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As we drove toward the jail, I couldn’t shake the foreboding that settled over me like a heavy cloak. The night seemed darker, the shadows deeper, and whatever awaited us at the jail would test our strength and resolve.
“Are you ready for this?” Tori asked. She sounded steady, but I could sense the undercurrent of concern lacing her words.
“Ready as I will ever be.” I gritted my teeth. “This ends tonight.”
We stepped into utter chaos. Snarls and howls reverberated through the air, punctuated by the occasional shout or curse. Shifters in various stages of transformation milled around, their faces twisted with rage as they clamored for dominance and control.
“Enough!” My voice rang out like a gunshot, and for a brief moment, the commotion ceased. But it was only the calm beforethe storm, and soon enough, the rabble surged forward once more.
“Listen to me. We’re here because someone wants us divided. They want us weak. Don’t you see that?” I yelled.
“Ridge is right!” Jaxon boomed above the din, lending my words strength. “We have to stand together against our enemies, not tear each other apart.”
“Greenthorne promised us freedom! Power! What do we get with Ridge? More of the same!” a shifter bellowed from the crowd, his words fueling the fire once more.
“Is that really what you believe?” I snarled, my wolf straining to break free. “That kind of power comes at a cost. It corrupts, destroys. And if we let it, it’ll be the end of everything we hold dear.”
Another voice rang out, its hatred pressing down on me. “Your ancestors hunted us down like animals. How are you any different?”
“Because I’m not my ancestors!” I roared, my anger flaring to life. “I’ve fought tooth and nail to protect this pack, and I’ll continue to do so until my last breath!”
“Give him a chance,” Jaxon implored with the wisdom of years. “Ridge is trying to change things for the better. Don’t let blind loyalty to the past destroy our future.”
For a moment, it seemed as though our words had reached them. The crowd hesitated, uncertainty written across their faces. But then, with a snarl, they surged forward.
And all hell broke loose.
“Ridge?” Tori called out from beside me.
“Let him deal with it,” Jaxon said, placing a protective hand on her shoulder. “He’s the alpha; it’s his responsibility.”
“Responsibility or not, it does not mean I have to like it,” Tori said under her breath, crossing her arms tightly over her chest.
“Everyone, listen to me!” I roared again, my voice booming through the crowded space.
“Ridge Blackwood is no better than his ancestors. We don’t need him as our alpha!”
I barely had time to react before a shifter lunged at me, teeth bared and ready to attack. I sidestepped, my fists connecting with his face as I fought back. The force of my punch sent him reeling, but it only fueled the fury of those around us.
“I’ve had it!” Jaxon roared, stepping forward to defend me. “You’re all tearing this pack apart!”
“Out of the way, Hyde!” a voice roared. “This is none of your business.”
“Actually, it is,” Jaxon shot back, his tone as cold as ice. “Ridge and Tori are my family. I won’t let you tear them apart.”
“Your family?” another shifter sneered. “You don’t even know them.”
“Stop!” Tori’s voice cracked like a whip. “We’re all shifters. We need to stand together, not fight each other.”
“Your words mean nothing!” a voice shouted back, his defiance fueling the anger of those around him.
“Please, just listen,” Tori pleaded, her desperation evident in her voice.
“Ridge Blackwood, the hunter lover,” someone jeered as I stepped inside the jail. The air was thick with tension and anger, making the space feel even tighter than it already was.
“Letting hunters into our town? You’re a disgrace to your name!” another voice rang out, venom dripping from every word.
“Everyone, calm down!” I shouted, my fists clenching in frustration. “I am not my father or grandfather. I want peace for this town, for all of us. But we can’t achieve that if we’re fighting each other.”
