Rendered

Chapter 13

Kenny’s POV:

As I woke up, Jack was the first person who came to my mind. He was still too young to be the next alpha. My brother, his father, was too weak for the role, and my sister was too spoiled to take on the responsibility. "Jack is too young," those words repeated in my mind. Despite that, it fell upon me to take care of the pack and protect them. But now, here I was, feeling like the cause of their potential demise. I found myself in a terrible position, unwilling to open my eyes and face the harsh reality. The weight of responsibility pressed down on me heavily. To make matters worse, I suddenly realized that I might be the enemy territory, making the situation even more perilous. I moved my hand to touch the person sleeping next to me, taking in their scent, finding comfort in their presence. However, that comfort was fleeting as I realized that I couldn't guarantee their safety either. The burden of protecting them weighed heavily on my heart, and I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of the responsibility that had befallen me.

Last night's event came crashing down on me, causing a headache that I desperately wished I didn't have. The fact that I had only managed to get two hours of sleep due to overindulgence didn't help the matter. As I lay there, lost in my troubled thoughts, Nuzo's voice cut through the silence, surprising me.

"You know I can hear you thinking, right? If you don't mind, tone it down. I need some sleep," Nuzo said out loud, even though he appeared to be still asleep, probably caught in a dream. To my amazement, he responded to a question I was about to ask, seemingly reading my mind. "I am not dreaming. Your hand movements were telling me that you're having troubling thoughts," Nuzo continued, his eyes remaining closed. "You know, you have a tendency of expressing your distress, worry, and concern with your hands, without showing any emotions." Once again, I gazed at the boy who seemed to possess an uncanny connection to my inner turmoil, despite being seemingly unconscious. It was an extraordinary and unsettling realization that left me wondering about the mysteries surrounding Nuzo and his unique abilities.

"We have to go; we have about 45 minutes to get the hell out of here," I responded. "Unfortunately for you, Alpha, I am still sleeping. After keeping me awake the whole night, the least you can do is allow me to sleep peacefully," Nuzo spoke and turned to cover himself. I stood up, pulled the covers off him, and sternly told him that we are leaving in 15 minutes, with or without his stuff. With that, I got off the bed, packed my things that were not in my suitcase, and went to take a quick 3-minute shower. In 10 minutes, I was ready to leave; however, Nuzo was still in bed. Gosh, this boy had no idea what was about to come. Us against the whole pack was not going to work.

"If you still want to see your family or have an atom of care for your pack, you will get off that bed," I roared at Nuzo, my frustration evident. "You know threatening me with such won't work, right?" At that moment, I understood why I hadn't met my mate. If I had, I would have died a long time ago. Storming out of the room, I packed only the essential things for him - a cell phone charger, laptop, shoes, and underwear. Whatever clothes remained in the bag would have to do. When I returned to the room, he was already up, wearing sweatpants and using the toothbrush I left for him to brush his teeth. "Let's go, we have 3 minutes to get out of here," I instructed him. Without hesitation, he grabbed his bag and followed me as I dragged mine out of the house.

The moment we stepped outside, we were met by Carlos, who looked distant and disturbed. Unfortunately, I had no time to chitchat with him. Thankfully, he seemed too preoccupied to even care about us. He passed us without sparing a glance. Something was clearly wrong, but I knew that if I asked, we wouldn't make it out of here. In a few minutes, we finished putting our bags in the car and started our journey. I could finally breathe, even though we still had a couple of minutes (30 minutes) to make it out of the pack land. As I glanced at my side, I noticed Nuzo was sleeping.

We had only driven for 15 minutes when I heard screams. Glancing at the rearview mirror, I saw wolves running across the road, perpendicular to our direction. Some were bloodied, while others looked fine but clearly frightened. Among them, I spotted a black, big wolf I knew very well – Tony. He appeared injured, but I couldn't see Tiny anywhere. At that moment, I understood why Carlos was so worried, and I could guess where Tony was leading them. They were under attack, but I had no idea by whom. It was evident they were struggling, and the situation looked dire. If I turned back to help them, there was no guarantee we would be able to turn the tide in their favor. Besides, I wouldn't be able to think straight with Nuzo there, thanks to this bonding complicating everything. I wondered how the other bonded mates managed to deal with such situations.

I drove for another 10 minutes and turned onto the hidden dirt road. Along the way I changed my mind. I had to go help. In just 5 minutes, we arrived at the tunnel, which led to the pack's safe house. The two guards recognized me and without hesitation, they let us pass through the tunnel. The safe house was built by Tony's father in case the pack ever faced a dire situation with little chance of winning. "What is happening?" Nuzo asked, still looking tired, as he gazed outside the window. "They are under attack. I feel it's only fair I help," I responded. "One minute we were running away like rats being chased by a cat, now you want to be Superman? Babe, make up your mind," Nuzo remarked.

Without thinking, I pulled him into a hug and kissed him on the hair and said, "I owe them that much. I promised their father when he was alive that I would help his children if they ever faced difficulties. So, I will do that. You are going to drive to Forest Hill, back to our house. I will meet you there when this is over." I tried to give Nuzo calm and collected instructions, but he firmly stated, "You will not go into any battle without me by your side. You've promoted me to your mate, but that doesn't change the fact that I am still your beta. It's my job to be by your side now more than ever." He was right, and I couldn't deny the truth in his words. But I was torn – now that he was my partner-mate, how could I put him in such a dangerous situation? "Okay, but b..." I began to reply, but my words faltered.

There was a knock on the window, and when I looked, I saw Tiny looking distressed. "He is badly hurt. Without him, we won't win this battle. He tried to get everyone to the safe house, but..." Tiny's voice broke as tears welled up in her eyes. I immediately got out of the car and pulled her into a comforting hug. "I am here now, don't worry. I'll take care of everything," I reassured her. "He meant we'll take care of everything," Nuzo chimed in, petting Tiny on the back. "Where is the Gamma? We need to start the attack plan. Please bring the land map," Nuzo instructed, as he entered the safe house, searching for Carlos, who seemed to be nowhere to be found.

I gently pushed Tiny back and asked her what happened. Something was not right here, If what I am thinking is true, we have a few minutes before all hell breaks lose. “We were attacked on our morning run. They came out of nowhere. They were aiming at Tony and I. But the warriors who were there responded quickly, giving us enough warning to fight back. Tony got hurt trying to protect me.” Tiny paused catching her breath as she was speaking fast. “It was Alpha Lodwig, a month ago when I refused to mate with him after he lost his mate, he promised my brother and I that he will take over the pack and kill our immediate family members,” said Tiny.

Alpha Lodwig was from the River pack, a small but close-knit group. In comparison, the Nene pack was larger and reputedly more powerful. Their stronghold boasted formidable defenses, ensuring the safety of their territory. However, I had a lingering suspicion that there might be a traitor within their ranks. The first individual who came to mind was Carlos, who held the position of leader among the warriors. Strangely, he was nowhere to be found when he was supposed to be guiding and protecting the pack. Moreover, he was entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining the pack's sites and overseeing the warriors. This granted him the authority to permit or deny entry to anyone. I couldn't help but wonder where he was at that moment and what could possibly explain his absence.

"We need to leave this place immediately; it's not safe here. If Carlos is aware of our location, the enemy could already be on their way or might even be here," Nuzo urgently exclaimed. "Charlie witnessed Carlos collaborating with the enemy during the attack. With his intricate knowledge of the terrain, we are at a significant disadvantage," Nuzo concluded.

Tony, despite struggling and looking weakened, spoke up, "Carlos saw you guys leave and informed Lodwig, but he doesn't know you're here." He continued with great effort, "I've managed to tap into Carlos's phone," passing a device to Tiny and me. Tiny was leaning on me for support, and I knew she was aware that Nuzo and I had mated. "When you saw Carlos earlier, he was heading to finish off my family, my mate, and our child," Tony revealed, finally collapsing. He attempted to sit up but failed, and both Nuzo and Charles rushed to help him. "Once they get rid of Tiny and me, Carlos will be their next target. No matter what they promised him, they won't spare him in the end," Tony added with a last burst of strength, realizing he might not have much time left.

"You have to save him, Kenny. Only you can save him, please," Tiny pleaded desperately. Her words puzzled me, and I looked at her, asking for an explanation. "My father once told us a myth that only an alpha from a true Alpha line possesses the power to heal others. If you're from a pure alpha lineage with both parents being alphas, your blood has the ability to heal anyone," Tiny explained. I recalled hearing this tale in our childhood, a bedtime story meant to entertain and inspire wonder. However, Tiny's desperation was apparent, and she seemed willing to try anything to save her twin. Nuzo also glanced at me, sharing the skepticism about the myth that seemed to be consuming Tiny's thoughts. "That's just a story meant for kids. We should get a doctor to treat him properly and allow him to recover. If there's someone you trust, they can take him in my car and seek better medical treatment elsewhere. Meanwhile, we will handle the battle and protect the pack," I responded, trying to be practical and rational in the face of the dire situation. "Please, try it, even if there's a slim chance. I'm begging you, Ken," Tiny implored with a sense of urgency. Her desperation was evident, and I couldn't ignore her plea. However, I couldn't let this distract us from the impending attack we needed to prepare for. "Take him inside and let him rest. I'll come and provide him with the blood," I promised, hoping that this gesture would ease Tiny's worries.

"Nuzo, go with Charlie and assess the number of capable fighters we have. Charlie, show Nuzo the safe house plan, point out its weak and strong areas, and inform him about the current guard positions and their reliability," I directed, trying to get back to the task at hand. "Nuzo, I trust you to handle this situation," I added, looking at him with assurance. "Have the young warrior kids, those aged 15 to 17, and well-trained women take up guard positions. We want the enemy to believe that our best men and strongest warriors have fallen. This will lead them to underestimate the remaining defenders. Spread the word among the young warriors that the Alpha has passed away, and Tiny has fled, leaving them to protect themselves, the other kids, and the rest of the pack. This should compel the enemy to lower their guard, leaving only a few of their forces to deal with damage control."

Before heading inside to check on Tony, I pulled Nuzo aside and embraced him in a heartfelt hug. "If we don't make it out of this alive, or if I don't, please know that I genuinely came to care for you during the time we spent together. I am fully committed to being your mate, even if our union began under less than ideal circumstances," I confessed sincerely to Nuzo. Tenderly, I placed a kiss on his forehead and breathed in his comforting scent. "You're not going to lose me today. So, go inside and save the young Alpha, Dr. Ken. Then, join me in winning this war," Nuzo assured me with determination. He then pulled me into a passionate French kiss, which lasted for a few precious seconds, expressing the intensity of our connection. After that heartfelt moment, we separated and set out to accomplish our respective tasks.