(Bennett)
Eight hours of sleep, roughly.
It wasn't bad since we'd gone to bed around five this morning. I'd slept soundly and comfortably thanks to Carter who kept me caged in his arms for the time he slept next to me, his chest pressed to my back and his nose buried in the nape of my neck. His arms were like a steel forte that forbade me from getting away.
I thought I'd have trouble sleeping with the raid and all; remembering the lifeless eyes and faces, the mutilated bodies of our fallen brothers and sisters. It had brought about a new set of trauma I wasn't ready to deal with, still raw and aching from everything that had transpired within the last week.
The attack at the beach house. The kidnapping and torture; drugged up on wolfsbane for the millionth time within two years and hanging on the brink of death. Recovering, finding out that my biological father, his wife, and daughter were the leading traitors of Black Rock, watching my grandfather get shot and paralyzed and then watching so many more of my pack die.
It was an emotionally and mentally taxing week and it amazed me how I hadn't gone completely insane yet. But then I did know.
If it hadn't been for Carter sticking by me, for being that pillar of strength and support, I'd have caved into the madness and the darkness. I'd never have guessed that the Carter Kristian Hayes would become my rock. But he had and I was so damn grateful to the goddess for him.
So, with him by my side, even if his animal instincts had been in the driver's seat, his proximity had calmed me in a way I thought was impossible. Because of him, I was able to rest comfortably and recharge my strength and energy. I still felt tired, but that couldn't be helped. It was expected having worn myself out, pushing past limits I shouldn't have, and injected with a mild dose of relatively harmless wolfsbane.
It would also explain why I woke up with a painful hard-on that Carter just had to notice. He, of course, wasted no time, and took great pleasure in helping me get rid of it. One thing led to another and we'd ended up mating again. With a fresh dose of his hormones and enzymes zipping through my body like little lightning bolts, my minor wounds were already healing. The bullet wound on my shoulder was looking better.
I'd fallen asleep again for about three hours after we'd marked each other again but now I was freshened up, showered, and headed downstairs to greet him, a feeling of uneasiness fluttering through me. I always worried whenever Carter was in the kitchen alone, especially when there was the clanking of dishes and the aroma of homecooked food floating through the air.
I'll give him props because whatever he was cooking smelled heavenly.
My feet padded down the carpeted steps, across the short distance from the stairway to the adjoining archway that led to the kitchen of Carter's little hideaway cabin. I personally loved this cottage. It was cosy and had a feminine touch to it that made it feel welcoming and homey.
He'd told me last night that the cottage was originally built by hand, using stones and simple tools. His grandfather on his father's side had used building the cottage as a focus when he was around our age and struggling to cope with his animal instincts. The cottage was given as a gift to Beta Chad when he'd started showing signs of aggression, and it was given to him so that he'd have somewhere to escape to when he felt like he was losing control.
Carter had gone on to tell me that his father had refurbished the cottage, but Beta Chad's idea of regaining control was locking himself in the cellar just outside and punching the shit out of the concrete wall. According to Beta Chad, sprained wrists, broken knuckles, and ripped flesh had helped him focus on healing. That was had been his way of dealing with the aggression.
Weird guy, but I'm not one to judge others for how they handle aggression. I've done worse.
The cottage was then given to Carter. It was something of an heirloom, passed down from one beta to the next. Carter had his parents further renovate and refurbish the place, making it larger, and they came together as a family to make it liveable. The feminine touch was all Judy. It was beautiful and Carter couldn't resist tossing in one more jab at expectations for the future that had me turning the shade of a ripe tomato.
"I'd like to do something like this to gift our son, someday."
Ugh! That cheesy bastard! Whatever would I do without him? I could finally start living a normal life with him to keep me grounded.
Peeking around the corner, I stopped in my tracks, pulling my mouth into a thin line.
Carter stood at the stove in nothing but gray joggers that hung lowly on his hips, giving me a peek at the black and white 'Dolce and Gabbana' waistband of his boxers. My eyes greedily roamed over the muscles in his back and while it shouldn't surprise me at this point, I couldn't help but swoon all over again at those back muscles, broad shoulders, and his slender waist. The gray joggers did nothing for his ass but gave a nice sneak peek.
The longer I stared, the more heated my face became when images of the steamy-hot romp this morning flashed to the forefront of my mind. Gods! The embarrassment!
After all was done, I hadn't cuddled up to him like last time, rather turning my back to him, pulling the duvet up to my face and going back to sleep. Reason?
Shame!
I'd turned into a moaning mess of a slut this morning and I was loud. I wouldn't be shocked if some Marcana wolves on morning patrol happened to overhear me, rather, I'd want the gods to smite me where I stood. My mate, however, didn't care that I was loud. In fact, he rather liked that, using my moans like fuel that urged him on.
Stepping back behind the wall, I covered my face with both hands and tried to shake away the embarrassment while waiting for my heartbeat to return to a pace of normalcy.
"I know you're there, love."
A quiet gasp escaped me, and I leaned against the wall, placing a hand over my heart like that would ease away the fact that I'd jumped at the sudden deep voice emanating from the kitchen. It didn't stop the small flutter of pride because after receiving training from me, Alister, and then Jax teaching him to track chemo signals, Carter had been shaped into a better beta.
Faster, stronger- I could testify to that after our romp this morning- and he'd become more aware and alert of his surroundings. So long as I am beside him, grounding those animal instincts that still hadn't relinquished full control to the human side, he'd be a wonderful beta.
Expelling a small puff of air, I walked around the wall and into the kitchen, walking up behind him as he was still stood at the stove, stirring something. Placing my cheek against his shoulder, I put my arms around his waist and stole a peek at what he was cooking.
I was floored!
The goddess really came through and gave me the best mate!
Piping hot spaghetti sat in one cooker. In another were stuffed dumplings cooking a stew sauce, and in the pan, he stood over was beef meatballs with tomato sauce and mushrooms. It smelled amazing and my stomach was agreeing with me, rumbling viciously at that moment.
Carter must've felt the rumbling against his back because he chuckled, giving the meatballs one last stir before turning the burner off. He checked the dumplings next and then turned off the stove.
Wiping his hand off on a kitchen towelette, he turned about and greeted me with a kiss. He moved his arms to hold me closer, his touch sending small sparks rippling through my body that was followed up with a wave of pleasure when he brushed his lips against the mark on my shoulder.
"How long have you been up to make all of this?"
"Actually, I cheated a little." he admitted with a small pout. Raising an eyebrow at his confession, I watched as he walked to the other side of the kitchen and reached for a cabinet where he pulled two plates off the last self. "I wanted to make sure you had something to eat once you woke up, so mom helped me with the dumplings. All I had to do was stuff it and throw it in some stew sauce."
"How long were you gone for?" I asked curiously plopping down in a chair at the dining table and petting Muttsey's head, the pit terrier sprawled out near the table, his gaze having been glued to Carter's frame the entire time. Muttsey had considerably warmed up to my mate and was now also protective of him.
Carter's back was to me, and he shrugged, focusing on putting food on the plates. My eyes followed his every movement, watching how grabbed up two forks, brought the plates over and then went back to the kitchen to grab napkins and drinks.
"Maybe an hour or two, tops. Got some stuff from the supermarket and then I checked in with the heads." he returned, placing down the drinks and napkins. He pulled a chair closer to me, pressing a kiss to the side of my head as he sat down. "I got you a pint of ice cream and a fruit tart, too."
Ah shit! There I go! How many times will I fall in love with him, today?
I was amazed, once again left dumbfounded and speechless at the power of the mate bond. Was it simply the power of the heart and love? Was it possible to love someone so much that you couldn't find the words to describe how much you loved a person? How much you cared for them and appreciated everything they did for you? Was it so powerful that just the thought of that person could put a smile on your face because you couldn't wait to spend another moment with them?
I used to look down on couples who couldn't seem to keep apart and keep their hands off one another. Then again, Chester and Mandy were mainly to blame for that hatred, but I guess, I hadn't known what true love was then.
Being with Carter finally made me realize and understand all that mushy romance garbage. It's not that couples are so in love that they needed to be together every day. It's because spending time with somebody who understood you completely, valued your time and company, and put you before themselves makes it all worthwhile. I love the person I am with Carter. He'd once told me that I make him want to be a better person because if he wants me to stay, he's going to need to do things and become that person who will make me stay.
And I wanted to be better for him, too. I still have my problems and my trust issues, and they'll probably never go away. But so long as Carter treats me with the love, care, and respect that he does now, I'm well on my way because I know I can become better.
"Aren't you going to eat, creepy-pasta? I poured my love into making this meal and you won't eat it? Instead, you're sitting there. Watching me. Like a weirdo." Carter's teasing challenge snapped me back to reality and I took note of his narrowed eyes while I was blushing my ass off. So, I did the next best thing to redeem my dignity.
"Like you haven't done the same. I'm sure you sit alone in your dark room at night just watching the hundreds of photos you take of me." I fired.
"I like pretty things, so, yeah." He shrugged like it was nothing.
My face!
"Who's the weirdo, now?"
Carter stuck his tongue out childishly, and I chuckled, returning the childish act. He shook his head and gestured to my untouched plate.
"Eat, Beehive. I can't stop you from getting involved but I won't let you go out there on an empty stomach."
A smile on my lips, I grabbed up the fork and heeded his words, picking up a forkful of spaghetti. While eating, I sent a silent prayer to the goddess thanking her for giving me a mate like Carter because at that moment, I couldn't get over how amazing he was.
Everyone around school kept saying he was quite a catch, but I wondered if anyone other his closest friends really understood him. Most people tried to covet him to boost their own status. I saw the way they looked at him, sometimes heard the way they spoke about him. They had no interest in substance, only wanting the bragging rights that came from being associated with him.
He'd told me so. And the reason he loved me and pursued me relentlessly was because of how different I was. I didn't care about the things most people did. Having been hurt and put through enough trauma to last me two lifetimes or more, I just wanted someone to see me for who I was. To not judge and not hate.
To understand and accept.
The goddess had done a good thing that had restored my faith in her.
"Did the heads mention what they plan to do?" I asked, somewhat uneasy. The silence between us while we ate had been comfortable. It was that type of silence that was welcoming and filled with an unspoken sense of deep intimacy and understanding and I hadn't wanted to disrupt that.
But I needed to know.
Carter paused in his eating. He took a sip of his drink and pursed his lips, his expression perfectly capturing his displeasure over the sudden topic of conversation. His emotions reached out to me through the bond and while it was strong, it was egged on by something primal.
I guess his animal instincts were still in the driver's seat and it didn't take too kindly to having its mate put in the line of danger.
"They want to hold a strategy meeting at three."
I frowned, quickly stealing a glance at the kitchen clock. Hitting him a dry glare, I watched as he smiled ever so sweetly with his guilt. "That's in one hour, Carter. What? Were you planning on conveniently forgetting to mention it?"
"Maybe." he mumbled with a pout, glaring down at his plate. Chuckling, I leaned forward and kissed his cheek, enthralled at how he mimicked my earlier actions and leaned into my touch. He pulled the chair closer, snaking an arm around my waist. "I need you safe, Beehive."
I knew it.
He came through with that idle threat from the day before about dragging me to Marcana and locking me inside his cottage so at least, I'd be safe and if anyone wanted to harm me, they'd have to get through Marcana's army of warrior wolves. I could already imagine it.
Some bad guy barrelling his way through Marcana territory to hurt me but before he could get close, I'm locked in here and standing in front of the door like a damn sentinel, would be my mate, in his werewolf form seething with a feral dominance.
Carter turned his body so that he was facing me completely, blue eyes locked mine and the anguish there sucker punched me. I already knew it. He wouldn't last long if something happened to me and I was lost to him forever. But it never lessened the hurt seeing how much he feared losing me. It was almost as if he couldn't withstand the thought of living in world without me.
I guess that was it. Once you got a taste of something and it's real and beautiful, you never want to let it go.
I understood that fear. Those 'what if' questions had been a daunting reality my entire life but now, that feeling of fear was incredibly strong and difficult to ignore. I couldn't think about living a life without Carter in it, knowing that he'd done so much for me and gone the extra mile and beyond just to help me get better.
What would I be without my pillar?
That pitiful Bennett Reid who existence a mere few months prior? I'd rather die than ever return to that sorrowful state.
"You think you'll lose me again?"
His jaw clenched tightly. "I was barely hanging on by a thread when..." his voice trailed away and when next he spoke, it was barely above a shaky whisper, "when they took you from me again."
Unable to watch him tear himself up over this, I got up from my seat with the intention to cuddle him from behind, but he didn't let me get away, locking his hands down on my waist and pulling me to his lap. Placing my forehead against his, I held him close.
"You won't lose me. I promise."
**
The atmosphere inside the room was thick with heavy tension. Here we all stood, gathered in the strategy room of Marcana's conference hall, the lights dimmed and the projector on, shooting a beam of light that projected the image of the county's map across the whiteboard.
However, unlike before when we had been sure of our leaders' decisions, we were all hesitant to believe their words and even the leaders gave off auras that they too were not completely confident.
A wrong move on their path because they were supposed be the perfect image of confidence heading into battle. The wavering trust in their plan of attack and apprehension cast a gloom overhead like a dark, pregnant cloud waiting to burst.
"You're certain about this?" Colton queried, raising an eyebrow much like I had done detecting the carefully masked uncertainty in Beta Chad about his own plan.
Carter and I exchanged glances when Beta Chad's eyebrow suddenly twitched and he clenched his jaw, drilling holes into Colton's skull. The Ivy Rose alpha frowned.
"No! I'm not certain about anything. Do you know about the million things that could wrong and I'm this close," Beta Chad paused amid his outburst of a frustrated rant, holding up his hand to show the room the space between his pointer and thumb fingers, "this close to losing my fucking mind-"
"Chad, calm down." Alpha Isaiah encouraged.
"I am calm!"
Right. Because calm people think they're losing their minds.
An awkward silence fell over the room as Beta Chad slumped against the table, perhaps far to mentally exhausted to push himself any further. This man was going above and beyond to ensure the safety of his pack, not just pooling his resources and knowledge as a beta, but also as a Councilman. I can only imagine the pressure on his shoulders right now. Though Marcana had strength in numbers and their security system was top notch now, it didn't mean all of their wolves were top notch warriors.
Glancing around the room, I took note of all the faces present here. Other than the faces I had become acquainted with over the last number of weeks from Marcana, there were handpicked Blackwater warriors accompanying their superiors, and the heads of Black Rock Canyon had also selected a few of our best warriors who were abled since the majority were either injured or needed elsewhere. Lativa had also given a hand, Ezra and his mate, Jessica showing up in tactical wear looking ready to fight. They had been accompanied by Ezra's beta, Caleb Wright, third and fourth-in-commands, Gavin O'Malley, and Justin Thompson. They showed up with a small unit of no more than six warriors accompanying them, all dressed similarly.
It was not nearly as large a faction as I had suspected but once I heard the plan, I understood completely.
Tactical advantage.
Among those faces was one I had seen around Jasper Falls sparingly and hadn't yet been officially introduced to. However, Carter was more than happy to inform me about who would be on this unit and I'd learned that the man was Sky's uncle- Rhett Davis- who was living on and off in Marcana territory since the passing of Sky's dad. The reason for his sparring visits had to do with him being the beta to the only pack in Minerva- Grenridge.
"It's a good idea." I piped up. "We'll be at a disadvantage but launching an attack on home turf is too risky and dangerous. Vince, Cheryl, and Mandy had access to information about Marcana's territory layout. Marcana is also hosting the surviving Black Rock wolves. It would be better to have a small unit launching an attack on their turf."
"There's danger in that, too." Commander Rick countered. "We're not familiar with Pymbrooke's undeveloped areas and less so for Valley Heights. Tobias and his factions have been on the run for months. They know every nook and cranny and every backway alley. Catching them without getting injured, kidnapped, or killed isn't in our favour."
"Not to mention," Rhett Davis spoke up for the first time since his timely arrival.
According to what Carter had told me; other than the man's pregnant mate, Sky was his only other family left. Once he'd been contacted about the trouble happening in Jasper Falls and what we planned to do, he dropped everything and came running.
"There are only higher ups and elites in this room. That may be an advantage with some of the county's strongest and most elite players on our side, but the packs will be in danger if something were to befall us."
I pursed my lips in thought. Sky's uncle made an excellent point. To every plan, there were pros and cons. No plan on the battlefield ever went smoothly without some improvisation and a few sacrifices. However, I think Beta Chad was trying to create a plan where we didn't lose anyone after the events of the previous night.
It was impossible.
We weren't invincible no matter how much we trained, and no matter how much we told ourselves that we're strong.
"Maybe." I piped up. "But it's better than bringing the fight home where the packs are a liability. It's best to take the fight to them and we could use the woodland in Pymbrooke to our advantage. Most of us here have become acquainted with that woodland and the areas that border Valley Heights and Minerva over the last few days. We have enough knowledge of the territory to fight them and win."
"We just need to strategize very carefully." Asher piped up from where he sat slouched in a chair next to his mate.
Staring at the map, plans were already formulating in my head about the best route of attack. The downside, the inevitability of the rogues being prepared didn't grant us the element of surprise. Vince, Cheryl, and Mandy were all hiding out with Tobias and faction. They'd know we'd spring an attack regardless.
It was a game of chess, this war. They had made their move and taken out many of our soldiers. Right now, the heads of Black Rock Canyon, Marcana, Blackwater, and Lativa was the last defence standing in the way of Black Rock's total demise, and a broken Jasper Falls.
And I'd die before I let that happen.
"What're you thinking, B?" Jax's voice snapped me out of the confinement of my thoughts. I spun the pen around; the same one I'd been absentmindedly fiddling with over the duration of the meeting.
"That no matter how we approach, we've ultimately lost the element of surprise. They know we're pissed so they'll be waiting. Hell, they're probably armed up to their teeth."
"Cowards!" Carter spat distastefully, seething with red rage at the mere thought of those Black Rock traitors. I'm glad Carter managed to kill off three. Makes my job easier.
"So, assuming they've turned the Valley Heights slum into a fortress-" I started, only to be cut off when Colton cleared his throat. He was here with my mother and they were dressed as though they were headed into a fight. Honestly, I've never seen my mother look so menacing before, even with her petite frame, the all-black attire gave the impression of a tough chick who wasn't afraid to get her hands bloody.
And I knew my mother was itching to get her hands on a particular female and male traitor of Black Rock.
"I have an idea. Just let me make a call." Colton interrupted, wearing a smug-as-shit smirk that had me frowning. Casting a suspicious stare onto him, he laughed, catching onto my unspoken question for him to elaborate on his idea that would involve making a call at this point in time.
"I have an associate in that area. If he could create a distraction large enough, we'd gain the upper hand." Colton informed, tossing out his idea. As he said those words, two things came to mind.
The first, a new plan had started developing and honestly, I quite liked this idea. The second, was 'what if' concerning Colton's associate, my mind immediately flashing back to the night before when Carter had rescued me.
I remembered Hush's words and his smartass choice of it to explain the reason why he hadn't made the hit on me after all this time. He said he's supposed to be protecting me. Kind of. Tobias and his rogue faction were holed up somewhere in the Valley Heights' slum and now Hush had a face.
Hush is the blonde rogue. The blonde rogue is Hush. If only he had a proper name.
But now my father has associates in the Valley Heights' slum. Granted, it could be anyone, but this couldn't be a coincidence. And even if Colton's connections to the slums was, in fact, Hush, he may not be a third-party contractor adhering to Colton's words. To an extent, yes. But I personally think that there's more to Hush. It can't just be that he's getting paid to ensure I don't get killed.
A man like Hush who was quite clearly born from a high rank. He was vicious. Cold and callous. Calculative. One look at him and anyone could tell he's been fighting to survive his entire life. A man like Hush probably wouldn't take on a job to babysit some kid unless he had his own agenda, and it was convenient to him to kill two birds with one stone.
Even after learning that they were one and the same person, and he now had a face to associate with the name, there was still so much about him that intrigued me. Especially his skillset.
Where'd he learn to fight like that? And so viciously, too. And he was incredibly strong for a sub, so he had to be high-ranked by blood.
Glancing over to my father with a sceptical look, he smiled that shit-eating grin as if silently telling me I was getting warmer with putting the puzzle pieces together. I shook my head then, deciding that I'd find out at a later date if Colton had really hired Hush to be my bodyguard. I focused on the problem at hand.
"Can your associate give us an estimate to the number of rogues we're up against?"
Colton shrugged. "I'll ask."
As he stepped away and out of the room to make his call, I went back to the map projected across the whiteboard. Looking at the image before me, and then at the faces surrounding me, my mindset switched to a tactical one, already assessing each person's skillset based on physical strength, speed, combat skills, tracking, and tact. I was already mentally assigning them to teams as I saw my plan come to life on the projected image.
"You're thinking of something else, B." Jax's voice rang from across the table and I glanced to him. Asher, seated next to his mate, was sharing a secret smile with my best friend, as if they were thinking something about me. "Please do share. You might be my beta, but you still think like a commander."
I frowned, snapping my gaze back to Jax about to ask him how he knew what the hell was going through my mind. But he beat me to it, laughing. "I know that look, B. Whenever you start fidgeting your fingers, you're thinking of a really good plan."
A pout formed on my lips and my index finger stopped tapping the table. Jax chuckled, inclining his head for me to speak.
"Let's wait until Colton comes back. I'll need an estimate."
While Colton finished his call, I went back to strategizing. Looking at all the faces present in the conference room, my plan didn't call for everyone. It was better to have a small, tactical unit either way. I would just need to split up the skillset equally to give each smaller unit an advantage.
He came back after a few moments wearing a smug grin that was quite unlike him. Usually, Colton Wyatt wore a face made of stone that betrayed any emotion he might possess. It was usually difficult to get a read on what he was feeling or what he was thinking.
Until now.
His chemo signals indicated that Colton Wyatt was crazy for bloodshed. He took immense joy at the thought of being put in a position where he'd have to fight for his life, and I could understand why. Aside from his personal reasons in this fight, his combat skills were quite impressive and that contributed to him being a powerful alpha.
"He estimates at around seventy." Colton informed earning disgruntled groans from most of the packs' heads gathered in the room.
"How is that even possible? What the hell is this guy doing to still have so many rogues under his command?" Beta Chad fumed, angry to the point that I could see the smoke puffing from his ears.
Shaking my head, I redirected the flow of conversation to pitch my plan.
"He says seventy. Let's account for another ten, worst case scenario. Either way, we won't need everyone on the front lines. I want seven units." I paused gesturing to the projected map of the county and reaching for the laser pointer and the remote from Beta Chad. "Inside this room are wolves with connections to almost all packs within the county. The plan is to corner and lock them down but to do so, we'll need the packs outside of Jasper Falls to pitch in and lend a few warriors."
"Why?" Rhett Davis queried, but not from confusion. It sounded like he was amused.
"If Tobias escapes, he might turn his sights to another pack. He's a threat to the county at large and it'll be best to cut him off at all points. We know that they're presently hiding out in the slums of Valley Heights." I stated, beginning to pitch my plan, and using the laser pointer to paint a better picture of what was in my head, pointing to a spot on the map of Valley Heights that marked the rogues' hideout.
"So, Colton's associate will be our wild card. He'll launch an attack from the inside and create a diversion large enough for our men to move in. Squadron one will be immediately surrounding the area and your job is push them toward squadron two that will be standing by just outside of that area. Unit three will wait further in the woods on the borders of Valley Heights and Pymbrooke Creek to capture any rogue that slips through our defence."
Glancing around the room, I immediately found the faces of those I wanted on those three units. Our best hitters and trained warriors and higher ups.
"The rest who haven't been assigned to the first three units will fill the ranks of the fourth squad and you'll remain in Jasper Falls protecting the border between this town and Pymbrooke. Squads five, six, and seven will come from the packs in Valley Heights, Minerva, and Starlight City. We don't need many warriors. Just enough to patrol the borders between towns in case they try to make a run for it. I also don't want anyone here crossing borders that will tip the rogues off on our arrival."
I turned my attention to Colton, Tucker, and Rhett Davis.
"Colton, I want squad five coming from Ivy Rose. Lock them off to the north of Valley Heights. Squad six, I want from Starlight City. Tucker contact your mother even though I'm sure she wouldn't mind helping. Beta Rhett, contact your alpha and tell him I want at least ten of his best warriors squeezing the border of Minerva. Tell him that we'll owe him one in the future. Is everyone clear on the plan?"
Silence ensued as Tucker and Colton left to make their individual calls. Nobody else made a move.
Glancing up, I examined the faces of the wolves present finding a mixture of reactions. Hoping to find an answer, I glanced over to my mate who sat in the chair next to me. Carter wore a smug smirk, his shoulders squared, and chest puffed in a prideful manner. And he was looking at me as though I was simply the best thing to exist.
"Was I speaking too quickly?" I asked after another moment or two had passed by and nobody said anything.
"Uh..." Rhett Davis piped up, frowning my way with visible confusion. "Why wasn't this kid Commander in the first place?"
Beta Chad scoffed then, looked highly annoyed. A smile slipped onto my face knowing how much Beta Chad absolutely hated my biological father.
"Vince fucking Reid!" Beta Chad sneered and then snorted in distaste. "I swear to the gods, I'd really like to kill that fucker!" he exclaimed sharply, practically seething in his chair.
"Wow!" Alpha Isaiah mused, eyes wide like saucers and it shocked me because I think this is the first time, I've seen this man show any reaction other than what I called 'wall-faced'. "You really hate this guy."
"I have a reason!" Beta Chad snapped.
"Calm down." Rhett Davis piped up, wearing a taunting grin, his gesture to calm down the angered beta wolf further antagonizing. "Don't throw another hissy fit." Shaking my head, I laughed lightly watching as Beta Chad glared and chucked his pencil in Rhett's direction. Rhett escaped in time though, getting out of his seat to move to a secluded corner so that he could make his own call.
After a few minutes, Colton and Tucker returned. Ivy Rose's beta was on board with the plan and was already congregating with Ivy Rose's fourth-in-command to gather suitable wolves for squad five. Tucker had also informed us that his mother would be sending some her elite warriors to patrol the border between Starlight City and Valley Heights.
We were waiting on Rhett, now.
"-listen you pretentious asshole!" Rhett suddenly sneered into the phone drawing the attention of most of the room. "I'm getting sick of your lazy ass and running around doing the duties you're too lazy to carry out as alpha. Don't come through with this, I'm taking my wife and I'm leaving your stupid pack. Have a squad of warriors patrolling the border within the next hour."
With that, Rhett hung up and stormed back to his chair ignoring the curious stares that went his way. I'm guessing Rhett didn't have that synchronized relationship with his alpha that was expected for the pack to run smoothly. I guess that would explain why the pack seemed to be having so many issues and moving forward at a slower than usual pace. Rhett was beta and acting alpha.
I'd heard stories before that his alpha was a lazy piece of trash who indulged the entitlement that came with his rank but didn't dare adhere to the moral codes an alpha was supposed to uphold. I'd also heard that his kid was just as bad. Ah yes, the joys of being an insufferable bastard.
I wonder what it's like to possess an ego so large.
"They'll be ready." Rhett informed.
Okay. Taking his word for it.
I spent the next fifteen to twenty minutes assigning wolves to squads and clarifying with pack heads the skillsets of each wolf I was uncertain about so that I was able to put them in a position where they would maximise their skillset but avoid injury, kidnapping, or death.
I'd put myself on squadron one along with Jax, my mother, Colton, and Alister. Sky and Jace, Beta Chad, Jessica, and Gavin O'Malley. From Blackwater, I'd taken Davin to be on my squadron.
I'd put Carter on the second squadron and that led to an argument in front of everyone present that was quickly shut down with a simple stern stare. He quickly realized that nothing he could say would have changed my mind. The first two squadrons needed to be the strongest which was why squad two had the majority of wolves ranking alpha, beta, and third-in-command. From Marcana, we had Alpha Isaiah and Dale, Carter, and Asher. From Black Rock, I'd put Andre, Aunt Zoe, Aunt Alyssa, and Uncle Luke. From Lativa, Ezra, and Caleb Wright whom I learned was previously the pack's commander. But after the betrayal of their now dead beta, Caleb was quickly promoted to the beta rank. From Blackwater, there was Tucker and Jason.
The rest made up the ranks of the third and fourth squads that would be scattered through Pymbrooke's woodland and guarding the town border.
Squadron two needed to be made up of stronger wolves and hold even more ranks. My unit was simply a small one that would drive the rogues to an imminent apprehension if they weren't killed off.
I meant for there to be no survivors of Tobias' faction, and I think Carter realized this. He was unhappy with my plan, not at all liking the fact that I'd be going into the slum area without him by my side. It was simply his protective instinct kicking in, but this was war. He needed to suppress his emotions and not allow it to get in the way lest one wrong move compromised everything.
"I still don't like your plan." Carter deadpanned, leaning against the table that held an array of blades, guns, and the associated magazine and bullets. The meeting had ended and within the hour, we were expected to head out.
Updates had already come in from Sterling, Grenridge, and Ivy Rose. Troops of patrolling wolves had already been deployed to the borders and were awaiting further instruction. Squads one, two, and three were currently raiding the armoury for weapons.
Checking the bullets in a magazine, I loaded the Glock and flipped the safety on, tucking it into the Velcro sheath strap on my right thigh. Around my waist was a utility belt that carried several magazines already loaded with bullets. Swiping up another Velcro sheath strap, I went over to the table where there were more blades and Carter followed, already armed and ready to head out.
I started inspecting one or two of the blades.
"It's a good plan. You just don't like being separated from me."
"Can you blame me?" he growled, the primal instinct raring its ugly head once more.
Gods alone knew how long Carter would allow his animal instinct to stay in the driver's seat, but my guess was that once this was over and I was out of harm's way, he'd start acting more like the loveable idiot I fell head-over-heels for.
Don't get me wrong. I love his possessive, protective nature. But sometimes it got a bit overbearing and he started fights with me because I was being 'reckless'. I wasn't heading into that building like a one-man army. No, I had about ten other wolves with me and all of them were high-ranks and well-trained.
Selecting my blades, I tucked the larger one into the thigh strap. The smaller two came with its own sheaths thin enough to be hidden around my ankle.
"No." I replied, turning so that my body faced his. Carter's hands slipped onto my waist and pulled me closer. "I don't blame you." Draping my arms over his shoulders, Carter pulled me even closer eliminating any space between us, his hands coming to interlock at my lower back. "But you know, it's all part of the job."
"You're acting beta, now. Technically, you don't have to lead the front line."
"True." I shrugged. "But we've been fighting this war for almost two years and those fuckers nearly annihilated my pack last night. I have a lot of anger to expel so don't ask me to sit it out."
Stepping away, I only got as far as reaching for the sheath strap with the two small blades when I was suddenly yanked back, sparks erupting along my arm and the wave of pleasure that unexpectedly soared through me at his dominance, startled me.
Why did that turn me on?
Carter's arm slipped around my waist once more and I was pulled flush to his body, his other hand cupping my chin so that I stared directly in his blue eyes. My hands rested against his shoulders.
"You better come back to me."
Offering a small smile, I nodded since that was all I could do, still reeling from his sudden bout of dominance.
Phew! Only Carter Kristian Hayes could get away with that.
He leaned forward, closing the gap between us and pressed his lips to mine. It was a short kiss, lasting no more than three seconds. Heated and powerful, he had poured all of his feelings into that kiss; the fear and worry, and more love than I'd ever felt in a single kiss.
He followed that up with a kiss to the forehead, whispering the words, "I love you," before he stepped away.
Ruffling the front of my hair to mentally shrug off the desire that suddenly assaulted me, I turned my attention back to finish gathering weapons when I spotted Alister on the other side of the table, trying to be inconspicuous about his glances but failing miserably.
He hadn't been looking at Carter and me. While he selected blades, checked the same magazine at least twice, his gaze would flit across the room ever so often.
Curious, I followed to investigate the uncharacteristic behaviour. He was looking at...Jason?
Glancing back to Alister, he caught my stare and lowered his, cheeks tinging the shade of pink.
I fucking knew it!
Huffing a short laugh, I reached for the bulletproof vest and started adjusting it as I slipped it on.
"You should go talk to him."
Alister snapped his head up. "Who?" he asked trying to be oblivious which earned him a dry stare. Catching on, he shook his head. "I can't. It's too risky."
"Why? If you prolong any further, he's going to be pissed knowing that you willingly hid from him all this time. How'd you do it anyway?"
Alister was silent for a moment, but his gaze stuck with Jason. "You're not the only one who learned how to repress his emotions."
So, I'd been right all along. Since Al started working at the school as my undercover bodyguard, I'd often find Jason sneaking glances at him in the halls. Jason mentioned feeling the pull of the mate bond but had never been able to pinpoint it. With all the tragedy Al had been put through, watching both of his parents killed before him, holding his mate as she took her last breath, and then watching helplessly as his baby sister was murdered before him, he'd thrown up a wall much like I had to help get through day after day.
The bond was directly tied to one's emotions. Suppressing emotions meant weakening the bond even momentarily or temporarily. The wall Al had put up would deflect the mate bond even though Jason would have still felt a stronger pull toward his mate, that being the only indicator that his mate was somewhere close by in sea of people.
"You know, all he's ever wanted was to find his mate."
Alister expelled a deep breath. "I know. If you think about it, I'm quite selfish. Figured that hiding and staying away might make things easier. I didn't want to care for him."
Because he couldn't handle holding another dying mate in his arms. I understood completely.
"It isn't working, right?"
Alister shook his head. "It's hard to stay away. And with him being the fourth-in-command of Blackwater..." Alister scratched at his chest, "I think I finally understand why Hayes is so protective of you."
That's the mate bond. You can't really escape or ignore it unless you are heartless like a certain deceased somebody I once knew. That makes me wonder...
Did my lovely stepsister ever have a mate, too?
Poor bastard. I hope she at least did the guy a favour and rejected him because no innocent body deserved to feel their mate's disgusting infidelity.
"You should talk to him, at least. Without the wall."
Alister scoffed and rolled his eyes, grabbing up a bulletproof vest. With all his weapons having been chosen, he took one more glimpse behind my shoulder and inhaled deeply before he started making his way over. Turning about, I leaned against the table while Carter copying my actions. We watched as Alister hesitantly approached Jason, the Blackwater commander carefully eyeing the other male's unusual approach.
They exchanged words and from where we stood, respectfully deciding against eavesdropping, it looked as though Alister had asked to speak with him in a more secluded place. I stifled a laugh when Alister gently took hold of the other boy's wrist and started leading him away from the others, to a quieter corner.
Jason's jaw was practically on the floor, brown eyes locked onto Alister's hand. He was clearly caught in a struggle between swooning and jumping for joy or slapping the shit out of Al for hiding in plain sight.
They spoke some more; Alister mainly doing most of talking while Jason just stared up at the taller male. Getting a little nosy, I decided to eavesdrop just to ensure Al wasn't making a mess of things. But by then, he'd stopped talking and I heard Jason speak.
"Can...Can I have a hug?"
Alister said nothing. He only smiled and held his arms out to which Jason responded by launching himself toward the warrior wolf.
"They're mates!" Carter exclaimed from next to me. "Did you know about this?"
I shrugged. "I never really suspected until last night when I saw them doing that thing. You know, where they look at one another when other isn't looking."
"That's a dick move. Why'd he wait so long?"
Glancing back to the new couple in embrace, a smile made its way onto my lips taking note of how Alister held Jason, burying his nose in his mate's hair. "Al has his reasons. I just hope he'll open up a little bit, now."
He had his share of demons to battle but now that he's gotten a little sunshine, maybe he'll stand a better chance at conquering that darkness instead of bottling it up and putting on a brave front for everyone else.
"Well, that's great and all, but" Carter said then, stepping in front of me so that I had no choice but to stare up into those blue eyes. "you just make sure and come back to me. Be careful."
Giving him a smile that I hoped spoke volumes of my affection for him, I pulled him closer by the bulletproof vest he wore. "You, too."
Tipping his down, he met me halfway in a brief kiss that was interrupted when Beta Chad suddenly cleared his throat and informed us that it was about time to leave. It was already after five in the afternoon and soon, the sun would disappear beneath the horizon once more dwarfing us in the darkness left behind.
The darkness could also be used as an advantage for our troops hiding along the borders and within the woodland lying in wait for potentially unsuspecting rogues. With the fall of night, the darkness and our black clothing would help tremendously in giving us cover since the slum areas in the county were not all that well lit.
The gathering of the packs' higher ups and elites dispersed into respective squads heading out to the assigned destinations. After an hour or so had passed of trekking through woodland territory under the cover of nightfall- passing by and running into a patrolling wolf from Minerva who had pushed further past the assigned territory in order to further squeeze the borders- squads one and two finally made it to the southern end of Valley Heights.
Carter sent me off with a kiss and a warning to be careful, him and the other higher ups of squadron two hanging back in the shadows of the trees. Our scents masked, and our footfalls light, Beta Chad and I took up the front of the group while Alister and Colton occupied the rear.
As expected, the streetlights were orange and dimmed in comparison to the lighting in the developed parts of the towns, some flickering on and off, and others smashed leaving some parts of the streets in complete darkness. Loud music pumped from one or two windows and sauntering out of bars were persons- werewolf and human- drunk off of their ass and swaying with each step they took.
Outside the buildings we passed by, small groups of thugs and questionable characters lounged about, smoking and drinking. In one alleyway, a drunkard had dragged an unwilling female into the darker part of the backway alley, his intent quite clear given her struggles. It didn't last long because Colton broke away from the group and chased after the two, snapping the man's neck like a twig. The distraught female seemed to recognize Colton, but then, that was expected. She was a werewolf too, and around here, Colton was the only alpha whose power trumped anyone else's.
In some other buildings, we overheard the screams and cries of women and children, the foul shouting, and curses of some very intoxicated men. Those noises were accompanied by things breaking and the sound of someone being abused.
Nothing was out of the ordinary here. A heart-breaking reality that barely any slum resident tried to escape such horrific lives. Quite often, these areas were overrun by criminals and their affairs.
We turned down another back alley. During the meeting, we discussed what routes to take to the building that would help us stay in the dark, undetected. Jax had then informed us of the route they took and advised we used the back alleys since all were connected in some way. Using the images and videos from the drone they had flown that afternoon; we had been able to sketch a route that worked to our advantage.
Though we heard the loud music, most of it was noise and the occasional drunkard and questionable characters. The back alleys were scarce of persons giving us the perfect advantage. Whether Tobias had every slum resident under thumb or not didn't matter because we already assumed the worst and had planned accordingly.
The alley we were in was two buildings away from the target with one alley in the middle of those two structures. Beta Chad suddenly raised his left fist, signalling for us to freeze our movements. He peeked around the corner checking for any incoming rogues and when he found none, he left his post at the front of the group and hurried over to where Jessica stood, armed with a Glock in hand rather than a rifle. But unlike us, she carried a large black bag strapped to her shoulders and torso.
"Two buildings down opposite the target. Top floor."
Jessica nodded and took front, Beta Chad guiding her forward. He stopped next to me and we checked either side of the street before Jessica took off in sprint, running across the wide street and ducking into the darkness of the opposite alley. Due to our night vision, we saw her dark-clothed figure disappear around the corner. We waited in silence for the next ten or so minutes when her voice suddenly spoke into the coms.
"Top floor, third window from my right. I'm in position. I count five at the entrance."
Beta Chad then gestured for us to move forward, indicating that we take the same path Jessica had used. Taking up the front of the group, with Colton falling into step beside me, we moved across the street and into the alley, Beta Chad taking up the rear this time. We rounded the corner, having to hold our breath at the pungent odour of garbage, vomit, urine, and shit, and a couple decaying rats.
Shivering lightly as we passed by a rat that had swollen and popped, I held my hand out indicating for everyone to stop. Pressing against the brick wall, grimacing slightly because I can't even put a number on the thousands of germs that wall was infected with, I peeked around the corner and into the darkened alley, scrunching my nose once more as the stomach-flipping odour of rotted garbage assaulted my nostrils.
The alley was clear and from our view at our previous spot, the building opposite the target had a porch with solid concrete bannisters about three and a half feet high.
Gesturing to the back half of the group- Beta Chad, Gavin, Sky, and Jax- I signally for them to move first and to stay low. They headed out, ducking into the alley, and sticking closest to the wall on the other building. When they neared the edge, Beta Chad quickly swung his rifle around to his back and ducked low, crawling on hands and knees staying hidden behind the short concrete balcony away from the gazes of the five rogues at the entrance of the target building.
The others followed suit, Jax gesturing for us to move forward as he ducked down and crawled his way over to where the others hid, out of our sights, and still covered by the bannister. I gestured for the others to follow but before I could step out, Colton pulled me back and took the front, obviously using his frame as a shield to mine.
We made it across safely when Jessica's voice suddenly spoke into the coms once more. "Six rogues. That blonde one you guys mentioned just walked out."
Hush was here?
From next to me, I saw Colton whip out his phone and at a time like this, he was texting. Frowning, I snuck a peek at his phone's screen and caught a glimpse of the name 'Dakota Atkinson' and my eyes stayed glued, catching the words he was texting to this person.
It read, 'Window and porch next door. Get ready.'
Don't tell me...
"Jessica, on that rogue's signal, you make a move." he informed a moment later through the coms, shocking the rest of us except my mother whom I guessing knew about the blonde rogue, or should I say, Dakota Atkinson. His title was familiar but for the life of me, I couldn't place it from where I'd heard it before.
"Gotcha." came her reply.
I nudged Colton in the side, drawing his attention to me. "That's your guy?" I whispered, and he nodded, a grin breaking out onto his face. Colton nodded to the others with the same smirk, reassuring them that 'Hush' was no longer a threat, but rather, our wild card.
We waited in silence for a few more minutes, the quietness of our immediate surroundings heightening the smallest of sounds. The rats scurrying in the alley, and low hum of voices at the entrance of our target building, and the muffled bass of pumping music building away.
Schunk!
The sound came suddenly and unpredicted, followed by the quiet gurgling sounds of a rogue choking on his blood. The others retaliated, creating an uproar. That had been the signal because the next sound that followed was the sniper's bullet from the top floor zipping through the air and catching another rogue. He was silenced immediately indicating that it had been a headshot.
We moved, jumping out of our hiding spots, and dashing across to the middle of the street, raising our rifles, and taking aim. Three shots and three more dead rogues, the loud ricochet of the bullets catching the attention of the rogues inside the building as their voices could be heard shouting through the structure.
"They're here!"
"Gear up!"
"Kill all of them!" Ah! So, Tobias was here finally. Was daddy dearest here, too? And his perfect wife and daughter?
I suppose it's time for an extended-family reunion. I know mom can't wait to see daddy dearest and his wife.
"Scatter!" came Beta Chad's command. "You four," he instructed, gesturing to Jax, Gavin, Jace, and Davin, "go round back. The rest of you, with me!"
We sprang into action, the rest of us dashing over to the entrance of the building where Hush was already tackling and taking down incoming rogues, the door left open allowing us to file in. Some came at us with a hail of bullets, others opting for a direct approach in a blade fight or hand-to-hand combat.
We took down rogue after rogue. How silly were they to still charge forward knowing that we carried guns?
The four who had gone around to the back of the building were making their way through to the front serving as a distraction and giving us the chance to go up the steps. It was a three-storey building. The ground floor had a reception area and foyer since this was after all, a hostel. Rundown and somewhat dilapidated, but still neglected and looked as though the insides hadn't seen a modicum of care in the last decade with scratched up painted doors, scratched and dirty floors, chipped and moulding wallpaper that cast an eerie atmosphere. The smell alone was strong enough to hit us as we barged in through the front and was disgusting to the point that it'd send a germaphobe into cardiac arrest.
The ground floor also had rooms but only a total of six from what I counted having peeked down the adjoining corridor and cutting down two rogues before making my way up. The second floor had ten rooms, five per side.
The others moved up to the third floor, leaving behind me, Beta Chad, and mom.
With Sky, Alister, and Colton sweeping the top floor, and Jessica providing cover from the building over, sweeping the building shouldn't take too long.
But my thought faltered momentarily when I caught sight of what awaited us as we turned around the corner that led into the corridor of the second storey.
A mob.
Of maybe twenty or more rogues armed with blades, guns, steel rods, and wooden beams. I scrunched my nose taking in their grimy appearances of dishevelled clothing. I supposed that stomach-flipping odour wasn't just the mouldy, dusty interior of the building but these rogues too, who had fallen so deeply into the poverty-stricken end of rogue life.
And they were not adapting well.
The mob before us sported sickening smirks, some of them lazily twirling steel rods as if posing a threat. Beta Chad and mom came up behind me, falling in line, the three of us facing off against the crowd of anarchy, the numbers in their favour.
"Ready?" Beta Chad queried softly, and just as he did so, I caught a glimpse of something down the hallway, behind one of the rogues. A head had popped out from a room, peeking into the hallway and I immediately recognized the person.
Daddy dearest's precious wife.
And I think my mother saw her too.
"Clear a path. The bitch is mine." my mother stated, her tone carrying nothing but malicious intent.
"No problem." I returned, lifting the rifle, and taking aim. The mob of rogues screamed out, letting out a battle cry of sorts, a hail of bullets being returned from amongst the crowd. The three of us split up our formation, taking closer to the walls.
Swinging the rifle about so that it hung at my back, I switched it out for the blade, lunging into a sprint. Ducking low as a rogue came at me with a steel rod, he stumbled forward giving me the upper hand, and I countered with jabbing the blade into the back of his neck. Lunging forward again, I used the wall as support, jumping and kicking off of it, landing at the centre of the chaos. I took a rogue on my way down, stabbing the blade directly into his skull.
"Mom!" I called out, being dragged to my feet as a rogue tackled me from behind. "Come through!" I shouted over to her, catching a glimpse of her form fighting off a rogue easily larger and taller than her petite frame. My mother was as vicious as she was small, cutting down the large male with a fell swoop of her blade.
The rogue restraining me had a grip on my wrist- the hand holding the blade. Shoving him back, I used my strength to pin him against the wall. With the rogue distracted from the impact, his grip on me loosened, and I shifted, ramming my elbow into his side. His grip on my other hand loosened and I pulled free, whirling about, and slitting his throat.
"Gah!"
Pain exploded through my shoulders and I knew immediately that I'd been hit from behind with a steel rod. Anger flaring through me, I turned about, grabbing hold of another rogue, and jamming the blade into his jugular. Shoving the rogue away, my gaze settled on the coward who had the audacity to take a cheap shot and then cower away into the chaos.
Curling my lip in disgust at the pathetic display of cowardice, I lunged forward, jumping up to gain the upper hand, bringing down my fist across his face. The steel rod slipped from the assailant's grip but before it fell, I swiped it up, twirling the rod to get a better grip. Within the next second, it was firmly planted through rogue's chest, the length of steel embedding itself into the wooden wall behind him.
Scoffing in disgust, I turned my attention back to the fight, taking note of my mother barrelling through, taking chase after Cheryl and Mandy who had ducked out at the moment. They didn't get far, with my mother intercepting them both. I caught glimpses of the three as I fought my way through, dropping bodies like flies, Beta Chad right behind me.
Cutting down another rogue with a slit throat, I spied my mother's petite figure as she attacked, unleashing years of fury upon Cheryl who wielded a blade that was quickly taken from her inexperienced grip. My mother lunged then, shoving Mandy by the shoulder, and causing her to collide with the wall. She slumped and fell, my mother's attention now focused on her greatest enemy yet.
Cheryl's face contorted in fear as my mother grabbed her throat and dragged her to a standing pose, the blonde female's face steadily turning an unhealthy shade of red and then purple. In the next second, my mother tightened her hold around Cheryl's neck, her nails turning into a claws that punctured the other female's skin.
My mother lashed out with both hands, ripping Cheryl's windpipe, and slashing claws across her chest. Cheryl's corpse slumped to the ground, accompanied by Mandy's cries and screams. The younger female tried to attack in revenge, but my mother was faster, catching Mandy with a slap to the face. She yanked Mandy by the hair and knocked her out within the next second.
Shrugging off a rogue that had come at me but was quickly cut down with two bullets from Beta Chad, I met my mother's gaze as silence suddenly filled the hallway. No other rogue besides Mandy was left alive.
My mother's eyes filled with tears that dripped down her cheeks, but I could tell that it was born of relief. Finally, after so many years, she had gotten a taste of her long-awaited revenge.
Walking over to her, I glanced down at Cheryl's body lying in a pool of blood and less than a foot away, lay my unconscious stepsister. She lay on her back and with her top falling softly against her body, I could clearly see now that she had indeed put on some weight and her stomach was slightly distended.
Most pregnant females I had seen in my life, their bellies didn't get extraordinarily large with their first child unless they were having twins or triplets. Like Aunt Zoe. When she was pregnant with Korey, I'd had no clue whatsoever so when I'd heard that she been in the hospital, I was shocked. I was even more so baffled when she suddenly came home one day carrying a pup with a dark brown pelt.
"Mom?" I called softly, and she turned, pulling me into a hug. Wrapping my arms around her, I left her relief.
"I finally did it, Cinnabon!"
A smile curled my lips. "Do you feel better?"
My mother pulled away, wiping her stray tears. "Yes, and no. I wanted them all dead. But this is good enough for everything that bitch put you and Bentley through. She took you away from me and couldn't even look after you two. I should've killed her when I went rogue!"
"She's gone for good now, mom." I offered, and a smile curled her lips.
"She can't hurt you anymore."
I shook my head in agreement.
"That's lovely." a voice said then and I immediately recognized it, knowing to whom it belonged. My mother and I glanced in the direction the voice came from, Beta Chad warily eyeing Hush who was leaning on the wall nearby, arms crossed over his chest and ankles crossed.
The gray tee he wore was splattered with blood as was his black jacket. Blood was also splattered on his face, some getting into his hair, but he didn't appear to be fazed by it.
"But what about her?" Hush queried, gesturing to the still unconscious Mandy.
"We can't really do anything. She's pregnant." I replied. Hush's empty gray gaze flitted over to me and for a modicum of a second, I could have sworn it softened to show a sliver of...pity?
Hush hummed in thought. "Drama, drama." he sighed nonchalantly. "She, and her parents swore up and down to everyone that the kid is your mate's." At those words, my mother let out a menacing growl of disapproval, and Beta Chad scoffed. I rolled my eyes.
"It's not his kid." I defended. Say what you will about me but dare to drag Carter's name down for something he didn't do, and the consequences wouldn't be so nice.
Hush chuckled. "I know."
I raised an eyebrow at this. "Then, do you know who the father is?"
"I do."
Silence followed as mom, Beta Chad, and I exchanged glances before looking back to the blonde-haired rogue who hadn't moved an inch. The sound of footsteps could be heard running up the steps from the ground floor, and down the steps to the second floor. Sooner, rather than later, the rest of squadron one entered the hallway, taking in the massacre that had happened.
"Ground floor is clear." Sky reported, and in response, Alister held up his hand in a gesture sign of 'okay' indicating that they'd taken care of the third floor as well.
The rest warily eyed the blonde-haired male who seemed unfazed by their appearance or the fact that one wrong move on his path would lead the others to retaliate.
"Well?" mom pushed, an agitated edge to her voice. "Who is the father?"
Hush suddenly laughed, and he did so for a full thirty seconds before he finally sobered, pulling down a mask of stoicism. "I've suspected all along that they were lying. Wasn't until yesterday when I overheard an interesting conversation. They were keeping tabs on your grandfather, so they ran to Tobias for help when they learned that Kabanov was building evidence against Vince. I figured, why would they threaten to abort the kid if Tobias didn't launch an attack especially if the kid is Hayes'?"
"So..." Davin mused quietly from where he stood with the others. "Mandy's carrying Tobias' kid."
"Ew!" Jax exclaimed. "Isn't he around Hunter's age? I'm gonna throw up..." he gagged but then suddenly wiped his expression as if remembering something. "Speaking of, where is Tobias and Vince. I also didn't see Turner or Pike."
"They were never inside the building." Hush announced then, confusing me more than ever. "Tobias, though, was here. But if none of us fought him, then he managed to evade us somehow. He's smart like that."
"Ah...guys?" Jessica's unsettled voice suddenly spoke through the coms, catching our collective attention, save for Hush who didn't have one. "We have a bit of a problem outside. I think I know where the others were and why Tobias left. You guys still have ammo...right?"
"Jessica? What's going on?" Beta Chad questioned through the coms.
"There's a mob gathering outside. I can provide cover, but I don't think we'll get out here without fighting our way out."
"How many?" Beta Chad returned.
"It looks like every rogue in Valley Heights and Pymbrooke Creek."
What the fuck?
"It was a trap." Hush spoke up, then. "They knew you'd come. That's why the heavy hitters weren't here-" Hush's explanation was suddenly off when Colton lunged forward, dropping his rifle to pin the blonde rogue against the wall, crushing his windpipe with his elbow.
"You gave an estimate of seventy. Why are there more? Are you double-crossing me, Dakota?"
Hush didn't even flinch, giving Colton the driest stare, he could muster. "You're forgetting, Colton. I have a dog in this fight, too. I didn't realize he'd bought the entire slum area."
Colton let go of Hush and stepped away, his jaw clenched in irritation. Without another word, Hush removed his jacket and let it topple to the floor, turning and heading down the steps. Over the silence of the building, we could hear the approach of said angry mob. They were shouting and throwing curses to the wind; condemning our 'prestigious' status as pack wolves that we didn't belong here, and we weren't wanted here. They were coaxing us out to the fight.
The rest of squadron one followed Hush down the steps, my mother leaving with Colton to investigate the approaching mob while Beta Chad carefully picked up my sister's unconscious form. Though he held a grudge against her, she was a pregnant female and the child she carried was innocent.
Goddess bless the innocent kid whose father was a psychopathic tyrant, and whose mother didn't care about it, rather using it as leverage to gain a higher standing. I suppose the decision, though unspoken, had already been made. No one in their right mind would execute a pregnant female no matter the sins of the mother or father because no innocent child deserved to suffer the mistakes of its parents.
My only hope: that if the child survived, it'd be given a proper home with a loving family rather than discarded to an orphanage or tossed to the streets.
I followed Beta Chad downstairs where he laid her down on a couch and propped her head against a worn-out throw pillow. From his pockets, he pulled out two zip ties- specially made to restrain the average werewolf- and gestured for me to give him aid in holding her wrists and ankles together. Even if she woke up, she wouldn't be able to escape in the chaos.
With that taken care of, we headed outside and joined the others confronted by the mob that looked twice the number of rogues we'd just gone head-to-head with. Among the mob, I spotted a couple of faces I recognized as Black Rock Canyon traitors, and sure enough, my father was there, too.
Tobias was there as well, standing at the front like an alpha should when leading his followers and army into a war. As per usual, he was accompanied by his loyal lapdogs. Lyle Turner, and Teddy Pike.
Just looking at the many rogues before us- and that they all came armed to the teeth with guns and blades, steel rods and wooden stalks thick and heavy enough to bust a grown man's skull with one well-placed swing- I felt my energy slowly draining away into nothingness. They wore bandanas and masks over their faces, shielding most of their identity save for the eyes. They looked like a bunch of thugs.
I've been fighting the same fight for almost two years and truthfully, I've grown weary. No matter what, Tobias Corbin and his loyal followers would meet their end tonight, if not in a few weeks by legal prosecution for the crimes they've committed against the packs of Jasper Falls.
They've angered quite a few powerful people.
"What now?" I heard Jace ask, the weariness sounding his voice. But I guessed that he was tired for a whole other reason. For them, they'd been fighting this war for a handful of months or so. The wolves of Marcana were used to their peaceful way of life that had been disrupted months ago when Black Rock moved in and Jax decided to go looking for trouble.
And now, this.
Was it any surprise they wanted things to be normal once more? When their biggest worry was probably monthly galas to meet with the other packs' alphas and discuss development plans and alliances.
"There's so many." Beta Chad sighed wearily from next to me. He let out a heavy puff of air and then spoke into the coms. "Jessica, cover us. Squadron two, execute Defence Protocol Beta. Scatter!"
Squadron one jumped into action, splitting off into different directions. Some crossed the street heading to building where Jessica was providing cover through her sniper's scope. The rest of us dispersed, either charging toward the mob- like Hush- or dashing back to the hostel and around the side into the alley, coming back out on the other side and into the heart of the mob.
Gunshots ricocheted through the air, merging with screams and battle cries, the schunk and splurt of a blade, or the dull clunk and thud of a steel rod or wooden beam. They had tricked us, quite clearly. Those rogues inside the hostel had been a trap consisting of expendable bodies to distract and wear us out. Not that they lasted long when faced up against a hail of bullets, highly-skilled fighters from the high ranks of Jasper Falls' packs, and a sniper taking out as many rogues as she could.
Now, we were up against the heavy hitters. Rogues who obviously had been born into the tough life and had spent their entire lives surviving. They fought dangerously, recklessly, and viciously. They were skilled too, and I supposed that having to fight for survival from the days of a pup, you'd pick up a thing or two.
But as vicious as they were, they weren't prepared for the hell we unleashed. Each wolf of squadron one was pissed off, tired, and angry as hell. None more so that Jax, Alister, Davin, my mother, and myself. In the midst of the fight, we'd formed something a barricade, the five of us taking up the front and cutting down rogue after rogue. Those who slipped past us because we either pushed them away or we dodged their attack were met with grisly ends from Gavin, Beta Chad, or Colton.
Jessica was still up on the third floor of the building opposite the hostel, covering our backs through her scope. Headshot after headshot, and if they got too close and she didn't have a clear shot to the head, she'd hit them elsewhere. An arm, shoulder, back, or leg.
It wasn't long before my mate bond started to tingle and a cry throughout the crowd from Teddy Pike rang out. "Incoming!"
Squadron two had arrived and these rogues were about to meet their end. Primarily made up of alphas, betas, third and fourth-in-commands, with a few top elite warriors sprinkled in between, they stood no chance.
Defence Protocol Beta was code name for squadron two's Plan B. If push came to shove and we couldn't drive the rogue faction toward them, they would come to us and aid in the annihilation of the rogue faction.
Moving onto a next opponent, I dodged low at the wild swung of the steel pipe, jabbing the barrel of the Glock into his side, and firing twice.
It fired only once.
Shit!
I was out of bullets.
I'd run out of bullets for the rifle, so I'd ditched that gun, switching it out for the trusty Glock only to realize that in heat of the fight, some jackass had cut off my utility belt. I hadn't had time to search through a horde of rogues and falling, bleeding bodies.
Spotting Alister a few feet away, slitting the throat of rogue who'd actually gone after Jason, I called out to him. "Al! I need a mag!"
Ducking low once more as a rogue came at me, I bounced back up in time to ram the butt of the Glock into the side of his face. He stumbled away and I averted my attention back in time to see Alister chuck a fresh magazine my way. I unloaded and reloaded, aiming and firing. Twice. A bullet to the gut and another to the head when the rogue dropped.
In the midst of the fight, I caught a glimpse of my mate. His height gave him away, and a head full of deep brown hair. He was using blades as his primary weapon and he looked so damn gorgeous. I was wrong for thinking that given the circumstances, but I couldn't help but admire, knowing that this person was all mine.
His expression was fixed to one of firm concentration and his movements were quick. He expertly dodged and dished out attacks, followed up with a display of his impressive gun skill and unlike me, he still had his utility belt that I noticed had two magazines missing already. Carter had wasted no time jumping in to lessen the rogue faction.
My focus on him faltered when I made the decision to look away, catching a glimpse of Vince approaching Carter from behind. I caught sight of the large blade he wielded, and in that moment, panic seized me, filling my chest, and sending my heart into overdrive. The protective, primal instinct kicked in full throttle as I shoved a rogue away from me, sending him down with two bullets.
One thought stuck.
Protect my home.
Vince was steadily making his way toward Carter who was oblivious to the approaching danger while he focused on the mission at hand. Dashing forward, my path was intercepted by some dumbass rogue wearing a stupid gas mask to conceal his identity. Taking aim, I fired another two rounds and killed him, shoving his useless body away.
Everything seemed to slow down in that moment, the sounds all around me quieting away as I watched Vince raise the large dagger with the intention of burying that into my mate.
"Carter-argh!"
Pain exploded in my neck, my body jolting back at the sharp pain and I knocked into Carter's frame, shoving him forward. Meeting the identical blue-eyed gaze of my biological father, his eyes registered shock when he realized that the one, he stabbed hadn't been his target.
Blood gushed from the wound, the blade buried at the dead centre of Carter's mating mark, at the curve between the base of my neck and the start of my shoulder.
As quickly as the shock had been there, it vanished as a sinister type of amusement and triumph darkened Vince's gaze. A matching smirk split his face.
"No!" I heard Carter's angered cry and a second later, a gunshot sounded, the bullet embedding itself into Vince's shoulder. He cried out, pulling his hand away and ripping the blade out of my shoulder.
An agonized cry left my mouth and I stumbled back, but Vince suddenly retaliated in the most vicious of ways, raising a clawed hand and swiping it across my neck. His claws went deep enough that it broke the skin with deep gashes and punctured my trachea.
I fell back, the buzzing sound growing in my ear as the pain doubled. I couldn't hear anything over the gushing sound of my own blood and the desperate gasps for air. I clutched at my throat to cover the gaping holes in my neck, certain fear of an impending end gripping me tight.
Arms enveloped me and I felt myself being lifted and held closely to a broad chest, sparks erupting throughout the spot of contact.
I vaguely registered the sound of shouting voices, some familiar, but most unrecognizable and far away. I was taken somewhere and between trying to force air into my lungs, the pain, and the constant disgusting flow of blood rushing out of my body, it dawned on me that I was laid down on the floor of a building. The wooden ceiling covered in cobwebs cast in a dim light slipped from my focus as faces entered my vision.
A stinging sensation tickled my nose as tears glazed over, sliding down the sides of my head as I turned my attention to one face in particular, contorted by grief and fear. Blue eyes stared down at me and I vaguely registered the scuffing sounds of shuffling feet and frantic movements all around me.
Someone touched the gaping wounds on my neck and pressed something to it. But I was already slipping away. I could feel my strength quickly draining, my heartbeat slowing. My breathing wasn't coming in as it normally would faced with the difficulties of an improper nasal passage.
Why now?
Why when I finally have a reason to live? And someone to love?
Why take me away, goddess? Why do this to him?
To us?
"Please..." Carter's fearful, shaky voice pulled me back for a fleeting moment. Just long enough to see the tears fall from his eyes. He tightly clasped my hand with both of his, pressing his lips to my fingers. He was shaking, trembling with unmistakable, gut-wrenching agony.
The kind he'd never recover from.
"Stay with me. Please...don't leave me." he whispered. His words pushed more tears out of my eyes and the only thing that lingered in my mind was the memory of the moment I had fallen in love with him.
It was during the first weekend he had spent at my home in Black Rock. The Saturday night when we'd had the first of many heart-to-heart conversations and I'd told him about my mother and some of things I'd been through in all my years on this earth. His point of view on my problems and past, and how understanding he had been made me realize that if I could have somebody like him in my life, maybe there was hope after all.
That was the moment when I'd realized I wanted to be with him. It was why I initiated the kiss. He'd done so much for me up until that point that I figured an innocent kiss should be a substantial reward to let him know that I appreciated him and his efforts to the core of my soul.
Dark spots started to appear in my vision, and I knew then that this was the last time.
He needed to know...
"Th...Thank you..."
Perhaps we would meet in a better place.
Find me again in the next life because I'll be waiting for my hope's return.
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Le me:
The Fandom:
Also...Le me vs. The Fandom: