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Chapter 22

Alaya considered striding in before the others arrived at her side but she couldn’t quite seem to move her own feet. Lenara’s shoulder brushed hers as she stood to her right, her purple eyes fixated on exactly the same thing as Alaya.

The big wooden oak door, unpainted like all the other houses nearby, seemed to silently beg her to keep it closed. Alaya knew her father lay behind it, vivid memories of the Ascendants Ceremony threatening to come crashing down over her like waves in the sea. But this time she was determined not to drown, desperate to weather this particular storm and ensure her friends survived all this.

“Alaya...this non-phasing is starting to make my chest hurt.”

Fen’s voice pulled her from the memory and centred her back in reality for a moment. She smiled at him as he remained hunched over, breaths ragged, clearly not used to running in human form.

“Not my fault you’re unfit,” she jested, smile widening as she nudged him, causing him to sway a little before righting himself. The low grumble from behind them both made Alaya turn round, a small smile on her face as she saw Noah glaring intently at Fen.

“Glad to see you could keep up,” she smiled, his possessive nature being both reassuring and annoying all at once. Would all men not be allowed within a 10-foot radius without causing growls to emit from his chest? If so then his throat was going to get incredibly sore.

“I will always be by your side,” Noah replied, causing a grumble from Fen as he turned to glare at the intruder. Alaya shot both of them a chilling gaze before turning her back to them and somehow finding the strength to walk up to the front door of the hall.

Her hand stilled as she gripped the handle, slight quiver as the panic seemed to escape her mind and start to fill her body. A hand suddenly appeared over the top of hers, calming her and easing the physical effect her emotions were having on her body.

“Always by your side,” Noah whispered, as he pulled down the handle and helped usher them both through the doorway. Alaya’s feet felt like they were dead beneath her but somehow she managed to keep moving until they were fully inside the entrance hall. All around her were high ceilings and fixed chairs with the small stage at the front. Flashbacks from her trauma all those weeks ago threatened to crash down around her until suddenly Adolpha pushed a little at the confines of her inner cage. She flowed a little through Alaya’s limbs and calmed the nerves that felt so raw at that moment.

“Alaya?” Noah called but it felt a little muffled and the hold he had on her arm she realised felt a little off. Like her arm was numb and she could feel the pressure of his grip but not the touch itself.

Luna relent. Alaya has to be in control, fully in control right now. It is not your time.

But...I need to heal her, her emotions are too raw they will break her.

My love I would never let either of you break.

Noah’s presence filled her mind for but a moment and as he left so did Adolpha. She snapped back so once again she was purely in Alaya’s mind. The shock rocketed through her once more as her body spiralled back to being just human. Noah’s grip on her arm tightened as he steadied her, just in time for Alaya’s father and Alpha to step forward from the shadows.

“Malyutka. I’m so glad you could make it,” her father called as he approached, a smile on his face despite the palpable tension in the air. Alaya made herself push off of Noah’s chest and out of his hold and enveloped her father in a hug. It caught him a little off guard but he returned her embrace as tightly as she did. Neither knew exactly why the other was so firmly gripped but neither asked either, both content for a moment just to hold each other close.

“Father,” Alaya began but stopped herself. She didn’t quite know what to say or how to word it so that he listened. And she needed him to listen.

“Alaya,” A voice called out from the shadows where her father had stepped from and before the wolf even showed itself, Alaya already knew who it was.

Tunika.

Her stark blonde hair fell around her face, framing it and making her purple eyes sparkle and dance from below her fringe. She wore similar to what she had worn the day of the ceremony. The fitted purple dress peeked out from the loose black cape that always reminded Alaya of a wizard.

“Father, can we just have a moment first? I really need to talk with you before-” Alaya tried to explain but her father raised his hand to silence her before she could finish. She glared at him in return, he knew she hated it when he did that.

“There will be plenty of time for discussions afterwards. Now is the time for the readings so the council isn’t kept waiting for too long Alaya,” he replied, his hand now around her arm as he slowly manoeuvred her to the stage. Alaya pulled a little in his grip, not enough to completely get away but enough so he knew she didn’t want to go.

“Father I am an Omega. Why can’t you accept this? Why are you intent on making me relive the worst moment of my life again and again?” Alaya pleaded, allowing her fear and emotions to push through. He stilled in his attempts to get her to the stage and looked at her with sadness in his eyes.

“The council will only allow the intruders to stay if they are read. Even if you’re not read again then they will still need to be.”

Alaya’s heart started to pound in her chest, so hard that for a moment she worried it might break free. She looked over at Neve and Noah as both stood there looking back at her with equal panic. They hadn’t planned for this, there was no way they could hide Noah’s true nature and they didn’t even know what Neve was.

“There’s no need,” Lenara shouted and her voice seemed to echo off all four walls. She looked sheepish as everyone turned to stare at her, clearly she had not anticipated being that loud.

“And why is that?” Alaya’s father, Lenara’s Alpha, turned towards her, clearly intrigued with what she had to say. Lenara gazed down at her feet, her fingers fiddling maniacally at the hem of her top the closer he got to her. Alaya realised straight away that if Lenara opened her mouth again the truth would all come tumbling out. And that couldn’t be allowed to happen.

She moved around her father and to her best friends side in an instant, as if she could be a physical shield to stop him from getting to her. She laced her fingers with Lenara’s and gave them a squeeze, and the same feeling hummed underneath her skin like earlier with Neve.

PACK.

Alaya hadn’t meant to allow Adolpha free but it was as if she didn’t realise it until it was too late. She had felt her father’s presence in the air, making everything feel heavy, the air sticky like honey. He did that when he was catching someone out in a lie, pushed them till the truth had no choice but to fall from their lips. A wolf couldn’t lie to their Alpha, they simply weren’t able to. Alaya’s vision seemed to switch involuntarily but it wasn’t like before when Adolpha had been fully in control. It felt different this time. The need to protect their pack filled them both, that was all that mattered.

“Lenara?” Her father’s presence was even bigger now, more foreboding as his golden eyes glowed like fires, warning destruction.

Chains suddenly seemed to erupt from him, floating towards Lenara like tentacles as if they weighed nothing at all. Alaya glanced around at everyone else, looking to see if they too were seeing what she was. But no-one acted like they did, all just looking at Lenara, waiting for her to answer.

“Um, well I,” Lenara squeaked out as her Alpha’s pressure pulled at her to answer.

Alaya squeezed tight to Lenara as Adolpha seemed to push a little at the confines of their skin. It felt a little like phasing but also nothing at all. She felt as Adolpha nudged and wiggled, trying to find a way out of the human skin that confined her. As Lenara squeezed back Adolpha seemed to perk up, abandoning her attempts at escape and instead flowed down Alaya’s arm and for a moment it felt as if she flowed into Lenara as well. Her best friend looked at her in shock as she too must have felt the connection that pulsed between them both. In front of Alaya’s eyes, she watched as the invisible chains fell from Lenara, as the three of them stood secretly intertwined.

“I read them all,” Lenara blurted out, her eyes glancing to her Alpha and then to where their hands entwined in amazement. Her Alpha looked at the pair in confusion, his presence ebbing a little.

“Read who? How?” He continued and once again Alaya watched as the chains erupted and lashed towards Lenara as his presence grew once more. But the chains clattered to the floor instead of taking hold, Adolpha clearly protecting them somehow, cutting the bonds of Alpha and pack even if just for a moment.

“Back at the house, I read them all as Alaya was worried about being back here. She hoped she could avoid it if I agreed to make sure nothing had changed. I read Alaya as an Omega, same as Neve and Noah a......a....... Beta.......” She rambled out, still with a wary look in her eyes in case this ability to lie would suddenly get ripped away.

“An Omega? You’re sure? Tunika, I didn’t realise Lenara was even one of your students,” he continued, turning his attention over to Tunika. She stood there staring heavily at the two girls before glancing back over to her Alpha.

“She was until she decided to take a break. She was due to recommence training next week. But she is one of my best students, I don’t doubt her assessment.”

Both Alaya’s and Lenara’s eyes widened as Tunika’s lie caught their ears. Lenara hadn’t agreed to come back, hadn’t spoken to Tunika since the night of the ceremony? How could she be lying so easily to her Alpha? Was Adolpha’s reach that far or was Tunika hiding secrets of her own?

“So do you wish to read them as well? To ensure her findings are correct?” Clement asked, clearly a little perplexed at how this was all turning out. Tunika shook her head before replying.

“I don’t see why. It’s not like any member of your pack could lie to you and Lenara has always shown great promise in her past readings, never once has she read wrong.”

“Well. This all seems rather anticlimactic, don’t you agree Fen? Atleast the council will be reassured that our uninvited guests won’t be a threat to anyone here. And you’re sure you read Alaya as an Omega? Again?” Clement asked but not as an Alpha more as a father. Lenara nodded her head and averted his gaze, still clearly overwhelmed with everything that was happening and not wanting to give her lies away. Alaya stepped to her left a little so she was more in front of Lenara hoping to divert her father’s attention.

“You need to accept what I am. No more readings because they won’t change the truth. I am not an Alpha like you and Omega’s are not allowed to stay here unless married. And I can’t marry Fen now, not when I have a mate,” Alaya continued, not realising until that very moment that she had found her way out. She could just leave with Neve and Noah, go to Shadow Moon, without anyone being suspicious or wanting to chase after her on some ill-fated rescue mission.

“I am Alpha. These rules are my rules and I can break them if I wish. Your family, your pack is here. You will only leave here if my body is cold and buried beneath the earth. No one will force my daughter from her home. Nobody,” her father replied, his eyes glowing and anger in his tone. So much for an easy way out.

“But father it’s.....”

His hand rose up again before she had the chance to explain that this was what she wanted. He kissed her forehead before going to leave but as his lips connected he stilled, his eyes growing brighter as his wolf pushed forward.

He sensed her power...

Alaya released Lenara’s hand in an instant, Adolpha rocketing back into her consciousness like she was tied to a bungee cord. The shock once more filled her body and her eyes felt as though they were made of titanium, her limbs feeling weak and gangly beneath her.

“Alaya,” Noah called just before the darkness claimed her, her body and mind too weak to remain awake for even a second longer. Arms caught her before she collided with the floor protecting her from harm.

Before sleep claimed her completely she wondered whose arms had saved her.

Her mate or her father?

The answer would change what would happen when she awoke.

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