Chapter 22

-The Past

Anna's POV

Once everyone is out, Bane and I walk to the living to sit on the couch. I am still in shock. With everything that's going on and now this, my head is starting to spin.

"Are you okay?" I look at him once he asks the question. To be fair, I should be the one asking him that. All of this drama puts him in a terrible place. His friend, James trying to kill me, finding out that his sister is alive and the very next day finding his mate in danger, all of this must be driving him crazy. Yet, here he is worrying about me.

"I am fine." His hand is over my shoulder and he starts drawing smooth circles with his thumb on my shoulder. It's soothing and I can't help but smile at him. Soon, the instant peace leaves my body once I see the worry on his face. "Bane?" I call his name softly even though he is looking at me. He nods for me to go on. "I want to know what is happening." He becomes uncomfortable. He sits straight.

He takes a second before looking at me and sighing deeply. For a minute I think he is not going to give out even a grain of information. "What do you want to know about?" He asks meeting my eyes. I almost lose myself in those deep sea blue orbs.

"I know that James was your friend. He said that you killed his mate." Once I say that he takes a deep breath looking at me. "Before you say anything, I don't believe to be true. I don't think you did that. But how does Alika fit into this whole thing? If she is alive, where is she?"

"Alika is James mate." I don't seem surprised by this piece of information. I have suspected it but thought that might not be true. "The rogues have her." I take a deep breath after listening. I did not certainly expect this though. I try to calm myself down and process my brain to ask the net question.

"If she is your sister, then why would he think you would kill her?"

He gets silent looking into space as though remembering the past. His forehead is creased. I move to sit much closer than we already are. I hold his hand in between my palms giving him my whole attention. "I and James were friends since my childhood. Alika was always our little girl. After our parents death, James convinced his parents to let him stay with us.

"James always had a soft spot for her. Like he knew she was his mate, although he didn't. It must be his wolf that felt the pull. Although Alika never harboured such feeling for him, she just cared about him in a friendly way. Once she turned eighteen, we celebrated their union. They were mates. It's like a fairytale and dream come true. All was going well until the attack on James pack."

Bane's POV

"Where are they now?" I ask James's Beta.

"They are near to the border. They might reach here in half an hour."

"How many?" James asks.

"Maybe a hundred."

Fuck! Hundred is huge!

"Our warriors, there are seventy-five of them," James says. He thinks for a minute. "Get the women and children to the secret basement in omegas house."

"I will call my pack for the backup. But we have to make the strategy." Even though it might take them an hour for them to reach, it might still help.

"James. Bane!" Alike comes in going into James's arms.

"Al, you should not be here." He says pulling her arm's length, still holding her.

"How can I sit back and wait while you guys fight here? Want to fight this war with you."

"Alika, you are not going into the battlefield," I say looking at her. If it was any other person, they might back down, but this is my sister. If only I can control her.

"Bane, I-"

"Listen to him. I want you safe. I want you in the basement with all the remaining pack members. I want you to give them courage if they lose it."

She thinks a second before nodding her head. I thank Moon Goddess that for once she is not stubborn. She is the only family left and putting her in danger is not a chance that I am willing to take.

"Okay. I will go down, but only after the war starts." She says and James looks at me in shock.

"Al, no-" James is cut off by her.

"It's either that or I will come along with you guys to the war." She announced and we have no option left. We agree. "Good. Now let's discuss the strategy."

After discussing it, all the warriors were sent out to divert most of the rouges from the pack instead of fighting them. We are less in number and we have to be more careful. James convinced Alika to go to the basement all the women and children of the pack are.

Anna's POV

"Everything was going according to the plan. Out of all the odds, our strategy worked and we were winning." He continues. "We have sent Alika to the basement, but when I was fighting, I saw her in the battlefield, the rogue leader, Derek, had her in his grip. He knew he was losing and he was trying to use her to shield himself. That coward!

"I vaguely remember him speaking to her. I couldn't see her face. I can tell whatever he had told her wasn't, of course, anything pleasant. I tried to go to her to release her from him. Fucking bastard! I remember James got severely hurt and his wolf was covered in blood, his and others. He tried to get up and run towards her, but he fell down. I charged towards Derek to bite his head off, but..."

He couldn't speak anymore. His voice gets thick. I rub his arm trying to relax him. This must be really hard for him.

"I did bite, but I had bit Alika. She saved Derek. She saved him. I didn't kill her. I... I didn't..." I couldn't bear to hear to him anymore. But he has to get this off his chest.

"Shh... Baby... Of course, you didn't." I try to soothe him. I can feel his pain through the bond. His sadness and his guilt.

"She was alive. She actually was. Before I know it, James bit Derek and tried to fight him. I took her to the pack hospital ward." Of course. Pack hospitals are always open, even at the time of wars. He sighs and sits straight. "I went back to the battlefield. I had to go. When we were in the middle of the war... James fell down and howled. It was the howl of losing a mate.

"We didn't find the body either when we went back to the pack ward. I thought I killed my sister all this while. All this fucking time! James never forgave me. He thought I was with the rogues. Why would I side with them? But he is in no shape to understand and I wouldn't blame him. Now that I know how it feels to not have your mate beside you." He says looking at me.

"So, he wanted to kill me for revenge?"

"No."

"Then?"

He stays silent.

"Bane." I urge him to tell me. He looks up at me. His eyes are not giving away anything.

"The first two attacks are not by him."

"What?" I am quite shocked by this information.

"They were direct rogue attacks. Josh gave them our whereabouts during the second time."

My mouth is hanging open. This is ridiculous! I couldn't stand his betrayal.

"The third one was James as you know."

"But why is he doing all this?"

He stays silent again.

"Bane-"

"I am not telling you that."

"But-" He cuts me off by holding my face in his hands.

"Anna." I look at him feeling his seriousness. It's been a while since he called me by my name. "I can't tell you that. I don't want to. I want you safe and sound. In this situation, I can't take a chance. Not with you. I will not lose you."

"You will not."

"I couldn't put you on ice." I listen to him without speaking. "I am still picking out the weeds from our pack. There are a few others like Josh." Others? How many? "I couldn't trust anyone. I want you to stay at home for now." I nod my head at him. He must be feeling pressure and I don't want to put more on him, at least not for now. "I have sent your mother and brother back to their pack."

That's the best for them now.

I have to find out what has happened. I want to know what Bane is hiding from me. Not just because I am curious, but because if whatever is happening is making Bane vulnerable it's not something small and I couldn't take a chance with Bane as well. My wolf agrees in my head. We want Bane safe too. I will for him.

I have to find a way to know what is happening.

A/N:

Hey my cute dumplings!

Sorry for the short and boring chapter. Tell me what you think about it.

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