Chapter 35 – No.

Lucy's POV

My alarm wakes me up at half seven like usual as I forgot to turn it off last night. Groaning, I roll onto my side and reach over to turn off the noise. Everyone who's taking part in the attack today is taking the day off, whether it's from school or work, as we want the morning to prepare ourselves for whatever we're going to have to face today. If all goes well, we'll hopefully get away with minimal (if any) injury, but I feel like that may be too much to ask for. The fact that I'm being used as bait is still the first worry of mine about this plan, the second being the amount of rogues we'll actually have to face today.

My role today is to walk five to ten minutes ahead of everyone else, in human form, to try and get Kailen and the other rogues to believe that I've actually given up before everyone else comes charging to the rescue and takes them out.

David doesn't want to kill Kailen straight up, which is yet another thing that I'm opposed to, because he wants some answers first. He wants to know more about the other rogue gatherings across the country as Devlin only had limited knowledge on the subject and couldn't tell us much. To get these answers, I'm not going to be the only one in human form as David, Justin, Dean, Amy and Jess are all going to be joining me pretty soon after the attack starts, leaving it up to everyone else to cover us until we have all the information needed and can change and join the fight. I tried to argue last night that there'll be too many of us going in human form but David wanted to be the one to question Kailen, Amy and Jess didn't want to leave me being one of the only ones unprotected as I'd be an easy target for the rogues to go after (they even pulled the three musketeers card at the meeting), and Justin wants to stay as close to me as possible at all times during this fight so he can quickly phase and stop me from getting hurt if I get a surprise attack. Dean is following Justin's lead (although I'm pretty sure it has something more to do with Amy being in possible danger than me). I'm sure those of us in human form will be okay, though, as there are going to be at least eight of us in wolf form to begin with, including Helen and Max who claim that taking down rogues is in their blood. As for Beck, nobody really knows what his plan is for today, or if he's even coming at all, and I don't know how to approach him about it as he's still mad at me.

Sighing, I climb out of bed and move to grab some clean clothes from my wardrobe. I know I'm not going to be able to get back to sleep now. I don't pick out anything special, knowing that it will probably just get shredded when I phase later anyway. In the end, I pick out an old checked top and some worn jeans, heading to the bathroom with them to take a shower. 

Once showered and dressed with my teeth brushed, I head back to my room but end up pausing in the doorway the second I see Beck sat on the edge of my bed. His head rises to look at me when he notices me standing here, and I quickly take note of the troubled look in his eyes.

"Hey," I say awkwardly, not really sure where I stand with him right now, before moving to dump my pyjamas in my washing basket on top of the towel I threw in yesterday.

"I'm sorry," he blurts out quickly, causing me to turn back and look at him in surprise. Beck, being such a stubborn prat, hardly ever apologises.

As I turn to look at him, I take more time to carefully study him, and notice the redness to his eyes and dark shadows underneath them.

"Jesus, Beck, how much sleep did you get last night?" I ask, unable to keep the worry from my voice as he rubs at his eyes quickly. He looks pretty damn awful.

"I don't know... not a lot I don't think," he replies. "Maybe an hour or two?"

"Well, it shows," I say honestly. "Go back to sleep."

"No, I need to talk to you first," he replies, his voice becoming a little louder with urgency. "Look, I'm sorry about last night, okay? I – I don't know what happened. I was just in a bad mood, I guess. I was acting like a dick and I don't want you to go into this fight tonight still mad at me."

"I'm not mad-" I say, moving towards him before my words and steps both freeze. "What? You say that like you're not planning on coming with me..."

There's a few seconds pause of silence, in which Beck breaks eye contact with me and looks at the floor.

"That's because I'm not."

A longer silence follows as I struggle to wrap my head around his words.

"You're... not," I repeat, the words sounding foreign to me.

"No."

"Look, Beck," I say, sudden panic filling me at the prospect of going out to face the rogues today without my best friend as backup. "I know that you hate working in groups, okay? I get that, I really do, but I-"

"That's not the only reason," he sighs, shaking his head as he looks back up at me. "I refuse to see you get yourself killed, because that's what's going to happen... going out there today is practically the same as you committing suicide."

"You don't know that," I refute, trying not to let the sting his words caused show on my face. I know that he's angry and upset, but Beck's been the only person in the whole world (except for my parents) who has never doubted me. Even Amy and Jess have underestimated me at times, but not Beck, never Beck... until now.

"I do know that," he says, his voice confident in what he's saying. "You're being used as bait, Lucy. Do you know what that means? It means that you and you alone will be the one to draw the rogues out."

"Yes, I am aware of that, Beck," I reply, trying to control my temper but my words still coming out through gritted teeth.

"So why the hell did you agree to it?" he practically yells. "Why agree when you know the kind of risk you'll be taking."

"It's not that big of a risk!" I try to argue. "Everyone else will be right behind me to jump in if things get ugly."

"And what if they aren't there?" he challenges. "What if they get attacked by one group of rogues whilst you get attacked by another? What then, Lucy?"

"Beck, this may be my one chance to take down the asshole that murdered my parents," I remind him, my voice now becoming almost pleading, begging him with my eyes to understand and, from the way he breaks eye contact with me once again, he does understand. He just doesn't like it.

"I know," he replies, his eyes meeting mine once more. "Trust me, Lucy, I get it. I'm not denying that this Kailen guy should pay for what he's done to your family, but you shouldn't have to put yourself in so much danger to make it happen."

"Beck," I sigh, just wanting this argument to stop and moving over to sit next to him on the bed. "Look, I know you're worried about me, I do. But I need to do this. If it's the only way then I need to."

"Run away with me," he says, and he says it so suddenly, so seriously, that I almost give myself whiplash from turning my head to look at him so fast.

"What?" I ask, my voice coming out much quieter than I had intended, more like a whisper.

"Run away with me," he repeats.

It's different this time and we both know it is. Unlike all the other times that Beck has mentioned me leaving the Pack, there's a certain intensity to his eyes that has never been there before. No, this time... this time Beck's not just talking about me moving into the cave with him.

"Beck, I-"

"What if there is another way, Lucy?" he interrupts me, his voice becoming fast but steady as his eyes light up at his sudden idea. "What if there is another way and what if this is it? What – what if we left, right now, and never came back? We could go anywhere in the country we wanted... Scotland, Wales, anywhere. We could leave this all behind for good, and never have to worry about Kailen or the rogues again. Just think-"

"Stop," I say, standing up quickly and turning to face him. "So, what? We'd run away and, what, leave my entire Pack to just die because of me? I'm not going anywhere, Beck!"

"But-" he starts to argue but I cut him off.

"No, just stop, Beck!" I pretty much yell, not even caring if I wake everyone else up. "Are you even listening to yourself right now? They would all die. I'm not going anywhere."

"But you're going to let yourself die trying to save them?" he asks, sounding pissed again.

"You don't know that!" I reply, before forcing myself to calm down. Taking a few deep breaths, I try again. "Do you remember what you told me last night?" I ask, consciously keeping my voice quieter and steadier. "You told me that we've always looked out for each other. You also asked me if I still needed you, which I do, now more than ever. But I'm not going to ask you to come with us tonight if you don't want to because I also remember you saying, and I quote, 'I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be'. So, you can go, if you really want to, but I won't be coming with you."

"Lucy," he starts, but I continue on before he can say anything more.

"Now, I know that I've already asked more than what's fair of you with this rogue situation, especially as I know you hate working alongside other people, and I'm really grateful for everything you've done to help. It's not fair of me to ask you to join this attack, especially as it's over what the first favour I asked requires from you, but I really would feel a lot safer tonight if you were with me, Beck. Just... just think about it, yeah?"

And, with that, I leave the room and close the door behind me.

***

At half one Jess, Amy and I all walk up the steps to Justin's house, knock  on the door, and wait to be let in. Beck took off a few hours ago without telling me where he was going, and I get the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that he took the option to leave without me.

What if I never see Beck again?

"It's fine, Luce, I'm sure he'll be back. He's probably just gone into town or something," Jess tries to reassure me.

"Yeah," Amy agrees. "If he meant everything he said about not wanting to see you get hurt, then he'll be back. He'll realise what an idiot he's been and come grovelling back with every apology under the sun."

I know they're trying to cheer me up but it's not working, the sinking feeling's still there and the tears behind my eyes are still wanting to shed. Beck and I have never hit a bump as big as this for as long as I've known him, and I have no idea how to make it right even if I do get the chance to. I'd never be able to abandon my Pack and run away with him, no matter how much he wants me to.

"He shouldn't have to apologise," I sigh. "Because if I meant what I said earlier about him not having to come with us today and being able to leave if he wanted to, then I can't blame him for not being here."

"Yeah but, Luce, this is Beck," Jess says. "You guys have had each other's backs for three years. Whether you said he could or not, he can't just leave because the situation doesn't suit him. That's not how it works."

The problem is I know she's right. I have always known that Beck's many things but loyal is at the very top of my list, along with dependable and unfailing. So where the hell is he right now?

"Look, just drop it, guys, okay?" I mumble, not wanting to talk about this anymore. "We have bigger problems to deal with right now, anyway."

The door in front of us opens to reveal Justin dressed in a burgundy T-shirt and dark jeans.

"Hey, you're early," he says with a smile when he sees us all standing on his doorstep, but there's an undercurrent of tension behind his smile and voice that you can't ignore. He's just as anxious to get this all over with as I am.

"Yeah, I hope that's okay," I reply, but from the questioning look he gives me there's something not quite right with my voice. I subtly shake my head at him as he opens the door wider for us all to enter, letting him know not to ask.

"Yeah, it's fine," he assures us. "Dean, Wayne and Ricky are already here anyway."

"Great," Amy says, sounding like it's far from it as we make our way to the office, opening the door and closing it behind us.

David sits at his desk with Wayne and Devlin, seemingly in deep conversation, whilst Dean and Ricky sit on the sofa, apparently going over strategies for today. Wendy's nowhere to be seen and, the second we enter the room, I notice Devlin glance over briefly to smile at Jess.

At least some people seem to be finally getting their shit together.

"Hey, are you okay?" Justin asks, once Amy and Jess have moved (not so subtly) away.

"Yeah," I reply, not really wanting to explain the whole Beck situation to him. "Are we all set for later?"

"I think so," he replies. "There's been a slight change of plan, though."

"What kind of change?" I ask, pushing Beck to the back of my mind and focussing on the task at hand.

"Devlin's going to be in human form, too," he explains. "He reckons he might be able to get through to a few of the rogues to help us get more information."

"Won't they just want to kill him more for betraying them, though?" I ask, worry slowly forming in the back of my mind and finding its way into my voice.

"Apparently that's a risk he's willing to take," Justin says with a shrug, but it's obvious that he's worried too. "But he won't be the only one taking a risk today, Lucy."

I sigh, really not wanting to have this conversation with Justin as well.

"You're right, we're all taking a risk today because we're all going after the rogues."

 "Luce..." he sighs. "I know I couldn't talk you out of this even if I tried so I'm not going to, but just... promise me you'll be careful out there, okay? And, like I said last time, if you find yourself in a situation you can't handle... not that I'm doubting you or anything, just-"

"How about this?" I say, interrupting him. "If I get into a life or death situation that I know I can't win, I'll run."

"Deal," he says immediately, relief flooding into his features. "I don't want anything happening you today, no matter what."

"I'll be fine," I say, looking him right in the eyes. "I promise."

It doesn't take long for everyone else to turn up and, soon enough, the office is filled with people. In total we have: David, Wendy, Justin, Dean, Wayne, Amy, Jess, Devlin, Ricky, Sam, Jack, Helen, Max, John and, obviously, me. There's still no sign of Beck and, from the looks of things, Justin has noticed too.

"Okay," David says, just as the clock turns to two on the dot. "Are we all clear on what to do? Lucy sets off fifteen minutes before we start to follow. She'll start off in wolf form until she gets about halfway there. Those of us who are phasing back to human will do so just before the rest of you attack before walking out and cornering Kailen."

There are a few mumbled "got its" and "okays" before we all set off. However, when we open the front door and start to head out, my eyes are immediately drawn to the person stood leaning against a tree, arms folded loosely across his chest, opposite the driveway. Beck.

Nobody else seems to find it so significant, probably assuming that he is just being Beck and decided to show up at the very last minute, but I know different... and so do Amy and Jess as they stop walking when I do.

He's here! Beck's here!

I don't think, I don't have time for thinking, and just run straight up to him and hug him. He doesn't hesitate in hugging me back, a sure sign that whatever the hell happened between us earlier is now over.

"I – I thought you'd gone!" I say, my voice wavering as tears threatened to spill, only letting go of him when he pushes me back slightly to study my face.

"I know," he replies, looking annoyed at himself this time, not me. "I know, I'm sorry, I was an idiot earlier."

I laugh slightly at that, reminded of what Amy said before. "Yes, yes you were."

"You were right, we always stick together and this time's going to be no different," he tells me, determination clear in his eyes.

"So, you're coming with us?" I ask, sighing in relief when he nods.

"Yeah, and I'm going to be there, fighting right beside you as we go against the rogues. I mean, what are best friends for, right?"

Laughing again, I nod. "I'm so glad you're here," I breathe.

"Me too," he says, his determination becoming stronger by the second.

The others join us a few seconds later, most of them looking confused as hell but Amy and Jess just standing there with the hugest grins I've ever seen them wear on their faces.

"Are we ready to go?" I ask before anyone has the chance to voice their confusion, and I notice Justin raising his eyebrow at me slightly, the question evident in his expression. He doesn't look too happy but he also doesn't look pissed off, so I guess at least I won't have to worry about another argument just yet. I really don't think I could handle it right now.

"Yes," David says, giving me a tense smile as he continues on. "After you, Lucy."

Oh. Right.

After sharing one last meaningful look with Justin that clearly says 'don't do anything stupid', I turn around and head off into the woods.

***

After running in wolf form for about forty-five minutes, I use the little courage I can gather from reminding myself that everyone else (including Justin and Beck) is only fifteen minutes behind me to phase back into human form and get changed.

I really hate this. My hands are shaking as I quickly pull on my clothes, still feeling way too exposed and vulnerable even when fully clothed.

Fifteen minutes... even less now that I've stopped.

If our timing goes to plan then the group will be less than five minutes away when I finally run in to Kailen and his friends.

Slowly, I walk along, jumping at the slightest sound (such as a twig snapping underneath my own damn feet) and well aware that my heart is racing a mile a minute. Vaguely, I'm scanning the ground for any hunter traps, but the majority of my mind is taken up by every single possible scenario that could happen if this plan goes wrong.

Beck's here... I'm going to be fine...

At the meeting, I explained to a few people how to tell if there are any traps in their path, so hopefully I won't have to worry about them getting caught in a snare or bear trap.

The minutes tick by as I slowly keep stepping forward, but then I hear something that has all my senses flaring on edge in a second. A twig just snapped somewhere nearby and, this time, I am not the one responsible.

This was a bad idea. Beck was right. I'm way in over my head here.

Forcing back the shudder that's trying to ripple its way down my spine, I slowly fold my arms around myself and make myself walk forward, pretending as if I haven't heard anything.

Maybe it was just a fox, or a rabbit... a really big rabbit.

"Well, well, well," Kailen's voice says from a little way ahead to the left, sending a shocking wave of horror down my spine. "Look what we've got here."

It definitely wasn't a rabbit!

A few seconds later, he steps through a gap in a cluster of trees, followed by eight other rogues, all in human form. They end up in a kind of formation, with Kailen in the middle and four rogues fanning out on either side of him. Amongst them, there are three women, one teenage boy and three tough-looking men, and every single one of them are sporting scars (some old and some new).

I stop walking once I get as close to them as I dare, reminding myself over and over again that I'm really not as alone as I feel right now.

Don't panic, Justin's on his way...

"I – I'm turning myself in," I say, not having to fake my fear as my voice and hands are both shaking violently. Raising my hands up in the air, palms forward and showing surrender, I trying not to crumble completely under the hideous looks of all nine rogues. "Just, please, don't hurt my friends. This has nothing to do with them. Just – just kill me and leave these woods. Please."

"Well, now, you see," Kailen says, his voice malicious as he takes a few leisurely steps towards me, the others staying put. "I can't really do that, Lucy."

"Why not?" I ask, faking the betrayal written across my face.

Of course Kailen wouldn't leave it at me, even if I did really hand myself over. He's a psycho!

"Because the second they realise what's happened... they'll be the ones coming after me," he explains, his tone turning condescending, as if I'm some incompetent four year old. "The second your poor little Justin finds out you're dead, he'll want revenge, just like I did. Of course, his dad won't let him go it alone, and so they'll bring the whole Pack to join the slaughter."

"But we're a Pack of fifty," I say, forgetting about the acting poor and defenceless, now just confused. "What kind of chance would you stand against them?"

"And out of that fifty, how many of you are actually capable fighters? Twenty, maybe thirty at a push?"

Dread begins seeping into every inch of me at an alarming rate. Even at twenty, that should be enough to wipe them out... shouldn't it?

"You see, dear Lucy, I'm afraid you may have underestimated us yet again. You think I haven't been building my own army as well? You think we haven't been gaining in numbers since poor little Devlin jumped ships and betrayed me?" He asks, spitting out Devlin's name like it tastes foul in his mouth. "Oh, because if that's the case, it would seem that you and your friends are in for a real surprise."

What does he mean? How many are there?!

The panic's clear on my face now and I don't even care.

We're going to die. We're all going to die!

Just then, I feel a presence behind me and quickly turn to see six wolves moving in to stand next to me. I recognise every single one.

We're outnumbered...

"Well, well, well," Kailen says again, giving out a single bark of laughter. "I should've known you'd have pulled something like this, Lucy. You're all about surprises, you are. First managing to escape me and now this? I almost want to let you live; courage like yours is very rare these days. You'd make a good rogue, someday. It's almost a waste, but it'd be an even bigger waste for me to give up my plan at the very last hurdle."

I'm not listening to him, though, my mind too busy running on overdriven panic.

He's beaten us. He's won! How? This wasn't supposed to happen!

A few seconds pass before footsteps sound from behind us, and I don't need to turn around to see that the others have joined us. I couldn't look even if I wanted to, as my eyes are now trained on the twelve rogues in wolf form that are twisting in between the trees, making their way towards the gathering of which I stand at... the gathering of sixteen of us and twenty of them.

We're already outnumbered. We're basically screwed.

Shit really has just hit the fan!

However, when Kailen suddenly falls silent, I zone back into the whole situation and not just the other nineteen rogues, all looking vicious in their own individual ways.

Kailen looks frozen, surprise and disbelief written clearly across his face as he stares at something (or more specifically someone) over to the right of me.

"What are you doing here?" he asks Beck, his tone of voice equally as disbelieving as his expression.

Beck doesn't reply, he doesn't even blink, simply staring straight ahead at Kailen with a steady but unreadable expression.

"What are you taking about?" I ask Kailen, my voice breaking through the now extremely tense silence before I turn back to look at my best friend.

"Beck?" I ask, my confusion growing.

A horrible aching slowly starts to fill my heart when Beck all but refuses to meet my gaze, and I get the distinct feeling that he's been hiding something from me, something extremely important.

"What, you mean he hasn't told you?" Kailen asks, seemingly now recovered from his burst of shock, and I don't like the gleeful way his eyes glint as he removes his eyes from Beck and returns them to me. "Well, isn't this just an interesting turn of events..."

Briefly, his eyes move back to Beck, the challenge clear within them before he looks at me once again.

"I never did tell you what happened to my son, did I?" is all he says, the question directed at me and me alone.

A second of earth-shattering silence ensues. Then another, and another, and another... until the pieces finally start falling into place...

"I had a family once. A son, a beautiful mate, what more could a guy ask for? – Your father killed my mate. – He killed her and so I killed them. – I wanted his family to suffer, just as mine had."...

'Beck never really talks about his family.'...

"Trust me, Lucy, I get it."...

"Kailen. – Kailen? – Yep, apparently rogue wolves are named for the meanings, not the name itself. If you turn rogue then, obviously, you can change your name to whatever you like. – So... what does Kailen mean? – Well, in Irish, it means 'mighty warrior'."...

"Is it your real name? – No. – So... what exactly is your name? – That's for me to know..."...

'You see, he never got the chance for a proper education, and he won't tell me why, but I do know that he feels like he missed out.'...

"I've never left you alone, Lucy. I've always had people following you, keeping tabs on you and then reporting their findings back to me."...

"Dad's starting to think that we might have a spy amongst us but he's not sure who yet."...

'He's covered in scars. I notice them running up his arms, neck, and there are even a couple on his face. Battle scars.' ...

'As my eyes glance down to his chest, they're immediately drawn to the light pink scar that runs from his left shoulder down to where his ribs start... He told me he got into a fight a few years back before he moved here to the cave.'...

"I used to hate what I was when I was younger; I just wanted to be normal. – Yeah, I used to move around a lot. – Lucy... I – there's something I need to tell you."

Beck.

Beck is Kailen's son?

"You – you're lying!" I accuse, glaring at Kailen, my heart squeezing painfully at even the prospect that... that it's true, that Beck's been lying to me all this time.

"Oh, really?" Kailen asks, his eyes shining like he's actually enjoying me being torn apart like this. Who am I kidding? Of course he's enjoying this! "Why don't you ask him yourself?"

"Beck?" I ask, my voice the most timid I think it's even been whilst talking to him.

He doesn't answer. He doesn't need to, either. The guilty look in his eyes is enough of a reply.

Beck.

Beck is Kailen's son.

"No," I whisper, my eyes filling with tears at the realisation.

No. Not Beck, not this! Anything but this!

Taking our groups distraction as a clear opening, the rogues attack. 

(Hey guys!!! Soo... ARGH!!! What do you think???

I know some of you may have already guessed it in the previous chapters but now you know for sure... BECK IS KAILEN'S SON!!! :O

You have NO idea how long i've been waiting to write/post this chapter!!! :D I'm SOOOO psyched right now!!! I'm also really tired cos i've been working nine hours today and have literally just finished writing this at twenty past midnight but I DON'T EVEN CARE RIGHT NOW!!!

Also, we're officially ten chapters away from the last chapter!!! How WEIRD is that??? o.O

Soo... yeah, I don't really know what to say right now except THANK YOU FOR READING THIS CHAPTER AND ALL THE PREVIOUS ONES!!! YOU ARE ALL OFFICIAL LEGENDS NOW!!!

Okay, i'm going to calm down now.

Erm... so, yeah, i'm not sure when the next chapter will be, but i'm hoping to get it written and posted tomorrow. I'm thinking i'll write to chapter 37 before I start revising again because I have quite a while yet until my exam. The next chapter will be a Lucy POV as well :)

Sorry for any mistakes in this chapter, i've gone through and corrected the major ones that I could see so just bear with them until I can go through and edit them out :)

Anywho, I hope you liked the chapter :D If you did then don't forget to Vote/Comment/Add/Follow and all the usual stuff you guys do cos you're all awesome!!! Until next time, byee!!!)