30. Aurora

CHAPTER 30

Aurora

Everything's right in my world at the moment. I just spent a full thirty-six hours in and out of bed with Jayce. I definitely understand why his ex was fighting so hard to keep him. Hot damn, can that man move! And the things he can do with his tongue, holy fuck...

Now, there are several things on my agenda that I have to investigate. First on my list is the rumor that Alexis tried hitting on Sebastian while I was at death's door. To find out the truth, I decide to hunt down my most reliable source of information in the pack.

I approach Elena's house, and there's an argument going on. I don't like people going against the chain of command. Her word is my law and to go against her is to challenge me directly. I don't even bother knocking. I walk right in the front door and stand behind the female who's yelling at Elena.

I'm easily a head taller than this little firecracker, and I'm definitely built for war. Elena looks up at me and smirks. Apparently, I arrived just in time. I shift my hands into my taloned gauntlets and tap the wall next to the female's head. The scent of fear instantly fills the air as she stares at my talons. I don't budge, nor do I say anything. She whips around and tries to stand behind Elena. I don't recognize this female, and that's a problem. I narrow my eyes as I feel my beast surge to the surface.

"Who do you fucking think you are, yelling at an Elder One? She is the Pack master," I growl out while I stare the female down. Suddenly through the bond, I can feel the guys closing in fast to my position. She bows slightly and then extends a hand out to me. About the same time, the guys barrel into the room.

"I'm Alexis. I'm the nurse that helped save your life." Recognition barrels through the bond, and I knew in that instant that the rumors were true. I stare at her hand, refusing to accept it. At that moment, she realizes I know what she did. "I thought you were going to die, I swear it." She's panicking now and searching for a way out. I'm having a hard time restraining my wolf, and the boys know it.

They move as one and attempt to restrain me. Elena yells for the girl to run. Yeah, that wasn't going to save her and Elena knew it. Reason four thousand, eight hundred and seventy-two of why I love my mother-in-law. She knows my Lycan loves the thrill of the chase. Once Alexis is clear of the house, the guys relax, which is a huge mistake. The second I know I won't harm any of them, I bolt out of the kitchen and run through the house. The hunt is on. I shift fully to my Lycan and give chase. I can feel the guys hot on my trail, but they won't be able to save her.

Father, stop my mates. I'm hunting the bitch that hit on Sebastian while I was ill . I continue running, knowing my father will aid me in my quest for revenge. Nico reaches back out to me as I hear the roar of his dragon.

Consider it done, is all daddy dearest has to say. I know he's probably putting them in an ice bowl to stop them.

Once I realize her scent is weaker, I slow down. Hmm, she's hiding somewhere nearby. I take in the scenery around me; there's a pond and a muddy bog, both of which can hide someone's scent quite easily. Out of the boys, only Sebastian's Lycan catches up to me. Apparently, our bond gifted him my talons.

Aurora, nothing happened. She desired me and I rejected her in front of everyone. Mother removed her from the house . I look at Sebastian as his words attempt to quell my rage. Then, it dawns on me: she's hiding in the bog somewhere. I turn to face Sebastian and start backing up toward the marsh. Oh yes, I'm going to turn Alexis into a bitch-cicle.

So, you expect me to forgive her trespass? To forget she tried to take what's mine when I was unable to fight? How would you feel if a lesser pack mate attempted to take me from you while you healed? I allow Sebastian to feel the pain and anguish I was in over the fact that a pack mate who knew we were mated attempted to take what was mine. I don't hold back; no, not this time. They all need to know just how much I love them and the lengths I will go to defend my claim. Through our bond, I feel understanding, acceptance, and a flood of love from Dom and Jayce. From Sebastian, I feel instant rage pulse through the bond at the idea of another male trying to take me from him. I have him now. His great, black wolven head lowers slightly.

Do what you must, love. I wouldn't let the fucker live if someone tried to take you from us . I dip my head slightly to him before I sink my talons into the mud at the edge of the bog.

I watch as the ice spreads rapidly across the mud and water. Eventually, Alexis flushes from her hiding spot, the look of absolute terror on her face adding to the excitement. My father and the twins eventually catch up to us as the ice begins to blanket everything. Frost clings to my fur and, in spots, small icicles hang off of me. Elsa, eat your fucking heart out!

It's quite entertaining, watching Alexis jump as she tries to escape the ice that's chasing her. When she's finally herded into the deepest part of the bog, I begin to walk out across the ice after her, each step freezing the ice thicker as I approach. I simply crouch down, staring at her before I lunge at her. I open my great wolven maw wide, taking her head into my mouth and crushing her small, human skull like a cantaloupe. I howl my death song into the wind, alerting the pack that justice has been served.

As I return to my mates, the ice slowly recedes behind me. In a sense, I feel better, one less internal threat to worry about. For now, everything is in the clear. Tonight, we feast and celebrate the return of my father. But before anything, I really need a shower and a toothbrush.

We walk in relative silence back to the central part of the compound. I refuse to shift back to my human form. There are still things to be done. As we approach Elena's house, she comes out of her front door and stands on the porch. She smiles gently, noting that my snow-white fur is splattered with the blood of my enemy.

"The ferals need your attention first, Aurora. For everyone's safety, I fear some may need to be put to death. They may be too far lost to their animals." Elena walks with a single hand on my heavily scaled forearm like it is perfectly normal. For us, it is the status quo.

"Mother! She can't go around killing every time things don't immediately fall into place!" Sebastian has no trouble walking around the compound with his dick swinging in the breeze. He also has no sense of self-preservation either.

I stop dead in my tracks, feeling the frost creep across my flesh. I'm already shifted, armored, and in a rather foul mood. Is he seriously going there right now? Elena releases my arm and moves far away from what may end up being an impact zone. I turn my head slowly, a deep guttural growl escaping my lips as I stare at my Lycan mate. He's really trying my patience today. He feels my eyes on him and freezes in place. For once, he actually looks scared as he assesses the situation.

Bad mood? Check.

Already shifted? Check.

Talons clicking on scaled forearms? Check.

The look of actual terror on your alpha mate's face? Priceless.

I stand locked in a staring contest with him for what feels like forever. Eventually, he makes a smart move and averts his gaze and lowers his head, then exposes his throat to me. I huff out a large puff of frost before turning and heading to where the ferals are being held. Personally, I think I handled that well. I didn't harm my mate, and I didn't lose my temper. I'll chalk that up as a win.

After some walking, we arrive at the feral's pen. I call it a pen because it's a ten-foot-tall, electrified fence that keeps the ferals isolated from the rest of the pack. Elena moves alongside me and looks over the last fifteen that haven't shifted back to their human form independently. I begin to pace back and forth along the front thirty or so feet of fencing. Let's be honest here, it's not easy to miss an almost nine-foot-tall, snow-white Lycan with dragon scales on its arms and muzzle. The ferals begin to gather, curiosity getting the better of them.

Most of the rogues are smaller than I am and quickly break eye contact. Like always, there's one mother fucker that has to be complicated. He's a rather large male, about the same size as Sebastian's Lycan. The fact that he's feral makes me extra wary about allowing him to continue to live. As soon as I shift back to my human form, he attacks the fence and is hit with ten thousand volts. He flies backward and lands on his ass before getting up to charge again. The stubborn son of a bitch doesn't learn after getting shocked the first time. I stand there, watching him charge at me over and over again until I eventually have enough.

"Let me in there... He's either going to submit or die." My voice is gravelly with the aggressive tones of my wolf.

Reluctantly, Elena opens the gate. Dom and Jayce restrain Sebastian from coming after me. My father uses his ice to hold the male back so I can enter safely. As I walk into the pen, my shift comes quickly; bones and tendons break and realign at an alarming rate. In all these years, I can't remember a transformation as fluid as this one. The male now notices I'm inside the pen and charges, so I evade him and slice his side with my talons. Honestly, I'd prefer to force him to submit rather than to kill him. He's an extraordinarily resilient male, and to lose him would be a detriment to the Lycan kind.

I evade several of his attacks, slicing at his flesh as he goes past me. His blood is making his fur slick and lay flat against his sides, and the scent makes my beast want to go for the kill. At this point, it's becoming more difficult for me to resist the urge to kill him. One last charge and I grip him tightly by the throat, sweep his legs out from under him, then slam him to the ground. Quickly, I kneel on his left arm and grip the right to restrain him. Blood loss has tired him out enough that there's not much fight left in him. Lowering my muzzle, I growl into his face with my canines bared at him.

He's fighting a losing battle for control, and he has a hard time keeping his eyes locked with mine. I press harder on his throat, still growling and snapping at his muzzle. Eventually, I say fuck it and quickly move my taloned hand up his jaw, turning his head to the side just before I sink my canines into his soft flesh. My growls rumble against his delicate throat as the crushing pressure reminds him of the dire situation he's in. Suddenly, he shifts back to his human form and cries and begs me not to kill him. He begins to thank me for saving him from his animal between sobs, explaining he had been trapped as his beast for years. I snort a plume of frost before I release him and stand at my full height.

My eyes lock on the remaining fourteen Lycan ferals in the cage. I stalk forward in full attack mode, growling and baring my canines at them. I'm hoping self-preservation will free their human from the hell they are in. One by one, they drop to one knee and shift back to their human forms. I assess all of them, noting they are all malnourished and worn out. However, after suffering for so long, the packless are finally home. I look back, and Jayce holds out a robe for me to put on. I motion for him to approach, and he moves to my side and flings the robe over my shoulders. I turn away from the ferals to shift back to my human form, my gaze once again falls on the ferals.

"Pledge your life to me and I will fight for you and beside you. We will return to our ancestral home and return it to the glory it once knew in my parent's time." I raise my right arm and show them my brand. My father, who's right behind me, also raises his arm to show off his brand. All at once, they say they swear their lives to me.

Fifteen lives are spared, all because I can show mercy. Hmm… perhaps Sebastian may be right. I ponder this odd occurrence for a bit. I step out of the pen, and each of my mates check me over, making sure I'm okay. I smirk while looking at Sebastian.

"You were right this time, love. Please, don't ever mess with my train of thought before a potential battle again. It may cost me my life one of these times. Doubt is a killer." I stand on my tippy toes and kiss his forehead, and he hugs me tightly to him, whispering he's sorry. We snuggle tightly for several moments before we're joined by my other two mates. I look over at my father and he's smiling at me. I'm happy that he's proud of me and how I was able to handle the ferals. Gently, I break away from my guys and move to hug Elena. "Please find them a place to stay and make sure they are fed." Before taking her phone out to call down to the main camp, Elena nods and kisses my cheek. I turn back to the cage and look at the men standing there.

"Welcome home, my brothers. Please, follow Elena back to the compound and she'll make sure you're fed and clothed." In a sweeping motion, I point at Elena and she waves at the men. "You'll be housed in the meeting hall until the dorm is completed. Take your time to get settled today, and sleep well tonight. Perhaps tomorrow you can help with the construction. You will find a purpose again." I smile after seeing how excited these men are with the prospect of starting over. This is definitely the difference between a tyrant and a benevolent leader. You can tell by the change in their stance that they have never been treated as if they have value. I'll be damned if any of my people ever feel worthless on my watch. My father approaches me once the crowd thins out and my mates are escorting the new pack members home to make sure they are accepted.