Star Cursed (Zodiac Wolves #2)(69)

Chapter Twenty-Nine





We arrived at my father's cabin in the early morning, a few hours before the solar eclipse was set to occur, and sent out Jack, Harper, and Dane to alert us when they caught wind of anyone approaching. Dad's cabin hadn't been used in some time, and Kaden and I quickly got to work clearing off cobwebs, shaking out the cushions, and lighting the fire. The cabin was pretty small, just two bedrooms, a cozy living room with a fireplace, and a tiny kitchen. We weren't expecting a ton of people though—unlike the Convergence, this was going to be a smaller gathering of only alphas and betas—and we planned to have the actual meeting outside, but we wanted people to be able to come inside to socialize, grab some food and drinks, and use the restroom as needed.

We'd stocked up on basics like toilet paper plus food and drinks on our way, and once the cabin was cleaned up a bit, it started to feel like we were hosting a party. I wished Stella had come with us, but Kaden thought it would be best if she and Clayton stayed with the pack while we were gone. At first, I thought it was because there were still some people in the pack that were unhappy with what we were doing, but then I realized it was because Kaden wanted someone able to lead and protect the pack if he and I were both killed. A sobering thought. While we were all trying to be optimistic about this, there was always the chance that one of the packs could betray us.

As I finished setting up the cheese tray, Jack bounded in as a wolf and quickly shifted to human. "Cancer pack members are approaching from the north."

Anticipation made my heart beat faster as I raced outside. I heard the Cancer pack members coming, and ran over to the edge of the clearing around the cabin. Wesley grinned as he ducked through the trees, and I waited for him to come closer before pulling him into a hug.

“I missed you,” I said.

Wesley squeezed me tighter. “I missed you too."

I closed my eyes and breathed in his scent, a mix of saltwater, cedar, and hope. It was so familiar to me and I’d spent a good amount of time thinking I’d never have the chance to smell it again. I pushed back tears as I pulled away from my brother. I couldn’t fall apart right now. We had a lot to do still.

"We've gotten most everything set up already," I said. "Now we just have to wait."

"Perfect. I brought beer and dozens of cheap eclipse glasses for everyone." He waved his other pack members forward, and they headed into the cabin with their bags of supplies. "Can't have people hurting their eyes, after all."

"Good thinking. We brought your car back." I nodded to the Aston Martin parked beside the cabin, which was covered in mud and looked very out of place here.

Wesley let out a sharp laugh. "I forgot about that car. Such a typical Dad thing to buy. Hey, maybe I can sell it. I bet I could use the proceeds to feed the pack for a month."

I grinned, thinking how very different Wesley was from my father—and how Dad would probably roll over in his grave knowing Wesley was going to sell the car.

“Any news?” I asked. We hadn’t talked for a few days, since we were both getting ready and then on the road.

Wesley's face fell. “We heard back from the Aquarius pack finally. They’ve sworn to serve the Leos.”

"Oh shit." They'd been one of Cancer’s oldest allies. Damn, that was a huge blow to our cause. If they weren’t willing to come forward, would anyone be? Not many packs would have the courage to stand up to the Leos, not now when so many other major players were taking their side.

"It'll be all right," Wesley said. "I'm confident others will come."

Wesley and I walked over to where Kaden was setting up a long picnic table. They shook hands, and I imagined a time when things were different, where the Ophiuchus pack might have not been exiled, and Wesley and Kaden might have known each other from childhood. Would they have been friends?

As the minutes ticked by, and the solar eclipse approached, I began to worry that no one was going to show up, and all our hard work was for nothing. But an hour later, Jack returned to let us know that the Sagittarius Pack was coming. I breathed a huge sigh of relief and went to greet them.

To my surprise, it was Eileen and Devin, as well as a couple of tough-looking warriors who had clearly seen battles. I turned to see Kaden searching for the alphas, but neither of them had come.

“What does it mean?” I muttered to him, mindful of everyone’s enhanced hearing. It almost seemed like an insult to send these two, when the alphas knew all too well the history between Kaden and Eileen. Then again, they were the betas, so maybe they were the only people the alphas trusted to send.

“I don’t know,” Kaden said. “But it doesn’t bode well for us.”

He looked on edge as Eileen and Devin walked up to meet us. The tension in the air was almost palpable as they stopped before us.

"Welcome," I said, hoping to break the ice a bit.

"Mae and Theo couldn't make it," Eileen said, her voice formal. "An emergency with their daughter pulled them away. They send their apologies and regrets, and have entrusted us to make decisions for the Sagittarius pack on their behalf."

"We're pleased to have you," Kaden said. "Please relax and have some food and drink. I'm sure the others will be here soon."

"Thank you," Devin said stiffly and held up a bag. "We brought some dessert for everyone. Eileen baked brownies and a few pies."