Chapter Fourteen

It only took us two hours to come rolling up outside my compound's gates. As soon as they saw us the guards began firing.

"Stop the truck!" I screamed from the back seat at Lucion. He sent the Truck screeching to a halt as I came bursting out of the back door waving my hands.

The large concrete gate opened slowly, and Dustin came walking out with Halister and Diez at his six. None of them looked happy to see me except Halister who started to approach me with a smile until Dustin thrust his arm out stopping him.

"Traitors aren't welcome here. You are lucky we don't just take you out now and be done with it." He seethed at me. If this situation wasn't life or death I don't know if I would be a crying mess at the way, he was treating me or beating his ass for forgetting who the fuck he is talking to.

I chose to try and reason with him. "I understand where you might be getting the wrong impression, but did you happen to inform them that you are the one who left me stranded there alone." I shot back at him. I could tell by the now furious faces of Diez and Halister that he obviously had left out that little bit of information.

"Look you want to be a bitch just because another man wants me that is on you. I ain't here for that." I yelled at him exasperated with him. "I am here because there is a hoard of demons headed this way and unless you let me in, and we work together no one here is going to survive it!"

"Dustin," The chief scolded as he walked out of the gate to stand next to him. "Go back to your quarters. Raven, you know you are like a daughter to me, and you are welcome here, but that," he pointed at Marcus standing tensed up at my side. "Will never be welcome inside our gates."

"Chief no disrespect, but right now is not the time to be standing on your moral high ground. I am sorry but without their help we will not make it through this alive. There are women and children in there depending on us!" I knew he was pissed, but surely, he had to see the logic in what I was saying.

"I let them in here they are your responsibility. If anyone, I mean anyone, gets hurt It will be you who pays the price for them." I nodded giving my trust to Marcus and his people. I didn't really know Marcus, but I did know that he saved my ass once and if he didn't help us this time we wouldn't survive anyway.

I didn't know this man, but I had let him do so many things to my body. My face heated and my pussy clenched at the though of it. We were being led into the common area where I saw Blake typing away until he glanced up and saw me. His whole face lit up.

"Ma!" He Hollard running toward me to barrel me over in one of his papa bears hugs. "I was so worried about you! When Dustin said you betrayed us to go to the enemies, I just could not believe him." He scowled down at me. He still had me squeezed against him when I heard Marcus growling ominously.

"Yeah, maybe put me down before you squeeze the life out of me, and we can talk." My voice was strained and muffled since my face was squished against his chest. Laughing he let me go and I stumbled back a step as my feet finally hit the ground.

"I am not your enemy unless you make me your enemy." Marcus was addressing the room now. I was a little nervous about what he was going to say so I stayed as close and alert as I could in case, I needed to step in.

"When this war broke out, I was fighting right along side the humans." Wait what? My head snapping to look at him. "I am one of the three Alphas from the Triune Triade. Our pack has been protecting humans long before this war or creatures ever came out to the world." I mean we all heard what he said but I don't know if anyone was believing him.

Right on cue Dustin's voice boomed across the common area. "That is bullshit! I killed plenty shifters during the war. I watched your kind rip out the throats and hearts of hundreds of my good men!" He started aggressively throwing his hands around obviously furious that we were even having this discussion.

"God damn it Raven, you watched a shifter kill your brother during the first battle we ever faced together. You may have forgotten, but I remember the long nights I spent holding you trying to bring life back into your eyes. I am the one who was there for you not him!" he was screaming now his face was wrinkled his eyes pleading with me.

It pained me to see him hurting this way. I really did love Dustin, but more as a big brother. I did remember the night I lost my brother. Mike was such a sweet guy. He was never made out for fighting. Hell, when we were kids, he was bullied and picked on by the popular kids. When I found out I was the one who took actions into my own hands and kicked their asses.

Mike was too soft for war, but I had still tried to do everything I could to help him survive the new world we had been thrust into. I just had not been strong enough to do it. Tears spilled over my face and my throat tightened. "How dare you?" It came out as a whisper, but it held a lot of emotion and anger in it.

Marcus cut in to save me from my broken state. "None of you have to believe me." He stepped to the side and a tall man with disheveled grey dusted hair stepped forward.

"I am one of the humans from the town Alpha Marcus and his people protected before the war. When the war broke out, we were sure they were going to leave us or kill us, but they moved us into their ranks and protected us. Because of him my wife and daughter have never seen any of the killing lost anyone close to them." He was pleading with us to hear him and the look of anguish on his face had everyone shocked into silence.

"I know there are shifters out there that have risen up against the pack, but that is why Alpha Marcus has been going out and rescuing groups of humans and creatures alike to bring us all to a place we can feel safe. Life does not have to be this way. With his help we can gain control of our world back and make it into a place we can raise our children without death and blood." I know letting go was going to be hard, but it did not make since to fight this.

I stepped forward facing my Chief. "Chief, you have always trusted me. I have saved everyone in here from dying at some point. Please just trust me now!" I pleaded with him, and I saw his eyes soften toward me.

"Dustin, I know you are angry and hurt and it has nothing to do with anything that is going on right now. I am sorry. You are right you were there for me, and I need you to be there for me and our people now. Set your anger aside and look at this without emotion and you will see the obvious choice!" Not able to look at me anymore he turned his face away from me in guilt but did not storm out of the room, so I took that as progress.

"Say we accept this olive branch, what is your plan to save us?" Chief was now addressing Marcus and I knew I had gotten through to him.

Marcus walked over to the monitor showing the town that him and I had first met in. "The demons are about a day from here. Once they get here, they will get in and they will kill everyone here. The only option you have at this point is to move everyone to my strong hold. We have walls, security, food, and most important we have an army with enough numbers even if they dared attack, they would not stand a chance." I could tell everyone was put off with the idea of leaving.

I mean I was even a little hesitant. This was my home just as much as it was theirs. "I do not want to leave here either, but he has enough room that our people can start living normal lives again. We have to think of the people not ourselves chief." He nodded his head and turned to tell Diez and Halister to inform everyone to pack up.

"How much time do you need to get everyone ready to move?" Marcus though still unhuman was showing that he was not the demon I had judged him to be, but I knew I was not ready to let him in fully.

"Give us two hours and I will have them organized to move." I said not looking at him and everyone dispersed.

"You don't want to leave?" I looked up at him worried he would be angry, but he was looking at me sadness in his eyes.

"This is my home. It has been for a long time now." I looked down picking at my fingertips. "I know this is the right choice, but I have memories here not all of them have been bad. Dustin will eventually come around, but he took the place in my heart and my life as an older sibling that I had lost, and I do not want to lose him because of this."

Pain stretched across his features when I started talking about Dustin and I knew he was getting jealous. "I don't like him," he started but stopped himself, "but I will accept him if it makes you happy." I laughed at that and walked up to him placing my hand on his cheek.

I do not know what made me do it, "I don't think it is your acceptance I am going to have to work for." He smirked at me. I leaned forward allowing my wall to drop just a little as my lips brushed against my eyes drifting closed. His lips were so soft they sent desire instantly spreading out through me. Heat flooded my veins, and I heard him inhale deeply before a growl rumbled through out his whole body. My heart leaped but I was not ready to bring my heart anywhere near this man. Ending our kiss, I went to help my people get ready Marcus leading the way like the true leader he was.