Rise From the Ashes

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Rise From the Ashes Page 24

by Noah Harris


  Then he stared down into her face.

  Her hands clutched at him, white-knuckled and desperate. Her face was frozen in fear. Gone were the hard lines of an Alpha, leaving behind only the soft desperation of someone about to die. Her hair was wild and loose, blowing in the breeze that innocently whipped past the building. Blood smeared her porcelain skin where claw and bite marks marred her flesh. Her body was bare, and she looked wild, but there was nothing about her that looked like the Millie had come to know.

  She didn’t look like his enemy. She looked like the friend he had lost.

  He’d never seen her as vulnerable as she met his gaze in that moment, silently pleading in open fear. It didn’t suit her. She had always been strong. Even after what she had become, even after everything she had put him through, he didn’t like seeing her this way. She deserved better. Had she died during the fight, it would have been better, easier somehow. A wolf’s death. An Alpha’s death. This, falling from a rooftop, was another thing entirely.

  But he had a choice to make.

  As far as anyone was concerned, he had won this fight. With Millie in this position, completely at his mercy, he was officially the winner. If he let her fall now, in front of several of the more influential alphas of their pack, he would be the undisputed leader. He would be Alpha again. It would be a show of power, and they would actually submit to him again. He knew that. He knew he could go back to the pack house with these alphas licking their wounds and their tails between their legs to spread the word that he was in charge again.

  But how long would that last? He knew now that he didn’t want to be their Alpha. He wanted his small pack of close friends, of his family. He wanted Josh and Karen, Gwyn and Tom, Ben and Megan. He even wanted Nadia there. He didn’t want to run this big pack and take part in their blood feud. He didn’t want to be responsible for them. He didn’t know how he could trust them after this, and they wouldn’t trust him. It would only be a matter of time before they revolted again, until he was challenged, and what then?

  He could save her, pull her back up and use his victory and her shaken state to leave with his friends in tow. He could save her and walk away from this.

  But would they let him?

  After he saved her, Millie could order they be stopped, and the pack would listen to her. Or they could all decide on their own to stop Adam and the others from leaving. They had Adam and his allies outnumbered. He didn’t know what kind of injuries his pack had sustained, but he knew they could do it.

  He could save her, but there was no guarantee he’d be allowed to walk away. There was no guarantee Millie wouldn’t just try again another time. They could still hunt him until they got what they wanted. Wolves were stubborn and resilient. They might not stop.

  It would be easiest to let her fall. In his show of dominance, they would let him leave. Without Millie, they’d be scrambling for leadership. It would give him and his friends time to settle somewhere else. And after this display of power, they might respect him enough to not come after them. They could be free.

  No matter which way he turned it, it was clear they’d be safer if he let Millie go.

  But he couldn’t bring himself to release his grip, nor could he bring himself to pull her up. They were locked in a stalemate, frozen in time as the decision he had to make weighed heavily on the both of them, as their grips slipped inch by agonizing inch and his arms and shoulders screamed in protest at holding her weight.

  Time passed in his heartbeat. One beat. Two.

  He counted ten before he felt a hand on his shoulder, jerking his attention away from Millie. He jumped, his grip on her slipping. She yelped, and his fingers tightened. But then Josh was there, at his side. Someone must have untied him during the fight. One hand was laid over his shoulder, kind and comforting, lending him strength. He met those beautiful green eyes, searching his own for something, searching his face.

  Then Josh’s lips tilted into the smallest of smiles. There was no humor there. There was no happiness. His eyes were still alight with hurt and anger, but there was a chaos of a million other emotions, too complex to name. His smile wasn’t one to express contentment. It was one to acknowledge Adam’s decision, one to let him know that it was alright, that he was there to support him in his choice.

  It took Adam two more heartbeats to realize that Josh had read his mind before he was even aware he had made a decision.

  He felt his lips curve into a mirroring smile, thankful and grateful to have this omega at his side.

  He nodded, and Josh nodded in return, silent exchange complete. His hand slipped down Adam’s arm, and he bent over the half wall to grab at Millie’s arms. When they both had firm grips, they dug their knees into the side of the wall as leverage as they pulled her up. They grunted against the weight, tired and worn muscles straining, but slowly, she rose up and up, and then her knees were over the wall and she was scrambling to safety.

  They stumbled back, catching her before she could collapse.

  The three of them stood like that for a moment. Millie bent her head forward, body visibly shaking as she panted, trying to collect herself after her near-death experience. Adam and Josh each held one of her arms. They made eye contact and then slowly let her go, stepping away from her and moving toward each other. Without their support, she fell to her knees, arms wrapping around her middle as she shook. Josh slipped an arm around Adam’s waist, fitting against his side and letting Adam stand tall, but subtly taking on some of his weight, allowing Adam to lean on him under the guise of Alpha protectiveness.

  The rooftop was silent as the werewolves gazed down at Millie. He could feel the eyes of the others on his back, but none of them moved. They all waited. Right now, this was Alpha business.

  Adam waited for her to collect herself. Part of him just wanted to turn and leave and not look back, but he stayed where he was. If he didn’t make sure this was settled, it could come back to haunt them later. So he waited as her breathing went from the rapid shallow breaths of a near-panic attack to something calmer. She looked small and vulnerable, prone and naked before him. He wasn’t used to seeing her this way.

  After several long moments, Josh detached from his side, pausing a moment so Adam could readjust his weight before the omega slipped away. He kept his eyes on the Alpha in front of him, but his ears tracked Josh as he shuffled around the roof. It was only then, hearing the sound of his shoes on the loose gravel, that he realized that Josh was still fully clothed. He hadn’t shifted like the rest of them and probably hadn’t participated in the fight. He felt relief at that realization.

  When Josh returned to his line of sight, he was carrying a jacket. It wasn’t Millie’s, and it didn’t belong to their friends. It must have been one of the other alpha’s. Josh stepped forward and draped it gently over her bare shoulders.

  She flinched away, head whipping up to stare at him with wide, confused eyes through a curtain of wild hair. He didn’t move away. He set the jacket firmly over her and gently squeezed her shoulders, offering her a sympathetic smile before backing away, returning to Adam’s side. She watched him go, confusion written across her features. Adam understood her confusion. It was more kindness than she deserved after what she did to Josh and what she put them through.

  But that was his omega. Kind to the core, warm and welcoming. Forgiving, though Adam doubted he’d forget.

  The gesture wasn’t meant to cover up Millie for modesty’s sake. They were wolves, and the need to strip before the shift left them with far looser standards of modesty than humans. Adam had a feeling the gesture had something to do with warming her, shielding her against the wind and comforting her enough to stop the shivers that wracked her body.

  At the heart of it, however, the gesture was a gesture of mercy. Just hours before, Josh had been under her complete control, at her mercy, his life in her hands. Now she was at theirs, and Josh was showing her a simple kindness that Adam doubted she had shown him. He was being merciful and kind, but
he was also subtly dominant. He was the mate of the winning Alpha, meaning he had far more power right now than she had, and he was being gracious with it.

  Eventually, her breathing regulated, and her shivers stopped. Her eyes remained fixed on the ground between them, and when she spoke, her voice was strangely void of emotion. “So what now?” she asked, and while her voice was carefully blank, there was an edge of defeat that lingered. Resignation.

  “Do you submit?”

  She tilted her head then, hair falling to the side as she gazed up at him through her lashes. Even in defeat, she was defiant, eyes narrowed fiercely. Her lips pursed into a thin line. “You won.” He supposed that was as close as he was getting to hearing her say it. “Why didn’t you let me fall?” Her voice was barely above a whisper. Even with his hearing, he strained to make out her words. “After everything I did... why?”

  Adam put his arm protectively around Josh, leaning his weight into him. “Because letting you die... That’s not who I am. That’s not who I want to be. I don’t agree with what you’ve done, what you’ve become, but I know the girl who used to be my best friend is still in there. I did it for her, and for myself.”

  Several emotions passed over Millie’s face. Hurt. Guilt. Pain. Sorrow. She ducked her head, hiding behind her hair. “So what now?” she repeated. “You won. You can be Alpha again.”

  “I don’t want to be Alpha,” he said firmly, hearing the shuffles behind him at the declaration. Millie lifted her head, lips parted in surprise. “I’m not coming back to the pack. They’re yours, Millie.” He reached out his free hand, and she stared at it for a long moment before taking it, letting him pull her to her feet. Her balance was wobbly, but she stood strong, meeting his gaze. “I’m leaving. We’re leaving, and you will do nothing to stop us. You can keep your pack and your position as Alpha. As long as you leave us be.”

  He dropped her hand, and her gaze roamed over him, searching his face before moving on to Josh, then behind them to where the others stood.

  “The issue won’t be dropped so easily,” she said softly, eyes returning to him. “The pack is still restless after your betrayal. They’re lashing out because you’re an easier target than all of the New Moon Pack. If we return and say we let you go, they’ll still demand we go after you. My position is still new and rocky. I don’t know if I can hold them back.” Her gaze wandered then, looking out over the roof as she shuddered. “Especially after they hear how I lost.”

  “Then tell them you won.”

  Her eyes returned to his, wide with surprise. “What?”

  “Tell them you won. Tell them Josh and I are dead.” He could feel Josh looking at him then. He went on. “I might as well be dead to the pack after what happened. It’ll be easier this way, and they won’t be worried that the New Moon Pack has their secrets. Tell them we fought and you won. Tell them we were executed. Tell them that you have our deaths covered with the human authorities. No one will question you.”

  Her gaze flickered over his shoulder, uncertain.

  “Make them swear a blood oath,” he continued, drawing her attention again. “Use your power and dominance as Alpha to make them swear on their blood that they won’t speak of the truth of what happened here.” He gave her a small wry smile. “You’ve always been good at getting your way. Your position as a female Alpha might have a rough start, but I know you’ll be able to handle it.”

  Her lips mirrored his own. “Nice to know I have your vote of confidence.”

  “So do we have an agreement?”

  She glanced over her pack again. “Even if we press the issue, how will we get them to agree to take the oath?”

  “I can help.” Josh said, clearing his throat. The two of them stared, almost forgetting he was there. They hadn’t expected him to speak up during a negotiation between Alphas. Josh, to his credit, didn’t back down or falter under their gazes. He stood taller, lifting his chin. Adam felt a surge of pride. Josh met Millie’s gaze. “The New Moon Pack don’t know that I’m leaving. I haven’t officially done it yet. No one thinks twice about me. They just see me as a quiet omega of little consequence. They talk around me because they don’t see me as a threat. I can ask around and find out who killed your old Alpha.” He looked between Adam and Millie. “I can give you specific names so you can have your justice without starting a pack war.”

  They were quiet for a moment, regarding Josh with newfound respect. He looked determined and strong. Complex was Adam’s shy little omega with his kind heart. There was no uncertainty about him. Adam believed he could do exactly as he promised he could.

  Millie nodded slowly. “That... could actually work.”

  Adam held out his hand. “A truce?”

  She took it, small smile returning as her confidence bled back in, reforming her as the Alpha she was. “Truce.”

  Adam dropped her hand and turned to go.

  “Adam?”

  He glanced back at her, eyebrow raised. “I’m sorry about everything,” she said softly, raw and genuine. “I didn’t think it would spiral out of hand like this.”

  He nodded. “I know, Millie. I know.”

  They turned to the rest then. They stood in two groups, everyone bared and naked with their clothes strewn across the rooftop. Their hair was wild, and blood marred their skin, but they were all alive. He took a moment to look over his friends, noting the lack of any significant injuries. They were all smiling small ghosts of smiles. He nodded at them, and they nodded back. He stood next to Millie, both strong, scents undeniably Alpha.

  One by one, the others dropped to their knees, bowing their heads in submission. With Josh warm at his side, and Millie a temporary ally at his other, he felt strong, despite the ache and weariness that started to settle into his body.

  The wind rolled up over the rooftop, caressing the bare skin of his back and pushing, making him stand tall.

  Kites rise against the wind, not with it.

  Adam stepped back, hands on his hips as he looked at the picture on the wall. It was a large poster, taking up a good portion of the wall right at eye level. The background was the ocean, rolling waves lapping up against a beach, with a spotless sky above, and a lone kite being tugged along.

  The words that were scrawled across in neat, white print read: “Kites rise against the wind, not with it. -Winston Churchill.”

  It had taken him months of searching to track down the same poster that had been framed in his old office. He’d found several similar ones, and he’d found several with the same quote, but none of them would do. He wanted this one, specifically. It held a very special place in his heart.

  “Is it straight?” he asked, tilting his head to both sides as he tried to determine for himself. Reaching out, he tipped the frame a little more, trying to get it just right.

  “Yes, it’s fine, Adam. Stop fiddling with it,” Josh said, amusement in his voice as he laid a hand on Adam’s arm, gently pulling him away from the wall. Adam stepped back with him, but kept his eyes on the poster, eyes narrowed as he evaluated the area. Josh chuckled, wrapping his arms around Adam’s waist and leaning his head against his shoulder. “It looks good.”

  “You think so?”

  He nodded once. “I know so.”

  “Thanks for helping me find it,” he said, draping an arm around Josh’s shoulders.

  It had been nearly a year since they left their old packs, nearly a year of building up their lives anew, nearly a year of officially and openly being mates, and Adam still felt a little thrill humming through his body every time they touched. Every casual touch brought with it a warm jolt of electricity that he hoped would never fade. And the happiness he felt at being able to show his affection publicly was a feeling that never got old.

  “I knew how much you wanted it,” Josh said. His lips were curved into a small, fond smile. “Now will you stop fiddling with the poster so we can go home? It’s the full moon tonight, and I want to be with our family.”

  Family.
<
br />   Adam’s chest swelled.

  “Yeah,” he said softly, giving the poster a final once over. “Yeah, let’s go.”

  They drifted back to their separate offices and packed up their things, organizing all their paperwork and shutting down the computers. With the full moon that night, Adam knew he wouldn’t be doing any extra work at home, so he decided to just leave everything where it was. Josh must have been thinking the same thing because when Adam caught sight of him leaving his office, he was empty-handed.

  They met back up in the hallway, and Josh automatically pressed against Adam’s side, and Adam draped an arm loosely around his shoulders.

  They stopped as they passed Rob’s office, and Adam rapped his knuckles against the door before poking his head inside. “Hey, man, we’re about to head out. You good to lock up?”

  Rob looked up from his computer, lazy smile stretched across his lips. “Yeah, no problem. I’m just finishing up a couple of emails and then I’m out of here, too. Anyone else around?”

  “Nope, you’re the last. Everyone else left around five.”

  “Gotcha. I got it covered. You guys have a good night.”

  Adam gave him a smirk and a little salute. “Thanks, man. You, too.”

  “Oh! Also, we still down for drinks this Friday?”

  “Yup, we’ll see you there.”

  “Bringing the gang?”

  “Whoever wants to come, yeah.”

  “Cool, can’t wait.”

  They waved goodbye, and Adam slipped back out into the hallway with Josh. Their office was small but cozy. It had just enough offices for their needs as well as a little pod of cubicles, and a reception desk. They’d purchased the property for cheap, and had worked hard to make it presentable and homely. He owed a lot of that to Josh, who had taken it upon himself to make the inside of the office as welcoming as possible. He’d done well.

 

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