

I try to plead with Aaron, trying to show him through my eyes, urging him to just let me go. But he doesn't listen, doesn't even notice. He just bites a tiny bit harder, blood no pouring down the side of my neck.

"NO! Aaron I swear if you kill her I will make sure your life on this earth is the most miserable thing ever! I will kill every single one of your pack mates and everyone single person you have ever cared about! I will tear your REAL mates throat out right in front of you!"

This has Aaron clenching his jaw again, His eyes shift up to look at my mates.

"Yeah that's right Aaron, I will tear out Karly's throat. Right in front of your face, make you watch the life drain from her eyes, watch the blood pour out of her body as she goes limp and dies, just far enough out of your reach." I hear Jace growl out.

My eyes widen, Jace can't kill Karly! She's my friend, my only friend!

Jace isn't going to kill Karly, he's trying to bait Aaron to attack him instead of killing us. Aaron's crazy enough to believe anything he says.

I sigh in relief but stop short, trying to play along and act horrified. Aaron looks back down at me and I make myself look extremely terrified. His grip loosens and I keep going, willing tears to form in my eyes, dampening my fur. His eyes widen just a bit and he pulls away slightly in shock. I take this as my chance and I kick up with my back legs and launch him up and over me, onto his back.

I jump up and scramble over to Jace, He wraps his arms around my head, burning his face in my fur.

"Don't ever scare me like that again Princess." He mutters, rubbing the side of my face.

I nod, attempting to make a sympathetic look. He turns my head slowly assessing my neck, blood trickles down, my fur now matted with already dried blood. He slowly moves some of my fur to look at my wound and I whimper, flinching away from his touch. He shushes me and grabs my muzzle.

"Hey I'm just trying to make sure your okay." He says trying to keep my head still.

I shake him off and glance towards Aaron, he's standing up now. Just watching us, He looks extremely pissed off but also extremely sad. His eyes show just how broken this man is. I look at him then, really looked at him. And there he was, Aaron the small little boy I used to run around the house with at midnight. The little boy that used to climb up to my window during the summer and hand me flowers from the garden so I could have a taste of the outside.

I gave him a sad look, shifting in front of everyone. I hear Jace suck in a breath, then growl really loudly. I glance behind me to see every wolf look anywhere but at me. Part of my giggles, but I look back over to Aaron. He's watching me slowly, carefully.

"Aaron, can we please talk?"

He doesn't move for a couple minutes, just watching me, but then he shifts and walks closer to me. Jace growls warningly and steps up to stand in front of me. Just then a wolf walks up slowly beside us and drops a long t-shirt on the ground. I look over and notice the small grey wolf. I nod at them.

"Thank you." And proceed to put it on, covering my body.

"Jace, It's okay. Let him."

He gives me an unsure look but I give him reassuring smile, He sighs and moves out of the way.

"Aaron."

He nods, "You wanted to talk to me flower?" Are you ready to come home now?"

I shake my head, "No Bear."

He jolts when he hears the nickname I gave him when we were kids, "I-I haven't heard that name in a while.."

I nod, "It has been a while Bear, why are you doing this? I'm not your real mate Aaron. Karly is.. and you're hurting her everyday you deny this."

He looks away, "She's.. she isn't my.. no!"

He looks up angry, "Your mother promised you to me!"

I freeze and he slaps his hand over his mouth.

"She WHAT!?"