Heart of the Pack

by Fel Fern

  “And new ones popping up,” Sergio answered. Their pack, along with their allies, may have suffered many losses and tiny victories, but he came to the conclusion that there was only one solution. “The best way to stop this way, to avoid more deaths, is to cut the head of the snake. We’ve been sending our trusted enforcers to confirm the location of Alpine’s main headquarters.”

  “They keep records of experiments and formulas there. Destroy that and they won’t have any data to fall back on,” Alessio supplied. “It’s now or never because once the higher-ups at Alpine decide to sell Latitude on the black market, we’re doomed.”

  “We’re finally going to end this?” Jared asked, looking to Sergio.

  He nodded. Ron gripped his shoulder, and Sergio could sense Ron’s conflicting emotions through his wolf. They would talk later. First, he’d tell his immediate family about what was going to happen and then the pack’s most trusted enforcers. He and Alessio had kept this mission a secret. Sergio was certain the information would’ve have been leaked by the mole.

  “Their main lab’s the one in White Forest, Virginia,” Alessio was saying.

  His brother procured a map and spread it across Sergio’s desk. It was the same map they used during strategic meetings. Seven areas where Alpine had set up its labs were circled. Alessio added a new one over White Forest.

  “I’ve sent the rest of the classified information to your private e-mail,” Alessio told him.

  Sergio would go over that later. “Once we’ve formulated a plan, we’ll take our best fighters and allies. The predatory shifter groups are itching for a fight.”

  Sergio couldn’t get too cocky or excited. This was the answer, but one wrong move could cost him everything.

  “Jared, you’re staying behind,” he told the younger werewolf.

  Jared snarled. “Are you joking, Sergio? I’ve been part of this since the start. Don’t treat me like a kid.”

  Sergio flared his wolf, silencing the other man instantly. Jared glared at him.

  “Listen to the Alpha,” Alessio told him calmly.

  “I will if you two stop thinking of me like some pup.” Jared seethed.

  “I need someone I trust back here,” Sergio said simply. “Ron, Kelias, and the other enforcers will be here. I expect you to lead them in my absence.”

  Jared sobered. “You’re leaving me in command?”

  “Don’t fail me,” Sergio reminded him. “The next time we meet, it will be with the other enforcers.”

  The others seemed to know it was a dismissal. Jared left the room, but Jane lingered.

  “Sergio”—she furrowed her brows—“can I ask why you left out my brother in this major operation?”

  Sergio shared a look with Alessio, Ron, and Kelias. They’d been discussing this for a while. Michella first brought up the idea. Since then, Sergio had observed Jared more closely.

  “Jane, Alessio, and even Michella and I have been talking among ourselves, and we agreed. Jared has the makings of a future Alpha.”

  She blinked and then nodded. “I understand. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure my brother won’t screw up that badly.”

  “We should have a good old family lunch after all this is over,” Ron remarked.

  “I’m looking forward to that,” Alessio told him.

  Once Alessio and Kelias had left, Ron sank onto Sergio’s lap and put his arms around his neck. Silence. Alessio remembered to close the office door behind him. Although there were always people in the pack house, they were alone. Dino was looking after Will, and Ron had assured him that Will had fallen asleep.

  With no one watching them, Sergio leaned his head against Ron’s chest and inhaled his scent. Ron speared his fingers through his hair and began stroking him. Ron had once joked that it felt like he was stroking some scary predator. Sergio took it as a compliment.

  “Baby,” Ron said, “I’m scared for you.”

  “I’ll be fine. I have Alessio and the others with me. I’m more worried about leaving you here with the traitor running around,” Sergio told Ron.

  “Do you have an idea who it is?” Ron asked.

  Sergio shook his head. That pissed him off, but he had no choice. Alessio was right. Now was the time to act, to deal the decisive blow that could end this war.

  “I still can’t believe it’s one of our pack members,” Ron murmured. “Why would anyone do this?”

  “I’m not sure. They must have struck some kind of deal with Alpine, but once Alpine is gone, they have nowhere left to run.”

  Ron nodded, reaching for his hand. “It’s going to be a very busy next few weeks, won’t it?”

  “It’ll be worth it if we can put a stop to this. No more deaths.”

  Ron hugged him tighter. “Did you know Abbott well?”

  “He was a pretty average guy, living a normal life. I remember him approaching me years ago. He was a lone wolf, newly transferred into town for a teaching job.”

  Ron said nothing, letting him speak. Sergio wasn’t surprised Ron had already calmed the storm in his heart, because his mate always knew what to do.

  “I asked him why he wanted to join a pack.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He no longer wanted to be alone. Abbott didn’t want fame or reputation and didn’t have any intention of climbing the pack ladder. He wanted a family.”

  Sergio had special memories of each of his wolves, of how they had ended up in the pack and of why they had come to him. Most of them sought something, a missing piece of their heart and soul maybe.

  Alone, a werewolf was at their weakest. Together as a united pack, they were invincible. The scientists at Alpine Industries might be able to emulate their abilities but not the strength of the pack.

  That was right. The pack members would talk among themselves once the news was out. They would doubt. They would be suspicious of each other. It didn’t matter. Sergio would be the glue that will keep their bonds from breaking.

  He’d remind his wolves that they weren’t alone. A day would come when they no longer needed to wake up in fear. That kind of tomorrow was worth fighting for.

  Ron kissed him on the lips, slow and tender. The mere brush of Ron’s mouth on his was enough to ignite a fire. Clasping the back of Ron’s neck, Sergio took over, plundering Ron’s lips hard and rough.

  Sergio unbuttoned Ron’s jeans and slipped his hand past his mate’s boxers. Once he found Ron’s dick, he began to pump his mate. Ron jerked the zipper of his jeans down and mimicked the gesture, wrapping his slender fingers around Sergio’s prick.

  Not releasing Ron from the kiss, Sergio muffled Ron’s moans of pleasure. He pushed his tongue down Ron’s throat as he pumped Ron’s prick faster. Knowing Ron would reach climax soon, Sergio pulled his mouth away to hear Ron’s gasp of pleasure. Shuddering, Ron clutched at him as he came, spilling his load.

  Sergio came soon after with a grunt, leaning his head back against his chair. Blushing shyly, Ron lifted his wet hand licked his fingers dry. Sergio groaned at the erotic sight.

  “Fuck, baby. You always know what I need.”

  Ron gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “You gave Abbott what he wanted—a home. You’re my home, Sergio. You’re our center, our soul. So don’t you fucking dare die on me.”

  The ferocity in the Omega’s eyes took Sergio back. Those words gave him strength and washed away all his uncertainties. Ron reminded him that life was worth living and fighting for.

  He clasped Ron’s hands in his. “I promise. I’ll win this war and come to you and Will.”

  Chapter Seven

  Goose bumps appeared on his arms as he parked his car at a free lot. Seeing the two grim-faced enforcers standing by the door to the restaurant turned his stomach into coils. He didn’t get out of the car, not instantly anyway. He needed to gather his nerves and put his game face on.

  Even though a week had passed since he’d left the body in the restaurant, Sergio and his wolves hadn’t given up looking for the
murderer. Damn the wolves for being suspicious. Then again, what did he expect?

  According to his contact, the murder had done the job. It had riled the wolves up. He stared at his hands, wondering when he stopped thinking of himself as one of Sergio’s wolves. All he was now was the words the enforcers muttered among themselves—traitor, bastard.

  If they knew his identity and linked him to Abbott’s murder, he would never see the light of day. They’d drag him to the restaurant’s basement and see how many screams they could get out of him.

  Feeling uneasy, he took out the bottle of pills in his back pocket. The small white pill stared back at him, looking deceivingly innocent. At first glance, no one could tell that this was the bane of all of Sergio’s problems.

  He swallowed one and rolled a second between forefinger and thumb before deciding that he needed all the courage he could get today. The second hit the spot. He leaned against his seat, shutting his eyes momentarily.

  The effects would emerge soon. He would be transported to the happy place, and everything would be fine. Shifters didn’t get high easily, but Latitude worked wonders. Wanting another, he flipped the bottle. Nothing came out.

  A snarl emerged from his lips. Fuck this.

  He fumbled for his phone and dialed his contact. The bastard picked up on the fourth ring, probably delighted in making him wait.

  “I’ve been expecting your call,” Grant said.

  “I need more.”

  Their conversations always went like this. Before this war, he’d thought werewolves were predators. They had existed atop of the food chain. Seeing warriors he had looked up to all his life fall to their deaths had scared the hell out of him.

  He had been looking for a way to bring his stress down when Grant had appeared out of nowhere. Latitude was tons better than ecstasy. It hit like a brick and left him wanting for more. One dose led to another. The next thing he knew, he’d become an addict. Grant wasn’t just his dealer but also his savior.

  Grant’s chuckle grated on his nerves, but he gritted his teeth.

  “So soon?”

  “It’s been an awful week. Do you have any idea how I’ve lived? The enforcers are investigating everyone, and there’re the claw marks I left on the window.”

  “You were sloppy,” Grant said with no emotion in his voice.

  “I did what you fucking asked.”

  Desperation leaked into his voice. Grant didn’t speak. The silence turned out to be effective. He began rubbing at his free arm, not realizing all that waiting turned to scratching. Numbly, he said, “you need me to do something else. Kill someone else.”

  Abbott was a nuisance. He felt guilty at first, but that soon disappeared. A guy like Abbott didn’t appreciate the gifts nature gave him. Werewolves should be the superior species, yet all Abbot had ever done was turn furry on the full moon and attended pack events. What the fuck was that all about?

  He was glad to rid of a loser like that.

  “Not yet, but I want you to report everything’s Sergio’s planning,” Grant said.

  “That’s what I’m already doing. Isn’t tattling to you every three days enough? I told you already. If I ask too many questions, the enforcers will start to suspect me. They don’t trust me as much as the veteran wolves.”

  He seethed. When was Grant going to give him a location to meet so he could have more Latitude?

  “We’ll arrange a little accident soon, when the moment’s appropriate.”

  “Fine. Whatever.”

  “Be patient, wolf. You mentioned a pack meeting’s about to start.”

  He twitched, jumping when someone knocked on the glass of his window. It was Jared, grinning at him and gesturing to the pack house. A glance at his wristwatch told him the meeting was about to start. He schooled his expression to one the young enforcer was familiar with. He was good at appearing airheaded.

  “I’ll be there soon,” he mouthed.

  Jared nodded and walked away.

  Sweat dribbled down his forehead.

  He turned back to his conversation with his dealer. “It seems pretty important. The higher-ups are announcing something big. It’s pack-constrained, but I hear they’ll tell our allies, too.”

  “Gather whatever juicy bits you can.”

  “How about my reward?” he demanded, impatient.

  “After the meeting.”

  The bastard ended the call before he could say anything else. Growling, he flung his phone aside. The sooner he got this over with, the better. Glancing at his bloodied arm, he cursed. After cleaning up and pulling down the sleeves of his shirt, he counted to ten in his head before getting out.

  The two enforcers nodded to him. Every single time he passed them these days, he was terrified they could somehow read his mind.

  “Leo, better hurry up. The meeting’s already started,” said one of the enforcers.

  “Right. Thanks.” He flashed him a sheepish smile before joining the others on the restaurant floor.

  The pack members he passed started whispering to themselves. At the center of the restaurant, Alessio was speaking, talking about the missions last week.

  On his way there, he nearly bumped into a pair.

  “So sorry,” he murmured, drawing back when he realized who it was.

  “Careful, pal. My mate’s pregnant,” Raul said.

  The big enforcer cast unfriendly eyes at him, pulling his Omega mate close. Logan tilted his head and studied him far too closely for his liking.

  His heart started to race a little faster. Calm the fuck down. Don’t give anything away. What was the Omega doing here? Logan was the one person Leo had hoped to avoid.

  The Omega could read emotions, he reminded himself, not minds. Besides, Logan didn’t know how to use his gift, not as well as the previous pack Gamma.

  “Really sorry,” he muttered.

  Logan’s possessive mate gave him a suspicious look and he couldn’t afford that right now. For one, Raul didn’t seem like the kind of man Leo could win over with his usual charms. Leo tried another tactic. He pretended to look concerned.

  “Should you be out here? You’re about to give birth, right?”

  “You’re Leo, right? Ron’s told me about you,” the Omega said with a smile.

  “Who?” Raul demanded, tight-lipped.

  “Leo’s been keeping watch on Ron with Jared,” Logan explained.

  Leo should come up with an excuse. He didn’t like the Omega’s scrutinizing look.

  “Leo, there you are,” Jared said.

  Leo hid his relief. The young enforcer had the Alpha’s mate with him. Perfect. Leo liked knowing he could strike anytime without anyone realizing. Still, Raul was still giving him that scary look.

  “The group over there, you have anything to add to the discussion?” Alessio’s voice cut like a knife.

  “Not at all,” Jared answered back.

  “Pay attention,” Alessio said.

  Some kind of tension passed between the two. Leo would ask Jared about it later on. The young enforcer had been his ticket to climbing the pack ladder. Jared was undoubtedly strong and able to beat Leo in a fight, but he had his faults, being blind to deception for one. Besides, Leo tolerated the young wolf’s friendship solely because the Alpha had practically raised Jared like his son. There were rumors smiling around that Sergio was going to groom Jared as the Alpha in the future.

  “Sergio’s about to make his announcement,” Ron said, standing beside him.

  The crowd fell silent as the Alpha took over his brother. Leo could feel Sergio’s commanding presence, his strength through the pack bonds. Before coming to the Darkfall pack, he’d never experienced anything like it. Most werewolf Alphas couldn’t handle so many shifters attached to him.

  Through the pack bonds, he could sense Sergio’s Alpha wolf sending out reassurance to the weaker members. The Alpha was nothing but confident. Leo was wise enough to know that going for Sergio’s throat wasn’t the answer. The Alpha was a renowned
fighter. Going for him was stupid when they could go for his weak link.

  Leo’s gaze lingered on Ron. He didn’t listen, not really, although he knew he should. Leo really needed Latitude, even though it made his focus horrible. He snapped to attention at Sergio’s next words.

  “We’ve uncovered Alpine Industries’ main laboratories, where they store their main databases. In three days, we’ll be launching a critical attack. If all goes well, we’d have won this war.”

  Wait. What the fuck just happened? Leo glanced at the other werewolves, who begun talking among themselves. Some had hope on their faces. Others looked skeptical, but Leo knew Sergio would eventually convince the fighters to join the fight. The Alpha had that way about him. People followed strength and charisma, and Sergio had both.

  Sergio ended the meeting with a rousing speech convincing those who were eager to tear Alpine a new one and join the attack on Alpine’s headquarters.

  Leo’s thoughts raced. If Sergio eliminated the source, there would no longer be Latitude on the market. Fuck. Leo needed to get Grant on the phone as soon as possible. He began to join the group of volunteers for the mission, but Jared grabbed his arm.

  “Wait, Leo. Sergio gave me a job,” Jared said, keeping his voice low.

  Leo noticed Ron had left his side to go to his mate. He frowned. A week ago, everyone knew Sergio was in a foul mood. People were questioning his ability to lead. There was a talk of challengers and replacement possibilities. In the end, most factions concluded there wasn’t anyone who could lead so many wolves.

  Now Leo understood why Sergio seemed like his usual self again. Maybe he and Ron had patched things up. That wasn’t good news. A distracted and pissed-off Alpha couldn’t lead well, but Sergio sounded clearheaded during his speech.

  Grant was going to be pissed. Leo tightened his jaw. He wasted plenty of time, whispering to Ron’s ear and manipulating the Omega into thinking Sergio was neglecting their little family. All that effort for nothing.

  Right. He needed to focus on what Jared was telling him. Leo noticed Logan staring at him again. Avoiding the Omega, he focused on what Jared was saying. Shit. Logan was a foreseeable threat if this went on any longer.