Saving Kinsley

Kinsley's P.O.V

Stirring awake, it took me a few hazy moments to remember I had slept in Kole's room last night. His scent was heavy in the room, but on the bed, it was weaker. As if he didn't sleep in the bed last night. Part of me wished he had, the part that yearned to be held like a fragile thing that could slip away at any moment.

Focusing on the more daunting tasks, I needed to figure out what the fuck the Hollow is. If I had the energy last night, I would've already been well on my way to figuring it out right now.

Stretching out my limbs as I sat up from the bed, my thoughts were running rampant: One question at the forefront of my mind. How the fuck did a masquerade party turn into a rogue attack? And seven of them? If Kole wasn't with me, I'd have been alone. In other words, I'd probably be cold on the earth by now, dead. What are these rogue wolves after?

A frustrated growl slipped past my lips as I scrubbed at my face, "Why, Moon Goddess, do you make my life so difficult?" I knew I wouldn't get an answer. The deity we all relied on for our fates never responded.

Grumbling, I carried on with what used to be morning routine. Shower, clothes, coffee, and then whatever madness the Moon Goddess would throw my way.

After showering, I had no choice but to wear Kole's sweats and a hoodie. Honestly, I wasn't complaining because his scent drenched the material in that smokey-wood-like scent that reminded me of summer nights, regardless of me swimming in his comfortable attire.

Exiting Kole's room, I easily found the cafeteria via the smell of coffee. There was something about the smell of freshly brewed coffee in the morning that called to my soul.

Once I obtained a cup of heavenly liquid, I turned to the room. Quickly spotting several faces I recognized sitting at a table with benches on both sides. Sipping my cup as I walked over, now sated, I smiled at all the faces. Tate, Calum, Cassius, and Noah were chatting up a storm. Madi, Kole, and Kade seemed to be going over notes, and lastly, I spotted a new face next to Kole, who was now grinning mischievously at me.

"Hey gorgeous, spot open next to me." He smiled brightly as he tipped his head slightly to the empty spot next to him. Ah, a flirt. I watched Kole's eyebrows wrinkle after the flirty male spoke, and then he looked up to see who he was talking to.

Instantly, I was lost in his gaze, and then a scowl covered his features as he turned to the flirty one. "Mason, paws off. The firecracker is mine."

A very long, drawn-out groan left Mason, now learning his name. "Why? For once, can one of the pretty ones not be mated to one of you?"

Madi cracked a smile, her hazel eyes dancing with amusement, "He had a similar line for me the first time we met." Kade then leaned over and smacked Mason in the head, earning a scowl from Mason.

Turning to Kole, "Firecracker huh?" I hid the smile with another sip of my coffee as I sat directly across from him.

"Oh yeah, it fits. I've heard plenty to justify the nick-name." A wickedly handsome smile crept along his face.

I then turned and eyed the three, narrowing my gaze, "And what did they tell you?"

"Oh, just everything." Noah had a smug smile plastered on his face.

Narrowing my eyes further, I looked to Calum, "I thought we were friends."

A hint of a smile already on his face, "I didn't say nothin' " He raised his hands and mouthed, "It was all Noah." With a hidden finger pointed in Noah's direction.

Nodding my head with an appeased smile, I looked to Kole again, "Whatever the smug bastard told you, it didn't happen." Vivi shuffled into the room, rubbing her eyes. "Noah quit picking on Kinz." Reprimanding him, and putting a large grin on my face.

"Quick, everyone run! That's her serial killer smile and something crazy is usually cookin' in that delusional head when she smiles like that!" Tate shouted as he dramatically slapped his hands to the surface of the table, with a smile he moved to run away as far as possible.

It was my turn to gasp dramatically, "Delusional?!" Already to my feet, I jumped on top of the table and took a dive, landing on Tate's back, playfully swatting at him.

The room was filled with a chorus of laughter as we wrestled, a light-hearted moment we all needed. A break from all the madness in our lives, this small amount of peace I needed. Until it fell silent. Still laughing as I struggled a bit to pull in enough oxygen into my lungs, I turned around to see what killed the mood.

Or who.

"Dakota?" Noah, already standing, spoke as all laughter and fun completely washed from his features.

I was already looking into those familiar, green-gold flecked eyes, as the smile slipped from my face. Eyes I never expected to be looking into again. Dakota's eyes looked haunted, his face held exhaustion, and his dark hair was a little unruly.

Kole crept over towards me, "Everything okay Kinsley?" Blinking, I stepped forward. "Dakota? How-"

I watched him swallow roughly, "Long story for another day. We have a bigger problem than just my dad."

"Dakota, as in, Ex-mate Dakota?" Tate leaned over next to my other side, whispering his question. I nodded my head, still not believing who I was seeing. It was a huge relief to know he was still alive, but what did he have to endure from his father to be here? Or from the pack?

Everything happened so fast, one moment Kole was beside me, the next, he was standing over Dakota who was now on the floor sprawled out on his back.

"Okay, yeah, I deserved that." Dakota said as he rubbed at his jaw.

Noah let out a sigh as he leaned over and helped Dakota up, turning to Kole moments later, "He's not the enemy. He's the one who helped us escape. But I do understand why you are pissed off right now, he messed up. Made choices that he shouldn't have, but I'm sure he lives with that regret every second, because I know I would if that was Vivi." My head cocked on its own accord. Noah, the usually surly individual that just went along with what was happening, and quick to action, was defending my ex-mate.

Now I could understand why he was chosen as Dakota's Beta, and Beta now to Haven pack.

Slipping my hand into Kole's shaking ones, Cassius looked just as pissed off as Kole, reading his features it looked like he wanted to be the one that landed that punch to Dakota's jaw.

I sighed as I closed my eyes.

"What Noah said. But I do want to give Kinsley my apology. I should have said it long ago, I just didn't know how, and I don't want to make excuses either. I let my father cloud my judgment. I don't regret rejecting you, I wish the Moon Goddess never paired us.-" My eyes were stinging, an ache starting to form in my chest. I thought I was over this.

Kole's growl was ferocious as he moved forward with a threatening swiftness. But Dakota continued, " I wish she never paired us because we never survived a chance together, you deserved more than that, and Goddess don't get me wrong, at the same time I wish I could've been the one to give you the world. But I knew if I marked you, I'd be dooming you. I can see that he will be what you have always wanted in a mate, and I'm sorry that you had to be rejected to find him. I was selfish and weak to drag you back, and an even bigger Idiot thinking you could be safe at all around me. I rejected you for so many reasons Kinsley, but mostly because I was unworthy of you." He let out a sigh. That same ache I've carried for so long seemed to loosen its hold on me then, I hadn't realized maybe I needed to just hear this from him. The why. To understand.

"My Dad, he was planning on using you to destroy packs. He knew what you were, but I don't think he expected us to end up being mates. He was always so power-hungry, I just didn't figure it out quick enough or I would've gotten you out sooner. Anyway, I've been tracking him,-" He passed a manila folder to Noah, "Rogues are being organized, but I think this is bigger than just my Dad. Packs all over are being targeted and destroyed."

I looked over at Tate - Confirming my thoughts with a nod of his head- these are the same attacks we've been tracking.

Noah slipped out the contents of the folder onto the table, a few photographs with dates and times written on them falling to the surface.

"I know this man." Madi said as we all were now looking at several shots of Dakota's dad with a man who had a scar that stretched across his right eye. The scar looked like a claw mark, making him look all the more terrifying. His eyes were devoid of any compassion as he stood afar, fires roaring in the still shot and bodies laying in unnatural positions on the earth. A shiver wracked my body, my stomach flipping fast enough to make me nauseous, as I looked over these images that held the horrific details of massacres.

"This man is the reason I lost half of my family." Her voice was a harsh growl as she threw the photos down and left the cafeteria. Kade followed after hearing a howl from outside moments later.

I ran a hand down my face, trying to gather my thoughts, and asking the important questions first, feelings that needed to process being pushed to the back of my mind. "Who is he?"

"Conrad." Dakota replied as he sat down.

"How did you get all of this information?" I asked.

Dakota looked up at me, "That day you guys escaped, I almost killed him. I should have killed him before he submitted. I banished him and he took half of the pack with him. The pack was weakened, and not long after we were being targeted by rogues." He turned away then, but the look in his eye was raw pain. What the hell happened?

"Sallow Pack doesn't exist anymore. Any living members that were left alive after the attacks I had sent to bigger packs. I didn't have a pack anymore, so I started tracking the attacks to try and prevent this from happening to other packs. That's when I figured out it wasn't an isolated event, it was happening everywhere." He finished with a tap to the images before us.

Running my hands through my hair I turned to Cassius, "We need to let Ian know. All the Alpha's need to be aware of whatever this is. I don't have a good feeling about this." Cassius gave Dakota one last cold look before leaving the room.