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"I'm not the same little boy you used to beat and lock in his room. Don't insult my mate again, or else next time, I won't leave you breathing."
Liam walks over to me and gets me into the truck. Within a minute, we are heading down the driveway and back into town. Looking back, I see Arthur trying to stand up while a couple of wolves come rushing out of the woods, and in the front window stands Sarah, holding Ben.
We'll get them out no matter what.
Shit, all we wanted to do was talk. This is getting very messy.
Chapter 20 - Liam
My mind hasn't stopped racing since we left pack lands. Seeing Dad's face again and hearing his voice brings a million memories to the forefront of my mind. What bothers me the most is that he had the audacity to say he was proud of me. Like everything I have done in my life is to make him proud. My grip tightens on the steering wheel while I try and fail to calm myself.
Paige hasn't said anything since we left; she holds my hand the entire drive back to the motel. In such a short time, she has become a comforting presence to me, which is crazy to think about. The motel comes into view, and I pull into the parking space in front of our room. Putting the truck in park, I ask Paige to wait; because she is amazing, she does. I climb out of the truck, walk over to her side, and open her door. She turns to get out, but I lean in and pull her into my arms. Taking in lungfuls of her scent is comforting. She wraps her arms around me and hugs me back. We don't say anything for a long while, which I appreciate. Finally, I pull away and look into her eyes. She places her hands on either side of my face, swiping her thumb over the stubble I need to shave off.
"We'll figure this out, Liam. I promise."
I lean in and kiss her perfectly luscious lips, the softness contrasting my hardness.
"I love you, Paige. I'm not sure what I would do without you here."
She kisses me back, leaning her head against mine. "You don't have to find out."
I help her out of the truck and we walk over to our room.
"I'm going to hop in the shower. I need to wash the blood of myself."
"Sure, I'll grab you some ice for your hands." I take Paige's hands and kiss the backs of them, turning to head to the shower.
The shower helps to slow down my thinking, which is an added benefit; by the time I get out and into fresh clothes, Paige has found an ice machine and filled those thin bags with it. I really don't need the ice, my knuckles are already starting to heal, but I think she needs to do this. A knock sounds on the door, so I get up to answer it. Thorn stands on the other side assessing me, likely able to tell I got into a fight.
"Who won?"
I smirk at his comment. "I did."
He nods his head and walks inside as I open the door. Going back over to Paige, I sit on the bed beside her. Thorn leans on the wall directly opposite us. Crossing his arms and legs must be his preferred stance; he stands like that a lot. The tension in the room is palpable. I'm just waiting to hear what Thorn has to say.
"I'm not sure I can handle the silence in the room. Feels like we are on some secret mission." Paige laughs a little at that, but I can tell she is nervous and uncomfortable. Everything in me wants to comfort her, so I lift her up and place her in my lap. She squeaks a bit, but she lets it happen. I rub soothing circles on her back, and she melts into my embrace. Thorn grunts, which draws attention to him.
"I have a contact in the Portsmill pack that I met with this morning. He gave the same assessment of the pack as Isaac did. It seems the dynamics of the pack have gotten worse since Mic took over as Alpha. Not only has he built a fighting ring where fights are made a spectacle, but he is also enforcing the old practice of arranged matings. On top of that, they are using silver as a punishing method for minor infractions. The council has been keeping tabs on the pack, but some of this information is news to them. They want him replaced as Alpha. There seems to be enough dissent in the pack to rally support for a challenge and legally change the pack that way instead of requiring a team from the council to go in and forcibly change the Alpha."
"So you think the pack wants a change? They won't fight back against a new leader?"
I'm not surprised Thorn has been keeping such a close eye on the pack, though it is surprising that the council didn't know how bad it had gotten. I guess it shows they aren't as all-powerful as people like to think.
"It would seem that way, yes. The previous Alpha did at least offer a way to rise in the ranks and become more influential in the pack. Mic has focused on his chosen few; they run the upper ranks, and while they may be the strongest, it seems like they are the most unhinged in the pack."
"Damn." I rub my face, trying to wrap my head around this.
"I think you should challenge Mic for the Alpha role."
Thorn just drops those words so casually, like it makes perfect sense that I would challenge Mic.
"What! No, no, he is not challenging Mic. We came here to meet his brother and Arthur's mate and take them away to safety if they wanted. We did not come here to challenge Mic and take over the Portsmill pack!" Paige looks overwhelmed at the idea; her breath is coming quicker, and she seems to be vibrating with unease. I pull her tighter into my chest as I try and calm her. Once she has finally calmed down enough, I look at Thorn.
"I'm not sure I would make a good Alpha. Besides, Paige is right, I only came here to meet my brother and help him and Sarah if I can."
"I understand that, but this could solve your problem and save a lot of people. I know there is a lot of bad blood with this pack; trust me, I know, but someone needs to step in. I'm certain the pack will rally support for you and welcome your challenge."
"If you're so keen on someone challenging Mic, you do it." Paige is looking at her brother with terror and anger. I'm not so sure she is angry with him, but rather angry at this situation.
