Arise

Caleb watched as the fighters dragged Logan away. We both stood there in silence for what seemed like hours but was only a couple minutes. Seeing him again had done something to the both of us. I looked at him. He looked at me. He raised his eyes brows at me in concern. I nodded. We had a mutual understanding: the pack came first.

“Val made it to the Vault.”

The sag of relief was enough indication of his stress. He wanted to go, that much I could tell. But he couldn’t. He had duties as an Alpha. He placed his hands on his hips, releasing a heavy sigh as he looked around his injured pack. The burden of Alpha laying down on his shoulders.

CeCe approached us frantically. “Are the kids okay?”

I nodded. “I made sure to give Val enough time to get them to the Vault.” I looked over at Caleb. I was giving him a way out.

“CeCe, you’re with me. We go to the Vault.” He called for Shaw who came quickly by his side. “Shaw, you and Rosie take over. There was a football game the teenagers are at school and the adults are at work. I put them on lockdown during the attack. We need as much help as we can get when they come.”

Caleb gave one last parting glance and headed to the pack house with CeCe.

“We need to wrap that up.” Shaw gestured to my side.

The pain all over my body dulled. The pack came first. I unwrapped the scarf around my neck and wound it around my stomach.

He smiled at me and folded his arms over his chest. “Alright, Beta. Tell us what to do.”

Calling me Beta Female was one thing. That term meant I was the Beta’s mate. But acting as the Beta was another. That role had been left unfilled when Logan walked out. And it was time someone else filled in that role.

Everyone awaited my instructions.

Cupping my hands over my mouth, I shouted, “If you are severely injured and need immediate medical assistance, stay where you are. If you can walk, look around. Find someone that needs help. Stay with them. Analyze their injuries and when the nurses and doctors arrive, tell them.”

As many walked towards me, those from the pack who were at work or school, arrived. All were afraid and murmuring with approach.

I looked over to the teenagers. “I need you kids to go to the hospital. Help the medical team bring in the supplies. We need all the help we can get.” I shifted my gaze to the adults. “If you are an adult, go to the kitchen or your homes. We need food and water, now!” I clapped twice, and everyone dispersed.

Food and water were brought quickly. The pack nurses and doctors got here as quick as possible. Supplies were being passed around.

“Rosie!” I turned around just in time for Val to embrace me. “You’re okay!” Her voice broke at the end and I pulled her off. Tears of joy and relief falling down her face.

My eyes went to the little kids running out the door. “You found them.”

She nodded. “I went straight to the daycare room and got them all to the Vault.” She looked at me gratefully. “Caleb told me what you did. You saved the pack.”

I shrugged. “The pack comes first.”

She giggled. “I know you mean that because you look and smell horrible.”

I scoffed and returned it with a rather colorful gesture. Caleb came to Val’s side and put an arm around her waist. He nodded to me in acknowledgement. “Your actions today. Before and what you’re doing now. It’ll never be forgotten.” He patted my shoulder. “You make a good Beta.”

My face scrunched. “What are you going to do with him?”

He knew whom I was referring too. Val looked between us with concern.

“We can worry about that later. Right now, you need to be cleaned up. You smell like a rogue.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You’re a dog. You smell worse than me, especially after this fight.”

Laughter danced in his eyes. He kissed Val’s forehead and murmured something about checking up on the pack and calling his parents before walking away. Val watched him walk away with longing.

“You smell horny.”

Blush painted her cheeks. “Shut up, Rosetta.”

Then, everything seemed right the world. There were a thousand questions running through my mind, but I would worry about that later. All that mattered was the pack. And as I saw how these people helped each other, I knew one thing. We would recover. We would get better. We had survived thus far.

~

I knew what Val was going to say before she even spoke.

“No.” I rose up from the table and carried my food to the kitchen.

“You don’t even know what I’m going to say!”

I raised an eyebrow. “You were about to ask me to talk to Logan.” I placed the plate into the sink and soaped up a sponge.

“It’s been almost a week. We don’t even know why there was an attack.” She mumbled at the of her sentence.

I looked around. The pack had returned to normal within a few short hours of the attack. The only ones who dwelled on it were us. It was our job as Alpha, Luna, and Beta.

“The rogue will be dead any day now. We can’t hold him out for long. We need answers.”

“Use whatever means necessary.” I rinsed the glass.

She folded her arms over her chest. “He’s been asking for you, you know.”

The water turned cold. “I don’t care.”

“He won’t talk to anyone, but we know he’ll talk to you.”

Placing the plate on the rack, I clenched my jaw. Logan remained in a cell, while the rogue remained in another for questioning. According to Caleb, neither of them wanted to speak. Caleb had suggested that I could influence Logan to speak, but I was far from okay with that idea. I wanted nothing to do with him. Ever. “He isn’t my problem. Not anymore.”

“We need answers.”

I turned off the tap and looked at her. “Find another way.” I wiped my hands on a rag.

“Rosetta.” The tone in her voice was one of hopelessness. “I know you are angry, so are we. Our Beta betrayed the pack he swore to protect. He won’t speak to anyone, but he’ll speak to you.”

“I’m not speaking to him.”

“We need answers,” she demanded. “I am your Luna, and the pack comes first.”