Chương 155: TAKING IT LYING DOWN

Can someone tell me, "WHY CAN'T I COME?" We were all seated around the small dining table at the penthouse. At least the dining table felt very small now that I was squeezing around it with Killion, Harvey, Flynn, and Hank. Mum had produced more sandwiches with a side of coffee, but these were quickly swallowed and put away. Every now and then Mum and Savy would come with more coffee and sandwiches, but I'm sure they were just listening in to the conversation. Killion had printed the map.

Rebel was due at the Central Coven, and based on his schedule, he should be traveling from the east, placing him most likely on one of three possible routes. Besides commenting that Central Coven was a tough crowd, Killion saif very little else about the place. We all knew that this was vampire territory, which would make attacking a vampire's truck transporting a prized fight dog seem like a crazy task. Thanks to Jules, I also knew there was only one Lycan pack here—Pearl, Bra, and Priya's pack.

But more importantly, I knew the place was overrun with rogue wolves. So it was entirely possible to attack and kill a fight dog, and then pin the blame on the rogues. Since this was a city area, the only wooded part was behind the coven. At some point, the road through the woods would pass the apex where the Lycan pack, the rogue land, and the vampire territory met. Naturally, this was the most likely route where the ambush would be made. This apex was also where Coven Central Station was.

It made sense, placing it equally between Lycans and vampires, although truth be told, rogue wolves would have trouble obtaining a travel pass (they had been banned after several violent mishaps and a massacre on the continent's shared rail system), and vampires never took public transport. The train station was for humans and pack wolves mostly. Our best bet was to take a train down to Central Coven.

It was infamous for nightlife and fight cages and such, so we could dress as if we were out to have a good time and pass through border controls easily. Then once at Central Coven, we could slip behind the station into the woods and make the short trek to the main road. Staying in the woods, we could probably follow the road till we met the Lorent's rogue ambush team. We had to hurry if we were to get there before the ambush happened.

We would let the ambush happen, and once Beta Lorent's rogues took out the vamps, we would take them out and release Rebel. Then we would all clean up and change into party mode, blend with the crowd, stop at a few places for drinks, and then take a train back, muddling any possible tracing from the railway's travel records. Foolproof. Killion even showed us how we might disguise Rebel with a change of clothes.

"We could have picked him up at a bar." Harvey had quite a good idea about leaving the rogue bodies, etc., lying around at the scene. We would save Rebel and leave the tab for Beta Lorent's rogues. What a perfect plan! The only problem was that the guys seemed to feel I should stay at home. Even though I was the one who called them here! Even though most of the plan was my idea! Even though Rebel was my mate! Even though I was the Alpha! Was it because I was underaged and couldn't get into the bars?

Was it because I was a girl and it would be inconvenient for them to pretend to chat up other girls? Was it because they thought it would be too risky for the future Alpha to jump into a skirmish between rogues and vampires? Was it because of the rules against unauthorized Alpha wolves on that land (what's the deal with that, anyway)? Did my mum sneakily mindlink them not to let me go? This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

If they had answered any of the above, except for the last one, I would have stopped to consider it. I would probably even have had to accept it. BUT THEY DIDN'T.

"Goddess, had you ever met your mate in person?" Killion asked me instead.

"No." I answered. I could not see the point of his question.

"Uh huh." Killion looked at the other guys. I could tell that fast mindlinking was happening across the table without me. Rude.

"What's the big deal?" I asked.

"I've met him lots in my dreams."

"Well... in reality, it will be different." Killion tried to explain. From the looks he was shooting at the other guys, it seemed like he wanted one of them to take it from him and explain it, but it didn't look like any of them wanted to be the one who talked about it.

"What do you mean, different?" I asked. I wasn't about to let him squirm out of this one. If he dared to make jokes about dream guys and real guys, I would punch him.

"Well, it's because in a dream he had no scent, right?" Killion said.

"Yeah, so?" I asked.

"In reality, you would be able to smell him," Killion said.

"Yeah, so?" Where was this conversation heading?

"So... urm... if you smell him, you might, ah... find out he has B. O.," Killion blurted out at last. He had what?

"Oh yeah." The idea seemed to catch on with the other guys, like they would know if Rebel had body odor.

"Better you don't meet him," Flynn concluded. Hank nodded. Harvey wore an expression of thinly veiled amusement. He must be the only one who realized that I wouldn't buy their bulls***. Savy came to my rescue, and from the look on the guys' faces, she saved them too.

"They mean that if you met your Luna in person, it might trigger the mating bond, and they feel you're too young to mate." How was it that she figured it out just by pretending to serve sandwiches?

"I'm only 15. It won't trigger until I'm 18," I said.

"The numbers are just averages, Sam," Flynn tried to explain.

"My mate was 17 when I met her," Killion said.

"The mating bond triggered anyway."

"You have a mate?" I asked.

"She's dead now." Killion's voice was void of emotion. I had always thought Killion was broken because of his fight dog days, but hearing him say this helped me correct the source of his brokenness.

"What happened to her?" I asked.

"I killed her," Killion answered simply. My mouth dropped open. I looked around the table. Why did no one else look even remotely surprised?

"Killion was forced to kill his own mate in a fight cage a few years ago. It gained him quite a huge notoriety and propelled him to fame," Harvey explained.

"There was a lot of media coverage on that fight." Oh. My heart felt like it was breaking for Killion. I put my head on his shoulder. I wanted to say, "It's going to be okay." But how could I lie? How could it be okay? Killion patted my head.

"It's no big deal." Liar. I sat up again.

"But I'm only 15. I'm nowhere close to 18. And I'm super average in my development."

"Actually, I would say you were pretty slow in that department." Savy grinned at me. She had inserted herself to share my dining chair to help herself to one of the sandwiches. She was small enough that if we both sat half a butt space, we managed to fit. Should I be insulted that everyone seemed to agree with Savy's assessment of my "slowness"? What the heck. Wait, why wasn't she surprised? Did everyone know about Killion's backstory besides me? Grrr... I'm always left out of these things. Wait, I was digressing.

"Since I'm so slow, there should be no problem with me going."

"If you were so focused on your training drills..." Flynn marveled.

"Don't change the subject," I ordered.

"It would be safer not to take that risk," Hank said quietly. He looked concerned.

"The consequences would be serious."

"Sam, if the mating bond took root, you know about the full moon and going into heat, right? I've read it's uncomfortable and painful," Savy informed me. Well, I knew that. Everyone knew that! Even though I hadn't thought of it. I wasn't that slow...

"And imagine the chaos keeping the unmated wolves away," Killion added.

"On top of that, you're an Alpha. The effect would be worse." The more Killion talked, the more it seemed my fate was sealed. I would have to sit this one out. Nobody in this place was about to let me go accidentally trigger the mating bond.

"Even after we rescue him, it might be good to keep him away. He can stay at Morning Light with me," Harvey offered. Everyone nodded.

"Good, because even if our goddess is slow," Killion made the finishing blow, "our Luna is already 18, and I assure you, he is NOT slow." I wished they'd stop harping about how slow I was in this department. And then of course Harvey had to hit the final nail in the coffin.

"It will be for the best. I feel like our Luna would be a difficult person to, ah... keep contained." I stood up. Whatever.

"Fine, you guys go." I stomped to my room.

"Just go already, before you miss the ambush." Everyone stood up, but they looked nothing less than shocked that I'd conceded. I grinned.

"I'm going to sleep."

"Sam..." Mum warned.

"I really am," I said. I went into the room. Mum followed me as if she had to see it to believe it. I climbed into the bottom bunk and covered myself.

"Don't worry, I won't step a foot out the door."

"Or the window?" Mum asked.

"Mum, we're in the penthouse!" Mum didn't look convinced in the slightest.

"Fine. Or the window. I won't even step off this bed till morning," I promised.

"Okay, I'll check on you later," Mum said finally.

"Goodnight." Didn't I tell you? My mum had trust issues. I lay in bed as I listened to the guys leave. Hahahaha... See you in my dreams!