by Lola Gabriel
“We know all of that, Grey,” Ariel, Grey’s beta wolf, said.
“Then why don’t you all seem more concerned about this?” Grey snapped. “Am I wasting my time here? Has it gotten to the point where you’re all starting to think going feral is the way forward?”
“Of course not,” one of the pack shouted. Grey wasn’t sure who.
“That’s not fair, Grey,” Ariel said, barely daring to meet his eye.
“Not fair? I’ll tell you what’s not fair. What’s not fair is humans being picked off for sport and the increasing chances that our pack is used as a scapegoat for it. Because make no mistake, that’s what will happen. Once the authorities accept the impossible and start looking for shifters, how long do you think it’ll take for someone in Alex’s pack to call in an anonymous tip sending them looking in our direction?” Grey said. He paused, looking around the room at the pack and then he went on. “And when that happens, do you think the authorities will believe we didn’t do this? Do you think they’ll be willing to sit down and listen to us explain that we’re the good guys? We’ll get lumped into the monster category and that will be the end of us. Any of the pack who don’t get rounded up will have to flee and live in hiding for decades, and any of us who are caught will either be killed, or more likely, locked away and experimented on.”
Grey looked around at the pack members in turn, meeting the eyes of each of them. None of them replied, but at least now they’d stopped arguing with him. He hoped that meant they would be on board with what he was going to say next.
“We’ve discussed this before as I’m sure you all remember. How if Alex’s pack gets out of hand, we’re going to do something about it. And I think we can all agree that they’re out of hand now,” Grey went on.
Most of the pack were nodding reluctantly. They knew as well as he did that Alex’s pack was completely out of control and that this situation was only going to get worse the longer they were allowed to run rampant through the city.
“I know we didn’t want it to come to this, but it has. It’s time. Time to take those bastards down,” Grey ended, his voice loud and passionate. He sounded much more confident than he felt.
No one spoke and hardly any of the pack would meet his eye now.
“Well?” he prompted them.
“Well, you’re right obviously. This has gotten way out of hand. But why is that our responsibility?” Luke asked.
A few pack members nodded their heads in agreement with his statement. Their nods were much more enthusiastic than they had been in response to Grey.
“Because no one else is going to do it, are they? No one else accepts that shifters even exist. We know who they are and we know where they are. This kind of puts it on us. And what are the other options? The one I outlined above which none of us want. Or calling in a hunter with an anonymous tip, and I really don’t want to do that. As bad as Alex’s pack is, I’m not ready to betray my whole race and go to a hunter.”
“Plus, a hunter wouldn’t be content to stop with Alex’s pack. They’d come for us too,” Michelle added.
“Exactly,” Grey said, feeling a little relieved that they at least accepted that bringing in a hunter wasn’t an option. “So, who is with me?”
“We want to be, Grey,” Ariel said carefully, her words measured. “But going after those guys is a suicide mission. They’re cold-blooded and ruthless, and they outnumber us three to one. What can we really achieve by going after them except getting ourselves killed?”
“I understand that we’re outnumbered, but we’re wolves, guys. We can’t spend our lives living in fear. It’s not right,” Grey countered.
“What’s not right is getting ourselves killed just to prove we’re not afraid,” Evie put in.
“We wouldn’t be doing this just to prove a point. We would be doing this because it’s the right thing to do,” Grey said with a sigh.
He had expected some resistance from the pack, but even he had to admit he hadn’t expected this much. It was getting to the point where he thought they were going to outright refuse to do this. And that might lead to him being challenged as the alpha of their pack. That didn’t worry him too much—there was no one in the pack he couldn’t take—but he had always prided himself on being a fair alpha, not a dictator, and leading his pack in to something against their will, knowing there was a good chance most of them would be killed, didn’t sit right with him. He had no choice, though. He had spoken the truth earlier when he said no one else was going to do this.
He didn’t want to be an asshole of an alpha, but more than that, he didn’t want to be someone who turned a blind eye to the injustices of the world, especially when they were happening right beneath his nose.
“So if we agree to this…” Evie started.
“There is no if,” Graham said, cutting her off. “It’s obvious Grey has already made his mind up about this. He’s letting us think we have a choice, but we don’t. Right?”
Graham looked at Grey, his expression begging him to say Graham had it all wrong and of course there was a choice. Grey didn’t say anything and from that, his answer was clear.
“At least say you have a plan. A better one than swarming into their headquarters and getting killed,” Luke said.
“I do,” Grey said. “You guys were right about us being outnumbered. And I’m not stupid. If we go in there as a pack on the attack, then we’re all going to be killed. So that’s not what we’re going to do. Alex’s pack members are feral in one sense—they view humans as their toys, something inferior to pass the time of day with. But they do observe the rules of our world. My plan is to take down Alex. Once we do that, then the pack members will answer to me, and killing them will be easy. They’ll have no choice but to surrender.”
The pack considered this for a moment and then Ariel nodded her head slowly.
“That makes sense, Grey. It’s a plan I could get on board with. Except for one thing. When is the last time any of us have seen Alex outside of his own buildings?”
“It’s been decades,” Grey admitted. “But that doesn’t mean anything. If someone asked Alex when he last saw me, his answer would likely be the same, but that doesn’t mean I don’t go out. It means Alex and I hang out in very different places. Alex is a lot of things, but a coward isn’t one of them. He’s not the sort of alpha that locks himself away surrounded by guards.”
“But how will we know where to find him? And how will we know when he’s alone or close to it so we have a chance to end him?” Luke asked.
“Because I’m going to their headquarters. I’m going to hang around for a while, blend in. Get to know the area and Alex’s routine. I’m not going to get too close, I’m just going to scout around and see what intel I can gather,” Grey said.
This drew a few gasps from the pack.
“No way,” Ariel said. “It’s too risky, Grey.”
“I’m not saying there aren’t risks. But this is less risky than any other plan I can come up with. If anyone else has a way to take down Alex with less risk, then feel free to share it,” Grey countered.
No one responded and Grey nodded his head.
“Yes, that’s what I thought,” he said.
“Fine. But I’m going with you,” Ariel said.
“No way,” Grey said.
Ariel glared at him, opening her mouth to argue, but Grey didn’t give her a chance to speak.
“If I go there and get myself killed by one of Alex’s pack, then the same rule I’m counting on working for us will come into play for them too. You’ll all officially be answerable to Alex. And joining up with those monsters is a fate worse than death. Ariel, you need to stay here with the others, because if I end up dead, it’s going to fall to you to lead the pack. No surrender. Forget the rule about answering to whoever takes down the pack’s existing alpha. Fight the bastards to the death.”
Ariel opened her mouth again, but Grey shook his head. It had come to the moment he had known it would, but it di
dn’t make him feel any better when he spoke his next words.
“This isn’t open for discussion anymore. I am the pack alpha and as the alpha, I’m telling you this is what’s going to happen,” he said in a voice that left no room for any argument. “This meeting is dismissed.”
Grey walked away from the pack, knowing they would all spend a while discussing his decision. He wondered how many of them would secretly admire this decision and how many of them would genuinely believe he had lost his mind completely.
“Grey, wait,” Ariel said behind him.
He stopped and waited for her to catch up with him.
“You’re not going to talk me out of this,” he said.
“I’m not going to try to. You’ve obviously thought this through and I know when your mind is made up,” Ariel said. “I just wanted to wish you luck. And lay down a few ground rules.”
Grey raised an eyebrow at this.
“Look, you’re the alpha, I get that. But if I’m going to lead the pack if you get yourself killed, then I think I get a say in this,” Ariel rushed on.
Grey nodded. It wouldn’t hurt to hear her out.
“When are you planning on going to Alex’s pack’s headquarters?” she asked.
“Tonight,” Grey said without hesitation.
“Then here’s my condition for going along with this,” Ariel said. “If you get killed, we’ll all feel it deep down in our souls. But if you don’t get killed and you don’t come back, we won’t know what’s happening. There’s no guarantee Alex will have you killed immediately if his men spot you. He could keep you around as a prisoner and use you as a bargaining chip.”
Grey hadn’t considered this, but now that Ariel had brought it up, he couldn’t deny there was a very strong possibility that she was right.
“Go on,” he said.
“If you’re not back here checking in with me by four a.m., then I’m coming to look for you,” she said.
The pack had bought a small hotel when they had first come to Miami and they all lived in it. All Ariel was asking was that Grey knocked on her door on the way back to his quarters. It was a reasonable request—one he knew that he couldn’t say no to. It wasn’t like he even had to go out of his way to do it.
“What if I need longer than that?” he said.
“Then you can go back tomorrow night,” Ariel said without hesitation.
“I don’t like this, Ariel. The whole point of me going in there quietly like this is so that the pack doesn’t have to storm the place and end up killed. And that’s exactly what you’re proposing.”
“No, it isn’t,” she said. “It’ll just be me and maybe one or two others. We’re not going to storm the place; we’re going to be stealthy and get you out of there if you’re a prisoner.”
“You could still end up getting yourself killed doing that,” Grey pointed out.
“And so could you. But like you said, who else is going to take care of this? I’m willing to take the risk and the matter isn’t open to discussion,” Ariel said firmly.
“What if I just deny your request?” Grey said.
“Then don’t come back at four and risk my life for nothing when I come looking for you anyway,” Ariel said.
“You’re not really leaving me any choice in this, are you?” Grey said.
“No. And that’s why you chose me to be your beta.”
Grey nodded reluctantly. Ariel was right. He had chosen her to be his beta because she was one of the bravest wolves he knew. And she was also stubborn, which he hadn’t banked on. There was no way to talk her out of this, alpha or not. She had already admitted to him she would disregard his orders and come anyway.
“Fine,” Grey sighed. “I’ll come by your rooms at four. You better have a humongous drink waiting for me when I get there.”
“Deal,” Ariel laughed.
5
Grey crept through the darkness like a shadow, clinging to walls and trees to keep himself blended in now that he was in Alex’s territory. Where Grey’s pack had bought the small hotel to house themselves, Alex’s pack was far too big for anything like that, and they had bought up a whole industrial complex. Most of the units had been converted to homes, meeting places, and offices, but a few were still used for storage.
Grey had no idea which unit might be Alex’s. They were all huge. Grey suspected most of them had been separated into several self-contained living areas, whereas Alex would most likely have a full unit to himself, but he had no idea which one it might be. They all looked the same from the outside. He was just going to have to spend some time moving around and watching the units until he got some idea of at least which area Alex was mostly likely to be situated in.
He decided to start with the back of the estate. It made sense that Alex would like to be set slightly back from the others, relishing his authority, and it made sense to be set back from the entrance area so that any unwanted guests could be taken care of by someone other than him. Grey figured the more central buildings would be the ones used for meetings, both formal and informal.
He moved quickly and quietly. He had debated turning into a wolf. He knew he could stay in the shadows better if he did, but he also knew that was more likely to attract attention if he was seen. If one of Alex’s pack saw a man from a distance, there was no reason for them to assume it wasn’t one of their own pack. If they scented a wolf here, they would know instantly that the wolf didn’t belong to their pack.
Grey managed to get to the back of the area without attracting any attention to himself. He knew he had to be even more careful now. He had essentially backed himself into a corner; there was only one way out of this area, and if he was caught now, all Alex’s pack would have to do would be to guard the entrance and he would be trapped.
He moved away from the trees he had been hiding in, stepping closer to the buildings and moving to a second row of trees that were closer to the buildings. He looked at the big buildings right at the back first. They didn’t look well cared for like the others. Weeds grew up the sides of them and they looked dirty and run down. He figured those three buildings were being used only for storage. He didn’t think it was likely he would find Alex there.
He crept closer, deciding to get between two of the abandoned-looking buildings. He would have a better vantage point from there and the buildings would provide him with cover. He crept forward and looked all around him. The coast was clear and he ran, darting out of his covered spot and crossing a small grassy area and then moving down a short stretch of road. He darted between two of the buildings, pressing his back to one of them and taking a moment to get his breath back. He wasn’t breathless from the short run; it was more from the fact that he kept holding his breath whenever he heard the slightest noise.
After Grey took a moment to catch his breath, he looked around and saw no sign of any movement. He hadn’t been spotted. He breathed a sigh of relief and then he started to make his way forward. If he got right to the front edge of the building, he could duck down behind the corner of the building and look out and have a fairly good view of the entire estate. If his guesses about where Alex’s quarters would be had been right, then he thought Alex would be living in one of the buildings directly ahead of him. There were four—two large and two slightly smaller. It has to be one of the two bigger ones, he thought to himself. Those were the two he would be mostly concentrating his spying efforts on.
He reached the edge of the building and stood back to watch. He had only been standing there for around twenty minutes when he began to get restless. The whole area was quiet; he hadn’t seen anyone since he got into place. It was getting close to eleven and he figured most of the pack were either retiring for the night, or they were out partying somewhere. He debated moving forward, trying to get a glimpse into the buildings. He could do this for weeks and not be lucky enough to spot Alex going into his building. No, he had to get closer. He had to see what was inside each building and work out from there which was likely to b
e Alex’s private quarters.
He took a step forward, moving out from behind the building. As he did, he heard a door opening and two male voices laughing. He jumped back behind the building and froze, listening. That had been close; too close for comfort. He barely dared to peer around the edge of the building again, but he forced himself closer. If he had been spotted, the voices wouldn’t be raised in laughter, and the footsteps wouldn’t be heading away from him; they’d be coming straight for him.
He peered around the edge of the building just in time to see two men disappearing around the buildings in front of him. He didn’t recognize them, but he knew they had to be part of the pack. They had come out of the seemingly abandoned building he was hiding behind. He thought for a moment. The building had to be a supply building like he had thought. He decided he was going to give it a few more minutes to be sure the two men definitely weren’t coming back, and then he would go into the supply building and take a look around. Any information he could get on the pack could be useful and the men hadn’t paused long enough to lock the door. Maybe this was an even better plan. His pack could take over the supply building and hold Alex’s pack to ransom that way.
He dismissed that plan instantly. It wasn’t like Alex’s pack wasn’t rich enough to replace anything they took control of. No, the original plan was a good one, and gathering intel from the supply building would be as good a place to start as any other would be.
He was done waiting. His impatience was making him nervous, and he knew being nervous led to making mistakes. He stepped out from behind the building after a quick check around and then ran to the door the two men had exited through. He pushed the door and it swung open. After slipping inside, he closed the door behind him.