by Sky Winters
Jason balled his hands into tight fists. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than for Chad to appear right there in front of him so that he could strangle him with his bare hands. The hatred he had for Chad was like nothing else he’d ever known.
“We have to go back,” said Lexi. “We have to go back and get our families out of there.”
“No,” said Jason. “We can’t.”
“What?” asked Lexi. “Why?”
“Because it’s over, Lex,” said Jason. “Chad has control of the pack. And soon he’ll move in on the Leafcutters. It won’t even be a match when he attacks. And once he has control of their land, he’ll be the leader of the most powerful pack in Eastern Washington.”
“Right!” said Lexi. “And that’s why we have to move now. We have to get there, save our families, and take out Chad.”
Jason shook his head. The idea appealed to him, but he knew there was no chance of pulling it off.
“Shana,” he said, trying another angle. “What happened when you left?”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I mean, did you have any trouble leaving?”
She thought the question over. “I...I don’t think so. I left in the middle of the night, not even letting my family know.”
“So,” said Jason. “Despite Chad knowing you’re an omega, and despite him knowing you’re Lexi’s best friend, he just...let you leave.”
“What are you trying to say, Chad?” asked Lexi.
“I’m trying to say that I don’t think you escaped. I think he let you leave.”
“What?” asked Lexi.
“Think about it,” said Jason. “Right now, Chad’s thinking about two things—how to increase his power, and how to get back at the last threats to his rule. That is, you and me. He doesn’t have the resources to track us down yet. But he has to know that if he were to let you go, Shana, that you’d lead him straight to us.”
Shana’s eyes went wide as if she’d realized something terrible.
“You mean he just let me leave?”
“You don’t know that,” said Lexi. “A move like that, it’s too smart for someone like Chad. He doesn’t have the brains to think of something that clever.”
“Maybe you’re right. But he could have a beta who’d be smart enough. Someone like Eric.”
The thought made him sick to his stomach. His brother working for a prick like Chad, selling out his pack for an alpha who didn’t deserve to lead a picnic, let alone the Thundertooth clan.
“Then what do we do?” asked Shana. “If Chad’s coming for us...”
“We’re safe for now,” said Jason. “This building’s secure enough, and if we can get to the penthouse tonight, then we’ll be even safer.”
“And then what?” asked Lexi. “We just wait it out? Chad’s not the kind of man to get bored when it comes to revenge.”
“I don’t know,” said Jason. “But we have to move. And we have to move right now.”
CHAPTER 16
LEXI
She did her best to fight back the fear. And throughout it all, the secret Lexi was keeping gnawed away at the back of her mind. Part of her wanted to tell Jason, to let him know that she was pregnant and he was about to be a father.
But another part of her, the bigger part, knew they already had too much on their plate to deal with. After what Shana had told them, adding one more thing on top of that would only make a complicated situation even more so.
“We good?” asked Jason, standing at the door to the apartment, a pair of bags in his hands.
“Almost,” said Lexi, stuffing the few clothes she’d bought over the last few weeks into her bag and preparing to leave.
“We need to go, and we need to go now,” said Jason. “Whatever we can’t bring, we can replace.”
Lexi knew he was right.
“Let’s go, Lex,” said Shana. “Come on.”
Lexi sighed, standing up and taking a look at her room. There were a few decorations here and there, knick-knacks she’d picked up at local shops. They weren’t much, but they were hers. But she didn’t have room in her bag for all of them.
When she was ready, she grabbed her bag and headed down. Shana had come with nothing but the clothes on her back, and Jason only took with him a couple of bags of things.
“OK,” said Jason, clearly ready to go. “Let’s do this.”
Together, they left the apartment. Fear took hold of Lexi the moment she was down on the street, knowing that she was a target of Chad and whoever else he’d brought onto his side.
The short time that Seattle had been relatively safe, a refuge from the world she’d left behind, was over.
A cab awaited them, and Jason quickly opened the door so the three of them could climb inside. Once they were ready, the cab took off.
“This city’s huge,” said Shana. “I can’t believe it’s actually real.”
“It’s an amazing place,” said Lexi.
“I can tell,” said Shana. “I was sad when you left, but I got it. And now that I’m actually here...”
She trailed off, the cab taking them closer and closer to their destination.
Eventually, it pulled up in front of the tower, a gleaming silver building that rose into the cloudy sky.
“Come on,” said Jason. “The faster we get in, the better.”
He grabbed the bags from the trunk and the three of them went into the lobby. The space was huge and sleek and modern, the well-dressed residents of the luxurious apartment coming and going. Jason went to the front desk, and Lexi watched as she gave the clerk his name. Moments later, he had a set of keys, giving one to Lexi and another to Shana.
A private elevator took them all the way up to the penthouse. And Lexi couldn’t believe what she saw when the doors opened.
The place was huge, an enormous, two-storied mansion in the sky. The apartment they’d stayed in before was impressive, but this was on a whole other level. The floor-to-ceiling windows were tall, giving them a view of the city that was like nothing else.
“Holy crap,” said Shana, stepping over to the window, a huge balcony in front of her. “I bet I can see our territory from here.”
She glanced over at Jason, knowing that this apartment had been a dream for him, the home he’d had his eye on ever since he’d come to the city. But it was hardly a celebratory time—they were there to be safe, not for relaxing and enjoying what they’d earned.
“How the hell can you afford this place?” asked Shana. “It’s got to be worth millions.”
“I’m good at my work,” said Jason. His tone was serious, not screwing around. Lexi was surprised to see him like that, but in a strange way, it was comforting. Clearly, he was giving the situation the gravity it deserved.
“All right,” he said, turning around. “We’re not going anywhere for now. Part of the reason I picked this apartment was because it’s like a damn fort. We’re high up, the walls are reinforced glass, and unless Chad’s planning on coming in with an army, he’s not getting through the lobby. There’s a private security team in the building that’s made up of humans who’re all ex-military. For now, we’re safe.”
Lexi looked around. The place was furnished, and the kitchen was even stocked with groceries. She watched as Jason went over, opened the fridge, and took out a trio of beers.
“Please,” said Shana as he handed one over to her.
But when he gave one to Lexi, she reached and stopped short.
Fuck. I can’t drink. How the hell am I supposed to keep this from Jason? Or do I tell him?
“No thanks,” she said, pulling her hand back. “I...I want to keep a clear head.”
He appeared a little confused by her words but didn’t seem to think much of it. He set her beer down on the kitchen bar and cracked his open.
“We need to think of a plan,” said Shana. “We can’t let Chad get away with what he’s done.”
But Jason shook his head.
“Shana, he’s
already gotten away with it. He’s in charge of the pack, and he’s got the betas on his side.”
“But you’re an alpha, Jason!” she said, protesting. “You’re strong enough to put up a fight!”
“‘Putting up a fight’ is all I’ll be able to do. There are dozens of them, and one of me.” He leaned back against the kitchen bar, sipping his beer and thinking it over. “No. We have to cut our losses and run.”
“What?” asked Lexi. “You want to leave our families behind?”
“It’s what they’d want,” he said. “I can tell you this—they sure as shit wouldn’t want us doing anything stupid and putting our lives at risk. And if we were to go back there without a plan, that’s exactly what we’d be doing.”
“Then we come up with a plan,” said Lexi. “We figure something out and take the fight to Chad.”
“You’re not getting it,” said Jason. “Lex, we’re outnumbered, and there’s nothing we can do. The best chance we’ve got is staying here, saving money and earning power that way. I’ll tell my uncle what’s happening, and I’m sure he’ll have some ins with local packs who can provide manpower for us enough to discourage Chad from attacking us here.”
“And then what?” she asked. “We spend the rest of our lives on the run?”
“We start a new pack,” he said. “Isn’t that what we’ve all always wanted? We can go wherever we want, start a pack that’s more modern, doesn’t abide by the same out-of-date traditions.”
Lexi shook her head. “And all it would cost is everything. We’d leave our families to Chad and never see them again.”
“Isn’t that what you wanted?” asked Jason. “Isn’t coming here and leaving it all behind what our plan was? And now we have that chance. We can go to California, start a new pack. And maybe years down the road, we’ll be powerful enough to take on the Thundertooth. But for now, we’re out of other options.”
Lexi had no idea what to say. She felt scared, hopeless.
“You’re just giving up,” she said.
“I’m making the only smart move we’ve got,” he said. “And you know it.”
“All I know is that you’re a coward,” she said, venom in her words.
Without saying anything else, Lexi rushed from the room and out onto the balcony. The space was massive, almost as big as their old apartment. A beautiful, manicured garden was there, the city spreading out into the distance.
Lexi dropped into the nearest chair, tears welling in her eyes as she thought about it all, wondering if Jason was right.
She wasn’t out there long before the door to the balcony opened again. Lexi glanced over her shoulder and saw that it was Shana.
Part of her wanted to be alone, but another part of her wanted the company of her best friend. So she said nothing as Shana sat down next to her.
For a time, neither of them said anything. They stared off into the distance, watching the thick gray clouds roll closer and darken the sky.
“Is he right?” asked Lexi. “Do we have to just give up?”
“I don’t know. All I can say is that when I left, the situation was hopeless. Chad had the pack controlled, and everyone was so stunned that we’d lost Rick, they didn’t know what to do. The rest of the betas were just happy to have someone to follow them, and the other alphas knew they didn’t have a chance taking him on one-on-one.”
“And Sam...just left?”
“He left. Slipped a note under my door that said he was leaving for Chicago. Evidently, his family had connections with some pack out there. He said he was going first, and the rest of his family would be following him.”
“Maybe he’s got the right idea. Maybe there’s nothing we can do.”
More silence fell.
“And...God,” said Lexi. “I was a fool to think I could run away from it all. I was stupid and selfish.”
“No,” said Shana. “You did what needed to be done. None of us were happy to see you gone, but we were all thrilled that you weren’t going to be claimed by that prick. He doesn’t deserve a woman like you.”
“Thanks,” said Lexi, offering a weak but warm smile.
“And what about him?” asked Shana, glancing back to the apartment.
“Jason? What about him? I mean, maybe I was too harsh in what I said.”
“No,” said Shana, a small smile appearing on her face. “That’s not what I meant. Something’s going on between the two of you. It’s totally obvious.”
“What?” asked Lexi, feigning surprise.
“Oh, come on,” said Shana, reaching over and giving Lexi a playful shove on the shoulder. “I’m your best friend, remember? You don’t have to hide anything from me. Now, something’s going on, and I want to know what it is.”
Lexi took a deep breath, preparing herself to get into it.
“Jason...claimed me. He imprinted.”
Shana’s eyes went wide. “Are you freaking serious?”
“I’m serious.”
“How...how did that happen? I mean, did you guys just have a conversation or something and be like, well, might as well make you my omega.”
“It wasn’t like that. We...hooked up a few times. And one of those times we got carried away in the moment. I wanted him to claim me, and he did.”
“Wow,” said Shana, shaking her head in disbelief. “That’s...wow. This isn’t some small thing, Lex. He’s your alpha now—you two are bonded for life.”
“I know, I know,” she said. “And there’s more to it.”
“What? There’s more.”
Lexi took another deep breath. “And it’s really, really big.”
“What?”
“I’m pregnant.”
Shana looked about ready to fall out of her chair.
“Are you kidding me? You’re pregnant with Jason’s baby?”
“I am. And he doesn’t know it yet.”
Shana shook her head as if trying to process it all. “This...this is so huge. Like, ‘bigger than this apartment’ huge. Why haven’t you told him yet?”
“I don’t know. I was waiting for the right time. And then, after you came, I didn’t want to make things more complicated. I didn’t know how he’d react.”
“He needs to know, Lex. You can’t just hide this from him.”
“I know, I know. And I’m going to tell him. Maybe in a week or two when this all calms down and we’ve actually got a plan. But right now, it’d be too much.”
Shana stood up. “OK, I think I need that beer all of a sudden. Sorry, I can quit booze in sympathy with you once I’ve gotten my head wrapped around this whole thing.”
Lexi got up, and the two of them went back into the apartment.
And it was quiet.
“Where’s Jason?” asked Shana, taking her beer.
“Jason?” called out Lexi. But there was no response.
“Hey,” said Shana. “Is that a note?”
Sure enough, on the kitchen bar was a piece of paper covered in handwriting, the name “Lexi” written at the top. She hurried over and grabbed it, poring over it.
“What does it say?” asked Shana.
“Jason’s gone. Went to his uncle’s. Says not to follow him.”
She had no idea what was going on, but she had a very bad feeling about it.
CHAPTER 17
JASON
Jason tore through the streets of Seattle, nothing on his mind but getting to his uncle before he was too late.
The pictures on his phone were burned into his mind. The text from the anonymous number had come attached with several images, all taken in his uncle’s apartment, all of Stone beaten bloody, a short video included of one of the goons slamming his fist into his face.
The text simply read, “Come now, or the next will be of his corpse.”
It was Chad. There was no doubt in his mind that the prick had made his move. He wasn’t going to give them time to breathe. And the more he considered it, the more confident he felt that Chad had sent Shana off so that he c
ould track down Jason and Lexi.
But at that moment, none of that mattered. He needed to get to his uncle and make sure he was safe. Then, once that was taken care of, he could consider his next move.
There was no doubt in his mind—Chad had to go down.
He whipped around the upcoming corner, finally on the road loading to his uncle’s apartment. His place was another one of the tall towers in downtown, thankfully not too far from Jason’s new penthouse.
When he finally reached the building, he parked so quickly he nearly tipped the bike onto its side. He rushed into the lobby and to the private elevator, putting in the code and going up.
He was ready for anything. And he swore he wouldn’t go down without a fight.
The doors opened, soft piano music playing as soon as they did. Jason stepped into the apartment, noting right away that the place was a mess. All the fine art and sculptures and antique furniture that his uncle loved had been smashed to bits and scattered around the room like garbage. Splatters of blood were here and there.
“And there’s the man himself.”
Jason looked up to the elevated portion of the apartment toward the window. There was a man seated at the piano, tall and rugged and covered in tattoos and dressed like a biker. But the music he played was a total contrast, soft and elegant.
Jason approached, and the man sneered.
“Good boy, coming right over for your uncle,” he said as he kept playing. “When Chad told me about you, I said there might be a good chance you’d throw Stone to the wolves. Or, in this case, the bears.”
“Tell me where he is right now.” Jason’s tone was hard, uncompromising.
“He’s here,” said the man. “But first, you and I are going to have a little chat.”
“What the hell kind of chat?”
“We’re going to talk about your future.”
“I don’t know who you are, and I don’t give a damn about what you want to discuss with me.”
He stopped playing, raising an eyebrow as if impressed. “Wow, real tough guy. But the fact of the matter is that you don’t have any cards to play. We’ve got your uncle, and it’s only a matter of time before we have the omega. And as for who I am, just consider me an associate of Chad, here to speak on his behalf.”