Code of the Alpha: Shifter Romance Collection

by Lola Gabriel

  They climbed out and headed to the house.

  “So, which room was yours?” she asked.

  Scout peered up at the windows, sixty-year-old memories flashing in front of his eyes, and he slowly smiled. The memories weren't all bad, he realized as a wave of nostalgia washed over him, and he yearned for a past he knew he could never get back again. It was pointless to dwell on the past, no matter how many times he wished he could have changed the events. He glanced up at his bedroom window, seeing himself climbing out of it, sneaking out at night to meet his childhood sweetheart, Kelly, who was the daughter of the local butcher. He’d meet her on the boundary of the plantation, and they’d...

  “Hey. Earth to Scout.” Rayven squeezed his hand, and he was suddenly whirled back to the present moment.

  He turned to her sheepishly, and she raised an expectant eyebrow at him.

  “That one,” he answered as he pointed to his window.

  “Did you ever sneak out in the middle of the night?” she asked.

  “Sure, but at least I didn't get arrested for murder,” he smirked.

  Rayven narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head. “That’s not funny.”

  “You think I was a bit of a rebel then?” Scout asked.

  Rayven shrugged and her lips curved in a teasing smile. “A bit, yeah. Why, am I wrong?”

  “No, you’re totally right. I loved sneaking out.”

  Rayven chuckled, and he brought their intertwined hands up to his face and kissed her knuckles. “Come on. Let’s go inside.”

  Wren’s car slowed down as soon as he noticed the two cars parked in front of the house and he sighed in agitation.

  It felt like only yesterday that he and Liya were here trying to get Illa back from Hunter and his Crescent grandfather.

  When Wren received Cole’s letter in the mail a few weeks ago, he was reluctant to read it, as he didn't want anything to do with Cole. He was convinced it was some kind of ploy because Cole was in trouble or something. He still recalled leaving it unopened for nearly a week, contemplating whether or not it was worth reading. If Liya hadn’t opened it and given it to him, he wasn’t going to respond to it, or even read it. He was a bit pissed that she had read his mail, especially since it had come from Cole, but she had told him to give it a chance.

  Even though he had almost died in that house—again—Liya somehow convinced him that it would be a good thing to see his brother again, and the others as well. Of course, he wasn't as convinced as Liya was, but he was there now.

  “I seriously can’t believe that we’re back here again,” Wren muttered as he parked the car beside the two other cars standing in front of the house.

  “Luckily there aren’t any Crescents here to kill us, or kidnap Illa,” Liya said with a nervous chuckle.

  “You clearly haven’t met my brothers,” Wren mumbled.

  “It’s going to be fine, you know. You took on Hunter, and a bunch of Crescents and you were fine,” Liya reminded him.

  “And I would gladly do it all again than be here right now,” he countered.

  “Well, if you feel that way, start the car again, and we can go,” Liya said nonchalantly.

  Wren narrowed his eyes at her and studied her expression for a few seconds. “You mean that?”

  “I guess, Wren,” Liya shrugged and threw her hands up in the air. “It’s your choice, your decision, but just remember, if you leave now, things between you and Cole will never get fixed. This is basically your last chance to fix things between you and him, and your other brothers.”

  “But they left, they ran away,” Wren pointed out bitterly.

  “So did you,” Liya reminded him. “We came all this way, Wren. Backing out now will only make you a coward, and I know that’s not what you are.”

  Wren scowled at her; his jaw muscles clenched tight.

  “You hate me right now, don’t you?” Liya asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “No, of course not. I just...” His voice trailed off, and he bit down on his bottom lip. “I just don’t know if I can face him after everything he did, and everything that happened, Liya. I was done with all that. I put it behind me and accepted it for what it was. Being here right now just feels like old wounds are going to be reopened, and I’m not sure that I can deal with that again.”

  Liya placed her hand over Wren’s and flashed him an encouraging smile. “I’m right here if you need me. You’re not alone in this, okay?”

  Wren nodded wordlessly and took his key out of the ignition. He eyed the house suspiciously and opened the car door.

  Liya, who watched him carefully from the other side of the car, waited for him to say or do something. When he eventually walked around the car towards her, she slipped her arm around his waist and together they walked towards the house.

  As a grin spread across Kodiak’s usually pensive face, Ferren looked at him in slight disbelief and cocked her head to one side.

  “I bet that I am the only one who’s excited to be back here,” he said to her.

  “I can say that with the utmost confidence, actually,” she answered with a smile and placed her hand on his as it rested on the gear lever.

  “Someone has to be, right?” Kodiak pointed out with a shrug.

  “I wouldn't say that. Cole will be pretty happy to see all of you again. He did invite you all down here, didn't he?” Ferren said and glanced out the window at the trees passing by. They were on the dirt road that led to the old Wylde family home, and Kodiak was a bit nervous being back there, but more excited than anything else.

  He had been looking forward to this even before Cole sent the letter asking them to visit their old home in Minnesota for not only an apology, but also an explanation, and Cole had written that he wanted to get rid of all the bad blood between them.

  They were brothers, after all.

  “He did, and between the two of us, I’m glad he did. I’ve been waiting for this for a very long time.”

  “Just don’t be mean to him,” Ferren mumbled.

  “When have I ever been mean to him?” Kodiak asked indignantly.

  “From everything I’ve heard you tell me about your childhood, you were pretty horrible to him. You had an opinion about everything, and most people think that’s being a bit of a pain in the ass.”

  “Do you think that?” He raised an expectant brow at her.

  “I do, but that’s not the point,” she answered with a laugh. “This weekend is about you and your brothers to talk everything out, forgive each other and re-establish that bond which was decimated by anger, resentment, and guilt.”

  Kodiak narrowed his eyes at her and shook his head.

  “What?”

  “You are so much smarter than people give you credit for,” Kodiak answered jokingly.

  “I’ll take that as a compliment,” she said and stuck out her tongue at him. “But I mean it, Kodiak. The past is in the past where it belongs, and moving forward is the only way to go to make progress.”

  “How did I get so lucky to have such a smart wife?” Kodiak asked.

  “It wasn't luck, Wylde. You and I both know that,” Ferren said with a wink.

  “Right,” he chuckled. “There it is.”

  Ferren gazed out in front of them and gasped. “Oh my gosh. It’s beautiful.”

  Kodiak exhaled heavily as a million memories flashed in his mind and a smile tugged at his lips. He noticed three other cars parked out front, and he parked right beside the nearest one.

  He and Ferren climbed out and quickly headed to the front door. The door creaked open, and Kodiak was pleasantly surprised at how beautifully the inside of the house was renovated. Soft lighting bathed the large living room in a warm and inviting light, wrapping itself comfortingly around Kodiak.

  It’s good to be home, he thought to himself.

  “Where is everyone?” Ferren asked, surveying the empty room.

  “The basement. I can feel the tension from all the way up here,” he answered and le
d Ferren to the steps of the basement. He recalled sitting on those steps watching his parents dancing happily, but as soon as he and Ferren made their way down the narrow stairs, the picture before them was much different.

  Ferren noticed the four women sitting comfortably in one corner of the room, which looked much more like an entertainment area than an actual basement, and she walked over to them.

  They were all gorgeous women, each of them clearly unfazed by the brothers who stood in the middle of the room, quietly glaring at one another.

  “Hey, I’m Ferren,” she introduced herself.

  “Kodiak’s, right?” Asra asked, and Ferren nodded. “I’m Asra. Cole’s.”

  “Rayven. Scout’s.”

  “Liya. Wren’s.”

  “I’m Quinn. I’m with River.”

  “You’re the human, right?” Ferren asked.

  “Yeah,” Quinn answered.

  “Have a seat, Ferren,” Asra said with a smile.

  “Thank you,” Ferren said and sat down on one of the couches, beside Asra. “It’s nice to meet you all.”

  “Same here,” the others echoed.

  “I just want to thank you all for coming,” Asra said gratefully. “It really does mean a great deal to me and Cole.”

  “I just hope they’re not going to be their usual stubborn selves and will actually say something to the others,” Rayven pointed out.

  “They are pretty stubborn, aren't they?” Liya scoffed.

  “The one even more than the other,” Asra answered.

  “Is that a Wylde thing? Or a wolf thing?” Quinn asked.

  “No, it’s just a male thing. They’re all like that,” Rayven muttered, and the women cheered at the truth of her statement.

  River regarded his four brothers, each one looking as stoic as the other, except for Kodiak, who seemed like the only one who was happy to be here. Even though they had not aged at all since he had last seen them, they all looked different. Kodiak had a bit of a beard, and his hair was a tad longer than usual, which was completely unlike him. Scout had gotten a bit of a tan, which made him look completely different. Both Wren and Cole were still clean-shaven, but there was something about them that was different. Was it because they were all happy, and had found their mates?

  River glanced over his shoulder at the five women laughing and chatting as if they had known one another their entire lives.

  “How do they do that?” Scout asked, being the first one to say something—anything—and the others looked at him. “How do women who have never met get along so well, so soon?”

  “Maybe it’s because they have only met,” Wren answered.

  “Or maybe it’s because they feel connected in a weird way by being our mates,” Kodiak said.

  “Why can’t we get along like that?” River asked.

  “Because we have a long-ass history that is as complicated as they come,” Scout answered.

  “Look, I know we haven’t all gotten along for most of our lives,” Cole said and cleared his throat. “Or all of our lives, but I want that to change. The last sixty years of my life were not only challenging and terrifying, but lonely as well. I know it would have been easier if we were still there for one another.”

  “But you told us to split up, and that was exactly what we did,” Scout muttered.

  “When have you ever listened to me?” Cole asked, gazing at each one in turn.

  Scout pursed his lips, raising his eyebrows. It was true. None of them ever listened to Cole, or took him seriously, and it was strange to think that the one comment of his that they took to heart was the one thing that had ripped them apart. Scout wondered what it would have been like if they hadn't split up. Where would they have ended up? Would they have found their mates?

  Scout knew well enough that the forces of nature were much stronger than anything else on this planet. He also knew that when they had left, their entire future had been planned out even before River stepped away from the group first.

  “But seriously, I know that I’ve made mistakes in my life, I know that, but my only intention was to keep you all safe.”

  “The abandoned cabin with the Crescent currency?” Kodiak asked and crossed his arms.

  “I killed the Crescent who owned the cabin and the currency because I found him very close to our house. I was trying to protect you.”

  “Why did you keep the gold? You could have burnt it along with all the belongings inside the cabin,” Wren said.

  “The Crescent was the son of the Alpha back then, and they would have seen the smoke.”

  He really was trying to protect us, River thought to himself.

  “You were my brothers, and I would have done everything I could to keep you all safe. So did Mother and Father.”

  The other four stared at him with perplexed expressions, and Cole cleared his throat. “Mother and Father didn't want to flee the house with us, because the Crescents would have found us, picking up on their scent. Father used to be a Crescent before we all were born, and even before he met our mother. They knew his scent, and that was why they kept finding us.”

  “So, it wasn't you. You weren't in coalition with them after all?” Wren asked.

  “No, I wasn't. I still despise them with my entire being,” Cole answered. “More than ever, actually.

  “So do I,” Kodiak agreed.

  “Yeah, me too,” Scout said with a nod.

  “How do you know all this, Cole?” River asked.

  “Mother’s two brothers came to me not too long ago,” Cole answered.

  “DeGraw and Laswell,” Kodiak blurted out.

  River, Scout, Wren, and Cole glanced at him in surprise, and Cole asked, “How did you know that?”

  “Mother told me about them a long time ago. They’re Defenders, specifically trained to keep members of their family safe, regardless of where they are,” Kodiak answered and motioned to the necklace of their grandfather’s fang around Cole’s neck. “They gave you that.”

  “They did.”

  Scout shook his head in confusion and turned to Kodiak. “Did you know all this was going to happen?” he asked. “The fire? Us splitting up? And everything else?”

  Kodiak lowered his gaze for a few moments and nodded. “I did.”

  Wren and Scout glared at him angrily, but Cole and River seemed much more understanding.

  “How could you not tell us, Kodiak?” Scout asked.

  “You could have saved us a lot of pain and suffering!” Wren spat at him.

  “It was necessary,” River answered.

  “Necessary, my ass,” Wren muttered.

  “I wasn't allowed to warn you about it. I had to let nature run its course,” Kodiak defended himself, but Wren scoffed and turned away. “If I told you all about it, what would you have done about it? Nothing, because none of us can change the path that we are meant to be on. If I’d warned you about the fire, you wouldn’t have found your mates. We would probably still be running away from those Crescents, still feeling trapped and terrified. Look at us now. We’re Alphas, with our own packs, our own mates, and we’re living the lives that we had wished for ever since we were younger. Why throw that away?”

  “Kodiak is right,” Cole said. “We have amazing lives. I’m going to be a father soon, and even though I am absolutely terrified, I can’t wait, because I’m going to be the best damn father to my son that I can be.”

  Scout and Wren exchanged glances, and Scout cleared his throat.

  “I know I wasn't the best brother to you all, but honestly, we weren't very good to each other all the time, either. That was why I wanted us all to be together again. Even if it’s just for a weekend. I just want to talk to all of you again, and remember what it feels like to be surrounded by my blood,” Cole explained. “I’ve missed you guys so much.”

  Wren sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “I’ve missed you, too. All of you.”

  Kodiak glanced at Wren and Scout and smiled slightly. “So have I.”<
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  “Life hasn’t exactly been boring without you, but there have been quite a few times when I wished that you were there with me,” River added.

  Cole smiled at him, then turned to Scout, holding out his arms to his brother.

  Scout shifted around uncomfortably and shook his head. “You know I don’t like hugs, Cole.”

  “I know; I just don't care,” Cole smirked as he put his arms around Scout’s shoulders and embraced him tightly.

  Scout’s ice-cold exterior melted and he put his arms around Cole. “You’re such a sap.”

  “I know,” Cole chuckled and loosened his embrace, looking directly at Scout. “I am sorry for everything I did that gave the impression that I didn't care about you, all of you.”

  “As you said, Cole, we all did questionable things too, things that we regret, but I think it’s clear to see that we’re all sorry for those things, or we wouldn't be here, right?” Kodiak said.

  “We were all assholes to each other,” River added. “I’m sorry, too. Especially for being the first one to leave.”

  “Me too. I was angry about everything, all the time, and I apologize for that,” Wren said.

  “I’m sorry, Cole. I didn't know why you did the things you did, and I never took the time to understand why you did them,” Scout said.

  For the first time in a very long time, the five brothers embraced one another, not because they had to, but because they realized that there were always two or more sides to a story. Sometimes the worst actions are done for the best reasons, and family always protected one another, regardless of what the other had to sacrifice.

  “Can I just ask one thing?” River requested after they were done hugging each other. “It’s been bothering me for way too long.”

  “What’s that, River?” Cole asked.

  “What the hell did you and Father talk about in his study?” River asked.

  All eyes were on Cole, and he chuckled light-heartedly. “We listened to jazz and Father taught me to dance the way he danced with Mother in the basement when we were asleep.”

  Kodiak smiled at the memory in his head and patted his brother on the shoulder.