CHAPTER 148

"Leo please," I begged after we had finally got out of the castle through some back tunnel route and.

We'd walked through the forest for a bit and then reached a single truck where Max had been waiting

for us. He lifted me onto the passenger seat of then truck and crouched down to my level. "You can

save him. I know that he tried to kill you but you tried to kill my Dad."

"How do you know about that?" he asked his eyes flickering with shock.

I suddenly had the impulse to slap him. So I did. Right across the cheek.

"He's alive," I said. "Why didn't you tell me what you did?"

He looked at me with a guilty expression with a strange underlying anger.

"Because I didn't know he was still alive until Max came back to the pack and by then it didn't seem

right."

"So you would have let me go through life without knowing that my father was still alive? And if you

hadn't fucking failed, I would have lived my entire life oblivious to the fact that the one I love the most

killed my father," I said tears now streaming.

"Because it was long before we met and I knew it would upset you. There was nothing I could do to

change it so why would I?" he replied. "I'm sorry."

"You're an ass, Leonardo," I spat.

"What can I do about it now?"

I thought for a moment before nodding. He had a point. Back then, my Dad was nothing more

significant than the countless other troublesome rebels Leo had disposed of. But he still knew for four

years that he was alive and didn't tell me.

Before I could point this out to him, he spoke, "I will do what I can to help your brother but my first

priority is to win this war."

"Thank you," I said putting my hand on the cheek I had slapped.

"But if he's a little shit, I may change my mind," he added in a lighter tone.

I smiled and kissed him on the lips before he stood up and got something out of his pocket.

"Yours I believe," he said handing me the Praesidium Deae Astra. "I have to go. Be safe and stay with

Max, okay?"

I nodded, kissed him one more time before hugging him so tightly my muscles hurt.

"I love you and thank you. For coming to help me," I whispered in his ear.

"I love you too," he replied hugging me back before Max reappeared from the side of the truck and I

had to let go of Leo. I watched as he walked back towards the battle with a pit in my stomach.

"Well fuck," Max muttered interrupting my thoughts.

"Did you know about this?" I asked.

"Pfft, yes. Of course, I did," he replied folding his arms.

"You're a prick," I stated.

As you can see, since our last adventure, nothing had changed between Max and I's relationship.

"The Alpha told me that if I told you, he'd fry me in hot oil," he said trying to justify himself.

"Still a fucking prick," I said with a smile.

"Hey! I risked my life coming to see you last night. That's not how you should thank your hero," he

replied.

"Thank you and whatever but that doesn't mean I can't hate you for not telling me that my Dad is alive,"

I said.

"Get your legs in," he said with a mocking smile as he began to close the truck door. "I'm supposed to

be driving you away from here."

I swung around so that I was fully in the truck and held my middle finger up to him as he closed the

door. In response, he rolled his eyes and got in the driver's seat.

I stared out the window and watched the castle get smaller as we drove. The battle would still be on

and I was more scared than I'd ever been.

"We've almost won, Ells. Stop worrying," Max said breaking the silence.

"I can't help but be worried about my mate. Imagine if it was Skye?" I asked.

Max had found his mate three years ago now. She was the daughter of an Alpha and naturally Max,

being the obnoxious piece of shit that he is, had a hard time earning his trust. He got there in the end

and Skye was now living with him on Stella territory.

"That's different. Skye is a mere mortal," he replied. "Don't you think that if it was possible to kill your

mate, somebody would have done it by now? He has enough enemies and there's been enough

attempts. I'm telling you, that man is immortal."

I smiled.

"I suppose you're right," I replied.Content rights belong to .

"As always."

We'd been driving for another few minutes. My head was pressed against the window and I was

beginning to realise how tired I really was. Max had finally shut up and the battle noises were getting

fainter. That was until a tremendous roar radiated to the truck. It must have been heard a mile away but

it was nowhere near powerful enough to be Leo's. I sat up straight and pricked my ears.

"That was Connor," I stated. "I know it. Stop the car."

"No," Max replied. "You can't go back there."

I didn't even both arguing with him. Instead, I just grabbed the praesidium Deae Astra, opened the car

door and jumped out whilst it was still moving. I landed on my feet and began running towards the

battle.

I'm not really sure why; it just felt like the right thing to do. I had a gut instinct.

"Ella!" I heard Max's voice shout. "Ella! Get your ass back here!"

I then heard his footsteps race towards me. I didn't want to fight my cousin but if he was going to try

and stop me he would leave me little choice. I've beaten him in the past but back then, he wasn't in or

training with the pack and I wasn't the mother of eight children. In other words: this time, he had the

advantage.

With his long legs, he could also run much faster than me and had soon caught up. He grabbed me

around the waist and lifted me off my feet. I responded by bending his arm away from me and escaping

his grip.

"Ella, sometimes I wonder if you have a fucking death wish," he grumbled grabbing my wrist again, this

time much firmer.

"Get the fuck off me, Max," I spat. "I have to go."

"No, you don't. How are you going to help? You've hardly trained recently, you are their target and you

are just another thing for the Alpha to worry about."

By this point, he'd pinned my arms behind my back leaving me immobilised.

"Max, please."

"Now you're going to be nice?" he asked and for a moment the old him slipped out. "Let's go back to

the truck," he added before releasing me a little so that he was only holding my wrist. "Come on," he

urged.

I now had a free hand which I immediately used to grab the Praesidium Deae Astra out my belt and

make a small slit in Max's arm.

"I'm sorry," I whispered as he froze and then collapsed onto the floor. I took my jacket off and laid it

over him in an attempt to protect him from the hyperthermic temperatures and snow on the ground.

I stared at his frozen figure for a few seconds before instinct overcame my guilt and drove me in the

direction of the battle.