Alpha Loren
Chapter 43 As Darkness Falls

November 3rd

"Don’t get any ideas," Leo said as we walked back to the truck.

"Your army could be so much stronger if you trained up the she-wolves too," I said completelyignoring him.

"I said don't get any ideas," he replied.

"They don't all want to be protected. Maria, Elena and Allison were just three perfect examples ofthat. Did you not see Maria shoot that arrow? Imagine if you had hundreds of she-wolves able to dothat, you'd instantly have an advantage over anyone,” I said.

He then lifted me up onto the truck.

"We already do have the advantage, Ella. And like I said to my sisters and Allison, I have far moreimportant things to worry about than she-wolves protesting about not being allowed to sign theirown death warrants!" Leo said his voice getting deeper and eyes getting darker. I took that as awarning sign to stop making a mental note to pick the matter back up after all this was over."Alpha, I just had a call from the main convoy,” the driver of the truck said. "Ayas men are closerthan we thought. There'll be here before dark falls so we need to get going.”

Nerves were rife in his voice and I looked up to the sky to see why. Dusk was already rolling acrossthe forest in melancholy folds of grey, plunging the trees into a deep blackness.

Leo looked at me gravely before getting up into the truck, pulling me onto his lap and holding metight.

"The vault is only twenty minutes from here," he said. "We'll make it.”

I nodded and rested my head on his chest as he took my hand in his.

At Leo's command, we drove away from the base. I stared at the last tiniest slit of orange slow in thesky as it grew ever smaller whilst all the men in the truck sat deadly silent.

Ten minutes later, Leo looked out into the forest, his ears pricked and alert. He then signalled thedriver to stop and we came to a slow holt.

We can't be at the vault yet, surely?

"Le-" I began but he covered my mouth instantly as he and all the other men looked intently intothe trees.

He then made some hand gesture and all the soldiers withdrew their knives and silently beganclimbing off the truck.

"Was all this really necessary, Loren?” a voice sneered. "I'd be perfectly happy just killing your Lunaand calling it a day.”

Shit. That was Haden's voice. How had he got past the defence at the border?

Leo seemed just as confused but he didn't let it show for long. He pushed me behind him andforced the praesidium Deae Astra into my hand.

"Come and get her then," he growled.