Unexpected Alpha (Gay M-Preg)

by Chris McHart

  “You’re a disgrace. Your leadership of this pack ends here. I have a mate, and I have defeated you in battle. So nothing stops me from taking over the pack, and I’m sure you too felt when the power structure changed. You’re no longer the alpha of this pack. You’re, to be exact, not even a part of this pack anymore. I was supposed to kill you, but I think there’s a much bigger punishment for someone as power-hungry as you. You’ll be outcast. And I’ll make sure no other pack will take you in. I hereby cast a spell upon you. You are banned from our society.”

  Absolute, complete silence descended upon them as Anthony uttered these last words.

  The thought had come to him a second before, a tale from the old days. At that time, other shifters had been cursed when they’d committed serious crimes. They’d been banished. He’d never believed these fairy tales, but when he looked at his father, that memory had shot through his head.

  It was still deadly silent in the hall, and it felt like his pack members weren’t even breathing anymore. The air around them started humming quietly, and it grew louder and louder. Anthony looked around, trying to figure out where the sound came from, but he saw nothing.

  It grew even louder, and he stepped back to protect Josh when all of a sudden the doors blew open and a gust of wind burst in. It cracked like lightning had struck, and he flinched. What the hell was that?

  A movement from the corner of his eye told him that D and Ash took positions to Josh’s right and left, probably to protect him.

  This gesture meant more to him than he could put into words. His pregnant brother put himself in front of Anthony’s mate.

  It was wrong. D shouldn’t have done it, but Anthony couldn’t take care of it now. He tried to find out what happened, why the air suddenly hummed and why every rumble of thunder, for lack of a better word, made the walls tremble.

  The doors to the big hall were open and another gust of wind burst in, swirling leaves inside, whirling them around the old alpha.

  The spell.

  Damn, the spell worked.

  Leaves wrapped around the alpha, surrounding him. He was still cuffed, but Lindsay and Jeremy had let him go as the leaves began to circle around him. They didn’t look like they felt comfortable near him, and Anthony was half-tempted to call them a step back. On the other hand, his men were highly experienced, well-trained fighters. They knew what they were doing.

  They watched as the leaves whirled around the alpha and finally, slowly but surely, sank to the ground. Again, energy shifted and it crackled. Waves of power spread and radiated through the room. It cracked and echoed and twitched in Anthony’s fingertips. The power structure changed.

  The alpha had been banished.

  The whole thing lasted no longer than a minute, and finally he stood there, a middle-aged man, with his shoulders hanging and his head bowed.

  A murmur went through the hall as they understood what’d happened. Not only Anthony had felt the change in the air. The whole pack must’ve recognized what’d happened. And now, all of a sudden, a load seemed to be taken off their shoulders.

  “Lindsay, open the handcuffs. We’ll escort him to the edge of the village.”

  Lindsay hesitated a fraction of a second, and his eyes met Anthony’s. Almost imperceptibly, Anthony nodded.

  Yeah, he was sure they could open the handcuffs. That man wouldn’t hurt anyone anymore. He couldn’t even challenge Anthony.

  Lindsay stepped forward and opened the handcuffs. Immediately the alpha rubbed his wrists and stared at them. Two red stripes had formed where he’d probably tried to pull the metal over his hands.

  “You’ll regret this.” With those words, the old alpha turned around and strode toward the door leading out of the hall, now with his head raised high. He whistled, a sharp, penetrating whistle, and Anthony flinched. What the hell was that? Next to him, a woman appeared from the crowd. Anthony looked at her, and even seeing her different clothes, he recognized the alpha’s mate immediately.

  Before he could say anything, his father’s voice sounded. “Get over here.”

  The woman stopped and looked at Anthony, pleading in her eyes. “No.”

  The old alpha stopped. Slowly and deliberately, he turned around.

  “She stays. She’s part of this pack, and she’ll stay here as long as she wants. You’ll never force her to do anything again.” Anthony’s words were hard. He waited to see what would happen.

  There was no way his father would accept his mate staying here. Even if he’d intended to get rid of her, that didn’t mean that he’d leave the pack without her.

  “You can’t–“

  “I can.” Anthony interrupted him. No matter what his father wanted to say, it wasn’t important. Anthony’s word was law, and he would enforce it. “Now get out of here. Jeremy, Lindsay, D, and I will accompany you to the edge of the village.”

  “But you can’t–“ His father spoke up again, but Anthony was prepared for it.

  “I can. And either you’ll disappear now, or you’ll spend the rest of your days in one of our cells. Or I’ll do what I didn’t mean to do. A quick death would be too great a grace for you, but don’t think for a second that I won’t do it.” Anthony’s shoulders were squared, and he held his head up high. If his father hesitated any longer, Anthony would have to do it. He couldn’t allow the old alpha to fuck with him in front of his pack.

  Anthony sighed with relief when the old alpha left the village without another word of protest. He just felt bad for a moment that he hadn’t even given him the opportunity to take personal items out of his house. But that was really just a moment.

  Actually, the alpha didn’t deserve to live. Anthony had granted him this mercy because he believed it’d be a longer and harder punishment than a quick death. Whether it was the right thing to do would remain to be seen. He wasn’t convinced yet. But for now, he didn’t have his father’s blood on his hands, and he was grateful for it.

  He turned to D. “Is there any way you can find a house where Lindsay, Josh, Jeremy, and I can live for now?”

  “Of course. I could’ve taken care of it a lot sooner if you’d said something. I’m sorry I forgot.”

  “I was just thinking about it, too, so don’t blame yourself. Oh, and if you could find someone who knows their way around, that’d be very good. I’m assuming you and Ash are going back?”

  D nodded. “Yeah, we need to leave. I think you have everything under control here, and I really don’t want to have Luis and Gerome watching the little ones any longer.”

  “I can understand that. You’ve been a great help here, and I’m really grateful you came with me.”

  “You didn’t really ask. You had to play hero.”

  Anthony’s face grew warm.

  “Where he’s right, he’s right. But it was Josh who immediately wanted to follow, not us.” Ash laughed as he stepped next to his partner.

  Anthony made a face. “I wasn’t really thinking, okay? And I will thank Josh again for everything he’s done.”

  “It’s all right, brother.” D put one arm around Anthony’s neck and pulled him into a short hug. “We all understand why you did it, even though I have to say it would’ve made more sense to wait for us. You should’ve known we’d all come to help you. None of us would’ve said no.”

  “At that moment, I just wasn’t thinking. I was just reacting.”

  D let him go. “We know that. Otherwise you’d hear a lot more about it, believe me. But everyone can understand why you acted like you did. No one’s gonna hold that against you.”

  D let him go and Anthony took a deep breath. It’d been stupid to make his way into the pack like that, but he hadn’t thought.

  “But it all went well, so I guess it wasn’t a mistake. And I am truly grateful to all of you for coming to help me.”

  “You should know we’re always there for you, no matter what. That shouldn’t surprise you anymore.” Was there a slight accusation in D’s voice?

  “Y
es, but I still feel bad for acting so irrationally. But we did it, and now I guess I’m the alpha of the pack. Exactly what I didn’t want, but well. I didn’t really have a choice either.”

  “No, you didn’t. But I think you’ll do very well.” Josh stepped next to Anthony.

  They hadn’t talked about why he hadn’t wanted to take over the pack. Maybe it was better to keep Josh in the dark about it.

  After all, he was already alpha, and he wouldn’t give up the position. The only one he thought could do a good job of was D, and he was busy with his pregnancy and his children.

  So Anthony was the only one left, and he had to make the most of it.

  “Well, then D looks for a house where we can stay, and in the meantime we’ll explain to the pack that their old alpha is gone, and they should contact me tomorrow to give me an overview of the current state of things. I think that’s a good solution for now.”

  He looked out into the forest, which was now completely dark. He’d sent his father out there. Even though killing him would’ve been difficult, since he was a shifter, something was gnawing at him. Had it been the wrong decision? Should he have locked him up?

  Anthony shook his head and turned around. No, he’d done what he thought was right. It was too late to change anything now, and he had to live with the decision as he’d made it. “Let’s go back to the hall and send everyone home. It was probably one of the most eventful days they had in a long time. I think we all deserve some rest.”

  They all followed him as he went back to the meeting room. D was no longer with them, probably looking for a house.

  He sent his pack members to their homes. Tomorrow he’d take care of the pack’s affairs and most urgent concerns.

  For today, he just wanted some quiet time to process what had happened.

  D came back and reported he’d found a house they could use. Anthony assumed Jeremy and Lindsay would also stay with them until they decided what they were going to do. They might want to stay here, but he wouldn’t jump to conclusions.

  The house with a total of five bedrooms was perfect. It’d probably been empty for some time, but it seemed to be usable. It was clean as far as D could tell.

  Anthony didn’t want to know how D had managed not only to find a house in that short time, but also the key to it.

  He didn’t care much about it right now, though. What mattered was that they had a place to stay, and – most importantly – it wasn’t his father’s house. He didn’t want to spend the night there. He’d been prepared to stay a few nights in the guest house, but this was better.

  A few minutes later, he thanked D for leading them to the house.

  Josh came along, too, which led Anthony to the conclusion he’d also stay in this house.

  If Josh had decided to stay in the guest house, Anthony’s authority would have been undermined. Not that he wanted to tell his mate what to do, but if Josh had refused, he would have had to come up with something.

  But Josh seemed to have already decided to move into the house, which made a good show of solidarity. Lindsay and Jeremy also followed them. They’d immediately agreed when Anthony had offered them the rooms.

  “I’ve arranged for food to be brought to you. Some of the pack mates have agreed to fill the kitchen. They should show up in the next thirty minutes and bring what you’ll need for tomorrow. After that, I think you can figure out how to get more food.”

  “Thank you.” Anthony nodded and threw a grateful look at his brother.

  Pressing the keys into Anthony’s hand, D said, “I think Ash and I are going to make our way back to the city now. I’d like to get the kids back, even though it’s really late. You have everything under control here, and if you need us, we’ll be happy to come back.”

  “Of course.” Anthony took the keys and pulled his brother in a hug. “I said it before, but thank you very much.”

  “I think you’re gonna do really good.” D returned the hug then grinned at him. “Just listen to what your instincts tell you.”

  What was that supposed to mean?

  Ash also pulled Anthony into a hug before he got a chance to figure out what his brother had meant.

  “You can do this. Believe in yourself,” Ash whispered in his ear, then he stepped back and pulled Josh into a hug. It lasted much longer than the ones the others had gotten, but Anthony wasn’t surprised.

  Josh returned the embrace, and they stood there for a few minutes as they whispered quietly to each other. Finally Josh nodded and stepped back.

  Tears ran down Josh’s face, and he hastily wiped them away. Did his mate really find it so hard to say goodbye to his best friend? They’d see each other again.

  “We’ll talk on the phone whenever we can, okay?” Josh nodded, and Ash wiped one of his tears away. “I’m not that far away, and you have a new job here.”

  “Do you think Gerome will be angry that I’ll stop working for him?”

  Ash smiled weakly. “I don’t think he’s gonna like it, but he can’t do much. And you didn’t get a new job because you didn’t like yours anymore. So don’t worry about it. He’ll find someone new. D or I will talk to him to let him know what happened. “

  Josh nodded weakly and wiped a tear off his face again.

  “Let’s go inside.” This whole farewell had lasted long enough, and Anthony just wanted some peace. By now, it was only willpower that kept him on his feet, and he didn’t have the patience for a tearful farewell.

  D quickly pulled Josh into a hug, whispered something in his ear as well – what was the whispering about? – and then let him go.

  With a last look back, Anthony unlocked the front door and entered the spacious house. It looked like it’d been freshly renovated some time ago but had been empty ever since. Josh followed him, as did Jeremy and Lindsay. The four of them explored their new, temporary home. It had, as promised, five bedrooms, five bathrooms, a large living room, and a spacious kitchen. It was more than enough room for them.

  It smelled slightly musty, like no one had opened a window for a long time, but it didn’t smell of mold or anything else unpleasant.

  The front door opened again after a quiet knock, and several women, as well as a few men, came in, carrying various foods. Without saying a word, they put everything in the kitchen. Two of them began to open different doors and prepare the bedrooms. Anthony observed them for a moment, too speechless to say anything.

  All the work was done in complete silence, and no one even looked at him.

  It was kind of spooky.

  Before he figured out how to thank them, Josh stepped into the kitchen and said out loud, “Thank you so much for your help. It is very kind of you to make these things available to us. We will show our gratitude.” He made sure to look at each one of the helpers as he spoke to them, and he even got one or two timid smiles in response.

  Anthony also said, “Thank you very much.” Immediately everyone turned their eyes away and went on with their work, like they were trying not to attract the attention of the new alpha.

  If that really was how his father had led the pack, which he was assuming, they’d have to learn that he wasn’t like that. Status or not, he wouldn’t lead this pack by making them fear him.

  But he could deal with that tomorrow. At the moment he wasn’t even hungry anymore. He just wanted to sleep.

  “Josh, Lindsay, Jeremy, just pick the rooms you like. I’ll go lie down.”

  With these words and without a look back, he disappeared into the first bedroom he found. A young woman was about to put the covers back, and he thanked her.

  Without even looking at him, she hurried out of the room and closed the door behind her.

  Too late, he noticed that he didn’t even have a change of clothes with him, but that was something he’d take care of tomorrow, too. Now he just dropped into the bed, pulled the blankets up and closed his eyes. Seconds later, he fell asleep.

  Chapter 14

  Josh

  * * *r />
  Josh stood there, staring after Anthony. What the hell was that all about? Wouldn’t they sleep in one room? Did Anthony actually expect them to have separate rooms?

  I guess.

  That hurt more than Josh would admit. He’d really assumed they’d sleep in one room.

  Apparently Anthony didn’t want that.

  He went back to the kitchen and looked in the fridge for something to eat.

  “I’ll take the room next to Anthony. Just pick where you want to go.” He hesitated for a moment. “I think I’ll eat this in my room and go to sleep, too. I’m pretty tired.”

  Before Jeremy and Lindsay could say anything else, he made his way to his room. It was ready, and Josh slowly undressed.

  He set the sandwich on his bedside table, but he wasn’t really hungry. Anthony’s words and his clear refusal to share a room with Josh stung too much. He stood naked in his new room and looked around. It wasn’t really decorated, but there was a medium-sized bed, a bedside table, and a closet. A door led to a small bathroom, and a window overlooked the forest. An outdated beige carpet covered the floor, and the walls were painted in matching beige. All in all, it could also be an impersonal, rather cool hotel.

  Josh walked slowly towards the bathroom. It was nothing special. There was a shower, a toilet, and a sink. But it’d be enough, and at least he didn’t have to share it. Being around Jeremy or Lindsay now would be too much.

  He turned on the shower and stepped under the warm water. He washed away the dirt, the sweat, and the worries of today, but even when he stood under the hot water stream, he couldn’t stop thinking about the day’s events.

  Why had Anthony reacted like that? This afternoon, when they’d mated, he had been firmly convinced it was the right decision. Now… now he was sure it had been the wrong one.

  He closed his eyes and let the water pour over his head.

  What was he supposed to do now?

  He had tied his life to that of a man who’d disappeared on their first night together. Who hadn’t even offered to share a room with Josh. Who walked away like he couldn’t get away from Josh fast enough, like he couldn’t even bear to sleep in a bed with him.