Red's Alphas

by M H Soars

  “Do you think she’s going to be the cause of your ruin?” I ask, and my mind goes back to Dante’s painting. She’s portrayed as a queen in that picture; it wouldn’t be too farfetched to assume she was an alpha there.

  “I saw through your eyes what she did in the forest today. She summoned that beast, Tristan.”

  “You don’t know that,” Sam starts, but Dad interrupts.

  “Yes, I do. Your mother confirmed it.”

  “So if Mom also saw that, why did she agree to tend to Amelia? Why didn’t she let you get rid of the perceived threat you’re so afraid of?” My question seems to bring even more grief to our father’s gaze.

  “Because Mom doesn’t agree with Dad,” Dante announces, coming into the room as silently as a ghost.

  Dad stares at him, grinding his teeth so hard I can hear it from where I stand.

  “How is Red?” Sam asks, ignoring the murderous glint Dad is throwing at Dante.

  “She’s fine. The bullet only grazed her shoulder. Mom gave her a sedative, so she’s sleeping now.”

  “Your mother’s opinion of that girl is clouded because of Dante’s vision. She thinks she’ll be this pack’s salvation.” Dad sneers, his face morphing into something vile, something not like my father at all. The sudden changes in his mood are giving me a whiplash.

  “When you die, only one of us will be able to stay and become the new alpha,” Sam says. “But if Red is like the Mother of—”

  “That woman is not the Mother of Wolves!” Dad hits the wooden desk so hard it cracks the surface. “She’s a Shadow Creek mutt who can’t follow simple rules. And today, she just proved she will be this pack’s damnation.”

  An urge to defend Red comes out of nowhere, overriding the will to submit to the alpha. I peel my lips back and growl, taking a step forward. “You’ll not kill her. I won’t allow it.”

  “Are you challenging me, boy? Do you really want to go that route?” Dad meets me halfway, baring his teeth as well.

  “You’re not making sound decisions. You have no proof that Red is the enemy,” I counter.

  My words seem to penetrate my father’s brain. The rage seeps from his expression, replaced by a troubled glint in his eyes. It only lasts a split second before he narrows them in a cold manner.

  “I do not wish to kill you, Tristan, so I’ll forget you ever spoke those words to me.” He turns to Sam and Dante, who are standing still with muscles tense, ready for battle. “That goes for you two as well. Whether you like it or not, I’m still the alpha, so my word is final. If I want that woman gone, she will be gone, one way or another.”

  Dante moves closer, his green eyes flashing ember now, and his canines elongated. I move to block him. There’s something going on with our father. He’s not acting like he used to. His emotions are all over the place, and he’s letting them control him. I need to speak to Mom about it.

  A loud knock echoes in the room, and we all turn to look at the closed door.

  “Who is it?” Dad growls.

  “It’s Seth.”

  Dad spares me one more glance of disdain, before telling the enforcer to come in. I don’t need to read my best friend’s thoughts to know he came to deliver bad news.

  “What happened?” I ask.

  “The hunter we brought back is dead.”

  “How is he dead? Did you kill him?” My tone is accusatory, and Seth winces in turn.

  “Of course not. I put him in a cell, didn’t touch the guy. I peeled my eyes away for one second, and then I heard gurgling. I turned to find the scumbag convulsing on the floor, frothing white foam from his mouth. He must have had poison on him. He’d rather die than be interrogated.”

  “Son of a bitch.” Sam runs his hand through his hair, and I share the sentiment.

  I regret trying to be the good and obedient beta now. I should have followed my instincts to interrogate the guy right away. My father should have made the exact same call, not ordered my brothers and me into his office to yell at us. Maybe Mom’s revelation about his death did affect him after all. It would explain his erratic behavior.

  “There’s more… he had this with him.” Seth drops a small electronic device that looks almost the same as the one we found on the rogue wolf from Shadow Creek.

  Dad picks it up, turning it around in his fingers and examining it intensely. “Do you know what this is?”

  “I don’t have the faintest idea.” Seth cocks a brow at me, a question in his gaze. I shift from foot to foot, breaking eye contact. I can’t tell him we’ve seen something like that before. That would mean revealing that Red was attacked by a Shadow Creek wolf, and the pack cannot know that.

  “I’ll take this to Zeke.” Dad puts the device away.

  “The imp?” Seth’s eyebrows arch until they almost meet his hairline. He’s not alone in his surprise. Zeke Rogers is an imp who came to Crimson Hollow around fifty years ago, and he’s as shady as a lower demon can get.

  The leaders of the supe community didn’t consider Zeke a threat, and they valued his connections to the underworld, so they let him stay to set up shop. He chose to open a bakery of all the businesses he could have chosen. It was a peculiar choice, but only to us supernaturals who know about his true nature.

  “You can’t trust that guy.” Sam makes an exasperated gesture with his hand, but he shuts his mouth quickly when Dad cuts him a glare. Smart move. We don’t want to reawaken the beast, especially in front of Seth.

  “I want to know if there’s something supernatural about it. You can’t be too careful these days.” Dad gives each of us a meaningful glance, and it’s obvious he’s referring to Red. He won’t let go of the idea that she’s dangerous to us, which means she’s not safe here.

  Chapter 24

  Red

  There’s a terrible cry in the forest, followed by the howl of a dying wolf. In the next second, I understand that the dying wolf is me. Lying on the ground, I feel the moisture that’s slowly drenching the earth. It’s thick and sticky—my blood. I glance down at my body, trying to find the puncture wound, but it’s impossible to tell. My entire gown is stained red.

  Overwhelmingly sadness takes over me, and I call out their names. Dante… Samuel… Tristan… The wind carries the sound, and I can almost imagine the letters that compose their names dancing in the air. I know they won’t be able to hear me. I’m far away from home, that much is certain, and I can’t feel their presence within me. Are they aware that my strength is waning with every beat of my heart, with every breath I take? Would they mourn my death just as fiercely as I’m regretting not having had the chance to spend more time with them?

  Red. A whisper reaches me, so softly I almost don’t hear it. I think it’s Samuel, and my heart beats faster. I focus on my hearing, hoping he’ll call me again, but nothing reaches my ears besides the natural noises of the strange forest. Then, a blue light seeps through the trees, slowly creeping toward me. I hold my breath, terrified of what is producing that mysterious glow.

  The blue light finally reaches me, wrapping around my limbs and torso. Gradually, the red staining my dress begins to disappear, as if the light is draining it somehow. The pain vanishes along with it.

  The sounds of dried leaves getting crunched under a heavy weight makes me turn my face back to the forest. A great wolf made from pieces of wood, leaves, and pebbles is staring at me with glowing blue orbs instead of eyes. He’s standing there at the edge of the clearing, as if waiting for something—maybe a sign—from me. He’s a beast, taller and wider than any real wolf, with long, sharp canines that would go through my skin as if I were made of butter, yet the terror from before has ebbed away. The reason is simple; I know that wolf. I’ve summoned him. I don’t know how the knowledge is now in my head. Maybe through the energy linking us.

  “Why are you here?” I ask.

  “You know the reason. Through time and space, even after death, we’ll always protect you.” The beast speaks to my mind, sounding like several people a
re speaking to me all at once.

  “Who is we?”

  “The wolves bound to you.”

  “I don’t have any wolves bound to me. I just became one not too long ago.”

  “You’ll remember with time, Mother of Wolves.”

  Mother of Wolves? What the hell is he talking about?

  The wolf retreats, taking with him the ebbs of blue energy. He vanishes into the forest, then a blinding light assaults my sight.

  I throw my arm over my eyes to protect them, groaning in the process.

  “Amelia, you’re awake,” Samuel’s husky voice says from nearby, making tingles run down my spine.

  “What’s up with the bright lights?” I groggily ask.

  “You’re in the infirmary. You got shot. Don’t you remember?”

  The memories begin to flood my brain. At first, I have a hard time separating what’s real and what was part of the dream I just had. Most importantly, I don’t know if the great wolf did indeed show up for me when I was facing off with the hunters.

  “Yeah, now I do.” I touch the place on my shoulder, finding a bandage there.

  Samuel grabs my hand, lacing our hands together. He smiles at me, but the gesture doesn’t reach his eyes. My heart twists inside my chest, and I fear dark times await me.

  “What is it?” I ask.

  “You can’t seem to go a day without causing trouble, can you?” He tries for levity, but I’m not buying it.

  “Samuel, what did the alpha say?”

  “I could lie and say you have nothing to worry about, but if I did, I’d be doing you a disservice.”

  “You’re scaring me.” I squeeze his hand, wishing he would just spill it already. “Is he going to kill me?”

  “Not for the time being, but he wanted to, Red. If we hadn’t defied him and gone after you, you would already be dead.”

  I close my eyes, thinking how my strange compulsion to save that black wolf put the Wolfe brothers in deep trouble with their father. From the little information I gathered, I’m aware that going against the alpha’s orders can be punishable by death. And yet, they did it for me.

  “Why would you risk your lives like that?” I open my eyes again, needing to see the truth on Samuel’s face.

  He touches my temple, then run his fingers down my cheek. “Because you’re important to us.”

  The door to the infirmary bursts open. Dr. Mervina comes in, followed by Tristan and Dante. Their somber expressions put me on high alert.

  “How are you feeling, Amelia?” Dr. Mervina asks.

  “Like shit.”

  “You’re really ought to stop ending up here.” She lifts the bandage off my shoulder. “You’re almost healed. That’s good.”

  “What’s going to happen to me? Is the alpha going to kick me out of the pack for forfeiting the challenge?”

  “Don’t worry about Anthony for now.” Dr. Mervina watches my face closely before continuing. “Tell me what happened at the clearing, Amelia.”

  “I-I’m not quite sure. I got a vision of the black wolf. He was hurt, and being pursued by dark-clad hunters.”

  “How many were there?” Tristan asks.

  “Three. One of them got away.”

  “Fuck.” He begins to pace in front of my bed, and I can honestly say I’ve never seen him look so frazzled. His usually properly styled hair is messy, and he hasn’t shaved in a while.

  “I got one of them before I was shot. I’m not sure what happened to him.”

  “We brought him alive to the compound for interrogation, but before we could do so, he killed himself,” Samuel answers.

  “What? How?”

  “Poison,” Dr. Mervina says. “He didn’t want to be interrogated, which makes us believe they’re not your garden-variety hunters.”

  “They all had the same tattoo on their necks. A raven,” I say.

  I catch the worried glances Dante and Tristan share, so I ask, “Does that mean anything to you?”

  “No, but if they’re branded like that and they carry poison on them, then we’re dealing with a highly organized and extremely dangerous organization,” Tristan replies.

  “We can talk about that later,” Dr. Mervina chimes in. “I’d like to discuss the other phenomenon that occurred in the woods—the great wolf apparition that you summoned.”

  “You’ve seen it, too? I wasn’t imagining things?”

  “I saw it through Dante’s eyes. By the time we arrived at the clearing, he was already gone.”

  “How do you know I summoned it?” I ask with a hint of suspicion. Can the woman peer into my thoughts, too?

  “Because I’ve dreamed about it. I’ve seen you use your powers to bring forth the Guardians of Wolves.”

  “Guardians of Wolves? What’s that?”

  Dante, Samuel, and Tristan are all staring at their mother now, watching her with extreme attention.

  Dr. Mervina takes a deep breath, looking at her sons as she does so. “They’re the spirits of past wolf warriors, the consorts of the Mother of Wolves. They vowed to protect her even after death.”

  “Mom, not again with this Mother of Wolves nonsense.” Tristan says, exasperated.

  “I had a dream, just now,” I say. “The great wolf appeared for me again, and he spoke to me. He called me Mother of Wolves. What does that mean? Am I her reincarnation or something?”

  Dr. Mervina shakes her head, wriggling her hands together. “I don’t know.”

  “That changes nothing. Amelia can’t stay here. It’s not safe.” Tristan speaks to his mother as if I’m not in the room.

  “Why am I not safe? Where am I going to go?” It’s futile to hope they’ll let me return to Chicago, not after everything that happened. And to be honest, I don’t want to go. There are too many unanswered questions about my new existence, and I can only find the answers here in Crimson Hollow.

  “To my place in the city.” Tristan stares hard in my direction, the tight set of his jaw telling me there’s no room for arguments.

  “Why can’t I stay with Dante?”

  “My studio is too close to the compound. We need to get you out of our father’s sight.”

  “What about your place, Samuel?” I plead. I don’t want to stay under the same roof as Tristan—not for one second.

  “I tried, Red, but the band practices at my place. We really don’t want other supernaturals to know what’s going on.”

  Other supernaturals? I assumed everyone in The Howlers were wolf shifters, but truth be told, I hadn’t seen any of the other band members around. I’m curious about them, but not enough to ask questions. I have more important things to worry about.

  “How about I just stay here, then?” I ask stubbornly.

  “No. Absolutely not,” Dr. Mervina almost shouts, and then it finally dawns on me. A rift has been created between the alpha and his sons, and I’m right smack in the middle of it.

  “Okay.” I turn to Tristan, who is openly glaring at me. “But if you treat me poorly, I’ll be on the first flight out to Chicago.”

  It’s a meaningless, empty threat, and he knows that. He doesn’t take the bait. “I promise I’ll be on my best behavior. Now, let’s get you out of here before Dad changes his mind again.”

  I catch the small wince from Dr. Mervina, and the sadness that clouds her eyes. Something is definitely going on with the alpha, and I have a feeling it’s not only related to me.

  Chapter 25

  Red

  The ride to Tristan’s apartment is filled with heavy silence. He seems to be just as displeased with the arrangement as I am. Sure, we shared a moment of truce right before my fight with Rochelle, but now it seems we’re back to the status quo. Him hating my guts for the sole reason that I exist.

  His apartment is on the main square street, above Wolfe Corp’s office. The place itself is not as big as I imagined. Judging by the width of its front, I’d say maybe a hand full of employees could fit in there. I don’t think it deserves the tag ‘Corp�
�� in the title, but I bite my tongue and don’t say anything. Antagonizing Tristan right now when I have to stay at his place for an indefinite amount of time is not the smartest idea.

  In front of his office, I peer through the window. There are a couple of people working there, but no one pays any attention to my snooping. Tristan bypasses the entrance to his office, and unlocks the door next to it instead. I glance at the intercom, noticing there’s no name on the tag. Either he doesn’t want people to know he lives here, or there’s no need to disclose that information because it’s common knowledge.

  A flight of steep, narrow stairs appears once the door swings open. Without waiting, Tristan takes them two at a time. I keep pace, and once we reach the landing, I find an immaculate and roomy apartment with big windows that let plenty of light in. To my right, an open kitchen equipped with state-of-the-art appliances is also in pristine condition.

  A massive dark grey leather couch in an L shape takes up most of the living room. It faces a large flat-screen TV mounted above the fireplace.

  A bear-pelt rug is placed in front of the couch, which is a surprise. I turn to him with an eyebrow raised. “Interesting choice for a rug.”

  He gives me a haughty glance. “That was a gift from the alpha of the Thunderborn sleuth. It’s a great honor to receive it.”

  “Wait? There are also bear shifters in Crimson Hollow?”

  “Of course. Bears, eagles, coyotes. We even have a few kitsune here. You know, fox shifters.”

  Crossing my arms in front of my chest, I narrow my eyes. “I know what kitsune means. So basically, most the animals around here could potentially be shifters. Is that caused by the same virus that infected me?”

  Tristan shakes his head and swings around, walking down the hallway. I think he expects me to follow him. “I don’t know if that’s true, but I don’t think so. You’d have to ask my mother about that.”