36. Aurora

CHAPTER 36

Aurora

We return to the Lycan compound, and I send Dom off to gather the others. I call Dimitri and tell him we need my father's wisdom. The guys all gather around, as well as some of our strongest fighters. My phone rings, and it's Dimitri and my father on the other end. Dom goes through his observations from the attack and the hunt for Sebastian. Then Sebastian fills everyone in on what he overheard before he was sedated. I notice Jayce is writing everything down in bullet points on the whiteboard, making it easier to track where the conversation is going.

"Okay, so I'm going out on a limb here." I stand in front of the whiteboard to look over the notes. "What if the bears have been involved since the beginning? For a group that recently arrived, the Strigoi have too much knowledge to hunt my ass down. At some point, we need to make sure there are no other moles in our ranks. For now, we need to plan the attack for the morning. Put the compound on lockdown. No one goes in or out until tomorrow night." My eyes search those that are gathered; none flinch from what I just said.

My father's voice cuts through my thoughts. "Good idea, daughter. Only one problem: more than likely, the Strigoi will have prisoners in the basements. How do you plan on handling that?" My father raises an interesting point. I ponder the idea further, then I slowly turn to Sebastian.

He steps forward and bows his head to me, presenting his idea. "We need to evacuate as many bears as possible and burn the main buildings the Strigoi are in. From what we have seen, they tend to bunch up, so I assume they do the same for sleep." Sebastian turns on the smart TV in the office and hooks up his phone to it. I grab my phone and switch the call to video. I turn the camera to face the TV as Sebastian pulls up his map program to show the bear's camp. "Not every house will have a basement, so we can eliminate those houses first. I suggest we wait until the sun is high in the sky before we move in. Aurora and I can rip the roof off the houses we suspect have Strigoi in the basement. Worst case scenario, after that, we can rip up the floorboards as well." Sebastian keeps his back turned from the group as he explains his idea. I mean, most of it has merit.

"Okay, so let me get this straight: I'm supposed to use precious energy to rip a house apart when we're not even sure the Strigoi are there? Logistically, it doesn't make any sense to me at all. Dad, is there any way to track the Strigoi that would make pinpointing them easier?" Who knows how old my father is? Maybe, in all his years, someone had a stroke of brilliance and figured it out. It's a long shot, but worth asking. I watch my father pace while Dimitri rolls his eyes. I see now where my flair for the dramatic comes from.

"Nope, no easy way to find them other than the distinct scent of sulfur and rot," my father says like it's nothing. Has he been hanging out with Andre too much? Everyone in the room turns to Jayce and Dom. The Dires have the best nose out of all of us. Compared to the rest of us—especially me—they are the closest to pure wolves. Jayce and Dom look at each other, then back to me.

Dom is the first to speak. "We've got this. Dimitri, have Alex send two enforcers and two wolves with toxic bite as soon as he can. We need more help here in the future." Dimitri gives a short reply, then he ends the call. "Let's get some sleep; tomorrow is going to be a long day." Dom immediately offers me his hand and I sigh softly, giving him a gentle kiss before hugging him tightly.

"I need to spend time with Sebastian. He may be an ass and an arrogant fuck at times, but he's still our mate, and I've been spending more time with you and Jayce than him. I don't favor anyone, and I don't want anyone to feel as if they don't matter as much as the others. Besides, if anyone is going to kick his ass first, it's going to be me." Dom and I share a good laugh over that before I turn and leave him behind.

Upstairs, I find Sebastian sitting on the edge of his bed with his head in his hands. I feel the emotional rollercoaster he's on, and it's partially my fault. I walk past Sebastian and into his bathroom. I decide to fill his oversized tub, and I add in different oils and herbs as the hot water begins to rise. Curiosity must have gotten the better of him because, eventually, he joins me in the bathroom. After I shut the water off, I turn to him and put a finger to his lips, asking for silence. He gives me a slow nod. Tonight is about him, not me.

Deep down, I feel like I've been neglecting Sebastian. He brought some of it on himself, taunting the other mates. Sebastian always had the bad habit of trying to place himself above the others. This made me distance myself from him, mostly because I was continually trying to reassure the other mates of their place. After thinking I lost him, I know I need to set things right tonight and spend quality time with him. My hands grip the hem of his Henley, and I slowly lift it above his head. I drop his shirt to the floor and lightly run my fingers over his taut muscles. I almost forgot what it's like to appreciate what's before me with all that's happened lately. I reign in my desire for now. I must remember to stay on task.

I motion for Sebastian to sit on the edge of the tub. Carefully, I remove his shoes and socks, then go for his belt. Sebastian stands to help with his pants. Adonis has nothing on Sebastian's physique. He is pure, sculpted perfection; the definition of man-candy. Fuck, I got lucky in the mate department. I motion for him to get in the tub, and he gives me that look. You know, the one that makes you want to lick every inch of the person. The look that makes your insides melt and your lady bits weep with joy. Sebastian steps into the hot water and lowers himself into the tub. His moan of appreciation makes my insides clench. I try to ignore my pussy, but the bitch is screaming at me. I grab the softest washcloth I can find and load it with the body soap I keep hidden in his bathroom.

I spend the next half hour washing every square inch of his body. My fingers trace every bump and ridge of Sebastian's muscles, his baby blue eyes locked on mine as I bathe him. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't turned on. Other females would kill to be where I am right now.

"My love, you don't have to bathe me, you know? I appreciate how thorough you're being. I'm okay, honest, Aurora." I move so I'm now straddling Sebastian's lap. My fingers roam over the rock hard muscles of his chest.

"Sebastian, I feel like I haven't been a good mate to you. When I thought you might have died..." My words fail me as tears slowly roll down my cheeks. Sebastian's hands come up and cup my face, using the pad of his thumbs to wipe away my tears.

"Shh, love. You haven't been a bad mate. Jayce needed a lot more attention than me. I'll always be right here waiting for you." He punctuates his statement by gently kissing my lips. "As much as I want to bury myself deep in you and fuck you until dawn, we need sleep. And to be honest, I'm still feeling off." He's making sense, like always.

I look closely at Sebastian. Why didn't I notice how tired he looks? I'm so fucking selfish sometimes. Carefully, I remove myself from Sebastian's lap, then out of the tub. I quickly grab our towels and offer one to Sebastian. I can't help but stare at my sexy mate. Sebastian has a well-defined athletic build. His shoulders are thickly muscled, and his waistline is tapered in. My eyes roam hungrily over his chest, down to his defined abs. You know that V everyone talks about? The one at a man's hips that trails down to his groin? Sebastian blows that expectation out of the water.

"Aurora?" I snap out of my inner monologue to look up at Sebastian. "Your wolf is showing," he says. He gives me that cocky grin that infuriates me, and turns me on more in times like this. Evil, evil mate. If he keeps looking at me like that, we won't be sleeping.

I grumble on my way back to the bedroom. I need to reign in my desire and put Sebastian's health first. My towel falls to the floor before I climb into bed, snuggling myself in and watching Sebastian move about his room. Honestly, I'm starting to get sleepy. I didn't realize how much the day has stressed me out. Sebastian climbs into bed behind me and pulls me flush against his chest. I fall asleep quickly. For once, no dreams disturb my slumber.

Sebastian and I are awakened by Jayce jumping on the bed. Have I mentioned I'm not a morning person? I grumble and growl at Jayce and try to hide under my pillow. The next thing I know, I see Jayce's face looking at me under my pillow.

"Love? Reinforcements arrived very early this morning. Alex sent us six Dire Wolves: three enforcers and three with the toxic bite. We need direction from our leader." He smiles before leaning forward to kiss me. Jayce extracts himself from my hiding place, and I toss the pillow to the floor. I turn to find Sebastian and Jayce lip locked. So, I do what any red-blooded mate would do: I grab my cell phone and turn off the flash to take several pictures of them kissing.

Ever so carefully, I extract myself from the bed to get changed in my room. I search through my clothing for something that says I'm not going to take anyone's shit. I find my black leather pants and a blood-red bodice. It's kind of a steampunk meets dominatrix look. After searching for what seems like forever, I finally find my knee-high boots.

I head down the stairs and into the main hall. The Dires stand immediately, then bow before me. I stroll toward my throne and take a seat. My eyes assess the Dires before me until, one by one, they slowly look up at me.

"Welcome to my home. Please, make yourselves comfortable. We'll have breakfast first, then off we go to take back the bear camp." Dom comes up to my right side and offers me his hand. He guides me to the table and begins introductions for the reinforcements. All six of them are in agreement; the Dire compound has become a much better place ever since the alpha was killed. I sit and listen to them telling stories and cracking jokes at each other. Dom remains on my right side as I watch everyone eat.

My beast is a bit on edge, and I can't place what's setting her off. Dom, something isn't right. Colin, the enforcer, watch his body language. He's nervous. His scent is acidic from fear. An enforcer shouldn't be afraid. Dom gives me a very terse nod and squeezes my hand. Sebastian and Jayce finally make it downstairs, and Dom gets up quickly to pull Sebastian aside and fill him in. Jayce comes to sit on my left and takes my hand. He knows something is off by how rigid I'm sitting in my chair and the fact I haven't touched my bacon yet.

"Aurora, my love?" Jayce says in such a soft tone. The reverence in his voice warms my black heart. I slowly reach up and brush his cheek with my hand. I know, in that moment, my eyes shift and swirl liquid mercury. He feels the power flow through me, and his wolf's eyes glow in response to my agitation. Dom and Sebastian stand behind me, each placing a hand on my shoulder in an attempt to calm me. I give the signal to my personal guards, and they leave the room, locking the doors from the outside. The sound of the locks clicking into place sets the Dires on high alert.

"I'm truly blessed to receive help so quickly. But it's come to my attention that there's a traitor in our ranks." Five out of six Dires are calm and looking directly at me. Number six—that fucker—is fidgeting and restless. I feel a little different, and I have a very bitter taste in my mouth. My eyes search Jayce's as I part my lips slightly and run my tongue over my canines. His eyes widen at the sight, thinking it's sexual in nature. Realization hits him, and he stares at my canines closer. My sweet, innocent mate smirks at me, then winks. I stand and walk soundlessly around the table, stalking my prey.

My fingertips lightly run over each of the guys' shoulders as I pass them. When I reach Colin, both of my hands come to rest on his shoulders. I lean down and nuzzle his cheek, freezing him in fear. I can hear his heart pounding in his chest, racing a mile a minute. My guys are standing on the opposite side of the table, watching with rapt attention. My tongue darts out and licks his throat, tasting the fear and salt in his sweat.

Without warning, I strike. My canines sink deep into this throat. The snaps and crunches of tendons and sinew breaking can be heard clearly—the sharp, metallic tang of his life fluid coats my tongue, spurring my beast on. I can taste the taint of the Strigoi in his blood. Through the bond, I share my knowledge with the guys. Their growls fill the air, but it doesn't distract me from my task at hand. Colin starts to thrash and tries to throw me off of him. I sink my talons into his shoulders to strengthen my grip as I start pumping the toxin into his bloodstream. I've gained enough knowledge from his blood. The Strigoi taint has touched the Dire compound far worse than I had initially suspected. I jump off Colin's back and watch him stumble before he falls to his knees.

"How many more, Colin? Tell me, and I'll end it quickly." I'm on all fours in front of him on the floor, staring him down and trying to will him to answer me. Alpha powers, don't fail me now.

Colin shakes his head several times before spitting blood. Fuck, I wrecked his vocal cords. He uses his blood to draw the number three. His breathing is labored, and he's having a hard time keeping his eyes open. In one final push, he writes the names of the tainted. His green eyes plead with me for mercy. My resting bitch face game must be on point today because he looks panicked right before I slam my taloned hand into his chest and rip out his heart. His body falls to the floor with a wet splat into a pool of his own blood. Within seconds, Sebastian is at my side, offering me his hand to help me up. I rise to my feet, still holding Colin's heart. I turn my attention to Dom.

"There are tainted ones within your pack. Call the other enforcers. Have these three dispatched and their heads sent to me." My voice has a wolven growl to it as I fight to enunciate the words. I'm so close to losing the battle with my beast when Jayce's hand slips under the back of my bodice. The simple act of him pressing his hand to my skin seems to soothe my beast. I draw in a slow, deep breath and then kiss his temple. Through the pack bond, I have the guards open the doors to the room again. You know it's pretty bad when they don't even blink after seeing a dead body or a puddle of blood in the house anymore.

Elena comes running into the room, chattering away with a phone stuck to her head. Suddenly, she stops dead in her tracks as she took in the scene before her. "Yeah, Nico, Aurora killed someone in the house. No, no, no, she's okay. She's got a heart in her hand again." Sebastian facepalms, listening to the way his mother describes the situation to my dad on the phone. I shake my head and start walking out of the room. I step over Colin's body and make my way out into the main hall. About another thirty minutes and it's go time. The Strigoi won't know what hit them.