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“Where is Sam?” I asked through grit teeth, feeling as hot anger coursed through me.
He sniveled and tried to yank out of my grasp, but it was no use. I had him pinned. His arm was broken without a doubt, and since he was one of Sam’s more loyal betas, I didn’t feel as bad for picking him as my victim. It would heal completely in a few hours anyway.
“Where is he?!”
He flinched at my harsh tone, and his shoulders slumped as he gave in. “He’s at Serena’s.”
Serena. My jaw clenched at the mention of her. She was one of the eligible women in the pack, and at one point, I had eyed her as a potential mate. She had undoubtedly upped the charm when she found out I was heading for the alpha title, but it seemed that was the only thing she wanted. Not me.
“Does that mean anything to you?” Ezra asked, watching the encounter closely. His observation skills never failed him, and he must have picked up on my slight hesitation.
“No,” I managed, pushing away the slight burn of it. Throwing the shifter to the ground as he curled up in pain, I gestured toward him. “Bring him. We’re going to my old stomping grounds.”
Jacob grabbed him by the back of his jacket with a nod and hauled him to his feet. He followed along with the others as we moved through the trees, heading straight for Sam’s location.
With no lookout, we had the element of surprise on our side. I wanted to take Sam off-guard, to see him scrambling after everything he did to me.
“I can’t wait to meet the prick,” Ethan commented with a satisfied grin. It’s been a long time coming.”
“You’re telling me,” I returned, pushing through the underbrush. “Sam’s had this coming for a while.”
Together, we broke through the tree line, and the place I was prepared to defend with my life came into view. There was something bittersweet about the small town. It was close to how I remembered, aside from the obvious places where Sam’s leadership had begun to fail.
The town was laid out like a web, with all the public buildings in the middle. Most of the humans stayed and managed their businesses downtown, while Sam and the pack owned most of the west side, surrounded by trees and privacy.
There were a few pack-owned businesses in his area, along with the rec center, which had become a sort of meeting place and the gym. Everything had been lovingly built and established by the alphas before him, but it quickly became evident that he was prepared to do the bare minimum to preserve it.
Stepping onto that soil again and spotting a few shifters walking through the middle of the grounds ignited my anger.
I was supposed to be alpha. Everything and everyone within that property was supposed to be mine to protect. I had fully intended to until Sam took it all away from me, but even then, I never forgot about them.
I nearly lost myself in the pain, but having the guys behind me reminded me to keep my head long enough to put Sam in his place.
Eventually, a few heads turned at our arrival, and I watched as the dots connected through their eyes. They noticed us and the beta being dragged along as he reeked of fear.
That fear was like a stake through the heart after everything that happened, but I would’ve been ridiculous to assume they’d throw me a parade. To them, I was a monster who claimed an innocent life and nearly gave away our existence to the humans. Sam brainwashed them, and they needed my help.
Even if they hated me at that moment, I was determined to get them back. To prove to them that I wasn’t the man he made me out to be.
Walking by the rec center, I found Serena’s house and stopped. The others did the same as they took it all in. By then, many of the pack members had entered the street, all watching curiously despite their concern. I recognized many of them, and it made the reality of it hurt even more.
I had grown up with those people, and many of them feared what I was about to do.
“Sam!” I shouted, digging into my anger. “Come out. I want to talk.”
There were hushed murmurings on the street and the gentle shake of the trees around us in the wind.
A moment passed, and then the front door finally opened. Sam peered out, looking annoyed at being disturbed before the realization hit him. Recognition moved through his features the moment he met my gaze.
Shirtless and somewhat rumpled, the alpha stepped out of the house and tried to maintain confidence and apathy. In reality, he smelled just as afraid as his followers.
Serena peeked through the crack of the door, and she, too, seemed more than surprised to see me. She hesitated, not wanting to come out fully.
“What are you doing here, Levi?” Sam asked, pulling in a corrective breath. “You’re not supposed to step foot on this territory.”
“Or what?” I asked, curious to hear what he’d say. “You’ll take me down, along with my friends here?”
Sam glanced at the men standing behind me, all leaders in their own right and just as prepared to fight as I was. I didn’t miss the hard swallow that traveled down his throat.
