Heart of the Pack

by Fel Fern

  Besides, Sergio had planned ahead. He had lawyers working for him, and they’d scheduled to meet with the press. Sergio had had his spies gather information to take Alpine down. Alpine Industries would be ruined, even if their group failed tonight.

  Fuck, but he hoped not.

  “It’s now or never. We’ll destroy the date before Latitude enters the black market,” Sergio continued.

  He wasn’t naïve. Test versions of Latitude probably started circulating, but Alpine wouldn’t release its perfected drug—not yet. Greed and profit motivated them.

  “Tonight, we fight for pack, families, loved ones, and our children,” Sergio ended the speech.

  There was nothing else to say. Resolve was written on their faces. They knew what to do. Sergio split their party into three, unlike the plan he leaked out about sending all his forces into one entrance.

  With his wolves, he and Alessio found the underground bunker in the woods that would lead to Alpine’s tunnels. Some of his shifters were in wolf form. The other half stayed human, toting ammunition. He stripped and shifted. Alessio did the same.

  Sergio sent another surge of emotion through the pack bonds. A rumble tore out of his throat. His wolves answered his call. His enforcers surrounded him, and he knew none of them were the traitor. The other fighters formed up behind them.

  How many times had he done this, lead the faithful men and women under him to certain death or triumph?

  When he was younger, he never expected to feel this tired, never thought he would let himself be tied by a mate. Meeting Ron and the other peaceful pack members had changed him.

  With a roar, Sergio broke into a run, his pack following behind. He knew the other animal group leaders led their soldiers somewhere else. Darkness loomed ahead of them, but Sergio could see in the dark. His paws scrabbled against hard dirt.

  The tunnel was narrow, but none of his wolves panicked at the tight space. There were only four guards up ahead. They never saw Sergio and his group coming.

  Sergio went ahead, running up a flight of stairs. Darkness gave way to bright lights. They were in a corridor. The alarms in the facility began going off. A group of armed men appeared to their left and another to the right. They were surrounded.

  He eyed them. The men on the left were hired mercenaries. He could smell fear on them, even from the older ones. The right was comprised of hunters. Bloodlust burned in their eyes.

  Sergio gave his brother a nudge. They discussed it beforehand. Their primary mission was to get to the database room. Alessio took half the wolves and went for the mercenaries. Sergio herded his party to the hunters.

  They must have known him on sight because they instantly trained their rifles at him. No matter. Bullets grazed his fur. He felt one hit, but he snarled and continued the fight.

  Sergio launched himself at the nearest hunter and tackled him. Some shifters lost themselves at the sight of blood, but he trained his wolves to make fast and efficient kills, to go for the vital parts.

  After tearing out that attacker’s throat, he moved onto the next. Blood coated his fur and muzzle. Some belonged to him, but not all. It didn’t matter. Sergio plowed on. As he clawed his way to his goal, he saw through the exposed glass windows of rooms undoubtedly used for experiments.

  Some of his wolves stopped to free victims. He knew Noel’s party was in charge of freeing the captives in Alpine’s prisons. They all had jobs to do. His thoughts lingered on Ron and Will.

  Remembering the touch of Ron’s lips on his and his son laughing in his arms—those memories gave Sergio the strength he needed. He remembered Michella, too, the way her face broke into a smile when seeing Ron, who looked apprehensive when Sergio introduced Ron to the pack as his mate.

  Baby Sister, it all ends tonight. The next time he visited her grave, he’d take Ron and Will along. They could tell her that it was all over.

  Holding those wonderful memories in his mind, he poured positive energy through the pack bonds. Vengeance was good and all, but revenge left one empty. He reminded his pack of what they should fight for and continued wrecking a path to the database room.

  * * * *

  Despite Raul’s insistence for Ron not to come, he was worried about Logan.

  “Are you sure about this?” Leo asked as the other wolf drove Ron to the hospital. Will was on his lap, still in wolf form, awake but well behaved.

  “I’m worried about Logan.” Ron knew the moment Leo drove out of the parking lot, Jared would get mad. Seeing his phone ring and Jared’s name flashing across it, he muttered, “Speak of the devil.”

  He answered on the first ring.

  “Ron, what were you thinking?”

  “God, Jared. You sound just like Sergio when he’s mad,” Ron grumbled.

  “Ron, you know it’s dangerous. Sergio trusted me to watch over you,” Jared argued.

  “Leo’s with me and I need to see Logan,” he supplied.

  There was a heavy sigh on the other end of the line. “Stay with Leo, okay? I’m sending two more wolves your way, just in case.”

  Ron made a face at that, but he understood the precaution.

  “Can you hand the phone to Leo?” Jared asked.

  “He’s driving. I’ll put you on loudspeaker.”

  Jared spoke a good five minutes, reminding Leo to watch for Ron before ending the call.

  “Man, he’s seriously shaping up to be the next Sergio,” Ron muttered.

  Leo flashed him a smile that didn’t quite reach his smile.

  “Is something wrong?” Ron prodded. He noticed the other werewolf didn’t seem like his usual self.

  Leo shook his head quickly. “I’m just worried about the others.”

  Well, that explained things. “I’m scared for Sergio, too.”

  “He’ll do fine. He’s the Alpha after all.”

  “Of course you’d say that.” Ron bit his lip. “There’s been no news yet.”

  Aside from Sergio’s last text that their operation was about to begin, there was no update. Ron told himself that biting his nails wouldn’t help. Sergio was probably busy. That was all.

  On his lap, Will wagged his tail and looked at Ron. Ron looked at his son. “I’ll get something to eat at the hospital.”

  Leo kept one hand on the wheel. He reached out with the other to pat Will, but Will bared his fangs.

  “Behave,” he chided. “Sorry, Leo. He’s cranky when he’s hungry.”

  “It’s fine. We’re here,” Leo muttered.

  After Leo found a spot in the hospital parking lot, Ron noticed the other wolf pop a pill between his lips.

  “Are you feeling unwell? I can call for someone else,” Ron said.

  “Just aspirin for my headache,” Leo answered quickly. “Come on. Let’s go see how Raul’s doing.”

  With Will in his arms, he exited the car. Ron brought a backpack with him, in case Will decided to turn into a boy again. They headed in and found Raul in one of the waiting rooms. Raul’s eyes grew wide when he saw Ron.

  “What are you doing here?” Raul was on his feet. “You’re the Alpha’s mate. You should be back at the pack house.”

  As if Ron needed a reminder of his role, but he couldn’t blame Raul, who was probably worried about Logan.

  “Sit down. Is Logan in the operating room?” Ron asked.

  Raul flashed Leo an unfriendly look before returning to Ron. “Yup, they threw me out. Said I was a disturbance. Can you believe that? Wait. Is only Leo with you?”

  Oh hell. Hadn’t they gone over this already?

  “I trust Leo,” he said.

  “I’m going to update Jared that we’re at the hospital,” Leo told him, leaving him with Raul.

  “Raul, why don’t you like Leo?” Ron asked.

  Will jumped off his lap. The nurse at the reception gave him a look. He grabbed Will again. The townsfolk were used to seeing shifters and their pups and cubs in animal form, unlike other towns in the country where people still feared the paranormal.
The locals did occasionally complain about shifter babies being overly playful.

  “There’s something about that guy,” Raul muttered, sinking back into the chair next to him. “Logan also said there’s something odd about Leo.”

  “Everyone’s not at their best,” Ron reminded him.

  He dropped the topic. Raul didn’t need this right now. For one, Raul’s mate was in labor, and most of Raul’s wolves had gone with Sergio. The dominant wolf had enough things to think about.

  “So, you’re going to be a dad soon. Excited?” he asked, changing the topic.

  Raul groaned. “Honestly? It’s fucking scary to see myself as a father.”

  “You?” Ron raised an eyebrow. “Raul, you’re one of the pack’s best fighters. Any asshole who so much as sniffs at your kid wrong, you’ll hammer.”

  Raul actually smiled at that, but the other wolf still looked exhausted. “Damn right. It’s just girls are so…delicate.”

  “Kids are the best thing that will happen to Logan and you. Trust me,” Ron said.

  Raul glanced down at Will. The pup let out a happy bark when Raul rubbed at his ears. Strange. He noticed Will was usually friendly with pack members, but with Leo, Will was always defensive.

  “Yeah. I’m glad you’re here actually,” Raul admitted. “I could use some company. Jared’s sending over more wolves, right?”

  “Jesus. You guys are the same. I can handle myself you, know?”

  “But you’re linked to Sergio.”

  Ron felt a pang of guilt. That was right. If something happened to him, Sergio would feel it on the other end. Too many people were relying on his mate, and Sergio couldn’t afford any distraction.

  “Nothing’s going to happen. We’re here for Logan, and besides, I have Leo and you, right?”

  Chapter Ten

  Hearing his phone ringing, Ron excused himself when he saw Jared’s name. He answered.

  “Hey, Ron. Is Leo with you?” Jared asked. “He’s not picking up his phone.”

  “He’s probably somewhere in the hospital. I’ll tell him to call you back.” Ron frowned. Didn’t Leo mention he was going to call Jared? He glanced at Will, who was playing with Raul. “Hey, Raul. I’m going to find Leo and get some snacks for Will.”

  Raul frowned. “I’ll come with you.”

  The other man began to stand, but Ron placed his hand firmly on Raul’s shoulder. He really hated what the traitor had done to their pack. Now everyone distrusted each other.

  “Stay with Will, please? I’ll be fine. Besides, what if the nurse comes out with news of Logan?”

  Raul looked torn but eventually nodded. Sometimes it was sweet, the way Sergio and his wolves became overprotective. Other times, it was too much. He went in search of Leo, finally finding the other werewolf in the emergency stairwell of all places.

  Looking dead-serious, Leo had his cell phone pressed against his ear. Ron almost decided to give the other werewolf some privacy, but what if the call was important and from one of the wolves on the mission with Sergio?

  “No. I can’t wait anymore. You promised!”

  Leo’s shriek shocked the hell out of Ron.

  His wolf warned him to be careful, to remain quiet, and to keep listening. A shifter like Leo should have noticed when an Omega was sneaking up on him, but Leo looked too invested in his conversation.

  “Yeah, the Alpha’s Omega is with me. The other Omega, the one with the emphatic abilities, is also nearby. Just say the word, but promise me we’ll meet. I’m running out of L,” Leo was saying.

  A chill broke over Ron at those words. Suddenly, everything seemed to make sense. Some part of him still refused to believe Leo would betray them, but he heard it all. “L” was the short form of Latitude. Sergio had suspected that their mole was trading information in exchange for drugs.

  When Sergio first brought up that possibility, Ron thought it absurd a loyal pack member would do such a thing. Suddenly, Raul’s and Will’s aversion to Leo made sense. Raul had even mentioned Logan suspecting Leo, and Ron had not listened.

  Go back to Raul. Warn him. Those were Ron’s priorities. He took a step back, but Leo must have finally noticed him.

  “Fine. I got it,” Leo snapped. “Just make sure my supply’s ready.”

  Whirling, the other werewolf ended the call. Ron hardly recognized Leo now. The other shifter’s face was twisted into a frown. Leo sneered.

  “You. What have you heard?”

  “Nothing. Who was that?” Ron knew he’d never been that good of a liar. There were still a couple of steps to the door. Would he be able to make it?

  “I’m sorry. You’re a liability,” Leo said quietly.

  The next thing Ron knew, Leo was a blur of movement. What the hell? Ron didn’t know the other wolf was that fast. Had the drug enhanced Leo’s abilities? Ron turned his back and broke into a run, except Leo suddenly wrapped a hand around his throat and another over his chest.

  Ron’s lungs struggled to push for air.

  “Lucky for you, Omega, I’ve got orders to kill you,” Leo hissed in his ear. The other man tightened his hand on his throat. “Sergio leaked out the wrong information on purpose, didn’t he?”

  His initial fear was replaced by rage. Fuck Leo. Leo had been by his side all this time without Ron suspecting him even once. Hell. Jared trusted Leo. Had Leo been a spy for Alpine all this while?

  Anger filled him, but Ron was aware of his oxygen slowly being cut off, as well. Ron fidgeted, trying to break Leo’s hold, but he froze when he felt Leo’s partially shifted claws press against the side of his neck.

  Ron croaked. “You won’t get away with this.”

  “Oh, I will, Omega. It doesn’t matter. Even if the Alpine headquarters fall, they can start up again.”

  Unable to help himself, Ron laughed.

  “What’s so fucking funny?”

  “You’re wrong. Sergio’s arranged a deal with his lawyers. Even if they fail, all the information we’ve gathered about Alpine will be leaked to the media and local government. Your drug dealers are done for.”

  Leo froze, hissing when Ron took that opportunity to elbow the traitor in the ribs. Ron reached for the doorknob. If he could reach the corridor and call for help, Leo wouldn’t be able to do a thing. He closed his hand on the knob and then felt it a second later.

  Sharp claws sunk into his lower back, skewering him. Leo shoved him against the wood. Agony streaked up his spine. Ron tasted his own blood. Leo refused to let go. Ron let out a scream, but Leo wrapped one hand over his mouth.

  “Hush, Omega. It will all be over soon,” Leo crooned in his ear.

  * * * *

  Sergio tangled with a member of the order. He circled the muscled hunter wielding two swords. Who used that medieval weapon in this time and age anyway?

  Then he felt it. Pain coursed through his back, catching him off guard. A bullet found its way to his shoulder. Letting out a gleeful yell, the hunter came at him, swords raised. It took him a fraction of a second to realize the pain was the phantom sort.

  Ron was hurt bad enough that he could sense his mate’s agony through their bonds. Time froze. The hunter closed in, swinging his sword. From the corner of his eye, he saw one of his wolves—Riley bearing down on the hunter, nearly ripping the hunter’s arm off.

  Another bullet came from nowhere—a shot Sergio was fast enough to avoid, but not this time. His hold on the pack bonds grew fragile as he went down.

  A moment before, Sergio had been lost in the moment of the fight. He’d found the database room, but the lab, as well as the test formulas, was empty. They were amid transporting all their research, Sergio realized. He howled at his wolves to exit the facility. Noel and the others would gut the bastards before they reached their vehicles and drove out of there.

  Sergio’s muzzle hit the smooth flooring. He couldn’t see Ron, but it tore him inside to feel Ron struggling on the other end. His wolves began reacting to their Alpha’s pain.

  Their
moment of hesitation would cost them, Sergio knew. They couldn’t afford to show weakness in the middle of a battle. He knew that, too.

  Sergio was the Alpha for crying out loud, yet he was on the ground, unable to move and defeated. He was their leader. If he fell, he knew the entire operation would unravel. The other leaders would be able to handle their own, but Sergio’s wolves made up a sizable number of their little army. It pissed the hell out of him the traitor would strike now, and at Ron.

  Another bullet grazed his side. Another found its mark. Sergio didn’t know how many he’d taken.

  All of the bullets were silver. Sergio could feel the poison working its way to his bloodstream. From the corner of his eye, he saw his sniper. The hunter dropped his rifle and reached for a revolver. Time moved in slow motion. Seeing him, the hunter smiled. Sergio’s murderer walked to him as if he had all the time in the world.

  Would this fucker brag to his buddies later on how easily he took down their bogeyman, the Alpha of the Darkfall pack?

  He knew the risks of his operation, but he never expected his plan to backfire on him.

  “What are the hell are you doing lying there, Brother?”

  Was he imagining Michella’s voice? Suddenly, he could make out her form leaning over him. She was a figment of his imagination, something he conjured up being close to death. Sergio could almost feel it, her slender fingers on his fur, before she gave his ears a reprimanding tug.

  “Get yourself together, Big Brother. So many people are depending on you.”

  I’m so tired. I’ve done my best. This is too much. Those were the words he wanted to say but couldn’t. The ghost heard them anyway.

  “You choose this path long ago. Can’t you remember what you’re fighting for? Ron hasn’t given up. Will you?”

  His vision darkened. When it cleared, Sergio was no longer looking at the dull gray walls of the Alpine headquarters. His eyesight was blurry, but he was in some kind of emergency stairwell.

  “Sergio,” Ron whispered. Was he seeing what Ron saw?