Chapter 017: More Severe Injuries

Ava's POV 

As we walked Evan inside, his head hung in shame and his feet dragged as though the weight of his treachery had at last landed on him, the air in the packhouse felt stifling. My feelings were a jumble of wrath, doubt, and grief. Evan was not only some foreigner. Among us, he had been one of those Jackson and I had trusted. Now, knowing he had endangered our family, it seemed like a blow from which we would not be able to bounce back.

As we made our way to Jackson's office, the corridor remained still. Seeing us approach, the soldiers stationed outside the entrance stiffened and their eyes flew between Evan and Jackson. None of those were queries. The reality weighed too much for words to adequately express.

I closed the door behind us as we entered the office; the faint click of the latch echoed across the space like a last phrase. Evan stood in the middle, his once-confident manner now broken as his eyes dropped.

Jackson's body tensed with barely controlled rage while his hands closed at his sides. I could see the conflict in his eyes—war between demanding answers and wanting to split Evan apart for his treachery.

"Why?," asks Jackson's voice, sliced through the heavy tension, frigid. "Why would you pursue this, Evan? Following all the pack has gone through for you. After everything we have done for you.

Evan hardly raised his head, his words a whisper. "I had nothing to choose from."

"There is always a choice," I remarked, approaching closely with a harsh angry voice. You may have dropped by here. You could have stopped before things spiraled too far. But you provided Blackthorn knowledge instead. You put our kids in jeopardy.

Evan stammered, his shoulders drooping more. Their sister belonged to them, he murmured, his voice faltering. "I couldn't let them cause her pain. Blackthorn threatened her life; when I wanted to go, they would not allow me. It arrived too late.

I looked at Jackson; the bits fit perfectly. Blackthorn had twisted Evan with dread, taking advantage of his frailty. It did not pardon what he had done, but at least now we knew his reason.

Jackson responded, his voice sharp: "You should have told us." "We could have kept you safe." protected her.

At last Evan looked up, his eyes red-rimmed and tinged with sadness. He said, "I was afraid." "I figured I could manage it alone. Every time I attempted to quit though, they threatened her once again. Then everything spun out of control.

Jackson inhaled deeply, his ire still boiling under the surface. "Where is she right now? Your Sister?

Evan drew in a firm gulp. "I'm not sure." They claimed to be transferring her when the last time I spoke with them Somewhere distant.

A cold crawled over my back. It meant more than we had assumed if they had brought his sister to use against him. Though Blackthorn may have been the face of the danger, another else was dragging the strings. someone far more perilous.

I moved nearer, my voice relaxing just a little. Evan, who is behind all of this? Not only Blackthorn, was it?

Evan stopped, terror flaring in his eyes. "No," he said in a whisper. Not only was he not alone. Others exist as well. someone more forceful. Not Blackthorn, they are the ones that sought your children. He was merely doing what orders called for.

As his comments set in, the air seemed to thicken all around us. This was not done away. Not quite close either.

Jackson's jaw locked as his irritation grew. Who? Who is in charge of this?

Evan shook his head with a pale expression. "I have no name for them. Never mentioned Blackthorn. But I have heart murmurs, rumors. An army is being built here. One pack of rogues, all devoted to them.

My blood stopped cold at that point. Whoever this person was, they were getting ready for something more than simply chasing power. something capable of demolishing what we had battled to guard.

"We have to stop them," I murmured, my voice firm despite the terror chewing at my insides. "Before they can attack again.

Jackson nodded with a gloomy look. First, though, we still have to learn more. We must locate Evan's sister.

Fresh tears flooded Evan's eyes, and for the first time I could really sense his regret. "I will do anything," he answered softly. Just locate her. Please:

Jackson glanced at me, a moment of softness in his gaze. "We will go step by step. Nonetheless, we have to get ready. Someone behind this is playing a long game, and we cannot afford additional errors.

Understanding he was correct, I nodded. We had been defensively battling for too long, responding to every attack without knowing the whole extent of the enemy's intentions. That has to change.

But deep inside me, a gnawing sense that we were still lacking something persisted even as we developed our plans. One person had planned all of this, but for what reason? Why should one target the twins? What would they have stood to gain?

We needed responses quickly and desperately.

After Evan was transferred to a safe place and the packhouse had closed, that evening I was standing by our room's window gazing out into the dark woods. The moon hung low in the sky, throwing a faint light over the woods, but it did not help to release the tight coiling in my chest.

Jackson was staring at the floor while seated on the brink of the bed and had hands running through his hair. The weight of the day sank down on both of us.

"Do you believe we will ever be truly safe?" I inquired gently; my voice was little more than a whisper.

Jackson raised his head and fixed me. There was a tiredness there not previously seen, a heaviness accompanying the weight of leadership, of defending a pack—and a family—that seemed to be under continual danger.

"I'm not sure," he said, his voice unvarnished in truth. But I will keep battling till we are.

Our shoulders touching, I went up to him and sat on the bed. Though his presence was consoling, it was unable to eradicate the anxiety that persisted at the rear of my brain.

"We're going to find whoever's behind this," Jackson replied, his voice suddenly more forceful. They will regret ever following our family when we do as well.

His words were sharp, a promise that gave me an explosive boost. I sensed he meant it. And taken together, we would see this.

Though the road ahead remained unknown, even if all I wanted to think was we were approaching the truth, I couldn't get rid of the sensation that additional mysteries were just waiting to be unearthed. Secrets capable of separating us should we be careless.

Jackson stood, timing the space, his head obviously racing. More to himself than to me, he murmured, "We need to prepare the pack." We have to be ready if they are assembling an army.

I nodded, still standing as well. "I will begin to arrange the healers. Everybody must be ready for whatever is ahead and trained.

He stopped, looking at me and softening his gaze. Ava, I... He paused, as though he were looking for the correct language. "I forgot since I have been so preoccupied with defending the pack and locating the traitor. I missed how much I needed you right at hand.

I nodded gently, the truth in his voice flooding my heart. "We are here together, Jackson. Ever.

He stretched out and drew me into his arms, and for a split second the outer world vanished. Just the two of us, confronting the storm poised to swallow us.

Still, the storm was approaching whether or not we were ready.

I knew the fight was far from finished even as much as I wanted to remain in that moment, to hang onto the safety of Jackson's hug.

Since the opponent was no longer only hiding in the darkness.

They had arrived already.