ALPHA DRAMA AND RISKS
"I SWEAR, I'M gonna—" Wyatt's arms wrapped around my waist right before I pulled open the door to the room Declan was in. My eyes were glowing brightly and my fangs were bared, a sign that I was more than pissed off. My jaw clenched tightly. "Wyatt, let me go," I growled out.
"Believe me, I would've let you do this two days ago, but I can't now. We do anything to him, we endanger everyone." He kept his arms around my waist and turned me to face him. "Take a breath. You don't know if he knew what Josh and Willow were planning."
I tried to focus on Wyatt's words, but I was still too upset and frustrated with the entire situation. I would never say it aloud, but I was scared and the feeling was beginning to take over my entire body. My chest rose and fell with the deep breaths I took, my eyes still glowing as I did so. I clenched my palms, forcing my claws to dig into my skin.
"Coraline," Wyatt spoke again, his voice more firm than before. The boy gripped my waist and the action made me look up to him. His eyes shone their perfect golden color briefly, as if he was acknowledging that he understood why I was upset. Without breaking eye contact, he took my clenched hands into his and carefully opened them. "Breathe," he said softly, running his thumbs over the backs of my hands. "It's gonna be okay, I promise. We're gonna figure this out and everyone'll be safe, alright?"
His reassurances calmed me to an extent and I was thankful he knew what to say. But no matter what, the worries still lingered in my mind.
Wyatt's grasp travelled from my hands and up my arms, his palms finally finding their resting place on the sides of my face. He took a step closer and rested his forehead against mine, closing his eyes after a moment. I let out a breath. "If something happens tomorrow night, if Josh tries to pull something—"
"I won't let anything happen to you, Cora."
"Wyatt." I placed my hands over his, causing his eyes to open. "I'm being serious. If they try something, you run, okay? They can shift fully. That gives them the advantage and—"
"I'm not going to leave you behind. We do this together. Always. Got it?"
"Wyatt, please. If you get hurt because of this I won't be able to forgive myself," I told him softly. "This is my mess, let me fix it."
I could feel a low chuckle reverberate through his chest. "You're so stubborn sometimes, you know that?" He looked into my eyes, a sudden wave of seriousness coming through his features. "Your mess is my mess, too. I'm not letting you do this alone, so deal with it."
My brows furrowed as a small smile pulled at my lips. "'Deal with it?'" I quoted rhetorically.
"Deal with it."
☽
"You're actually gonna go meet him?"
"I don't have a choice, Willa." I crossed my arms over my chest stiffly. "Wyatt is coming with me, I won't be alone. But he's stubborn, chances of him actually doing what I ask are about zero."
The girl stayed quiet for a moment and my brows began to furrow as I stepped closer to her.
"You think I'm making the wrong call?" I asked in an obvious tone.
"I think you're doing what any good alpha would: you're protecting us." Willa bit the inside of her cheek. "What do you think he's gonna do?"
I sighed softly and thought about all of the stories I'd heard about rival packs when I was little. Wolves would fight over land, packs, rankings, or even individual werewolves if it truly meant something to them. Deep down, I knew that Josh wouldn't have mercy on me if it came to it. He was too hellbent on getting what he wanted to have weakness anymore. Especially with a pack like his, if someone in leadership were to show signs of frailty, other wolves could bring in a mutiny.
"He'll probably try to talk me into a deal. Maybe try to give me something in exchange for the pack and their safety," I proposed, shrugging lightly. I looked to the floor in thought before glancing back to Willa. "But he has nothing I want. Which is why it'll eventually end in a challenge. And if—when that happens, no one can intervene. Not you, not Wynter, not even Wyatt. If anyone does, he'll win."
"What do you mean 'a challenge?' Like, a game?"
"Like a fight." I turned and sat down on the edge of the stairs behind us. "We both shift and fight until the other submits or..."
Willa frowned and her brows furrowed. "Until one of you dies," she concluded sadly. "How are you gonna say that and then say none of us can help?" she questioned accusingly, her voice demanding of an answer.
"Because none of you can, Willa. It would literally be breaking one of the oldest codes of werewolves and everyone's lives would be put in danger. That would give the okay for the rest of his pack to fight, too, and none of them would waste a second in attacking." I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration. "Look, we're good at fighting...but they have the advantage when it comes to shifting. Whenever a wolf is in full form they're even stronger than before. I don't wanna risk losing anyone."
Her jaw slacked in disbelief. "But you're risking yourself, Coraline!"
"Because that's my job! It's either me or all of you! I have a chance at winning if he challenges me without risking anyone else." Unshed tears began to cloud my vision. I was worried about the challenge to begin with, but having to talk to Willa about everything caused my nerves to escalate and my emotions were beginning to get the best of me. "I have to do this, okay?"
Willa's eyes looked over my face. "What if you don't win?" Her face was coated with an unsure expression. "I'm sorry, Coraline, but I'm not gonna stand there and watch him kill you because we both know you won't submit." Willa crossed her arms over her chest. "I respect you as alpha and I love you, but I will fight if it comes down to it. So, I suggest you don't lose."
☽
The moon shone down brightly throughout the trees, casting shadows and illuminating the rugged path ahead of us.
"Are you ready for this?" Wyatt questioned as we walked through the forest.
I bit my lip and stayed quiet, not answering his question. If I spoke right now, I couldn't tell if I'd be able to talk without starting to cry. The boy stopped in his tracks and tugged on my hand, causing me to stop as well.
"What if I can't win, Wyatt?" I voiced my worries. "He's going to end up challenging me, I already know it. What if I'm not strong enough and—and I lose and he gets to the pack?"
"Coraline, I won't let that happen. If it comes down to it, we'll figure something out and we'll win." He placed his hands on my cheeks, pressing his forehead to mine. "Just trust me."
"I do trust you." I placed one of my hands over his as I let out a sigh. "And when it does turn into a challenge...you can't help me, okay?"
I could see his jaw tense but he knew how serious this was. As much as he didn't want to, the boy nodded softly. "I know," he said in a small voice. His eyes focused away from mine and I could feel how upset he was at the situation. A frown filled my lips.
I gently pulled his hands from my face and lifted his chin, making his eyes find mine. "Like you said, I'll be okay." A shallow breath passed my lips as I gave the boy a nod. I honestly couldn't tell if my assurance was for his sake or my own, but the way he nodded back in agreement made me not question it further.
After regaining my composure, we continued walking for a few minutes until we came across where we were supposed to meet my father.
Utter silence filled the forest, no sound of voices or footsteps anywhere.
The wind blew coldly in my face, bringing the scent of the woods with it. I took a deep breath and shut my eyes, letting myself focus to see if I could smell them anywhere.
Wyatt stood behind me, his presence being enough comfort for the time being as he watched my actions and our surroundings.
The aromas of the forest filtered through my nose; the different plants, a few animals, even hints of the pine and oak trees. It was all soft and inviting, until a piquant smell of charcoal and leather infiltrated my senses.
My eyes shot open as my face scrunched together unpleasantly.
"Glad to see you're on time," my father commented, his voice echoing off of the trees.
My ears perked up at the noise and I looked in the direction it came from, noticing a faint outline of the man, along with a shorter figure beside him.
"Glad to see you're still making unnecessarily creepy entrances," I retort lowly.
A dark chuckle sounded out as he emerged from the tree line, my mother in tow behind him. The two made their way into the clearing and stopped a few feet away from us, keeping their distance for now.
"Let's get this over with," I decided, my jaw unintentionally clenching. "What do you want?"
"We want to make a deal with you, Coraline. Nobody needs to get hurt," my mother assured, glancing between her husband and I.
My head tilted to the side softly, my brows furrowing. "Is that what you told the other packs before you killed them? Or am I special because I'm your daughter?"
She was clearly unprepared for my response, as her eyes turned to my father's figure, waiting for him to speak.
He hummed in amusement and took a step forward.
I could feel my eyes begin to glow as my body tensed, not wanting him to come any closer.
The man held his hands up in a playful surrender, taking my actions as a mere joke. "Calm down, Coraline. I won't bite."
"Get to the point," I growled out, looking him up and down. "You already know what my decision is going to be on you staying in Seabrook, so what did you want to talk to me for?"
He shrugged and gestured to the forest around us. "I think it would be in both of our pack's best interest to join together, that's all." He took a few steps to the side, still keeping his distance. "I heard about the last few years—how things have been getting more dangerous in your little town." The man's brows furrowed. "How do you know you'll be able to protect it when a bigger threat comes? When something that friendship and rainbows can't fix shows up and knocks on your door, what will you do?"
"Luckily for you, Joshua," I emphasized, "you won't be around to have to worry about it." I gave him a tight-lipped smile.
He wagged a finger in my direction, shaking his head slightly.
"See, Coraline, I think that's exactly why you need us."
I scoffed, nearly laughing at his assumption. He clearly didn't understand that the people of Seabrook knew when to come together to protect their loved ones and home; nothing would get in their way once they had their minds set.
"You're young and naive. You're running a pack when you barely ever had one. Your mother and I could help you."
"That wasn't exactly my fault, though. Was it?" I shot back. "And I don't need help. I've been doing more than fine on my own."
"We can be stronger together, Coraline! Are you not understanding that?" The man stepped closer now, starting to become more heated with the situation. "We could become the most powerful pack in the nation. We could do whatever we wanted, when we wanted. You could have the world at your fingertips; bowing down to you, calling you their alpha."
He was clearly trying his best to play nice and convince me that his was was the right way, but if there's one thing I inherited from him, it's the ability to be strong-willed and stubborn.
If I were to invite his pack to stay, and even join them with mine, it would only be a matter of time before it wouldn't be enough for him. The territory would never be big enough, the strongest wolves wouldn't be substantial for him, and sharing power wasn't something someone like Josh wanted. He was selfish and conniving; only worried about himself and how he could gain control over innocent wolves. The moment I turned my back or let my guard down would be when he would strike. It didn't matter that I was his daughter; his own blood.
And luckily, it didn't matter that he was my father. He wasn't my family. My pack was. My parents who made sure I was safe throughout school and loved was. Wyatt, the one who stood beside me and supported me during times I didn't even support myself—he was family. And I would do anything and everything to protect them.
"So, Coraline?" Joshua spoke up, his hands raised at his sides, a questioning expression coating his face. "Let's do this together, yeah?"
"I don't know if that would work for me," I answer innocently.
He let out a sharp sigh, biting the inside of his cheek. "And why's that?"
I shrugged nonchalantly, already knowing that as soon as the words left my mouth Josh would understand what I meant. He would finally understand that he had nothing I wanted and no offer he gave would change my mind. And if I wouldn't let him in voluntarily, he wouldn't hesitate to fight for it.
"I've never really cared for the whole 'bowing' thing."