by M H Soars
Gabriel looks at me with a small smile on his lips. “To a place where all the great souls go. And one day, I’ll come for you, Dante.”
The glow surrounding the angel expands, becoming brighter and brighter until it swallows him whole. Then it’s gone, and so is my father.
Chapter 33
Red
When I leave Sam’s room, Tristan is not outside. The hallway is silent, and I have no idea where Dr. Mervina has taken her husband. I stop for a minute, listening carefully. Seconds tick by until I’m hit with a pain in my chest so sharp that I almost double over. Pressing my hand over my sternum, I try to massage the pain away to no avail. Then I hear Dr. Mervina’s anguished cry down the corridor, and I know the worst has happened. The alpha is dead.
I choke on a sob while my legs falter. To stop from crumbling to the ground, I lean against the wall while the greatest grief I’ve ever known hits me like a cannonball.
Billy bursts through the door down the corridor, his young face twisted in an expression of terror and disbelief. “Red, what happened?”
“The alpha. He’s gone.”
The omega stops in his tracks, lowering his gaze to the floor. His hands are balled into fists at his side, his chest rising and falling rapidly. I want to reach out to comfort him, but a new sense of urgency overrides the compulsion. I stand straighter, letting the unknown strong force take control.
“Where are the enforcers?”
“Everyone is assembled in the mess hall.”
“Let’s go then.” I stride toward the exit, not waiting for Billy.
“What are you going to do? Shouldn’t we wait for the betas or Dr. Mervina?”
“No. They’re grieving, and they should be allowed that moment. Unfortunately, we cannot wait. The longer we delay a rescue mission, the less chances we have of finding Rochelle.”
I march across the quad with purpose. My mind is made up, my body ready. When I enter the busy mess hall, it’s with squared shoulders and chin high. The conversation ceases the moment my presence is acknowledged. Seth, Billy’s brother and one of the most experienced enforcers, takes a step forward.
“The alpha is dead.”
It’s more of a statement than a question, but I answer anyway. “Yes.”
Loud murmurs erupt in the room, and I can sense all the conflicting emotions within the pack. Some are shocked, others are sad, but a great many are angry and blaming me.
“Who is the new alpha, then?” a younger man at the back of the room asks.
“Anthony Wolfe is dead, but his mate, the female alpha, is still very much alive.” My voice is loud and hard. I don’t want any of the most volatile wolves to start getting fancy ideas.
“What do you want?” Lyria stands up, glaring at me.
“We need to organize a rescue party, or did you already forget that one of our own was taken today?”
“I didn’t forget.” Her gaze turns to slits while her lips become a thin flat line.
“Good.”
“What are we going to do?” someone asks.
Lyria opens her mouth to reply, but I cut her off. “We’ll return to the place where Rochelle and Billy were ambushed, see if we can pick up a scent.”
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Lyria breaks away from her group of friends, striding in my direction with purpose. “Do you think that just because you fucked Tristan, it automatically grants you authority?”
“This has nothing to do with authority,” I say through clenched teeth.
“You’re nothing in this pack; you don’t tell us what to do. I’m the beta. I’m the one in charge.”
“If you are in charge, then why the hell were you sitting on your ass doing nothing?” I take a step forward, ready to punch the bitch in the face.
“I don’t have to explain myself to you. You’re nothing but a lowly omega.”
“We need to get moving. The longer we wait, the harder it will be to find Rochelle,” Billy says.
“Shut your trap, Billy. You forget your place.” Seth rises, glaring at the young man.
“Billy is right. We need to act now,” I say. Finally, I see some heads nod.
“And I say we wait until a new alpha has been picked,” Lyria growls, making me see red. Is she for real?
Seething, I ball my hands into fists at my sides as my entire body begins to tremble. The wolf is begging to be set free again.
“I can’t believe this. You’d rather wait to deal with pack politics than save a life?”
“You know nothing about what it’s like to be a true wolf. If I had been the one who found you in the forest, I’d have let you bleed to death.”
Everything happens in a blur. The shift occurs so fast I don’t even feel it this time. One second, I’m standing on two legs; the next, I’m jumping at her in wolf form. She falls with me on top of her, but I’m not a coward. I won’t attack her while she’s still human, so I leap off and wait for the bitch to change.
Lyria rolls on her hand and knees, snarling even before her transformation is complete. Her wolf is larger than mine with more muscles, but size is not everything. She attacks with lips peeled back and the clear intention of ripping me to shreds. I jump to the side, missing her sharp sheep teeth by a hair. Before she can recover from her miss, I’m on top of her, my teeth sinking viciously into a soft spot on her shoulder. She howls in pain, then tries to shake me off. I hold on to her for as long as I can, but when I feel myself losing leverage, I leap off. I can’t let her get the advantage.
Knowing I won’t be an easy target, she doesn’t come at me again. Instead, she lowers her body, eyeing me. We begin to circle one another. I feel a maligned presence in my head, scratching the protective wall I have in place. She’s trying to break through, no doubt to taunt me and make me lose my concentration.
Imagining a laser-sharp weapon, I send my own message to her. “Back the fuck down, or I’ll humiliate you in front of the pack.”
She growls harder, which tells me she heard me loud and clear. Since my side of the conversation is closed off, she has no option but to show me her evil intentions with actions. She attempts another attack, vicious but sloppy. I dodge with ease, light on my paws, but conscious we’re wasting time with this fight. I need to end it.
Summoning all my strength, I jump on her once more. This time, I’m aiming to bring her down. She manages to scratch my face with her claw in the process, but the pain only propels me farther. Lyria is finally down, and I have the advantage. She’s still putting up a fight, her pride not allowing her to submit. When she turns her muzzle in an attempt to bite my shoulder, she leaves her throat exposed. Without hesitation, I take my chance, sinking my teeth into the soft spot and feeling her accelerated pulse on my tongue. Blinded by rage, she continues to struggle, so I send her another message.
“I don’t want to harm you, but I’ll kill if you don’t yield.”
“I’ll never submit to you. You’re a filthy mutt!”
I press harder, tasting blood. “Stop! This is my last warning.”
My voice, even in my head, sounds different. It’s like several people spoke all at once. A shiver runs down my spine as my senses expand to encompass my surroundings. I feel a great awareness of combined shock from the audience of shifters who can’t do anything but watch their beta and a newcomer fight. Some thoughts are filled with malice. They think I’m an impostor, or worse, a spy. I shut those negatives thoughts off to focus on Lyria, who is finally ceasing to struggle.
“Are you going to stop this nonsense?” I ask.
“Yes,” she hisses, and I can imagine the woman doing so with a defiant gaze.
I let go of her throat and back away, still wary this might have been a ploy. But she doesn’t attempt to strike again after she gets up. Instead, she howls, and her call is answered by all the wolves present.
What the hell is going on?
Billy stops by my side, nudging me on the shoulder.
“Why are they howling like tha
t?” I ask him.
“They’re acknowledging what was pretty clear from this fight’s outcome.”
“What?”
“That you just replaced Lyria as the pack’s new beta.”
I don’t reply for several beats. My brain is too busy comprehending what Billy just told me. Part of me wants to rejoice with pride, but there’s a small part that wonders if the reason I was able to win against the enforcer is because I’m mated to the Wolfe brothers. Maybe the magical bond gave me some kind of special strength?
My spine goes taut when I sense the pack’s alpha approaching. That sensation was reserved solely for Anthony Wolfe, but now that he’s dead, Dr. Mervina is emanating the same energy that makes us aware of her presence. I turn in time to see her enter the mess hall, followed by Tristan and Dante.
They’re all dressed already, and the grime from the fight has been scrubbed clean. Lacerations are still visible on their solemn faces. Neither Dante nor Tristan looks in my direction; they don’t attempt to talk to me mind to mind either. The indifference on their end feels like a sucker punch to my gut. Even though the logical side of my brain tells me they must have their reasons, the pain in my chest is real.
On the other hand, Dr. Mervina’s gaze does stop on me for a moment. I don’t see any disapproval in her eyes before she turns her attention to the assembly.
“My husband and soulmate, the alpha of the Crimson Hollow pack, is dead,” Dr. Mervina announces.
Her voice is strong and clear, her posture that of a leader who understands that despite experiencing great loss, the show must go on. Even so, her eyes carry unbearable sadness. Inevitably, I think about Dante, Tristan, and Samuel. If anything were to happen to them, if I were to lose one, my heart would be breaking into a thousand pieces. Is that what being in love is like? This is the first time I think about our strange relationship in this light. Love had never entered the equation before. Suddenly, I don’t know if what I’m feeling is real or if the power that bonds me to them is the cause.
“And by the custom of this pack, which has been in place for generations, I’ll fill his role as leader until a new alpha can arise.”
“What about her?” A dark-haired guy I don’t recognize points in my direction. “She’s the reason the alpha is dead.”
My spine goes rigid as I watch the man. It seems I still have a long way to go before I can gain the pack’s trust. A growl comes from Tristan’s direction, but when I look at him, he’s as still as a statue, emotionless. Did I imagine the sound?
“She’s the new beta. Watch your mouth, Deacon,” Billy, who has shifted back into human, says.
His brother Seth doesn’t reproach him this time, but I don’t miss the narrowed gaze. I wonder how much trouble Billy will get into from being so outspoken about his support of me.
Dr. Mervina glances at me again, but her expression remains neutral.
“Amelia Redford is part of this pack. If she’s earned her place as beta, I expect everyone to respect it. I forbid any new challenges until we deal with the bigger threat to the pack.”
“Are we going after the hunters who took Rochelle?” Billy asks.
“No, we’re not.”
If I were in human form, I would be frowning.
“I’ve requested assistance from our allies, the Thunderborn sleuth, since the hunters ran toward their territory. Until we hear from them, I want everyone to retire and rest. We’ll honor the fallen alpha tomorrow at sunset.”
Chapter 34
Red
I wait until everyone leaves the mess hall to make the trek back to the alpha’s manor. It’s only when I cross the threshold of the big house that I shift back. My entire body aches since I still haven’t had time to recover from the injuries I sustained during the fight with those rabid wolves. Now, thanks to that bitch Lyria, I have a scratch on my face to add to my battle scars. I must be quite the sight, but at this point, my appearance is the least of my worries.
I thought I was doing the right thing by going after the hunters, but now I feel like a fool. Lyria is right; I know nothing of pack business, and maybe I should stop pretending I do.
My shoulders hunch forward as I enter the manor with my gaze lowered, so I’m caught by surprise when a pair of strong arms wrap around me. Dante’s scent fills my nose while my body relaxes against his automatically. It’s like I was born to be in his arms, and I wish I could mold myself to him.
“I knew you had it you,” he whispers in my ear. “Congratulations.”
I ease back, tilting my head up so I can look into his eye. “That bitch had it coming. Dante, I’m so sorry about your father.”
Dante watches me for a moment, his green eyes brighter than usual, before he leans forward and kisses my forehead.
“Me too, but I know he’s okay.”
“Do you know what happened to him? Why he attacked me?”
“Yes. We believe my father was betrayed during the alphas’ conference in Vancouver. Someone from his inner circle must have slipped him a sleeping pill. During the time my father was passed out, a chip was implanted into his brain.”
“A chip?”
“A controlling chip much more advanced than the device we found on the rogue who attacked you.”
“Why would anyone do that?”
“We don’t know. But the first device was embedded with a demonic energy, so this goes beyond despicable humans.”
“Was that the reason your mother didn’t want us to go after Rochelle?”
“Yes, among other things.”
Realizing that maybe I hadn’t screwed up so badly makes me feel a little bit better, but not by much. I don’t notice I’m biting my lower lip until Dante frees it by pulling my chin down with his thumb. Then he kisses me, a rubbing of lips first before his tongue darts into my mouth. Holding on to his biceps, I let him take control and make me forget, for as long as the kiss lasts, all the challenges ahead of us.
A throat clearing behind us interrupts our moment. Dante and I break apart to find Tristan watching us with an undecipherable expression on his face. His arms are crossed in front of his chest, which anyone who has ever studied a little bit of body language knows is the equivalent of a shield. Heat surges to my cheeks as mortification takes over. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the fact I’m in a relationship with all three brothers, and none of them seem to mind.
“I-I should go to my room and shower.” I take a step toward the grand staircase’s direction.
“Are you okay?” Tristan asks.
“Yes. Why do you ask?”
“A lot of things happened in a short of amount of time. It would be okay if you weren’t.”
“I’m fine, Tristan. For real. How is Sam?”
“His body will mend.”
“And his mind?” A lurch inside of my chest makes me stop.
Tristan looks away, rubbing his face in the process. “You should go to him after you’re done. He needs you more than we do.”
Without waiting for my reply, Tristan strides in the opposite direction, to his old office is my guess. I turn to Dante with a question in my gaze.
“Don’t worry about Tristan. He’ll be okay. We’re all coping with what happened in a different way. Knowing Tristan, he’ll bury himself in work.”
“And you?”
Dante gives me a sad smile. “Maybe I’ll paint something. Don’t worry about me. Tristan is right. Sam needs you the most right now. Go to him.”
He walks out of the front door, leaving me in the empty foyer. It takes me a few seconds to get out of my paralysis. It seems that both Dante and Tristan need me, but they’re playing tough in favor of Sam, which makes me even more worried about his condition.
I run back to my room. Despite all the grime caked on my skin and my hair, I take the quickest shower known to man. I’m out of my room in ten minutes flat, almost running back to the infirmary where my instinct says Sam is. The link between us becomes stronger and stronger as I get closer to his q
uarters.
Not wanting to invade his privacy, I knock on the door first. “Sam?”
“Come in, Red.”
Opening the door, I find Sam propped against a pillow, his arm now hooked to an IV. He looks a little bit better, but the hollowness of his eyes tells me that Tristan’s assessment was correct. Sam is not well. Even so, he smiles at me. “I was waiting for you.”
“You could tell I was coming?”
He nods. “I could sense your presence getting closer. It will be like this with us now. We’re linked, Red.”
I shift from foot to foot, not knowing what to do. We kissed, but that was before I knew his father had passed. Does he regret coming to my rescue?
“Why are you standing all the way by the door? Come here.” He pats the little area next to him on the mattress.
I do as he says, sitting on the bed and taking his hand. It’s so cold. “Sam, you don’t need to pretend with me.”
“I’m not pretending, Red. I just don’t want to think about it. If I do, then I have to feel, and I don’t want to feel anything right now.”
I touch the side of his face, and Samuel closes his eyes for a moment. “What I can do?”
He looks deep into my eyes. “I said before that I didn’t want our first time to be here, in a hospital bed, but I’ve changed my mind. Please, let me make love to you, Red.”
My heart lurches inside my chest. Make love. This is the first time the word has ever entered a conversation between me and any of the brothers, and even though it doesn’t mean he loves me, my stupid heart can’t tell the difference.
“Are you sure that’s safe?” I glance at the IV.
Following my gaze, Sam rips the tube from his skin. “Problem solved.”
He captures my lips with his. I couldn’t have put up a fight even if I wanted to. Sam’s kisses have the power to melt any resolve I might have.
“You smell different,” he says.
I tense, thinking he’s referring to Dante’s scent on me.
