Opaline leads me and Klyn down to the cellars without meeting anyone along the way. Klyn gives me questioning looks from time to time, but doesn't say anything, and I don't offer. I don't have much to go on anyways. My mate continues to hold my hand tightly, staying close beside me. I'm not sure if she is truly scared of something she isn't telling me, or if it's the bond that makes her want to keep me close. I'm okay with it either way, but it makes me more alert on her safety all the same.
It's been five minutes down in the dark and cold cellars when she finally stops and turns to us. "Can you stay here, now?"
"What's going on, Opaline?" Klyn asks with suspicion.
My mate looks at me for help, but I can't explain any of this. She steps back away and looks down at the floor. "I just need to do something. Stay here and I'll be back in a few."
"Opaline—"
"Klyn," I warn. He looks at me with hard eyes. "Let her go."
Opal smiles at me before turning and walking away. Klyn turns to me. "What the hell is going on?"
"Remember the girl you saw her with when we first came down here?" I ask.
"Yeah, why?"
"That's what she's doing." I cross my arms. "Did you see her?"
"No. It was too dark and Opaline was blocking my view." Klyn sighs and gives me a sympathetic look. "You think she's about to do something again?"
"No. I think we need to know who that girl is and what she is doing here. Opaline said she was hiding from something or someone. I want to know who. I want to know why my mate risked her life for a girl who is hiding in her family's cellars."
"Well, go after her."
I shake my head. "No. I'll go later. In my wolf form. If anything, I should be able to see her and get close enough to shift and talk to her."
"We'll see," Klyn sighs.
Five minutes later, Opaline runs back and into my arms. She isn't crying so I assume everything is alright, but I do look over her just to be safe. Afterwards, the three of us walk back up and into the kitchen where lunch is being served. Selen looks over us but says nothing as we sit down together, only smiles when she sees her daughter start going back and forth with her brother. It's when her father comes in that all goes quiet.
Opaline is holding my hand as we try to remain normal, but it's squeezing very hard as if she's terrified of what's to come. I squeeze back gently and she relaxes a little. Merle sits down at the head of the table right beside her. Her conversation with Jacques stops as they look at each other. I can feel the tension and want to get her out of here, but can't. I'm not in familiar territory now and I can't fight her battles for her.
Selen breaks the silence by clearing her throat and saying, "I hope you don't mind, Lykaon, but it's simple sandwiches today."
I smile. "Fine with me, Luna."
This seems to break the staring contest and Opaline turns to me with a strained smile. "Do you think we could go see the children later?"
"Sure, just remember no rough housing, okay?" She nods and pulls my hand into her lap, holding it firmly between her own. I lean close to her ear and whisper, "Relax, baby. Everything will be fine. We'll get out of here after the meal, just stay calm."
I feel her rest her head on my shoulder and take a shaky breath. "I need air, Lykaon."
I pull back and take my hand out of hers, only to pull her into my lap. She seems content with this and wraps her arms around my neck, but still turning her head so she can watch the proceedings. I grab a bit of sandwich and put it up to her lips. "Eat."
She looks up into my eyes and smiles, then opens her mouth. I put a little in there and let her bite down before putting the rest in my own mouth. Jacques talks to Klyn and Rona while the two parents watch each other as well as their daughter. Either because this was getting awkward or because the silence was just too heavy, Jacques stands, scraping his chair on the floor. "For Goddess's sake!" he growls. Merle and Selen look at him in surprise. "Opaline isn't dying! Father, you can stop acting like you're planning Alpha Lykaon's death, because it isn't happening. He kept her safe and she is healing as best as she can right now, just let it go!"
A little awed by her brother's speech, Opaline sat up a little. Rona continued eating as if nothing was happening, but the other two glanced at each other then at me and my mate before Merle said, "Know your place, Jacques. You know why I want to kill him.'
"Because of his rules? So, what? She is here now!"
Now Merle glares at his son. "She is here, but her family was not allowed to see her in the hospital! You were not allowed to see your own sister when she was needing us most."
"I will only say this once more," I say carefully, keeping both arms wrapped around Opaline. "My pack has rules that everyone must follow. Just because you are not part of my pack does not mean you get the privilege to do whatever you want whether or not you're an Alpha. I respect your rules of your pack, you can respect my rules of my pack."
"My daughter was in the fucking hospital!" Merle shouted.
Opaline started shaking, her arms tightening. "She was about to kill my beta!" I growl, pointing at Klyn while still glaring at Merle. "She was fucking panicking! They had to sedate her to get her to calm down! Do you think you'd want your mate's family to see that?"
"At least my mate would have let my family in if they requested it!"
I roll my eyes and look at Jacques. "When you are Alpha, I will make a truce with you. I can see it is not wanted now by the current Alpha so I won't try."
"Lykaon, get her out of here!" Klyn growled into my head.
I look down to see Opaline crying in fear, her eyes glazed over. "Shit!" I hiss and get up. Carrying my mate bridal style, I go outside and set her down near the stalls, cupping her face. "Opaline, hey!"
She grabs my wrist in her good hand and digs her nails into my skin. "Lykaon?"
I lean closer, making her focus on me. "Hey, baby, it's alright. Breathe, Opal. You can do it. Breathe for me." Her shaking continues but she takes short shallow breaths, her eyes wild. "Hey, everything will be alright. Just let it go, baby girl."
She shakes her head, trying to look around but stops when she realizes I won't let her. "I can't. Lykaon, I feel like I might do something…something I shouldn't."
"What do you mean?"
"Like in the hospital!" Her breathing gets faster and I don't know what to do. "Like with Klyn, Lykaon. I don't want to…"
"Come here," I say softly and pull her back into my arms. "Shh. Calm down, baby." Standing, I start walking into the forest. Follow me, I order Klyn. When I get to a certain spot I like, I sit down again and curl around Opaline so my body hides hers as much as it can. "Opaline, talk to me."
Her face appears and I feel her body slow it's trembling and her breathing is going back to normal. "When I brought the girl home, I had been gone for hours and my father acted the same way, but it was worse because I was deaf and I had no idea what he was saying much less what he was mad about. He threw things and it was Jacques who helped me find shelter and comfort away from his rage while mother calmed him down."
"How did you become so good at lip reading?" I asked softly.
"The doctors and my brother. It was a game we'd play since I was too weak for anything else."
Klyn arrived, staying some distance away to give us privacy, but making sure we're alright. I kept my gaze on my mate. "Has your father done this since then?" She shook her head. "Does it remind you of them?"
"No, not all of them…" her voice trails off. Closing her eyes, she takes a deep breath. "Just the one rogue who hurt me the worst."
"Do you know what he looked like?"
"Black wolf, and his human was huge." Opaline blinked up at me, her celeste eyes glazed over in memory of the past. "He had green eyes as a human, tan skin, and dreadlocks."
"Dreadlocks?" I ask curiously, though Klyn turned slightly as if surprised and curious to hear more.
Sitting up, Opaline nodded, showing me the length with her hands. "He had black facial hair too and his teeth were grimy." She paused, shuddering a little. "Lykaon, he seemed like he was having fun with trying to kill me. He was smiling a lot!"
"It's okay, baby." Though, in my mind I knew that nothing was okay. Whatever she just told me was not okay.
"Is it the same person I'm thinking of?" Klyn asks venomously.
"I believe so, but we'll have to wait to talk about this until later."
Opaline sniffs and wipes her face then takes a deep breath. "Can we see the children now?" she asks softly.
I nod. "Of course, we can." I help her up then glance at Klyn before following my mate back to the house and over to the playground where the children were playing. She let go of my hand as soon as the children and her met eyes, then she knelt and gave them each an individual hug. I stepped back and sat on a bench with Klyn. "Vuk is to blame for all of this if my suspicions about the girl in the cellars is correct."
"And how are we going to prove that?" Klyn asks.
I shake my head. "I don't know, but we better figure it out fast. Aryn trusts Vuk almost as much as he trusted Maybelle."
"And if the girl in the cellars isn't Maybelle?"
"Then Vuk is still to blame for my mate's suffering. I won't rest until he's dead!" I hiss.
Klyn crosses his arms. "I think it's time we call all the Alphas together to help with this crime."
I nod and stand up. "I'm going to talk to Merle civilly. Keep an eye on Opaline and call me if something goes wrong." Walking back to the house, I keep my expression void of any emotion as to not show how this is affecting me. Opaline was attacked by Beta Vuk of Vengeful Star pack and is the possible reason for Aryn's madness.
Suddenly, once I'm in the house, I change directions and go straight to the cellars, needing to know who this girl is. I walk, remembering the path Opaline had taken us, then follow her somewhat faint scent to the end where a single door is waiting to be opened. Shifting, I scratch at the door until I'm able to get through.
A shrill scream causes me to jump and flatten my ears. Out of nowhere, a girl comes swinging with a metal rod in both hands, swinging it viciously towards my head. Growling, I jump out of the way and turn around. My eyes have to blink a few times to understand what they're looking at. A woman stands there. A little older than Opaline herself while there is a baby lying nearby. Both have golden hair, and baby is chubby and wrapped in blankets, but both pale and dirty. The woman one steps in front of the child, growling fiercely. "Get out!"
My ears flick up to catch her words and I look around before going into a corner, picking up a pair of pants, then shifting into my human form. Quickly, I dress and turn back around, letting her see me. She gasps and step back, now just terrified. "Hey, calm down! I'm not going to hurt you," I say softly. "I'm a friend."
"Who are you?"
"Lykaon from Blue Oasis. I just came here to talk."
Her eyes narrow. "Get out, Lykaon."
I put my hands up but shake my head. "I'm not leaving." I look down at the child. "Who's the father?"
"None of your business!" she hissed.
I look back at her and sigh. "Okay, look. I understand you don't trust me, but I'm Opaline's mate. You know Opaline. She's the one helping you stay safe…" I trail off, making sure she isn't about to strike. "I know what happened three years ago, because she was there. I know who hurt the both of you."
"So, do I, but that means nothing when I can do nothing about it!"
"I can do something about it," I say carefully. "All I need from you is to come home with me where you and the baby can live freely under my protection."
She shakes her head. "No! I'd rather stay here."
"In dank cellars where your child can get sick and die?" I ask with a raised eyebrow. The woman stiffens and glances at bundle of blankets. "Opaline can help you in my pack since she no longer lives here and you'd have to fend for yourself. I won't tell anyone who you are or who the child is, but I want the whole story."
The woman relaxes her grip on the rod before throwing it away and picking up her child. "I can't go back, ever."
"Why?"
She looks up at me with sad green eyes. "He'll kill me and the child before my husband has the chance to even lay eyes on us. All because he doesn't have a mate and would rather have me than wait for his own. He does it without my husband knowing, without being caught." Tears stream down her face. "He broke the bond! So now he thinks I'm dead!"
I put my hands down and slowly walk over. "He also will think my mate killed you when he sees her wolf."
"He can't!" she cried. "That girl has done more for me than I could've hoped for! She's innocent!"
Wrapping my arms around her with the baby between us, I pull her to my chest and whisper, "I know she's innocent, and that she has done a lot for you. So, why don't you do something for the child in your arms and come with us. We're going home tomorrow night, then she is going to become Luna and have a say in what happens to the females of our pack."
"He'll be there though. If I show myself—"
"You need to show yourself to your husband at some point," I say sternly. "He is the only other person who can and will help you. You are the only one he will listen to."