by Lola Gabriel
When he was a young pup, Wren had noticed a few things about how his father treated his mother when it came to making decisions, especially when it came to their sons. He often thought that the Alpha had the final say in everything. With matters relating to the pack in general, the Alpha was in charge. In fact, if he wasn’t imprinted at the time, he was in charge of everything.
After an Alpha imprinted, however, all that changed. The Alpha still had a firm grasp on being in charge, but for any issue involving the safety of himself, his mate, or their children, biological or not, he was not. It was down to the mate to have the final say. That was exactly why Skye had been the one who would have the final say when it related to anything about their five sons and their safety.
Wren completely forgot about that, as he was convinced he’d never imprint willingly, although he should have realized that imprinting wasn't a choice of will. Now that he had imprinted with Liya, she now had the final say where her own and Illa’s safety was concerned, although Wren thought that she was being a little overly dramatic. Then again, he did accuse her of pretending to imprint on him and lying to him about something that she wasn't ready to tell him, and went off on her because he felt insecure about himself. Wren bit his bottom lip and silently scolded himself.
“She asked for my help, Wren, and I am going to do whatever she asks, not to defy you, but to protect her. That’s what us Zetas do. If you can’t handle that, take it up with her. I’m not going to be the one who tells her that she has to stay here. I have no idea what she is capable of.”
“You’re afraid of her,” Wren said and creased his brow.
“Respect is often mistaken for fear, Wren, although most don’t know the difference,” Krew said simply and he looked at Wren expectantly. “Now step aside, please.”
Wren nodded. He knew there was nothing he could do to stop Liya from leaving, or Krew from taking her away, so instead of defying his own rules, he stepped aside. He watched as Krew left the house and Wren stood in the doorway as the SUV drove off, taking his entire life away from him.
It was his fault, he knew this, but if he tried to stop her from leaving, it would only end up in a fight, and the last thing he wanted was to fight with her.
He would fight for her, he just wasn't sure how.
He tried to think back to a time where Skye got upset with Luther and how Luther handled it, but he came up short.
“I don’t know what to do,” he muttered as he closed the door behind him and leaned his back against the door.
A strange feeling washed over him as he thought back to the time when he and River were cornered by a hostile pack passing through town. He also remembered seeing Skye transform from a timid, nature-loving woman into a vicious and ferocious wolf who was ready to slaughter an entire pack to ensure the safety of her two children. Wren had never seen his mother in that way before, and found it interesting when the entire hostile pack ran for the hills when they figured out Skye was the mate of the Alpha. He had never seen a pack of wolves cower in fear the way that pack did. From that moment on he knew that there was nothing stronger than a mother’s love. Skye would have fought to the death for her children, and sadly, she ultimately did.
A sudden knock on the front door made him jump and he realized that his defenses were completely down and his senses were lacking. Normally he would know if someone was outside his house even before they climbed out of their car.
Was this Liya’s doing? Did she take a part of him when she left?
There was another knock on the door and he shook his head, getting rid of the foolish thoughts in his mind. He opened the door to see Sutton standing in the doorway.
Wren sighed, clenched his jaw and stepped aside, allowing Sutton to enter.
Sutton glanced at him with a scowl. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Wren muttered and turned away.
“Wren, I just saw Krew’s car drive off with Liya and Illa in the back seat. Clearly something is going on,” Sutton pointed out.
“I don't want to talk about it,” Wren grumbled.
“For God’s sake, Wren. You have to talk about it sometime. In fact, I’m really worried about the fact that you don't talk at all, because one of these days you’re going to explode and there are going to be a lot of casualties who get caught in the blast, yourself included,” Sutton said as he stepped forward. “I don't want that to happen.”
Wren sighed but still didn't say a word. He simply glowered, staring out in front of him.
“Wren, please. Talk to me,” Sutton said. “I’m your Beta, but I’m also your friend.”
Wren glanced at him with a frown and asked, “I’m your friend?”
“Of course. I’d do anything for you. I thought you knew that.”
“I do know that, I just didn't think that you considered me as a friend,” Wren said.
Sutton smiled slightly and placed his hand on Wren’s shoulder. “You’re my friend and I’m yours, Wren. Nothing is going to change that. Okay?” When Wren nodded, Sutton asked again, “Now, what’s going on?”
“I stopped by Liya’s house yesterday, and Hunter was there,” he explained.
“Hunter, as in Liya’s ex-boyfriend, the psycho, abusive Crescent hunter?” Sutton asked in disbelief.
“Yeah. How do you know him?”
“Most people do. He’s dangerous. Did he try to attack you?”
“No, he was fine. He wasn't there to fight, or that’s what he told me,” Wren said. “He didn't seem at all like the monster Liya described to me.”
“You don’t believe her?” Sutton asked. “Because I can back up her stories. He’s a terrible person, but loyal to those Crescents. He’ll do whatever they ask him to, no questions asked.”
“What hold do they have over him?” Wren asked.
“He was born a Crescent; he grew up forced to watch his father mentally and physically torture his mother for fun. He’s had a troubled life filled with aggression and pain, and having the abilities he has, the Alpha and Betas took him in after his father was punished for ultimately killing his mother, who was the daughter of the Alpha.”
“He’s the grandson of the Crescent Alpha?” Wren exclaimed, and Sutton nodded. “Holy shit. No wonder no one believed her. He’s practically untouchable.”
“Exactly,” Sutton said and dug his hands into the front pockets of his jeans.
“I hate those damn Crescents.”
“For all the normal reasons?”
Wren glanced at Sutton hesitantly and shook his head. “For reasons I’ve never talked about to anyone, except Liya,” he said, and Sutton looked at him with wide eyes. “The Crescents found it amusing to mess up my family’s lives on more than one occasion. They forced us to leave our homes many times, and we had to start over every single time. The last time, we moved back to our old hometown of Silver Bay in Minnesota. My mom loved that house so much, and it made me happy to see her happy. I was a real Momma’s boy, apparently.”
“That is surprising. I can’t imagine you being close to anybody,” Sutton scoffed.
“One night we woke up and our house was in flames. My brothers and I got out, but my parents didn't,” Wren said and he watched as Sutton’s face paled. “We never really found out who did it, but I’ve always known it was them. The Crescents. They wanted us gone for good, but they slipped up. They left us alive.”
Sutton let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head in disbelief. “Wren, I’m so sorry. What happened to your brothers?”
“We all went our separate ways because we couldn't agree on anything. I haven't seen them or heard of them since then, and I don't want to either. If they don’t want to make contact with me, then I don't want to make contact with them.”
“And you all inherited your stubbornness from your father, right?” Sutton asked wryly.
“I guess you can say that, yes,” Wren said and smiled slightly.
“I’m sorry, Wren. I didn't know.”
“Of course you
didn't know. I never told anyone about it. I just didn't want to think about it, but when Liya came into town and she brought all her baggage along, it just took me back to that time where I was angry and resentful. She made it all better, though. She scratched off the surface that I so desperately wanted to keep covered and aired it out. She brought it out into the open and she changed everything. She changed me, she made me better,” Wren said and lowered his head miserably.
“What are you going to do?”
“I messed up, big time.”
“I kind of gathered that, since she left. Did she go back to her house?” Sutton asked, and Wren nodded. “What if Hunter is there? Are you really going to allow him to take Illa?”
“I’ll kill him with my bare hands if he even touches a hair on either of their heads,” Wren growled.
“Good, but save your aggression for Hunter,” Sutton said.
“She won’t let me near her or Illa right now. She’s pissed,” Wren scowled, “and I don't even blame her.”
“What did you do, by the way?” Sutton asked.
“I believed Hunter and not her.”
Sutton cringed painfully and shook his head. “You do realize you’ll be hearing about this for the rest of your life after all this crap is over, right?”
“As long as she’s there to give me crap about it, I don't mind.”
Sutton grinned. “It’s weird to see you like this. As long as I’ve known you, you’ve never opened up to me before, or to anyone. It’s kind of nice, but it’s also kind of terrifying.”
“You’re telling me,” Wren scoffed. “Sutton, could you do me a favor?”
“Sure, anything,” he answered.
“Could you go see if she is okay?” Wren asked and glared at Sutton, who seemed unfazed by Wren’s impatient tone.
“She’s not going to let me in,” Sutton answered.
“I know, but you could just check on her without her knowing it.”
“I’m not going to spy on your woman, Wren,” Sutton said as he walked away.
“Please,” Wren said, his tone desperate.
Sutton pursed his lips and nodded. “Okay. I’ll do it.”
‘Thank you,” Wren said gratefully.
“I just have a few things to do for Ruby, and then I’ll check in on Liya,” Sutton said.
Ruby was Sutton’s wife who recently found out she was expecting their first baby. It was an exciting time for them, but Wren knew that Sutton was as nervous as they came, even though he denied it with his life. Wren knew much more about Sutton than anyone, as Sutton was his only Beta, his second in command. Wren had not trusted anyone else to be a Beta, and he knew that he could rely on Sutton no matter what. Wren was convinced that if he asked Sutton to walk through Hell with him, Sutton wouldn’t question him and would follow him without argument.
“Give my regards to Ruby,” Wren said. “How is she, by the way?”
“Pregnancy doesn't seem to agree with her. She’s been really moody. Probably all those hormones,” Sutton said. “Who knows how the human race works, right?”
“Yeah, she’s probably the only one who is decent and doesn't want to kill us,” Wren said.
“Maybe,” Sutton said and chuckled. “I’ll give you a call later.”
Wren nodded and watched as Sutton left the house. He shivered as the emptiness and the quiet inside his house enveloped him. Over the past few weeks he had grown accustomed to the noisiness that went with having a woman and a one-year-old baby in the house. Now there was nothing but silence and cold. He sat down on the couch and suddenly realized how exhausted he was. He felt drained and tired, and lay back against the soft pillow. Liya’s scent still lingered in the house, especially on the pillow, and he scolded himself once again. He closed his eyes for a second, and before he could stop himself, he fell into an exhausted yet peaceful slumber.
9
Deep down, Liya was terrified to be back at the house, but she was too proud, and stubborn, to admit it. She was also hurt by Wren and his pathetic accusations. She couldn't understand why he would believe Hunter instead of believing her.
Illa, of course, was more than happy to be out of the car and crawled happily along the carpets on her own little mission to retrieve the pink and blue ball she threw around the living room while Liya made dinner.
After Liya and Illa took a bath and were snugly dressed in their warm pajamas, they went to bed, but Liya couldn't fall asleep. She was exhausted, feeling drained for some reason, but even after the hundredth attempt to fall asleep, she glanced over at Illa and shook her head with envy. At most times, Liya wished she could fall asleep as easily as Illa could. Liya slowly climbed out of bed, careful not to wake Illa, although Illa could sleep through most things, and walked down the hallway to the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator and rummaged through it, looking for something to snack on. She heard the floorboards creak behind her and she spun around. A pair of glowing yellow eyes watched her from the shadows and she didn't even have to guess who it was. She already knew. She always knew.
“Liya,” Hunter said as he stepped out from the shadows and slowly approached her.
“What are you doing here?” she asked as she slowly reached for the handle of the knife drawer.
“Oh, I thought you got my note,” he said with an unwarranted smile and long, drawn-out blinks.
“The one on the brick that you threw through a window right were Illa slept?” Liya asked. “You could have seriously hurt her; you know that?”
“It wasn't my intention to hurt her, Liya, or you.”
“That is bullshit. You spent nearly every night beating on me, telling me how worthless I was and that I was lucky to have someone like you who could guide me to be the right kind of Crescent, because according to your pathetic excuse of a pack, I was the problem,” she whispered as she slid her hand into the half-open drawer and reached for a knife.
“I wouldn't do that if I were you,” he warned. “I’m much stronger than you are, and you know it.”
In a sudden move, Hunter swooped in on her, grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her up against the wall.
“If you want to kill me, just do it, but you’re not getting anywhere near Illa,” she growled.
“And who’s going to stop me? You?” he asked with a smirk.
Before she could answer, he threw her across the room and she crashed into a small end table, landing on the ground.
A pain shot through her shoulder and she groaned. As she rolled onto her back, Hunter stood over her and laughed wickedly.
“Do you seriously think that you can stop me from taking what I want? You were never able to, and you never will. All that you’re good at is running and hiding,” he said as he crouched beside her and wrapped his hands around her throat. “But you’re not nearly as good a hider as I am a tracker.”
“Please don’t do this,” Liya begged, gasping for breath.
“You burnt down my house, Liya. You took my daughter away from me. You’ll be lucky if you make it out alive,” he snarled as he slammed her head into the ground.
The world spun hazily around Liya as she tried to regain her sense of self, trying to fight back, but she couldn't. She did, however, realize that Hunter’s hands were no longer at her throat, but it still did not make her breathing any easier.
“Hunter,” she called out as she pushed herself up onto her knees. She felt the blood trickle down from her temple and lightly touched it. The sight of her own blood had little effect on her, but the thought that Hunter would soon find Illa in the bedroom caused waves of nausea to rise up inside her.
“Don’t you dare, Hunter!”
“Or what, Liya? Is your Alpha boyfriend coming for me? I don't think so, because he’s scared of me, and he should be. If he comes after me, we’ll come after him, again. We’ll finish him off just like we planned on doing in the fifties,” Hunter smiled wickedly.
“It was you?” she gasped. “You burnt down their house? You killed his parent
s?”
“United they were strong, having all those abilities. They didn't want to share them, so we had to get rid of them. All of them. Only we didn’t.”
“You’re not going to get away with this.”
“Maybe not, or maybe I am,” he shrugged nonchalantly and made his way down the hallway. Her blood ran cold in her veins as she heard Illa’s little cries from the bedroom and she yelled out his name again a few times.
To her horror, she saw Hunter walk down the hallway towards her, holding Illa in his arms.
“No, please. Hunter, don’t do this. She’s my daughter, too,” Liya pleaded as hot tears stung her eyes and she reached out her hands to him. “Please give her to me.”
“This is on you,” Hunter said
“No, no, please don't take her,” Liya begged.
Hunter, unfazed by Liya’s words, stepped over her and walked to the door. Illa looked at Liya over her father’s shoulder and waved at Liya, unaware of what was happening.
“My baby!” Liya cried out.
Hunter stopped at the door. “It was really nice seeing you, Liya.”
Liya yelled out his name, still unable to stand up, and crawled to the door. She sobbed with every breath she took and finally collapsed in a pile on the floor in front of the door.
Liya woke to a pounding sound, and at first, she thought it was her head. The smell of her blood had faded slightly, and she allowed her eyes to focus. The pounding continued, and she realized it wasn't coming from her head at all.
“Liya! Open the door!”
Who is that? she thought and tried to push herself up, but her arms were powerless, and she could only lie helpless on the floor.
A loud crash echoed through her ears as the door flew open and the sound tore through her skull so badly she shut her eyes and winced painfully.
“Liya, are you okay?”
Liya opened her eyes and looked up into the deep green eyes of Sutton, who was crouched down beside her, panic and concern in his eyes.
