Chapter 283
Chapter 284
Amber’s POV
When the plane touched down in Rafael’s pack, we walked out to find Rafael waiting for us out on the tarmac. He smiled at me and Alice, while glared openly at Julian. I had sent him a heads up message that Julian was going to be with us, but he hadn’t been happy about it, even as he did change the travel info to include him.
Now, Rafael picked up Alice into a big hug. To Julian and me, he said, “The reporters are lined out in front of the airport. They are eager to see you again, sister, as well as to hear a few words. I have our security carving a path, but they are quite insistent p>
From beside me, I could feel Julian’s eyes on me. He had done well to shield us at the airport in his pack. Now it was my turn.
We walked through the terminal and then came out at the front. Rafael, holding Alice, shielded her bodily from the worst of the paparazzi cameras and reporters‘ shouted questions.
Julian tried to do something similar for me, shielding me as much as he could from beside me. But it was clear from the start that I was the main event here in this pack. They didn’t want Julian’s answered questions, they wanted a statement from me.
So I cleared my throat, gaining their attention. Then I spoke into the microphone. “While it is nice to be back in my home pack, I must please request that you grant my family and me some privacy at this time p>
As I said it, I looked straight at Julian, making clear he was included in that blanket statement. The reporters must have picked up on it too, looking between Julian and me.
The press erupts in a fresh wave of excitement. Pictures flash. People shout. Julian wrapped an arm around me, and he ran, following Rafael and his sea of enforcers, until we reached the safety of his limo, where we practically dove in. Julian, the last one in, slammed closed the door behind us.
Then in the safety of the car, we all drew a breath.
Moving to our seats, we readied ourselves as the car went forward, taking us away from the chaos of the airport and the flashing of bulbs and click of camera–shutters.
In this new quiet, Rafael considered each of us, before settling on Julian.
“Honestly, I hadn’t thought you would actually show up, Alpha Julian, given everything you were facing in your own pack,” Rafael said. “Of course, I only know what has been said on the news p>
Rafael was trying to bait Julian, I felt, but Julian didn’t seem to take it. Instead, he looked somewhat hopeful. “Are you impressed than I’m here?” Julian asked.
Rafael gave him a flat look. “No. It doesn’t impress me for you to do the bare minimum p>
Julian leaned back in his seat. Regardless of what Rafael said, I was impressed by Julian’s having come with me. While I’d been fully prepared to do this on my own, having him by my side made me feel safe and comfortable, not just in this car, but in our relationship.
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Chapter 284
+25 BONUS
He was holding up to his word, being here for ine in ways that I hadn’t expected him to truly be before. It felt good, and showed the stability of the new state of our relationship. It also gave me hope for the things to come in our future.
Maybe, somehow, we could make this thing work between us.
At least, I hoped for it.
When we returned to Rafael’s mansion, he led us into the dining room where he had covered the long dining room table in books, files, and maps he had uncovered about the location where the package had been delivered, our current end point.
“I didn’t want us going in blind,” Rafael said.
“Us?” Julian asked.
“If you think I’m not attending my sister on this, you are mistaken,” Rafael said. “Alice’s wellbeing is as important to me as her uncle as it is to anyone. More so p>
“You are welcome to join us,” I said to Rafael, while giving Julian a sideways glance.
“Yeah,” Julian begrudgingly agreed.
“Now,” Rafael said, calling all of us closer to his mountain of evidence. “I didn’t recognize the name of the contact, but I am aware of the town. Though it’s not a place I would have expected to receive a package recently p>
“Why?” I asked him, curious.
“It’s a ghost town,” he told us. “That entire town was more or less wiped out after a heavy attack from the north. The survivor abandoned it shortly after, moving for the more fortified lands farther inland. As far as I know, no one lives in this town anymore p>
He placed both hands on the table and leaned over it. “Losing this town remains one of my greatest regrets. If something has changed up there, I will see it with my own eyes p>
“If you wanted to stay behind, no one would blame you,” Julian said.
Rafael swiveled on his heel, facing Julian with a glare. “There are dangers there, Julian. And I’do not trust you to protect my family alone p>
“They are my family too,” Julian said. “My mate and my child p>
“And he won’t be alone,” I said. I moved to Julian’s side, making clear that while I valued Rafael, Julian had my allegiance here. He and I were a team, no matter how much Rafael disapproved. “We will be together p>
Rafael must have seen what I was trying to say, because he sighed. “Sister. You could do better p>
Julian started to growl. I took Julian’s hand and squeezed it, hoping to get him to relax.
Rafael was not our enemy, but a strong ally in a potentially dangerous situation. We had precious few allies as it was, and I didn’t want to ostracize what few we had.
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Chapter 284
Trying to get this conversation back on track, I looked back at the table of findings.
“Do you have any theories, brother? How could a package be delivered to a ghost town?” I asked.
+25 BONUS
Rafael frowned. “The town must have been repopulated. The question is, who are the residents? Are they the displaced, having returned to their home now that the war with the north is long done? Or are these new people. Perhaps rogues p>
“Rogues?” Julian tensed.
“It’s possible,” Rafael said. “An abandoned town would be a perfect rogue encampment. Move in ready. We will have to be prepared for any possibility p>
The new dangers, when made real like this, did start to create some concern within me, but not out of worry for myself. If the dangers were truly this real, was it even right to take Alice with us? Perhaps it would be better to leave her here at the estate under guard and nanny.
As I was looking at her, both Julian and Rafael seemed to notice.
“I will protect her and you,” Julian said lightly, for me alone to hear.
I turned into him. “I’m not just worried about what might hurt her,” I said. “I’m also concerned what she might see. ”
Alice had already been through so much, too much for such a young girl. Rogues were exiled from their packs for a reason. Even if they weren’t hostile, did I want my daughter around such criminals?
But what other choices did we really have?