The Lost Alpha

Search for survivors

After almost 2 hours, Daphne finally received a link from one of the warriors.

Luna, there are no signs of our Alpha, nor the Beta or the Gamma.

Have you found any of our warriors at all?

No, Luna. And there is no sign of where they went. However, it is still unsafe to go out. Alpha Roman has stationed warriors all around the pack territory, including inside the pack house.

That means Roman is hoping we are still on pack lands somewhere.

What should we do, Luna?

Come back for now. We will wait ‘til morning and check again.

Yes, Luna.

Daphne sighed. She still couldn’t feel or link Karter. Now she was downright scared. She wasn’t worried about the wolves Roman left behind. They would never find anything useful. All of their important pack documents were kept in a safe in the bunker in preparation for a situation such as this. She was more concerned about what Roman was doing to her mate and the rest of her pack.

Daphne went in search of Jackie and Marlene. They needed to set a temporary plan in place while they waited for the coast to clear.

“Ladies, we need to set up sleeping areas for the pack members. We need to get the omegas and the warriors to help as well. The sooner we get everything ready, the sooner people can try to get some rest.” Some had set up their pallets on the floor and were resting, but it wasn’t the most comfortable place to sleep.

“Jackie, have the warriors get together and set up all the cots. Marlene, I want you to get Mable and the omegas and help the warriors set up the cots. When they are all set up, start leading people over to them. Make sure each cot has a pallet, and each person has a pillow and a blanket. Keep families together!”

“Yes, Luna,” Jackie and Marlene replied together before leaving and sending instructions through the mind-link. Daphne started going through the crowd and checking on her remaining pack members. Even though she was terrified, she still had a job to do and a pack to run.

Back at Death Valley Pack….

“What do you mean you can’t f*cking find them?” Alpha Roman roared, his eyes pitch black.

“The warriors have searched the entire pack house and the land. Every house and every building has been checked and they found no one,” his Beta, Seth replied. Even he was scared of his Alpha, as was the rest of their pack.

Alpha Roman punched the wall, leaving a hole behind. “They have to be there somewhere. A whole pack doesn’t just f*cking disappear!” he shouted. “Tell the men to stay there and keep searching. They are not to leave that territory until that little b*itch is found and brought to me.”

“What about the rest of the pack?” Seth asked.

“If anyone else is found, kill them. All I want is the girl,” Roman replied.

“Yes, Alpha,” Seth said. Roman dismissed him and he gladly left.

Roman started pacing his office, thinking about where they could be hiding the girl. It had been two days and he still couldn’t get that dumb*ss Alpha to talk. The rest of his pack wouldn’t talk either, even after all the pain and t*rture he'd put them through. He may just have to step up his game.

Dean. He mind-linked his Gamma.

Yes, Alpha.

Meet me at the cells. I have a new plan for that s**thead. If he won’t talk, I’ll make him talk.

On my way Alpha.

Roman cut the link and headed down to the cells. His Beta and Gamma were already waiting at the entrance and Roman signaled to the guards to let them inside. They headed straight to Alpha Karter’s cell. He was hung against the wall with silver chains on his wrists and ankles. He was bruised and bloody, with cuts all over his body. Roman and his wolves had been cutting Karter with silver knives and injecting him with Wolfsbane to keep him from healing.

Alpha Roman instructed the guard to open the cell so he could enter. Seth walked in behind him carrying a bucket of cold water, which he threw into Karter’s face.

“Wake up you filthy pig!” Roman shouted. “I have some questions.”

Karter looked up, hatred filling his eyes. “F*ck you!” he spat out. His reward was a fist to his jaw.

“You want to try again?” Roman asked wickedly.

“I will never tell you where my daughter is. If your son turns out anything like you, I feel sorry for any she-wolf the Goddess pairs him with.”

“Hmm, I thought you might say as much. Seth, grab one of his un-mated warriors and bring him here,” Alpha Roman commanded. Seth quickly left the room and came back five minutes later with Wayne. He was one of the un-mated warriors. Seth was pushing him from behind to avoid touching the silver chains on Wayne’s wrists. Seth led Wayne into the cell, then Roman kicked him behind the knees. Wayne fell on his hands and knees.

Alpha Roman gave Karter an evil grin. “I’m done asking Karter. Now I’m going to give you an ultimatum.” Karter remained silent, glaring at Roman. “Every evening, I will come down here and if you don’t tell me where your daughter is, I won’t keep asking, and I won’t t*rture you for the answer. I will kill one of your warriors. Right. In. Front. Of. You,” Roman said to make his point.

Wayne looked up at Karter, but there was no fear in his eyes. At that moment, he wished he could link his Alpha to tell him to stay quiet. Wayne didn’t exactly want to die, but he was willing to give his life to protect his Alpha and his daughter. He only hoped he could communicate these thoughts with a look.

“Now, if you won’t tell me what I want to know, I will start with this one right here,” Roman said as he yanked Wayne’s head back by the hair. Roman stroked Wayne’s neck with the tip of the knife he had grabbed. Wayne still refused to show any fear.

“Now is your chance to change your mind, Karter. Tell me where your daughter is or I will sl*t his throat.”

Karter looked at Wayne, pained to see one of his best warriors facing death. But he couldn’t give up his daughter. She would never be safe again and he would not do that to her. Karter saw Wayne staring at him and Wayne lightly shook his head, telling Karter to stay quiet. At that moment, Karter knew Wayne was willing to die to protect Celeste.

“Alpha,” Wayne said, “it has been a pleasure knowing you and serving under you. Celeste deserves her chance to be happy.” Both men nodded at each other and Karter knew what he had to do.

“You will never, ever have my daughter. I pray the Goddess strikes down you and your entire pack. You’re a weak and pathetic excuse for an Alpha. Go f*ck yourself.” Karter spit at Roman. Karter would die before handing over Celeste to this monster.

“As you wish,” Roman said before he sl*ced Wayne’s throat from ear to ear. Alpha Karter felt Wayne’s death as his link broke off from the pack. He knew his entire pack was also feeling the loss of a pack member. Karter roared loudly in anger and in grief.

Roman laughed evilly. “Maybe you’ll think twice tomorrow night, huh Karter?”

Roman continued to laugh as he left Karter’s cell. He didn’t even have to give his pack members instructions; they jumped right into action to dispose of Wayne’s body. Seth gave Karter another injection of Wolfsbane before leaving the cell and having the guard lock the door.

This onslaught went on for a week. Every night, Roman went down to Karter’s cell with both Seth and Dean. He would have an un-mated warrior brought into the cell and make him or her kneel. Every one of Karter’s warriors gave him the same look of determination that Wayne gave him, ensuring Karter that every one of his wolves was willing to die to keep Celeste safe and away from this sick b*stard.

Every night, Karter would refuse to give Roman what he wanted, and every night Roman would sl*t the throat of the warrior in front of Karter and Karter would feel each loss as death broke their links to the pack.

After a week, Roman was beyond p*ssed off. Every single wolf he killed showed no fear of death whatsoever. Each one of them was willing to die for their Alpha and his daughter. Roman realized he wasn’t going to get answers this way, so the following night he took a new approach.

“Dean,” he said to his Gamma after they entered Karter’s cell the next night. “Get me one of the mated warriors,” he ordered.

“Y-yes, A-alpha,” Dean stammered before he hurried away.

Roman picked up the bucket of water and threw it at Karter to wake him up. “Well, Karter. We seem to have reached an impasse and I need to try another tactic," he said as he approached Karter. “I wonder what it would be like to watch a wolf suffer the loss of a mate.”

Karter growled at Roman’s words. “What the f*ck are you up to, you p**chopath?”

Roman smirked. “You’ll see.” Just as he said this, Dean came in with a mated warrior. John was mated with pups. Karter knew his death would be felt more harshly by his family. He was starting to lose hope.

John was knocked to his knees like all the others, and like all the others he showed no fear. He stared at his Alpha with a grin. He knew his life was over. He wouldn’t want Alpha Karter to give up Celeste just to save him. Goddess knows he wouldn’t want either of his pups to be sacrificed in this way.

“Are you ready to give me what I want, Alpha Karter?” Roman asked him.

Karter spit in Roman’s face. “Go to h*ll a**hole.” He then looked at John and mouthed I’m sorry.

John smiled reassuringly. “It’s alright, Alpha Karter; you’re doing the right thing. I would do the same in your shoes. I’ll see you on the other side. Tell my mate and pups that I love them.” These were John’s last words before Roman sl*t his throat.

Karter watched as John’s body fell to the floor, blood pooling around him. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could endure this. The beatings and injections he could handle. This c*rnage, this was the real t*rture.

Later, in the middle of the night, Karter heard noises coming from outside. It sounded like a struggle. He stayed alert in case something happened. Karter heard the outside door open and then something heavy fell down the stairs. He waited anxiously as he heard footsteps and shouting coming down the hall.

“Here! I found him!” Karter looked up to see Drake, one of his warriors, standing outside of his cell. Another warrior, Steve, soon joined him.

“What are you two doing here?” Karter asked them. “You’re supposed to be protecting the remaining pack members.”

“Actually, Alpha, Luna Daphne ordered us to come rescue you and the warriors,” Drake responded.

Karter saw more of his warriors heading down the hall to the other cells. Drake and Steve put gloves on to get the silver chains off of their Alpha. Soon, all of the warriors were being led out. Karter saw Luke and Tony and they looked even worse than he did.

“Come on Alpha, we have to get going. Quickly!” Steve said to him.

Karter made it outside and he inhaled as much fresh air as his lungs could handle. It had been over a week since he’d been down in the dungeons, in the dark.

“Alpha, how did every warrior get captured and none of them killed during battle?” Jake, another warrior, asked Karter.

Karter thought back to that day and felt disgust that they’d been tricked so badly. “All of Roman’s wolves had Wolfsbane on their claws, but only enough to neutralize our army and keep them from fighting back.”

As Karter and his pack got closer to the tree line, he heard a howl. “F*ck!” he said, “They know we’re gone. We have to hurry.” He knew it would be hard because most of the wolves were injured but they had to try. They all ran as fast as they could, but they didn’t anticipate that Roman would have warriors posted in the forest.

Slowly, Roman’s wolves started coming forward one by one until there were at least a hundred wolves guarding the tree line. Karter felt his heart sink. He knew they couldn’t win this fight, not in the condition he and his pack were in. He mind-linked them anyway.

OK, men. I just want you to do your best to stay alive and get to safety. Go for the kill only if you can and have to. Otherwise, I want you all to try to get out of here.

Yes, Alpha. They all replied in unison.

Those who were able shifted and formed a line in front of those who couldn’t.

The two groups rushed at each other, Roman’s army trying to kill as many of Karter’s pack members as possible, Karter’s pack trying to break through the line to safety. The Solar Eclipse wolves fought their hardest and did their best, but they started to fall one by one. Karter felt the death of each warrior and the pain he was feeling slowed him down. He heard a growl behind him and turned around.

Alpha Roman was standing there naked, having just shifted back to his human form. Alpha Karter stayed in wolf form. He planned to kill Roman the first chance he had. Alpha Roman started to chuckle in an evil way.

“Tsk, tsk, Karter,” he started, “all these lives lost, all over one little she-wolf. And all you had to do to prevent this was to promise your daughter to my son. We could have aligned our packs. Now, I will hunt down every last one of your pack members and kill each of them slowly.” Alpha Karter growled at this and lunged for Roman’s throat.

Roman shifted quickly and ducked to the side, causing Karter’s wolf to miss his target. The two wolves started to circle each other, each looking for an opportunity to go for the kill. Karter charged at Roman and Roman swung his paw just in time to catch Karter’s snout, ripping through the skin.

This caught Karter off guard, causing him to pause. That was all Roman needed to lunge for Karter’s neck. He sunk his teeth in and ripped Karter’s throat out, ending his life. Roman looked around the battlefield watching his army take down the rest of Karter’s warriors. He shifted back to human form and stood there with arms crossed, laughing maniacally as he watched the end of the battle.