Chapter 55

Rachel POV

Blue Diamond - Kitchen

"Rachel? Rachel!"

I had no idea how long Bella had been trying to get my attention. I was perched on a counter in the kitchen of Blue Diamond while Bella made the specialty dessert of the night. The delicate tarts were more of a pain in the ass than they seemed to be worth in my estimation.

"What? I'm sorry. I was caught up in my head."

"You were thinking about Tyler," Bella snorted, "You're going back to him because he bought you pasta? I can cook pasta."

Jack laughed loudly before flicking flour into Bella's face. He and I were visiting while we went over our plans to get me a visit to House Campbell territory. I would have felt bad about being in her way while she was working except Bella clearly enjoyed the company.

"She says that as if you're terrible for thinking about your mate. How often do you think about me? No, really, tell me. I need the ego boost."

"You're both crazy. Why are you so sure you need to go visit House Campbell in person? I thought we were going to let the Alpha Council investigate them first."

Smart people would let the Alpha Council finish their investigation. Neither Jack nor I were equipped to deal with people who had potentially faked the death of an Alpha wife. We had not gotten any good news from House Campbell from any of our communications either.

"Richard Campbell won't be able to say he has no knowledge of me if he's met me in person. I want the chance to look him in the eye and ask him if he's my father. I know he could lie---I know he probably will lie. I just want to meet him."

I couldn't explain why it was so important to me to meet the Alpha of House Campbell. Some part of me just really wanted to see the man who might have fathered me for myself. I needed to see him in person. I just did.

I knew if I had told Tyler about my plans to go visit Moonglow Pack he would insist on coming with me if he didn't demand I give up on the idea completely.

"I don't think it's safe."

Bella hit a new round of dough with her rolling pin as if it had personally offended her. I could tell she was nervous for me and probably for Jack, too. Who knew what lengths they'd go to if they were willing to fake my mother's death?

"I won't get us killed," I joked, mostly certain I was telling Bella the truth.

"We won't get killed. We have to take an Alpha with us. He'll make sure we get in and out of Moonglow territory without injury."

Jack issued the announcement as if he were commenting on the weather, but it was the first time I'd heard about needing an Alpha escort.

Shock jolted me off the counter. My shoes made a loud click-clack against the kitchen floor. I felt a rush of heat over my body as anger raced through my veins with every beat of my heart.

"What do you mean we have to take an Alpha? I don't need an escort."

"We do need an escort. It's not negotiable, Rachel. I have to apply for a travel visa, too. Moonglow Pack lives primarily on reservation land where wolves are welcome, but they follow their own laws with their own law enforcement."

I knew Moonglow was isolated in the Poconos. I hadn't considered whether they were a reservation or not.

Wolfen society tended to live in harmony with humans. We weren't a hidden people and hadn't been for hundreds of years. The packs who chose to live apart from humanity were considered the exception rather than the rule and most of them were viewed as being a bit backwards.

I paced in front of the counter. The idea of standing there while we discussed whether or not I needed a male escort to visit my birth pack like some maiden out of antiquity was intolerable to me. I needed to move even if my feet were as swollen as they'd ever been and every step was a new reminder of my growing pregnancy.

"Women don't need to be escorted in this day and age. It's ridiculous to insist on an Alpha coming with me. Why couldn't Ethan do it? He's my brother. He's an adult. He's male if that's the big deal!"

"He's an omega," Jack pointed out, "Before you ask, I don't count either because I'm both your legal representation and a Beta. No Alpha has to respect me. Any Alpha could command me and I'd be helpless to resist them. If you don't want to take Tyler or Nathan, we could appeal to the Alpha Council. They would be required to give us an escort."

I hadn't considered taking Nathan Lewis, but, then, I realized I wasn't sure I wanted to take him as an escort when his emotions toward me were still questionably under control. There were too many unresolved tensions between us for me to think of him only as a friend. Nathan deserved to be treated with caution, too.

His intense emotions toward me were not easy for me to dismiss even if he'd not bruised me or touched me roughly again after the first time when he'd insisted I marry him.

Looking at Bella, I met her eyes as I asked, "Do you think a guardian from the Alpha Council would be a better idea than Tyler?"

Bella considered carefully. I could practically see the gears turning in her head as she shaped dessert after dessert. Her ability as a chef was unquestionable; I found myself proud of her even though I had nothing to do with her success in the kitchen or out.

"I think you should take whoever makes you feel more comfortable. Tyler has a better reason to keep you safe. The Alpha Council has no personal reason to get involved in your visit so you'd be more free to get answers."

Jack and I exchanged a nod as we agreed with Bella's assessment.

"I think I need to spend more time on it before I decide."

Jack offered, "I think you need to ask Tyler before you rule him out."

"I don't know---"

"Jack---"

Holding up a hand, Jack stopped both of us from continuing, "Look! I'm just trying to give you the perspective of a male in this situation. I know if you were my pregnant mate? I'd want the chance to convince you to take me. I'd at least want to know you were planning to go because it will be dangerous even with an escort."

I was glad we had Jack to give us the male perspective even if I didn't want to hear it.

"Okay," I agreed, hopping back up onto the counter, "I'll ask Tyler if he wants to go visit Moonglow territory. I have a feeling he will throw a fit though. He's never been a fan of being in another Alpha's home field."

"No Alpha likes being in another Alpha's territory. It's a primal thing. I don't think they can help it."

"You're a Beta. Do you have the same 'primal thing' or is it limited to those with the Alpha gene?"

I rolled my eyes at the idea of Tyler being a slave to his genes. We had evolved a lot farther than humanity depicted in their movies or television shows. Wolves weren't animals who couldn't control themselves.

"I don't have that 'primal thing,' but I do have other primal things."

Jack hugged Bella from behind, nuzzling his face against her mate mark. They shared a laugh and were so obviously in love I found myself feeling self-conscious for being there to witness their moment. It was almost as if I were spying on something more private than a hug.

"Hey," I protested, "Get a room!"

"We have a room. You're sleeping in it."

We shared a laugh as we all agreed things were awkward with me sharing the tiny apartment Bella rented.

I knew they didn't begrudge me the spare room, but we did need a bigger place. I had thought we would go house-hunting together before I came to accept I would go back to Tyler. I wasn't sure when I planned to return to him. I did know I wanted to be with him again.

I wanted to have what Bella and Jack had---even if I wasn't sure Tyler and I were the right kind of mated pair to have that kind of intimacy.

There would be time for me to ask Tyler about going to visit House Campbell. Moonglow Pack wasn't going to move their territory. I still had several weeks before I needed to go before the Alpha Council with a decision about my pledge for membership to any particular pack.

"Tell me I get one of these."

Bella smacked my hand before I could pick up one of the pastries, laughing, "Only if you're good!"

What would Tyler think about my need to visit my mother's home pack? Was I making a mistake thinking I could go safely into their territory and return?