Part 19

                                    

                                          
Once Silas had given the orders everything moved very quickly. The pack was evacuating and supposed to move in to the 'pack house'. Green fighters were told to stay with the others and stand guard once everyone was safe. Yellow fighters were with Adam and Aaron. They were directed to the main house which I had apparently misunderstood because we were now standing in what I knew of as the pack house. Aaron was annoyed with me at first but once he realized that I had no idea there was another pack house he mellowed out a little. At least Emily, Cassy, and Amelia were safe in this other 'pack house'. 
                          
            The red fighters had gone with Silas to determine exactly what was going on. I had faith in their ability to gather information without being seen but it still wasn't easy to sit and wait. I made coffee and tea to keep myself busy while Aaron went over procedure and protocol with the yellow group. 
                          
            Overall, I was impressed by how smoothly the pack handled the emergency. There was some obvious panic but it was organized panic. I understood why they had told everyone to go to the pack house when in fact they were not going to the pack house. Every war seemed to end up back at the pack house. It was not safe because it was predictable. From what I had gathered about the location everyone had been sent to, it was the old pack house of the territory. It was closer to Crescent moons territory which meant easily reinforced or evacuated by our allies. 
                          
            Once Aaron had finished going over the procedure the house settled into an eerie silence. Aaron, Matthew, Adam, and Kyson stood waiting. There was nothing we could do until Silas returned with information. There were only two potential outcomes. Negotiations or blood. We all hoped for negotiations but the infiltration was so unexpected that it seemed more likely this attack was meant for blood. 
                          
            Several footsteps on the porch alerted us that Silas had returned. Just behind him was Quinn and Alex. Logan and Zac came through the door last and closed it. 
                          
"It's Wolfsbane." Silas said. His eyes immediately found me standing in the kitchen and he tilted his head in question. Feeling self-conscious and out of place I glanced down at the leggings and baggy sweat shirt I had thrown on. I should have gone for pants or something more fighting appropriate but I hadn't been thinking clearly. 
                          
"Why?" Aaron demanded. 
                          
"Jackson's death and entering their territory without permission to remove that facility. Both can be interpreted as acts of war." Zac said leaning against the counter. "We should have expected this." 
                          
~Is it Johnathan or Alvin?~ I asked and everyone looked at me. ~If it's Johnathan he will negotiate. I can talk to him myself-~
                          
"Absolutely not." Silas interrupted. "If these negotiations turn sour I don't want you in the middle of it. You shouldn't even be here." Silas said. 
                          
"She was never briefed on the evacuation protocol, she didn't know." Aaron said. 
                          
'I'm already in the middle of this. If Johnathan took over as Alpha I can talk him down. He knows me. He'll trust me.' I signed. 
                          
"And if it's not?" Silas asked. "If it's this other one... Alvin...?" 
                          
'He's a prideful idiot. They both are but that doesn't mean that they aren't willing to see reason.' I signed. 
                          
"No." Silas said again. 
                          
~Don't do that!~ I said. 
                          
"Protect you?" Silas asked. "You're not even healed from the last time you were in the hospital. I'm not letting you run head first into a fight."
                          
~This isn't about you and I. This about your pack and as an Alpha you have a duty to put them first. That includes taking advantage of the strengths your pack members have. Strengths that I have. I can do this. I know these men. I know how they think, I know what they'll do, and I know how to handle them. I have the strength here that you need. Don't undervalue me the way that he did.~