Treacherous Devotion Ch. 02

Connor threw on a wife-beater and his jeans, and then slowly made his way to the kitchen. This facility was currently being used as the launching point for the combat offensives against the Dirus and Signatus packs, who had lately taken to calling their movement Derrotar, or vanquish. He passed a few guys he knew from consulting on tactics and intelligence meetings, before reaching the empty, industrial-sized kitchen. He figured eating a good breakfast may help with the queasiness he was feeling, and set about frying bacon and scrambling eggs.

"I hope you're making enough for three, Connor. We're famished and I do believe it was you who made us run all the way up here." Connor turned his head from the skillet full of bacon and saw Quinn and Garrick enter the kitchen. Quinn had always reminded Connor of a GI Joe. He had short dirty blonde hair and smoky blue eyes, but it was his raw fierceness that had always made Connor glad that Quinn was on his side. Garrick was five years younger than Connor, and the family resemblance was obvious. They both had dark brown hair, though Garrick's was shorter, and their rugged good looks had always kept them in high-demand with the ladies of the pack. However, Garrick was built slightly more compact than Connor, allowing him to cultivate speed and amazingly fast reflexes in his fighting.

"I didn't expect you guys here so early. But I'm glad for the company." Connor smacked both men on the back and popped a piece of bacon into his mouth. He then headed to the refrigerator to get more food to prepare for them. "You guys look tired. I made some coffee if you want it."

"Well, we may look tired but you look like someone beat the shit out you, bro," Garrick said as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "Who is this person you're so worked up over? I've never seen you like this." The corners of Quinn's mouth began to curl as he lifted his head to sniff the strange scent that filled the air around Connor. A few seconds later he let out a bellow of laughter.

"You sly son-of-a-bitch. You bonded didn't you? What pack's she from? She's not a Wulfric that's for damn sure. She smells like flowers and clean rain." Connor's lip lifted in a snarl, but then he regained his composure, turning his attention to the eggs he was preparing.

"Her name is Julia, and we bonded last night. She's the reason I wanted you guys here. She's meeting me in a few hours and the other guys can't attack her. I might need you to help me keep them away from her." Garrick furrowed his brow as he took a seat at the bar of the large island in the middle of the room.

"Why would she need protection? That doesn't make any sense," Garrick stated.

"It makes perfect sense if she is the daughter of Bronson Dirus. These guys have been trained to attack anything that smells even remotely like a Dirus pack member on our soil, and even though I told Jenkins to expect her, that doesn't mean everyone hear is going to like it." Quinn was obviously stunned by the revelation his friend just told him and sat down next to Garrick. Pinching the bridge of his nose he said,

"Tell me you did not fuck one of the Dirus sluts. Those two older sisters opened their legs for almost anyone before their father forced them to mate his generals, and I've heard a few rumors about the younger one." Before Quinn knew what was happening he was pulled from his chair and slammed against the wall, an enraged Connor grasping him by the neck and staring at him.

"Don't you ever speak of Julia like that again," Connor said through clenched teeth. "She is nothing like her sisters. Do you hear me? Nothing." Connor gave him a hard shove and then walked away.

"Dude man, I'm sorry," Quinn said rubbing his neck. "I was just surprised is all. I mean we never hear about this girl and then she turns out to be Julia Dirus. That's not like you."

"Seriously Connor, when did this all happen anyway?" Garrick asked. Connor was still a little worked up, but was trying to calm himself.

"We met four months ago," he answered. "And we've been meeting each other as much as possible ever since. You remember six weeks ago when I called in sick for the weekly meeting with dad and the elders? I was really celebrating Julia's birthday with her. We spent the entire day together."

"Look man, you obviously really care about this girl. I'm sorry I was a jackass." Quinn said.

"It's alright man, but if you call her a slut again I won't hesitate to fuck you up." Quinn laughed and nodded his understanding.

The trio sat around talking, Connor answering questions about Julia and Quinn and Garrick updating him on the latest skirmish with the Derrotar. At eight o'clock, Jenkins, the head of facility security, entered the kitchen.

"Connor, there's a woman out front asking to speak with you..." Before Jenkins could finish his sentence Connor jumped out of his chair and sprinted out of the room. The others quickly followed behind, with Jenkins continually trying to get Connor's attention.

"Man, I look like shit. I wanted to look nice for her when she got here," Connor said, breathing into his hand to check his breath.

Connor began to pick up speed as he snaked through the halls of the facility and burst into the entry way, expecting to find Julia. However, the only person in the foyer was a petite, red-head who looked to be as old as his mother. Connor looked around frantically thinking that maybe Julia was in the recessed wings, but she was nowhere to be found. When Jenkins appeared through the doorway, he slowed his pace to a stop and introduced the woman.

"Connor, I was trying to tell you. This is Elda Brighton. She's here on Julia's behalf." Connor nodded in Jenkins's direction, thanking him for the information and then walked towards Elda. Julia had talked about her maid before; she had said the woman had been helping her escape the Dirus compound unnoticed. Anxiety stared to pool in the pit of his stomach. There couldn't be a positive reason the woman was here in Julia's place. The woman appeared tired and her eyes had puffiness to them as if she had been crying, but his curiosity over that was forgotten when he also saw the star and moon necklace that was resting in the woman's hand.

"Where did you get that?" he asked her, pointing to her hand. That was the necklace he had given Julia, and he had never seen her without it, except perhaps last night. He hadn't noticed at the time, but now he was curious as to why it wasn't around Julia's neck.

"Julia asked me to return it to you. She also gave me a note." Elda handed the items to him and then stepped back, clutching her hands together in front of her. Return it? He didn't like the sound of that at all. His stress level was beginning to rise and his heart felt like a weighted stone in his chest.

"Why is Julia not here?" he inquired, fear washing over him. "Why did she send a messenger instead of coming herself? Did something happen?"

"The notes should explain everything, sir. If you have no further questions for me I'd like to be on my way." He could tell she was nervous, and anxious to leave. She kept looking around, as if she expected to be attacked at any minute. With a wave of his hand he dismissed her and then tore into the note.

Connor,

I never expected this to go this far. When I told my father I had met you, he demanded that I keep up appearances to find out information. I never anticipated that I'd grow to care about you. It's hard for me to admit this, but I'm not the woman you think I am. My loyalties lie first and foremost with my father and the pack. My actions with you were a sacrifice in the larger plan of furthering the Dirus territory. I'm sorry I had to deceive you, it pained me towards the end, and all I wanted to do was stop lying to you and confess the truth. Now that we have the information we sought, I am being re-stationed elsewhere. You really are a great guy, and I'm sorry it came down to this.

-Julia

Connor's heart sank into the pit of his stomach. What information? This didn't feel right. His Julia would never do this to him. She loved him! Connor's head was reeling. The pain in his chest grew and he felt like he was going to vomit. This couldn't possibly be true. Something must have happened, and he walked toward the hallway he had just run down, prepared to take action to find her. But before he got past the doorway, he heard the alarm bells sounding an attack on the compound. Loud barks and growls could be heard echoing through the valley that the base was located in. By the sounds of it, there were a lot of them out there. Suddenly, Gage, one of the combat generals came rushing into the area.

"Connor, our security cameras have shown a large number of Derrotar wolves surrounding the compound. We have an estimation of at least seventy-five, sir."

Julia was the only non-Alliance member who knew the location of this facility. If they were being attacked now it was because she sold them out. She'd obviously told her maid how to get here, who else would she have told? He glared down at the necklace in his hand. No wonder she hadn't worn it last night. The symbol was a sign of affection and love in his pack, stating that the recipient gave light to the giver's world. She couldn't bring herself to feel the chain around her neck as she let him bite into her. She had merely sacrificed herself.

How wrong he had been about her. She was more devious than her entire family. Her attack wasn't external. It wasn't even mental; it was emotional. Not only did she patiently wait to find out some small shred of information that would help the Derrator cause, but she sacrificed her own reproductive ability just to ensure that he couldn't father another alpha male. What a deceitful bitch. Stuffing the note and necklace in his pocket, he turned to looks at Garrick and Quinn, who had been standing in silence along the perimeter of the foyer. He silently indicated for them to follow him.

"How many men do we have stationed here right now?" Connor asked Gage, while leading the other men down the hallway and to the main strategy room.

"Twenty-five. This place is dependent on concealment; it was never designed to be defended against this large of an attack." They were outnumbered at least three to one. Connor knew what that meant. With only twenty-five men and themselves, this base didn't stand a chance. Their only hope for surviving this was to run, and he never ran.