Alpha Rising

Chapter Forty-Three

Unknown P.O.V.

Dirt and gravel shifted under my misshapen paws and a snarl pulled my upper lip back. I ducked down into the brush encircling a small cabin at the Moonstone pack’s northern border. It had taken my band of rogues some time to travel all the way down to Mississippi for this, but it would be worth it. 

My sights zeroed in on the hulking form through the window. The blinds were drawn, but I could see the man’s silhouette from the back-lit room. Alpha Nelson Curtiss. I growled low, but not low enough. The she-wolf to my left rammed her shoulder into my side and shot me a glare. She was right, and I hated her for it. I didn’t have the time or the freedom to let my anger make me careless right now. 

We were on a mission. 

I was just thankful that our chemist had been able to recreate the same sort of balm that pack hunters used to mask their scent. It was keeping us safe while we were on our own hunt. 

We heard voices, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying with any definition. But the second voice was what had my ears perked up high. The door to the cabin slammed shut, and my attention snapped over to the yard. 

Streaming out on his own came the Alpha’s young son. Only eleven years old, I think. But he had the Alpha blood, and that was what mattered. His age was only a benefit. Being so young, he wouldn’t have his first shift. And that meant that he wouldn’t be able to mind-link with anyone. Perfect.

The last time we’d tried, we’d gone after a crowd that was far too old. They were able to shift and even killed a few of my good fighters. That b***h from the Black Opal pack was strong, I would give her that.

I crouched low to the ground, the sound of my breathing the only thing permeating my senses as I watched this kid meander across the yard towards the tire swing at the treeline.

It was now or never. My partner met my eyes and waited for my signal. Once I jerked my muzzle up abruptly, we both lunged for him. 

The pup didn’t even get a chance to shout before we descended on him, knocking him unconscious and stealing him away into the treeline. My partner took the balm and smeared it over the child’s face and legs, and slowly his scent started to fade away. We worked quickly to bind his hands with rope and hooked his arms around my neck. 

My partner draped the unconscious child over my shoulders and off we went, sprinting as far to the North of the claimed Moonstone territory as our overburdened legs would carry us.

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Alvira’s P.O.V.

It was a godsend having my Father here in Star Garnet this week, honestly. We’d made some amazing progress with my training and I was really starting to feel more confident about the Elder’s decision to acknowledge me. 

I was slated to go back to Black Opal with them the next day, and Amelie was already anxiously awaiting our return. True to his word, Nikolai had started spending more time around me and not fighting against our mate bond. But we still hadn’t marked each other. I felt the drive to every time I saw that soft spot at the crook of his neck, but I knew that it wasn’t the right time. 

Amelie was telling me that we had to wait. He would be ours forever, we just had to wait. Her soft voice kept me calm, and I eventually grew to be used to her presence in my thoughts. At times it was still jarring, but on the whole, it was starting to really become a comfort. 

Nikolai was sitting on the edge of the pool, his legs dangling in the cool water as he watched me float lazily by on one of those large inflatable pizza slices. Even though we couldn’t mind-link, I could still read his thoughts plain as day. He was staring down at me with hunger and with the same passion I stared at him with. 

Alban splashed by, hauling a laughing Jacob in an inner-tube. After this week, I was pretty sure that Dad would be having a pool put in at the Black Opal pack house too. 

“Hey,” I laughed, shielding my face from the flailing water. “Watch where you’re spraying.” I wasn’t mad, but giving my siblings a little bit of hell was definitely a good thing. When I wiped the chlorinated water from my eyes, I looked back up to my mate only to see that he was gone. 

I was about to ask Alban if he’d seen Nikolai get up when a thundering force from beneath me flipped my float and toppled me into the water. I yelped in shock at the cold water on my skin, and sputtered and coughed when I resurfaced, only to see Nikolai nearly doubled over in laughter, his slicked back hair wet and clinging to him. “You absolute ass, Nikolai!” I yelled playfully, splashing a handful of water right into his stupid face. 

“You made it too easy,” he said, backed up by the excited applause of my two brothers. Nikolai reached forward and pulled me close by the waist, pressing a firm kiss to my lips before letting me go and swimming to the edge to hoist himself out. 

I followed after, swimming to the stairs at the shallow end of the pool and dunking Alban on the way. My twin wasn’t too happy, but Jacob sure was. And that was really all that mattered. 

The four of us were making our way out of the pool and toweling off for dinner when Nikolai suddenly went stiff. From behind, I could see that he froze almost completely, his left hand shaking slightly. All at once, he whipped around with this frenzied look on his face and shouted down at us. “Mind link your father,” he said. When Alban tried to ask why, Nikolai shook his head and said it again with greater urgency. “There was another attack down south.”

My hand flew to my mouth as I let out a gasp, and I looked over to Alban only to see his eyes already glazed over. 

I was shocked at how little time it actually took us all to towel off and gather in the meeting room on the main floor of the Star Garnet house. Dad had set Jacob up in the daycare with a few other young kids from the pack, and he joined me, Nikolai, Alban, and the other ranked members as we crowded around an office phone.

We had other pack leaders on a conference call and were getting the rundown from Moonstone’s Beta, Patrick. Their Alpha’s son had been abducted, and so far they couldn’t find a thing.

“Alpha Nelson is currently out with the first scouting party,” he said over the secure line. “No scents, no blood, thank the Goddess.” That was at least a relief. 

“No scent?” I added once it was clear enough in the conversation not to interrupt. “Are you certain?” 

“Yes,” Patrick replied. I could tell that he was frustrated, but he was sure as hell holding it together incredibly well. 

Alban looked up at me, already knowing where my train of thought was going. “The wolf who broke into Vira’s room last month didn’t leave a scent behind either,” he said. Dad looked shocked and concerned at both of us and visibly bristled. Oops. Apparently, we’d left that part of the ordeal out of our description to him. 

“So you think they’re related?” Nikolai asked, looking back at the phone. 

“It could be,” Patrick sighed. “I know that things are rough up there right now,” he added. “But we really need that task force finalized.”

My cheeks pinked with excitement and rage all mixed into one. We’d talked of the task force to hunt these rogues nearly four months ago now. And while most of the packs were still in the process of training fighters to be what we needed, there were enough forces accumulated between Star Garnet, Bloodstone, and Black Opal to make a difference.

“Okay,” I said with a firm nod. “I’ll pack my bags and fly down tomorrow.” Nikolai looked positively petrified, but my father laid his heavy hand on his shoulder and shook his head. I nodded in thanks and got a few more details from Beta Patrick before disconnecting the call and waiting for the unholy shitstorm that was going to be my mate and my twin trying to keep me from doing my damned job.