-:Cecelia's PoV:-

Truthfully, I didn't sleep well that night. I woke up like a zombie despite sleeping for six hours. I was tempted to sleep more but I stubbornly went for a run anyways. I missed it the day before and I didn't want it to become a habit.

I found myself lingering by the stream longer than planned, replaying last night in my head again and again. I remembered the exact tree I was trapped against, the exact tree he punched. 

I sighed as I remembered that particular part. Julian and I were tight. We were thick as thieves. We used to joke about making our mates jealous and driving them crazy with our friendship. How there would be lethal fights that we'd have front row seats. We used to think it would be hilarious. How ingenious we were. 

Fun? Yeah, right.

The more I thought about Ashton's question, 'Do you love him?', the angrier I became. How unfair of him to ask me that question when he had the audacity to kiss Bree right in front of me and stare at me tauntingly the whole time while he did it. How did he even dare to think that he could interfere? Even if I would have been in love with Julian, it would not be his business after that indirect rejection. I could have gone around fucking random people and it should not have concerned or bothered him.

But it did.

Which lead me to believe that he actually cared about me, even if he loved to deny it. I had given in early and accepted that I cared. His realizati- no, acceptance was obviously yet to sink in. But his reaction gave me hope.

It was amazing how the mate bond brought new things to light and changed my perspective. It was like a blindfold I couldn't remove. I would forever be blinded by it until it was gone, either broken by rejection or death.

I wondered how mates without inhibitions felt. Giddy? Complete? Terrified? Safe? Peaceful? Everything at once? I wished I could experience that. Finding my mate had affected me. It was like I turned into a teenager from a pre-puberty kid in a matter of seconds. Like all my hormones were assaulting me at once. 

You know how most kids are repulsed by the idea of romantic love and marriage? And then puberty hits and they start feeling more and how they can't think about anything else? That was kind of how I felt. And weirdly enough, it felt right. Almost as if that's how I always had been, despite me knowing I hadn't. 

It was scarily beautiful.

I broke away from my train of thoughts when I felt Aaron mind-linking me.

'You'll be late for school, Cece,' he said. 'Where are you?'

'Umm I'll be there soon,' I dodged the question and ran back to the Packhouse as if my life depended on it. I made it in a record time of sixteen and a half minutes. I was panting a little. Yes, I run but not as fast as I just did. I sprinted up and took a hasty shower. I noted the time and groaned. I knew I would never make it in time for the first period. I slowed down when I discerned that. Better go in time for the second period than make it extremely late to first.

I dried my wet hair and got dressed. I fixed myself some waffles and drank a glass of milk in the Pack Kitchen. I linked my brother the update so that he wouldn't panic and then left.

I arrived five minutes before the end of the first period. I decided to stop by my locker. When I opened it, there fell another note on the floor. I frowned and the first thing I did after I caught it was to smell it. I recognized the smell. 

Perplexed, I unfolded it.

We are coming for you.

What? Why would Silver Moon deliver this to us? A pack war? Why?

My mind went back to mine and Ashton's fight the day before. Could he . . . ? He wouldn't, would he? The bell rang while I was contemplating and the students filed out. I caught one look at his murderous expression and I knew.

He would.

I glared right back, suddenly filled with an indescribable fire. How did he even dare to threaten my pack? Who the fuck did he think he was? That bastard was lucky that I was not ripping his throat out right then and there. We communicated mutual hatred through our eyes before we had to absolutely move and get going.

I crushed the note in my hand before I threw it in my locker and begrudgingly made my way towards the dance room. I was seething.

Not long after, the class started and we had to stand within a foot of each other when we'd prefer a least a mile separating us. 

Fan-fucking-tastic.

The entire period was filled with inescapable suffocation. The pack members could sense something was wrong and were walking on eggshells. They kept their heads either facing down or away from us. Ashton's finger had healed, obviously. I just wished I'd broken something more painful and harder to heal.

As soon as the bell rung, we let each other go as if the touch burned. The irony. I felt so betrayed. He didn't even ask how I loved Julian. Just assumed I was in love with him and declared war. Fuck him. If he couldn't trust me enough to be calm about the people in my life and understand my relationships, couldn't let me explain, then he could go and throw himself off the Victoria Falls and I still wouldn't give a fuck.

Sera whined, feeling the betrayal as well. She had begun to trust them and they still . . . oh, well. Now the question was how to break this news to dad. He would not like it. War meant an inevitable loss of lives. 

Wars are pointless.

I whipped my phone out and called Julian on my way to the third period. I quickly filled him in before the teacher came in. He was uncomfortable at first, thinking it was all his fault. I almost snapped at him for even thinking that. It was no one's fault but that dimwit soon to be Alpha's. I hung up when the teacher came. 

The day was excruciating. I was losing it, thinking of how to tell dad. What was I to say? 'Hey, dad. So I have this mate and I wanted to make jealous so I let things get out of control, I'm sorry?' That sounded pathetic even in my head. 

Goddess, help me.

When I reached home, I was surprised to see a very solemn-looking Aaron sitting on the steps to the Packhouse. I grabbed my bag, locked my car, and made my way to him.

"What happened?" I asked, dreading the answer already. He looked tense.

"You should have told us," he said in a disappointed tone.

"I-" I began ashamedly.

"Come on, we have to go," he said, interrupting me. I followed him timidly all the way to our father's office.

"Good, you're here," dad said without preamble. "Let's go, we have a meeting to get to."

I was confused.

"What's going on?" I asked. "What meeting?"

"You haven't told her yet?" Dad addressed Aaron. He shook his head a 'no'. "I guess she'll find out anyway. Come on, we don't want to be late." He shrugged.

I could just feel the love.

I followed them quietly, my head down. We drove to a café in the town. Neutral grounds. What was going on? I found out when I saw Ashton sitting stone-faced beside a hulk-like man with an identical expression. The blood drained out of my face. 

Fuck.

It was Alpha Summers in the flesh. I could feel the power pulsating through the air as the two Alpha's eyes met. The air was charged with auras of dominance. Almost as a reflex, I gently touched my father's hand. He shifted his glare at me but I calmly gestured around the place where people had stopped what they were doing to see this spectacle. He gave a subtle nod and cooled it down a notch. Alpha Summers seemed to have caught on too because he put on a fake smile. His eyes were so cold, it was terrifying nonetheless.

We sat down opposite them but the animosity seemed to hinder any conversation. Realizing none of the men would speak first, I sighed.

"Alpha Summers," I acknowledged, breaking the ice and relieving the tension. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

His calculating gaze shifted to me and I forced a polite smile on my face, keeping it fixed and meeting his eyes. Normally, looking an Alpha in the eye was seen as a challenge. So after a count of five seconds, I averted my gaze from his eyes to his chin. 

"You must be proud, she'll make a great Luna," he addressed my father, turning back to him. I flushed at the compliment.

My father puffed his chest in pride, "I know," he said smugly.

"Who's her mate?" Alpha Summers asked curiously.

"She hasn't found him yet," dad answered without even bothering to ask me. Not that I could lie to two Alphas, so it was kind of good. Alpha Summers hummed thoughtfully in response. "What about your boy?"

"Yet to find her," he shrugged.

I tried to stop it, but my eyes involuntarily found their way to Ashton and saw him already looking at me with an unreadable expression. I turned away before anyone could notice the exchange.

"So you want to declare a war on my pack?" Alpha Summers asked after a beat of silence. My heart stopped beating.

What?

My father looked at him stoically. He did? Why?

My mind went back to the note in my locker. Before I could say anything, dad spoke.

"I'm here to talk. You trespassed on my land," he stated. "That is against the treaty that we signed."

Our packs had a Peace Treaty that prevented immediate wars. One of its clauses was 'No Trespassing'. According to it, without the Alpha's permission, no member of the other pack could set foot in the reigning Alpha's territory.

 So they found out Ashton trespassed? Holy shit. How?

'You know scent lingers, right?' Sera popped in. 'You didn't hide their scent yesternight.'

 Finally. I thought she died.

'And you're telling me this now?' I asked her, horrified.

'When else was I supposed to tell you?' She asked nonchalantly.

'Oh, I don't know, when I forgot to hide their scent yesterday? Are you an idiot?!'

'I-'

'Later.' I blocked her out.

"So it seems," Alpha Summers said. At that, I remembered the message in my locker that day.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," I interrupted and they turned to me. "I thought it was your pack declaring war on ours?"

"Why would you think that?" Alpha Summers asked.

"I had a note in my locker today . . . " I revealed. "It smelled of your pack and it said 'we're coming for you'." I told him. I could feel my father and brother staring at me, obviously befuddled. I never got the chance to tell them. 

Oops.

"What?" Alpha Summers asked, looking genuinely confused. I began to repeat what I said when he waved a hand and stopped me and faced a frowning Ashton.

"Do you know anything about this?" He asked him. Ashton's frown deepened.

"No," he said and truth resonated in that one syllable he spoke. It was full of honesty.

This time I frowned. I was so sure he was behind it. Then he continued.

"But I did receive a note in my locker too," he divulged. "It smelled of Crescent Moon members . . . that declared a war, too." His father looked at him, shocked. Kinda like Aaron and dad did when I told them about the note I received. Basically, he came to this meeting in the dark too.

The Alphas lapsed into a thoughtful silence.

"They could be connected," Aaron spoke for the first time. "The notes, I mean. We're sitting here to talk. It's obvious none of us declared war. It has to be someone who wants the packs to fight." He explained.

"Any suspects?" Alpha Summers asked my dad.

"Not yet. Do you?" Dad said. 

"None," Alpha Summers sighed.

"What about the trespassing on our northern border?" Dad questioned sharply. I kept my guilty gaze away from them all. Ashton undoubtedly did the same. We were lucky the scent faded enough for them to not know exactly who crossed the borders. That would have only meant trouble.

"I assure you it was a childish mistake, I did not send anyone over," Alpha Summers said sincerely. It was amazing how blatant the honesty was in the father-son duo's voice. It was astounding. "I'll talk to my Pack today and make sure it never happens again." He reassured. My father nodded.

"Then our work here is done," the Alphas declared in syn. Creepy.

We all got up together and made our way out of the café without another word. I spared one last glance at Ashton when we were driving away. I reassured myself that he wasn't behind the notes. He did not betray us. He kept our exchange to himself. He probably calmed down enough to give us the benefit of doubt later. Then he would've found the note and that would've ruined his mood. 

Probably. 

At least that's what I hoped happened.

But the question it gave rise to troubled me more.

If it was not a revenge-seeking Ashton, who would want the packs to go to war? And why?

*********************************

A/N

Double update. I'm on fire!! Hehe. Hope you like the chapter.

Who do you think wants the peace to be disrupted? Who sent the notes? How long can Cecelia and Ashton keep their secret??

Comment your thoughts and theories and keep reading to find out.

QOTD: Airpods, headphones, or earphones?

How're you liking the read? Tap that star on your way out.

Until next time, all my love,
xoxo.