CHAPTER 7: ATTACK

CORA'S POV

The first thing I noticed about the Horizon Pack was that nobody looked at me like I was broken.

The second thing I noticed was that everyone was staring.

I sat in the back of Diamond's SUV as we drove through the pack's territory, watching people stop whatever they were doing to look at me.

Some waved.

Children ran alongside the vehicle.

A few wolves even shifted briefly before racing through the trees.

"Why are they staring?" I asked.

Diamond glanced at me through the rearview mirror.

"Because you're new around here."

"That doesn't explain anything."

"It explains enough."

I frowned.

He smiled.

"You'll understand soon."

The gates of the pack house opened, revealing an enormous estate.

Unlike Daniel's pack house, this one didn't feel cold or intimidating.

There were people everywhere.

Children playing on the lawn.

Warriors training in the distance.

Women sitting beneath a large tree, laughing as they worked on something together.

The place felt alive.

The SUV stopped.

Before I could open the door, a woman came rushing toward us.

"Diamond!"

The door opened.

The woman threw her arms around him.

I stared.

She was beautiful.

Long dark hair, warm brown skin and bright golden eyes.

Diamond actually smiled.

A real smile.

"I missed you too, Luna."

I blinked.

Luna?

The woman finally released him and looked at me.

Her expression immediately softened.

"And this must be Cora."

My stomach tightened.

I slowly stepped out.

"Yes."

She walked toward me.

"I've been waiting to meet you."

I looked at Diamond.

He gave me a reassuring nod.

The woman smiled.

"I'm Amara Kex."

She extended her hand.

"Diamond's Luna."

I hesitated before taking it.

"Cora Bane."

"I know."

Her smile widened.

"And you don't have to be nervous."

"I'm not nervous."

She raised an eyebrow.

I sighed.

"Okay. Maybe a little."

She laughed.

"I like you already."

Before I could respond, a loud voice came from behind her.

"Move!"

A man came running toward us.

He looked almost identical to Diamond, except his hair was lighter and his eyes were a deep amber.

He stopped in front of us.

"Is this her?"

Diamond groaned.

"David."

David ignored him.

He looked at me.

"You're Cora?"

"Yes."

He grinned.

"Finally."

I blinked.

"Finally?"

"I've heard about you for years."

I glanced at Diamond.

"You've been talking about me?"

David laughed.

"Diamond talks about almost nobody. That's how I knew you were important."

Diamond rolled his eyes.

"David, don't scare her."

"I'm not scaring her."

David turned to me.

"Are you scared?"

"A little."

He nodded seriously.

"Good. My work here is done."

I laughed before I could stop myself.

Amara shook her head.

"Ignore him."

"I've been trying for thirty years."

David placed a hand over his chest.

"That hurt."

Diamond shook his head.

I couldn't remember the last time I'd been around a family that joked with one another so easily.

Nobody seemed afraid of anyone.

Nobody was walking on eggshells.

Nobody was trying to prove they were worthy of love.

I suddenly felt painfully aware of how different this place was from home.

Amara touched my arm.

"Come inside."

I followed her.

The moment we entered, a little girl came running toward us.

"Uncle Diamond!"

She wrapped her arms around his legs.

Diamond's expression immediately softened.

"Hey, troublemaker."

The little girl looked at me.

"Who are you?"

Diamond crouched.

"This is Cora."

The girl studied me seriously.

"Is she staying?"

Diamond glanced at me.

"That's her choice."

The little girl grabbed my hand.

"Then stay."

My heart squeezed.

I smiled.

"I'll think about it."

She nodded.

"Okay."

Then she ran away.

I looked at Diamond.

"Who is she?"

"My brother's daughter."

I looked toward David.

"You have a daughter?"

David grinned.

"Three."

I stared.

"Three?"

"Three beautiful girls."

Amara laughed.

"And one exhausted father."

David placed his hand dramatically over his heart.

"I am a warrior."

"You're a babysitter," Amara replied.

Everyone laughed.

I found myself laughing too.

Then something crashed outside.

The laughter stopped.

Diamond's expression changed instantly.

A deep growl rolled through the room.

"Everyone inside."

David moved toward the door.

"What happened?"

Diamond's eyes turned silver.

"Intruders."

My heart dropped.

"Intruders?"

A howl sounded from the forest.

Then another.

Then several more.

The pack erupted into motion.

Warriors grabbed weapons and rushed outside.

Amara immediately moved toward the children.

"David, take them downstairs."

David nodded.

"Come on, girls."

Diamond looked at me.

"Stay here."

I stared at him.

"You're going out there."

"I'm the Alpha."

"So?"

His brows furrowed.

"So I have to protect my pack."

I grabbed his arm.

"Then don't tell me to hide."

His eyes narrowed.

"Cora."

"I can help."

"You're not a warrior."

"No."

I looked toward the computers visible through the open study doors.

"But I can use a computer."

Something flickered across his face.

He understood.

"Come."

We ran toward the study.

Diamond opened the door.

"Lock it."

I rushed to the nearest computer.

"What do you need?"

"Find our perimeter cameras."

My fingers moved.

Within seconds, the security feeds appeared.

My breath caught.

"Diamond."

"What?"

"There are twelve people."

"Where?"

"North gate."

I switched screens.

"Six more near the eastern boundary."

Diamond's expression hardened.

"That's too organized."

"They're not attacking."

I zoomed in.

"They're waiting."

"For what?"

I froze.

"Someone."

Suddenly, one of the screens went black.

"They're inside the system."

Diamond's eyes met mine.

"Can you stop them?"

I smiled faintly.

"That's pretty easy."

My fingers flew across the keyboard.

The code appeared.

"I've got them."

"Who are they?"

"I don't know."

I traced their signal.

"Wait."

My smile disappeared.

The signal wasn't coming from outside the pack.

It was coming from inside.

"Diamond."

"What?"

"Someone in your pack is helping them."

Before he could respond, the study doors exploded inward.

I screamed.

Diamond shoved me behind him.

Three masked men stormed inside.

The first raised a weapon.

Diamond shifted partially, claws tearing through his fingertips.

He lunged.

The room erupted into chaos.

I ducked behind the desk as Diamond slammed one attacker into the wall.

Another charged him.

I looked at the computer.

The third man wasn't fighting.

He was walking toward me.

I froze.

He reached into his jacket.

Then pulled out a photograph.

My photograph.

He dropped it on the desk.

"Your mother wants you to come home."

My blood ran cold.

"What?"

He smiled beneath his mask.

"She says it's time you learned the truth."