Chapter 24-Lost

Andreas P.O.V

I pace the small area of the cave, raking my hand through my hair every two minutes.

‘We’d know if she was dead, wouldn’t we?’ I ask Ares, the tremor in my voice giving away how worried I am.

‘We haven’t marked her. So no, we won’t know anything,’ Ares says, just as worried.

‘FUCK! I need to know if she’s okay.’ I squat down, rubbing my hands roughly over my face. After a moment, I stand up and walk over to the cave’s opening and look out over the Moonstone territory. It’s a beautiful, clear night with a bright moon shining down on me. I raise my gaze to the moon and pray to the moon goddess that Athena is okay. ‘Maybe we should see if we can get to the hospital and find her,’ I say after a while.

‘They’ve had extra patrols out looking for us. It isn’t safe,’ Ares warns.

‘I don’t care! I need to know that she’s okay!’

‘I’m just as worried as you are, Andreas. But we’re no good to her if we’re dead,’ he says, trying to calm me.

As I look over to the pack house, I sigh and lean against the cave’s entrance. Except for someone boarding up the window I broke, there has been no movement in Athena’s bedroom since the attack.

‘How long has it been since Noah checked in?’ Ares asks.

I rub my face again, feeling beyond tired. “Too long,” I say with a sigh, and take my cell out of my pocket, dialling his number.

“Andy,” he answers. “Are you safe?”

“Yes. Where are you?” I ask.

“I’m not far. I had to ditch a patrol. See you in a moment.”

“What?” I ask, but he ends the call.

‘This can’t be good…’ Ares says.

A minute later, I see movement in the trees and Noah appears, running towards the cave.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, concerned. “You’re supposed to be staying outside of the territory.”

“I didn’t want to talk over the phone,” he says, panting. “I got some information from a friend in the Red-River pack”

“Who? Can we trust them?”

“We can trust them. His name is Shane. He’s a warrior that I’ve known for a few years. It was the Gammas daughter that attacked Athena.”

“She would have killed her if I hadn’t gotten there in time,” I growl out, my anger flaring again. “Why did she do this?”

“Her father is being banished from the pack. She blames Athena for it. But there’s more, Andy. Athena and the Beta were run off the road when he was taking her to the motel. She thinks it was a human private investigator she was working with.”

“Why the hell would a human want her dead?”

“I don’t know, man. But it has to have something to do with her being different. Like you…” he trails off.

“You’ve seen her wolf?” I ask.

He nods. “I was watching her during the pack training. Keeping an eye on her like you asked me to.”

I nod absent mindedly and look down at my cell in my hand. “Are you sure she got my number when she checked out of the motel?”

“Yes. I watched the old man give it to her. She hasn’t called?” he asks, and I shake my head. He places his hand on my shoulder. “She’s probably being cautious. But I have something for you,” he says with a smile. He reaches into his backpack and pulls out a piece of paper. “Shane got me her number,” he says, handing me the paper.

My heart starts pounding as I take it, and I give him a huge smile in return. I start to dial the number when he stops me.

“Before you call her, there’s still more I need to tell you. The doctor is being banished too, and the Elder council is coming.”

“What?” I ask, stunned. “Why?”

“Alpha Peter called them in. I think we need to leave, Andreas. This is getting too dangerous.”

“I can’t leave yet. I don’t have the files.”

“What exactly do you think these files will tell you, Andy?”

“I don’t know,” I sigh in frustration. “Alpha Peter never told me what was in them besides details of other Lycan like me. I’ve been on the run for nearly five years, and I don’t even know why someone wants me dead. I don’t have anything else to go on, Noah. And now, there’s two Lycan here that are like me, and I can’t even go to them and ask them questions, because besides you, I don’t know who I can trust. I have no idea why we’re the way we are. I’m hoping the files have answers.”

He considers me for a moment. “You don’t think you can trust Athena?”

“I don’t know. What I do know is now that I’ve found her and she’s my mate, I will do anything I can to protect her. Even if that means rejecting her.”

Noah gasps. “Why would you reject her?”

‘We’re not rejecting her!’ Ares growls.

“Look at our life the past 5 years!” I say to both of them. “Rogues! On the run! Sticking to the shadows because anytime a show my face, he finds us!” I stumble backwards and slide down the wall of the cave until I’m sitting down. Noah kneels in front of me, looking unsure of what to say.

“What if her being with me gets her killed?” I ask quietly.

“You know I’ll support you no matter what. I’ve had your back our whole lives. But you could kill her just by rejecting her, Andreas. You need to be sure in your decision. And right now is not the time to decide that.”

I groan but nod in agreement.

“I better go. Call her. See what she knows. For all you know, Andy, she could be your answer to everything,” he says with a smile and squeezes my shoulder before grabbing his backpack and leaving the cave.

With shaking hands, I put her number into my cell, and with a beating heart, I call her.