-:Cecelia's PoV:-

'The rogues are attacking!'

There was a moment of pin-drop silence of horror. And then there was chaos. Julian looked confused. Ash and I rushed out of the truck together so that lead me to believe it wasn't just me who got the bad news.

Both our packs were under attack.

"We're under attack!" I informed a clueless Jules when we reached him. My heart was beating wildly. It was palpitating loudly. I was losing my bearings. We were under attack. Tasha's captors were there. It was time to get her back . . . if we could.

'They're at our West border. Warriors report there. The kids and the untrained, go back to the Packhouse immediately.'

"They're at our western borders," I added. Julian frowned. People rushed out of the Packhouse and took off in the direction of our West border in groups.

"Ash, your pack needs you. Go!" I urged him. 

"I'm not leaving you when we're under attack," he denied flatly.

"Asht-"

"Let him stay, Lia," Julian interjected. I scowled at him. The Pack comes first, does it not? And it was not like I'd be alone. I'd be one of the many fighters. There would probably be a few casualties, some injuries. That was normal in our world. It was okay because we had the skills and - most likely - the numbers to win. 

"Fine," I huffed nonetheless, not wanting to lose time. "Let's go!" 

They didn't move. They looked at each other for a moment and then turned to me.

"No." They stated in sync.

"Excuse me?" I asked in bewilderment.

"We're leaving for the borders. You're going inside the Packhouse," Julian clarified.

"The fuck I am," I scoffed incredulously.

"Lia, it's not safe."

"All trained persons are to report, Julian."

"There are exceptions," Ashton backed Julian up.

"No, there are not. I'm going," I insisted, glaring at them. 

Why are we wasting time?!

"Cecel-"

"I'm going. That's final." I growled firmly. "They need as many hands as they can get."

I was a trained warrior. I owed it to my pack. 

I started running towards the western border, having had enough. Accepting that I wasn't going to budge from my decision, Ashton and Julian followed me. I could feel the waves of annoyance and trepidation rolling off of them. I rolled my eyes. I was not a porcelain doll. They needed to stop treating me like one.

We quickly reached our destination. The scene that awaited us was confusing. Instead of a bloodbath-in-progress like what I had expected, there were masses of people everywhere. They were all vigilant and tense, but there was no fighting going on.

I thought that it was an attack . . . ?

Silver Moons were gathered there too, but they were mindful of all the borders just like the Crescent Moons. The place was absolutely stinking with the stench of rogues.

I pushed through the crowd on our side and they parted for me easily upon seeing who I was. I was almost at the front when what I saw made my blood run cold.

An imposing gathering of about sixty rogues, give or take a few, were standing there calmly. That was very unusual because rogues were known for being reckless and rowdy. They usually didn't like rules and Packs suffocated them. But there they were, standing together in a display of unity and patiently scanning the crowd as if waiting for something to happen. 

But that was not what appalled me. It was the limp shackled figure they had chain bound in front of them that did. Their clothes were dirty, their hair looked as if it'd been chopped off in a hurry, their limbs bruised and bloody. Only when I looked and smelled more carefully did I realize that it was our pack member. 

Tasha.

A gasp escaped my lips as that registered.

What did they do to her?

Julian came and stood in front of me, blocking my view of them. Ash joined him and they stood shoulder to shoulder. I was a little too preoccupied to protest.

When I gained my bearings, I shifted so that I could see ahead again. The blonde person I assumed was their leader - all the rogues kept glancing at him from time to time and he had an aura around him - was casually leaning against the tree. His eyes were alert, even though his posture was anything but.

Beside him, they had a girl who was sobbing heartbreakingly. I concentrated on her and sniffed. I froze when I realized that she was Silver Moon.

"I didn't know that one of your pack members had been taken too," I whispered sharply to Ashton. He tensed a little, knowing I was addressing him.

"Until a minute ago, I didn't either," he whispered back. I blinked in shock as I racked my brains for an explanation. I searched the expressions on the Silver Moon members' faces and deduced that the girl just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

My father was already standing at the front with our pack warriors, looking livid. At the Silver Moon's side, Alpha Summers was standing tall looking rather pissed too.

No one was a huge fan of rogues.

"I see almost everyone is here," the blonde man began leisurely.

"What do you want?" Alpha Summers demanded, glaring at the blonde man. He looked familiar . . .

"You know what, Alpha," he said pointedly. Dad let out a low growl. Alpha Summers bristled at the disrespect. In front of me, both Julian and Ashton tensed.

Silence except for the Silver Moon girl's sniffles.

"Give us back our pack members, Vincent," dad gritted out. I stared at him in shock.

He knows that rogue?

"No," Vincent denied curtly.

"Give us back our pack members and go away in peace," Alpha Summers backed dad up. I was momentarily stunned by their sudden comradeship.

Vincent tsked and clicked his tongue as if he was running out of patience.

"You didn't give me what I asked for. You never do. Not now, not all those years back," he shook his head in mock disappointment. "I'll bargain again. Two for one."

Two for one?

The Alphas present exchanged a wary glance.

'Cecelia, go back to the Packhouse.' Dad linked me.

'No. I'll fight too,' I refused.

'Go back now, Cecelia.'

'Dad!' I protested.

'NOW.' He thundered.

I huffed. Ashton turned around quietly and grabbed hold of my hand. He didn't meet my eye. I looked past him to see Alpha Summers looking intently like us. When our eyes met, he didn't break eye contact.

Go, he mouthed at me. I frowned but let Ash pull me away.

"Dog got your tongue, Alphas?" I heard the Vincent guy taunt.

Suddenly it clicked. 

Vincent. Rogue. 

He was the wanted guy! The rogue that many packs had been complaining about for a while now.

"We will have our pack members back one way or the other," I heard dad warn, bringing me out of my genius revelation.

"Before we do anything drastic, let's see what your daughter has to say about this, why don't we?" He offered, a cold, bitter malice in his voice. I frowned.

"Let's go," Ashton said anxiously, trying to pull me away still. I dug my heels in the ground.

"She's not here," Alpha Summers lied smoothly.

"Cecelia, please," Ash whispered urgently.

Why would he li-

"On the contrary, I see her right there," Vincent said. I could hear the smirk in his voice as he spoke.

"Please move, Cecelia," Ashton begged again. I put my free hand on his chest to halt him. I heard dad curse and my curiosity heightened. I cautiously moved back to the front. Julian stopped me before I went too far.

"What do you want?" I asked in a steady voice.

"You don't know?" He laughed. "They didn't tell you? You didn't figure it out yourself either, I see. I thought you were smarter than that, Cecelia Rivers."

My hands ached to hit something. I knew Ash and Jules were hiding something. I fucking knew it.

"Go away," Alpha Summers hissed.

Vincent ignored him completely. 

"You want to know what I - we - came for?" He smirked wider. "Then listen carefully, innocent little Cecelia. We want . . . you."

My body went rigid. My mind went blank. There we no surprised gasps or any reaction from either of our packs. Which led me to believe . . . they most probably knew.

"Tasha?" I heard myself ask while I moved my eyes over them all.

"Who?" He feigned ignorance. "That puny little girl?" He roared with laughter like I had cracked some joke. "She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Growls erupted from both the packs.

Wrong place at the wrong time . . . how many people suffer misfortune because of that?

"Release them. Two for one, right?" I found myself saying, staring into his eye. I saw a minuscule movement in my peripheral vision. It took the effort of every fiber in my being not to break eye contact and watch it instead.

"No," Ashton hissed, grabbing my bicep from behind me. Vincent cackled again. I shook myself free of Ash's grasp.

'Do NOT do anything stupid, Cecelia.' Dad warned. 

'Don't worry, I won't.' I replied. Then I opened the link with the pack, 'Trust me,' I said before blocking all the mind links. I could feel dad trying to penetrate my block and I could feel his panic and frustration when he couldn't. 

I had had practice.

A plan slowly formed in my head.

"Ah, I had an inkling you weren't too stupid," Vincent grinned.

"Call off your warriors from Tasha and that girl," I told him.

"You're not in the position to make any demands, dear," he pointed out the obvious. I took a deep breath.

"You want me. I'll come to you willingly," I agreed. "But only if you give them back first."

Ashton hissed.

"How do I know that you'll keep your word?" Vincent questioned calmly, ignoring him.

"You don't," I shrugged, lacing my fingers through Ash's.

Vincent narrowed his eyes at me searchingly and seemed to contemplate it. I kept my face blank.

"Fine, we send one over, you come to us and then we send the second one over." He said at last.

"We meet at the middle," I countered. "I cross over and you give them back." I squeezed Ashton's hand reassuringly to calm him.

"But-" Vincent began.

"That's the best you get. Take it or leave it," I cut him off.

"Cecelia, please think-" Ash began but Julian hushed him. 

I wanted to smirk so bad. I knew Julian would catch on even without the mind-link reaching him. I kept my face neutral.

"Fine," Vincent conceded warily.

"Awesome," I said emotionlessly. "Two of your men can escort our pack members while one of ours can come with me to receive them."

His face was a kaleidoscope of expressions at once. The most dominant, however, was suspicion.

"I'll send three," he bargained.

"That's unfair since I'm bringing just one," I said.

"Well, both of you can fight," he argued.

"I was recently poisoned by your courtesy, remember?" I asked rhetorically. "I am still recovering. I can't harm a fly."

"Yeah, that was fun," his eyes twinkled with sick nostalgia. Ashton was shaking with rage behind me. We couldn't afford to blow our cover now. I freed my hand from his grasp and turned to him, running my hands over his forearms. I looked into his eyes and saw they were pitch black. Xavier was in control. His body was trembling with low, barely controlled growls.

Fantastic.

"Shh," I whispered. "I'll be okay."

He showed me his elongated teeth, wrapping his arms around me, sniffing at my hair to calm himself down.

"Let's do it," Vincent said. I sighed, pulling away from Ashton forcefully. He tried coming back to grab me but Julian was quicker. Ashton was fighting back pretty hard, so I searched for Noel and Hayden in the Silver Moon pack, silently pleading them with my eyes to help when I located them. I knew unknown people keeping him back will only enrage Ash more. They nodded almost instantly, making their way over and keeping Ashton in place.

"I'm sorry," I whispered before I sought out Warrior Wesley. When our eyes met, he took my wordless request and stepped over the pack borders with me.

"Bring them over," I told Vincent. "Two escorts. The middle." I reminded.

He silently motioned two of his bulkiest warriors forward. The bulkier one released Tasha's chains before picking her up like a rag doll. The other one roughly grabbed the little girl's arms, making her cry harder. I put my hands behind my back and clenched my fists to keep myself from doing something reckless.

They made their way to the middle, nearing us slowly. Each party watched the other with hawk eyes. My hands started sweating. My neck felt damp. My heart beat wildly in trepidation. I glanced at Tasha's limp form. My heart was sinking, looking at her unresponsive body.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

"Your mate is putting up quite a show," Vincent commented. I didn't risk turning around to see what was happening but I did hear a few grunts and the sound of cracking bones signaling that someone had shifted.

"What did you expect?" I asked drily, my voice wavering as a result of my internal turmoil. "He's my mate."

He shrugged dismissively.

"Hand her over to him," I ordered the guy carrying Tasha. He huffed and carelessly handed her over to Wesley who cradled her carefully. "Now the other one." They didn't move. "I'm right here," I assured, holding my hands up as a gesture of peace. I heard loud snarls from behind me and that seemed to distract everyone for a second. 

That second was all I needed. 

I hit the man holding the crying little girl with one roundhouse kick to the temple. My dress ripped up its side, exposing my legs and underwear almost completely. Too bad that was the least of my worries at the moment. The man's grip on the girl went slack as he swayed a little, clutching his head. The girl backed away from him evidently scared and then stopped. She was frozen with fear.

The other guy shot daggers at me before he jumped into action. From the corner of my eye, I saw Wes gently place Tasha on her feet and her standing unsteadily before she backed away. 

Thank Goddess I assumed right.

Satisfied, I focused my attention on the guy who was currently aiming a punch at my face. 

I ducked at the last second and it went flying over my head, brushing the top of my head lightly. He stumbled slightly. I took that opportunity to squat down completely and run my right leg in a semi-circle close to the ground, hitting his unstable legs and making him lose his balance completely. He went down with a groan. I jumped on his back, grabbing his hand and twisting it out of its socket in one swift motion. He yelled out in pain. I didn't stop there. I grabbed his other hand and did the same. I had to incapacitate him. This time his scream of pain was louder and more pitiable. 

I didn't even flinch, nor did I feel even an ounce of remorse. I knew that if the situation would have been reversed he wouldn't have hesitated to do the same to me, if not worse.

With that, I stood up and forced him to stand with me. I made sure to hold his hands behind him at an awkward angle to prevent him from trying anything funny. Beside me, Wes had the other one beat up and held captive too. 

When I saw the little girl still frozen with fear, I carefully shifted my captive's hands in one of mine and extended my free hand to the girl invitingly. She watched me with teary eyes, looking terrified. I tried to convey with my eyes that I wouldn't hurt her. I must've reached through to her because she cautiously placed her little hand in mine. I gave her a small reassuring smile before we all started backing away, pulling the rogues with us.

Vincent watched us with barely suppressed rage. He got played and he knew it.

He didn't like it.

We crossed over back our border and only then did I let myself relax. A few warriors came and we handed the rogue over to them with a whispered thanks. They nodded in acknowledgment before they dragged them away.

The little girl clung to me tightly, scanning the crowd around with wide eyes.

"You'll pay for that," Vincent hissed. "That's a threat and a promise, both."

With those words, he and his entire party turned around at his signal, shifting and running away at full speed before disappearing. 

The entire gathering heaved a collective sigh of relief. The Alphas walked over to each other on neutral grounds and started whispering amongst each other furiously.

I bent down to the little girl's level.

"Honey, are you okay?" I asked her softly. She bobbed her head up and down adorably. I smiled at her. "Can you see any of your family members there?" I pointed at the Silver Moons. She nodded again. I got up and keeping her hand in mine walked her over to the border between our packs. The guy whom I assumed was her father gathered her in his arms almost immediately, thanking me over her shoulder profusely. I smiled at him awkwardly in response. He gave me another grateful smile and walked away.

A growl made me turn. Time to face the music.

Ashto- Xavier was growling at me. He was mad. I chuckled nervously.

"I'm fine, see?" I said placatingly. "Not even a scratch."

He growled loudly again, eyeing my torn dress. I gave him a sheepish look. He advanced on me. Behind him, Noel, Hayden, Aaron, and Julian were trying to surround him to contain him if the need would arise. They probably thought that he'd hurt me. I waved them off, giving them a nod and a look that said 'I got it'. 

If there was one thing I was sure of, it was that Xavier would never hurt me on purpose.

They warily backed away.

"Ashton, I'm sorry," I beseeched, turning my attention back to my mate. "Please calm down."

He didn't listen and backed me against a tree.

Oh, boy.

Quick as lightning, he was in front of me, phased back to his human, looking at me with pitch-black eyes. Before I could comprehend what was happening, he had grabbed my shoulders in an iron grip and extended his canines.

"Mine," he growled out and sunk his sharp teeth into the junction between my neck and shoulder.

And that, ladies, gentlemen, and fellow wolves, is how I ended up getting marked with about a hundred werewolves in audience.

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

A/N:-

There you go! An update. This chapter is longer than usual. I hoped you guys liked it.

I'm tired af. I'mma gonna clock out soon.

Comment your thoughts, don't be shy.

QOTD: Greek mythology or Roman mythology?

Tap that star on your way out. Share my book if you like it.

Until next time, all my love,
xoxo.

P.S. The official video of 1 Day 2 Nights just premiered (link up above for those interested)!! Also, Djokovic won the RG FO Championship. It's his second Grand Slam title this year. But can't help feeling that Stefanos was equally deserving . . . . pains of being a fan of two players who're pitted against each other.

(14 June 2021)