“Call for a meeting in an hour’s time. Have the witches on call and wire the alphas involved. It’s time we took this fucker down. What’s the count at?”
“Four hundred and thirty-two,” Darien replied after checking his phone. I nodded.
“Spread farther out if we fucking need to. No one rests until we have what we need,” I ordered coldly before walking away from him, no longer able to control my aura that was swirling around me in waves of darkness.
This fucker has hurt my family repeatedly… but to try to use my own mate against me… the urge to rip him apart piece by fucking piece sounded very enticing.
I was about to go to my office at headquarters, but I didn’t think staying in one fucking room for an hour was going to help. So, instead, I decided to go for a walk around the pack instead, and maybe for a run, a pack that had gone from what looked like more of a military camp to a full-out pack with pups and families. A group of young boys in their teens walked past, laughing and talking, not even knowing the severity of life around them, although they went silent upon seeing me.
“Alpha.” They lowered their heads, clearly realising I was pissed off.
I frowned, looking at the boy in the middle with piercing brown eyes and a tumble of dirty blond hair. Fred’s kid. One I had never mentioned to anyone, although I knew a few might make the link as he looked like the spitting image of him. I had often been tempted to speak to his mother… but I had always decided against it.
“Can I help you, Alpha?” he asked with a warm smile. That was something different from Fred, who had always been quiet and moody.
“No.” He gave me a small polite smile and nodded. “None of you has a fag on you, do you?” They exchanged looks, wondering if it was a trick question, before they shook their heads.
“We aren’t eighteen yet...” one of them said.
“Yeah? I’m sure you all get up to crap,” I said, making a few of them look guilty. Yeah, I fucking thought so.
“But we don’t have cigarettes...”
“Sorry.”
I nodded, motioning them to go as I walked off, leaving them behind and frowning deeply. Azura was his half-sister, and I was sure the day would come when I would have to share that truth… but for now, I didn’t plan on delving into it.
I reached into my pocket, only to frown when I realised they were empty. I needed a cigarette, and therewas nowhere I could fucking grab one. I didn’t want to ask anyone to bring me a pack either because I wanted to be alone…
Kiara. Chained and fucking alone…
I couldn’t have anyone watch her because she could use her command on them. At least the silver in her cuffs cut the mind-link from her. Isolating her.
I sighed as I mind-linked Callum and explained the situation to him.
Don’t worry, Alpha. I will look into drugging her so she is unconscious and can’t harm herself.
Do that.
I cut the link and entered the trees. I removed my sweatpants and shifted. I needed a run to clear my head.
Elijah
Scarlett wrapped herarms around my neck from behind, her breasts pressing against my back as she kissed my neck softly.
“Hey…” she whispered. I stroked her arms, sighing heavily. “What’s on your mind?”
“You know, with Kiara losing control, Alejandro’s plan to leak false information has gone out the window,” I said, turning and looking into her beautiful sage-green eyes.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll sort this out. The other night he mentioned he wanted one of us to stay here… Elijah, will you stay?” Always a beauty, always strong, and always a fearless alpha, but I didn’t want to risk her…
“Kitten, I don’t want you to be out there on the battlefield when I’m here-” She pressed a finger to my lips and shook her head.
“I heal faster… I need to be there. You know we need someone powerful here, too. That’s you. To look after the pups and Kiara,” she replied, frowning softly. I sighed.
“You really haven’t changed. As hot, tight, and stubborn as that first day I realised I was in love with you,” I said cockily, enjoying the way her heart skipped a beat.
“And, although you are super possessive… you have always let me do what I needed to. Never treated me as anything lesser.”
