Silver had left the small cave room in silence after Kale and I had struck up our agreement. I knew he was upset with me for offering him up in the arrangement but I knew in my gut it was what was best for everyone. As alpha's we couldn't always think about our wants, we had to think about what the pack needed—pack should come first. I wanted to build the best future for everyone, and the only way to do that was for Silver to take his rightful place.

I had one more thing I wanted to accomplish to help Kale and the other with the battle against the monarch. That's why I had tracked down the one person I knew would help me because it would help Silver. Valerie was standing in the small space with a tense expression on her face as I explained what had been decided during our talk with alpha Kale.

"What use are we going to be to them? There is only seven of us. Eight if you include Silver's idiot brother and I definitely don't." Valerie crossed her arms over her chest defiantly, "The pure bloods will have them completely outnumbered in battle. It won't matter how well trained they might be."

"I agree with you which is why we need more people." I stated simply.

"Oh? And you happen to know people that will want to risk there lives in a rebellion that may or may not succeed? Most of these younger wolves don't even know that pure bloods exist. So excuse me while I don't have a lot of faith in you gaining the support we'd need in such short time."

I tried to keep my annoyance under control, because I needed Valerie to be on the same page with me. I leveled her with my gaze, "I know some people that would join us and might give us the edge that we need or at the very least they will help even out the odds."

She lifted a brow, questioning my words before her expression shifted into one of knowing, "You want to bring in the rogue alpha—"

I smiled at her pleased that she could follow my strategy without needing to explain myself, "He wouldn't need much convincing of that I'm certain. If we brought him here and we were able to show him what we plan to do. I know he would jump on board and that would not only give us numbers but also give us more trained warriors."

"I see your point but what I don't understand is why you are talking to me about this? Shouldn't you be explaining this to the other alpha's? I'm not an alpha nor do I care to be here. The only reason I'm here is because—"

"Because of Silver, I know." I finish for her, "That's why I want you to go and deliver this message to Noah for me, and hopefully escort him and his men back here."

Valerie narrowed her eyes into small slits, "You want me to be your messenger?" She scoffed at her own question. I crossed my arms over my chest, "I want you to do this and I know you will do this because it means Silver odds of surviving will rise—I know you don't care much for me but we both care about Silver."

I watched as she ran her tongue over her teeth with a look that said she might want to skin me alive. I understood I was using her weaknesses against her but sometimes you did what you had too to get what you needed to survive. That was something I had learned while I was prisoner of the Rogues.

"You're right. I will do this because it will help Silver" Valerie moved towards me with determined steps, "I just have one question for you, Have you stopped to think about while you've been plotting your revenge if this is something Silver or the others even want to be apart of?"

"Plotting my revenge?" I asked in confusion over the quick change in direction in our conversation.

Valerie pulled her lips together into a tight line to show her annoyance, "You're trying to tell me that you're doing this for something other then vengeance? I call bullshit on that, Grace. This whole time it's been 'I need to get back to my pack and challenge my uncle' and now suddenly you find out that daddy wasn't who you thought he was and that the monarch is the actual reason why your family is dead—and magically you're a woman of the cause?"

My whole body was stiff from her accusations and my mouth felt dry. I couldn't find the words to respond which only had her eyes lighting up with contempt and victory, "Silver actually cares about this—he knows first hand what his father and family have done. The others they will follow Silver to the end, even if it means giving up their life for his cause. You, however, are you willing to risk everything and everyone for revenge?"

Her question sat like a hundred pound weight in my stomach. Is that what I had done? Had I been doing this all for revenge? I felt doubt spring up in my mind.

"All I'm trying to say is that maybe you should have asked Silver what he wanted or thought before you made a decision for him. He's a man of his word and you've given it but that means if anyone dies—and there's a high possibility that they might—he will be the one to carry that weight. That's just the way he is. That is why Silver is so reluctant too lead, why he always runs—he doesn't want to be the reason why anyone else gets hurt or dies..." Valerie was talking to me as if I was an ignorant child and I guess I was in some ways, especially when it came to Silver. He might be my mate but Valerie had been around longer and she knew things I didn't.

My doubt and guilt screamed at me in my mind and stabbed at my heart. I never wanted to hurt Silver but it seemed from lecture Valerie was giving me, that's exactly what I had done. She was right about the fact that I should have included Silver or at the very least asked him. I had been too lost in my desire to see the pure bloods receive their just punishment that I hadn't taken time to think about anything else.

"You said practically when we first met this was something Silver talked about wanting for everyone. A world that these Rebels want to create..." I say in hopes of explaining my motives to her. I didn't want to believe I was only doing it for vengeance like she thought.

"But you didn't give him a choice!" She raises her voice which makes my wolf finally come to attention in my mind. Valerie takes in a deep breath as if realizing she might need to calm herself down before she pushes the wrong buttons, "You're his mate Grace he would literally walk through a fire if it meant saving you. Your need to avenge your family and yourself —Is Silvers need to avenge you and your family. You're poisoning your mate with your lust for blood..."

I couldn't stop the growl that pulled from my chest, "You don't think I would do everything I could to protect Silver?" My wolf was seething with a silent rage that anyone would challenge our ability to take care of our mate. Valerie shook her head, "I know you would physically do everything you could Grace. I'm trying to help you see though that your desire for revenge could end up hurting him—maybe even get him killed. If you're going to fight this battle your intent on fighting make sure it's something worth risking everything for."

I watched her expression soften as she met my gaze head on, "Revenge isn't worth it but maybe protecting the people you love is? Maybe doing everything you can so that no one has to suffer like you have makes it a worthy cause—" She let her words fall off but the weight of them clung in the silence around us. I didn't know what else could be said between us. I don't think there was anything else. She had made her point and I had gotten her agreement to be my messenger as I had wanted.

Valerie turned away from me and moved towards the exit stopping at the door, "I don't hate you Grace. I just want to know that everything I've done for Silver up to this point hasn't been for nothing." I let her words settle over me and gave a brief nod in her direction. She disappeared from view and I felt my internal war waging through me. I left the room in search of the only person I knew could calm my heart. It was time for Silver and I to talk about the things we both wanted to forget. I had spent to much time running from the past that I didn't even know what I was running towards anymore.

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Song: Holy Water--Laurel