Grant and Jason both looked at the Beta and waited. A moment later David swallowed and looked up. “I swore I’d never tell but now, well, I think you need to understand why Sparky might have an issue with Ricky and his brother.”
“Go on,” Grant prompted as he pulled out three glasses and filled them with two fingers of whiskey. He watched as David downed the glass in one throw before holding it out for more. Grant filled it further before setting the bottle back on the sideboard.
David sighed as he finished the second glass and placed it on the desk in front of him. He took a deep breath. “Sparky had a partner before he came to stay with us. He told me because the bastard actually showed up one day to demand Sparky return to him. What Sparky didn’t mention was his former partner was Magi.”
“What?” Jason sputtered.
David nodded. “Yeah, that’s kind of what I thought, too. I mean, they pretty much keep to themselves, which I don’t blame them. But I do know that the Magi do not like to mix with other races. His ex-partner explained it was to keep their lines ‘pure’.” David used air quotes. “It was the reason the jerk gave to Sparky for mating someone else. At first he insisted he left Sparky and wanted a second chance, but after I ran the guy off I got a different story.” David paused before continuing, “It seems the bastard used his magic to keep Sparky a literal slave. You see, he saw Sparky more as a pet than a mate.”
“Were they Semme’?” Grant asked.
“Thank the goddess no. But Sparky had thought the man loved him. Until he brought home another Magi and mated with her. The bastard tried to tell Sparky she meant nothing to him, but it didn’t take long for the truth to come out; which is why Sparky left.” David sighed as he glanced out the window. “Winston apparently tried to get Sparky back more than once before. Each time he used his magic to bind Sparky. Luckily, our friend was smarter and learned how to escape the spells.”
“No wonder he was a little freaked out. But surely he doesn’t think Ricky or Sandy would do that to him,” Jason remarked.
“I’m sure once he has time to think about it, he’ll come around. But right now, it wouldn’t surprise me if he was just spending some time with his wolf trying to figure things out.” David turned at a slight sound in the doorway. All eyes looked at the small figure that stood just outside the door.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to listen, but I wanted to know if you found my brother.” Sandy sniffed before he turned and ran back down the hall. The sound of a door slamming confirmed the small wolf was back in his bedroom.
Grant rose from his chair and walked towards the door. “We really need to close the doors from now on around here. It seems too many people misunderstand what is being discussed.” He turned towards his brothers. “David, have you heard from your ex-military friends yet?”
“They’re on their way and should be here…” David glanced down at his watch. “Any time now. In fact, they’ll probably get here about the same time as Father and Mother.”
“Good, let me know when they arrive. We need to make some plans to get our missing pack members back and to make sure Alpha Clifton understands the error of his ways.” Grant turned and headed down the hall towards the closed bedroom door. He might not be able to help his mate at the moment, but he could at least help his little brother deal with this latest blow.
Ricky groaned as he slowly opened his one good eye. There wasn’t an inch on his body that didn’t hurt after the beatings he’d taken over the past few days. He glanced wearily around his old room, or prison cell as that is what it was. The Alpha had made it clear that he was not allowed to leave this room for any reason. Of course, his former belongings had been removed and all that was left was the cot and a bucket in the corner for him to relieve himself.
The sound of a key in the door made the injured human flinch. An open door meant more pain and humiliation. Why couldn’t they just leave him in here to die? But it seemed the Alpha had other plans for him. The beatings were meant to weaken him so that his brother would sense he was in trouble and come running. How the Alpha found out about their secret, he didn’t know. However, so far he’d been able to keep himself calm and had shut down the link to his brother. He’d learned early on how to block his brother from what was happening to him. However, he hadn’t been able to do it all the time. He only hoped this time he could continue to shut down his feelings and save his brother from feeling his pain, anguish and fear.
As the door opened slowly, he tried to push himself further away but his body refused to listen.
“I’ve brought you some food and water.” A young voice echoed in the room before the pup entered fully. He had a tray that he placed on the floor beside the bed. The youngster looked to be no more than sixteen years old with short brown hair that was slightly shaggy looking. Soft brown eyes looked at him and showed nothing but sympathy as he reached forward to help Ricky sit up.
“Who are you?” Ricky managed to croak as the room spun alarmingly around him.
“My name is Roger,” the young wolf answered as he glanced nervously at the door. Ricky could see the bruises from past beatings on the boy’s face and arms.
“Are you new to the pack?” Ricky asked quietly as he tried to get his body to obey his commands. He felt like he was going to flop back over but just before it happened a strong hand steadied him. He glanced up and saw a deep burning anger in the brown eyes.
“No, I’m from the Windy River Pack. These bastards grabbed me on my way to a camp out with my friends.” Roger sighed as he glanced towards the barred window. “I tried to sound the alarm while I fought them off, but there were too many. When I woke up, I was here but I don’t really understand why.”
Ricky sighed as he glanced towards the doorway. They probably only had a few more minutes before someone came to check on the boy. “I’m sorry, Roger, but you’re probably here because of me. The short version of the story is, I asked for sanctuary from your Alpha and was granted it. Alpha Clifton didn’t like the idea, so I think he meant to use you to get me and my brother back.”
“But why would he want you?” Roger took a step back and looked Ricky up and down. “I mean, you’re just a human right?”
Ricky rubbed the tattoo on his arm for a moment before his shrugged. “Yes, I’m human but my brother is a shifter. Look, you need to be careful and if you get the chance, you need to escape.”
Roger snorted. “You don’t think I haven’t tried? They keep too close an eye on me.”
“Hey kid!” a voice yelled from outside the door. “Give the rogue his food and get out. No talking, do you hear me? Or do I have to remind you of your place, slave boy!” Roger stiffened for a moment, fear replaced anger in his eyes as he glanced back towards the doorway. Ricky couldn’t blame the youth. He’d been on the receiving end of punishment more than once with this pack. He just hoped the boy would be spared some of the worst of it.
“Go on, kid. Get out of here before you get in more trouble. I’ll be fine,” Ricky tried to assure the youth. He could see the kid was thinking about disobeying but shook his head in warning. “It’s not worth it—I’m not worth it. Just keep your head down and if you see an opportunity, then you run and don’t stop until you get home.”
Roger nodded as he headed back towards the door. He glanced back briefly before he exited, closing the door firmly behind him. Ricky glanced down at the food and shook his head. He hadn’t eaten since he was taken. Obviously the Alpha needed him alive for his plan to work. But Ricky wasn’t about to allow that to happen. He tipped the tray and lay back down on the thin mattress. He might not be a great fighter, but he would do whatever he could to ensure his brother was not returned; even if that meant he had to die to prevent it.
Grant sat in the living room as he glanced around at all the occupants. His father and mother had arrived just before the six large shifters who now sat in various seats around the room. His father, Forest Walker currently sat nex
t to him while his mother had gone to take care of Sandy. The Alpha smiled as he saw the look on Sandy’s face when he’d seen his mother. Although smaller in stature than her mate and sons, Vicky Walker was a force to be reckoned with when she made something her mission. It appeared that young Sandy had become her latest cause when she heard about what the boy had gone through. Grant knew if anyone could help Sandy, it would be his mother.
As he looked at the ex-marines his brother had hired, he had to admit David was right; these shifters looked like they could take on an army and walk away without a scratch. He glanced at their leader, Blaze. The shifter was as tall as him and packed plenty of muscle. Luckily from some of the comments made, the shifter was not interested in running a pack so Grant wasn’t worried about a challenge. Although, he wondered if Blaze understood that in his own way, he was the Alpha of his small pack of mercenaries.
Everyone glanced up as Jason entered with Dakota and a very subdued Sparky. Grant was glad Sparky had returned unscathed, it was one less member he had to worry about. But he had to admit, he was beginning to worry about their unusually quiet friend.
“I’m sorry to hold everyone up, but I wanted to get the latest surveillance shots from the drones we sent.” Jason moved towards the large coffee table and laid out various photos of the Willow Creek Pack lands.
“Cool, they have drones, Blaze!” Radar moved closer to the pictures and smiled. “Nice, so how do I get one of these?” The blonde headed shifter stood shoulder to shoulder with Grant’s younger brother Jason and apparently shared his love of computers. He’d heard the two chatting earlier and still had a headache from all the techno babble they spewed. David had told him in addition to being their resident geek; the wolf also had a talent for tracking that had been legendary while they served together.
Jason chuckled. “Well you need to talk to David. It’s one of his newest toys.”
“I’m surprised the wolf pack didn’t see them and shoot them down.” Blaze remarked as he also moved closer to look at the pictures.
“That’s only if you know what to look for.” David smiled as he walked over to the fireplace mantle and picked up what looked like a stuffed raven. He gently stroked the bird’s feathers before reaching into his pocket and pulled out a small control box. “This was my prototype,” he said before he pressed a button and the bird began to fly around the room. “Of course this one doesn’t have a camera, which came later. But we now have a flock of different birds that can fly undetected into enemy territory.”
“If we’re done with show and tell, maybe we can get back to the matter at hand?” Grant stood and walked towards the crowd now gathered around the table. He glanced down hoping to see the one person that meant the world to him, but there was no sign. However there was clearly something going on near what appeared to be the Alpha’s house. There were a large number of vehicles, some with out of state plates parked around the dwelling and there were more guards than usual posted outside.
“Something’s going on.” The shifter name Falcon mirrored Grant’s thoughts as he pointed to one of the Sentries standing off to the side of the house. “That’s an M32 Semi-Automatic Grenade Launcher.” He glanced at Blaze before looking back down at the pictures. “That’s some serious fire power boss; it can shoot off six 40 millimeter grenades in less than six seconds. The last time I saw one was overseas and believe me when I say, the enemy never saw what was coming.”
“Why would a wolf pack in Idaho need that kind of fire power?” Tank asked in a deep voice. Grant glanced over at the shortest fighter he’d ever seen. The man barely stood 5’5 and was slim in build. His long black hair was gathered in a ponytail giving the man an exotic almost oriental look. Yet the light grey eyes that looked out from the slightly slanted eyes held a steely determination in them. Everything about the man was a contradiction to his name. Yet the Alpha had a feeling this shifter was more than capable of taking down any of them in the room.
“My guess is they are expecting trouble.” Blaze glanced over at Grant, his expression grim. “So much for the element of surprise.”
“Does that mean I get to blow something up boss?” Dove practically cooed as the dark skinned man rubbed his hands together. Grant still couldn’t get over the man’s name. Who named their demolitions expert Dove?
“We still need ground Intel before we go in and start blowing things up Dove,” Shadow rebuked softly. The dark haired man stood six foot five and was so skinny, it was a wonder he didn’t blow away with the mountain breeze. The man seemed to go unnoticed as befitting his name. Until he spoke up, Grant had forgotten the shifter was in the room.
“Why don’t you tell them what’s at stake, son. They have a right to know.” Forest Walker stood and placed a hand on Grant’s shoulder. “You won’t be able to keep it a secret much longer, especially if they are familiar with the myths.”
Grant sighed as he glanced around the room. Part of him wanted to keep Sandy’s secret safe, but his father was right. Eventually everyone, including his own pack would have to know about the Omega in their midst. “Fine, but for now, what is said stays in this room until David and I can finish working out a way to secure the pack lands.”
“It must be pretty important for the Alpha of Willow Creek to invite a war with not only a rival pack, but the humans as well,” Blaze remarked as he crossed his muscular arms over his chest.
“You can trust these guys, Grant,” David stated as he slapped Falcon on the back. “They pulled my ass out of the frying pan more than once while I served overseas. Besides, once we get your mate back, I was going to see if these guys would stick around and help.”
“The human is your mate?” Dove asked as his eyes grew bigger, “Why would another Alpha steal your mate?”
Grant held up his hand as everyone began to talk at once. “Quiet!” he ordered using his Alpha voice. The others in the room immediately fell silent, but from some of the looks he was getting, they didn’t appreciate being reminded of his position. At this point, Grant didn’t care as long as they helped him get his Semme’ back where he belonged. He motioned for everyone to take their seat as he moved to stand in front of the massive fireplace in the room. While he waited, he ran his hand over the smooth stones of the surround and gathered his thoughts. He turned and looked at the solemn faces in the room.
“What I’m about to tell you has to remain a secret for a little while longer. The lives of my mate and his brother are not all that are at risk. If what we suspect is true, there would be many who would kill Sandy just because of what he is while others like Alpha Clifton would do anything to get control of him.” Grant paused as he glanced around the room. “Sandy appears to be an Omega and my mate is his bonded protector as well as his brother.”
The room was silent as each of the shifters absorbed the news. Blaze rubbed a hand over his short blonde hair before he looked at Grant. “You weren’t kidding when you said it could change everything. I’ve heard the legends. There was a reason the Omegas were hunted and killed.”
“So you would kill a six year old pup for what he might do?” Forest stood his full height and glared down at the ex-military man. For a moment, Grant was brought back in time when his father had stood in a similar way against those who would kill for no reason other than fear. Even though he was no longer the Alpha of Windy River Pack, his father still carried the power that came with years of being a leader.
Blaze sighed. “Of course not! My men and I have fought against many who killed for the wrong reasons. But not everyone will feel the same way. Omegas were hunted by our kind because they could control our inner animals. The humans and other paranormals feared them because they could control all animals down to the smallest insects, if the legends are to be believed.”
“I heard Omegas were the direct decedents of Gaia,” Shadow interjected softly. “Surely, the goddess wouldn’t create something meant to destroy our kind. Are we not all her children?”
Grant nodded. “I never believed
the Omegas deserved what happened to them. In fact, until I met Sandy, I’d never met one. By the time the wars ended, I had heard they had all been killed.”
Forest nodded sadly. “They were the first to be destroyed out of fear for what they would or could be made to do. I heard of some that had been captured by the humans. They tried to unlock the magic bestowed upon them by the goddess. But they never could recreate it. Just as with many paranormals in this world, what was feared and could not be controlled had to be destroyed.” The former Alpha walked towards the window and gazed out at the mountains. “I sent word throughout the lands that our pack would offer any Omega who survived a place of refuge. But none ever came. I assumed that none had survived the slaughter.”
“Well obviously, the goddess found another way,” Radar stated as he tapped a few keys on the small computer pad he carried before turning it around and showing the group. “It says here that all Omegas had a special gene in their blood. It is thought that the Omega genes were carried by one or both of the parents, but apparently an Omega cannot produce another Omega. Of course, since they died out before genetics were understood, it was never verified. For all we know, it could just be something random.” The tech expert of the team scratched his head. “Are you sure he’s an Omega and not just a wolf with a weird shade of fur?”
Grant glanced at the computer screen before he nodded. “I’m sure. The pup carries the mark of Gaia on his inner wrist while in his human form. Eventually the mark will appear on his fur once he has gained his full powers.” The Alpha paused for a moment before he continued, “According to Ricky, his father, who was human met his Semme’ who was a shifter. Since both of them are dead, there’s no way to determine for sure why Sandy was born. But the point is, he is here and until he comes into his full powers at twenty-one years of age, he will need to be protected.”
“So will your mate, Alpha,” Radar stated as he put his pad away in his satchel.
The Alpha's Promise Page 12
