by Noah Harris
He paused, letting that sink in. No one moved and few dared to breathe. They were still angry, he could feel that, but at least they had the decency to look ashamed. If he couldn’t force them to see his perspective, he would shame them into doing so.
It was a trick right out of Eddie’s book.
“For Eddie?” he continued. “For Eddie, you say? Eddie wouldn’t have wanted this. Even if they are responsible for his death, which we’re still not sure of, he wouldn’t want this. He wouldn’t want a war to be started over him. He wouldn’t have wanted a war started over maybes and assumptions. He would be disappointed.”
More people dropped their gazes. There was a lot of uncomfortable shifting and low grumbles whispered between friends. He knew he was winning, and it was time to drive it home.
“Eddie wanted me to succeed him,” he said, voice soft and low, no longer cold but just as passionate. “We thought it would be years in the future, when he wanted to retire, but life didn’t work that way. He believed in me and trusted me to carry on after him, and I will not be responsible for tarnishing his hard work by letting this pack go to war. We will find a way to have our justice, but it will not be while tempers are high and blood is boiling. Revenge is a dish best served cold.”
He had them now. He knew it. He could feel it in the air and the way the tension ebbed. He could smell it in the way their scents lost the bitter tang of rage. He calmed their heat by shaming them, knowing that his words were true and that they’d know it, too. Eddie wouldn’t want this war. And then he brought them peace of mind by promising that they’d get their revenge. He wasn’t dropping the topic. He wasn’t letting them get away with it. He was merely asking them to be patient and go about this the right way.
He still had no idea what he’d actually do about it, but at least now he had time.
“We all know that Eddie chose you.”
Adam stiffened as Millie stood up at his right, rising slow and graceful from her seat. He knew that tone of voice, knew the glint of self-assured victory in her eyes. “Millie,” he said slowly. “What are you doing?”
Everyone’s eyes were on her, curious and confused. Her gaze never left his face. “But he would be disappointed in how far you’ve fallen.”
Adam gritted his teeth, growling, “What are you talking about?” He made his voice low and dangerous, flashing a warning in his aura and scent.
She didn’t back down. She cocked a hip out, lightly crossing her arms in a show of nonchalance. She lifted her chin, blue eyes glinting. “I’m talking about you, Adam. I know what you’ve been up to, and I think the pack deserves to know. They shouldn’t be guilted into blindly following someone keeping secrets from them.”
His stomach twisted into knots, feeling like lead in his gut. His throat felt dry, pulse hammering in his throat. There was no way she knew. She couldn’t. They’d been so careful.
It had to be something different. It had to be some other piece of dirt she thought she had on him. Whatever it was, Adam was certain he could deflect.
He leaned back, turning to face her as he mirrored her stance, crossing his arms. “I have nothing to hide,” he said, challenging her, calling her bluff.
“Oh, don’t you?” she purred before turning to address the pack, raising her voice. “Your Alpha”—she spat the word like it were a curse—“your chosen leader, Eddie’s chosen leader, isn’t telling you the real reason he refuses to go to war.”
Adam’s eyes narrowed at her, and when she met them, she held his gaze. He wasn’t sure whether he was warning her or begging her, but either way he felt powerless in whatever trump card she was about to put on the table. He pursed his lips, shaking his head just slightly, just a small movement that only she would catch.
It did nothing. The edges of her lips curled, a spark lit in her eyes.
“What are you talking about, Millie?” Levi asked, breaking through their silent battle of wills.
Millie’s expression was schooled into a careful mask of disgust, cool anger, and indignant outrage as she pointed a perfectly-manicured nail at him. “Adam is sleeping with the enemy.”
There were several gasps and a lot of low murmurs. Uncertainty spread through the room as well as muffled outrage. Adam’s eyes widened. He barely heard anything over the thud of his heart and the ringing in his ears as bile rose up his throat. Panic. Pure panic. The adrenaline rush was sudden and overwhelming, slamming through his veins and making him dizzy.
“He’s not just sleeping with the enemy,” she continued, gesturing to him while turning to face the table, slamming her other hand down on it for emphasis. “He has claimed a male omega from the New Moon Pack as his mate.” She paused waiting for the stunned silence to erupt in outrage before continuing, louder. “That omega he brought yesterday? Josh? That’s him. He brought that man into our ranks, gave him a tour of our property and our pack house. Do you honestly believe he won’t report the things he saw to his pack?” Her head whipped around to glare at Adam, eyes narrowed and harsh.
“He wouldn’t!” Adam snapped, baring his teeth at Millie, rage and panic flaring hard in his gut,
He realized his mistake too late.
Millie’s smile was victorious, and her voice like velvet and venom. “So you’re not denying that he is your mate, and that he is a member of our enemy pack?”
Adam’s mouth went dry. He opened his mouth to deny it, but couldn’t find his mouth. He snapped it shut, lips pursing into a deep frown.
“Adam,” came a low growl from across the room. It was Henry, Sarah’s older brother and Eddie’s long-time blood brother. He was a big alpha, older, and a well-respected member of their pack. He had been silent through all of the proceedings, but he was standing now, staring Adam down from across the table. His voice was low and grave. “Is this true?”
Adam tried to swallow past the lump in his throat. He wanted to deny it, but something held him back. Maybe it was because he didn’t want to deny his ties to Josh. Maybe it was because he felt the need to stand up for himself. Or maybe it was because he knew that he was panicking, and everyone would be able to easily smell that sour note in his scent. They would all know he was lying.
He stood as straight as he could, meeting the man’s eyes and lifting his chin. “It’s true. Josh is my mate.”
There were gasps around the table, a few shouts, and a lot of angry whispering. He couldn’t hear specific words. They were lost to the din. But he could see their faces. He could see the scandalized expressions and the outrage. The alphas at the table were all jumping to their feet, restless and angry. The betas at the edges of the crowd were anxious, shifting their weight and watching everything unfold.
He lifted his gaze and met Karen’s eyes across the room. She next to the door. She looked wary, her expression hard. He saw the sympathy in her eyes, and knew he had at least one person on his side.
“We thought you were on our side!” someone yelled. He didn’t see who.
“I am!”
“No wonder you’ve been protecting their Alpha!” someone else shouted.
“I don’t give a rat’s ass about their Alpha!” he growled.
“Then why won’t you let us have our revenge?”
“Because I don’t want a war!” His temper was flaring hot, driven by his panic and need to let his voice be heard. He was losing control quickly, over this conversation and himself. He could practically feel the pack slipping through his fingers.
“I bet that little slut of his is a spy. I bet Adam has been telling him secrets.”
“The New Moon Pack probably knows exactly how to strike!”
“They can pick us off one-by-one.”
“Our children are in danger!”
“To think, all it took for Adam to betray us was a pretty face. And a man, no less.”
“Disgusting. Eddie wouldn’t have stood for this.”
“Eddie wouldn’t have chosen him if he’d known.”
“I’ve known Adam my whole life
. He’s never given us reason to think he’s gay.”
“It’s too late, Adam has betrayed us. He brought an enemy into our ranks. He lied to us. And he’s broken several of our rules. He’s no Alpha of ours.”
“He’s not loyal to our pack.”
“I am loyal to this pack!” Adam roared, slamming both hands down on the table. His breath was coming in quick and past huffs. His aura was spiking, raging. He could feel the others in the room pushing against him, threatening to drown him out. They were spiraling quickly, feeding off each other. He needed to take the reins and quickly. He spoke low and hushed, passion and indignant anger clear in his voice. “I am loyal to this pack,” he repeated, dangerous and threatening, like the alpha wolf he was. “I have done nothing except try to do what I believe is right for all of you.”
“And mating with that man is right for us?” Neil spat, but Adam silenced him with a seething glare.
“I chose him as my mate because he made me happy, and he supported my vision for this pack. For peace.”
A scoff from Lily. Her eyes glinted dangerously. “He was using you, Adam, and you didn’t even realize it. He played you.”
“He did not!”
“He played a dangerous game, and he lost,” Levi said, standing straight, shoulders back and chin raised. It was a challenging pose. One that Adam knew well. “I say he pays the price, and I say you be the one to do it.”
“What are you talking about?” Adam growled.
His threats fell on deaf ears, and Levi continued, gesturing to Adam and looking around the room for back up. “I say we kill the omega. Use him as a warning to the New Moon Pack. Let them know that they can’t fuck with us.” His eyes slid back to Adam’s, and they were bright and challenging. His lips curled into a sneer. “And I say Adam be the one to do it.”
“What?” His voice cracked, but he could barely hear it over the sound of his own pulse. His heart felt like it was beating bruises on the inside of his ribcage.
Levi continued, crossing his arms over his chest. “If you want to be our Alpha—no. If you want to continue to stay in our pack, you have to prove your loyalty by killing the slut you call a mate. The spy.”
There was a murmur of ascent, and the uncertainty was washed out by it.
Neil pushed himself to his feet. “More than that. I say if he doesn’t do it, we kill him.” There were more indignant responses to this, which Adam appreciated deep down beneath his panic, but Neil pressed on. “If we just banish him, he can go to the New Moon Pack with his mate and tell them all our secrets. He’s a liability and a traitor. If he can’t prove himself. I say we kill him. By rights of our pack and laws of our people.”
The ringing in his ears was deafening. Everything, all the shouts, be they for or against him, faded out into a high pitched whine. He stood there, outside of himself. His limbs tingled, a buzz of numbness spreading through them. His mouth felt dry, and his chest was constricting. Breathing was automatic, but he couldn’t get more than shallow breaths. His jaw went slack, eyes scanning the room.
He saw their faces as if looking through someone else’s eyes. He felt distanced from his own body, as if he were watching this in a dream from an outsider’s perspective. He simply couldn’t believe that this was him and this was his pack.
His family. His people. His home. Even if he rarely interacted with most of them, they were of the same pack. They all had the same waning crescent moon inked onto the back of their right thighs. They were bound by blood and scent and honor. He was their leader, chosen and honored and respected.
And they turned on him so quickly.
He could see them arguing, even though none of their words sunk in. The declaration was still playing over and over in his mind, echoing between heartbeats.
He watched as the faces of his pack turned from indignant outrage to agreement. He watched as they stopped arguing with each other and turned to him. Even while a few still shouted and raved, most eyes were on him, watching him, waiting for his answer.
He turned slowly at Millie. She was watching the loudest of the group argue at the table. Her eyes were narrowed. Her expression was carefully blank, but Adam saw the cracks in her calm mask. He saw the lines as she pursed her lips into the smallest of frowns. He saw the way her fists clenched where her arms crossed over her chest. He saw that she was a little paler than she had been.
Then she turned to look at him, and their eyes locked once again. She searched his face, and something softened. It was minuscule, something he might not have noticed if he hadn’t grown up with her. It was a softening look that translated to pity. It was almost apologetic.
But then the moment was fleeting and gone. Her expression hardened once again and she turned away from him.
He followed her gaze and realized that everyone was quiet and staring at him.
“What do you choose, Adam?” Henry asked in the tone of one repeating himself. His rich baritone voice was full of warning and apprehension.
“I...” He around the room. He couldn’t feel his voice, and it sounded so far away. Everything was muffled and distant. He searched for allies, anyone who might stand on his side. He found only Karen. Everyone else was hard set in their expression, determined and ready to do what they thought was right. To condemn him.
This was supposed to be his family? Family didn’t turn on each other like this.
“You have to choose, Adam.” Millie’s voice, drawing his attention. Her voice was soft, almost kind in her approach, but stern and unrelenting. She had done this. She may not have suggested he kill Josh or be killed himself, but she had set the dominos to fall. She had given them the push. Did she really hate him so much? “Give up your mate, or face the consequences.”
He could see the plea in her eyes. She wanted him to give up Josh. She probably thought if he gave up Josh, she could save him. She could be his saving grace and bring him back into the pack.
She thought she had him trapped.
“You won’t be able to find him,” He found himself saying, voice barely above a whisper.
“Oh, can’t we? We know his name, and we know where he works. We can find him.”
“Millie, please...” he breathed, a plea, broken and soft.
She gave a subtle shake of her head. “It’s out of my hands now, Adam.” She lifted her chin, raising her voice. “Choose.”
It was then that he truly realized that he was on his own. His pack, his family, had abandoned him. He was alone. He was no longer their Alpha. He was no longer their brother. They had turned so quickly and so eagerly, and he realized now that all his attempts to keep them from war were in vain.
As he looked around the room, he saw familiar faces with foreign expressions. This was not his home anymore.
Then he saw Karen, locked eyes with her from across the room. He was not alone. Her expression was set, mouth downturned and eyes hard, but it wasn’t in anger at him. No, it was anger at their pack. She reached out, silently opening the door and pushing it open, taking a step toward it and nodding with her head. He understood.
They had to run.
He felt like he was suddenly slammed back into his body, abruptly aware and alert and able to hear everything. His heart hammered in his chest. He could feel his entire body, down to the smallest hair. Everything was suddenly heightened, and yet his mind was still processing everything.
He was strong, and he was fast. He was a trapped animal, and he needed to break out of this cage before they could take him.
So he ran.
He threw himself forward, scrambling on hands and feet onto the table. No one was expecting the sudden movement, let alone this one. He could see it in the way they scrambled back, leaping away from the table as they gasped and gaped. He got his feet under him and ran, stumbling down the long table with wide strides before leaping off the other side, landing just a few feet from the door. Then he was diving through it, following after Karen who had dashed out ahead of him.
No one reac
ted until they were already gone.
They came out of their shock and into a rage, shouting his name and storming the halls in their wake.
But they were too late.
Both he and Karen were fast, and they were pushed to the brink of their endurance by adrenaline and panic. They went down the stairs several at a time, whipped around corners, and flew out the front door. They dove into Karen’s car, and she barely had time to turn the key before she was stepping on the gas and peeling through the front lawn.
They tore down the driveway with dust in their wake. Adam looked behind them as they drove beneath the tree cover, but none of their pack mates had even made it out of the house yet.
“Call the others,” Karen said, voice stern and quick.
“What?”
“Call the others,” she repeated, barely slowing before pulling out onto the main road. “Gwyn, Ben, Megan, Tom, Josh. Call Josh first. We’re picking him up on the way home. Tell him to pack a bag for a few nights. And hurry!”
The clock was ticking.
He didn’t have time to explain much to Josh. They needed to move fast. Thankfully, the omega picked up on the second ring and happened to be at home. He tried to tell him what was happening, but his tongue felt thick and useless, panic making his voice cut short as his lungs failed to breathe evenly. He had only succeeded in making Josh panic, which was the opposite of what they needed.
Luckily, Karen was much better about keeping a cool head in these kinds of situations.
With an exasperated sigh, she snatched the phone from him and spoke quickly, concisely. “Josh? This is Karen. I’ve got Adam in the car with me. The pack meeting went nuclear. They know you guys are mates, and they know you’re a member of the New Moon pack. Things got hectic. We’ll give you details later. Right now, we need to move fast. They’re no doubt coming for us. We’re not safe. You’re not safe. We’re coming to get you now. Pack a bag for a few days. Only necessities. We need to swing by, get you, and go get the others. Can you do that? Good. Don’t worry, Adam is fine. We’ll be fine. Just move quickly. We’re almost there.”