Rejected Mate and Following Fate - Awakening Book
Chapter 111: Chaos

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I finally hit the marble surface of the ground floor and skid to a halt before I reach the main door, asudden thought hitting me right in the head which falters my steps. It's so obvious and yet Ifacepalm myself for being this stupid and slow to even pick up on it until now. Instead of runningaround in the dark like a headless chicken, I have the means under my nose to bring Varro to me. Ispin on my heel to face my nearest wolf, suddenly enlightened on the easiest method for anoutcome.

“Let's go to the security room where Carmen is.” I nod the command, raising a brow, only get agruff wolfy snort in response before my guards turn and push me along the darkest part of thehouse. No argument when their Luna commands, because Radar isn't here to question anything andno one outside the sub pack would ever dare. “What is with the lack of lighting in here, can one ofyou not go replace the generator?” I snap in frustration, knowing this is not even a point but alreadymy nerves are taut, and I am all out of whack with tension. I follow closely, one wolf in front and theother falls back to my heel to keep me flanked. Ever aware of keeping me safe and yet it doesn'thelp settle my inner turmoil at all. My mind brimming with scenarios and thinking this might be thebest way to do things quickly and possibly limit the damage to my pack out there.

We get to the room where Carmen has holed herself up and push the door open quickly, slidinginside. She's sat typing away like a maniac, a furrowed brow and determined expression as shechews on her lower lip and nods to signal she knows we walked in. Her whole aura screams ofintense concentration and mild agitation, And I can tell how furiously she has been working to getthe frequencies separated already.

“If you want an update then don't get your hopes up. The file was recorded at one time with bothsounds, so I cannot pull them apart. I need to try and replace the original deterrent file and replacewhat I have but Juan has the system so locked up I can't get into anything. I need more time.” Shesnorts as if disgusted, rams a few more keys with heavy prods and keeps on tap, tap, tapping like amaniac as she squints at the only illumination here. The monitor: and I wonder how the back uppower is still connected to tech but not to anything else in the house. I wonder if he re-routed allremaining dregs to the security room to make sure his weapons stayed in place.

“It's not why I'm here. The sound system outside for the frequency.... does it also work as a PAsystem?” I push up beside her, pulling out a swivel stool and drop down to her level pulling herattention for a second.

"Of course, it's what's used to send this sound over the valley. All the speakers outside areconnected and playing this on a loop at all hours.” She doesn’t seem to understand why I'm asking,not clicking on what I would want a PA system for so I cover her hand with mine to get her to focusfor a second.

“Is there a mic in here for me to make an announcement?” I press on. My plan is simple.... Call myfather out in a way he's sure to hear if he is really here. Bring him to me instead of running aroundlike an idiot trying to replace someone I have never seen. A loudspeaker shout out that says, come seeme. Carmen's expression straightens as she thinks for a second and then nods towards the desk tothe right side of my tilted body.

“Ummmmm...announcement? Are you going to politely ask the vampires to stop doing what theyare doing?” A sardonic tilt of the brow and she squints at me as though I have lost my mind. I flickher in the forehead with an utter sigh of frustration and sometimes wonder if Carmen pretendsshe’s dumb, or if she sometimes really is.

“Carmen, honey... I say this with utter adoration, but, Meadows right...you are not the sharpest toolin the box..... I am trying to call my vampire father out and replace a way to end this. I want him tocome to me!” I say it slowly and precisely while widening my eyes as though she’s having totranslate a foreign language she doesn't know.

“Ahhhhhh. Yeah, huh. I see.” Carmen scratches her head, throws me a little sarcastic smile ofembarrassment and being dense, and then her face drops immediately to a blank expression.“Does that mean.....that maybe Jasper....?"” She falters on her own words, her voice husky, swallowinghard and then pulls her hands away from mine to go back to furious typing on the keyboard. Herwhole posture stiff and defensive in the blink of an eye as she reverts to that inner cave inside herhead where no one can hurt her. I can feel the change in her mood and the slight tremble to her lipas she tries to push away the obvious pain that has struck her heart.

“I don’t know. Maybe.” I avoid her eye and turn to pull a small standing mic from the shadows of thedesk towards me and wave my hand airily toward her. “Show me how to turn it on so it can beheard across the valley.” I try a subject change and press the importance of this. I feel for her, I do,but right now this is more important.

"Here. It's already set to sound out on every available speaker from here to the other side of themountain. Hit that button and hold it in while you talk. I will add the mic to overlay the frequency,so I don't have to turn it off.” She taps some keys, pulls up some new screens and then nods at meto say I am all set. Her whole demeanor on the defensive and I know her brain is once againtransfixed on my idiot brother but she’s trying to ignore it.

I clear my throat, inhale with a nervous tremble and pull the mic so it barely grazes my lip as I leaninto it. I press the button with my thumb and close my eyes before I start. No time to doubt orhesitate, I just need to do it and be firm.

“I'm Alora Santo...Dennison. Daughter of Marina and Lord Varro. I know you can hear me, and Iknow that you're aware that I'm your biological daughter. I am asking you to come to me and putan end to this stupid fight and mindless violence. These are my people and you harming them,harms me in ways you can never comprehend. Put down your hatred and come to the manor on thesouth side of the valley where I will be waiting out front for you. Please. If there is any kind of lovefor me as your child. We need to end this, and I have the wolf you are really looking for with me. Iwill not stop you from taking him, but I have a condition we need to discuss. I'm waiting.” I let go ofthe button when the last of my words fade out, fully shivering with the sudden high level of anxietyand nerves I invoked, yet strangely calm too. Contradictory but somehow a part of me feels like thismay actually work. If he did all of this because of what I am, maybe he can stop it when he finallysees me.

“Do you though? Have Juan, I mean. Judging by the fact there are only three of you here...” Carmentilts her head to me and nods at my scarce guard number. A flicker of serious doubt in thatquestioning look.

“Radar’s out there with Sierra and more of the Luna's guard. If they haven't subdued him then atleast he’s in the open where Varro can pick him up himself. They're all exposed to the frequencynow so it shouldn't be hard.” I snort a sudden flash of worry about Radar’s condition and Sierra'ssafety, knowing that the longer they are out there, the weaker they get. My stomach in instant knotsand I push it away, trying to focus on the here and now. I need to get out there to make sure Sierrastays alive.

“I recorded your message. Do you want me to repeat it every few minutes until they show up?”Carmen cuts in pulling me out of my own head. I guess she can sense the sudden doubt in me andher suggestion is smart for once.

"Hmmm." I nod, absent minded for a second, pulling myself up to my feet and gesture for theguards to move first and let me out. “I can link you for now, but it seems the pack has lost thatability outside this house so we might too. Keep trying with the frequency, it's disabling themslowly.” I pat her on the head with a light touch and move away, holding back the sudden urge tocry and swallow it down to put my fierce back in place. I feel like we're losing control of thissituation and cut off from Colton I somehow feel even more alone and vulnerable and uncertainabout what to do. I wish I was as strong and capable as a Luna is meant to be but all I ever seem tobe now is a useless lump who can't do very much. My own wolf is not even useful and my gifts arelimited due to pregnancy tiredness.

“Be careful out there. You may be Varro's child but it doesn’t mean his creatures won't take a pop atyou. Remember how vulnerable you are right now. Don't take risks.” Carmen scolds me with a softtone but a serious glint in her eye and I can't resist the sudden need to hug her. The girl has thisknack for pulling out a need in me to show her affection when she’s being her bossy self.

Stepping back in an abrupt manner, I throw my arms around her neck from behind to semi strangleher with genuine love. All my emotions boiling up inside and I realize how desperately scared I amas I cling to the last one of my circle who gives me security. No meadow, no Colton, no Radar or thesubs, no Sierra... and Carmen is needed here. My entire bubble is not going out there with me toface Lord Varro. I have to go it alone and stand on my own two feet to face someone that I amterrified of meeting.

"You're getting weirder the longer I know you.” Carmen wriggles free from my embrace, her facescrewed up with an “ewww’ expression, her energy warm even if her tone is harsh and I smile at theshow of prickly from her. I have long learned that when she is being her most abrasive, it's usuallybecause she is at her most emotional. She likes me and my hug, even if she will never admit it. “Yougot this, Luna. Don't disappoint me by going out there and making an idiot of yourself. I'll pretendnot to know you if you embarrass me.” A wry smile thrown my way which pulls a genuine one fromme and I blink back the tears forming in my eyes, swallowing down all that turmoil. Loving thisstrange girl for all the cold and stiff she exudes.

“I can do this.” I say it aloud, more to myself than her because I truly have to believe it, and before Ihave any other doubts I turn on my heel and march out the door with my guards in tow. My headset on seeing this through and my purpose clear. I have to make Varro stop this before I lose mypack and maybe even my life if my mate falls out there. My hearts telling me Sierra is okay rightnow, Radar is there, and I just need a little time and space and for Varro to show up like I asked.We make haste and within no time at all we are out in the cool night air, shadows dancing aroundunder the moonlight and already wolves are fighting wolves. I can only see fast moving outlines andglowing eyes as a battle inches closer into the compound around me. I sense Sierra off to my leftand turn to see her rolling around with Juan and Radar in a three-way fight and inhale sharply at thescene before me.

A gruesome and vicious battle of three, and it's hard to tell which is which or who has the upperhand. Teeth gnashing, claws flying, and bodies joined. I instinctively step towards her and raise myhands and have to haul myself back again. Reeling inside and knowing my addition of gifts won't doanything except hurt radar and Sierra too.

I'm tugged sideways by gentle teeth, knocked off my feet so I stumble in an awkward tumble andpulled into a circle of fur as my guards shield me. He stops me from falling and I'm supportingagainst a strong solid body as I glimpse at what they saw as my night vision begins to kick in. Myeyes scanning the scene before me as the true intensity of fear runs through me at a cold speed.Vampires scaling the fences around us like a liquid flow of cascading movement, with wolves ontheir asses. The battles from afar has flooded this way and everywhere as far as the eye can see thedark ground is a flow of bodies and battles, no space left clear as the invasion begins.

I press back against my guard, my body turning cold and my heart almost stops when faced withthe true terror in my vision. Hundreds upon hundreds of these foul beings, swarming to the place Ithought I could patiently await Varro.0000OO0000000000