by Hawke Oakley
I forced myself to breathe. I hadn’t seen Gunner or any other Scarlet Ridge wolf since the incident. I just hoped I could hold my nerve when face-to-face with them again.
Soon, I heard leaves rustle ahead. Dark shapes stalked through the trees. My ears flicked back, but I forced them to stand straight. I didn’t want them to know I was nervous. I had to be confident; I had to believe my lie.
An alpha I didn’t recognize by name strode up to me. Judging by the way my stomach flipped when I caught his scent, I realized he must have been one of the alphas involved in my beating. I forced myself to stand my ground.
Behind him, I saw a couple more shapes. Judging by their scents, one was another alpha, but the second was Gunner.
I had him right where I wanted him. But I needed to ditch the alpha bodyguards somehow.
The alpha in front of me shifted to human form and asked in a growl, “Does anyone know you’re here?”
I did the same. “No,” I said. It was the truth this time. Ken should have been fast asleep at this point, and hopefully I would return before he woke up.
“Good.”
“I need to speak with Gunner,” I said bluntly. I didn’t have time to waste talking to his lackeys.
The alpha narrowed his eyes, but since he knew of my importance to this mission, he didn’t let loose the scalding remark I’m sure he was thinking. Instead he turned around and summoned Gunner, accompanying the top alpha as he approached me.
“Wesley,” Gunner said, looking down at me. I met his eye and didn’t look away.
“Hello, sir.”
“I’m assuming there’s a reason you called me out here.” A slow smile stretched across his lips. “Have you accomplished your mission yet?”
“It is almost complete, sir,” I said. “I had my first heat and mated with the top alpha. He trusts me completely.”
The lie came out easily, much to my surprise.
“I just wanted to tell you the place and time I’m going to take him out, but…” I looked at him meaningfully. “If you would like to be the one to kill him, I would be fine with that as well.”
Gunner suspiciously raised an eyebrow. “Why? You don’t think you can do it?”
“No, it’s not that - “
He cut me off. “You said you mated with him during your heat. Are you pregnant yet?”
My heart began to beat faster. Did he know I was pregnant? Could he smell it on me? I guessed there was no reason not to tell the truth; it wouldn’t change the overall lie.
“I am,” I said.
Gunner paused, then stared at me with his narrowed eyes. What was he thinking? My heart thumped in my chest. My nerves were starting to get to me.
“We will raise the baby in Scarlet Ridge,” Gunner finally stated. “Assuming it’s an alpha, it will join my army.”
My eyes widened, but suddenly I was too aware that Gunner was watching my reaction. I forced my expression to remain neutral as much as possible. I couldn’t let him know my horror at the idea. My baby would never join his pack, much less his army - I would make sure of that. Gunner would die before that ever happened.
“Tell me about the location and time,” Gunner continued. “It would be a shame if your alpha fought back while you tried to kill him and you lost the baby, no?”
The sickening thought made me feel ill. My lips curled into a snarl.
“I thought so,” Gunner said with the slightest smirk on his face. “Then I will be there to make sure the job is done myself.”
I nodded stiffly. “There is an abandoned cabin on the edge of the territory. I’ll lure him there on the night of the full moon.”
Above us, the moon was waxing, nearing its full circle.
“How will you lure him there?” Gunner asked.
“I… I’ll tell him I want to have loud sex. Our current place has thin walls, sir. We’ve been quiet so far to be polite to the neighbors,” I said quickly. It was embarrassing, but it was the only thing I could think of on the spot.
“I see,” he murmured. “It will be easier for us to move in secrecy, I suppose.”
“Um… us, sir?” I sure hoped he wasn’t thinking about bringing his cronies.
“Is there a problem?” he asked sharply.
I tried not to flinch. “Well, no, but the more Scarlet Ridge wolves that are on Indigo Mountain territory, the easier it will be to scent you. It might ruin our ambush.”
Gunner mulled this over in his mind. Finally he said, “Fine. My alphas will come, but they will stay behind the border just in case I need them. After all, I can’t count on a single weak omega to defend me in case something goes wrong.”
He stared directly into my eyes as he said that, as if challenging me to say something back. But I was smarter than that. I wouldn’t fall for his trap. I kept my mouth shut and stared back, unblinking.
“Tell me where this cabin is,” Gunner finally said.
I described the location for him, as Flint told me earlier.
He nodded. Then, he suddenly reached out and touched me on the top of the head. “You did well, omega. After your firstborn arrives, I may have a turn with you myself.”
A violent shudder ripped through my body. The cold, calculating glint in Gunner’s eyes made me want to retch. It took all my effort not to rip myself out of his grip.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he withdrew his hand. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.
“I’ll see you on the night of the full moon, little omega,” Gunner said.
With a final glance in my direction, he turned and collected his alpha bodyguards before shifting to their wolf forms and disappearing back into the night.
I stood there for a few minutes, breathing in and out and trying to collect myself. Finally, when I felt like I could walk again, I returned to my home.
When I finally arrived back at the apartment, I stripped my forest-scented clothes and crawled back into bed, where Ken was still out like a light. I sighed and closed my eyes. I would have a lot of explaining to do in the morning.
10
Ken
“You did what!?”
The question exploded out of me before I could stop it. I could barely believe what I was hearing. Wesley stood there, unblinking, while my jaw hung open in disbelief.
“I told Gunner where and when to meet me,” he said firmly.
“I heard that part,” I growled. I reached for his arms, holding onto him, like he would slip away at any moment. “I just want to know why - didn’t we talk about this? Wesley, you’re pregnant! You can’t just go around and do rash things like this!”
“It’s not rash,” he snapped back. “I thought it through. Whether you like it or not, this is something that needs to happen. I refuse to stand here and do nothing when omegas - hell, when every shifter in Scarlet Ridge is suffering under Gunner.”
I opened my mouth to object, then simply sighed. “I know you’re right,” I said gently. “I just… I wish it didn’t have to be you. I know that’s selfish, but you’re my mate, and I don’t want to see you in any situation where you could possibly be hurt.”
Wesley shot me a humorless grin. “Ken, every situation is one where I could possibly be hurt. I could be standing here and get struck by lightning. You never know.”
“Stop being a smartass.” I pulled him into a hug and ruffled his hair, then sighed. “Well, I guess it’s too late to stop you from going through with this now, isn’t it?”
“A little bit.”
“I guess the only thing we can do now is help you go through with this plan?”
“Uh huh.”
“You sneaky little omega,” I growled playfully. He smiled at me and I reached out to tuck his hair behind his ear. “Just promise me you’ll be careful, okay? I’ll be there with you, but still…”
“I will be,” he promised.
“And if anything goes wrong, or even smells like it’s going to go wrong, I won’t hesitate to jump in ther
e,” I growled. My wolf was awake and alert, ready for the upcoming danger.
“I know. Thanks.”
We embraced again. I took in a deep breath, soaking in his scent. A protective fire burned within me. I would do everything in my power to prevent harm from coming to my mate - and our unborn pup.
And if that meant killing Gunner, then so be it.
In the nights leading up to the night of the full moon, I informed my friends about the plan. Flint, Jericho, Tyson, and David had all taken pills to mask their alpha scent. I was the only one not to, so that I could pose as the top alpha that Gunner was meant to kill. Or at least, what was what he thought.
We would ambush him then, and it would all be over.
All the pain and suffering, past and future… We could end this.
That was what gave me the strength to go through with this. I thought of our child, growing up in a world where they would never have to know the evil that Wesley did.
On the night where moon shone brightly in a full circle above, we moved. All of us gathered around the cabin where Wesley told Gunner to meet him. They stood a ways off at first, so that their scents wouldn’t be immediately noticeable - and even when he did notice them, they would be omega scents. Harmless and weak - in Gunner’s view, anyway.
Unlike my friends, I did not have my scent masked. I was to lay in the cabin bed and pretend to be the top alpha of the pack, whatever that was supposed to mean. I guessed I just had to act dominant and mean.
Wesley explained that he lied to Gunner and said he would be having sex with the top alpha in this cabin, so that it would be an “easy ambush” for Gunner. Little did he know that we had a counter-ambush just waiting for him. It relieved me to know that all my friends wanted to help out to defeat this menace. But I knew some of them had a personal history with Gunner - specifically Charlie and Mason, who lived under his rule. Even they agreed to help with the attack tonight, which surprised me. Their omega instincts to protect and nurture didn’t stop them from launching a counterstrike on Gunner. They would finally have their revenge on him.
It was quiet now. The sun had set hours ago, and Wesley and I took our places inside the cabin. Somewhere outside, mingled and hidden among the trees, were our friends, waiting for Gunner to show up.
I looked at Wesley. He looked a bit nervous, which was understandable. I squeezed his hand reassuringly.
“Don’t worry,” I said. “I’m here with you.”
He smiled weakly. “I know.” But his smile fell. “I guess I’m just… worried.”
“We’re all here by your side,” I told him. “You’re not alone, Wesley.”
He leaned on my chest. “I know this is something we have to do - that I have to do. It just seemed so much easier in my head… What if something goes wrong?”
“Nothing will go wrong,” I growled deeply. “We’ve dealt with Scarlet Ridge before. It won’t be the first time, but it will certainly be the last.”
“Thanks, Ken,” Wesley said softly.
My wolf rose to the surface, protective and fierce as I growled, “And don’t you worry. He won’t lay a finger on you. I swear it.”
Wesley smiled, but his expression quickly went cold as a twig snapped outside, breaking the silence.
“What was that?” he whispered.
“It must be Gunner,” I muttered back.
“Should I go out and meet him?”
“No. You told him we would be inside the cabin having sex, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, but…”
“WESLEY!”
The booming, cold snarl made my mate flinch. Instantly all the hairs rose on my body. I pulled Wesley close instinctively. My wolf was itching to come out, but I pushed him down. Not yet.
“That’s Gunner,” Wesley whispered, his voice shaking. “Why is he calling for me? Why isn't he coming inside?”
Just then, the door burst open, as if a hurricane had forced its way through.
A tall, intimidating figure stood in the doorway. In my arms, Wesley tensed. His heart was racing so fast it felt like it would explode from his ribs. I held him closer to me, my eyes never once leaving the intruder’s.
“So, Wesley,” the man said, looking directly at me as if I was a piece of prey, “is this him?”
“Gunner,” Wesley said, his voice shaking. He then cleared his throat and pried himself out of my arms. “Yes. This is the top alpha of Indigo Mountain pack.”
He’s still lying? I thought. When are we going to attack? They must be waiting for some kind of signal. We have to get Gunner outside the cabin.
Gunner stepped forward, sneering at me with cold eyes. “What is your name, alpha?”
“Ken Hart.”
“You don’t seem surprised to see me here. Why is that?”
I didn’t know what to say to that. All I could think of was how much I wanted to rip his face off. Memories of Wesley’s injures came flooding back to me, and my wolf went crazy with bloodlust.
But suddenly Gunner’s eyes snapped to Wesley. “Did you really think I would fall for this?” he asked.
“What?” Wesley asked quietly. “I don’t know what you mean.”
Before either of us could register what happened, Gunner slapped Wesley across the face so hard he staggered backwards.
Everything after that was a blur.
My wolf snapped. I shifted in a split-second and lunged at Gunner. But he was quick, too. His wolf burst out to meet mine and the cabin exploded into a chaos of snarling and snapping jaws.
I dug my fangs into Gunner’s throat, but his fur was thick and matted and my teeth couldn’t penetrate the tangles. A second later, he kicked out from underneath me, winding me enough to get to his feet and leap to the back of the cabin. At that moment it was already too late; he snatched Wesley by the arm and dragged him outside.
“No!”
I was on his trail like lightning. I slammed into him, knocking him to the ground and pinning him.
“Ken, wait!” Wesley cried.
My blood boiling, I paused and looked up. With a gasp I realized that all our friends - including us - were surrounded by unfamiliar alpha wolves.
Beneath me, Gunner barked out a laugh. The sudden turn of the situation loosened my grip, and Gunner was able to slink out from underneath me. He got to his feet, and I realized just how much bigger of a wolf he was than me.
Wesley let out a whimper, holding his arm. I immediately rushed to his side and let him lean on me for support. I quickly examined the wound - it would bruise for sure, but it hadn’t broken the skin. Gunner clearly wanted him in one piece.
My friends - Flint, Charlie, Jericho, Mason, Tyson, and David - all of them were out in the open. Their mouths were curled into snarls and they all growled deeply.
Even with all eight of us gathered here, it wasn’t enough. There were easily ten Scarlet Ridge wolves surrounding us, including Gunner - who was clearly a powerful target on his own. And Wesley wasn’t able to fight, since he was pregnant - bringing us down to seven versus ten.
Was this a fight we would be able to win?
Gunner shifted back to human form to gloat.
“Did you really think you were being smart with your little plan?” Gunner asked loudly. His voice was cold and rang bitterly through the night air. “Really, Wesley. If I had known before what a bad liar you were, I would have chosen a different omega to take your place.”
Wesley’s jaw dropped, but he said nothing. The shock had rendered him silent.
“And now look what a mess you’re in,” Gunner growled. “You’ve caused trouble for everyone around you willing to be on your side.”
“That’s not true!” Tyson snapped. His wolf looked small compared to the other alphas, but he was just as furious.
Gunner ignored him and turned his attention back to me. “So this is the top alpha. A little disappointing, if I’m being honest.”
My ear flicked backwards, but I ignored his remark. He was just trying to rile me up,
but I didn’t know what his angle was yet. Why was he toying with us like this?
“I’ll tell you what, alpha,” Gunner said. “I’ll make a deal with you. Hand over your pack without a fuss, and I’ll let you live. Refuse and I’ll kill you.”
My eyes widened in shock. What kind of a deal was that? My lips curled into a snarl. He still didn’t know that I wasn’t the top alpha, either. How were we going to get out of this?
I shifted back to human form to give him a long, hard stare.
“I don’t care what you say, Gunner. You’re not going to intimidate me into doing anything,” I growled.
Gunner crossed his arms and tapped his fingers, as if in amusement. “I see you don’t value your life, then. How about this instead?”
He nodded quickly, then I heard Wesley yelp. Jolting around, I saw one of his alpha lackeys holding Wesley’s arm between his jaws. The alpha brought Wesley over to Gunner’s side, using him as a hostage.
Now I was stuck. I couldn’t attack Gunner, because he would hurt Wesley.
Gunner stepped towards me. He was massive, and easily towered over me. “If you refuse to hand over the pack, I’ll kill you and your mate. And what he told me earlier wasn’t a lie, was it? That he’s pregnant. So three lives will be lost for nothing. Once the top alpha is eliminated, your pack will have no choice but to join me.”
My blood boiled. How could he talk about hurting my mate and unborn child so nonchalantly? I suddenly realized how foolish I’d been to allow this ambush to take place; I should have never let Wesley talk us into going through with this. For the first time, I was seeing what Gunner truly was - pure evil.
I had to choose my words carefully. He had Wesley in his grasp, and he wasn’t afraid to hurt him. My eyes met my mate’s. I would get him and our child safely out of this situation if it was the last thing I did.
I looked back up at Gunner, who was waiting with a smug expression.
“I’m afraid I have to disappoint you,” I said. “But I’m not the top alpha of this pack.”
Instantly his expression fell. “What!?”
“In fact, there is no top alpha in Indigo Mountain pack,” I continued. “We have no ruler. We live as a community.”