by Sky Winters
He pointed down to the laughing woman. “Take her downstairs,” he said. “This one still needs to learn some respect.”
One of the men hurried forward, yanked the woman up by her arm, and led her out of the room as she struggled.
“Bring her here,” said Chad, his eyes on Lexi.
“What about her?” asked one of the men, referring to Shana.
“Downstairs. She’s outlived her usefulness.”
“Wait!” shouted Shana. But before she could say another word, one of the men took her by the wrist and out of the room.
Then another pushed Lexi forward with a shove to her lower back. Lexi stepped closer to Chad, who looked at her with a sly grin and narrowed eyes.
“You have any idea how much time I’ve spent trying to track you down?” he asked. “I mean, I knew you’d run off with that prick Jason. But man, is it hard to find someone in Seattle. I knew I’d get you eventually.”
“Where’s Sam? Where’s my family?”
He grinned. “They’re fine. For now. And since you did the smart thing and came back here to me, they might live a little bit longer. See how things can work out when you play by the rules?”
“I’m not doing anything until you prove to me they’re safe.”
Chad was unperturbed. “Here’s the thing, gorgeous. You need to start understanding that nothing you say matters now. You’re an omega, but the moment you stepped over the boundary for my territory, you became mine. You don’t give orders—you follow them.”
“And you think you’re capable of giving orders?”
“Of course I do. I’m the alpha, remember? My dad left me the pack, and I’m going to run it as I see fit.”
“Yeah, with torture and murder.”
He scoffed. “My pack is going to learn how to play by the rules. All that shit my dad was so big on, giving everyone a voice, doing things like they’ve always been done? That’s gone. We play by my rules now. And the first is that my omega does what I say.”
He hopped off the throne and came over to Lexi. Chad loomed over her, staring down at her like a piece of meat. Then he sniffed the air slowly. Fear boiled in Lexi’s stomach as she worried he might detect her pregnancy right then and there.
But he only grinned.
“You’ve got no idea how long I’ve been waiting to get you back to me. And now that you’re finally here, I’ve got some big, big plans.”
He glanced over her shoulder at the men, dismissing them with an upward flick of his chin. Once they and the remaining woman had left, he kept on grinning.
“That was bad of you to leave,” he said. “Embarrassing me on the night before our wedding. What were you thinking, Lexi?”
“I was thinking there was no way in hell I was going to marry a man like you. You’re a piece of shit, Chad, and everything you’ve done since taking over has made that totally clear.”
But he didn’t seem bothered by her words. “Yeah, I figured you’d say something like that. But here’s the thing, Lexi, the thing you’re going to have to really get used to—and that’s that you don’t get any single bit of say in what happens to your life from here on out. You’re my omega. You’re my property. I tell you to drop to your knees and make me come on the spot, you do it, and you do it with a smile. And when I tell you to carry my kids, to give me an army of cubs, you do it.”
“I’ll never be the mother to your kids.”
This comment seemed to put him in a state of anger. He glowered at her, grabbing her by the wrist hard enough to make her hurt.
“You will. I don’t care if it takes everything from you. I’m going to imprint, make you mine, and fill you with one cub after another. You got it?”
Lexi said nothing, not wanting to push her luck. Chad had never hit her before, but at that moment, he seemed on the brink.
He let go. “But right now, I’ve got big plans. I’ve been preparing the boys for the war that’s going to make me the king of this fucking forest. The invasion starts tonight, taking the Leafcutters by surprise. And when I’ve won, when all of the packs in the region are bowing down to me and Eastern Washington is mine and I’m turning my sights onto Seattle, you’ll be begging for the honor of having my cubs. And you’ll forget all about that little shithead Jason.”
Not fucking likely.
He whistled, two of the men hurrying into the room.
“Take her upstairs to her new room. And make sure there’s no way she can get out. The war starts tonight, and I want her safe and sound when it happens.”
The men formed up on her sides and grabbed her arms. Then Chad put his hand on her wrist, stepped close, and placed his lips on hers, dragging his tongue slowly over them. It took all the restraint she had not to shudder at his touch.
“There’s more where that came from. See you soon, gorgeous.”
With that, the men took her from the throne room and upstairs. They arrived at a large bedroom, the windows bolted shut and the glass thick and solid.
“Don’t bother trying to get out,” one of them said. “This place is like a fort, and even if you did manage to get outside, we’re all around the territory. You might as well make yourself nice and comfy, gorgeous.”
They laughed, shutting the door and locking it behind her.
And as soon as they’d gone, all Lexi could think was whether or not she’d made the biggest mistake of her life.
CHAPTER 19
JASON
All he could think about was revenge.
Chad had taken more than Jason could stand. He’d killed his uncle, stolen his pack, and tricked his omega into running into his clutches.
He whipped down the highway on his motorcycle, his gaze fixed forward as the thick-trunked trees on both sides passed in a green blur.
Lexi was waiting for him. He had no doubts by that point Chad had taken her, was holding her kidnapped on the grounds.
And he was certain Chad was waiting for him.
The sun had long set, the sky above glittering with stars, the moon full and silver. He glanced up at it, knowing a moon in that phase meant increased powers for shifters. When the moon was full, shifter packs made their moves.
War.
He pulled the motorcycle to a halt, stopping on the side of the road. Once the engine was dead, a heavy, thick silence wrapped around him. He closed his eyes, sniffing the air.
First, he picked up on the scent of the woods, mossy and rich with wildlife.
Then he smelled shifter. He knew he was near the territory, near where the packs made their homes in the woods.
But as he considered his situation, he realized he didn’t have a plan. He’d gotten so wrapped up with his notions of revenge and rescue that he hadn’t considered what he’d actually do when he stepped onto Thundertooth grounds.
Lexi was the prize. Chad didn’t know she’d been claimed, that Jason had made her his. So, for now at least, he was going to keep her safe.
But him, he considered, he had no use to Chad. He was nothing more than a nuisance, one Chad would most likely jump at the opportunity to rid himself of. Jason imagined stepping on to the Thundertooth grounds ready to speak, only for Chad’s betas to unceremoniously kill him and throw his body to the crows.
He had to think of something, to come up with another plan.
The Leafcutters.
Jason knew Chad had been prepping for war, and that the peaceful Leafcutters were his first target. He’d take them out, capture their land and supplies and women, and use that as a launching point for the rest of his assault.
But not if Jason could get to them first.
He knew he didn’t have a moment to waste.
If Chad’s going to attack, he will do it after he gets his mitts on Lexi. There’s a damn good chance he’s already started the invasion.
Jason closed his eyes and shifted, running deep into the woods. He knew the region well, knew where the bounds for the Thundertooth pack started and ended. And he kept far away from the bounds, not wanting to risk his
scent being picked up.
But the sight of three massive black bears far to his right let him know that he wouldn’t be so lucky. The Leafcutter territory was up ahead, and Jason put all the strength he had into his run, rushing through the woods and going faster and faster away from the bears.
He’d hoped the bears were from some other pack. But as they gained on him, closing the distance by the second, he realized he hadn’t been so lucky.
Finally, one of them was right on his heels, Jason still running, his muscles burning with each step. He glanced back over his shoulder just in time to see the bear reach forward and slash, cutting into Jason’s leg and causing him to lose his balance, stumbling forward and falling into a wild head-over-feet tumble.
Jason crashed into a tree, pain blasting through his body as the bark cracked and crunched under his sweat-drenched fur. He came to, putting himself upright and waiting for his vision to unblur, the three black shapes in front of him taking on more and more detail.
They were three bears, all of them snarling as they approached.
He was an alpha, but he knew in his state, he wouldn’t be able to put up much of a fight. But he didn’t care. He stood up on his hind legs and let out a roar, the booming noise carrying through the forest and fading into an echo in the distance.
Then, to his surprise, the bears stopped. The one in the center stepped forward and cocked his head to the side before sniffing the air.
He shifted. And Jason couldn’t believe the form he took.
It was Eric—his little brother.
“YOU’RE IN SOME SERIOUS fucking trouble, bro.”
Jason and Eric were seated by the tree, their knees propped up in front of them, the other betas who’d been out on the patrol with Eric posted a few dozen feet off, their eyes fixed on the forest for any sign of Chad’s other men.
“Yeah. I know.”
“Chad wants you dead or gone. And I’m pretty sure the first one is his top pick.”
“He tried.”
“But you’re still here. Jason, we all heard that you ran off to Seattle to work for Stone. You got away. And I bet you were making a ton of money out there. Why’d you come back? Isn’t that what you wanted?”
“It’s what I thought I wanted. But Uncle Stone...he’s dead.”
“What?” Eric’s eyes flashed with anger. “What happened?”
“What do you think happened?” asked Jason. “Chad hired some city shifters to send a message, and Stone went down fighting. He told me to come back here.”
“And that’s why you’re back? Because Uncle Stone said so?”
Jason shook his head. “No. Because I’m tired of running, tired of thinking my place is out there when I know it’s here.”
Eric nodded as if understanding. “Well, you came back too late. Chad’s the alpha now. He killed Rick to be on top, and everyone knows it. But he’s got his loyal betas, promising them the world if they stick to his side while he wages war on the rest of the forest. Anyone who stands up to him gets killed and strung up to be a warning.”
“Fucking psycho,” said Jason. “But not surprising. Makes sense a little prick like him would go from ‘shithead’ to ‘lunatic’ once he got a little bit of power.”
“Exactly what happened,” said Eric.
“And you just up and worked for him,” said Jason.
“I didn’t have a fucking choice, bro!” said Eric. “Once he took power, he went to the elders and demanded they all give up one of their kids to be in his private guard. That, or straight-up get killed. If I would’ve refused, Chad would’ve had our whole family wiped out.” He raised his finger at Jason. “And you’re fucking lucky I did. If one of those jackasses who’s actually loyal to him found you, they’d murder you on the spot. No, actually, they’d break your legs and bring you to Chad so he could torture you himself.”
Jason said nothing, only nodding. Eric was right.
“And Mom and Dad?”
“They’re fine for now. But Dad’s an alpha—not the strongest alpha, not like you, but an alpha all the same. It’s only a matter of time before Chad does something. As long as there are other Thundertooth alphas in the camp, he’s got threats to his power.”
“Then we have to do something. I came here to get even and save Lexi. But it’s bigger than that. If we don’t stop Chad, he’ll either take over these woods or get the pack killed trying.”
“Yeah, you’re right. But what?”
“The Leafcutter pack. We have to ally with them and strike at Chad before he has a chance.”
“Are you serious?” asked Eric. “The Leafcutters? But they’re soft as hell. They make peace with any pack they can so they don’t have to fight. Honestly, I’ve got no fucking idea how they haven’t been wiped out.”
“Because war’s costly, Eric. Even against an easy target. Rick knew this, and I know it. But Chad doesn’t give a fuck about anything but what he wants.”
Eric nodded slowly. “Yeah. And Chad’s not exactly a strategic genius. He might be able to take out the Leafcutters, but once the rest of the packs in the area hear the news and understand what he’s doing, they’ll ally up and kill every last one of us.”
Jason stood up. “Right. And that’s why we have to move. Tonight.”
Eric stood up, looking out into the woods. “We have to find them first. They’re north of us, but they don’t like to be found.”
“Well, we’re going to find them. And we’re going to fight.”
Another nod from Eric. “Then let’s do it.”
He called out to the men with him, and the four of them formed up, shifted, and started into the woods. They ran, ran in the direction of the area north of the Thundertooth grounds.
And when they were close, Jason saw something.
It was a huge gathering of bears. Jason did a quick count, seeing that it was between two and three dozen. He stopped and shifted back, the rest of the group doing the same.
“Those are our people,” said Jason.
“Fucking hell—Chad’s getting ready to attack. He’s going to take them totally by surprise, wipe them out before they even know what hit them.”
“Let’s move,” said Jason. “We don’t have a second to spare.”
The group shifted back and made a large half-circle around the gathering army. When they were clear, they headed north, running as quickly as they could.
Relief hit Jason hard when he spotted the Leafcutter pack. It was a collection of cabins, like the Thundertooth grounds, but not nearly as large. It was an easy target, and Jason knew Chad’s army would easily be able to conquer.
They approached and were soon in the middle of the grounds, the members of the pack giving them confused glances as they shifted back.
“This is bad,” said Eric. “If we were able to get in this easily...”
“Who the hell are you?” asked one of the Leafcutters, a tall, well-built middle-aged man.
The other members of the Leafcutters formed a circle around the group.
And Jason knew what needed to be done.
“Who’s the alpha here?”
The man who’d spoken stepped forward.
“I am,” he said. “And state your business here.”
Jason puffed out his chest and squared his shoulders, letting everyone around know without words that he was the alpha of the group.
“If you all don’t listen to me right now, your entire pack’s going to be wiped out.”
“What?” asked the alpha.
The rest of the pack made noises of concern, talking amongst themselves.
“Right now, the alpha of my pack, the Thunderteeth, is preparing to invade. I estimate that you’ve all got less than an hour before they’re here.”
More noises of concern. Jason looked around, realizing that he’d never been in this position before, the alpha guiding a pack. He’d spent so much time on his own that he’d forgotten what it was like to be a part of something.
He liked it.
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“What are you saying?” asked the alpha. “We’ve established peace with your pack. Why would you break it?”
“I’m not breaking anything—I’m here to warn you. And if you don’t listen to me, you’ll be wiped off the map.”
“And how do we know this isn’t some kind of trick?”
“You don’t,” said Jason. “But you have to trust me. You can wait here, see what happens in an hour. But I can bet you anything you’re not going to like it.”
The alpha stepped closer to Jason.
“And what if you’re right?” he asked. “We’re not a powerful clan—we haven’t fought a war in generations.”
“Then you’re going to have to learn really fucking fast. There’s a killer inside every shifter, and you’re going to have to remember how to let him out.” He looked around at the woods.
“But the first step is preparing.”
“How do we do that?” asked the alpha.
“Easy,” said Jason with a grin. “We give him exactly what he wants.”
CHAPTER 20
LEXI
She didn’t waste any time trying to find a way out. Lexi ran over to the window and pounded on it with her fist. But a throbbing pain was all that came of it.
Then she went to the door, giving it the same treatment. But it was made of hardwood, and the locks were as sturdy as they came.
There were no vents in the room, nothing that could provide a way to slip out.
The room was a cell—no way to escape.
She sat on the edge of the bed, fear coursing through her. There was nothing that made Lexi feel worse than being helpless, and that was exactly her situation. Chad had taken her and tossed her into a room to do nothing but pace and wonder with fear what was going on in the outside world.
It was torture.
She considered shifting and slamming her weight into the door but knew there wasn’t a chance she’d be able to break through. And even if she did, Chad’s men were there waiting for her.
Time passed, and her thoughts returned to Jason. More than anything, she wanted him to come, to break her out of there so the two of them could settle the score with Chad.