"Explain to me why you thought it was a good idea to put yourself in danger like that." Garrett demanded.
Lily met his gaze head-on, and her chin lifted in determination. "I didn't know Kenneth would show up," she replied, her voice steady. "Things got out of control really fast with Aimee and Ethan. I was just trying to help."
"Help?" Garrett scoffed, his voice dripping with disbelief. "You can't be nonchalant about these things, Lily! You're pregnant, for God's sake!" He paused, his anger turning to pain as he lowered his voice. "Why did you hide it from me?"
Lily looked away, her heart aching at the pain in his voice. "I just... I didn't want to be treated as a burden or a liability," she admitted quietly.
As if sensing her wavering resolve, Garrett's demeanor softened slightly. He reached out, gently cupping her face in his hands. "Lily, look at me," he said softly, waiting for her eyes to meet his once more. "I will never think of you like that. But you have to understand how important you are- not just to me, but to our pack."
His breath hitched as he continued, and his voice filled with emotion. "You're my Luna, carrying our first child- the first blessed blood in years. You can't risk yourself trying to help others when you need to worry about yourself."
Lily stared into his eyes, seeing the truth within them. She swallowed hard, nodding her agreement as she whispered an apology. "I'm sorry, Garrett."
"Let's just focus on keeping you and our baby safe," he murmured, pulling her into a tight embrace.
"You can't keep me locked up. You know that, right? Kenneth is obsessive. He is going to go for Kasia," Lily explained.
"I am not going to lock you up, but I don't want you leading the fight. I am your mate, your Alpha. That's my responsibility," Garrett answered, and Lily nodded. She knew he was right, but the idea of running away and leaving Kasia just didn't sit right with her. However, she knew that if Kasia had been aware, she would have encouraged her to leave. Then the outcome could have changed. Kenneth could have kidnapped Kasia, a scenario Lily was confident would be more devastating than the vampires.
As Lily clung to him, she felt the weight of her choices pressing down upon them. She knew they had to support Ethan now more than ever.
"Garrett?" she asked, pulling back from his arms to look at him. "We need to go talk to Ethan and tell him everything. Aimee used magic to change her appearance. She should not have been able to do that, and I worry we are missing something important."
"Alright," Garrett agreed, his eyes reflecting the same concern. "Let's go."
As they approached Ethan's office, the sound of raised voices reached their ears. As they entered, they found themselves witnessing a heated confrontation between Darren and Ethan, snarling and fighting each other.
"Enough!" Garrett bellowed as he stepped in between the two men, forcing them to stop. They both turned to face him, anger still etched on their faces. "What the hell is going on here?"
"Ask your Alpha King!" Darren spat, glaring at Ethan. "He knew Kasia had turned into a Lycan and didn't tell any of us!"
Garrett's brow furrowed as he looked at Ethan, but there was understanding in his eyes. "Darren, I get that you're angry, but fighting isn't going to solve anything. Ethan is still our Alpha, and he must have had a reason for keeping this information hidden."
Ethan, his breathing heavy from the altercation, nodded. "After what happened to Lily, I thought it would be better to keep the information hidden until I thought it was safer." His gaze shifted to Lily, concern flickering in his eyes.
"Really, Ethan? You had a hunter living with us! What if she had lied about her intentions? She would've put all of us in danger," Darren scoffed, his arms crossed over his chest.
"I knew she wouldn't do that, and if she did, I would handle it," Ethan argued.
"You're an idiot; do you know that? You should have at least told me or Deanna! Do you not trust us? We can't support you if we don't know what's going on," Darren continued.
"Darren, I was following Janet's advice." Ethan defended himself, his voice straining.
"Maybe you should rethink that," Darren retorted sharply. "Janet doesn't know everything, and she isn't always right. You need to learn to be more objective and not let your familial friendship with her blind you."
Lily could see the tension between the three men, and while she understood Darren's frustration, they couldn't afford to fight right now. Before telling Ethan about Aimee's magic and suspicions, they had to stop arguing.
"Darren," she said softly, stepping forward. "Ethan made a mistake. We all understand how the mate bond can cloud our judgments at times. But we need to focus on finding Kasia and getting her back safely." She looked between the three of them, her eyes pleading for understanding.
"Amdis has taken Kasia," Lily said in an urgent tone. The room went silent as the gravity of the situation settled in.
Ethan's eyes widened in shock. "Amdis? The Vampire Prince?" His mind raced, trying to understand why a powerful figure like Amdis would take an interest in Kasia.
"Apparently, Amdis knew she was a blessed blood," Lily explained, biting her lip anxiously. The revelation sent a chill down everyone's spine.
Garrett frowned as his protective instincts flared up. "How is that possible? How would he have known that?"
Lily sighed, her voice trembling with uncertainty. "He knew a lot of things. He knew Kenneth and the rogues were after us, he said."
Darren's brow furrowed in frustration, crossing his arms over his chest tightly. "That confirms that either the rogues or vampires were working with the hunters."
"Or we have a traitor," Garrett growled, his eyes narrowing as he considered the possibility.