The Secrets of the Panther
Chapter 140

BLAKE

I couldn’t help but look at Drake, and the guilt radiating off him was powerful. He felt for his people, but Elder Johnson took everything from him.

I looked back at the man. “You can have your say in the meeting,” I said to him. “But I will also want you to hear Alpha Drake out, and I want you to listen to our stories.”

The man stares at me. “We will, only because you and the other alpha here are the only ones who have offered to help us,” he says. “The new elder that came here earlier, the one in the pack house, she will leave and change everything to help her needs.”

I shook my head. “You can trust her, I promise,” I said to him. “She won’t harm you, and we all have a story to tell.”

The man stares at me for a moment and nods. He turns and walks away, heading into the crowd of people.

I turned to Alpha Dawson and Drake. “Let’s get inside,” I said to them. “We need to make sure we are all prepared for this meeting.”

They nodded, even though Drake was in his head once again. We turned to walk toward the pack house. “We are telling them everything, including about Izzy,” says Alpha Dawson. I nod. “They need to know everything, and it seems they were in the dark for most of it,” I say as I glance over my shoulder. All the pack members were sitting on the ground, looking at us and whispering. “They need to trust us, and they need to know that we will do to help.”

We walked into the pack house, which was entirely rundown. As we got closer, the pack house looked like it hadn’t been kept. We approached the hall and opened the doors. I was in complete shock at the state of the hall. You could tell they did everything in here, even ate.

“I think we need to offer them something,” says Anya as she comes to my side. But she stops abruptly. I walk in, and Anya follows. I couldn’t help but look at her as we walked into the hall; the dust and bloodstains were hard to look at, especially some that looked like blood splatter. “They had fights in here,” I say to them.

Drake looks around but says nothing. “What do you suggest we offer?” asks Alpha Dawson, staring at the hall with a grim look.

“Anya,” I say quietly. I looked at Anya, and she was staring at a spot on the ground. I walked up to her and looked at where she was staring. She doesn’t look at me. “This is where the elder grabbed me and made me stay for a few hours,” she says in a whisper. She bends down and recovers whatever was covering the floor. I looked closer, and right there were markings like someone had scratched at the wood.

I looked at her, and a tear slid down her face. “They placed a chain on my wrists, burning my skin. I rubbed the chain for hours on the floor,” she said as she looked at me. “Blake, you’re right. We all have stories to tell, and they need to hear them.”

She looked toward Alpha Dawson, who had sorrow written all over his face; Anita was standing next to him. “We offer them freedom,” she says.

I look at her. She turns to face me. “Blake, offer them a place in your pack; they need to know what it is like to be safe,” she says. I don’t know what to say. But I can feel Drake’s aura; I look up and stare at him. He was angry.

I stared back at him, and he was staring at something that he was holding in his hands.

Anita walks over to him and says nothing. Judging by the look on her face, it was something that repulsed her. I got up and walked over. I placed my hand on the frame and looked at the photo.

There in the photo were all the evil bastards, except Drake. There was Helga, Nell, Amir, Elder Johnson, and Michael.

“They just had a party or something,” he said. “Everything is the same in the photo as it is right here in this room. I remember being sent by Michael to replace rogues. I had no option; I never thought my brother would be a bastard.”

Drake looked at me. “I knew nothing, even though I was here,” he said. “I was here but was fighting with my mind and body. I had to listen to Elder Johnson. He made me a fighting machine, and he made me do his dealings. He made me into a monster.”

I said nothing, but I could tell ears were listening in on his conversation. I don’t know who it is, but they were close. “I have done nothing for my pack,” he says. “I never helped my pack, and I shouldn’t be in charge of them.”

I look at him. “Drake, we will figure something out,” I say to him. Drake looked defeated. He was carrying too much guilt.

I looked at Anita. “Keep an eye on him,” I mouthed.

She nods.

I looked at Alpha Dawson, but the door opened, and in walked Tilly. “Blake,” she says. “I guess you met the pack.”

I nodded. “I suggested they meet in the pack house in two hours, and they should discuss what they want to happen.” I say to her. She nods. “That might be a good idea,” she says as she looks at Drake. “Drake, we can figure this out, but if they don’t agree to have you as their alpha. I will have to hand the pack to someone else.”

“Who would that be?” I asked her.

“You!” she says.

I stare at her with wide eyes. “How?” She sighs. “Blake, you are the only family Drake has left and Alpha Dawson, but he might not want to rerun a pack after what happened to his. It will have to be you,” she says as she looks at Drake. “If you don’t mind, that is.” I turned to look at him, and he stared at me.

“I need to think,” he says as he turns to leave. Anya turns toward him, but he cuts her off. “I need to be alone,” he says.

Drake leaves the pack house, heading toward the stairs. I look back at Anya, who seems hurt. “He needs time,” says Anita, placing her arms around Anya’s waist. I look back at Tilly. “We need to wait to see what the pack wants first,” I say. “I’m not uprooting anyone here unless they want to.”

Tilly nods, but she stares at me for a moment. “I’m surprised that Izzy’s not here with you,” she says. “She is being Luna to the pack.”

Tilly gives me a big smile. “That’s wondering;send my invitation for the ceremony when you set a date.”

I nod.

Tilly joins Alpha Dawson while I walk over to the window. The pack members were all still sitting around there, talking away. The man that spoke to us turned to look at me. He stares at me for a moment, but turns back to the crowd.

Who knows what’s going to happen? But I hope we can come to some agreement soon; I need to be back with Allie and Izzy.

Axel stares at the pack. “What if they want to come to our pack?” he asks.

“We cross that bridge when we come to it,” I say to him.

He nods.

After a few moments, he looked like he was in thought, but Axel looked back at me. “I hope Allie and mate are okay.”

I sigh, “I hope so too,” I say to him.

My thoughts go back to Izzy as I stare at the pack.

I prayed that this would be over soon.