Chapter 26
I shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. My hands were trembling so badly I had to clasp them tightly behind my back. This was not going to go well. Carson looked down at me and I pleaded with him using my eyes, not to do it, but he only smiled; a warm and gentle smile that I really didn’t want to see at the moment.
“I have lied to you all and for that I apologize. I’ve decided it’s in everyone’s best interest that I tell you all…I have found my mate.” Carson announced and my eyes flashed to his face once more.
Mumblings and shouts of delight went up in the crowd and I swallowed hard.
“I actually found my mate before I became Alpha but fearing the consequences for us I decided to keep it from you; my family.” His gaze ran over the faces in the crowd before he continued, “Laken is my mate and I’ll be completing the mating ceremony with him when the time comes.” He announced.
I froze on the spot as all eyes travelled to me. You always read in books that when people hear shocking news their mouths hang open, but I can honestly say I’ve never actually seen it until now.
There was silence in the pack as all tried to process Carson’s words. For once I didn’t hear mumbling or whispers, just silence. I looked up at Carson who took my hand in his and squeezed gently and I fought the urge to pull away under the scrutiny of the pack.
“If this is a joke son, it aint funny.” I flinched when I heard my dad’s voice in the crowd. I couldn’t look at him and so I turned my eyes to my feet.
“No joke Michael. Your son is my mate and I love him. I will lead this pack with him by my side.” Carson said firmly.
“Bullshit! I won’t be ruled by a couple a queers!” a voice shouted up to us and I felt Carson tense beside me.
A chorus of voices went up affirming the declaration and I felt the tears gather in my eyes. This was going exactly how I expected, the only thing left now was for the broken bottles and flaming pitch forks to go up as they chased us out of the camp.
“Well that’s unfortunate considering the fact that this queer,” he gestured to himself, “has been ruling over you for months now and no one seemed to have a problem with it until I decided to make this announcement.” Carson said through gritted teeth.
“Laken get over here, I won’t stand for this!” my father shouted. I looked up to where he stood, unable to meet his eyes then pulled my hand out of Carson’s only to have him grip my shoulder, making it virtually impossible for me to leave. I looked up at him, but he was staring at my father, his expression angry.
“No, he’s not going anywhere. It doesn’t matter what you won’t stand for Michael. He’s your son, my mate and you’re going to have to accept that.”
“Like hell I will! I’m not letting-“
“Michael just shut up, Laken has found his mate and I’m fine with it.” My mom spoke up.
I looked at her in shock and my father’s expression mirrored mine. In all my years- which haven’t been very many- I’ve never heard my mother talk to my father like that. I couldn’t believe she was on my side!
I was equally surprised when I heard a great number of members agree with her as well, however this caused a huge argument to rise up and now everybody was pretty much shouting at ever body else.
“We can’t accept this, this is outrageous!.” Another voice shouted.
“This is the leader we have as role models to our children?!” and another.
“It doesn’t matter, nothing’s changed!”
“It’s repulsive!” an elderly male shouted.
“Give it a rest Ernie, isn’t your cousin gay?” a woman shouted back at him.
“Carson has proven himself and I stand by him!” Yet another member spoke up.
I could sense that this was starting to get serious as people started shouting at each other and even going as far as to shove each other as the quarrelling heated up.
“He can’t choose his mate, it’s not his fault!”
“That little boy has been a problem since day one, I knew he’d cause something like this!” someone else shouted and I flinched , knowing he was referring to me.
“I’ll go rogue before I obey another order from him!”
“His own father doesn’t approve why should we?!”
“You’re all a bunch of hypocrites, you’ve loved and respected him when you thought he was straight, but guess what you’ve loved and respected a gay man so deal with it!”
It was then that the first punch flew and after that it was chaos. Carson pulled me back when a wooden chair was thrown and it shattered at the front of the stage. His eyes blazed but we didn’t see the culprit. I couldn’t even hear my own thoughts and the voices seemed to be getting louder and louder.
No one was just standing around anymore as a few small fights broke out among the crowd and I felt my knees go weak. I was the cause of all this.
I grabbed Carson’s arm, my eyes wide with fright and he looked down at me, concerned.
“It’s ok Laken. He nodded to someone behind me and I felt someone grab my arm and pull me away from the front of the stage to stand in the back where it was safer. It was a guard.
“Thomas!” Carson said, communicating his orders through only his name. Thomas nodded and motioned for the guards to step forth. I was surprised they weren’t apart to the whole mess but I suppose their training taught them to take things in stride. They followed the Alpha’s orders no matter what.
I covered my ears with my hand and cringed as I heard the shots being fired into the air. Screams went up and the fighting came to a halt as the participants scrambled away from the sound of the gun shots.
“Enough!” Thomas and Carson shouted in unison and the sound itself was enough to send a shiver down my spine. A few of the wolves looked toward the stage and even quieted down but others were still arguing and moving out of the way of the approaching guards.
I watched in surprise as both the Alpha and his Beta shrank down in size, shifting into their wolf form. It was an impressive sight to behold. It’s like they were one person with the way they synchronized. When they growled I felt my insides quake and I felt my knees buckle as did everyone else in the pack.
I heard their whimpers but I could look nowhere but at the Alpha and Beta. This was their true power and at the sound of an Alpha’s growl, everyone was lowered into submission; even the strongest wolves. I craned my neck up to see most of the pack on their knees, ears covered, but otherwise silent.
Carson shifted back but Thomas remained in his wolf form, his narrowed eyes scanning the crowd.
“I may have inherited this position but I’ve proven myself worthy of it and I will fight with everything I have to keep it. As is practice, if there is any opposition to an Alpha’s reign then a pack member may fight him for it, but keep in mind this is a fight to the death and even if I die, since I have no heirs the position goes to my Beta. I’m afraid however that you’ll face the same problem with Thomas as his mate is also male.” His voice was calm as he said this but his tone was deadly and no one spoke as his glaring eyes drifted over the crowd.
I’d never seen him like this before, this deadly calm that was scarier than shouting he could have done. This was the Alpha and I pitied anyone who tried to oppose this beautiful beast standing before them.
“Hahaha, it’s soon breathtaking to see you in your element, it’s such a pity you won’t enjoy it for long.” We all looked up at the sound of the voice.
I stood in shock and instantly stepped back until I was pressed up against the wall to the back of the stage. I knew that voice; it had haunted my nightmares more times than I could count.
Victor stood behind the crowd with two men on either side of him. He was grinning up at Carson, his eyes gleaming in the sunlight. It seems he had used the distraction to make it this far into the courtyard.
Carson growled before running up to the edge of the stage and jumping into the crowd. I watched as he shoved through the throng of bodies, until he made it to where Victor stood.
I don’t know how he expected to fight with his injuries but he swung his good arm intending to slam it into Victor’s wrinkled face but the man at his side caught it easily and twisted his arm around until Carson cried out in pain.
“Carson!” I screamed in fright, pushing off the wall and running toward the front of the stage, planning to take the same path he had. I was grabbed by the arm and pulled back against hard flesh just before I could jump.
“You need to stand down, Carson can handle himself.” I heard Thomas say before he shoved me toward the back of the stage once more. As if to prove his words, a pained shout went up in the air and I saw when the guard who had held Carson fell to the ground unconscious.
Victor and the other guard had disappeared however and I watched as Carson looked around briefly before he ran back to the stage and climbed up.
“Alright listen to me,” Carson shouted to the crowd, “Victor is here which means it’s highly likely he has his guard with him, I want all-“
Carson was cut off as a loud horn sounded and we all turned to watch in horror as a crowd of men melted out of the forest and stood just outside the trees, blocking the entrance to the forestry.
It wasn’t until I heard the scream that pierced the air that I noticed what each man held in their hands. I gasped and took an involuntary step back, my heart plummeted to my stomach and I felt the urge to throw up. The enemy each held the dead bodies of the guards who had been enlisted to protect our border. They were bloodied and obviously dead.
The men took a step forward and threw the bodies of our fallen comrades to the ground then stepped back and melted into the trees once more only to have another group step up with more bodies which they dropped unceremoniously to the ground as well.
This couldn’t be happening!
It was when I squinted through the sunlight and really looked at the men that I noticed it. Through the trees, from what I could make out, this wasn’t just a small group, this was an army!
“Bring the children to safety!” I heard Carson shout before he jumped off the stage once more amidst the scrambling crowd and helped to grab up the little ones. In the courtyard was chaos but the men bordering the forest did not move. I assumed they were awaiting orders. I sprang into action, bolting into the crowd as well to help get the children out of harm’s way.
They were being carried into the nearby houses. I lifted one little girl who was crying for her mother and deposited her gently into the chair in Carson’s quarters, along with about a dozen other children. One woman was left with the responsibility to watch over them in each household. In this one was my mother.
Grateful she wasn’t out there with the others, I turned on my heel and it was as I was about to push through the front door that lead outside that all hell broke loose.
“Everybody get down!” I heard the shout and dropped to the ground instantly, covering my head with my hands. I felt the shards of glass fall around me and I sucked in a sharp breath as one cut into my skin. I covered my ears against the sound of the explosion, my heart thumping in my chest. I heard the screaming and the shouts coming from outside.
After what felt like an eternity, I pulled myself up on shaky legs and looked around. My mother was getting all the children up and ushering them quickly to the back of the house. I staggered to the now door-less entrance and looked out into the chaos.
One of the houses across the courtyard was going up in flames and a group of men were desperately trying to put it out. Many members were in their wolf forms as they fought viciously with the enemy who had also shifted. Carson was nowhere in sight but I spotted Thomas’ wolf at the forest line rolling on the earth with another animal. He had the upper hand though and so I spared no time worrying about him.
Instead I watched in horror as more men melted out of the forest and joined in the fighting, this group had guns and military style protective gear. We had thousands of wolves but they had the element of surprise on their side and I watched as more and more of our men went down.
“Laken!” my mom shouted over at me and I took off in her direction.
“Help me get them to the back room, come on!” she commanded and I grabbed the small hands guiding them swiftly out of harm’s way.
………………………………
~Carson’s POV~
I snapped his neck and was running towards another before his body even hit the dirt. The other guy was aiming his weapon at a wolf in my pack and I ran up to him, grabbed the arm that held the gun, twisting it until I heard the sickening snap. He cried out in terror and pain but I spared him no thought as I dragged the gun out of his limp hand and pulled the trigger. He fell to the ground. His eyes wide open.
I ducked behind a building when I heard the gunshots wiz past me then counted silently to three before running out of my shelter firing off shots as I went. A few enemy wolves went down but I still hadn’t caught the one who was shooting at me.
I ducked behind another building, pushing my head around the corner to see if I had an opening. I pulled back in a flash and covered my face as the shots pelted into the wall beside me then I pushed back off the wall and pulled the trigger. Nothing.
“Shit!” I exclaimed. I was out of bullets. Throwing the gun to the ground I made a split second decision to make a run for it. No way was I waiting here unarmed for someone to come finish me off, so I pulled up in a half crouch and turn to go only to come face to face with the barrel of the enemy’s gun.
“Well if it isn’t the Al-“ the gun holder started before he slammed into the ground at my feet. Behind him stood a member of my guard. I nodded at him, took the gun he offered and we quickly made our way to the forest line which would provide much more cover as well as more enemies to fight off.
………………………………………
~Laken's POV~
Four hours of chaos and destruction and I still had yet to even glimpse Carson. I stood among the children in the room, peering through the window at the war going on outside.
“Laken are you mad! Get away from there!” my mom screamed at me before pulling me away. Literally less than a second later the window erupted in a mess of broken glass as a rock flew through it and slammed into the opposite wall.
My eyes widened and I looked up at my mother’s alarmed face.
Shit just got real.
AUTHOR'S NOTES
THERE YOU GO LOVIES, SORRY I DIDN'T UPLOAD IT YESTERDAY..I HAD TO TAKE A BREAK..SO I SPENT THE DAY WATCHING MOVIES AND BUYING BOOKS AND EATING CHOCOLATE..BUT I MISSED YALL SO HERE I AM AGAIN!!!
I'M LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO READ SO IF YOU GUYS HAVE READ ANY STORIES ON WATTPAD OR OTHERWISE THAT YOU'VE READ AND LIKE..JUST POST THE NAME AND AUTHOR IN THE COMMENTS BELOW PLZ!!! DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ON WATTPAD JUST ANY BOOK AT ALL THANKS GUYS!!
ShoUt OutS : To loganlivesforever and to Moocownano Thanks for your support you too!!! <3
EnJOY!!
-DoUbLe.A
-unedited