Alpha Markus and Celeste

Chapter 86

Chapter 86 – Celeste

Celeste P.O.V.

It’s been almost two months since we came back from Mexico. We were only a few days from

December now and I was as big as a

whale. Dr West estimated I was the equivalent of 28 weeks of human gestation. The pups were still

looking to be large. I could officially

not bend over anymore.

Markus and I had started training my pyro ability, but as my belly grew, our training became more

training him to access my ability without pulling on my energy and using his instead. We wouldn’t be

able to resume my physical training until after the pups were

born.

I sighed as I waddled back to our office after yet another trip to the bathroom. I stopped as I felt anger

bubbling in my chest. 1

grunted, taken aback by the sudden feeling when I realized it wasn’t coming from me. I wobbled into

the office faster. I could see

everyone gathered around Evergreen who had a laptop set on my desk.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Evergreen has gotten a hit,” Gillian answered. I heard a knock on the door and 6 warriors came in. It

was Gabriel, Brenda, Zack,

George, Brent, and Mateo all looked at attention, waiting for instructions.

I looked back at Markus. “I take it by the fact that you’ve called all of our guards in, it means he’s not in

Paris?” | joked dryly. When I

got no response, I sighed. “Tough crowd,” I said as I waddled over to my desk to see what they were

looking at.

It was a picture of Huitzilopochtli at the airport. I was surprised to see him look so normal. He was

wearing slacks and a button-down

shirt. “So your software thing worked? You can find someone based on an old drawing?” I said,

impressed.

“I’m offended you doubted me, Luna, but I will accept your apology in the form of one of your lasagnas

to take home. Valeria and I

keep missing your cooking nights,” he said, and I grinned. Valeria was working in the Packhouse

Hospital as a nurse so she sometimes had

night shifts. They were living in a small house close to the Packhouse but they only joined us for dinner

when I cooked and Valeria wasn’t

on shift. It was one of the few things Dr West allowed me to do and I had to promise to make meals

that didn’t require me to move around too fast. Now that I was getting so big, he was worried about

something called placenta abruption where the placenta would detach and I would have to deliver

early. I was essentially forced to cook sitting down and prep with Melissa moving about stirring and

lifting for me. My friends had turned into snitches about anything else I tried to do.

“Which airport is this?” I asked.

“Sky Harbor.” I sighed at Danny’s words.

“So he is near. Any chance he could just be here to catch the Suns play?” Still not a single chuckle. “Is

this thing on?” I said, tapping

an imaginary mic.

“That’s not all, Celeste,” Markus said.

“What?” I asked

“Sit,” he ordered, and I raised an eyebrow at his tone. He sighed. “Please Tuli. I don’t want your body to

get overwhelmed.”

I sat and waited for someone to speak.

“Huitzilapochtli is the man that bought all the girls from Blood Moon Pack,” he said, and I blanched at

his words.

“Danny recognized him as the buyer. He had thought at the time that it was a middle man for the black

market, but given who he is

“Well I don’t think that’s the reason anymore,” Danny said. “I think-”

“That he was still looking for me,” I said flatly and he nodded. So I was the reason all of the girls were

sold. I wondered if he made them suffer like he made my blood line suffer. I hoped not. I hoped the lie

that had saved my life, hadn’t caused the senseless suffering of my friends. “I don’t remember any of

the videos and pictures having a face of the buyer” I said.

“The time we rescued Ruby, I had to act fast and we attacked him to save Ruby. I clocked the man in

the jaw in order to knock him

It was hard to associate his handsome features with someone who had hunted my people and been

responsible for my parents’ deaths, I kept thinking of the words that Selene had told me and what I had

seen in the memory. His mother had lied to him. He didn’t

know the truth. Could he be saved? I sometimes wondered as I watched Markus sleep some nights.

Was there anything good left in the

heart of a god that had killed for a thousand years. When he had attacked Diego’s pack, he had not

wanted to kill everyone. He just

wanted me. Was he always merciful to those he believed innocent or was this a façade?

“Tuli,” Markus said. I could sense his concern for me. He had expected me to have a panic attack and I

know he was feeling anything

but fear or panic. I looked at the picture again. ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“Who is that?” I said, pointing at a woman behind him. I squinted. She looked familiar, but the image

was blurry.

“Let me Luna,” Evergreen said as he shifted the laptop towards him. He worked his magic and then

turned the laptop back towards

US.

“Sandra,” Markus growled.

I tried not to let myself get worked up over it. I had a feeling I would see her again one day. I took a little

bit of satisfaction that she

still seemed to have some burns on her face. “So what’s the plan?” I asked them.

Markus sighed “I am not 100% sure. Clearly, he’s getting ready to make his move. I think sending this

picture to the council will get them to send some additional resources to us. If they don’t, we can ask

Diego and Rhett to send us some support. At least until all the

pups are born and you can train again. In the mean time, I know how much you hate it, but all three of

you are under guard even in the

packhouse. Unless you’re with us, your guards will be keeping watch,” he said to Camila, Maya and

me. I sighed but nodded. He looked

relieved that I didn’t object. He turned to the guards.

“I called you here because we trust you with our mates and the future of our Pack. Without any one of

them, this pack will not

function as it does. You will be guarding them at any time that they are not with us. I want two shifts.

Divide it how you see fit but provide

us with a schedule at the beginning of each week. I suggest keeping Brenda and Gabriel taking the

same shift hours. Your duties begin as

of now. We will be in here until close to dinner, so go make whatever arrangements you need between

yourselves and your family.”

“Yes Alpha,” they all said in unison and left. He turned back to us. “We should tell Rhett and Kelly about

this. If we need help, they are

the closest we can count on for support.”

Gillian nodded at him, “T’Il arrange for them to come for a visit. I think this is better explained in

person.”

They were discussing the security measures in place and whether they should beef them up, but I

started to lose focus.

Kara? -I asked. – Was our friends dying my fault?

No.

Is this one of those things that were meant to come to pass?- Tasked, desperately trying to keep myself

from spiraling down a path of misplaced guilt, anger and fear. I had been talking to a therapist and I

hoped I’d learn enough to keep my head above the waters. I

could not afford to have a breakdown right now.

I think so. I don’t know everything, but I know this is not our fault. It is Huitzilopochtli. His obsession with

revenge is to blame. –

Kara

said, mourning along with me.

You think they suffered?

I hope not. – she answered.

‘Tuli, I can feel your grief. Please talk to me, Markus said, and I noticed that he’d brought me over to

the couch and I was sitting on his lap. Everyone was gathered around him looking at me with concern

in their eyes. I hadn’t noticed I’d even been moved.

“I’m OK. I was having a conversation with Kara,” I tell them.

“It was like you were gone. We were all trying to talk to you and you wouldn’t even react,” Camila said.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you. I – I feel like maybe this is my fault. If I hadn’t lied about who I

was…” I said, not allowing

myself to cry, “I know it’s not, but all those girls, my friends…” I said. “We can’t let that happen to

anyone else. Huitzilopochtli needs to die.” I looked at Evergreen. “Any updates on that dagger I

described?”

“I have been looking but I don’t have anything concrete. There’s been a couple of mentions of similar

daggers through out history

had used, we could use it on Huitzilopochtli. It was our only theory at the moment, because otherwise,

how do you kill a god?

“Do you want to take a break?” Markus asked and I knew he was worried about me and the pups.

I shook my head, “We have work we have to do today. The distraction will be good.” I told him, kissing

his cheek. He sighed but nodded. I knew he would feel better if I was near him anyway, and I was used

to taking naps in this giant couch through out the day. Even

Maya had been joining in the naps, though her own little bump was not as tiring as two Alpha pups. Or

so Dr West had told me, when I

complained that she didn’t seem as tired as I was at that stage.

I turned to Camila, “We should send out a pack wide message, letting them know we have spotted

rogues near the border. Everyone

should go over their emergency response plan one more time, in case needed.”

I turned to Danny, “We should probably let patrol know we may have an imminent attack. They should

know Huitzilopochtli has insane speed, strength and ability to jump, but they should be put under Alpha

command from telling others. We don’t need to start a panic over a vengeful god. That would be my

suggestion, anyway. You guys can make the final decision,” I said, yawning, “I think I will take a short

nap after all,” I said to Markus.

“I think that sounds like a good plan. Danny gather them all in the conference room on the first floor

after lunch. Sleep Tuli, I’ll wake

you up for lunch,” he said, getting up from the couch and laying me on it. He bent down and gave me a

small kiss on the forehead. I settled in, sleep almost claiming me instantly.