.დ.❧.
I could hear my family behind me as I was sprinting down the stairs and out of the house. They were calling in panic for me to stop, but I couldn't! Not when I knew that Carmel was in danger!
I jumped off the porch, stumbling when I landed. Panting, I pushed off my feet and back into a sprint, running the long paths of the pack. The grassy hills were dewy and I slipped a few times but pushed myself back up to hurry. Even if there were pack members staring as I ran past them, I couldn't care.
The alpha homes were about two yards away when I climbed over the hill. I slipped again on the wet grass but caught myself.
"Ridge!" I gasped, panting while running past startled pack members. "Ridge!"
I suddenly saw Eden walking with her parents and she went wide-eyed, dropping the large basket of vegetables she had in her arms. She frowned, shoving her dad's hand off her and ran over to me.
"Gigi! Gigi, are you alright?!" Eden looked me over. She swallowed, apologizing for not seeing me any sooner than now because her parents kept her from leaving the house without them.
I shook my head, out of breath and gasped in between that I needed to see Ridge! That I needed to warn him! Eden's eyes widened, frowning as she warned that was asking for trouble. She was shaking her head again, urging me to not go to the alpha's house.
I groaned in frustration, yelling at her that I didn't care if it was asking for trouble.
"Everyone is going to be in trouble if I don't warn Ridge about what's coming!"
"What are you talking about?" Eden frowned.
Shaking my head, I ran around her; telling her that I was losing time.
"Gigi! Wait!"
Looking over my shoulder, I spotted my family having caught up and so I had to pick up speed. If they caught up to me, they'd haul me back to the house for sure. I knew they would try to protect me but I couldn't imagine being safe and sound when my pack was walking around with a rage-filled she-wolf coming for them. My determination was to make sure the humans residing in Carmel were evacuated before Madilynn's army showed up.
"Ridge!" I panted out in a scream, running up the steps and slammed my hand on the door over and over. I shouted for Ridge to open up. "Please! Please, Ridge, open up! It's an emergency!"
The door swung open and I stepped back a bit. My heavy panting and wide-eyed look didn't deter Molly any. She pursed her lips, lifting her chin and blocked the doorway. Her brow rose, eyeing me up and down before crossing her arms.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Molly demanded. "You're not allowed anywhere near us alphas."
I swallowed, frowning that it was important and that I needed to speak with Ridge.
"Ha! Like that's gonna happen!" Molly scoffed, scrunching her nose. "Why would I let my mate anywhere around the likes of you? For all I know, you'll try to steal him from me again!"
I realized Molly was going to make this a lot more difficult for me. She rather stand here and bicker over stupid childish things like a boy when there was so much more important things to worry about!
When I told her that this was so much more urgent than our issues because of the lives at stake, Molly rolled her eyes, scoffing that her life as Alpha Female was at stake. I frowned, wide-eyed. Molly stuck her nose in the air, warning me that I wasn't going anywhere near Ridge because he was hers again. And that she wasn't going to let me take what she wanted.
A low growl rumbled behind my lips and for a split second Molly was affected; her eyes wide and took a step back.
Narrowing my eyes, I shouted, "Do you think I fucking care anymore, Molly?!" I didn't miss the frown she was giving me. "Do you honestly think I give a shit about you did anymore?! Because I don't!"
The audacity she had to pout made me growl, especially when Molly prodded if I was really going to give up Ridge just like that. Just had him over so easily.
Was this a fucking game to her?! My feelings? Ridge's? Was she that fucking bored with her life she had to mess with other people's?!
I growled, getting in her face and she yelped in surprise. "Like I said, I don't give a shit anymore. Ridge picked you. You got what you wanted. You took advantage of what happened to him and got on the bandwagon of whatever bullshit Mr. Beaumont fed everyone!"
Her blue eyes widened, blinking repeatedly.
I huffed, shaking my head that after everything that's happened this second time around, there was no use in fighting for mediocre things when there were more things at stake. I didn't have time for childish games.
"Ridge and I are never going to be. I've accepted that. That's what you and Mr. Beaumont wanted and that's what I'm fucking doing! I'm giving up on Ridge. You need to finally get that through your fucking big head and let it the fuck go!"
I narrowed my eyes, growling through grit teeth. "You got the Alpha Female title you wanted along with the alpha male you are so desperately in love with, right? So now you need to fucking be an Alpha Female and stand up for the people of Carmel. They are the ones you are meant to protect!"
"What---what are you talking about?" Molly swallowed, frowning at me. I could hear a waver in her voice; clearly she was confused to what I was saying.
Frustrated, I shouted at Molly that there was an army of wolves headed to Carmel as we speak and that I needed for Molly---as Alpha Female---to order an evacuation! That we needed to get the humans out and we needed to get them out now!
The Spirit World was testing my patience. I just knew it. Molly's reluctance to comply with my desperate request was frustrating me. My fists curled when Molly frowned, shaking her head and questioned what I was going on about. She said she didn't believe me and that I was just looking like a crazy person.
"Molly!" I shouted, making her jump. My brows furrowed, my voice strained as I yelled at her, "I know you and I don't like each other and that's fine! But please! Please help me just this once and help me save the humans!"
Molly just stood there. Her chin up and crossed her arms like a child. She shook her head that as Alpha Female she didn't have to do anything she didn't want and especially if it came from me. Instead, Molly smugly pointed out that it was me who was going to have to follow her orders.
As if she hadn't dug the knife in my back deep enough, Molly twisted it when she changed topic and "casually" mentioned while placing a hand on her stomach that she was sure the past few weeks ensured this time around she was having Ridge's baby. Her blue eyes twinkled that with how much stamina her alpha had and how many times they fucked it guaranteed an alpha heir.
She grinned back at me, and I curled my fists, hearing their knuckles crack as I shook my head. I wasn't going to get through to this spiteful female. Not one fucking bit.
"Molly, what's going on?"
Molly turned around, stepping aside to show Ridge now in view. His concerned scowl in place as he approached. His parents were behind him. Molly rolled her eyes and looked at me while using a bored tone to tell Ridge I was being defiant and trying to threaten her again.
Ignoring her attempt to start a fight, I turned to Ridge, stepping back a bit as he and the others made their way outside the house. Frowning, I pleaded with the alpha that he needed to evacuate Carmel immediately.
The alpha's brow rose, blinking as he tilted his head. His voice low and cautious. "Why's that now?"
He was so calm in asking, not picking up my panic and that was just making me panic more. The nerves inside me were making me uneasy, tense, and I trembled from the anxiety of when Madilynn shows up.
"Ridge... Please!"
Mr. Beaumont, standing on one side of his son scowled at me with a growl that I would be respectful and address the alpha formally. He reminded me that I had no right to be so informal.
Ignoring him, I focused on Ridge's scowl as I swallowed and frantically pleaded, "I came to warn you about the army coming to Carmel!"
There were murmurs behind me and I looked around, seeing the crowd forming. My family were at the front, watching me with worry.
Mr. Beaumont spoke and I faced the alpha family again. Mr. Beaumont narrowed his eyes as he stepped forward beside Ridge, and growled out that I speaking nonsense! Turning back to Ridge, I urged him to forget everything for a moment and listen to what I have to say.
"There's a mad she-wolf coming to our town and she's hellbent on a full out war. So please... help me by evacuate the humans! We have to get them to safety!"
Ridge frowned, his jaw clenched as he was staring at me. While he was doing this, his father spoke for him that his son didn't have to listen to me---a crazy and hostile she-wolf---and that as Alpha, his son was not going to send a panic to the humans over something that was, again, nonsense.
"It's not nonsense!" I snapped back. "I promise you that there is a war coming and we need to prepare!"
Mr. Beaumont stomped down his porch, pointing at me as I stepped back with a frown.
"You've caused enough trouble as it is, Gigi! There's no way that I am going to let your stupid delusions to drag my son into some shit-faced fantasy you have! Ridge was being too lenient letting you live this long! And for all we know it is you who is waging war on this pack!"
"Father," Ridge growled, but his father didn't seem to hear him.
Mr. Beaumont sneered that nothing good could come from a Quail Wolf and that it was because of me that our pack could lose Alpha Wilson's as an ally. He wouldn't let me get a word in while I tried to tell him that it was Alpha Wilson who was plotting against Carmel this whole time. That the other alpha was involved with the crazy she-wolf from Ridge's wedding.
"You are just trying to use what you are to trick my son into being with you again! You won't be taking my son from me again, Gigi! Not today! Not ever!"
A low growl rumbled out of me. Mr. Beaumont stepped back, brows furrowed as he cautiously eyed me. My wolf eyes shimmered and my jaw clenched tight. I could sense that the other pack members stared wide-eyed, glancing nervously at the alphas.
Looking at the alpha family myself, I shook my head that this wasn't a trap. That this wasn't some trick to hurt them.
"I have been through hell because of your son!" I shouted, making the former alpha swallow. He frowned, blinking a few times as he glanced at Ridge frowning at me when I shouted, "I had every reason to turn against this pack! I could have ignored the warning about what was coming! I could have turned the other cheek after you banished me, and let that damn she-wolf kill every last one of you!"
Murmurs from the crowd only made me keep talking. I turned to face them, shaking my head that because I cared about them, I came back to Carmel! Even they all had turned against my family---and not so much me--- they were so determined to hold onto their pride instead of trying to survive.
"You might not believe me..." I looked at the wary faces, some curious. "But by the time that army gets here... it will be too late!"
Facing the alpha family I sneered, "If you don't warn the humans now, they will die!"
Again, the murmurs erupted but still I faced the alphas. Ridge was staring at me, those green eyes unreadable with my anxiety. But the alpha took slow steps down the porch until he was walking past his dad.
Mr. Beaumont frowned, "Ridge..." but without looking away from me, Ridge held up a hand to silence the former alpha.
When he was standing in front of me, I couldn't tell what Ridge was thinking from the look he was giving me. His gaze lingered on my face, squinting. I took a moment to refocus my hearing---the thundering paws, snarls, growls were getting closer. Time was running out.
Ridge's brows dipped, his gaze taking in my frown and appearance. I stood there, swallowing hard. Since the last I saw of him, Ridge Beaumont had grown into his new title quite quickly; exuding authority with just the hard gazed look I was getting.
His gaze locked with mine.
"You stand alone on this urgency, Gianna Gomez, yet you risk everything... which includes your life... for those who want nothing to do with you?"
The look in his eyes was unnerving, but I couldn't show him that he was getting to me. Not when I was already in enough panic.
It didn't hurt as much I thought it would that he didn't want me, and it made me wonder for that split second if maybe this was because my wolf and I being balanced meant we accepted Ridge wasn't our mate anymore. But that didn't mean I didn't care for him, still. I mean... how do you forget your first everything?
Especially when he was standing in front of you with gaps in his memory and you were those gaps. I couldn't blame him for that part. That wasn't his fault, it was mine.
I'm not sure what it was that made me say it. Maybe some part of me was secretly hoping to trigger his memory. Or---Or maybe I just needed closure.
"I have to, Ridge," I whispered, brows quirked up. My eyes looking into his and my heart felt just a flicker of the ache I got whenever looking at this man. "It's the only thing I know to do because..." I bit my lip, swallowing hard as I looked at the space between us. Shaking my head, I sighed, lifting my gaze to his again. "I'm going to fight for your happiness if you won't."
Ridge's eyes slowly widened, a startled look hitting him before his nose scrunched and he squeezed his eyes tight. He took a step back, pressing the bottom of his hand against the side of his forehead.
Frowning, I tried to plead again for the alpha to just take this one moment to believe me. That if there was anything that I would beg for is this one moment for the alpha to risk trusting me. Just this once. I promised Ridge that I would leave Carmel forever if he would just help me protect the pack and the town of Carmel.
"Please," I whispered, eyes rounding in hope. I kept his gaze even though his dad and Molly were calling to Ridge to not listen to me. The alpha's brows furrowed, narrowing his eyes at me while shouting at the pair, "SILENCE!" and they submitted.
Frowning deeper, the alpha lingered his stare a bit more before giving me a firm nod. "You have my compliance."
I smiled, breathing out in relief. I thanked him and the alpha squinted, tilting his head again.
That is until I looked wide-eyed at Mr. Beaumont who stomped over and demanded at his son to not believe such garbage from the likes of me! That I was just using Ridge and he was only going to end up getting hurt again because of me!
Ridge growled as he rounded onto his dad and snarled at the man. Mr. Beaumont frowned, lowering his gaze for a moment. Ridge's chest rose and fell slowly, regaining control. He narrowed his eyes at his dad, making it clear that the decision had already been made and for Mr. Beaumont to remember his place.
"I'm the alpha," Ridge growled, eyes gold. "Remember that, Father. Or I will show you."
Mr. Beaumont looked gobsmacked at how he was spoken to. His gaze switched to where I noticed now that Mrs. Beaumont stood off to the side. She was crossing her arms, a permanent scowl on her face. She didn't come to her husband's aid though Mr. Beaumont probably expected her to.
When Ridge looked back at me, he stood there watching me. I was the one who was backing away, nodding my thanks again to the alpha for believing me. Turning away to head over to where my family was waiting for me, I was stopped when Ridge's low voice spoke up.
"Why do I get the feeling I'm missing more to this situation than what I see, Gianna?" I could hear him take one step. Two. "And why those 'things', for some reason, keep coming full circle back to you?"
Not turning, I bit my lip. I looked at my family, their eyes going back and forth between the alpha behind me and then to me.
I had a guess that Ridge was asking me---indirectly---to tell him those 'things' that were being kept from him. I could pick up on his curiosity with how I was spoken to by his dad and how I didn't react as Ridge was told I would because of what I am. But I couldn't tell him. Not when I had made the decision to no longer bind myself to Ridge.
As Iota said, things happen for a reason, right?
Perhaps it was best that Ridge didn't remember what we had. What happened between us that got us to this point. I will always cherish what Ridge had given me in the short amount of time we had but I truly feel that it's better that he never remember them. It would only confuse him and right now I needed my pack's alpha to focus on what was coming. He needed to defend this pack.
I turned a bit, not looking over my shoulder entirely, sighing, "It's not worth remembering about, Alpha. We'll just end up right back where we are now."
He didn't let me get very far. He was already taking hold of my elbow, keeping me in place and I shut my eyes, jaw clenched. The alpha turned me around to face him.
Ridge's eyes narrowed, tilting his head as he eyed me. "What are you not telling me, Gianna?"
I lowered my gaze to his hand on my elbow. I watched it drift slowly---in a way an alpha shouldn't touch someone who wasn't his Alpha Female---down my arm to my wrist. He had a firm grasp on it, making me look up at him. Alpha Beaumont squinted, waiting for my reply
A small young growl erupted behind me. My eyes widened, turning to where my family was. Emory was growling, teeth bared and was behind held back by Sawyer. The blond man raised a brow at the child whose shirt he was holding onto. Emory was grunting and demanding for Sawyer to let him go! That I needed him!
Another growl---this time much more deeper and older---came from beside me. I galnced at the alpha whose narrowed eyes focused on the eight year old. He picked up on Emory's possessiveness and growled again behind his lips. The child, in turn, reciprocated the defensive growl.
"Don't touch her!" Emory snapped, turning to slap at Sawyer's hand. When that didn't work, he faced forward and pointed in our direction that I was his and for Ridge to go away.
Ridge's scowl returned, jaw clenched and his grip on my wrist tightened a little. I raised a brow when his green eyes hid now behind the gold color of his wolf. They shifted to me, silently demanding an explanation but I frowned, huffing out a breath that now was not the time to explain anything!
I retracted my wrist from his hand and stepped away just as Molly appeared at Ridge's side. She growled as she craned her neck forward---eyes now gold too---and barked at me to back off. That I was not to try and steal her mate again.
Lowering a brow, I assured Molly that she wasn't to ever worry about that. That I knew my place, and my future didn't involve Ridge. I still narrowed my eyes at Molly even if I sense the alpha's gaze on me again.
Turning to him, I warned the alpha that the army was closing in, and that we needed to start evacuating the town immediately. I told him that my dad and I were going to get a head start with my brothers.
"We need to sound the emergency alarm!" I instructed. "The one the humans recognize if Carmel's under attack! We have to start alerting them at least until we get to town to explain what is happening!"
Ridge nodded, saying that he was going to go too. But his Alpha Female held him back by his arm, pleading for him to not leave with me. Molly assured Ridge that this wasn't real and that if he left with me, Molly feared he'd just be wound around my finger again.
Alright. That's it. I've had enough of this bullshit.
I shoved the alpha out of the way, stepping into Molly's personal space. Her eyes widened as I was now nose-to-nose with her.
"Let me assure you, Alpha, that I have bigger priorities than stealing people's mates. And from what you pointed out earlier that you were all Ridge could possible want, he was never wrapped around my finger to begin with."
Molly's blue eyes widened, frowning when I added, "Remember what I am, Molly," my wolf's eyes flashing at her to make Molly flinch. "---before you antagonize me further.
The blonde whimpered, looking at Ridge in a plea but the alpha rolled his eyes and told her to start gathering all the fighters at the front line. His female stammered out why she had to do that, and the alpha growled, turning back to her.
Ridge scoffed, "What the hell did you expect, Molly, we took the alpha titles? As the alphas of Carmel, we are expected at the front line with the other fighters! This is our job! Now get fucking moving!"
When her bottom lip quivered, eyes tearing and looking around in panic, the realization hit Molly hard. This wasn't pretend anymore. This wasn't a game of who got the boy. Now Molly was realizing that this was where she reaped what she sowed, and being the Alpha Female meant she was going to have act like one when it came to battles. Perhaps she should have thought on that a bit more.
Ridge growled, snapping, "Now!" at her. Molly yelped before scurrying off to quiver out orders to gather those who are able to fight. The alpha scowled in her direction then turned to me, nodding, "Let's go." and we both headed over to where my family waited.
Wade narrowed his eyes as he was staring at the alpha, but didn't say anything. He just looked at me for instruction when I turned to Dad to gather his Warriors. He nodded, taking Wade and my other brothers with him. For Iota and Vicky, I told them to get to the tower in the middle of the pack and push the blue button that would ring out a whining siren that would be recognized by the humans.
"It'll let them know something is happening and by the time we get there we can start the evacuation. It will---" I stopped, eyes wide when my hearing picked up on something. I had to tune out Ridge asking what was wrong. Tilting my head, brows furrowed as I stared in front of me, I could now hear that the thundering paws were doubled and a few moments later, I could hear the shrill screams, the tearing of flesh.
Turning to Iota, she could read my horrified look.
"Get Emory safe," I told her quickly. "Meet us in the town! We won't have time to prepare!"
Turning to Ridge I gave him an order to march out the pack.
"They're here, Alpha Beaumont! They're on the edge of town and coming through the forest. We don't have much time!"
Ridge nodded, turning with that stoic look of his and ordered, "Line it up! Those who are able will fight! Those who cannot will help in evacuating the humans! Move out!"
The alpha nodded for us to follow him as he led the way towards the pack gates. The rest of the pack was quickly following in step, and I took a deep breath as I watched them pass me by.
Dad came up to me, this worried look on his face and I bit my lip while trying to smile after asking if the Warriors were ready. Dad nodded, assuring me they were running over to stand with the alpha on the front line.
He let out a slow breath, brushing the side of my head and swallowed. "This is it, Button. This is where you choose between the Light and the Dark."
It was hard to keep my dad out of the loop that I was going to let the Darkness in. That I was going to need to use it to my advantage. I was able to have a little more strength in myself so I was sure that I could handle it. Hopefully.
Nodding, I assured him that I'd save the town no matter what.
"Good. Now, let's go." he waved for me to follow, running past the pack to get to the front where Ridge was standing waiting with Molly, both their parents, the Warriors and my family.
Mr. Beaumont had the audacity to frown when I showed up at the front, but I didn't care. He was the least of my problems right now.
My eyes took in the small group of enabled rushing down the path to get to the humans. They kept glancing over at us as they hurried away, and I hoped they got away in time.
Turning to the front, facing the forest outlining the side of the pack, I narrowed my eyes when I no longer heard the pounding of the paws. The tree line of the forest across the way was hard to see in the dim lighting of the sky. There was a breeze swaying the branches from side to side, the sound of the leave rustling was all that was heard now.
"Gianna? What do you hear?" the alpha asked.
I slowly held up a hand, shaking my head slow before looking at the others behind me. Slowly, my eyes changed to my wolf's in a silent warning that we were not alone. Again, for a split moment, Ridge's face scrunched and eyes squeeze shut as he turned his head.
Facing the treeline to the forest, my wolf eyes took in every single leaf attached to the branches, every ripple the leaves made against one another in the wind. And I could see the hundreds of golden eyes peering from the dark.
My low growl was heard from behind me. I stood protectively in front, but then Iota and Vicky showed up. They both were now standing beside me. They muttered under their breath that as my Caretakers I was their responsibility and that involved protecting me in this battle.
Wolves emerged from the treeline. All of them snarling and salivating as their gold eyes locked on us. I swallowed the lump in my throat seeing how they were all grungy from their long journey and their teeth bared as they salivated.
A golden wolf emerged to the front and I immediately knew who this was.
The snapping of bones through her shift until she took her human form broke the silence until I could hear the growls behind me. I looked over my shoulder as Mr. and Mrs. Beaumont recognized who this woman was.
Rolling my shoulders back, I narrowed my eyes at the sneering grin on Madilynn's face. Her gray eyes were nothing like Iota's soft ones. Madilynn's had more of a malicious gleam. The she-wolf took in the crowd in front of her. Her eyes wandering slowly over every face.
Madilynn's gaze did a double-take when they fell on me. That smug grin of hers widened, a small chuckle behind her lips. Tilting her head slightly, Madilynn raised a brow and grinned, "My, my, my... What a naughty little Quail Wolf you've been."
.დ.❧..დ.❧..დ.❧.
AN: Shit's about to get real.
Xoxo Always,
SAMiAMiz