The Alpha's Promise

by Raven Darkwing

  Ricky howled as he spewed his seed on the blanket beneath him. His cock continued to erupt as Grant’s hips stuttered and then filled the human with his own release. Ricky dropped his head onto his arms as he felt himself being pulled sideways. Harsh breathing was the only sound in the clearing as the two men tried to catch their breath.

  As Ricky snuggled closer to the large shifter he felt Grant kiss his shoulder before he spoke, “Remember, Richard, you are my mate and belong to no one else. I will always protect you…”

  A cuff to the back of his head caused Ricky to blink. “Disgusting human! Even with the cock ring on he managed to come!” Beta Biff’s irate voice yanked the captive back to reality. Gone was Alpha Grant to be replaced by the nightmare of Alpha Clifton. The heavyset shifter grinned as he pulled Ricky closer to him. The shifter had always reminded him of a heavy weight boxer who had let himself go.

  “Now, Biff, he’s just overcome with the need to mate. I’ve heard that even humans can feel the pull although they call it ‘love at first sight’, I believe.” Alpha Clifton glanced out at the other members of the pack who currently watched from outside the ceremonial circle. Ricky recognized Jake and his sister Sammy. Both looked around for a moment as if they were expecting something before their sympathetic gaze locked on him. He was glad to see Jake hadn’t suffered for helping them escape.

  Ricky wanted to flinch away from the hand that lowered from his shoulder towards his still hard cock. “See how hard he still is for his Semme’? While I fought all these years against the pull, I can no longer deny that which fate has given me.” Alpha Clifton looked out at the crowd. “As with traditions of old, I will take my mate in front of the pack and claim him. Then none can contest the union of our souls.”

  Ricky watched as a silent communication seemed to happen between Jake and his sister before Sammy stepped forward. She held her head high as she moved into the ceremonial circle. She stopped a few feet in front of Alpha Clifton and tilted her head in submission before she began to speak. “Alpha Clifton, I understand you feel you must do this but others have walked away. No one here would think less of you if you didn’t want to complete the mating.”

  Alpha Clifton growled softly but Sammy continued, “He can’t give you heirs and you clearly are not gay like that abomination to nature.” She pointed to Ricky, her lip curled in disgust. She didn’t meet his eyes as she moved a few steps closer and placed her hand on the Alpha’s arm. “I could give you strong pups to carry on your line. I know we are not Semme’ but surely fate would not require you to give up an heir to run the pack when you are gone.”

  The Alpha tilted his head and looked at Sammy as if he’d just seen her for the first time. He licked his lips as he let his eyes travel over the female shifter’s body. Ricky knew she was good looking with her long reddish brown hair tied back simply in a ponytail. Her dark skin glowed in the light of the bon fire that had been lit in the clearing. But it was the honey colored eyes that she shared with her twin brother Jake that drew most people in. Although he never felt drawn to Sammy when he’d been in the pack, even Ricky could admit she was beautiful.

  The Alpha actually patted the she-wolf’s hand before he gently pushed her back. “Your loyalty is appreciated, Samantha. Yet as you know fate only grants us one Semme’. Who am I to question that which the goddess has seen fit to provide?”

  Sammy glanced back at Ricky for a moment before she spoke, “Has the human agreed to this? Maybe he has another—”

  Alpha Clifton growled and pulled Ricky closer. “Of course he has agreed!” The irate Alpha turned them both towards the crowd. “Ricky, do you accept my claim—do you acknowledge you will bind yourself to me for the rest of our days as my Semme’?”

  Ricky screamed his denial in his mind but his body refused to obey. He felt his head nod sealing his fate.

  “You see, Sammy? Even the human knows this was meant to be. I’m sorry, but the claiming will continue unless there are any further objections.”

  “I object and I issue a challenge since Richard is my Semme’,” Alpha Grant’s voice echoed through the silent clearing. Even the birds had silenced their song at the sound of the Alpha’s voice. Ricky felt himself drawn tighter to Alpha Clifton as the man growled.

  “How dare you enter my pack lands without my permission?” Alpha Clifton’s hands had turned into claws that began to draw blood where they touched Ricky’s skin. But the captive didn’t feel the pain as his eyes locked with Alpha Grant’s. He couldn’t believe the Alpha had come and that he was publicly claiming Ricky as his own. Hope fluttered where despair had been only moments before.

  “I have come to take back the two members of my pack that you took without permission.” Ricky watched as Sparky stepped forward with his arm protectively around Roger. Beta Biff growled behind him as he took a step towards the pair. But Alpha Clifton shook his head.

  “I’ve never seen the pup before. If he is here, it is against my wishes. You may take him and leave. However, Ricky is a member of my pack and has only recently returned.” Alpha Clifton looked down at Ricky. “You don’t want to leave with Alpha Grant do you, my mate?”

  Again, Ricky tried to fight the hold over his body but his body betrayed him when he shook his head. For a moment he saw Alpha Grant’s face fall until Sparky leaned closer and whispered something in his ear. The rage he saw on the man’s face made the human want to run in the opposite direction.

  “You bastard! You’ve used magic to bind the human to your control. Since when do shifters resort to magic to force a mating?”

  Alpha Clifton laughed. “You have no proof of anything.”

  Before anyone could say anything else, Ricky felt pain in his shoulder as Alpha Clifton bit down and tasted his blood. The human wanted to scream but he couldn’t utter a sound. What was worse was his body’s betrayal as his seed spewed across the ground. Yet there was no pleasure, only a hopelessness that threatened to engulf him.

  Gasps could be heard from the other shifters as Alpha Clifton stood up straight. “He has been claimed and even you can’t undo what the goddess has decreed.” He reached down and using his finger, he gathered some of the cum still leaking from Ricky’s cock. He slowly licked it with an evil smile on his face. “Delicious! Now that’s he’s mine I can taste him often.” The Alpha looked directly at Grant. “And I plan to do so.”

  Another shifter that Ricky had never seen moved forward and held up his hand for silence. He must have been someone important because even Alpha Clifton took a step back. “Many of you know who I am and know that I have fought for all shifters during the Great War. As the former Alpha of the Windy River Pack, I can confirm that Richard and his brother Sandy both came to my son and asked for sanctuary. This was granted even though Alpha Clifton had declared the human Richard rogue. The fact that he basically placed a kill order out on his Semme’ is reason enough to question the validity of his claims. However, Doc Houston has also confirmed that prior to coming to us, Richard had been both physically and sexually abused.” Forest glared around at the pack for a moment before he returned his heated gaze to Alpha Clifton and his Beta.

  “Even if this were true, I have claimed Ricky as my mate. According to our laws, no one can interfere upon pain of death.” Alpha Clifton smirked as he stepped forward and ran his finger down Ricky’s face. “This human is mine and no one can take him from me.”

  Forest smiled but it did not reach his eyes. “True. However, you are the one who has stolen my son’s Semme’ by entering our pack lands and taking him against his will…” Forest held up his hand before Alpha Clifton could respond, “…but there is a test that the goddess has given us to ensure a true mating has taken place.”

  There were murmurs among the other shifters but they became silent again as Forest continued, “According to the old ways, if a mate is forced or if someone claims that a mate is Semme’ when he or she is not, the bite of the false Semme’ mate will not hold.” Forest pointed to Ricky’s shoulder. �
��Look and see for yourself.”

  A loud gasp once again sounded in the clearing as everyone looked at the completely healed skin on Ricky’s shoulder. It should have still been bleeding since the Alpha had not sealed the wound after biting him. Ricky looked but couldn’t believe his eyes. How had it happened? He’d felt the bite. Before he could process what this could mean he felt himself jerked back into Alpha Clifton’s arms.

  “NOW!” Alpha Clifton yelled as he glanced towards the tree line. For a moment there was silence before Alpha Grant began to chuckle.

  “Further proof that not only are you not honorable by accepting my challenge; but you don’t deserve the title of Alpha!” Grant paused with a smile on his face as he motioned to the trees that surrounded the clearing. “If you are waiting for your hired assassins to attack, you will have a long wait. I on the other hand will still face you in the traditional challenge,” Alpha Grant growled as he stepped forward. “Now release my mate and I’ll make your death a quick one.”

  Ricky felt a clawed hand at his throat. He swallowed as the pressure increased causing blood to flow. “I will kill him if you do not leave my lands!” Alpha Clifton took a step back, bringing Ricky with him. Before the Alpha of Willow Creek could take another step, the air was suddenly filled with a flock of doves. The birds circled the clearing for a moment before they flew closer. “What the Hell!” Alpha Clifton growled as one of the birds hovered a couple of feet in front of him. The next moment the air was filled with loud explosions as the birds began to explode. Ricky fell as Alpha Clifton and Biff quickly stepped back and covered their faces.

  Chaos erupted as some of the shifters changed into their wolf forms and began to attack Alpha Grant’s small group. Ricky felt someone kneel beside him. “Get up and run!” Sammy urged him as she pulled him to his feet. A growl sounded to his right as Sammy gave him a shove and turned to face the irate Alpha.

  “What are you doing?” Alpha Clifton growled.

  Sammy shrugged. “I told you he wasn’t right for you—” She didn’t get to finish as a clawed hand swiped at her, knocking her unconscious.

  “Grab the bitch while I get the human!” Alpha Clifton ordered Beta Biff. Before the Alpha could get to Ricky, the befuddled human felt another hand pull him further into the crowd of fighting shifters. “I’m Radar and I’m with Alpha Grant. Come with me and I’ll get you to safety!”

  Ricky took another step but stopped as Alpha Clifton’s voice ordered him to stop. Radar glanced at the human for a moment before he grabbed him and placed him over his shoulder. “Sorry, Ricky, but we don’t have time to play Simon Says.” The shifter took off at a run but stumbled and fell after grabbing at his shoulder. Ricky fell hard but managed to roll as a large wolf ran towards him. There was a shimmer as the wolf transformed, his gray eyes filled with concern as he glanced between Radar and Ricky.

  Radar groaned but got to his knees. “Take him and get out of here, Tank. I can take care of myself!”

  The man called Tank nodded and soon Ricky was once more being carried like a sack of potatoes from the fight. He glanced back and felt his blood run cold. Alpha Grant was in the middle of the battle, surrounded by at least fifteen wolves. Even though the Alpha stood tall in his half-shifted form, Ricky knew the odds were stacked against the wolf. Just as Tank put on more speed, the last view the human had was of the wolves surging to attack the brave Alpha.

  Grant roared as he fought against the horde of wolves attacking him. He’d seen Tank running towards where they had the SUV’s hidden. He hoped that Sparky had gotten there with Roger and would be able to get the pup and his mate to safety. A bite to his hindquarter brought his attention back to the battle at hand. He smiled as his brothers stood back to back taking down the wolves that attacked them. His father was also holding his own. The only thought Grant had left was to get rid of the ones who stood between him and Alpha Clifton.

  With a loud roar, Grant began to toss the wolves away from him as if they were no more than pesky flies. He had chosen to shift into his third form which allowed him to remain upright. It was one of the advantages of being an Alpha. One of the wolves managed to grab his arm, biting down almost to the bone. Grant pulled the wolf from his arm and slammed him against the ground with a satisfying crunch. The wolf didn’t move. He grabbed two more wolves and smashed their heads together before throwing them away. Slowly he was making his way towards where Alpha Clifton stood with two other shifters and a human. As he drew closer he could see the human mumbling something under his breath; so Magi then, not human.

  “Hurry it up, Artemus!” Alpha Clifton growled as he stood behind the man. Grant could see a she-wolf fighting to free herself from another large wolf. Grant roared as he fought to get to the ones who had caused his mate so much pain. As he drew closer he could hear the Magi arguing with Alpha Clifton.

  “I told you before; I’m a healer and not a Magi Warrior like my father,” Aretmus ground out. “My father only taught me protective magic which won’t last—ARGH!” The Magi screamed as he grabbed at his neck and pulled away what looked like a squirrel. “What the—” he never got to finish the sentence as he fell to the ground unconscious. Grant almost laughed as he glanced over and saw Dove grin before he ducked and with a move that would have made Bruce Lee proud, he took out one of the larger wolves.

  There were still three large wolves between him and his goal. While he knew he could finish them off, it would cost him precious time. Suddenly a large reddish brown wolf leapt on one of the three wolves, ripping out the hapless wolf’s throat before it even hit the ground. The remaining two wolves looked at each other before they sank to their bellies and bared their necks in submission. Grant glanced around and saw that the battle was over as those who weren’t dead, were either unconscious or knelt in submission. Blaze had shifted back to his human form and was quickly pulling out zip ties laced with silver that he used to quickly secure the two wolves in front of him. He allowed his shift to flow over him as he glared at the Alpha he intended to kill.

  During the fight Alpha Clifton had moved to the edge of the clearing. “I will give you the choice of what form you wish to die in,” Grant growled as he began to walk towards Alpha Clifton.

  “I think I’ll take option three instead,” Clifton sneered as he pulled a small bag from his shirt pocket. Grant surged toward the shifter at the same time he saw movement from the trees directly behind Alpha Clifton and his Beta. A small blonde wolf was surging towards the still struggling she-wolf. Alpha Clifton began to mumble in a strange language before he threw the contents of the small bag into the air. Still, Grant continued to run towards the evil Alpha. There was no way he was going to let the crazy shifter escape. A shout from Blaze caused him to pause.

  “Alpha Grant—Radar NO!” Blaze screamed as the air around Alpha Clifton, the Beta and the she-wolf began to shimmer. Grant stopped but Radar ignored the command as he leapt the final two feet and landed between the she-wolf and the Beta. Before anyone else could move the figures in front of them began to fade.

  “I’ll see you again and when I do, I’ll not only take what is mine but I’ll make you watch as I fuck Ricky until he’s raw!” Alpha Clifton sneered as he disappeared into thin air.

  “Sammy!” A desperate cry sounded through the silence that had been left behind when Alpha Clifton disappeared. Grant glanced back to see the male version of the she-wolf fall to his knees on the ground. The despair in his eyes was reflected by each of Blaze’s rogues. Grant couldn’t help the howl that escaped his lips as he promised that no matter what it took, he would make Alpha Clifton pay for his treachery.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  THE RIDE BACK TO THE AIRPLANE WAS SILENT. GRANT SAT WITH a too quiet Richard in his arms. If it weren’t for the fact that he could see the rise and fall of the human’s chest, he would have worried that his Semme’ had left him alone. He glanced up to see even Sparky was subdued as they drove back towards the hanger. Roger luckily had escaped any major damage, but he
still kept his head bowed as he sat in the front seat next to Sparky. His father and brothers had stayed behind with Blaze, Shadow and Dove. Tank, Falcon and Jake were following them in the other SUV that currently held their prisoner, the Magi who had helped Alpha Clifton. They also towed Radar’s motorcycle behind their vehicle. They all agreed that it would be kept for when Radar returned.

  His father and the others would stay in Willow Creek until the pack could be disbanded and relocated. After Alpha Clifton had disappeared, the original wolves of the pack were given an option to either pledge allegiance to Grant and the Windy River Pack or to relocate to another pack of their choice. The mercenary shifters that had been hired by Alpha Clifton were not given the same choice. They either chose to pledge their loyalty to Alpha Grant or they would be killed instantly.

  Blaze had talked to some of them and discovered that many of them only fought because they had no other pack to call their own. As was the case with many lone wolves, they hired themselves out to various packs as enforcers. They never pledged their loyalty but rather fought for the money to allow them to continue their solitary existence. Blaze had convinced Grant that these wolves, most of which had military training would be useful in protecting the pack. After discussing it, Grant agreed that Blaze would be responsible for training the wolves who would be on a probationary period. If any of them stepped out of line or were proven to be disloyal, they would be declared rogue and killed. It was risky, but it was clear they would need more fighters if they hoped to keep the growing pack safe from the threat of attack from Alpha Clifton and his followers.

  Alpha Grant pulled the blanket his Semme’ was wrapped in tighter as he felt Ricky shiver. He gently traced his finger along the side of the young man’s face but there was no reaction. The hazel eyes that had blazed with life, now stared blankly from a too pale face. Sparky had explained that the spell that was keeping his mate mute would most likely wear off in time. But the collar that encircled Ricky’s throat was another matter. Grant had tried unsuccessfully to remove it. Just the idea that his mate had it on made his inner wolf howl. His only hope was that the Magi they had captured would be able to shed some light on what the strange symbols on the collar meant and what was hurting his mate. If not, then the Magi would forfeit his life and Grant couldn’t bring himself to care.