Chapter 172

Julian

"Thank you for agreeing to talking to us alone." I said several hours later as I closed the heavy wooden door to give us some privacy.

Turning I glanced around. This was a library. Much smaller than the one in the palace where I had grown up but it was still a library. And by the looks of it , it was one that was actually used. The place had a cosy feel instead of a stiff feeling.

"It sounded important." Scarlett said as she took a chair. Reaching out she folded the page corner down of the nearest book and then closed it. My eyebrows shot up as she opened a drawer and tucked the red leather bound book inside.

Her library then. I looked back around with fresh eyes. Was this the place she came to get away from it all? Yes, now I was looking closer I could see signs of her everywhere. Even before she became alpha she had been coming here to get away.

"It is." Reaching down I took Cassies hand. Our fingers entwined. Her palm was extra dry, mine was slightly sweaty. Different reactions to the hours of torture we had just endured.

As someone who had endured torture of a physical kind , I was now more than aware that mental was so much worse. For at least three hours we had hidden away under our blankets and held each other as the wails of our absent children filled our ears.

A flicker of unease swept across Scarlett's face and for a second her eyes darted to my mate. "Are you ok?" She asked softly.  "Did you hear something else? Did something happen?" A wry smile tugged up the corner of her mouth. "When you didn't come down as arranged this morning, we thought you might have been-" a blush crept up her cheeks. "Well you know what we all thought. After yesterday."

I risked a glance at Cassie but she wasn't blushing like I expected. In fact she looked fierce. Her shoulder pulled back and her mouth a thin line.

"Something happened." I said through clenched teeth. "We heard our children."

A look of pity swept across Scarlett's face. "Oh Cassie I am so sorry." Jumping off the chair she came rushing towards us.  Catching up my mate in a gentle hug that was meant to be soothing. "Tell me what I can do to help? I am so glad Julian was there to help you through it."

I frowned. "We both heard them." I said quietly but I knew she had heard because she stiffened.  Slowly Scarlett turned to me. Her arms dropping to her side.

"What do you mean?" She whispered.

"I heard them." I repeated , clearer this time. "Before Cassie was even awake. I heard them."

A line appeared between her eyebrows. I could tell by her face that she was trying to think of a reason I would have heard babies crying and not Cassie.

"Maybe you heard-"

I cut her off with a snarl that shook my whole body and instantly her eyes locked to her feet. "They were my boys, my sons crying and it took everything I had to not rush out to find them."

"Everything we both had." Cassie added , her fingers squeezing mine.

"You think something is messing with both of you?" Scarlett asked. "I'll ask around but I don't think anyone heard anything down here. I know I didn't. Maybe grief is-"

"Cassie is not crazy with grief and neither am I." I said firmly. "This is actually happening."

"Maybe we should contact the Lycans and-"

"Already done." I snapped. "I phoned before coming down here."

Staring at her face I frowned. Why did it feel like Scarlett knew something and was hiding it from us? She was our friend and ally, so it didn't make sense.

"Ok." She muttered, her eyes still on the floor.

"Last night in the woods." I said quietly. "We found ourselves being watched by an old-"

"Woman." Cassie added. "She was a little old thing, not quite grandma but -" she shook herself. "We tried to corner her but instead of running away she ran straight towards me. And I'm sure she was calling my name." A shudder ran through my mates body. "It's only when I went towards her with my claws." Cassie glanced down at her fingers like she expected to still see blood on them. "I caught her, scratched her and then she ran away."

The sound of Scarlett's breathing was loud in the quiet room. "What did she look like?" She whispered.

"That's where things get strange." I said. "Cassie was right in front of her but she can't recall what she looks like. One thing is certain, she was trying to lead Cassie away from me." I added firmly.

"Maybe it was-"

At my side my hands curled into fists. "Again I will say this is not my queens imagination. I saw her as well."

"Where did this happen?" Scarlett's voice was barely a whisper.

"To the north west." Cassie said quietly. "There was a little cottage out there. Barely more than a shack. She was hiding in the shadows of its eaves. We should have probably of snooped around a bit but we were both wary that it could be some kind of trap."

The female alphas face crumbled, twisting on itself. "You won't find anything."

She was lying. I could smell the lie coming off of her in waves.

"What is living in your woods Scarlett?" Cassie asked before I could.

"It's nothing. It has nothing to do with what's happening here." Scarlett took a step back.

"It's either something we don't need to worry about or it's nothing?" I pointed out quietly.

"It's nothing." She snapped back. "If you will excuse me, I have some pack business to deal with before our council meeting." Rushing around us she headed towards the door. Her head bowed.

I watched her go for a second before I called out. "Scarlett what are you hiding from us?"

She whirled , her hand on the door knob. "Stay away from that part of the forest, both of you." Her eyes swept between us. "Stay away from her."

My eyebrows shot up into my hairline and I knew that Cassie's had done the same.

"Her?"

She swung the door open. "Just stay away, no good can come from seeking her out."