by Hawke Oakley
Charlie gasped. Flint, his mate, widened his eyes. Jericho, Mason’s mate, just blinked in confusion. David narrowed his eyes but said nothing. Tyson waited for him to continue.
“A spy?” Jericho said. He turned to his mate. “Like Beth?”
“Hold on, Jericho,” I said. “Let Wesley speak.”
He nodded and leaned back in his chair, listening. Out of our group of alpha friends, he was one of the softer ones. If anyone would come to Wesley’s defense, I knew I could count on Jericho, even if his mate was a little bit on edge about him.
Wesley lifted his head. With everyone’s gaze on him, he must have been so nervous. I edged closer to him and reached for his hand, intertwining our fingers. I met his eyes and nodded, hoping to calm him down. It apparently worked, because he took a deep breath and continued.
“I was a spy, yes. But it’s more complicated than that. Since I arrived here, I never leaked any information from this pack to Gunner, Scarlet Ridge’s top alpha. Please believe me.”
“It’s true,” I added. “You’ve been in my care this entire time. And even during the times I wasn’t watching you, you were too weak to leave the pack and communicate with him.”
“There are other ways of communicating besides being face to face,” David said in a low, suspicious voice.
I glared at him. “David!”
“No, he’s right,” Wesley said, holding up a hand to my chest to ease me. “I could have howled in a secret tone, or sent a bird, or hell, just called on a cell phone… But I didn’t. I know it’s hard to believe this, but I wouldn’t betray this pack. Not anymore.”
“Anymore?” Mason asked.
Wesley’s eyes fell and he squeezed my hand. “Yes. I’ve found a reason to live here, and I wouldn’t dream of going back anymore.”
Suddenly everyone’s eyes snapped to me.
“Ken?” Flint gasped.
Charlie’s eyes lit up. “Oh, I knew it! I knew you two liked each other!”
“Holy crap, dude!” Tyson exclaimed. “I never thought you’d find an omega. I mean, no offense - “
Mason, who was standing with his arms crossed, lowered them in awe. “You and Ken?” he asked Wesley.
Wesley nodded. “Yes. I’m sorry if that upsets you, but we love each other.”
But Mason shook his head. “No, it doesn’t, it’s just…” He looked a bit embarrassed. “I was so sure you were a traitor to the pack.”
Jericho put an arm around his mate and pulled him close. After the betrayal they had suffered last year with his friend Beth, I was sympathetic to Mason. But Wesley was different, and I had to make the rest of them understand that, too.
“Let’s explain the entire situation,” I said. “First, this was a mission given to Wesley by Gunner, who we all know and hate.”
Murmurs and growls of agreement spread throughout the shifters.
“Wesley wasn’t given a choice. He had to agree to Gunner’s terms, or be killed. There was no option but to agree.”
“That does sound like something Gunner would do,” Charlie said with a sad sigh.
I nodded, then continued. “Then, to prepare Wesley for this mission, he did the most wretched, cruel thing imaginable; he beat Wesley to the point of near death, and abandoned him on our pack border, knowing we would find him and take him in.”
“That’s despicable,” Flint growled, clenching his fists.
“They really did something like that? Just to spy on us?” Tyson asked, his eyes wide in horror and fear.
“Yes,” Wesley confirmed. “After losing Charlie and Mason, Gunner was determined not to let Indigo Mountain get away with it. I was sent here to destroy the pack from the inside out.”
“But how?” David asked. His arms were still crossed and he spoke gruffly, in typical David fashion. Thankfully, Wesley didn’t seem intimidated by him.
“He sent me specifically because I hadn’t had my first heat yet. I was supposed to use the unmated alpha doctor - Ken - to get a foot in the door, so to speak. After becoming close with him, I was to find the top alpha in Indigo Mountain, mate with him, and then…” Wesley paused, then said quietly, “Kill him.”
Charlie gasped, and Flint squeezed his hand. Mason wore a grim expression that was clear he wasn’t surprised at all, just saddened and disappointed.
“But Gunner made a mistake,” Wesley continued. “He didn’t know that Indigo Mountain doesn’t have a top alpha.”
“That’s right,” Jericho said proudly. “Our pack’s not run by a tyrant like him. We’re a community.”
“But now what should we do?” David growled. “Gunner is going to be suspicious when his spy doesn’t return.”
“This can’t keep happening,” Flint muttered. “We have to do something about Scarlet Ridge pack.”
“What can we do?” Jericho countered. “I’m happy here with my family, and I don’t want to risk it by sticking my head in where it doesn’t belong.”
“But what about all the other omegas like me? Like us?” Mason growled at his mate. Jericho saw his point and sighed.
“I’m sorry. I know what you mean,” Jericho said. “But it’s like David said, what can we do?”
Wesley stood up with a firm expression in his eyes. “I have an idea.”
We all looked towards him.
“If we can lure Gunner to Indigo Mountain, maybe we can take him out,” Wesley said with a low growl.
“Take him out? Like kill him?” Mason asked.
Wesley just nodded solemnly.
I was glad the pups were in the corner playing and not paying attention to our conversation, which just took a dark turn.
“I’m down for that,” David growled. “He’s been an evil tyrant for far too long now.”
Jericho and Flint both looked at their omega mates, who had both suffered under Gunner’s command. While they were both fair alphas who normally despised killing, they both had an unspoken look in their eyes. They would do it for their mates - for their families.
“But how are we going to get Gunner to come to Indigo Mountain? Alone?” Tyson asked.
“He’ll probably only come if I call him personally,” Wesley said. “I’ll lie and say I have the top alpha under my control, and act like I’m giving Gunner the opportunity for the killing blow.”
I nodded. “That sounds like a good plan. But how are you going to communicate with him?”
Wesley grimaced. “The old fashioned way, I guess. I’ll go to the border and howl for him using a message only Scarlet Ridge would understand.”
“Are you sure that’s safe?” Mason asked warily. “That means none of us can go with you.”
Wesley shook his head, determined. “It’s the only way. He’ll know it’s a trap right away if he scents other shifters nearby. After I have his attention, I’ll lure him somewhere where you’ll all be waiting.”
“And then what?” David growled. “Gunner is evil but he isn’t stupid. Once he realizes the place is swarming with alphas, he’ll probably kill you right away.”
An idea struck me.
“What if there aren’t alphas surrounding the rendezvous point?” I suggested.
Everyone turned to me in confusion.
“What do you mean? Won’t the alphas have to be there to fight Gunner?” Charlie asked.
“Yes, we’ll be there. But we won’t smell like alphas,” I said. “As a doctor, I have access to pheromone-changing pills. We’ll all give off the same scents as omegas.”
Flint and Jericho exchanged curious glances. The alphas all seemed interested in the plan, even David.
“That could work,” David mumbled. He nodded firmly at me. “Let’s do it. It’s the best chance we have to take this piece of shit out.”
“Yeah!” Jericho agreed. “He’s gonna pay for what he did to our mates!”
“What will happen to Scarlet Ridge after Gunner’s gone?” Charlie mused out loud.
“I guess it’ll erupt into chaos… or just dissolve,” Mason
muttered.
“We can’t worry about that right now,” Wesley said. “First we have to make sure this plan goes smoothly. We can deal with everything else after that.”
“You’re right,” Mason agreed. “And, um, about yesterday… I’m sorry about how suspicious I was of you, Wesley.”
But Wesley just smiled. “It’s okay. You had every right to be. And it’s only because you cornered me about it that I had a heart-to-heart with Ken.” He turned to look up at me with bright eyes. I squeezed his hand in mine.
Mason grinned. “Oh, well, then I don’t regret anything.”
“Okay. We need to figure out a time and place for this meeting,” Wesley said. “Does anyone know a place that would be a good rendezvous for an ambush?”
“There’s an abandoned cottage on the far edge of the territory. I can show you where it is,” Flint offered. “I doubt Gunner would be thrilled about walking right into town, so this is a good way to add genuineness to the lie.”
“That’s good,” Wesley said. “Now the only thing is when.”
But as Wesley devised a plan, I felt a growing sense of unease.
“Wesley,” I murmured. “I just thought of something.”
“What is it?”
I was suddenly aware of everybody else in the room, but this was no time to be worried about that. We were all adults, many of them with families of their own. And I was about to say this as a doctor first, and a mate second.
“I’m concerned about you being the one to do this,” I confessed.
Wesley furrowed his brow. “But it has to be me, Ken. It can’t be anyone else. I’m Gunner’s spy.”
“I know, but… there’s something we need to think about.”
“What?”
I inhaled deeply. “There is a real possibility you might be pregnant.”
Everyone went silent.
Confusion crossed Wesley’s face. “But… we only had sex one time.”
I shook my head. “One time is all it can take. And besides, can’t you feel it? Your heat has already stopped.”
It was true. His body was back to a normal temperature, and seeing that he was here in a room full of two unmated alphas and neither of them showed an interest in him, it was clear his heat had passed.
“But… pregnant?” Wesley said softly.
I could see the gears turning in his head. If he was pregnant, this changed everything. His protective instincts would kick in hard, and it would be nearly impossible for him to go through with his plan the way it stood now.
“We can always wait to do this until after you have your baby, if you are pregnant,” Charlie said with an expression of sympathy. “We don’t have to rush this.”
“Charlie’s right,” Mason agreed. “Your family comes first.”
But Wesley grew angry. “I can’t wait! If I don’t report back to him soon, he’s going to do something anyway! He might attack Indigo Mountain if I don’t deliver him some kind of update.”
“Then let him come,” Flint growled.
“I can’t do that,” Wesley argued. “He won’t come alone. He’ll bring an army. You guys have no idea what he’s capable of.”
“Then it’s even more of a reason for you not to do this by yourself, especially not right now,” I urged him.
Wesley frowned. He was being pulled in two different directions and had no idea what to do. Finally he let out an exasperated sigh.
“When can I find out if I am actually pregnant, then?” he asked.
“In about a week, we can do a test,” I said.
“Fine. Just forget the plan, then,” he muttered.
“I’m sorry,” I said, squeezing his hand. “I know you wanted to go through with this. We’ll deal with Gunner eventually, don’t worry.”
“I know.” He sighed. “Thanks.”
I hugged him. “Now, I think this meeting is over.”
Everybody said goodbye and slowly filed out. I looked over at Wesley, who still seemed downtrodden. I put an arm around him and kissed his forehead. I know he was upset, but it was better for everyone this way. I just hoped he could accept that.
9
Wesley
The week passed slowly. I thought the day would never come where Ken woke me up with a grin on his face, waving a pregnancy test in the air.
“Good morning, my sweet mate,” he said. “Are you ready to find out if we’re going to have pups or not?”
I snatched it out of his hand and ran to the bathroom. I heard him chuckle behind me. “I guess that answers my question.”
I quickly read over the instructions before tossing them aside and going through with the test. Sitting around and waiting was the worst part.
“Still waiting?” Ken asked from the other side of the door.
“Yeah.” I sighed. “It seems like pregnancy is just a whole bunch of waiting around.”
“A little bit. But we’ll know one thing for sure soon enough.”
Finally, the little stick changed. A blue plus icon popped up on the screen. I gaped at it.
“Well?” Ken prompted. “What does it say?”
With wide eyes, I opened the door for him. He crowded in beside me, squinting at the screen. Then he gasped.
“You are!”
It still didn’t feel real. I blinked at him slowly. “I am. I’m really pregnant, aren’t I?”
“Yes.” He smiled at me, then pulled me into a warm embrace. “How do you feel?”
“Like… nothing this important has ever happened to me in my life,” I said with a laugh.
He kissed my cheek. “Me neither. I never thought I’d be a father. I mean, I’d fantasized about it, but I never really thought…”
“I guess this is a first for both of us,” I said, smiling at him.
“Yes, it is.” He hugged me again, and a wave of his protective alpha pheromones washed over me. I could smell the joy and happiness radiating off of him. My heart fluttered. To see my mate so happy, it made me happy.
Suddenly Ken pulled away with a serious expression. “This changes everything. I need to make sure we’re stocked up on pre-natal vitamins. Oh, and I’m going to need to give you a check up everyday to make sure we’re on track.”
I groaned. “Come on, really?”
“Okay, maybe not every day.” He smirked. “But I’d definitely like to give you an examination now…”
I yelped in surprise as he slipped his hands under my shirt and up my bare sides, sending a shiver down my spine.
“Ken,” I murmured.
He was already pulling me close and pressing kisses to my neck. “What is it?”
I pushed him away with a raised brow and muttered, “Don’t you think we should do this somewhere that isn’t the bathroom?”
“Oh.” His sexy expression fell. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
I chuckled, grabbed his arm, and pulled him back to the bedroom...
The moon hung low in the night sky. It was quiet and still. I slowly sat up and looked down at my mate sleeping next to me.
Ken was out like a rock. Perfect. If he didn’t wake up until this was over, that would be for the better.
I crawled out of bed, got dressed, and headed for the door. With one glance back to where my mate was asleep, I steeled myself and left.
I needed to do this - to protect my new pack, and more importantly, to protect my family.
The cool night air made me shiver. I brought my jacket - Ken’s jacket - closer to my face as I quickly strode down the path. Soon the town faded away, replaced by thick trees as I entered the forest. I tried not to remember the night that Gunner sent me here to complete this mission. The scent of rotting leaves and rich soil made me uneasy, as it reminded me of that night, as I lay there bloody and bruised and completely vulnerable. I shut my eyes and exhaled deeply.
Focus, Wesley.
I ran over the plan one more time in my mind. I would go to the border, call for Gunner, and set up a time for us to put our plan into mot
ion - not a real plan, of course. Unknown to him, it would be a plan to end his tyranny once and for all. Once Gunner and I set up a time and place to meet, I would tell the alphas about it, and they would help me defeat Gunner. They couldn’t say no after I’d already planned a meeting with the top alpha.
I imagined Ken’s disappointed expression when I’d tell him the truth about what I did tonight. I knew he would be upset. But this was something that needed to happen. None of us were safe with Gunner still in control of Scarlet Ridge pack. Some of them were content to live their lives sharing borders with him, but not me. I would be the one to do something about it.
With a shudder, I passed the scene where Gunner’s alpha cronies left me nearly for dead all those weeks ago. It was strange. All the blood had disappeared, faded with time. Life went on in this forest as if nothing bad had ever happened here.
My lip curled, thinking about what Gunner had in store for me. If it were up to him, the same thing that happened in this forest would have happened in Scarlet Ridge pack; he’d continue to use and abuse omegas, then leave us for dead, then forget about us as if nothing happened. We were just tools to him. That was why I had to do this. I wouldn’t let any more omegas - or alphas, or any kind of shifter - suffer his rule.
I finally reached the place in the forest where the scents began to mingle. When I first arrived at Indigo Mountain pack, the scent seemed so strange and unfamiliar; almost too sweet, too floral. But now it felt like home. On the other hand, Scarlet Ridge’s scent made an uncomfortable chill run down my spine. It was bitter, dark, and sharp, one that left my nose tingling unpleasantly.
Swallowing my anxiety, I shifted into my wolf form. I raised my muzzle and let out a low, deep howl that reverberated through the forest. It was laced with meaning that only a Scarlet Ridge wolf would understand, like a secret message to outsiders.
After it was complete, I sat and waited for a response. Then a howl returned to me - another Scarlet Ridge message.
They would be arriving soon.