“You’re a coward, you know that, right? You’re a big man when it comes to abusing women and children, but when it comes to being an actual Alpha, you’re nothing more than a disgusting piece of shit.”
A howl tore from Ryker a mere moment before he went after Gareth again. Once more, Gareth moved out of the way, with Ryker biting nothing but air. The truth hit Gareth at that moment.
“You can’t fight. You use your size to intimidate people, and when that doesn’t work, you send in Kristopher. I’m willing to bet you thought your size would give you the advantage, but so far, you haven’t landed an attack.”
Over and over again, Ryker charged, and each time Gareth simply moved out of his way. When it seemed the battle was in doubt, Ryker slammed into Gareth, knocking him to the ground. Though Gareth scrabbled back and attempted to regain his footing, Ryker was on him, sinking his jaws into Gareth’s leg, crushing the bone. Gareth snarled and punched Ryker in the face, dazing him. He stumbled back, shook it off, then padded nearer.
Blood ran down Gareth’s leg through large tears in his skin and muscle. He still stood, favoring his good leg, resolute, determined that he would face Ryker no matter what. He took one last look at Sean, who stood there with a wide smile on his face.
“I love you, Gareth!” He tilted his head back and called to the sky, “I choose you, Gareth Blackthorn.”
His voice echoed through the area like thunder. No, wait. That was thunder. Where the sky had been clear moments ago, storm clouds gathered, dark and foreboding. Even Ryker stopped to stare up at the fury in the heavens.
“Pay me heed, my children!” A woman’s voice, but it was coming from Sean’s mouth. “Hearken and listen well, for judgment is nigh.”
“It’s time, Gareth!” This time Sean’s voice rang out, but then his expression went dark again.
Sean shoved a stunned Kristopher away, then yanked off his shirt, revealing the dark stain on his shoulder. This time when he spoke, it was his voice but overlaid by the woman’s.
“For years we believed no good Alphas were left in this world. We feared the time of wolf had come to an end. Then we met you, Gareth Blackthorn, and our hearts rejoiced.”
Sean moved slowly through the crowd until he got to where Gareth and Ryker were. He turned his gaze on Ryker and sneered.
“You pathetic excuse for a wolf. You have no idea what it means to be an Alpha. When I created the wolves, it was with one goal in mind: to guide our people into the coming age. Wolves were never meant to be separate from the human. Indeed, they were meant to be as one, working in harmony. The human had the intellect and drive, the wolf possessed the passion. Only together could they be whole. Instead, you’ve tainted what I created, turned it into something dark and evil. Your people slaughtered my children, the Omegas, who were meant to bring peace to the world, instead plunging your packs into pointless wars for power and land.”
Ryker snarled and lunged at Sean, only to be cast aside by an enormous gust of wind.
“I did not give you leave to move, and until I have my say, you will remain as you are.”
“Who the fuck are you?”
Gareth gasped. “Mother Moon.”
A sly smile crossed Sean’s lips. “I knew you would be the one to recognize me. You took my gift, this Omega, and sheltered him. You gave him a home. You showed him love, and in doing so, you gave him the greatest gift of all: children. The next generation of wolves.”
The crowd stood in awe as they watched the proceedings. Gareth was witnessing it, but even he had a hard time believing it to be true.
“My mark is upon this body. This vessel is my night wolf, he who will give his power to the one who claims it.”
Ryker morphed back to human. “I claimed him first! He’s mine!”
Mother Moon sneered at Ryker. “He was never yours. Had you not been merely a vicious animal, the power you craved could have been yours. Instead, you were petty, blinded by base desires.” A gesture in Gareth’s direction. “This one lives in peace and harmony with his pack. He puts their needs above his own, as an Alpha is meant to. It is with this in mind that I grant him my boon.”
Sean slumped to the ground like a puppet with his strings cut, and when he looked up, he smiled at Gareth. “Surprise.”
He got to his feet and put a hand on Gareth’s arm. The mark on Sean’s shoulder shimmered, then slid down Sean’s arm and up Gareth’s. There was no pain, only warmth. When Sean drew back, the mark of the moon remained on his shoulder, while the figure of the wolf was on Gareth’s.
Sean took a step back. “I hope you’re ready, because your world is about to change.”
It shocked Gareth when he was surrounded by black flame. He threw his head back and roared, the sound blotting out anything else around it. He realized that this was Caleb’s vision. It wasn’t Sean who was bathed in fire—it was Gareth himself. As quickly as the flames came, they vanished.
“This is my gift to you, my children of the moon.”
Power coursed through Gareth, and he howled at the night sky. He’d never felt like this before. Strength filled his body, repairing the damage Ryker had done, molding it, changing it to make him larger, stronger. He grinned, because he now dwarfed Ryker.
“What are you doing? This challenge said no help from any pack member!” The fear in Ryker’s voice was evident.
Mother Moon’s voice came from above them as the clouds once again parted, the moon shining bright in the sky. “I am not of any pack. I am the mother of all. Thus, the rules have not been broken. By my words, you, Gareth Blackthorn, are now Alpha Supreme, blessed by me to go out and heal my children. With your mate by your side, you will bring the wolves together once again. Return them to their glory, where all will know they are loved. Ryker Desmond, you have been found wanting. It is my hope that you will take this opportunity to find a new path in life, but I fear that won’t happen. Therefore, what is about to occur is fully on your head.”
From the crowd, Kristopher roared when a bolt of lightning struck from the sky. His eyes went wide as his skin charred and smoked. His scream echoed long after his body stopped twitching.
“That one was mine!” Ryker cried out.
“He hurt my children, and I will never allow that to occur again.”
Ryker was on his feet again and shifted as he charged Sean. Gareth threw himself between the two, and Ryker slammed into Gareth, only this time Gareth didn’t move. He grabbed Ryker by the throat and held him off the ground. Ryker continued to snap, doing his best to lock his jaws around Gareth’s throat.
“You threatened my mate and his brother, and my children. You hurt your pack, murdered them and those from mine. I want to hate you, but all I can do is think of those who have passed on from this world. I do not do this from anger. Rather I do it so that you can never hurt another living soul.”
With those words, Gareth wrapped both hands around Ryker’s throat and twisted, crushing his neck. Ryker’s body went limp, hanging from Gareth’s grasp. He let Ryker fall onto the hard ground, then turned and scooped Sean into his arms.
“You’re bigger.” Sean smiled at him. “I like it.”
“More to love you with.”
“We have a lot to do in the future. There will be so many changes coming.”
“That’s for another day. Tonight I want to take you home and make love to you.”
Sean glanced down at Ryker’s body. “I think I need that. Today has been too ugly for me.”
Gareth put Sean back down, then turned to the people. “The nightmare of Ryker’s time as Alpha is over.”
A roar went up from the crowd.
“You are all invited to come with us to Lydon, where you will be welcomed with open arms. Those who took part in the abuse of the pack will not be allowed within our town. You are stripped of pack affiliation and are subject to our laws. The rest of you, if you need food, shelter, or anything else, we will be happy to help you.”
Gareth gestured to Lyram, who came
forward, his eyes wide.
“That was… I can’t even come up with the words.”
“Oh!”
They turned and looked at Sean, who was standing with a hand over his stomach.
“What’s wrong?”
“The babies are coming.” He peered up into Gareth’s eyes. “Like, now.”
Gareth turned and scanned the crowd. “Frank!” His voice boomed, and all assembled shrank back from his authority. “Babies are coming. Get your ass up here.”
A moment later, Frank pushed his way through the crowd and stopped at Sean. He bent down and gently probed Sean’s stomach. “The skin is almost gone. I can see them moving around. They’re coming now, ready or not.”
Gareth lifted Sean and strode toward Ryker’s office. When he got there, he placed Sean down on the sofa. “Does it hurt?”
Sean smiled. “No. There’s no pain at all. In fact, it feels good.”
Frank came close, but Sean waved him off.
“I need Gareth, please.”
A frown marred Frank’s face. “Fine. I didn’t want to see them born anyway.” He winked.
“Well, I need you here, Frank. Stay where you are.”
Gareth reached out and took Sean’s hand. As he watched, the skin over his stomach thinned, taking on a paperlike consistency. Gareth could see his pups squirming around. As he watched, the skin fell away like a dried husk, and the babies crawled out in their wolf forms, looked up, and yipped. Gareth couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
“Sean….”
“They’re… silver and glow with the light of the moon.”
As one, the pups raised their heads and howled, then crawled back on top of Sean, shifted to their human forms, and curled up together.
“My wife is going to be so pissed. She needed the good drugs when the boys were born, and Sean just lay there and the pups let themselves out.” Franklin chuckled. “Congratulations, Alpha and Omega.”
The kids nestled in Sean’s embrace, their eyes fluttering as though they were trying to stave off sleep. They had Sean’s dark red hair and pale skin, but they had Gareth’s eyes, including the tinge of violet around the ring. He hadn’t thought about that since the day Dr. Frank pointed it out, and everyone seemed to accept it. He realized that it was part of sharing his energy with Sean, a link that started forming between them that day. As they slept, the babies snuffled. They looked so at peace.
“Now I understand why they came out as pups,” Frank said. “Sean’s body wasn’t designed to hold two human twins, so instead they grew as the smaller pups. Fascinating.”
Sean opened his sleepy eyes. “Hey.”
A quick kiss to his forehead. “We have to go home soon.”
“Mm-hmm. I know. Just so tired.”
Gareth turned to Frank. “Is that normal?”
An inelegant snort. “You try giving birth. It takes a lot out of anyone, even if it was a relatively easy one. Sean’s body has been nourishing the kids for almost a month, and he’ll need to eat, sleep, and bond with the children.”
“Then that’s what we’re going to do.”
Gareth peered over at Sean, who’d fallen asleep again. The babies were still nestled in his arms, the perfect picture of contentment.
“I have to say, today was an epiphany of sorts for me. I’ll be honest, I doubted Mother Moon was anything more than a myth. What happened out there, I have no explanation for it.”
“Just believe, Frank. You saw the evidence with your own eyes. Mother Moon is real, and she wants us to stop fighting among ourselves and find peace. I’m not sure what this ‘Alpha Supreme’ is, but I’m sure Sean will know.”
It was hard to believe that his mate had been the vessel for Mother Moon. His gaze shifted to his shoulder, where the wolf now resided. It made sense: Sean bore the mark of the moon, and Gareth the wolf. The two could not exist without each other, and Gareth took comfort in that.
“Take the babies, Frank. I’ll carry Sean. I want to get them home, away from this fetid place, and let them be among people who love them. If no one from this cursed pack wants to remain, I’m going to tell Lyram to burn the buildings to the ground. I want the reminder of what Ryker was to be left on the rubble of his depraved dreams.”
“Of course, Alpha.” Frank took the babies and smiled down on them. “They’re beautiful, you know.”
There was no way Gareth could disagree.
Frank led the way, as Gareth picked Sean up and held him close. He got them out to the SUV and all settled in.
“Can you stay with them a few minutes? I need to finish this once and for all.”
“It would be my pleasure.”
Gareth stalked through the streets. The people who remained eyed him warily, with the exception of Margaret, who rushed to him and threw herself into his arms. He held her for a moment, then kissed her on the forehead and placed her down.
“Where are your parents, little one?”
She scowled. “I don’t know. Alpha said he sent them away, but my mommy would never have left without me.”
It was likely Ryker did something to Margaret’s family, but now wasn’t the time to get into that. Maybe one of the doctors Frank had called in would be better able to broach the subject.
“I’ve got a very nice lady at home. Her name is Dani, and I know for a fact she loves to bake cookies. Would you like to come back with us? She’ll take care of you.”
A watery smile. “Yes, please. I knew you’d win. He was so mean, and he hurt us all the time. No one wants to stay here.”
Gareth pointed to the SUV. “See that man? You go tell him that I said you were going home with us. Okay?”
“Yes, Alpha!” She squealed as she ran to where Frank stood. He knelt down and put a hand on her shoulder, then glanced at Gareth. There was such sadness in his eyes. Maybe if Frank were willing, he and Marcella would consider taking Margaret in. He would talk to Lyram about it.
He found Lyram loading a bus with people from the pack. It sickened Gareth to see they had almost no personal belongings. Though he didn’t want to celebrate Ryker’s death, he would not mourn him either.
“Would you believe no one wants to stay here?” Lyram tapped the screen of his pad. “They’re falling over themselves to get on the bus. I’ve contacted Dani and let her know that we are on our way home. She’s gotten some of the people from the pack to help her make a buffet so that everyone can get something to eat in them.”
“What about the people who abused the kids?”
Lyram sighed. “When I asked, they were turned in by the pack. I had two of my men escort them back to Lydon, where they’ll stand trial for crimes against our people.”
Gareth frowned. He didn’t envy Lyram, who wasn’t even aware yet what was coming. “Did you have to kill anyone?”
“Only two.” Lyram puffed up his chest. “They tried to grab kids and keep them from getting on the bus. I ordered them to stand down, but they wouldn’t listen. I dragged them off into the woods so no one would see what happened to them. I threw them in a pit with Ryker’s body.”
“Good. I want this whole place torched. I don’t want a damn building left standing. Have Deke present a plan on how to best use this area once it’s ready to be built on again.” He put a hand on Lyram’s shoulder. “I couldn’t do this without you, I hope you realize.”
His pink cheeks gave Gareth a reason to smile. “Thank you, Alpha. Or is it Alpha Supreme now? I don’t really understand what’s up with that.”
“Me either. I’m guessing Sean will know. At least once he wakes up.”
“He did good today. I had no idea Mother Moon was real, but now that I do, I’m going to go home and dedicate something to her.”
“I’m sure she’ll like that.” Gareth turned toward the SUV. “I’m going to get my mate home. I’ll see you there.”
Lyram gave a sharp nod, then went to carry out Gareth’s orders. By this time tomorrow, it would all be gone and, hopefully, the healing could final
ly begin.
Chapter Twenty-Two
SEAN OPENED his eyes to greet the new day. He rolled, thinking he’d find Gareth beside him, but the bed was cold. He got up and left the bedroom.
Gareth?
Good morning, love! I’m in the nursery.
Nursery? We have a nursery?
Come see for yourself. It’s at the end of the hall.
Curiosity drove Sean to walk faster. When he got to the end of the corridor, he put a hand on the door, twisted the handle, and pushed it open. He gaped at what he found. The room had been renovated recently, because he’d been in it a week ago and it was nothing like it was now. Gone was the dark wood and pristine white carpet. In their place was a fantasy wonderland, with unicorns, rainbows, fluffy blue and pink clouds, and a mobile with more unicorns, as well as a pegasus, whirling around a shining star.
“When did you get this done?”
“I didn’t. This was all on Dani.” He swept across the room and took Sean’s mouth in a sweet, gentle kiss. “She’s been watching them while you slept.”
The woman was a goddess. There was no doubt. He went to the cribs and gazed down at the babies. They slept peacefully, untroubled by the violence that had occurred on the day they were born.
“They’re beautiful.”
Gareth stepped up behind Sean and wrapped his strong arms around Sean’s waist. “They’re like you. Perfect in every way.” He kissed Sean’s hair. “Quinn came by to see them. He stood here and cried, because, he said, they were the sweetest things he’d ever seen. Deke had to take him aside and hold him to get him to calm down.”
Deke would be good for Quinn, and Sean knew it.
He sighed. “I’m going to guess you have questions for me.”
He was whirled into Gareth’s arms. “Ya think?”
It was time to get the whole tale off his chest. Finally.
He tugged Gareth’s hand and led him to a sleek black sofa in the corner of the room. “Might as well settle in. This will take a while.”
Gareth sat, his hands folded in his lap. Sean paced, trying to come up with the words. Gareth reached out, grabbed his hand, and tugged him down.
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