Grace lay down on the soft mattress in a foetal position, her body curled up tightly as fresh tears streamed down her cheeks. She hugged her knees to her chest, feeling a sense of despair that seemed too vast to bear.
The women and children had been taken to the safe house and locked inside until the fighting subsided. Grace's thoughts were consumed with worry for her father and Martin. She prayed anxiously for their safety and cried over her mate's stupidity. Chris had pushed everyone to the brink of war, and she had no idea he had been recruiting dark wolves.
After the war, some packs were destroyed or scattered, which resulted in the development of several groups of renegade wolves who did not obey the council or any other order that was given to them. Whenever rogues were found, the packs would eliminate them and flush them out of the area. The Dark Wolves were a powerful group of rogues. They were like a pack, but they didn't follow the council. Chris had exposed his entire pack to danger when he began recruiting them. The council would not let this go without a fight, and he was going to have to face their anger. She was taken aback because she didn't care; if it weren't for the mate bond, she would have abandoned him a long time ago.
Grace thought about Martin; he had saved her life. How could she have thought that Martin was planning revenge ?
She grabbed her mother's lap and sobbed. Florentine gently touched her daughter's cheek. "It will be fine, Grace; please don't cry."
"I am sorry, Mother. I failed. I tried to be a suitable mate. I truly loved Chris, but... I failed. I couldn't keep him happy," Grace cried.
"It's not your fault; your father was just trying to look out for your best interests. Unfortunately, things did not go according to plan. You are under no obligation to speak with him again. We'll keep you safe. We love you," Florentine said to her daughter as she tenderly planted a kiss on the top of her head.
"I am sorry about Vance, Mum. If I had not run into the forest to play that day, Vance wouldn't have gone after me, and... and..." she broke down. She had always blamed herself for her brother's death.
Florentine was quiet for a moment, thinking about her son. "It wasn't your fault; we have never blamed you for his death. It was just a cruel fate that took him away from us." She soothed her daughter.
After what seemed like an eternity, Grace finally felt at ease and laid her hand on her mother's swelling belly. She had not forgotten about her older brother, and she knew no one could ever take his place, but she was relieved that her parents would soon have an heir if it was a boy. Regardless of its gender, she would love her little brother or sister, she decided.
The bond she shared with her mother gave her a semblance of peace. As she lay there, she realised how much her family meant to her. They had always been there, supporting her, even when she felt lost and overwhelmed. Grace knew that, with their love and support, she could face anything. The future was uncertain, but she felt a glimmer of hope.
"Thank you, Mum," Grace whispered, her voice soft but filled with gratitude. Florentine smiled warmly at her daughter, making a silent promise that they would face whatever came next together.
*************
"Alpha, no!" James shouted as he dragged his raging alpha away from the forest. Alex was inconsolable. He could not 'feel' Rosalie. His wolf howled into the icy nothingness, reaching out, hoping to locate his mate. He had no feelings because the tie with his mate had been severed, which could only happen if his mate had passed away. He let forth a rumbling roar before charging into the woods.
"My mate! She is dead! I can't sense her," Alex screamed, agitated. "Let me go; I will rip apart that, Chris."
"He will be punished, Alpha Alex," councilman Ruben interjected with a grim expression. "He conspired with the rogues. It's a very grave mistake. He won't be spared."
Although all the rogues had been eliminated, the survivors and those who had been hurt were still trying to gather their wits so that they could deal with the aftermath and search for Chris and his betas.
"What do we do with his pack members, Alpha?" James asked.
Alex took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself. "They are innocent, but ask them if they know anything about Chris's plan. He could be anywhere."
It was common knowledge that the rogue wolves behaved defiantly. When the Council was founded, they had not come to an agreement on its norms, so they went their own way and became independent. Thomas Chris's surviving beta was the only one who was aware of his entire plan. Unfortunately, Thomas was killed in the chaos. The Council had been trying to track down the rogue wolves for months, but they always seemed to be one step ahead. Alex knew that time was running out to stop Chris's dangerous scheme. He had to act fast before it was too late.
"WE MUST FIND CHRIS !" Alex shouted.
"Yes,my alpha. I am trying my best. I have sent all the trackers to search for any signs of his whereabouts," the beta replied.
"I can find him." Grace's sweet voice caught Alex by surprise. The beautiful blonde woman walked to him and said, "II can sense him; he is still my mate. If I focus hard, I can find him for you."
Alex narrowed his eyes and analysed the girl that stood in front of him. Although they had barely spoken, Alex knew Rosalie despised the girl because of the way she had treated her family. Why would she help him?
"I appreciate that, but I'm curious why you wish to help me."
She let out a sigh and said, "That's the bare minimum I can do to make up for my mistakes."
"But Chris is your mate!" Alex said it was hard to go against the mate bond, even if the mate mistreated you.
"Not anymore," Grace mumbled, giving him a weak smile. "I can do anything to break my bond with him. It's a burden."
Alex could see the pain in Grace's eyes as she spoke.
"Ok, then do it !"