The Alpha's Fight

Chapter 19 - Be Better Than Revenge

2 months later

Autumn was spreading and settling in all around. The forests were quickly turning from their shades of greens to reds, oranges and yellows, and the crisp shed leaves littered the forest floor. There was still the odd day of warmth, but the cold claimed most of the days now. Unfortunately, the cold wasn’t just the temperature.

Behind me, Scott mumbled a few words to Jayden and stiffly walked away without another word.

“You and Scott still not talking?” Sloane phrased it more as a complaint than a question.

“We're not not talking. We're just…” I tried to find the right term.

“Not talking,” Jayden stepped next to me to fill in my blank space.

Since our fallout two months ago… we hadn’t truly spoken since. After leaving Taylor’s home, reluctantly, and tearing myself away from the comfort of his warmth, I had tried to apologise to Scott, but it had blown up spectacularly.

He said I was becoming obsessed with Taylor. I said he was being ridiculous and it escalated from there. It ended in him shouting if I wanted a repeat of Graham and Joseph because all I seemed to care about was rutting away with my mate, and I shouted back how the f**k would he know how to put aside the mate bond when he had no one.

We were both shitty to each other and had said terrible things in the heat of the moment. And now, any time we were around each other, the tension was almost unbearable.

“Do you know how long two months is when you’re stuck between a pair of stubborn pig-headed men?” Sloane huffed, throwing her arms up in the air. “84 years! That’s how long it’s felt like. Stop being jackasses and just admit you were d***s, already.”

Fortunately, we were the last at training and my father was nowhere in earshot to overhear.

"I know! Ok?" I hissed, running a guilt-laden hand through my hair. "But he doesn't understand. He's never had to hide like we do."

Scott just didn't get it. He knew, but he didn't know. He could walk hand in hand with someone he liked, someone he was dating, mate bond or no, and no one would blink. He had never had to hide a natural part of himself that he had no control over. He hadn't had to keep his greatest love a complete secret.

"Hunter? At the risk of you snapping my head off," Jayden expelled a heavy breath and avoided my eyes. "Scott kinda… has a point…"

My fists balled at my sides in irritation and I bit my tongue. However, despite my best efforts, a snippet of Hawk's growl came forth.

'Why is every fucker determined to have an opinion on our dew drop?!' He bristled, his temper prickling. 'The next person that gives their two cents, tell them to f**k off.'

Each day, he was becoming more and more protective of our Omega mate. Taylor was gentle and hated violence or blood. He needed our protection and, for my own sanity, I needed to see that he was safe as often as possible. Though I would admit, the guy was excellent in self-defence. I had caught sight of him a few times in the Omegas training once a week. He may have hated physical fights, but it hadn't stopped him from having some decent skills.

"I'm not taking sides," Jayden continued and, with our trio as the last ones on the training field, we began our walk back. "But I've noticed a difference in you, both good and bad. You seem much more relaxed, you actually smile easier now, you don't scowl anywhere near as much as you used to, even when your father's around. You're also a lot more distracted. I can see your brain right now circling back to him. You were supposed to come with us to meet up with Klay last month and you blew us off."

I was about to argue, my words hung on the tip of my tongue ready to pounce on my defence, but it sounded lame.

I had meant to go, and I intended on it, with Taylor by my side, to introduce him properly to the others. But he had cut himself in work, and as soon as I was able, I went to make sure he was ok. As an Omega, his healing was far slower than mine, although he had mentioned it had increased a little since our bond came to be. Seeing for myself how much slower his healing was brought home how much more vulnerable he was… and it had me debating if dragging Taylor into my mess was a wise decision.

"You've immediately gone back to thinking about Taylor again haven't you?" Jayden huffed. "This is exactly what I'm talking about. Hunter, please, be careful and, for all our sakes, pull. Your. Head. Outta. Your. Ass," and she punctuated each word with her finger stabbing my chest.

She strode away in the same direction Scott had left. The two still lived together in a small suite in the pack warriors' quarters.

Sloane brushed her hand with mine, "I get it, I really do. Hell, I could barely keep my hands off of Imogen before the mate bond. I love Jay and Scott but they really have no clue what it's like to fight something like this, fight the urge to mark our mates. There's times I feel like my skin is about to explode if I don't mark Imogen soon."

She kept her head facing forward, not focusing on any one thing in particular.

"You've started something here, Hunter. Something big, and I'm scared we're all gonna have to make some painful sacrifices at some point…." the sigh she made may have been small, but it was loaded with more than a glum pessimism. "Just don't lose sight of the bigger picture."

"How's your side?" She asked after we were silent for a while, wanting to change the subject now the pack house had begun to come into view.

"I've had worse from him, believe me."

It had been a while since my father had broken one of my bones in training, but he had succeeded today. The rib had been a clean break and had healed fast, much faster than before I had found Taylor to be my mate. Another argument I internalised for keeping my mate close by. We made each other stronger. The cuts on my lip and brow were healed. My bones were another matter and were determined to scream in pain.

The first hint of the crescent moon began to shine in the sky despite the sun still setting, descending behind the mountainous horizon. Without warning, Sloane suddenly grasped my hand.

'Something's wrong,' her breath hitched and her eyes darted. 'Imogen…'

She took off running, mind-linking me with distorted and panicked messages about an altercation, one involving that young Alpha she-wolf…

I kept up behind her as she ran for the main door of the pack house. Only designated members could enter the main wing and Alpha quarters ever since that girl, April, had been brought here. Sloane had only been permitted before because she had been accompanying me in the past, giving the impression we wanted that we were each other's fling.

The sounds of shouts and feminine screams ricocheted throughout the downstairs. Heavy footsteps were approaching from the seldom-used kitchen and the cries grew louder.

On instinct, I grabbed a hold of Sloane to place her behind me and out of danger as an appointed guard carried the tall frame of April over his shoulder. She kicked and swore, with surprising vigour for a 16 year old, the whole way out of sight through the door that led down to her basement cell. I had never seen it and no one was ever allowed down there except her tutor, the odd maid for cleaning and a guard that accompanied her everywhere. There was never a time she was without one. I couldn't help the frown on my face as she was carried past me. I hated looking at her. She was a bitter reminder, that as it stood, I could never have Taylor how I wanted, not with her looming over me.

The next sounds that caught my attention were that of a man, shouting profanities from the kitchen where the fiasco seemed to originate from. Keeping Sloane behind me, I quickly walked us through to see a warrior hauled out through the half-glass double doors leading to the outside from the kitchen through a porch. Imogen was steadily getting to her feet, clearly shaken and rattled, wincing at the words hurled at her by the warrior.

"It wasn't my fault! It was the little she-wolf w***e. She was throwing herself at me!"

A growl rippled through me and my aura flared, the hackles raised along Hawk’s spine in my mind. One, that the man would speak of my friend in such a way. And two, I recognised him. One of the loyal dogs that was involved in the execution of Taylor's parents. The memories of that day drowned me once again. The helplessness that flooded me at the time that I could do nothing to stop it.

I gripped Imogen's shoulder to steady her, "what happened?" I mouthed.

She seemed to be in shock and unreachable via mind-linked in her dazed state. I could see Sloane over my shoulder, desperate to comfort Imogen, to hold her, embrace her, but she couldn't. A pain I knew in the deepest recesses of my soul.

Imogen nodded slowly, looking out of the doorway after the warrior.

'I thought if I distracted him… she could get away…' she shook, her bottom lip trembling.

'Oh f**k,' Hawk sweated in dread. My father could kill her for this if he suspected she did this deliberately.

I looked up at the warrior, struggling in the hold of two others to break free. If he had any chance to speak in front of Nicholas, he could seal Imogen's fate… and my father would be here any minute.

Before I could even conjure another thought or course of action, I caught the split-second movement of the warrior about to shift. How his body tensed and stilled. His furious eyes set on Imogen through the doorway.

He broke free, and he lunged.

I flung Imogen aside, shifting and intercepting the wolf, barreling him into the grass. We rolled, with him landing on top and he thought this meant he had the upper hand. It didn't. Our jaws latched to his neck, catching and nicking his jugular. Blood rained down from the wound, coating us, and he immediately began choking, falling back and shifting back to his human form. He would bleed out before he healed, but I wanted my personal revenge. Revenge for Taylor. Revenge for Graham and Joseph.

We stood, shifting back, and I sized him by the neck, holding him clear off of his feet and squeezing.

I had my excuse to deal with him now. To stop him exactly how I wanted to when I couldn't. And I wanted him to know why.

'You murdered my mate's parents. This is for him,' I emphasised the last word.

His eyes bulged, and his hands weakly clawed for freedom before he went limp. I dropped him, closing my eyes as a fleeting sense of accomplishment and satisfaction washed over me, quickly replaced by a cold hollowness. An empty victory.

A small hand grasped my arm, 'Hunter?' A tiny voice whispered.

I looked down at the worried and wide blue eyes of Imogen.

"The blood isn't mine," I rasped, uncaring for my naked state.

Nudity within shifted werewolves was second nature and few held any shame about standing in front of others, bare.

Sloane approached too, hesitant, about to say something when she stalled. Like me, she could feel it. My father's aura, approaching from the treeline surrounding the pack house.

"Oh s**t," she whispered, genuine fear clutching her as it did with most when Nicholas drew near… including me, still, after all these years.

I moved in front of Imogen and Sloane, protectively.

'Stay behind me. Keep your heads down and don't look at him.'

At the sudden movement of being shoved behind me, and in fear, Sloane grabbed hold of my bicep to steady herself.

Nicholas emerged from the trees and the few present averted their gaze and bared their necks. I kept my head up, meeting his eyes.

"An Alpha never looks away." That was one of his 'lessons'.

He swept his gaze over the scene, taking in the dead man at my feet, my bloodied state and the two-she-wolves I was shielding.

"Seems you've dealt with my problem for me, son," he enunciated. An unreadable expression glazed his face, gauging me for my answer.

I was still none the wiser as to what had actually happened. Everything had occurred so quickly, all I knew was what I could piece together. The warrior I had killed must have been April's guard, and, in a moment of insanity, Imogen had tried to distract the guard to give April a route of escape.

"Yes, sir," I answered simply, not knowing what else to say and fearing anything else could implicate my friends behind me.

The two men that had dragged the accused warrior outside would have been acting on my father's orders. He would only know what was told to him. And what that was, I had no clue. I had to tread carefully.

"I'm proud," he gave me a long, sick, appraising look. One which turned my stomach. "Showing the pack not to touch what's yours. Keep as many she-wolves as you wish. As long as you know anything that gets in the way of you claiming the Alpha girl as your Luna, will be removed."

His eyes flickered to Sloane and Imogen behind me. His threat made clear. I might have to distance myself from both of them after this. I couldn't have them targeted by my father as a threat to his master plan.

I nodded stiffly, acknowledging I understood, just as he wanted. Turning swiftly, I grabbed hold of both she-wolves and marched them alongside me.

'Imogen, you're gonna tell me everything that just happened.'

There was one place I knew I could take them where we would be safe. My bedroom.

'Is everything ok?' Taylor's voice filled my mind, his worry seeping through our bond.

Fuck, he would have felt everything with me, too.

'It's fine, don't worry,' I lied.

'Like he's gonna buy that for a moment,' Hawk muttered, rolling his eyes at me.

'Hunter, I can tell when you're full of shit.'

'Told ya,' my wolf pranced, strutting his smugness.

'…As soon as I can get away, I'll come to you. I promise I'll tell you.' I couldn't keep this from him.

I sagged against my bedroom door as soon as it closed. "I'm gonna take a shower, then I want to hear what the ever living f**k that was down there."

Imogen nodded, looking everywhere but at me. She rarely trained and hadn't much experience around post-shifted wolves. She was one of the few where nudity was still a hangup.

Once I was clean, I came out of my bathroom with a towel wrapped around my waist.

"Well?" I looked at her expectantly.

"I was instructed to teach the Alpha girl some cooking and she had her guard with her…" Imogen began, keeping her head turned elsewhere as I dressed.

I dropped my towel and yanked on a pair of boxers, followed by a pair of dark blue sweatpants and a fitted black t-shirt.

"The guard… he kept looking at me, making comments and flirting. I thought…" she hiccuped, obviously still shaken. "I thought if I could use that and distract him… that girl could escape… but she barely made it past the door. There was a warrior outside who spotted her… the guard cussed me out and I got shoved to the floor in the chaos… the rest you saw…"

I wiped my hand down my face in exasperation, furious that she would risk herself so foolishly. I took a deep breath, reminding myself that she was just trying to do something good.

"Imogen, that girl is never, and I mean never, left out of sight. My father knows her every step. At best, she would've gotten a few feet from the pack house, that's it," I pressed. "What do you think Nicholas would have done if I wasn't there? He could have killed you as an example. You're lucky he didn't, even with me there."

"I'm sorry… I didn't think it through…" Imogen sniffled.

Her mate moved to wrap her in her arms, rocking her to and fro. It reminded me exactly where I needed to be. The sun had set and a blanket of deep blue darkened the skies as my cover.

"I think you two should stay here tonight," I offered. "As insane as it sounds, you'll be safer. Just in case. I need to see Taylor about all this. He felt it through the bond and that guard… he helped kill his parents. Taylor needs to know."

"Are we really gonna be safe here? On our own?" Sloane sounded hesitant, eyeing the door warily.

"He never comes in here. Even when I was a pup, he never came once…"

I looked around the room, suddenly feeling a little lost. This place was both a sanctuary and prison, where I spent most of my childhood and how I became adept at climbing drain pipes and sneaking out. I was always terrified if I went out of my door, he would be there somewhere on the other side. The only person that came was the odd house Omega to fetch me for mealtimes. And then they'd walk me back.

"He'll mind-link me if he wants to know where I am, first. But if you're worried or scared about anything, you get out, down the drain pipe under that window," I indicated the one I used as my escape. "You can mind-link me anytime for any reason and I'll come back. But I can feel Taylor's worry. I need to tell him what happened today."

"Whatever you do, try and keep it down. And please don't do it in my bed?" I winced. "I've already got a list as long as my arm of things to talk to a therapist about and I'd rather not add to it."

"I can't make any promises. Your floor might get christened though," Sloane chuckled, and harder after she caught the red showing on my face.

I groaned and grabbed a couple of shirts for them, so they would have clothing to sleep in should they need it.

"Here, put these on. They'll coat you in my scent. If he does come here… it'll give the impression we were together," I shuddered, disgusted that I was using them to establish some cover of being a man-w***e playboy.

"Gross," Imogen wrinkled her nose.

I was of the same sentiment. She was like a sister to me. They both were. "Yeah, it's not a mental image I want either. I've seen enough of the both of you to scar me for life," I remembered back to the moment I met them.

Hawk laughed, finding some strange humour in the memory. 'You did grow a beard.'

Huh, I suppose I did.

I moved to the window, once I had sprayed and pocketed my sent cover, looking over my shoulder one last time. "Remember, I'm just a mind-link away. I'll try and be back before dawn."

"Dawn? Jeez, does that guy's ass ever get a rest?" Sloane snickered and I returned to my tomato-red flush.

'Not if I had it my way,' my wolf nudged me to the window. 'That was a hint, human. Move.'

I took a longer way around to Taylor's home, stopping repeatedly on the way to listen out for anyone following. Once I was certain it was safe, I approached the back of the property and let myself in. Taylor normally left the door unlocked for me when he knew I was on my way. I heard the footsteps rushing down the steps and he skidded to a stop on the tiled kitchen floor.

"Hunter! You're ok? You're not hurt?!" He instantly began inspecting me for physical injuries.

It was cute how he fussed. I healed faster than he did and aside from some bruising from training, I didn't have a scratch left on me. I pushed his hands away and pulled him into my chest, tilting his head up to kiss his lips till my lungs burned for oxygen.

"I'm fine, I promise… but something did happen…" I began, pressing my forehead to his, and told him the reason why he felt my apprehension, my rage. "...and I killed him. I know it's not all of them that took your parents from you, but it's a start."

He didn't react as I thought he would. He frowned, backing away from me a step.

"I don't want revenge, Hunter."

"What?" I was at a loss for words. "...He was one of them that killed your family. How would you not want him dead?"

"I've made peace with it. I might've wanted revenge when it first happened. But it won't bring them back, nothing will. Living for revenge doesn't feel pleasant, it just feels like another prison. Do you feel any better for it?" He tilted his head back, his beautiful golden-green eyes searching mine.

No, I didn't.

I still felt the weight of failure that Graham and Joseph had died, that Taylor's parents had joined them as a result of that failure. The satisfaction I had felt had vanished as soon as it appeared, replaced by a bitter taste.

He cupped my face with both hands, looking intently into my eyes. "Be better than revenge."