Cooper stood in front of Reece's tent and looked very angry, his eyes dark and soulless. The tent flap was open, and I could see Reece still tied to the post and looking like a bloody and beaten mess.

Shit...

Cooper narrowed his eyes when he caught sight of me and took a threatening step toward me, and I couldn't help but stop and stare at him with wide eyes. "Did you know?" he asked, his voice dark and holding a bit of threat in it that I didn't like.

"Did I know what?" I asked and raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"Do you know who he is?" he asked and gestured to Reece, and I looked at the other male before I looked at Cooper again.

"Well, I know that his name is Reece," I said and folded my arms across my chest and scowled. "I know that he was a part of this group when he was younger, and I know that you were a dick to him."

Cooper scoffed and rolled his eyes, pressing his lips into a thin line. "A dick?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question, and I nodded in confirmation. "What do you mean by me being a dick to him?"

"That's what I mean, Cooper," I said. "You have been a dick to him."

Cooper growled softly and narrowed his eyes, setting his jaw. He took a threatening step toward me, and I stood firm while I watched him. "That does not tell me what you mean," he said.

I sighed and rolled my eyes, pressing my lips into a thin line. "Goddess," I said. "I can't believe you are this daft, Cooper, to not know what I mean."

Cooper didn't say a word and bared his teeth in warning. Anger came off of him in waves, and all I could do was roll my eyes and press my lips into a thin line because all of this was complete and utter bullshit.

"So, what did he do to you, Cooper?" I asked and gestured to Reece, and Cooper looked at Reece before he looked at me again. "He was a child, Cooper. The fact that you attacked him now is complete and total bullshit."

Cooper growled and narrowed his eyes while he pressed his lips into a thin line.

I shook my head and bit back a small, annoyed sigh. "Never mind," I said before I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet. "He's staying here; I hope you know that, Cooper."

Cooper narrowed his eyes and scowled. "H-"

"He is, too, Cooper!" I exclaimed and stomped my foot like a child. "He is an innocent. I wouldn't have risked my own fucking life for someone that isn't innocent. Why you can't seem to get that through your thick skull, I have no fucking clue."

"He could be like his dad," he said and gestured to him. "He could kill us."

"But he isn't like his father," I replied and shook my head, "and the one that I am having problems with is with you."

Cooper blinked and blinked again, shocked and surprised. "Me?" he asked and pointed at himself, and I nodded in confirmation. "What do you mean you are having problems with me?"

"Well, I am having problems deciding if you are an innocent or not," I replied with a shake of my head, "and having problems wondering if you are the one that will get us killed or not."

He gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes before he growled. "And how will I be the one that will get everyone killed?"

"Because you are being fucking stupid and acting like a fucking dick," I replied, and he growled and narrowed his eyes, again. "I'm serious, Cooper. You are creating many problems, and you are scaring everyone. They aren't going to stand up to you and follow your lead."

"And you won't?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question, and I snorted and shook my head. "Why not?"

"Because I am not going to get someone killed by my own stupidity," I replied coldly. "I am going to protect people like Reece and make sure that they stay innocent."

"And you think I am going to kill an innocent?" he asked and gestured to himself, and I nodded in confirmation.

"I do," I confirmed and nodded again.

"Why?"

"Because of what you had done to Reece and to others," I snapped and gestured to Reece again. "Because you are acting like an asshole and are scaring people. You're not doing what you need to do, and it's fucking infuriating."

Cooper didn't respond and narrowed his eyes further. His whole body was tense, and I had a feeling that he wanted to attack me but didn't for some reason.

I sighed and shook my head before I moved a hand through my hair and cleared my throat. "I'm worried that you have already killed someone that was innocent," I said, my voice showing how tired I was before I cleared my throat again. "However it didn't do anything to you because you were protecting an assumed innocent."

Cooper grew still and looked at me with wide eyes. His mouth was agape, and he looked shocked and nervous as if he was worried about what he had done, too.

"Ky," Giselle warned, and I waved her off while I stared at him. She didn't say a word while she looked between us, her face filled with pain and guilt.

"I have a feeling the only reason why it didn't affect you just as bad is because you are still the infamous Blue Wolf," I said, "and you were protecting those that you "knew" were innocent by killing other innocents."

Cooper didn't say a word and stared at me. His eyes were dark and were filled with pain and sadness, but I could see the anger and disbelief as if a part of him didn't believe me.

I sighed and shook my head before I moved a hand through my hair, feeling defeated but knowing that I couldn't show defeat or let myself sink into it.

This wasn't done yet...

"My suggestion is for you to not deal with them, especially with Reece," I said. "They are going to stay here where they are protected because if they are forced back to wherever they were at, then they will be killed."

Cooper pressed his lips into a thin line, and annoyance flashed through his eyes. "I-"

"I don't care if you are supposed to call the shots or not, Cooper," I replied, interrupting him. "This isn't about you anymore, Cooper. This is about keeping innocents innocent and making sure that there is no one giving up hope on a better future. This is about making a future in which the clans are stronger from this and having a chance to rebuild."

"She's right," Giselle said softly. She bowed her head when Cooper looked at her, and she cleared her throat and shifted on her feet, her cheeks turning red. "You know that she is right, Cooper. We have to protect the innocents and make a better future for the future generations after us. We cannot let them live in this darkness and fear any longer than this."

We cannot let them live without hope...

Her unspoken words hung in the air, and I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, grateful that she understood.

"We can't let them live without hope any longer now that a brighter future is over the horizon," I said while I looked at him, and he turned his gaze to look at me. "If there is a way to create one, then we have to create it for them. That is something that I will do with or without your help."

Cooper looked between me, Reece, and Giselle. His face gave off no indication what he was thinking while he looked between us and then at the tents that held the other innocents and then the people that made this camp home.

Finally, he sighed defeated and slowly nodded. "Fine," he said, biting back a growl, and I bit my lip to keep myself from becoming hopeful and breathing a small sigh of relief. "Make sure that they are processed and then they can join the rest and be untied from their post." He looked at Giselle when he said that.

Giselle nodded, and a look of relief appeared on her face. "Yes, Alpha," she said. She bowed her head slightly before she started to run to get everything situated but stopped when Cooper cleared his throat.

She grew stiff before she turned in his direction and her eyes became wide while her face grew pale.

"I wasn't finished, Giselle," he scolded, and I rolled my eyes and scowled but didn't say a word. He shot me an annoyed look before he looked at Giselle, again.

"Of course," she said and nodded. She cleared her throat and shifted on her feet, with her cheeks turning red, and she glanced at me before she looked at him. "My apologies."

Cooper rolled his eyes and looked at me, pressing his lips into a thin line. "I want someone on Reece the whole time that he is here," he said. "I-"

"Rhett can look after him if that is ok with him and Giselle," I said, interrupting him. "I am not confident that you will choose someone that will have his best interests at heart."

He growled and narrowed his eyes but complied. "Rhett will stay with him and make sure that he does not do anything to hurt us. The rest will be looked after but are able to travel freely while staying in this place."

I nodded and bit back a smile, pleased.

"If this goes south, then it is your head. I hope you understand that, Kyler Rose," he scolded and narrowed his eyes.

"I know," I said and nodded again.

He looked at Giselle. "Tell Rhett to make sure that Reece stays out of my sight. Is that understood?"

Giselle nodded and bit back a small sigh of relief. "Yes, Alpha," she said. She looked at me and smiled before she turned tail and ran away.

Cooper looked at me, and his scowl deepened. "I am still watching you," he said, and his eyes flashed to that of a wolf.

And with that, he turned around and walked away, and I could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Thank Goddess, I silently said before I turned my attention to Reece and practically raced over to him. Thank the Goddess indeed...