Free Web NovelChapter 25: Chapter 25 Purple Tree Revealed
Bella’s POV
Following that confrontation, the three Alphas vanished from my sight for days. When they finally resurfaced, it was only after I had completed my interviews with the children.
I handled those conversations alone, relieved they hadn’t attempted to interfere or insert themselves into such delicate discussions with my kids.
Now I found myself seated across from them in Derek’s office, all three Alphas present and accounted for. The atmosphere felt suffocating, thick with unspoken tension as we all pretended the heated encounter from days before had never occurred. We were acting like strangers meeting for the first time.
"Every single one of my children confirmed something important," I began, referring to my three little ones. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
The mere thought that all of them were experiencing these disturbing visions made my stomach churn with anxiety.
Each Alpha fixed their attention on me with laser focus, pens poised over notepads, prepared to document every detail I shared.
We had reached a critical juncture where even the smallest piece of information could prove vital, too important to dismiss or overlook.
"According to what they told me, whenever someone leads them through the forest in their dreams, they always end up at the same destination. They described it as a purple autumn tree," I revealed, observing as confusion flickered across their faces.
The instant those words left my lips, Hugo’s head snapped up with startling intensity, his eyes boring into mine with sudden recognition.
"Where could something like that possibly exist? Are we certain this isn’t just imagination? Maybe these visions don’t correspond to reality and we’re chasing shadows," Derek speculated aloud, suggesting perhaps we were pursuing the wrong leads entirely.
"That’s my thinking too. I mean, what exactly constitutes a purple autumn tree? It sounds completely fabricated," Parker added, clearly aligned with Derek’s theory that we might be wasting precious time.
"Actually, it’s a real location within the forest boundaries of the Golden Talon pack," Hugo interjected, immediately capturing both Derek and Parker’s undivided attention as he referenced my former pack.
"Seriously? How is it possible we’ve never heard of this place before?"
Derek demanded with obvious irritation, his gaze bouncing between Hugo and me accusingly.
I made every effort to avoid meeting Hugo’s eyes, though whenever I glanced up, I invariably found his intense stare fixed on me.
The explanation was straightforward yet complicated. The purple autumn tree had been our secret sanctuary, the private meeting place where Hugo and I used to spend countless hours together, away from everyone else.
Somewhere during this exchange, Parker must have connected the dots, because his head whipped toward Hugo, then to me, his expression darkening with what appeared to be jealousy that we had shared something exclusive, something that hadn’t included him or Derek.
Fortunately, I had moved far beyond the stage where I felt obligated to justify my past relationships to any of them.
"Regardless of the history, this location keeps appearing in my children’s dreams. I believe there’s a possibility we might discover important clues there," I stated firmly, redirecting the conversation toward what actually mattered rather than dwelling on ancient history that no longer held relevance.
"In that case, we need to prepare for departure immediately. We’ll be traveling to the Golden Talon Pack and establishing a temporary residence there for however long this investigation requires," Derek announced in a tone that was notably cold and controlled.
Both Derek and Parker appeared suddenly deflated, their energy visibly diminished.
My past friendships seemed to mean absolutely nothing to them, yet the moment they discovered I had shared closer bonds with one of them, their reactions became explosive. I could only assume it was their Alpha pride at work.
They craved superiority, needed to possess more than their rivals could claim.
Unfortunately, I hadn’t recognized this destructive pattern before, but now I understood their behavior had never truly been about me personally.
Their territorial possessiveness and aggressive competition were never about genuine feelings for me as a person.
"What’s the logic behind abandoning your own pack territories? Since Bella is returning to the Golden Talon Pack anyway, I’ll be the one escorting her," Hugo announced quietly, once again becoming the center of everyone’s attention.
"Fine by us," Derek conceded without putting up any resistance, while Parker merely shrugged his shoulders, offering no arguments or challenges to the arrangement.
I had already made my expectations crystal clear regarding their behavior. I wanted zero conflict, zero drama, zero childish rivalry.
I needed them to treat this situation with the gravity it deserved and focus exclusively on saving innocent children’s lives.
While having any of them accompany me wasn’t my preference, I recognized it was probably necessary since they were partially responsible for my presence in werewolf territory.
These three Alphas had funded my living arrangements, managed all the bureaucratic details, and convinced the council they had thoroughly vetted a human consultant who could provide assistance.
Therefore, one of them needed to accompany me on this journey, and unfortunately, that person was Hugo.
I wasn’t thrilled about dealing with his intense, sometimes overwhelming energy. Hoping he would control himself this time, I gathered my children’s belongings and loaded everything into our vehicle.
When Hugo’s SUV pulled up, I noticed his pack warriors beginning to transfer my luggage.
"Excuse me, I’m perfectly capable of driving myself," I protested, gripping the handle of my bag tightly while a warrior held the opposite end.
Hugo emerged from his vehicle, circled around to where we stood, yanked the bag from my grasp, and handed it directly to his subordinate.
"Circumstances have deteriorated significantly. The werewolf population has become increasingly unstable. Sometimes, when they encounter an Omega or anyone they perceive as vulnerable, they launch unprovoked attacks. Rogue wolves are the primary threat. They’ve lost all self-control, and I need to guarantee your safety and your children’s protection because you’re under my guardianship for this expedition," Hugo explained matter-of-factly, avoiding eye contact while his men continued transferring our belongings.
"Interesting how your grand plans to eliminate rogue influences completely backfired," I responded with undisguised bitterness.
Even though I had once advocated for creating a harmonious working environment, I couldn’t resist being caustic whenever these three were around.
"Yeah, seems that way. Anyway, get the kids and climb in," Hugo replied.
For someone with his typically explosive temperament, he remained strangely composed and didn’t match my hostile energy.
However, his eyes betrayed him completely. He did a noticeable double-take when Zack stepped out of our car.
He studied Zack with uncomfortable intensity before I positioned myself between them, forcing him to break his stare and look up at me instead.
"Come on, let’s go," he muttered, walking away toward his SUV.
I guided my children to his vehicle, secured them properly in the backseat, then settled into the passenger seat beside Hugo.
I knew returning to that pack would trigger an emotional avalanche. Countless memories would come flooding back, and regarding my childhood home, I had no idea what condition to expect. Seeing any familiar faces again would prove overwhelming.
"Mommy, where exactly are we traveling?" Zack asked from behind us, causing me to shift uncomfortably in my seat.
"We’re visiting the pack where your mother spent her childhood," I answered, immediately turning toward the window and biting my lower lip as painful memories began surfacing.
"Oh wow, does that mean we’ll meet your parents? Are we going to see them?" Zack asked with genuine excitement, while his siblings cheered enthusiastically too.
I couldn’t bring myself to respond. How could I possibly explain that their grandfather was the very person who wanted them dead?
"Absolutely not. We won’t be meeting any of those bastards again," I whispered under my breath, too quietly for them to hear.
