The Possessive Alpha Chapter 114

"At what cost?" I ask, "because from any way I look at it, the ends aren't in our favor. Elle needs me alive, and there is certain death or banishment if I live. Neither of those outcomes benefits or protect her in the future." Finishing my statement, I shift into Slade's massive brown wolf, carrying my clothes in my jaw, my paws pressing into the dirt as he pushes through the woods. Matt follows for a time before splitting away from me to go to Theo's house. 

Within minutes, I am standing naked outside the security office. Dropping the clothes on the ground, I pull on my tactical gear. Using the time to enjoy a moment of peace to contemplate my choices, I take a deep breath of assurance before entering the small office. 

The small space is overcome with the sound of bombs, and I Prevail booming through the speakers. It sounds like the chaos found in an action movie. As I walk down the hall to the room in the back, I find Andrew and Trent watching something on the screen while chowing down on some popcorn, passing the bag between themselves, so lost in what's happening in the film they haven't even noticed me entering. 

"Really?" I boom behind them; they can't be fucking serious right now? "With all the bullshit going on right now, you're watching a fucking movie?" My voice startles the men as popcorn flies everywhere, making a mess on the ground. "Aren't you supposed to be watching whatever came through Silver Run?"

"Alpha-" Andrew starts but stops in his tracks when his eyes snap to mine, seeing the change. "What the-" He starts to ask, but a growl from my chest shuts him up.

"We don't have time for that right now," I snap, pointing behind them to the monitor screens filled with whatever they're watching. "Shouldn't you be focusing on the live feed from Elle's pack and not some shitty low-budget movie?" 

"We are watching the live feed, Alpha," Andrew replies, turning back to the monitors as a building blows up while warriors run everywhere. A mass of red hair on the edge of the screen caught my attention wielding a small dagger as she slices down her enemies, a strength radiating from her I had never seen before. "Our Luna was smart enough to record her take back. No one will be able to deny she did this by herself."

"No, they won't" I smile while Slade and I watch her in amazement, the angst we have felt since we woke up starting to calm at seeing her alive and well. Opening the mindlink to Jake, I get his immediate response. 'Have you met with the warriors yet?"

'We are approaching the border now,' he replies, 'is there something wrong?'

'No,' I reply, relief washing over me, 'but bring a few of the highest-ranking representatives back with you. I have something they'll want to see.' I give him no more information than that closing the mindlink quickly. Returning my attention to the screen, I can't help but smile, knowing my Luna isn't only saving her pack and mine with this video. 

************************************

ELLE POV 

"Here," Emma says, handing us the small earpieces, each of us inserting them in our ear; with three different pack leaders involved in this takedown we need a way to communicate without using a mindlink. 

"You got everyone out?" I ask as I shove the tiny earbud into my ear, Xander's voice coming through the tiny speaker. "Welcome to the party, Alpha. Ready to get this shit started?"

"You know it," I reply as we make our way down the hall, Doreen behind me when she grabs my arm, stopping me in my tracks and taking a belt off of my hip I hadn't noticed before. 

"For the rightful, Alpha," She says, a sad smile on her lips, her eyes glazing over with a sad memory. "It's been passed down the family for generations. The pack has kept it hidden for your rightful return." Pushing the belt into my hands, she bows her head in respect. Unsheathing the emerald green handle reveals a simple and elegant dagger that's perfectly balanced. Touching my cheek with a tenderness a grandmother would show to her grandchild as she looks me in the eye, "now go get that bastard and free Silver Run."

With a final nod to the warrior who came with her, she reaches behind, pulling on the sconce nailed to the wall. Seconds later to reveal a secret passageway. She sneaks inside, giving me a little wink before closing the door behind her and disappearing into the hidden hallways within the packhouse.

As the lock clicks into place, another forgotten memory slips inside my mind of Theo and me hiding in the tunnels from my mother as she hunts me down for another lesson in toxins and torture. The memories have been trickling in for the last few days, small things at first but more and more with each passing hour. 

My only explanation is that Damon's venom in my bloodstream, combined with my eighteenth birthday and being home, has weakened the bullshit spells my mother put on me. I wonder if Damon is starting to remember too? 'Probably not,' Scarlett chimes in as I wrap the sword around my waist, the lightness surprising me. 'Our venom would have been burned out of his system faster because it was helping combat the amount of silver and wolfsbane in his blood.' 

Once the belt is secured around my hip and thigh, easily hidden underneath my dress, Theo turned away to keep watch. I look at the others while Taylor nudges Theo to continue onward. We make our way further into the house, Eli's voice coming through our earpieces, "The first wave is done. Are you guys moving yet?" 

"Yeah, we are," Theo replies, guiding the group down the hallway as we listen for any of Tiberius' enslaved rogues but find none. Perhaps they are being pulled in too many directions at once, with Eli attacking from the north while Xander and his men take the south. Or maybe, as I suspected, only those truly loyal to Tiberius are left, the others taking their mates and getting the hell out of dodge. 

"Remember, if my mother makes it out of this battle alive," I whisper to my friends as we get further into the house, "she is a prisoner and not to be trusted."

Theo chimes in with his commentary, "better to just kill the two-faced bitch," but one look from me has him silent. Xander's voice in the earpiece, 'we are gaining ground quickly, but no sign of Tiberius; how about you, Alpha Eli?" Who only grunts in response, not too thrilled about working with a rogue, but he knows the only way to keep his pack protected from Damon's wrath is to guarantee I make it back to him alive and in one piece. 

Rolling her eyes, Charity whispers into the earpiece, "stop the petty pissing contest, Eli, and tell us your fucking location." Muscle memory has us checking each room quickly, finding nothing as we make our way into the house. Unable to find our targets of interest move along quickly, not wanting to risk staying in one place too long. Not worrying about the cameras in the house because they are on a constant loop or Silver Run while the real-time video is transmitted to New Moon and the council directly. 

"Time to split into our groups," I say as we go up the stairs; using our hand signals, Theo, Emma, and Taylor go down the hallway. Charity and I continue creeping our way up the steps until we reach the top level to work our way down. 

Taking the first room on the right side of the top floor, a mass of red hair snaps as emerald green eyes peer into my soul, a look of utter disappointment crossing her face while soft 'tuts' escape her lips in judgemental condescension. "Oh, Elle, what have you done?" She questions, but I barely hear her over Scarlett's growl.