𝕃𝕒 𝔹𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕖 𝔽𝕝𝕖𝕦𝕣 𝕊𝕒𝕦𝕧𝕒𝕘𝕖 - 𝕃𝕠𝕣𝕕 𝕙𝕦𝕣𝕠𝕟
"Once he's gazed upon her
a man is forever changed
The bravest men return
with darkened hearts
and phantom pain"
Cedric POV
I'm on high alert, even with the ridiculous decorations surrounding me. Flowers, streamers, it's a lot. I suppose that's what these ceremonies are for.
Ezra and Klepto are becoming mated. An ancient ceremony that unites two people. I can't say I'm not sick with envy watching Kelpto walk down the aisle with her arm linked with her father's. Joy in her eyes. A little skip in her step.
I can't wait to see Hendrix like that.
Just because we're having this event, it doesn't mean that I'm not on my guard. There's already been a rogue attack since I've arrived. A short few weeks, and they've already shown their faces. It was a short attack, one with strategy. They pretended to invade. Their real plan is bound to be around the corner.
They think we won't be expecting it. Luckily for us, I always assume the worst, and prepare for it.
I hardly pay attention when Klepto and Ezra take each other's hands. He stares at his female like she's his whole world, because maybe she is.
I wonder if I look at Hendrix that way.
Somehow, my advice worked, and now Klepto has accepted Ezra despite their past disagreements, or whatever it is that they went through. It took a while, but now that it's New Year's Eve, they're finally making it official. A mating and marking is the shifter equivalent of getting married.
I eye Ezra, knowing that I chose him for my team. I offered him the role as my Gamma, and he's considering it. It's a relief to know that the spot will most likely be filled by someone trustworthy. The way he takes care of his mate, that's someone that can help run a pack.
After the first attack, he's been nothing but resourceful. His actions show his experience in these sorts of things. Of course, he'll be taking his mate and his team with him if he accepts. I'm not thrilled about that, but if it helps my pack, then it's worth it.
The ridiculous pack phycologist prattles on and on with the importance of mates and dedication. I don't listen, I've heard it a thousand times. Savannah is restless at my side, and I sense something unnerving crackling through the air. I don't ignore it. I never ignore my gut feeling.
Except of course, when I left Hendrix. That went against every cell in my body. I love her.
She still has me blocked on her cellphone. Dozens of phone calls and text messages won't undo that, they go unanswered. A shout in the void. I rub at my forehead, thinking it over for the thousandth time today. Did try to reach out to her too soon? When will she talk to me again?
The only thing that breaks my train of thought is the howling noise of an alarm going off. My eyes slide to Ezra, just to see that he's looking at me with a wave of deep panic flushing through him. He's probably scared for his mate. He was just about to bite into her neck when the attack alarm started.
Great timing.
Of course the alarm sounded right before he was able to mark her. It's meant to be.
My brain works on automatic while I stand. Savannah murmurs words frantically to me as everyone begins to panic.
"Game plan?" She presses, I nod towards Ezra as he instructs his team.
"It seems like he's got the hang of it so far." She reluctantly looks over at our prospective new Gamma, a sneer on her tan face. The sirens continue to ring behind us, but I can still hear the disgruntled sounds she mumbles. Savannah is not happy about Ezra joining our ranks. She doesn't like him. Then again, she doesn't like most people.
I need a Delta too, I've been thinking about adding a fourth in command for a while, but I won't tell her that. She hates change.
It's obvious that Ezra is telling Reid to take the werewolf females back to the bunker. His mate appears angry at such an idea. It's for the best, if any of them run into Ryk or the Red Alpha, they're done for.
If Hendrix were here, I would build her very own underground bunker made of impenetrable materials. My heart sinks when I think of my mate, and I wonder how she's spending her New Year's Eve. It's likely better than mine.
Shaking off my thoughts, I take charge. It's time to fight.
"You two. You go with them." I say to the psychologist and Klepto's Father. They don't put up a fight like the females. They follow Reid closely, almost excited to be hidden away. Even though they're males, they're not fighters.
Gender doesn't matter in a fight. Power does. That's why Savannah's here, she's a powerful fighter. If I locked away everyone with boobs, I'd be an idiot.
When I glance around our small circle, I make eye contact with each and every lycan before me. Savannah, Hyrum, Ace, Ezra, and Miranda. They look to me to lead them. Instruct them. I've left my mate to find the Red Alpha. I won't let this chance slip away, because I won't be strong enough if I have to leave her again. I can't chose between her and a mission again. I won't.
"We split up. Ace, Miranda, and Hyrum, make your way from the outside in, rounding up any stragglers in the pack that need to be in the bunker, bring them to safety as quickly as you can. You run into any rogues, you kill them, no questions asked. Go." I command, and Ezra's teammates shoot him a look. He nods, glancing at me. He's already accepted me as his Alpha. Good.
They flee, shifting mid sprint into gigantic beasts that shake the ground with each gallop of their long bodies. Enormous wolves on the hunt. They seem unstoppable, and maybe they are, but you can never be sure. I thought Wheeler was unstoppable. He's gone now.
I turn to Ezra and Savannah, they're staring at me expectantly. Raised eyebrows and curious eyes, ready to eat up any instructions I give them.
"I knew this would happen. It's good strategy on the Red Alpha's part. The first attack was to distract, make us think it was a one and done. That that was it. This is the real fight. This is what we were waiting for." I say, rubbing at my head as it throbs persistently. I'm ready to shift. The sun is down, the moon is out, the beast inside me claws to be set free.
"What's the plan, what do we do?" Savannah wonders in exasperation. Her arms are folded over her chest, and she angles her body to be in front of Ezra, trying to catch my gaze.
She's so childish sometimes, and I find myself questioning why she's my sidekick.
"We fight. Find rogues, take them down, look for the real enemy. As soon as you catch a whiff of the Red Alpha or Ryk you send me the signal." I glance between the both of them, reminded of the differences between them. Savannah is almost as tall as Ezra, but not quite. They're coloring is different, their attitudes too. They are complete opposites.
I turn around, stalking into the woods as a flame ignites between my ribs. I'm ready to shift, ready to fight, ready to give in to the primal instinct to kill. It's a constant companion.
"How do we signal?" I hear Ezra ask behind me, though I'm not sure who the question is directed at.
"Howl. He'll know, he'll find you." Savannah explains, knowing that I'm too far in the zone to talk. My bones snap, lengthening and converging, my muscles swell with strength until I'm much higher off the forest floor.
My nose twitches, my claws digging into the frozen ground. Everything appears so small when I shift. Anything I come across is insignificant to me, I'm the most powerful creature roaming the planet. Nothing impresses me, nothing but a beautiful human girl who holds my heart.
I sprint away, dodging trees and following my instincts. I don't come across any rogues at first, but when I do, they don't stay long. The wolves are tiny in comparison to my size, and they can sense the power rippling off of me in waves.
All shifters, and most supernatural creatures, can sense power. It's almost like vibrations. The more strength, the more painful the vibration. It can cause headaches, fear, dread. Alone, it's a good intimidation tactic.
The rogue werewolves take one look at me, and their tails tuck between their legs. The little group of them tear off in the other direction.
My chest huffs. I'm used to being terrifying, and it leads me to thinking about Hendrix again. She's never shown fear towards me. It has to be because we're mates, that can be the only explanation. It's a miracle she's not scared of me.
I miss her. There's a pain in my chest, a loose bolt in my head, and it all started as soon as I walked out of her apartment door.
She's my mate. My purpose. What am I supposed to do without her?
After several long minutes of having no luck, a dull howl rumbles through the crisp, night air. My head swings. Ezra is calling me, he found something.
It only takes a second to latch onto the scent that stings my nose. A lycan, an unfamiliar one.
Our kind shares a similar undertone in scent, a slight spice. It has to be Ryk. Or, who knows? The Red Alpha could be right in my grasp. After all this time, Wheeler's death will be paid for in full.
I'm ready.
I sprint, right towards the smell, and it grows stronger and stronger. A white blur stands yards ahead of me. Ryk. I stop dead, and he stares at me with furious eyes that glow blue through the foggy air. He snarls, his pink nose scrunching up. He takes a defensive stance.
Even though he's in his wolf form, he looks as if he's smiling ferociously, gleeful at the opportunity for a fight.
But, something is not quite right about his gaze. There's a haze covering his vision, a foggy film blocking his soul. It's all wrong. He's been possessed, and not by any spirit. He's being controlled by someone with black magic. I've seen it before.
Slowly putting one paw in front of the other, I observe him. He's thickly built with rippling muscles. I lick my jaws before propelling myself at him. He snaps at my neck, trying to go in for the kill at the first strike. I launch my side into his chest until he's pinned against a tree.
I can't hurt him if he's being controlled. My best bet is to disarm him.
Unfortunately, since we're both enormous creatures, the tree cracks under the pressure. The albino goes tumbling to the ground. I'm only on top of him for a second before he shoves me off. He makes a grab for my tail, but I dodge him, snarling in his face before shouldering him away again.
I can't try to destroy someone who isn't in their right mind. He's being held against his will. It's not his fault he's so aggressive, he has no choice. I won't kill him.
Again, he bites at me, and I feel another presence crawl up behind us. It's Ezra. He's watching us from the sidelines, staring at us in awe from the shadows.
I easily dodge Ryk's every attack. He snaps his jowls, his saliva speckling my coat. A growl reverberates through the air. I won't fight back, and it's making him frustrated. His eyes gleam maliciously, and he licks his white teeth.
As he runs at me, the sound of another tree falling hits my ears. My head turns for a moment to see one pinning Ezra to the ground. It's not any ordinary tree, it's covered in false flames. Shit. Black magic. I was right. Now I know it has to be the Red Alpha.
Ryk interrupts my thoughts by barking, then he nips at the back of my neck. I continue to doge as he leads me farther away from Ezra, corralling me until I can't see him anymore. It's on purpose, a good tactic to get me away from his master. He's being a loyal slave without knowing it.
A gust of cold wind ripples through the woods, and Ryk halts. His nostrils flare when he backs away from me. I stop as well, no longer in defensive mode. Before my very eyes, the haze of confusion disappears from his face. In a snap of a finger, he has his own body back. He's not under the Red Alpha's spell, and I think I know what changed him. I can't be sure though.
He doesn't even look at me as he bolts towards the center of the pack. I debate on whether or not to chase after him, but when I hear Ezra's bark, I know I have to help him. When I find him, he's still pinned under the tree, unable to get free.
The female standing before him wields the fire that encases him with nimble, experienced fingers. The Red Alpha. She's a female. It's a surprise, but I quickly get over it.
I charge, mouth open and ready to deliver a world of hurt to this evil person. She killed my Gamma. She twisted Ryk's mind to do her bidding. She's slaughtered hundreds.
She has to be destroyed. She dies now.
The Red Alpha is quick on her toes, jumping out of the way just before I hit her. By the scent of her, I know she's a lycan, but she also smells like a pup. She hasn't even shifted yet. How has she been alive this long without shifting?
Ezra pulls himself free, the tree toppling to the ground behind him. He shakes out his body. A renewed power in his stance at being freed.
All of a sudden, I'm levitating. My paws leave the snow. The air shifts around me as pure evil energy lifts me into the sky. Panic soon follows. I can't get purchase as I move my limbs, but it doesn't matter, because I'm zooming through ashy flames. My spine spasms as I crash into a tree.
The branches shudder under my weight, and I hit the ground with a thud. I lay there for a minute. I do a once over scam of my body, making sure nothing's broken. It seems like I'm fine, but my pride is shot to hell.
One glance up, and I'm shocked at what I see unraveling. The fight between Ezra and the Red Alpha is something strange. I can't put my finger on it, until I realize how similar they look. The red hair, the yellow eyes, the passion for fighting. They're related. They have to be. This fight has nothing to do with me, and I won't get in their way unless I have to.
The battle that ensues is legendary, and not one that I will soon forget.
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My hands clamp on my arms as I stare at Savannah. She continues to show her attitude, and I don't like it. She huffs and puffs, pushing her curtain of hair behind her shoulder. She shoots me a glare before looking back at the person of interest.
Ryk narrows his eyes at her, slouched in a leather chair, clutching his mate to his chest as usual. It's all he's done since he found her. He won't let the poor girl go for a second.
"You can leave." I inform Savannah after a moment of silence. This is supposed to be a professional interview, and she's throwing a tantrum. She whirls around on me, eyes wide with shock and fury as her mouth hangs open.
She jabs a finger in my face.
"He killed Wheeler. Does that mean nothing to you? He's dangerous, evil. He needs to pay for his crimes!" She insists, her voice becoming shrill. I fold my arms a little tighter. I have to restrain myself from hurting her. Another fight is the last thing we need right now.
"That's for me to decide. That's why we're here, but since you're causing so much trouble, I think it would be better if you just left." I tell her, motioning my head to the door. Savannah's mouth clamps shut. She makes an outraged sound through her teeth, and proceeds to stomp out of the room.
I turn back to Ryk once my headstrong Beta has gone. He growls at me, and I know it's not out of sheer aggression. He just doesn't want me to be near his mate. I try not to even spare a glance at the blonde in his arms, it's too risky.
"Would you like to let Tressa leave before we continue?" He shakes his head adamantly, but the werewolf female speaks up.
"I can leave if you need me to." It's the first sentence she's spoken since Ryk basically tackled her. One of the other lycans, Reid, insisted that we kill them both.
Apparently, Tressandra is Klepto's older sister, and she's been a bully to all those around her. Under further investigation, she's lived a life of abuse from her Mother, who is now locked in the pack prison. She's not the only one in desperate need of a second chance.
"No." Ryk says softly, a tone he has specifically reserved for her ears. "I want you here."
I don't blame him, all I want to do is have Hendrix in my arms. Unfortunately, I don't get that luxury right now.
She shrugs, a shy smile on her face as she tucks her head in his neck, sighing in contentment. Ryk visibly relaxes.
"Can we get this over with?" He demands, and I nod. I don't usually let people talk to me like that, but I don't have the energy to fight him. I also want to get this over with.
"How did you meet the Red Alpha, and do you know her name?" I ask, and he narrows his crystal colored eyes at me.
"Why does it matter? She's gone now. I thought she was dead?"
It's true, she took a silver sword to the heart, and that should kill any lycan. Except for the fact that we don't have a body to prove it. She escaped right after Ezra stabbed her.
I'm not sure how long it'll take to find her, but as soon as she's dead, I'm getting my baby back. That's all that matters.
"Yes and no. There's no evidence she's dead. Do you have any idea about that?" Ryk's lips quirk while he thinks, absently petting his mate's back while he mulls it over.
He's a strange vision of white, his hair and skin paler than the walls around us. I thought the conference room walls were blinging before, but they are dull in comparison. Ryk is so light that he almost glowsz
"She's powerful. Her magic could keep her alive, but not for long. She has to die eventually." He shakes his head. "And I do not know her name. She got me to join her by saying she would help me find my mate. She somehow knew how desperate I was to have her. It was a trap, she got in my head."
Tressandra senses her mate's distress, placing a hand on his pecs and whispers soft words in his ear. A small smile forms on his pink lips. The air in the room is less tight.
It makes sense, after years of trying to find his soul mate, he would've done anything to be with her. How could he know what would happen? I pity the poor lycan. It's clear he treasures Tressa.
I think back to Ezra, now dealing with the knowledge he has a long lost sibling he never knew he had. The Red Alpha is his sister.
He's with his mate now because she comforts the darkest parts of his soul. Ezra is helping her past her grief. Klepto lost a sister and her father in the bloody battle. They aid each other.
Like Ryk and myself, Ezra has changed through finding their other half. He's a better person, as am I, as is Ryk.
Ryk deserves a second chance. The Red Alpha is the one that made him kill Wheeler. I'm sure my old Gamma would understand my decision.
"I want you to become my 4th in command. My Delta." I say to Ryk, Tressa twists in his arms to look at me, but he doesn't appear as excited.
His jaw works, his arms clamping down on his mate for security.
"Why? I killed your pack members, I helped the Red Alpha. How can you trust me?" He presses, fidgeting with Tressa's hair.
"I don't know if I can completely trust you, but I know you're a good male. You were being controlled, but you had good intentions. You're strong, and old I'm presuming, so it works out."
What I don't tell him is that it's also a way for me to keep a close eye on him and his whereabouts. I don't feel like keeping track of him. Ryk can also provide more information on the Red Alpha.
I watch him think it over.
"What's in it for me?" He asks, and I almost smile. I knew he was going to ask that.
"It's a hidden pack, and all of our pack members are lycans. They will all fight to keep the pack secure. You and your mate, and any pups you have, will be safe and provided for. You'll have your own private house and land aswell."
I know how appealing it sounds, because he immediately perks up. He's interested. He looks down at him mate, adoration painted across his face. I know he's picturing his future with her, because it's something I've done many times while I watch my own mate.
Ryk finally answers without looking away from Tressandra.
"Deal."
We shake hands, and I leave him and the female to rest. I walk through the snow, into the woods to cool down.
I sigh, running a hand down my face. It's a relief to have Ezra and Ryk join my team, but we have to leave here, and soon. I've been away from my pack for too long. I miss my mate more than anything, and I can't stand to be so far away from her.
Montana is on the other side of the country. Who knows how long it will take to find the Red Alpha? I could be waiting years, but I doubt that I'll last that long without caving in. I'll go to her before summer hits.
Either way, I know I'd wait a whole eternity if it meant I get to be with Hendrix. She's worth every second of pain.
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If you're reading this, you're a beautiful person:)
If you want to read Ezra's battle with The Red Alpha, got to chapter 50 of my book Klepto. I really didn't feel like rewriting the whole thing. Sorry!
Next update will be on Friday
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