B0079G5GMK EBOK (23 page)

David, too, came next to Adam, and even though he didn't quite understand what had happened he pressed Adam's hand tightly.

“Thank you. We really owe you a lot. Ask anything and if we can give it to you, it's yours,
” David said
seriously.

“I already have everything I want,” Adam said and glanced at Clarissa.

David backed away
, but smiled at Adam. He lifted his hands and pulled me back to his arms. I looked at my husband, wondering. Was it really that easy? No yelling and fighting. Would he really give our daughter to him, just like that? I looked at Clarissa and Adam and I realiz
ed what David had seen before I did
. Clarissa and Adam were a couple already. Though I had known that for weeks, I hadn't paid any attention to that. Now as I looked at them, I could see that anyone that really looked at them could see they were together.

How stupid had I been! I should've made Clarissa tell the others right after her party. I had wanted to give her time and that was my biggest mistake. Even when she hadn't said a word, I was sure Joshua had seen through her what, days, maybe weeks ago! I could just be happy that Clarissa had made her choice as there was no way after that
that
Joshua or any other living person could've fooled Adam. Adam
was so into her mind
that no shield or razzmatazz could've come between him and Clarissa.

I touched the uncomfortable Adam and even though I didn't like the way he had bound Clarissa to him, I thanked the Lord Adam had heard Clarissa's cries for help and saved her. I couldn't do anything but accept my daughter's choice. Nothing would be easy with Adam, but if he could make her happy, I could live with him and take him as a part of our pack. I looked at Adam and he felt everything I
was thinking
. He nodded, almost imperceptibly. I sighed deeply and smiled resignedly.

“Welcome to the family.”

Ciall covered a
shocked Clarissa with a blanket
as Adam told us exactly what had happened. Jonas's fingers turned into a fist and he looked really distressed. However, he didn't say a word to defend his f
riend. He too knew that Adam was telling
the truth
,
as wolves didn't lie, ever. David was convinced that we wouldn't see Joshua ever again, but I couldn't believe it. We had to prepare to face him, even if it would turn out to be unnecessary. Adam fortified Clarissa's room with Ciall, and Matt invaded Marie's room to the annoyance of the grunting T
iamhaidh. The others gathered in
the living room and waited. David thought that was not necessary, but he adapted to my decision. I stared at Jonas, who
was staring
at his toes.

“Jonas,” I said, quietly.

Jonas lifted his head and faced my eyes
. He shook his head desperately
and let his head fall down again.

“Jonas,” I repeated
, and he grunted
silently.

“That was not your fault,” I said strictly and knelt in front of him. He didn't react, so I touched his knee, lightly. He inhaled, fast, but didn't move my hand.

“I know that,” he said with a voice that was filled with guilt.

I looked at his face, searching, and he looked even guiltier than a second ago, if that was possible. I searched his mind and I needed all my willpower to keep myself together and let my hand stay on his knee. Jonas looked at me and his whole being begged for my forgiveness. I breathed as calmly as possible and tried to remember that as well as Clarissa's mother I was a pack leader as well. And that was a thought I needed to focus on. I was supposed to treat each member of our pack equally and equitably. I couldn't start punishing them for their thoughts. After all, it was the deeds that mattered.

“You'll have to choose your side before Joshua comes,” I said pragmatically and got up.

I forced myself to sit on the lounger in front of him and closed my mind from him. I couldn't let him know what I was thinking. I wanted to kill him. Destroy him and exile him as far away from my eyes as I could. Jonas thought Clarissa had earned everything that Joshua had done to her. If he hadn't been so totally in love with Stella, he could've even joined Joshua. Jonas was convinced that Clarissa had played with Joshua and betrayed him with Adam. So, he thought she really had deserved eve
ry punishment Joshua had given
her. He couldn't understand that without Adam, Joshua would have raped her. As a mother, I wanted to smash the reality to Jonas's face, but as a pack leader, I couldn't do that. So I settled for staring icily at him. Gavin glanced at me wonderingly, but as he had no intention of being the target of my rage, he decided to continue his poker game with Daniel and Blake.
Jonas sighed heavily
and his shoulders got lower. I stared at him demandingly and finally he nodded.

“Very well. I have made my choice,” he said.

“Already? I mean this quick?” I asked, surprised.
“And what was your choice?” I asked cold-bloodedly, and tried to push the ironic tone out of my voice, though it kept crawling back in.

“I'm with you. I want to be a part of your pack,” Jonas said and looked sadly into my eyes.

I sighed. Did I want him to stay? Could I really trust him in a close call
,
and what if we had to fight against Joshua? Would Jonas stand by me or would he jump and help his friend? I tried to search his face and see if I could notice any trail of betrayal or dishonesty. He seemed to sense what I was thinking and came closer to me and touched my shoulders. He made me look deep into his eyes and smiled.

“Sofia, look at me,” Jonas requested
,
and touched my chin.

I sneered and stared into his eyes.

“I mean
t
what I said. I have chosen my side and I
won't betray the pack,” he said
seriously.

His golden brown eyes looked at me full of promise. I sighed again and took his hand. What did it matter anyway why he stayed? The main issue was that he stayed and he promised to stand next to me and be loyal to the pack. I nodded lightly.

“Fair enough. I trust you.”

Jonas knew as well as I did
that he had to give everything he had to prove he was worthy of my trust. And that was not easy.

I left Jonas with the pack and sneaked to the fridge. Mathanan had made some chocolate chip cookies in the morning. I took a bunch of them and put them on the plate. I snuggled in the loneliest corner of the living room and munched my cookies thoughtfully. I had so much in my mind that I had no idea where to start solving my thou
ghts. David smiled at me calmly
from the opposite side of the room, but that didn't help. Everything in me seemed to prepare for the attack. My vision
be
came sharper and my hearing seemed to be unearthly sharp. I heard the tiniest crackles and I noticed how my
body stiffened time after time
when I heard a sound that wasn't supposed to be there. I couldn't find anything unusual and yet my eyes seemed to scan our yard. Gavin rolled his eyes at me, but no matter how relaxed the others were, I couldn't ease a bit.

I w
as not disappointed. Before
evening turned into night, Joshua came. He stood in our back yard and waited for us to come out. He knew he was not welcome to our home, so he forced us to face him outside, where he could sneak into the woods and escape, if needed.

I got up and heard Tiamhaidh, Adam and Ciall r
unning from upstairs. So much for
that peace, I thought, and opened the back door. Matt stayed inside to protect Marie, but the rest of the pack stood behind me, ready to protect me, if I needed it.

“Joshua,” I said icily.

Joshua laughed lightly, and from the corner of my eye, I saw Daniel and Gavin moving inconspicuously, to David's side. I had never seen David so full of anger. He knew he couldn't beat Joshua, and still he was prepared to fight him. Joshua had hurt his child. My hands turned into fists.

“Did you exp
ect someone else?” Joshua asked
jeeringly.

“Just grab your things and get the hell out of here,” I snapped.

Joshua slowly shook his head and his eyes narrowed with hate.

“It's not that easy, mathair,” he hissed and looked at Clarissa.

Clarissa shivered and Adam pulled her closer. Joshua howled from pain and hatred twisted his handsome face.

“I came to claim what's mine,” Joshua croaked with a low voice.

“There is nothing for you to claim,” I
said calmly, and felt Tiamhaidh
and Jonas's strong hands on my back.

“Clarissa chose me
long before Adam!” Joshua shouted accusingly.

“That was not
real and you know that,” I said
angrily.

My brain was
working feverishly. Could he make the elders believe
that
Clarissa had chosen him before she chose Adam? She had said so, even if J
oshua had said no at the time
. The fact was that she had said she wanted to choose Joshua. Joshua grunted, frustrated, and would have attacked me if Tiamhaidh's eyes hadn't challenged him to try that.

“Jonas,” Joshua snapped.

Jonas looked at
his friend devastated, then
shook his head. Joshua couldn't believe his eyes and he screamed like a wounded animal. He grabbed his head with both hands and slouched, for a while. I thought he would fall to his knees, but he straightened himself like a soldier and looked at us challengingly.

“Bitch!” Joshua roared and took a step towards Clarissa. “If Adam can take you before you choose, I have the right to do so as well!”

Clarissa screamed and Adam revealed his teeth. In a second it all turned to chaos. Adam and Joshua had shifted themselves into wolves and were tearing
at
each other with their sharp canine teeth and nails. Adam slammed Joshua with his paws with enormous power and for a moment Joshua's head hung loosely. But then he succeeded in hitting Adam. Adam had a huge leaking wound on his side that colored the white snow between them, but he didn't care. They stood with their hind feet and their strength seemed to paralyze us.

No one could move. Adam nipped Joshua's throat and reached for his jugular. Joshu
a mercilessly clawed the wound o
n Adam's side. Blood was everywhere. The wolves
were fighting
for their lives and I realized Adam was not going to let Joshua live. He was going to make Joshua beg for the right to turn into a spirit and disappear permanently from earth. 

At that very moment, Tiamhaidh and Jonas got back their ability to move. They rushed past me and attacked Joshua. No sane human would've ever gone between two fighting
wolves, but they were not human
. It took a lot to get Joshua away from Adam so that they could press him down. 
But soon
Joshua was lying on the ground, whining. Adam turned back into a human and kicked Joshua hard on his wounded neck. After a while, Joshua turned back as well and lay shaking on the bloody ground.

Adam turned to look at Clarissa. She was shaking but smiled tamely at him. He grinned wildly, pushed Clarissa into Ciall's arms and darted towards Joshua. Tiamhaidh's shout
stopped him. Adam didn't pull back
though. He stayed and circled around Joshua, like a beast stalking on its prey, and the growl coming from his throat was deathly. I stepped between them and looked warningly at Adam.

“Leave, while you can, and don't you ever dare come back,” I said to Joshua and gave Tiamhaidh and Jonas a sign to let him get up. However, they didn't loosen their grip, but held on tight to the struggling man.

Adam looked at me in disbelief, but I was not going to do more than exile Joshua. Not today, so I didn't even glance at him.

“Run to your Rocky Mountains and remember, we know your smell. If you ever come even close to my pack, I will destroy you!” I roared and my eyes burned as I wanted to crush him.

Joshua calmed down for a moment, and Tiamhaidh loosened his grip. Joshua glanced at us with his eyes burning of hate.

“You're all lunatics, if you think for a second the humans will accept you! You are not human, remember that! You are so much more and if you let Sofia fool you into thinking otherwise, you're all doomed!”

Joshua turned to face Jonas and spat on his feet.

“A human girl! What can she give you? Nothing! Who will warm you, when your woman is nothing but a bunch of fragile bones and leaves you alone? What then? Will you find another one to
warm your bed?” Joshua croaked
mockingly.

Jonas was quiet. I saw how sad his eyes were. Joshua, his best friend, had managed to wound him deeply with his words. For a while, I thought Jonas was going to hit Joshua, but he settled for pushing him towards the woods. Just before Joshua managed to disappear, Adam grabbed his arm. He pressed his mouth right next to Joshua's ear and grunted quietly.