Escape to Midnight

Episode 20

Charis Point Of View

I stood up and faced Logan. ‘What if they banish me? Then what? What will you do if I am banished.” I realized I was yelling, but I did not care. He should have told me what was happening. Logan dropped down into a chair with his head in his hands. 

“ It should never come to that. Packs take care of their own.” He said, his voice strained. 

Edward looked at him some what sympathetically, “ Dude your pack has not been in a war in almost two hundred years. Your wolves are weak and scared. They have gotten soft. Fighting the occasional rogue is not the same as war. Your pack is soft and frightened.” As he spoke I realized Edward knew more than I did. What was he hiding and why was he hiding it. 

“Edward, what do you know about it?” I asked. 

He sighed. “I did not want to tell you like this. I wanted to give Logan an chance to fix things. I came here tonight to make sure you knew you had a place to go. I overheard your warriors discussing a vote. They are going to Sterling to demand a banishment vote.” I gasped.

This had gotten real very fast. I felt nauseated. We sat in silence for a long time. I finally had to ask, “ When is the vote?” I asked Logan, but I realized he was looking to Edward for the answer. Logan did not see this coming either. Beth and Robert came busting into the house before Edward could answer. Beth looked Panicked. 

“Logan is it true? Is this happening?’ she asked 

Logan looked stunned. "Beth, I don’t think Logan knows yet.” Robert said. Beth was wringing her hands and she began to cry. I looked to Logan, he still had not said anything. Since Edward told us about the vote he had not said a word. He stood up and looked at his parents, he was clearly overwhelmed with emotions. “They cant do this. They can’t banish our family. A pack takes care of its members.” his voice was full of emotion. His Mother grabbed him and hugged him. “We wont let this happen. Sterling won’t let this happen.” 

Suddenly my head filled with the sound of Sterling's Alpha Command. “Everyone and I mean every one come to the training field right now. Leave patrol, I don’t care what you ae doing or what you need to do I want everyone at the field now." 

My stomach was in knots. It was happening. They had called a vote. Edward looked confused. He could see he missed something. ‘They have called the meeting.” I whispered. 

 Edward stood up and faced me. He put his hands on my shoulders and shook me a little. I looked into his eyes. “ You walk in  their with your head held high. You are a wonderful person and if they do this they don’t deserve you. You will always have a home.” He said 

I nodded and tried to stop the tears flowing down my face. I turned to Logan. He grabbed my arm and linked it with his. We walked into the training field arm in arm, with Beth and Robert behind us. I held my head up and I begged no one for acceptance. If they did not want me, I would leave.

Sterling had a table set up at one end of the field. He was sanding on the Table with his mate, Luna Lila. There was a hush over the field as everyone waited. To our surprise it was Lila who spoke and not Sterling.

"I have heard you want to vote on banishing a member of our pack. Banishment is done in cases of crimes not punishable by death. Charis has committed no crime. The reason you want her banished is you are weak and scared. Before we vote I believe you need a few more facts.” Her voice was strong and firm. I was relieved she appeared to be on my side. “ Warren Blair has had his eye on destroying this pack for a long time. He vowed to destroy this pack almost twenty years ago.” The crowd gasped, they were shocked. A man close to the front scoffed “How convenient.” Sterling leapt from the table and pinned the man against the ground, his canines showing and his claws lengthened. “ How dare you mock your Luna!’ He had his claw around the mans neck and was squeezing. The man was wheezing and trying to speak. “The next person who speaks out of turn will have their neck separated from their body.” Sterling said the words cooly, it sent a shiver down my spine.

Lila continued. “ I was Warren Blairs mate. I rejected him and joined your pack to be Sterling's mate. Warren Vowed when I left Crescent to destroy this pack. He sent me a message. He intends to claim me as his Luna after he kills every member of this pack. Children included. So if you banish Charis you will also be banishing me. But know, banishing us will not stop warren from killing all of you.” 

I had no idea Lila was the same wolf my Mother had told me about. It made more sense. Warrens complete breakdown when he found out my Mate was from midnight. I locked eyes with my Luna, I linked her, “ Thank you” It was all I could say. No one else said anything, but I noticed the crowd thinning out. Whatever talk their was of banishment was gone. The war was happening. No one could stop it. 

Lila walked over to me. “I am sorry for what you have been through. This is my fault. I was young and foolish when I rejected him. Something inside of him broke that day. He was never the same. I wonder if he would have been different if I had stayed. “ I shrugged unsure what to say. She hugged me and said, "We will get through this together." I nodded and turned to Logan. I wanted to go home. This had been so draining.

Training resumed with a renewed determination. Classes of warriors training in my yard almost doubled. Everyone was on high alert. Suddenly we were in this together. Nicole and Melanie never came back, but I was fine with that. Ann Marie and I had a lot more fun without them. Coffee after class was a part of our work out routine now.  

Lenore came over after coffee to plan the nursey with me. I want a garden theme, light green walls and a garden mural on the wall. One of Lenore's many talents is painting. She is going to help me paint the entire room green, and then she is going to paint the mural. She showed me some sketches she drew to give me an idea of how it would look. So far I love I love her designs.

 After Lunch we have an appointment at the clinic for a sonogram. We have decided we can’t wait any longer to know the gender. As usual it will be a full house. aside from Logan and I, Beth, Robert and Lenore will be there. I hope this little guy knows how much it is loved. 

We started to walk to the clinic together. Robert and Logan would meet us there and Beth was working, so she was already there. Lenore had never really spoken about wanting a family, so I was surprised when she told me she wanted one. “I have had baby names picked out for my children since I was a little girl. I always wanted a house full of pups. Goddess just seems to have had other plans for me. I always thought if I just waited long enough I would find my mate. Now it seems like my whole life has passed and I have no one. No family of my own." She said. 

I was suddenly sad for her. “Oh Lenore, I am so sorry. You would have been a wonderful mother." I said.

She smiled wishfully and looked at me. “I think so. Sometimes I wonder if it is really to late. I could adopt an  older pup. I have so much love to give. I mean don’t get me wrong, I love Beth and I love you guys, but sometimes I feel like I am missing something.”

I hugged her. I knew there were no words I could say to change how she was feeling, but I wanted her to feel my love. We walked up to the clinic and saw Logan and Robert waiting inside with Beth. Logan rushed out to me. He looked so excited. He walked over and enveloped me in a huge hug. It felt so calming and relaxing to be in his arms. I could feel his stress from the day at work draining from him. 

He leaned back a little and looked me in the eyes. "Lets find out what we have cooking in there." He winked at me as he said it. 

We went into the exam room and Logan helped me onto the examining table. My short legs are no help. The Tech came in and began to put the gel on my stomach. I could feel the excitement in the room. The tech began to move the tool around. I was surprised by the detail we were able to see. She did not leave us in suspense for long. 

“Well Ladies and Gentleman, we are looking at the next pack Beta.” She said. A cheer went though the room. “we are approximately 2 months from delivery.’ she continued. Everyone was so excited, but especially Robert and Logan. A boy, it is a blessing from the Goddess for the first born to be a boy. Logan leaned down and kissed my forehead. He whispered in my ear. “ thank you for saving me.” 

I smiled at him, knowing we saved each other. I was so excited, I linked Ann Marie right away and told her. We decided to go shopping for baby boy clothes before our second training session of the day. I invited Lenore. She seemed really excited to join us. 

The clothing store was almost empty this time of day. We circled the racks. There were a lot more options for baby girl clothing, but we made some good finds. My favorite were the soft shoes Lenore found. They would keep his feet warm for sure. We gathered up our options and began the walk home. It was so nice to finally have friends and family to do fun stuff with. Times like this I can almost forget the threat of war that has become a constant in our lives. 

The next morning I did not feel well. I was tired and weak. We knew this might happen. The closer I get to the birth the more energy and nutrients the baby will need. I struggled to get out f bed and made my way into the kitchen. I did not feel like cooking. I decided to just eat some fruit. When Ann Marie arrived I was not feeling any better. I decided to just observe training today. Hopefully I would be better tomorrow. I even skipped out on our coffee, but An Marie understood.

Logan showed up with a hot lunch for me to eat. I was so glad to see him. I was very hungry, but I could not get up and cook, the fatigue was overwhelming. Logan busied himself making sure I had everything I needed; food, a book and some pillows. He gave me a long slow kiss before leaving for work. I felt so lucky to have him. 

The next three days went along the same. I was unable to do much more than move around. The baby was super active and growing, my belly felt huge. The fourth day I was able to go to the coffee shop with Ann Marie. I gave Seth a hard time, I told him Coffee shop was my favorite part of his work out. 

I came home and found Logan waiting for me. He looked concerned, and I noticed all the warriors were gone. I went inside and he hugged my body as close to him as he could. I could tell he was troubled, but I waited until he was ready to talk.

“Sterling is ready to attack Warren.” He said it so matter of fact, “The longer we wait the more time he has to prepare. Our warriors are trained. They may not be experienced, but they are trained. We have that advantage. Sterling is sponsoring a dinner tonight for all warriors and their mates. A ‘Last Meal” for some.” The comment was  sobering. I sat down and tried to think about what it would mean for us.

"All Warriors will be moved to our border or all the way to Bennie's border. Our first attack, we will try to save the families he is holding hostage. Freeing them will allow Rogues there under duress to leave. Once the kids are free it is a seek and kill mission. If we can use the element of surprise and kill Warren this could all end in a day.” I nodded my head, That sounded like the best idea. 

I did not have anything special to wear. Most of my clothes no longer fit. I found the best outfit I had, a linen jumpsuit. Logan was dressed in a nice pressed shirt similar in color. As we left to walk to the pack house I was surprised when Robert and Beth joined us. Robert noticed my surprise, “ I have decide to join the fight. I cant sit home and let Logan have all the fun.” He tried to make light of the situation, but the weight was on all of us. We arrived at the pack house along with everyone else, No one was laughing, everyone was worried for what tomorrow would bring. 

We found our seats next to Sterling and Lila. Dinner  was proceeding nicely, friendly conversation and good food. It was all interrupted when Benjamin decided to speak. “Logan where will you be positioned during the initial battle?” he asked. 

"I will be along our border." Logan replied.

Benjamin Pretended to be shocked. I am sure he knew the answer before he asked the question.” You won’t be on the front line protecting your Alpha? He asked. 

 I heard Sterling let out a low warning growl. “You know my mate is close to delivery. I have to be sure our bond is not stressing her or the baby.” Logan answered, the annoyance clear in his voice. 

Benjamin began to speak loudly, “You are going to hide from the fight because your mate is pregnant. Will every warrior be afforded that luxury? Don’t bother answering, no other wolf would hide behind his mate like this.” 

His words cut through Logan. He jumped to his feet. “I am not hiding behind my mate. 3 other warriors will be with me because their mates are also as  far along as Charis.” He seemed confident in his answer, but it only played into the trap Benjamin was laying.

‘How convenient, you have hand picked a soft squad to be the leader of. You may lead them, but you should not lead this pack “ He said menacingly.

Sterling slammed his fist down on the table. “ I am leading this pack. The decision is mine. This dinner is to honor our warriors about to go into battle. Keep your petty disagreements at the door.”

‘I  apologize alpha, I mean no disrespect. You do lead this pack. Your Beta should help you lead. Unfortunately your beta has chosen to hide during a time of war. He is unfit. I challenge him for the title of Beta.” An audible gasp filled the room. 

Robert jumped at Benjamin, “You coward! You could have challenged me for years, you waited until my son had a weakness and now you exploit it” He was seething with anger.

The entire room fell silent, I could tell everyone was linking,  but no one said a word. Logan had two choices, he could step down in shame and let Benjamin become Beta, or he could fight him for the title. The fight is almost always to the death. The winner can spare an opponent’s life, but that leaves a chance for a rematch. The problem with fighting during a mates pregnancy is the added stress on the baby. Through the bond we can feel each other emotion and injuries. The stress can cause so many complications, from premature labor to death. That is the reason Logan and the other fathers to be are staying behind. If they are involved in heavy combat we will feel it, so will the pups. . Beth’s eyes were wide with fear. Robert’s fist were so tight his knuckles were white. 

Logan finally spoke,  "I accept your challenge we will fight now, before the battle tomorrow.” My heart sank.