Owned By The Alphas - The Prequel (8 page)

T
he once empty
warehouse now had beds set up, but they were empty since it was after midnight. The werewolves were out and about, some hunting outside of town, others fucking around with each other or starting fights with others, for the hell of it. Red was busy lifting up an old broken car that sat on rails, the tires long gone and the body rusted. He and Motis had drug it inside when Ivar was training him, to work on his strength. He continued the training on his own now since during the years he was alone he had never honed his abilities. His muscles had doubled in size since joining the pack, and he was proud of them.

The metal bore down on him as he raised it higher and when his legs began to shake, he set it down, turning to Kyren. “How’d I do?”

From where she stood, wearing nothing but a smile, she held up her arm. “This high, which is about two feet higher than last week.”

Red smirked and walked to her, dusting off his hands, dick swinging. He pulled her to him and stared into her gorgeous green eyes. “Do I impress you?”

She chuckled, “All men do.”

A loud guffaw escaped him and he pressed a rough kiss on her lips, releasing her and walking to his clothing. “That is what I like about you. I know you’ll never get attached.”

Kyren cocked an eyebrow at him. “Are we going out?” She headed for hers as he nodded. “You’re not going to make me cum again?”

He laughed, throwing on jeans, brown boots and flannel. “Motis and Jal wanted the pleasure. And I know you prefer the company of two or more. And you also know that I do not share.”

She shrugged, since it was the truth. “Just Motis and Jal. What, did Thanot not want in?”

Red frowned, thinking. “Where is Thanot? I have not seen him.”

Pulling on jeans, boots, and a red sweater very striking against her thick black hair, Kyren stared into her memory. “I have not either…” Then she swore under her breath and rolled her eyes.

“What is it?” Protective loyalty thrashed into his veins. “What?” he demanded.

“He’s probably getting his ass kicked again. Let’s go find him.”

Red stared at her as she passed him heading for the door. How could she be so blasé about it when all he wanted to do was kill anyone who threatened one of his own? “You are so cold, Kyren. It is not an attractive quality.”

She ignored him and walked into the night. After locking the door, he caught up with her easily, but did not push the topic. The fact was, her detachment was what made her the perfect second-in-command. When Ivar trained him they had spent many hours alone and during those he’d gotten the inside information on each member of the pack. Kyren, Red was surprised to discover, was Ivar’s right-hand wolf, the one he depended on the most. He informed Red that she was not quick to temper or emotion and could be counted on to think a situation through to it’s every possible outcome, and with great speed. It often looked as though she hadn’t thought at all about a decision, but when asked, Ivar always found her to have good reason for her conclusions, each and every time. And that was why he had told her first that he was ill, and why he trusted her to not tell the others until he was ready.

Red walked by her side and did not make conversation. They did not need to, their comfort with each other and acceptance of their roles never questioned. He was grateful for that. He was grateful for all of them.

When a search around town did not produce Thanot, but acquired Cade and Sakura, the four of them headed for the bar. The three brothers, Motis, Jal and Thanot, sat inside at the counter, and all three were drunk. Gypha came out of the bathroom and stared at Red’s arrival, her gaze jumping over to Thanot. Red frowned as he walked up. “What is going on?”

“He should tell you,” she whispered, staring at Thanot.

The skinny wolf glanced over and then away. Jal hit his shoulder and Thanot grumbled loudly, his voice a slur, “Alright! I’m going!” He nearly fell off his chair, gangly legs looping until they stood up. “Red?”

Kyren threw the new alpha a wary glance. “Uh-oh.”

Not knowing what to expect, Red jerked his chin toward the door. “Outside.”

He walked out and all the wolves watched, as oblivious to the rest of the bar patrons as the humans were to them. They were common faces around town now, so no one paid them much mind…except for the bullies who liked to pick on Thanot whenever they got him alone. None of those were present, and everyone talked amongst themselves, shot darts, ate French fries and had no idea werewolves were among them.

As the door shut behind Thanot, Red glanced around the chilly street for witnesses. Seeing there were none, he said, “Talk.”

“Umm…I pro’ly shoulda tol’ ya.”

“Told me what?”

“A man came ‘round, loogin atcha and stuff. Mean guy. Older.”

“Describe him!” Red demanded, tensing up.

Thanot’s head jogged down and then up as he tried to picture the guy. “Leathery. Gray hair. Use ta be brown maybe…kinda big and mean. A mean guy. Blue eyes all squinty and mean, mean,
mean
!”

“What happened, Thanot? Why didn’t you tell me about this? When was it?”

“Erm…month ago? No! Three weeks and six days. I think.”

“This has been on your mind this whole time? That’s why I haven’t seen much of you.” Red sighed, trying to be patient.

“It was like he was gonna hurt you, and Iwasn’tgonnaletthathappen!” The words came out so fast they blended. Thanot was the least capable of taking a punch or throwing one, among them. Not that he didn’t try. He had aggression, just no strength. What he didn’t lack, was heart.

“Did you talk to him? Did you get his name?”

“No. I mean, yes. Not his name, but I tol’ ‘im you were with them. The other pack. So he’d go follow them to California an’ leave you alone! I shoulda tol’ you!!!”

Red wasn’t looking at Thanot anymore. He was thinking of the man who searched for him, and of the other pack. He stuck his head in the bar and motioned to Kyren who was waiting, her eyes on the door. She nodded and told their friends it was time to go. As she walked outside with the others right behind her, she asked, “What is it? Why do you look like that?”

He waited for all of them to surround him, and said, frankly, “I have to go to California.”

Glances were exchanged. “Where, Yosemite?” Kyren asked, guessing the probability.

Motis shot out, “Wait, just because that wolf Dak said it was all rosy and great doesn’t mean, ouch!” He rubbed his chest where Gypha had hit him. “What?”

Kyren said, evenly, “He’s not going because he hates the weather here. There must be another reason.” She turned to Red. “Well?”

“Let’s walk back to the warehouse.”

As they headed back, he told them what Thanot had done, and who he thought had followed him all the way to another country. They all knew the other pack had moved to Yosemite, since the one called Dak had bragged about it to one of them in the bar, the night before they moved. They had not told other werewolves in the area. No one knew but them, because they did not trust the lesser wolves they did not know and who caused brawls most often. And frankly, they were happy the stronger pack was gone. They didn’t like the way they stared whenever they came into the room. There was no love lost.

“I don’t know how long this will take, but I must take care of it myself. It is not fair to sick my problem on them. I do not expect you to come with me.”

Jal choked on a rueful laugh. “We are coming with!”

“Of course we are!” Motis agreed.

“I will be there,” Kyren said, calmly, as Gypha walked to Red and rested her head on his shoulder. That was her answer.

Thanot, who could barely look at the alpha, swore at himself and burped. “I wanna come.”

Red looked to Cade and Sakura. They glanced at each other. An unspoken, private conversation passed between them and Cade looked at Red and shook his head.

“I understand,” he said. He glanced around the faces and caught anger flying from Gypha’s eyes. “Gyph, don’t. I am honored that those of you who want to come will be there to keep me company, when I am so new to your pack.” He struggled against the lump forming in his throat. “The friendship you have given me, you have no idea what it means. You could never understand.” He held out his hand to shake Cade’s. “And Cade. Sakura. I will always call you friend. If you decide to join us, please don’t hesitate. And we will return in no time, I am sure.”

Gypha snorted. “Get me in the sunlight again and you will be hard pressed to make me leave!”

Kyren smiled, but the smile faded as the weight of change filled the air. So much had happened as of late. “We can adjust,” she told them all. “We have proven that with the loss of our dear friend. Now this will test our strength again.”

Motis puffed out his chest with pride and love for them. “Bring it on.”

Jal sighed, “You know what I want? I want to find a rock I can sit on in the sun and plant my ass on it and not get up for nights on end. I just want to sleep!”

The others laughed.

“When do we leave?” Kyren asked their new alpha.

“As soon as possible. Tomorrow night.”

They all nodded, and the two who opted to stay in Canada looked more solemn than those who took the leap of faith. As is the way.

B
loo cried out
, “Why are they here? Did he tell you?”

Rait glanced her way and nodded, then turned back to address the group. His pack was in the main cavern of their den high in the mountains where it was safe. Gathered together, they had waited, eager to hear of the meeting with the other pack’s leader. “He said they wanted a warmer climate, like we did.”

Gravely, Calt explained, “But we do not believe him.”

With a slight head-shake, Rait agreed, “No, we do not. He is hiding something. They have come here for some other reason than the weather.”

With barely contained rage, Borhan stepped forward. “If you had let me go with you, I would have…”

Rait turned on him with a look that killed the words before they fell from Borhan’s lips. “You would have what? Done something we could not? Are you so arrogant as to think you are better than your alphas?”

Borhan colored and lowered his chin. “Of course not,” he muttered. “I only meant that my instinct for lies could have assisted you.”

Calt spoke up in loyalty to both his friend and his father, so that the two would calm themselves. “Borhan is the brains and I am the brawn. You know this, father. He only wants to help, and is looking out for the best.”

Rait pursed his lips and gave a curt nod. “I am on edge. Forgive me, Borhan, but also…watch your tone.”

“Yes, sir.”

“If one of us had not opened his mouth to brag, we would still be basking in the freshness of a life free of strife.” Rait held Dak’s eyes and the red-haired wolf stared back with guilt all over his ruddy face. “But I think you have suffered enough. It has been a week?”

“Eight days!” Lorn whispered.

Rait paused. “Lorn, fetch Dak some food. He is looking sickly. Not that he does not deserve to be so.” Turning to Shaynah, he said. “Love, I need your arms around me. It is almost dawn. Let’s go to bed.”

She smiled and walked to him, and together the elder wolves left as all eyes followed them out.

After a few carefully waited for moments, Tawny sighed and walked to Dak. “Don’t look so glum. He still loves you.”

“I am an idiot,” he muttered.

“You are.” Calus smacked him on his beefy shoulder. “But I told you booze and you don’t mix.”

“What you should have told me was to shut my trap when I was talking to that scrawny fucker.”

Calus cocked an eyebrow at him just as Lorn returned with fresh meat in her hands. “I was playing pool, remember? I didn’t know your big mouth was yapping to the enemy.”

“The enemy…” Borhan mumbled as they all watched Dak scarf down the food offered him so fast that he sounded like a pig rather than a wolf. “I think the alpha has come here to start trouble. I think he believes if he takes us down, he will prove how capable he really is to those who follow him now.”

Calt walked to the door, waving with an arm as he argued, “I am not so sure. He did not seem to have war in his eyes.”

“His blue eyes, you mean,” Borhan said with disgust.

“Hey! Watch it!” Tawny shot a warning snarl Borhan’s way, and received a smile.

“Sorry. Present company excluded from judgment, of course.”

Calt stood by the door and looked behind him at the pack. “I am going to bed. Coming?” Bloo and Tawny ran forward. “Lucky me,” he smiled, walking out ahead of them.

As he went down the passageway, he heard Lucin exclaim, “Show off!” and Calt chuckled under his breath.

R
ed was
careful to stay on his side of the agreed upon border as he searched the valley. He didn’t want to aggravate the other pack more than he had by moving here. If they smelled his scent they would see that as a threat. He wasn’t after them. He was looking for
him
. For months he’d searched every night with no results…until this night. For the first time since they’d arrived, Red’s sharp sense of smell brought him gold; a darkened fire pit, the campsite now empty.
He’s here! I smell him.
He looped around the area looking for footprints and found a single pair going in all directions.
Was he pacing? These make no sense!
Finally one pair of prints led away and did not double back. Red followed them deeper into the valley, staying to the shadows so as not to be seen first.

The warnings Rait had given him when they met by the river were needless. He didn’t want to be hunted, torn apart and studied, as was likely to happen were they discovered. But if he was right about the man he looked for, there was one human who knew. And it was Red’s fault he did.

A scent came to him stronger than before, of body odor, cigarettes, and bourbon. Red’s hackles rose up on dark brown fur as he increased his pace, running into the night. At the bend of a hill on the other side of the valley, he heard boots crunching on overgrown grass, fallen leaves and sticks. The man’s breathing was ragged, and the scent of smoke was thick as it wafted around the crown of salt and peppered brown hair. In his hand a shotgun hung loosely at his side.

Red shifted quickly into human form, and the sound of cracking bones made the human turn just as the shift completed. His crinkly skin contorted with shock and terror, and his blue eyes widened at the sight.

“Hi Dad,” Red whispered.

Emotions fought over the old man’s features as he stared at the younger, taller version of himself. “You’ve grown!” he whispered with wonder. Then anger raced across his features. He stamped out his cigarette and raised his gun.

Using his supernatural speed, Red plucked the gun from his father’s leathery hands. “No.”

With wide eyes, John stared up. “I didn’t even see you come at me!” he gasped.

Stepping back so they could look at each other, as so as not to frighten him, Red said, “I would like to talk to you. If you can set aside your hatred long enough.”

His eyes flitted to the gun. “Give that back and I’ll talk!”

“No.”

“I have to be armed in case you try to kill me!”

Red stared at him with pain filling his chest. “It’s you who want to kill me, Dad. Not the other way around.”

“Why are you this… thing?”

“I don’t know. You’re not a werewolf?”

Disgust and fury flashed. “Of course not!”

“Grandpa? Mom?”

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

Red sighed and motioned to the grass. “Sit.”

“I don’t want to sit! Oof.” He stared up from the ground, shocked. “You pushed me!”

“Only to show you I could. Now stop the bullshit.”

Staring at the ground like a child who had no choice but to sit in a corner, John fumed and pulled off his coat. He threw it at Red.

“Put something on. I don’t want to see your dick.”

Red almost chuckled, but the hate staring back at him stole his amusement. He took the coat and since he could barely take the smell of it, he laid it across his waist rather than putting it on, as he sat cross-legged, the shotgun in his lap with one hand on it. “How is Mom? Does she ask about me?”

With a snort, John shook his head. “I told her you committed suicide.”

A fist closed around his heart as he pictured his mother receiving such news. But it was partly his fault. He’d never written her. He’d never reached out and told her what he was. What could he have said? She was the type of woman who wouldn’t have stood up for him anyway. She was wilted by her husband’s alcoholism and rage-fits.

“Is she alive?”

“Yes.”

“Where is she?”

“Home!”

“Does she know you’re here?”

“Do you think I let her ask me where I go?”

Red sighed. “Stop staring at the gun. You couldn’t take it from me.”

“I can die trying.”

Red stared at his father. He looked like a husk of the viral man he had been. The torment had worn him down in every way. “Am I right to believe you’ve been looking for me this whole time?”

“You are an…”

“Abomination,” Red finished, interrupting. “So I’ve heard.” Glancing to the dense shrubs to his right, Red tried to think of what to say. “You know, I’ve been looking for you ever since I heard you’d gone to Canada and were told I’d come here. But now that I’m face to face with you, I don’t know what to say. I thought I’d be angry, but you…you look too sad, Dad.”

“I’m not sad!”

“I mean, weak.”

“Fuck you! I’m not weak,” the man wheezed. After a coughing fit, he cried out, “You have done this to me!”

Red leaned forward and locked eyes. “
You
have done this to
you
. I have done nothing but try to understand why I am what I am, and find a life for myself.”

John hissed, “Some life, living off of people you kill!”

Red’s eyebrows shot up. “Who told you that?”

“You’re a werewolf, aren’t you?” John spat.

This time Red did chuckle. “You’ve been watching too many horror films. We aren’t what you think. We don’t kill people. At least, most of us don’t. We live among you. Only maybe we’re a little less uptight.” Not amused or convinced, John said nothing. “I want you to leave me alone. I promise you I will leave
you
alone. You will never, ever hear of me again, if you don’t search. And I promise you…I never kill people.” He left out the man on the bridge when he was fourteen, because he didn’t want to fuel his father’s fears. “And I never will.”

John relaxed a little. “Hand me my smokes?”

Searching in the coat pockets, Red produced a pack. He took one out for himself. “Where are you parked?” He used his father’s scuffed up red lighter, and took a few puffs to ignite the stick.

John answered with caution, “Nearby,” taking the outstretched pack and lighter.

Red inhaled tobacco and shook his head. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to take your car.”

“I’ve got a truck now.”

“Oh? What kind?”

“Ford, of course. American!”

Red nodded, and watched the old man light his cigarette, hands shaking slightly. It was beyond sad to see him, on so many levels. “Of course. You’ve got to support American-made.”

“Damn straight. I almost didn’t buy a beer when I was in that socialist country.”

Red smiled and put out the cigarette, thinking of his father turning down booze. He’d never seen him do that when he was a boy, and by the smell of him, nothing had changed.

“You just wasted that cigarette!” he father grumbled, taking a drag.

“Yeah, well, it tasted like shit.” He stood up and held out the coat.

His father rose up, his eyes locked on the gun. “Give that back to me?”

Red stared at the weapon, thinking how powerful it was, and how innocuous when passive like this. “No. I think I’ll keep it. Just to make sure you don’t try anything.” He pointed to the scar in his side. “I still have this, and I don’t make mistakes twice.”

John looked at the scar and regret flashed across his face, surprising Red. “I did that?”

“Yeah, Dad, the day I showed you.”

Tears appeared in the old man’s eyes and he turned away. “So you won’t give me back my gun?”

“No.”

He nodded, heading south. “My truck’s this way.” Glancing over his shoulder, he blinked, remembering what he’d forgot. Walking back, he took the coat from Red. “I was going to leave it with you,” he lied.

Inspecting him, Red realized the old man’s faculties weren’t all there. “I know you were. But I don’t need it. Thanks.”

His father looked confused and then he turned away. “Taking a man’s gun, it ain’t right,” he muttered under his breath.

Red watched him until he was far away and then he called out, “We have a deal, right?”

John waved his hand impatiently, “I’m goin’.” He didn’t turn around.

When he could no longer be seen, Red still stared in the direction he’d left. He was given a bum deal as far as fathers went, and there was nothing he could do about it.

He hid the gun where no one would find it, burying it and covering the spot well before returning to his pack and their new den.