The Alpha's Wanted Queen

Chapter 3 - Meeting Tension

Elijah POV 

It didn’t take long for us to be ready and walking from the room. She’s wearing a tight blue dress with a pair of heels that make her legs look fantastic. I follow behind her, gawking s we make our way to the war room. I grab her hand that is fidgeting with her ring and she looks up to me with a tight smile. 

“It’s going to be okay. We’re just meeting to talk about updates. No one is going to say anything bad about you, you’re doing everything you can for all of your people.” I bring her hand up pressing a kiss across her knuckles and her smile relaxes some. 

“Come on lovebirds, the kids are getting antsy.” Jake’s voice rings out from down the hall. 

“We’re coming, Jakey, don’t worry.” Jake scowls at the nickname Bella uses but I just chuckle pulling her to the door where he’s waiting. He opens the door and I walk in, Bella at my side and Jake a step behind us. Everyone in the room stands and bows their head in both submission and respect. We move silently to the head of the table and, releasing Bella’s hand, I take my seat. Heads are lifted around the table, eyes stuck on my mate. She smiles at them all. 

“Thank you all for coming,” she says simply before sitting down, the others following after she’s seated. I look around the room at all of the faces here. Nick sits to my right with Jake beside him and the girls across from them to Bella’s left. Jeremy is next to Laney with Zeke by him. We always have Zeke join major meetings to be a second vampire representation for the clan. Jack, the pack’s top warrior, is beside Jake and Leslie, our top scout, is beside him. Aaron and Alex sit at the other end of the table, opposite of me and Bella with Max and Daniel on either side of them. All twelve pairs of eyes are focused on us. 

“I have mixed feelings about the fact that nothing new has happened. Nothing at all has really happened since we got that letter eighteen years ago.” she sighs. 

“Are you still so sure that a war is even coming at this point? Maybe they couldn’t rally troops and gave up,” Leslie asks. 

“I only knew Jed for a couple of years before Bella killed him but one thing I learned about him real quick is that if he promises to do something, he will.” Jeremy says. 

“I have to agree,” Zeke nods. “I knew Jed for a long time and he always lived up to his threats. Building an army big enough to take on the whole clan and this pack has probably been terribly hard since they only started with a handful of men to begin with.” 

“And if you don’t trust them, the Moon Goddess told me a war was coming,” Bella adds getting agitated. 

“I wish she would’ve given you a better timeline,” Hannah mutters. 

“Well, she didn’t so now we have to continue preparing for a war that we hardly know anything about,” Bella huffs. I look at her but she's ignoring my gaze, choosing to glare at the table instead. Hannah and Laney share a concerned glance. 

“What's wrong with the Luna?” Nick links.

“Not exactly sure yet,” I reply. 

“Training has been going well. Everyone eighteen and older has been trained to kill while the pups have been trained well in defense and less lethal methods of offense. Our main group of warriors are stronger and faster than we ever used to be and we add new wolves to our ranks every few months. We’re strong enough for this war, Luna, whenever it comes.” Jack updates, attempting to reassure her. 

“And the clan?” Hannah finally asks when Bella doesn’t respond. 

“William, the Queen’s second, reports the same,” Zeke says and continues talking but I tune out from him as Bella’s agitation grows. Her hands are fisted tightly and her jaw is clenched shut. 

“None of this would even be a question if I would have just listened to that damn letter,” I hear Bella mutter. Her blue eyes are swimming with anger telling me one thing: this isn’t her wolf acting up and it's not her vampire side. This is her thinking this. Something in me snaps. 

“No. Hell no!” Zeke stops talking and all eyes turn to us as I stand abruptly, my chair flying to it’s back with a loud screech against the tiled floor. I slam both palms on the table glaring at my mate. “If you are thinking for even one damn second about doing anything that letter said, then you are crazy. Over my damn body will you leave my side, again, to stand by the enemy on your own. You made that decision for us once and you won't do it again!” 

She stares into my eyes unmoving, her face hard, but I see the emotions swirling beneath her own blue eyes. 

“I don’t know if you remember, Bella, but I will never forget the two days you spent away from me. The days you spent with him. I still remember every excruciating detail of those days. Every fear, every cut, every touch, every tear. It'll all be engrained in my body for the rest of my life. Your fear, your pain. Everything I had to just sit back and let happen to you while I felt it all but could do nothing about because you gave me no other choice in the matter!” 

I kneel beside her and cup her cheeks in my palms with a gentleness that doesn’t match my words. 

“Do you not remember what I told you the night of our wedding? I need you to stay with me, Bella. In my arms. I need to know you're here. I need to feel your heart beat against my skin. You told me you were here and, Goddess above, I swear to all that is holy, I will chain your ass to the bed, lock the door, and throw away the key if you even think about leaving. And everyone in this room will back me up.” 

Our gaze breaks as her eyes dart away, likely seeking to know if they will truly back up my claim. They land on Jake first, one eyebrow raised slightly in question. I'm not surprised she goes to him first, ever since the day we got that note all those years ago, they have bonded. I'm not sure why but my guess is that having him with her during the whole confrontation somehow formed a bond in her. That, plus the extra training has made them nearly inseparable as friends, and right now, she's banking on that for him to back her up. 

“Come on, Bells. How could you think I would support a plan that involves your direct harm? Firstly, you're my Luna and it goes against every instinct I have to just allow you to be harmed. Secondly, you're my best friend and I will most definitely support Eli’s locking you up if it keeps you safe.” 

“This shouldn’t even be a discussion.” I growl. 

“Bella, I didn’t have the bond with you that Eli had but we watched what he went through when you were gone and I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy. It hurt us all. None of us will be able to make it through something like that again.” Nick says. 

“I thought you said it wasn’t that bad,” a soft voice says from the doorway. Every head turns towards my sixteen-year-old daughter standing against the door with Zander at her side. No one even heard them come in. How did a room full of people with supernatural hearing not hear two kids open and shut the huge doors?

Of course the kids know what happened with Bella and Zachariah. Everyone in this room does. There would be no way to hide what she is or why, but there is only a small group of us that know exactly what she went through at the clan and an even smaller group that experienced it. We told all our kids the necessary facts when they were old enough but we spared them the more gruesome details. None of us wanted that to weigh on them, especially not Bella. 

At Natalia’s question, the kids’ questioning eyes turn to us. Aaron’s wolf whimpers while Alex’s growls at the lone tear that falls down their mother’s cheek. 

“It was … worse than we let on.” Hannah says slowly. 

“And you kids don’t need to know all the details,” Bella adds, cutting off another question. 

“He marked you, didn’t he?” Alex asks eyeing her neck. That was probably the biggest detail we left out of the story everyone knows. Her mark from Zachariah turned a deep shade of red after he died but the fang spots in my own mark match hers in color so no one questions it. Four black dots surround them where our canines bit into each other. Our marks are subtle to anyone looking at them but the extra two red dots mean a hell of a lot to us. 

“You're too smart for your own good,” Bella says softly. 

“He hurt you.” Alex said it. It wasn’t a question. Bella simply nodded, shuddering slightly. 

“This is not what we are here to talk about. Back to the planning please.” She redirects, focusing her attention to Jack and avoiding her son’s gaze. 

“No, ma, I think it's time we hear the real story,” Aaron argues. Nat has sat down next to Max and Zander next to Zeke.

“Not right now,” she snaps. 

“Tomorrow. We’ll tell you guys tomorrow,” I say. Bella glares at me but doesn’t oppose. the kids just nod. “So, do we have plans for defensive measures for the kids’ mating ball in two days.” I divert, reigning the attention back in. I grab my chair from the ground and sit back down. I pull Bella into my lap and hold on to her tightly. Apollo is still angry she threatened to listen to that stupid letter. We both need the physical reassurance that she's hear with us. It’s also helping to calm her down. 

“Myself, along with all warriors who are unmated will be inside the ballroom. The Elite warrior group will be stationed inside the rest of the house guarding the hallways and exits. All of the other mated warriors have a rotation schedule for directly outside of the pack house, as well as, the woods. The shifts will change at odd intervals so they cannot be predicted. Every thirty minutes, each group is required to link and check in with myself and Gamma Jake.” Jack explains. 

The Elite warriors are the top fifteen warriors we have in the pack. They have longer and harder training with Jake than the rest of the warriors. Jack is the best among the group which is why he attends the meetings and helps Jake make the plans. 

“Good. Laney? Leslie?” Bella asks. Leslie is the best of our scouts. The scouts are a small group of wolves with a specialized skillset. Often, they train to be warriors but are usually picked to complete their training as a scout instead because they offer the right attributes. Our scouts are generally smaller wolves – usually females –  with more brains than brawns. They need to be agile and sneaky and are always trained with a bow and arrow. 

“Eight of us are mated and will be out on patrol. Six are to be perched in the trees right at the property line while myself and another will be on the roof of the pack house. We will also have thirty minute checks with Gamma Laney.” Leslie says. 

“Perfect. The kids decided they wanted a more casual ball but that doesn’t mean visiting wolves will not be checked upon entry.” I tell them. “It officially begins at five but people may start arriving before that so everyone needs to be ready and in the ballroom by four.” Everyone nods. 

“One last thing,” Bella says. “I want to invite single kids from the clan. Those who are eighteen to twenty years old. The relationship between the two species has definitely improved but involving the next generation could further help. I'm not sure whether wolves can have vampire mates but unexpected relationships could still happen. I want you all to feel safe around them and them around you.” 

“I think that is a great idea,” Zeke says. 

“Have you talked to the clan about it?” Laney asks. 

“No, but I have a trip planned there for tomorrow. I will offer it to them there.” Everyone nods and I see her visibly relax. 

“Stay after the meeting,” I link Nick, Jake, Hannah, and Laney. 

“You are all dismissed. Make sure you get a training session in today and tomorrow but otherwise, rest up well. Kids, stay.” Jeremy, Zeke, Jack and Leslie all leave, enveloping the room in a tense quiet. 

“What's up?” Nick asks. 

“It's time we tell them the whole truth.” I say motioning to all the kids sitting at the end of the table. Hannah grimaces. 

“Zander and Josh are too young for all of those details!” Bella yells, standing to her feet. 

“I'm almost fifteen, ma. Plus, it's just as much my history as anyone else at the clan and I know they all know what happened. I already know more details than the others,” Zander says shrugging.

“What the hell! What do you know that we don’t? Aaron asks. 

“And how?” Alex adds. 

“Conner. He won't tell me everything because he knows you didn’t want us to know but it's obvious he's keeping things about it from me.” 

“Even he doesn’t know everything, angel.” Bella says quietly. 

“We should though,” Aaron tells her. 

“The four of you will come with your mom and me to the clan tomorrow,” I decide. “You can all watch how to approach the vampires as leaders of the pack and then, afterwards, me and your mom will tell you everything.” Bella inhales a sharp breath and starts playing with her ring. 

“What about us?” Max asks motioning to himself and Daniel. 

“You four kids can get together with your parents and they will tell you everything here. The when and where is up to them.” I look at Nick and Jake who both nod to me with solemn expressions.

“Does Joshua know more too?” Hannah directs the question to Zander who grimaces and nods. 

“Meet downstairs in the garden at five,” Bella orders, standing up. “It's going to be a long day at the clan.”