by Sky Winters
“You want me to, what, come to terms with the man who killed his own father?”
The man rose and shook his head sadly. “Now, that’s nothing more than a nasty little rumor. It’d do you good not to spread that around.”
“Not another word until I see my uncle.”
The man sighed. “Fine, fine.” Then he turned toward the stairs. “Bring his ass out!”
Jason snapped his attention to the stairs, watching as three men emerged. Two of them were on the side of the one in the center—his uncle.
“Jason!” he called out.
“Uncle Stone!”
He looked rough, his face bloody and his leg twisted at an unnatural angle.
“Bring him down and sit him here,” said the man, pointing to the couch in front of him.
The other two men, as burly and rough-looking as the first, dragged Stone over and dropped him onto the couch.
“Are you OK?” asked Jason. He felt foolish as soon as the words left his mouth. He could see that his uncle was far from “OK.”
“You don’t talk to him,” said the first man. “This conversation’s between you and me. I only brought him out so you’d see he was safe.”
“Then what the hell do you want to talk about?” asked Jason.
“We’re going to talk about what you’re going to do next,” he said. “And I want you to keep in mind that this isn’t a discussion. Consider it an itinerary.”
“Speak,” said Jason.
The man curled his mouth into a smile. “We’ve got one family here. Back at the camp, Chad has the rest. And he’s got your little bro Eric nice and close. Do you get what I’m saying? Is the picture becoming clearer?”
Jason said nothing, gritting his teeth.
“Chad wants the girl. Truth be told, he doesn’t give a fuck about you. You can screw off to LA or Timbuktu for all he cares. He wants the omega, and he wants to imprint on her.”
“Get to the point.”
“The point is that you’re going to leave town. You’re going to go far, far away from here. You’re never going to see Lexi again. When you leave this apartment, you’re a ghost. And Chad’s going to make it forbidden to even speak your name. It’ll be like you never existed.”
“And why the hell would I do that?”
“Because your reward is your life. And the life of Lexi.”
“What?”
“See, Chad’s a vicious guy. But I’m sure you already knew that. Worse traits to have in an alpha, really. And more than that, he’s jealous. The idea of you being with Lexi...that doesn’t sit well with him one bit. So, he told me that if you refuse, or if you try some shit like running off with her, then he’s not going to spare any expense tracking you both down and killing you.”
“He’d kill Lexi?” the idea sent a spike of rage into Jason’s gut. He wanted to tear the man limb-from-limb on the spot.
“Of course. If the choice was between you having her and her being dead, it’s obvious which he’d pick. A little rough, sure, but I get it. What’s more infuriating than thinking about some prick alpha running off with your omega? And he’s powerful now—no doubt he’d easily be able to find a new omega.”
Jason balled his hands into fists. The man glanced down, noticed, and smiled.
“Don’t get any big ideas. We’d kill you so fast, it’d make your fucking head spin. This is a favor, Jason. Chad’s doing you a solid here. So don’t be stupid—step aside, let us take the girl, and run off to start your new life away from your pack. It’s what you’ve always wanted, right?”
He was right—it was what he’d always wanted. Jason had spent so much time plotting his escape, wanting to leave it all behind and live on his own, no obligations to anyone but himself.
But now that he had the option, there wasn’t anything he wanted less.
“So,” said the man. “What’s it going to be? What’s your answer?”
Jason took a deep breath and spoke.
“My answer is...fuck off.”
Stone smirked, and the man did the same, not seeming bothered in the slightest.
“All right, fine. You had your chance. You ask me, it’s easier this way—taking you out means one last loose end. And hell, it might even be fun.”
He stepped toward Jason, ready to fight.
But he didn’t get the chance.
Stone, using the last bit of energy he had, rose and shifted into his black bear form. Before the other two men had a chance to reach, he sank his teeth into the side of one, a scream filling the apartment.
The other man pulled out a gun, the piano player doing the same. The two fired their pistols at Stone, red splotches appearing in his dark fur.
Jason didn’t waste another moment. He shifted right as Stone swiped the man nearest to him with his massive paw. The man flew back, slamming into the piano, his back cracking as he dropped to the floor in a heap.
“Fuck!” shouted the remaining man, the piano player. He closed his eyes and shifted, rushing to Stone and taking a chunk out of his jaw.
Stone! Jason’s thoughts were frantic. He watched as the man twisted and pulled, blood dribbling down his mouth. Then he let go, and Stone dropped to the floor.
And then he turned his eyes to Jason.
Jason was hot with rage. He flew toward the man, rising up and coming down hard, jabbing his claws into his fur and ripping through the flesh like paper. He pulled his paws up and brought them down again and again, stabbing him over and over until he was long dead.
When it was done, Jason shifted back and ran over to Stone, who’d changed into his human form in the meantime. He dropped to his knees and put his arm around his uncle’s shoulder, raising him up.
He didn’t look good. Stone had been beaten, shot, and stabbed. His clothes were covered in blood, one eye swollen shut. He coughed, blood shooting from his mouth.
“If...” he said, his voice weak. “If you tell me not to worry about it and that everything’s fine, I’m going to make my last action on this earth to be to slap you upside the head.”
“We need to get you somewhere,” said Jason, fear in his voice as he looked over his uncle’s wounds. “To a doctor or something.”
Stone coughed again, shaking his head.
“I got about...about a minute, tops.”
“No, you’re going to be fi—”
Stone raised his hand weakly and hit Jason on the back of the head.
“What...what the hell did I just tell you?” He grinned, blood pooling in the corners of his mouth. “Don’t say a fucking word. I’m going to do the talking.”
Jason nodded.
“Jason...you’re the future of the pack. Rick...he was a good alpha, but his son...he’ll drive us into the ground. You need to stop running. You’re too smart, too powerful, too talented. You’re what the Thundertooth clan needs. But you can’t hide from your destiny. You need to go back, you need to save your family. And you need to take what’s yours. I’ve known this, and your father’s known this. Now...get your ass out of here, save your girl, and make us proud.”
The last word came out with serious effort, and as soon as he spoke, the light faded from his eyes and his limbs went slack.
He was gone.
Jason rose, the anger still hot and pulsing through his body.
And he knew what he needed to do. He left the apartment, hurrying back down to his bike. Once on it, he ripped down the city streets, making his way back to his new building. He took the elevator up, and once he was there, he was ready to speak to Lexi and Shana, to tell them what needed to be done.
But no one was there when he returned.
“Lexi! Shana!”
His voice echoed through the empty space.
Then he caught sight of something on the counter. At first, he thought it was his note. But as he approached, he realized it was a new one, written by Lexi.
“We went back. It had to be done. No time to waste.”
- L”
She wa
s right—there was no time to waste.
He was ready to finish it.
CHAPTER 18
LEXI
Lexi and Shana drove down the highway, Lexi at the wheel of her ride, a new convertible that belonged to Jason.
All she could think about was the text.
“Do you think they killed him?” asked Shana. “They wouldn’t have, right?”
Just after they’d found out Jason had left, a text came in on Lexi’s phone. It was a picture and a message.
And the picture was of Sam.
He hadn’t left for Chicago. Instead, he’d come back to the Thundertooth grounds, evidently hoping to single-handedly take out Chad and his men.
It hadn’t worked, and the picture of him tied up with his face bloodied and bruised made it clear what happened to him when he’d failed.
“Come now. If you’re not here by the end of the day, we kill him first. Then we kill your family, one by one.”
And that was all. But Lexi didn’t need to see any more.
“No,” said Lexi. “They’re using him to get to us. We’re the two omegas of the pack, and Chad’s going to do whatever it takes to get us back. Killing Sam would mean we wouldn’t have a reason to return.”
Lexi kept on the gas, their speed getting up to the triple digits.
“Then what do we do? We just...give ourselves up to Chad?”
“I don’t know. Maybe we do, at first. Maybe we let him win for just long enough to get our families safe. And once that’s done, we can plan our next move.”
“But Lexi...he’s going to find out. Alphas can sense when an omega’s been claimed. And he’ll be able to smell the baby inside of you.”
“He might not at first. Chad’s so arrogant and sure that he’ll win that he might not even think that I’ve been claimed.”
“You’re rolling the dice, then,” she said. “You’re putting our lives and the lives of our families on the line.”
“What other choice do we have? We’re not going to let him kill Sam.”
“What about the Leafcutters? Can’t we warn them that he’s planning to invade?”
Lexi said nothing, considering the idea.
“Maybe soon. But first, we need to get back and make sure everyone’s safe. That’s all that matters.”
She didn’t want to admit it, but she knew Shana was right. They were taking a chance, one that might not work out for them.
And if Chad did sense she’d been claimed, he’d kill her on the spot. She’d seen his anger before, and that was from simply not getting what he wanted right then instead of later. If he knew he’d never be able to have Lexi...
She put it out of her head.
“What about Jason?”
“We can’t wait for him. And hell, he’s not even big on coming back. If we’d waited for him, we might’ve lost valuable hours trying to talk him into coming. This is our fight, Shana. You and me, we’re going to have to stick together.”
The next hour passed, Lexi focused on nothing but getting back to the camp. The sun began to set, and by the time they reached the turnoff for the woods, the sky was brilliant with oranges and reds and purples.
“We need to park,” said Shana.
Lexi nodded and pulled the car into the nearest rest station, the one she recognized as being the last before they reached shifter territory. She took out the keys and put them into the glove box.
“Come on,” she said. “Time’s wasting.”
She shifted, and Shana did the same, the two of them taking off through the woods. The sky was even more dramatic, a deep, glowing red. But all Lexi could think about was getting home, making things right, saving her family.
Nothing else mattered.
When they reached the edge of the campground, Lexi shifted to her human form, and Shana did the same.
And the first thing she noticed was the scent of death in the air.
“What...what the hell is that?”
“You’ll see.”
They kept on, and it wasn’t long before Lexi realized what she was talking about. Up ahead, on the tall Douglas firs that marked the territory between the Thundertooth and the Leafcutters were several bodies, lashed and tied to the trunks.
They were dead.
“Oh...oh my God,” said Lexi.
She ran over, saying a silent prayer that none of the bodies belonged to her friends or family. But they didn’t—though the faces were familiar.
“What is this?” asked Lexi. “These are our people!
“They’re members of our pack, some of the men who resisted Chad when he took charge. When Rick died, there were rumors about what had happened, that Chad had been the one to kill his father. And he decided to handle them by making even suggesting it punishable by death.”
Lexi looked over the bodies, rage boiling inside of her at the sight of her fellow pack members killed so mercilessly.
“And some are just people Chad felt didn’t demonstrate clear enough loyalty. He didn’t take kindly to them, either.”
Lexi grit her teeth as she made her way past the bodies.
“When we win, we’ll give them proper burials.”
“Yeah,” said Shana. “I like that idea. Assuming we don’t end up there with them.”
As they drew closer to the grounds, Lexi began to notice trash, beer bottles and liquor bottles and all sorts of litter.
“Chad’s been partying a lot, too, ‘celebrating’ claiming the females of the pack. He’s made it a rule that he gets to sleep with any woman first, before her mate does.”
“He’s a sick fuck. I can’t wait to kill him myself.”
“We have to play this smart, Lexi. We can’t just assume we’ll get the chance to do anything. He’ll be expecting us.”
“I know.”
They kept on, and before too long, the cabins grew visible in the distance. And there were figures moving in the low light of sunset. One stopped and sniffed the air before turning to her.
“They see us,” said Shana. “Shit.”
“No,” said Lexi. “We want them to see us, remember?”
Shana gave a quick nod, her eyes fixed forward. “Right,” she said. “Just...doesn’t make this any easier.”
“Yo!” shouted one of the men. “We got contact!”
Three of them formed up, shifted, and ran over, their powerful brown bear forms thundering through the woods. When they reached the women, they formed a tight circle around them, staring Lexi and Shana down as if wanting to see if they’d make a move.
Lexi was scared, but did her best to stay calm. Part of her worried they might kill her on the spot.
But they didn’t. They shifted back, one of them grinning broadly as he realized who he had in front of him.
“Damn, Lexi?” he asked. “Holy shit.”
“Chad’s gonna fucking freak when he sees you,” said another.
“Probably reward the hell out of us.”
“Let’s get them back,” said the first man.
“What about her?” asked another, gesturing at Shana. “What do we do with her?”
“Take her too. Chad said Lexi would be coming with someone, remember?”
“Oh yeah.”
The first man stepped forward and grabbed Lexi’s wrist. Without hesitating, she yanked her arm back from him.
The men let out impressed, mocking noises. “Whoa, we’ve got a tough girl on our hands.” He grinned and looked Lexi up and down.
“I want to see Chad,” she said, doing her best to keep her voice firm and fearless. “And I want to see him now.”
More laughter from the men. “Oh, don’t worry—you’re going to see him. But you’re going to have to be a good girl first. Can you be a good girl?”
“Fuck off,” said Lexi.
More impressed mocking noises came from the men. “She’s spicy,” said one of them. “I’m starting to get why Chad’s so fucking desperate to get her back.”
“Come on,” said the first man.
“Let’s see the big man.”
The men formed up around Lexi, staying close enough that she wouldn’t be able to get very far if she were to break out into a run. They made their way to the camp, and the closer they got, the more Lexi saw evidence of Chad’s new role as alpha.
There was garbage everywhere, the remnants of parties that no one had bothered to clean up. Unlike the orderly scene when Rick was in charge, the place looked less like a town for shifters and more like a collection of cabins that a group of college bros had spent a week trashing.
They reached the main cabin, a massive, put-out bonfire in front of the building.
“Where’s my family?” she asked.
One of the men shrugged. “I dunno. Talk to the big guy about that if you’re so desperate.”
He reached forward and opened the door. Inside was the entry room, which, unlike the rest of the place, was mostly spotless. There were full bottles of expensive liquor, jewelry, and other pricey goods laying around.
Probably shit he stole from the other packs, she thought.
The men led her to a large set of double doors, giving them a knock as they approached.
“Come in.” It was Chad, and a shiver of disgust ran through Lexi as she heard his voice.
One of the men opened the door. The space beyond was huge, a massive meeting hall that had always reminded Lexi as some kind of rustic throne room. The room was imposing, a large hall that led up to a grand chair like a throne, two arched windows behind looking out onto the woods.
And right on the throne was Chad. Seated on the ground on both sides of him were two women that Lexi didn’t recognize—likely shifter women taken from other packs.
He grinned as he saw her.
“Well, well, well,” he said, one leg kicked over one armrest of the throne. “My girl’s come back.”
Lexi stayed firm. “You look like a little kid sitting there,” she said. “Like any moment, your dad’s going to come in and tell you to stop screwing around.”
One of the women chuckled, the other holding back a grin. The looks on the men’s faces suggested they were shocked as hell Lexi had said something. Shana appeared worried.