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Chapter 23

When reality came crashing down around her, Alaya struggled in an embrace, panic coursing through her as she tried to remember what exactly had happened. The fear receded a little when she gazed up into eyes that mirrored her own, Noah cradling her on the floor of the hall. Her father, Fen, and Lenara all loomed around her making sure she was fine.

“Malyutka? Are you ok? Why did you faint like that?” Clement asked and relief flooded her for a moment, thankful that was the first question out of his mouth. She could still feel his wolf's presence in the air slightly, as if searching for the power he had felt from her before the world went black.

Adolpha was quietly laying in her mind now, not pushing forward like before so Alaya prayed that would mean she would remain hidden. Lenara and Tunika had reassured her father that she was just an Omega anyway, so maybe if she pretended everything was fine then it would be.

Because that always worked out so well for her in the past...

“I’m ok, I just didn’t eat this morning and I got myself all worked up because of this reading.”

“Its because you’re not phasing. It’s putting a strain on your body. You need to phase soon or your wolf will make you,” her father continued as she sat up out of Noah’s hold. He swept a few stray strands of hair from her face as he spoke, a sadness in his eyes she couldn’t quite place.

“What? My weak little wolf? I’m sure Adolpha couldn’t make me do anything,” Alaya answered, her mind not realising what she was saying until after she had said it.

“Who is Adolpha?” He asked and Alaya stilled, her mind racing to try to find an explanation.

“Um, the nickname I gave my wolf. Don’t you have one? I bet it’s something horrendous like King Arthur,” she chuckled, trying to keep the lightness in her voice so that it sounded like the name meant nothing, when actually it meant everything. Her father rolled his eyes, not reading into anything further thankfully as he turned to leave.

“Does this mean we are no longer under house arrest? Can I show our guests the compound?” Alaya shouted over her shoulder, determined to have the freedom back that would enable them to escape.

“I still need to show my findings to the council Malyutka. Go back to the safe house just for this evening. Once I’ve met with them, I will come and discuss it with you. Tunika,” her father beckoned as he walked out of the door, clearly needing her presence with the council. Alaya huffed loudly and as she caught sight of Neve shaking her head, it made her smile.

They were all still alive...

Her father didn’t know any of their secrets. Somehow their shambles of a plan had been pulled off...her shambles of a plan.

Alaya stood up from the floor, resisting the urge to run over to Lenara and squeal like a schoolgirl about their little victory. Instead, she just smiled at them all whilst heading towards the door.

“Anyone hungry? Because I am absolutely starving.”

“I could literally eat an entire deer. I can’t remember the last time I even ate. Alaya, you suck at being a best friend. I’m wasting away over here,” Lenara replied, a smile on her face as well, never failing to keep up with their level of best friend banter.

“Blame Fen. He locked me away in a house with no cutlery, let alone food,” Alaya threw the comment over her shoulder as she continued to walk towards the big oak doors that didn’t seem as giant as they had done less than half an hour ago.

“Fen? Can we stop off at ours before the safe house? Namby can make us all some food. Please Fen, please. It won’t even be for that long,” Lenara begged, stopping in her attempt to leave to turn her attention fully to him. He rolled his eyes as she pulled at his arm like an insistent toddler by the end of her request, half-heartedly pulling out of her hold.

“Alpha said to wait at the safe house. Not stop off for lunch and then to the safe house. So you know what my answer will be,” he replied to Lenara but his gaze was firmly on Alaya. She in turn turned her smile into an over-exaggerated frown before pulling Lenara away and out the doors to freedom.

The wind hit her face and soothed her for a moment, the stress that had flooded her entire being having subsided. She breathed in the autumn air that still held a bite, the bitter chill now eating away at the last of summer.

“Ok Fen, you can take Noah and Neve straight back to the safe house whilst Alaya walks me home. Seem fair? I think totally fair?” Lenara bartered. Alaya saw his steel gaze waver before he had even answered. She smiled at him as a silent thank you as he and the others strode through the oak doors behind them. Noah either was glaring at the sunlight that was blinding him or at Alaya’s decision to go somewhere yet again that was separate from him but she couldn’t quite tell. She bet that if Adolpha wasn’t sleeping off their little power surge she would be having exactly the same issue.

“How about we go to the house quickly and get Namby to make all of us food and bring it back to the safe house? That suits everyone right?” Alaya asked to the air but looked at Noah and Neve. Neve didn’t seem to care in the slightest and Noah gave a brief smile in her direction before his brow furrowed once more. Maybe the sun was just exceedingly bright? Or worries still plagued him despite nothing looming over their heads for now.

“Only the house. Nowhere else Alaya. And make sure Namby doesn’t give me mushrooms. Every time she feeds me I seem to get a mouthful of mushrooms with every bite,” Fen retorted with a grimace on his face. Alaya didn’t think this was the best time to tell him it was because she had told Namby that mushrooms were Fen’s favourite food. Even after she knew it wasn’t. Actually, especially after he told her it wasn’t.

“Sure, I’ll make doubly sure this time. No mushrooms.”

“But aren’t they his favourite? I swear you always tell-” Lenara continued before Alaya elbowed her in the side, cutting her off before she could finish her sentence. Fen looked over at the pair quizzically as Lenara nursed her wounded side and Alaya tried to keep a straight face.

“Alright we won’t be long,” Alaya called out as she tried to make Lenara move a little faster. She turned to look at Noah at the same time as manoeuvring her best friend, a little confused as to how she was meant to say goodbye to him. Albeit briefly. A kiss felt too full on but he was her mate? What was the normal goodbye for this level of relationship? Alaya realised she was vastly overthinking this and gave another smile and wave in his general direction before turning again and walking back towards her house.

“Luna,” his voice carried over to her with ease and it stilled her almost instantly. By the time she turned towards him, he was right behind her and her entire body tingled at his closeness. His hand swept up and tucked a stray hair behind her ear as he whispered.

“Don’t be long. We have much to talk about. ”

He said it gently, so it was more of a soft reminder not heavy like a threat. Alaya didn’t really want to talk about everything already. Her life felt like it was being hurtled through the air, shot out of a canon at lightning speed with no way to stop the collision that was coming.

She nodded instead of talking, too many emotions swirling in her head and chest for her to even know the right words. He smiled a gorgeous, knee-weakening smile and it made the storm quieten for a moment at least. She could get through this. With him, she could get through this. She shook her head slightly at the nauseating corniness that seemed to be overwhelming her whenever she was around him. But she couldn’t seem to stop herself.

Alaya and Lenara watched as Fen led the pair away from where they stood, his eyes glowing a little, showing his wolf was less than impressed with the situation. Yet another situation that Alaya had no idea how best to proceed with. How do you explain to your childhood friend that had offered to marry you to stay in the pack, that now you don’t need that proposal because you’re mated? Wow, that was a mouthful.

“We actually did it,” Lenara squealed quietly as they walked, giving Alaya’s arm a squeeze in excitement. Alaya squeezed back just as happy but still distracted by her shambles of a love life.

“Hello, earth to Alaya? I said we did it, we actually did it. You came up with a plan that was ridiculously far fetched and we pulled it off. That requires more than a squeeze and a weak smile,” she continued, staring her friend dead in the eye like she could still hear her thoughts.

“Sorry, I thought I’d feel relieved. And I am, god I am. The stress was killing me but this means that even if the council approve Noah and Neve to stay they won’t. They will need to leave and so will I,” Alaya replied, breaking away from Lenara’s gaze. She was half worried she wouldn’t want to follow her and half worried she would. Would Noah and Neve even agree to take Lenara with them? Did Shadow Moon accept outsiders who weren’t Amaris? So many more questions seemed to invade her mind when she hadn’t even answered the first lot yet.

“We, so will we. I’m not letting you abandon me that easy,” Lenara joked, nudging her playfully as they came to the front steps of their house. They both strode through pushing each other gently like a pair of unruly toddlers. The aroma of pasta hit their noses almost instantly, as if they’d walked into a physical wall of smell. Much more pleasant than the usual greeting of Timothy’s feet.

They both walked straight through to the kitchen, their stomachs groaning loudly at the promise of food, impatient.

“Jesus child, when did you last eat? I can hear your stomach over the water that’s boiling,” Namby called as Alaya pushed the kitchen door ajar. The kitchen was thankfully empty except for Namby. Alaya was happy she wouldn’t have to deal with Alaris or Luther straight off the bat.

Both girls lowered themselves into the chairs at the table, despite reassuring their friends they would be no longer than necessary. Alaya watched Namby with a soft smile as she stirred the pasta pot, glancing briefly over at Lenara as the door leading from the back garden opened.

“Alaya, Lenny I’m so glad you’re here,” Aria’s fake tone and use of Lenara’s most hated nickname felt like fingernails down a chalkboard for Alaya. She scowled at Aria before steeling her face, remembering her father held one of the seats on the council. And she most certainly did not need to do anything stupid that jeopardised what could be her last few days here.

“Aria. Feels like forever since we last caught up. How’s Orion? Not long now till you’re officially mated I’m sure,” Alaya replied, as she rose to give her a hug whilst pushing down the vomit that threatened to explode over them both. Aria had been one of the many that had either ignored her very presence or punished her for it in the weeks following the Ascendants Ceremony. Now, clearly because she wanted the gossip, Alaya was allowed to exist.

“Orion wants to settle some affairs first. His recent hunting trip brought an opportunity his way that he is considering. He is a Beta in demand it seems,” Aria replied a little too hurriedly and not as upbeat as usual. It seemed like all paradises were a little stormy lately. Alaya’s anger dissipated slightly and she pulled out the chair next to her hoping she would sit. Aria smiled softly but dropped her gaze, telling Alaya she was either too busy to stay or still didn’t want to have to sit next to her. Alaya chose to believe it was the first theory, refusing to let her usual downward spiral continue.

“So it seems.”

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