by Charlie Tran
"Good."
I clenched my teeth, keeping in the urge to scream at them any more as I forced myself to calmly head straight for the restroom in my bedroom to grab a first aid kit. I'd pulled it out more recently for the pack but hadn't had to use it for damage I'd caused myself to one of them.
But I was sick of it—sick of not being treated the way I deserved.
When we first started the pack, I had only just left my own, the one I had been born into. I thought I'd be a member of theirs forever, but our Alpha had seen what I was becoming. I challenged him at every turn, could no longer take his rule. Several of us were given the option to be cast out by force or to obey.
I left that night. Never even had a chance to say goodbye to my family, but they were loyal to their pack, as should be expected.
It was rough trying to find other outcasts to bring in. And for the longest time, I was happy with a pack of five. Me, as the leader, and Lucas, Silver, Forest, and Alfie following me as their Alpha after proving their worth.
But it felt like it was crumbling around me. I couldn't be weak now and have these mutts challenging my position.
Jason, while new to the pack, was more of an Alpha than the rest of them. But he knew his place when he joined in. Why couldn't the pack that I'd been with for so long be more like that? They'd become far too complacent.
I returned to the living room, Silver and Forest were both kneeling down in front of Lucas, carefully examining his wounds until I got closer. They scrambled away as I took their place, putting the first aid kit down next to me and opening it up.
I grabbed a cotton ball and the small bottle of hydrogen peroxide to coat it.
"Now, stay still before I have to beat you down again," I said, half-joking. Lucas complied, no change on his face to show any emotion as I placed one hand against the back of his head, the other with the cotton ball towards his mouth. He had bitten his lip rather hard when he first hit the ground, and it was still bleeding.
I dabbed it gently, making sure to clean up the small trail of blood that still dribbled slightly down his jaw until he was completely cleaned up.
"Thanks," He grumbled, rising up to his feet with a wince.
"I need a drink," I replied, grabbing the first aid kit as I made my way into the kitchen. I tossed the box on top of the counter and the soiled cotton ball into the trash underneath the sink within the bottom cabinets.
In the freezer, I spied my preference of scotch, single malt. Instead of worrying about grabbing a glass and dirtying it, I unscrewed the lid of the bottle and poured about two shots worth of liquor into my mouth, swallowing it with a snarl.
"You shouldn't be drinking your anger away," Forest said, approaching me, as Willow looked right at me still attached to his Omega's hip.
"I'm not. I just needed help to calm down. Telling me what to do now?" I frowned at him and screwed the lid back on the liquor.
"No. There's a difference between challenging your authority and genuinely being concerned about you."
I opened up the freezer to place the bottle back in, showing Forest my now empty hands.
"That's all I needed, all right? I'm not gonna waste myself away with booze."
"Good. What you said... you know it wasn't because I didn't trust you, Jude," Forest started, turning his eyes downward, "It's because I was tired of being a burden. I'm not your mate, and I'm not your child. You deserve pack mates who are actually capable of defending themselves."
"You are capable. You don't need another wolf to prove that to you. And... you're right."
"Did you just say someone was right?" Silver asked, a small smile forced across his lips as he too approached me in the kitchen. I looked past him to see Lucas sitting on the couch now, rubbing his jaw and clutching his stomach.
"I did. I should have already helped you get Glenn out of his situation. Maybe we can go find him now. He's probably in the county jail. So, if nothing else, we can at least find out his inmate number and get in contact with him."
"Really? Jude, if we could bond him out..."
I raised a hand. "One step at a time. Understood?"
Silver nodded while Forest gave me a bright smile, hugging me with his free arm.
"You're a great Alpha. Lucas just needed a bit of sense knocked into him, and I think you did that. I'll be so grateful if you'd do this favor for me."
I pressed my lips together and stepped out of his embrace with a nod as I headed back towards my bedroom.
"That's also a part of my duty as your Alpha. I'll be in here if anyone needs me."
I TOSSED MY PANTS OFF, standing around in my boxers as I surveyed my room; a pile of clothes off to the side that I had worn, my desk and computer—my life—to the left of my bed, and my king size mattress taking up the center space, against the back wall.
That's all there was in the room. I never really allowed anyone in my room, and this was why. It was drab, and had no color, no life, unlike the rest of my house that I'd had professionally decorated.
But this? This was just a mess. This was who I really was deep down. A mess of a leader.
With a sigh, I let myself free fall onto the top of the mattress, the frame giving a slight groan at my sudden weight.
"This sucks," I mumbled. I was beginning to feel a bit guilty about what had happened, and I was also beginning to feel rather jaded.
Silver was now impregnated and would be giving birth to a new pup in a matter of weeks. He had Lucas. Forest had Jason. And me? I had no one.
Alfie was stuck in the hospital still, although, thankfully he had woken up. This was all that I had left, me and a bunch of empty space. I hadn't even gone out on a proper date or met anyone new in a very long time. Maybe that's why all this pent-up frustration was starting to get overwhelming. I hadn't been to a club since Club Mega, and the constant stream of one-night stands was getting old.
I stared up at the ceiling, pondering how I was going to locate that wolf that Silver was so desperate to find. I gave him my word that I'd find him. I didn't even know Glenn's last name, but we'd get him out. Just to further show how capable I was as their leader.
And Glenn...
I began to reminisce, remembering how soft his skin felt as it rubbed against me. Even if he was only faking fondness of me to keep the bouncers' suspicions at bay, it had felt... good for someone to touch me like that.
A heavy exhale followed as my eyes fell shut, my hand snaking down my stomach before reaching the top of the elastic of my boxers. I paused for a moment, before sliding my fingers underneath my underwear, grabbing hold of the member inside. I sighed as I continued to think of Glenn and began to slowly stroke my shaft to the image of him in my mind.
3
GLENN
A familiar buzzing sound of static awoke me from my already uncomfortable slumber. I sat up slowly, attempting to rub the sleep out of my eyes with a yawn. I turned to the television to find that there wasn't the usual static playing across a tv show, but only static.
"Why doesn't he turn that shit off?" I huffed, already annoyed at the very start of my day.
"Because I like it." I heard the feline from above just before he leaned head over the top of his bunk to pop into my view.
"Awake already?" I asked.
"Of course, it's almost 6:15 in the morning. You know what that means."
"Great, time to line up with these other monsters and get ready for breakfast." I sighed. I did not want to go to breakfast with these freaks. Most of the people locked up here seemed crazy just like Joshua. I couldn't stand being around them. I was constantly on edge, and they were always so agitated when it was time for breakfast. Probably because their last meal was around 4:30 in the evening, our dinner time.
I hated being here.
"Aren't you hungry? Isn't the term, 'throw you to the wolves' true? You things are such beasts at meal time." Joshua cackled, leaning back up into his bunk for a few moments before he jumped off, landing in front of me in a squatting posit
ion. The slits of his pupils widening as he stared at me, a creepy Cheshire-like grin plastered onto his face.
"Not me. I'm not constantly hungry. And I don't know any other wolves who are either." I frowned as I joined him on the ground after sliding out of the bed with a stretch.
"Is it true all cats play with their food before eating?"
"Of course it is. It's much more fun when the mice try to run before meeting their demise." Joshua's smile didn't fade as he said it, and he stared at me straight in my eyes. I shivered at his comment.
"You actually eat rats?"
"Just as a snack. I try not to ruin my appetite. There are plenty crawling around at night."
I could practically feel myself turning green at the thought of it.
"Everyone up and at 'em. It's time to go to the mess hall!" a patrolling guard shouted as he walked down the hall, past our cell, making sure the rest of the inmates were following the schedule correctly. What sucked more was that after breakfast we'd work for a long time, get a thirty-minute lunch break, and then work until dinner. Despite being here for only a week, it felt as though it'd been a year.
Only getting to go outside for an hour sucked even more. I could only imagine what it was like wherever Xander was. I hoped he'd at least get to go outside to play in the snow.
"Looks like it's about our cue, isn't it? I wonder what we're gonna get to eat today." Joshua licked his lips, rubbing his hands together as he approached the bars of our cell and pressing his face against them to stare off into the hallway.
"Hopefully not rats," I mumbled under my breath.
I GRABBED hold of my lunch tray, eyeing the contents in each of the divided compartments. At the top was a carton of milk, which I detested, though I could usually trade it for something else instead, like someone's vegetables. Most of the wolves locked in here didn't eat anything other than their main entree and the milk, but I really enjoyed the over-cooked mushy boiled carrots and broccoli. Apparently, I was weird to enjoy it so much.
Besides the milk and the veggies, there was a relatively raw slab of meator what would be a meat stuffing, given how fluffy it was. Probably some undercooked meatloaf. I held the tray in my left hand and poked at it with my right. The food substance gave a slight jiggle before settling down once more, and I shuddered at the thought of having to eat it again. For the week I'd been here, I'd had this meal three times already. I wouldn't survive based on nutrition alone if this was going to become a regular staple.
While entering the cafeteria, someone bumped me out of the way with a shoulder check. I was just standing in the way. I began to look around for people I recognized. At first, I just sat where there were the fewest inmates. But that didn't end up well, as I apparently didn't belong in their clique. A lot of the people here, mostly wolves, sat with familiar pack members. The non-wolfen shifters were singled out and also sat together in their own groups.
I sighed, unable to find anyone that I recognized from the Gilded Heart among the sea of people, but my attention was caught by a hand waving frantically in the air.
Rolling my eyes, I approached Joshua as he stood on his knees on his cafeteria table bench, looking as crazy as ever.
"Ohhh, you're actually sitting with us today?" He smiled, and I noted that the moist meaty substance was smeared across his lips as I came closer.
I shrugged at him and set my food tray down across from him. "Looks like it."
"Guys, this is Glenn," Joshua announced to the other three males sitting around him. None of them gave me the time of day, though I think I heard one grunt in acknowledgment at least.
"You gonna drink your milk?" My feline bunkmate asked, eyeing the carton with a lick of his lips. I looked over to his tray, noticing that his was turned over on its side and completely empty. I didn't even offer to trade, just passed it over to him, and he greedily snatched up.
I wanted to be left alone to my thoughts while I ate—thoughts of Silver and whether he would ever fulfill his promise to help me. Briefly to his Alpha, who was rather handsome in his own right. But mostly I had daydreams of Xander. I hoped he was sleeping well and making friends wherever he was.
I continued to poke at the jiggly meatloaf with my fork before I scooped some of it into my mouth.
I also hoped that he was eating far better than I was.
I continued to eat the slop in peace, tuning out Josh, who was talking with his mouth full. The others around me seemed to do so as well, as they barely offered any input to whatever it was that he was talking about.
Halfway through the meal though, I was disturbed again. But instead of an interruption from my bunkmate, it was the one wolf who had grunted at me when I first sat down. An extended claw tapped against the table close to my food tray as he garnered my attention.
"Hmm?" I asked, swallowing the mix of meat and veggies down.
"Do you know that wolf?" He asked, nodding behind me.
I turned around, as did the others. As I peered over my shoulder, my heart sank into my stomach, the food I'd eaten so far turning into lead in my belly as I saw my ex.
Leon.
He stared right at me with a smirk on his face, the skin underneath his eyes dark and heavily creased, probably from a lack of sleep. Or maybe from a lack of the drugs that he used to keep himself wired all the time. His sleeping patterns were horrendous because of his frequent use.
"Y-yeah. Unfortunately," I stuttered, a shiver running down my spine as he continued to stare, unblinking, before he nodded at me to come over.
I turned back to my group, their eyes all on me in curiosity.
"Who is it?"
"You goin' over there?"
"I wonder what he wants."
They muttered among themselves but lost interest rather quickly and tried to ignore it.
But of course, Joshua had to keep pushing.
"He's still staring. I don't even think he's blinked yet. Look at him, he's like a fish—not blinking, his eyes glazed over. Look at him!" The stupid cat kept prodding for a reaction from me, so once more I looked over. And, of course, he was still staring at me.
"Fine. Let me get this over with," I told myself more than the others.
I approached the table carefully, wary of the other wolves that surrounded Leon. I was quick to notice that they also kept their distance from him at the same time. None sat too close, but they were near enough that if something were ever to happen, they could rush in quickly.
They were fellow members of the Grey Brotherhood. But the two I recognized the fastest were bouncers from the Gilded Heart. Of course, they'd still be stuck up Leon's ass.
"What is it?" I asked, standing my ground, my head tipped low so as to not stare him straight in the eyes. I knew how much he hated that, but I wasn't totally sure that he wouldn't attempt to try something if he was given the opportunity. Being in jail was only a small safety net. For all the shit that Leon would be tried for in court, this would probably be his home for the remainder of his miserable life.
"Bold, bold, Glenn," Leon smirked, patting the seat next to him. I gulped, dryly swallowing the lump that was forming in my throat as I got closer. It took a bit of courage to muster up the strength to actually sit down next to him, but I did, our thighs touching from how little space he had allotted so close to the end of the bench.
My jaw clenched as I felt his arm wrap around my waist, pulling me even closer against him.
"So. Looks like we're all stuck here for now," he said gently. I could feel his hand stroking my stomach, making me flex my abs at the sudden touch.
"What did you want?" I inquired yet again, my skin crawling at how close his face was getting towards mine.
"You know what I want. If we're stuck here, we might as well get friendly again, huh?"
My head snapped towards him and I looked into his crazed eyes. The grin that spread across his lips sickened me to my stomach.
"Is that why you called me over? Already that desperate for a quick fuck?" I snorted, begin
ning to stand up. The audacity this fucking lunatic had!
But the hand around me pulled me right back down, and one of the bouncers from the club stood at my side, placing a hand onto my shoulder. I looked up at him, my eyes widening in fear.
"I've got enough money on my books to keep us happy until I get out. As soon as I do, I'm leaving the city. If you play nice, maybe you can come along. Whaddaya say?" He cooed, pushing some of my hair out of my face, his mouth moving closer to lap out across his lips and lick against the edge of my jaw.
"Fuck you, that's what I say." I frowned and turned towards him, though I leaned away as much as I could despite the ex-bouncer's hand pressed firmly on me.
"Excuse me?" Leon laughed.
"You go a week without powder up your nose, and you think everything is gonna go back to the way it was? Do you even care about me? About Xander, who's probably in some orphanage somewhere scared out of his mind?"
Leon clicked his tongue, his eyes narrowing.
"I suggest you keep your tone down in here. Don't wanna draw the guards' attention, you know?"
"And I suggest you stop touching me before I make a scene."
"You wouldn't wanna do that," the bouncer said, his hand squeezing hard.
"Look, we're all split up. If we stand a chance at getting us all out of here and free of this bullshit, we need to band together. The Grey Brotherhood can run this place, and we can get every last one of us out and set up operations somewhere else." Leon's hand grabbed onto my wrist.
"You're either with us, or against us. Think about the old times we had together."
"I am," I snarled. Once, I might have thought this was a good idea. I'd do anything for Leon, no matter the cost. But he wasn't the man I knew. His head was fucked up, and all he cared about was power. He didn't love me. And he had never loved his son.
"And?" His eyebrow arched curiously.
I didn't respond verbally, instead hawking the biggest damn loogie I could muster and spitting it right into his smug face.
