Second Best

28

The visit in the north came to an end.

Ezekiel, Allie and Hunter went for a perfunctory visit to the university, but only to appease the supervision from a team of wolves constantly staying within a suspiciously close distance.

The second audience with Alpha Preston was denied at the gate.

"Alpha Preston sends his apologies, but will not accept guests!" The gruff delta at the gate barked. Behind him, a  team of deltas in wolf form started raising their heckles, ready to fight these weird strangers to the death if required.
Ezekiel backed slowly off towards the car, Sam at his side, pushing Allie and Hunter behind them.

"What the hell!" Sam muttered quietly.

Calm as a summers day,  Ezekiel smiled at the young delta at the gate.

"Please tell your alpha that we are grateful for his courtesy," he said with a respectful bow and a tight smile.

Before leaving, Ezekiel opened the boot of the rental car and brought out a wrapped and ribboned box which he placed on the ground in front of the suspicious looking delta.

"My Luna was hoping to present this gift to the Alpha Heir herself, but if you would be so kind as to deliver this to the Luna, we would appreciate it," he said, barely keeping the disdain out of his voice.

Straight-backed and with clenching and stretching fists, he turned and sat in the car with his mate and Heir.

"Drive, Sam... Just fucking go!" he growled at Sam's questioning look in the mirror.

The car peeled off the small courtyard, sending gravel in the direction of the snapping delta wolves surrounding the car.

In the car, Sam sent his Alpha a series of worried glances while navigating the narrow road. Allie and Hunter both stared at Ezekiel with a mixture of worry and fear. The rage in him was like nothing she had seen before.

"Kira is in the basement. Behind silver," Ezekiel muttered.

Three sets of eyes still stared at him.

"I mind linked Preston to announce our arrival. He didn't acknowledge it, but sent me an image of Kira behind bars..." Ezekiel grumbled.

"Oh, poor girl!" Allie whispered while Hunter's mouth tightened into a thin line.

"Wanna turn around?" Sam asked but Ezekiel only shook his head. There were too many fighters. And only four of them. Allie's hand carefully holding his was a reminder to be careful. Going back would mean risking everything he valued in life.

"Let's go home," he mumbled.

***

Back home the pack sensed more than knew that their Alpha was upset. He would walk the dogs and work his shifts as a fireman but somehow the joy had gone.

Akela watched the sullen Alpha from a distance. Hunter had told her what had happened, and somehow she felt she was to blame.

Early one spring morning following a few days just sunny enough to bring on the green in the grass and allow Allie's vegetable garden to turn from a black mud-bed to showing a few tentative sprigs, Ezekiel was out feeding the dogs before his and Allie's morning jog. His introverted petting of Kiron's head was interrupted by a timid "Alpha?"

He turned to see Akela, dressed in just a loose hoodie over her pyjamas. She was looking at him with a determined, yet respectful look in her eyes. She would not speak without permission.

Ezekiel nodded, adding a halfhearted smile as an afterthought.

"Hunter told me what happened. It's not your fault he locked her in the basement..." Akela started.