Chapter 10 : Bad Luck

*Kael*

Rian and Tara were the only blood-related family I had left. I wasn't born to be a king, but I was forced to pick up the bloody, broken crown whose weight demanded our pack return to its former glory. It was hard, to say the least, to lead the ruins of a pack from despair to hope, but even harder to keep track of a twenty-one-year-old brother.

I knew he had good intentions. He wanted our old life back just as much as the rest of us. But he was reckless and impatient about it. He was nine when the war broke out. The murder of our parents and siblings changed him. He seemed to take it far harder than I did, even when the title of Alpha went from our oldest brother down to me, the second youngest of seven pups. Ever since we had to flee from our home in Moonwake, he favored acting out, even when it risked our existence being discovered by the enemies.

I ducked past Jerah and stalked toward the entrance tunnel. "We have to go find him."

"Whoa, hold it, Kael," Jerah barked, his hand grabbing my upper arm and yanking me back. He was a big wolf, twice as broad as me, and did so easily. "We can't just take off! To Sun and Hazel, you are supposed to be dead." His voice rose, booming into the now-silent room. "Do you have any idea how many wolves are after your head?! Your pack needs to rest on your shoulders right now; they don't need you to be traded for a stupid amount of money."

I pulled free. Every shifter had their eyes on us now. I had to be careful of my every action, my every word, because it defined me as a leader—a good or a bad one. They all trusted my father and all of his forefathers for two centuries before Hazel Coast or Sun Mountain even existed. Going to save Rian from serious danger was admirable; usually, Alphas sat back and sent others to do his dirty work. But it also labeled me as reckless, putting reaction before thought. Who wanted to risk following a pack leader who jumped into a pit of starved wolves before considering smarter options?

Like listening to a former Beta.

"Then what do you suggest?" I asked as calmly as I could. After a decade, you'd think I'd have figured this shit out. After a decade, I should be established and trusted by my own packmates. Instead, I was still being judged every single day and still letting Jerah and Jaci make the big calls. "We can't just let him be kidnapped and killed."

My throat constricted. Unless they'd killed him already. Jerah was right; the price for any Liviana was enough to rebuild our family manor. That made it both fun and frustrating for Hazel and Sun. They didn't know if we even were alive or dead. We'd joked for years, calling ourselves ghosts, our white hair adding irony.

If they believed that he was me, he could be killed. If they found out he lied, he could be killed. Or the Sun could be smarter than we'd like them to be and use him as bait or leverage to draw me out.

"We won't let him be killed," Jaci said, her hand on my arm gentle but reassuring. "Let's talk about this elsewhere."

I put on my best Alpha face as I strode past the onlookers, the mask my dad used to wear when addressing his packmates. It was a genuine mask that could be trusted. I wanted the same shifters who trusted him to put their trust in me—and their faith that I could bring them all back to our homeland.

Jerah, Jaci, and the elder Epsilon, Rai, entered what we had dubbed the conference room behind me. There was a large circular table, beaten up over the years, that was utilized as a tool for planning things from tomorrow's patrol to a full-on system of survival.

We stood around it now. My palms braced the hardwood surface as my arms started to shake. This was bad. Really, really bad. The scope of the situation was big and ready to flick down the first domino.

Jaci was, of course, the voice of reason. "Let's go over this again. We've been in hiding for more than a decade. Your parents and Kitron sacrificed themselves so you, Elara, and Rian could escape. Posters have been out calling for the deaths of the last members of the Liviana dynasty and the last hope of the Moonwake pack. No one has been able to find the two of you thanks to everyone's joined vigilance.

"You, Kael," she continued, meeting my gaze from across the table, "are more valuable than any of us. What you stand for, what you mean for our future.... We can't afford to lose you.

"But Rian is invaluable as an heir and as an adopted family member. We're just as scared as you and can't waste what little time we already have. That being said...." She looked at her brother, whose mood had soured since we came back from the square. He felt responsible for Rian, too, having promised our father to protect us at the cost of his own life. He was likely beating himself up for not being stricter for all the times Rian just took off and wasn't seen for a day or two.

"We'll find him," said Jerah darkly, eyes cutting to me. "But you're wearing that ugly wig."

***

We talked through the night until we were satisfied with the plan of action, which wasn't much of a plan considering we had no details to go on but for Rai's input that they'd been on the north side of Niburgh, where indeed Sun Mountain soldiers seemed to like to lurk. They could've taken Rian anywhere in the city, not to mention the possibility that they'd left it behind and went back to their stronghold further north.

We waited until just after dawn. Me, Jerah, Rai, and two other Epsilon wore poorly-made black wigs to hide our white hair that was a dead giveaway of who we were. Moonwake shifters were as good as prized game; kill one, and you'd be drowning in reward money.

Just before I swung myself over the railing in the atrium, someone grabbed my sleeve. I turned.

It was Diana. Her eyes were red from tears, her vivid blue irises glistening with them. Despite her trembling lower lip, her jaw was set tight, her expression defiant. "Bring. Him. Home."

I pulled her into a hug. My body dwarfed her much smaller one. She stifled a sob against my chest. Putting her at arm's length, I bent at the waist to wipe a tear off her cheek. "I will. I promise."

She nodded, not having much else to say but a rasped, "Okay."

***

We'd gotten good at acting inconspicuous, each of us leaving the hideout at different times to avoid appearing out of nowhere in a cluster. We all made our way to the square where we "coincidentally" ran into each other to search as a unit.

I scanned every face in the crowd, checking for new posters on the sides of buildings, even hoping to see a Sun Mountain sigil. If they were going to use him as bait or ransom, there was a chance they'd have made some kind of note to get my attention.

But nothing was out of the ordinary.

Not even a strange Eastern girl.

I joined up with Jerah in one of the alleyways. "This isn't going well," I said, scratching the back of my head. I wanted to yank the stupid wig off and grind it into the dusty road.

Jerah didn't respond. He just leaned against the building wall and glowered. "I never expected him to try to be a damn hero."

I huffed a humorless laugh. "Neither did I."

"His newfound selflessness is going to get us all killed," growled Rai as he appeared at the other end of the alley.

Jerah curled his lip. "Watch it."

My jaw tightened. The last thing we needed was infighting. "We can't let tempers get in the way of a rescue mission."

"The last time we had to rescue a Liviana, they died."

I wasn't fast enough to stop Jerah before he roared and launched himself at Rai, who wasn't quick enough to dodge Jerah's punch straight to his nose. I saw a spray of blood spurt as Rai stumbled back at the sheer force, staining his mouth and Jerah's fist. He spit onto the ground and wiped his face with the back of his hand.

"Losing Elara was f*cking terrible," Rai growled, making Jerah tense even further, "and I'm as loyal to that family just as much as you are." He jerked his chin at me. "But I won't lose you. Don't forget we lost Ayla too. Diana was never the same after that." His eyes flicked to Jerah. "Go ahead and run to your deaths. I won't be a part of it."

"Coward," Jerah snapped. "If you're as loyal as you claim, you would run with us. We pledged our allegiance and our lives. There's no backing out of that." His voice darkened into something lethal. "And don't use my mate as an excuse."

I put myself between the two, holding out my arms in case they tried to go at it. "Enough arguing. Rai, if you feel this strongly, I won't stop you from going back to the hideout."

His jaw clenched, looking between me and Jerah in deliberation.

"I just think," I added as I dredged up my Alpha courage, "that your loyalty to me should extend to Rian. He's a little shit, and he should have been less reckless, but he could be killed. It's our duty—mine most of all—to save him and bring him back, because he's the future of Moonwake, too. My forefathers have asked you to follow them into battle without hesitation. That's what I'm asking you now, calling on your loyalty to have my tail when we plunge into the unknown. I am your Alpha. Will you honor my request?"

Rai held my gaze which I hoped was imploring. I'd asked this of the Epsilon—my Epsilon—before, but it had never been this serious before. The two others were lingering behind Rai. I met their eyes too, and it took much less time for them to nod and touch their palms to their chest in a salute of promise.

At last, Rai sighed. "Fine. My pride can't say no."

I couldn't help the swell of my own pride in accomplishing the feat of securing loyal followers. "Great. Is your nose alright?"

"I'll live."

"Jerah?" I asked, turning to him. He had walked to the end of the alley, his back to us. Dread crept up my spine. "What is it?"

"Sun," was all he said. "Five of them."

I padded over and peered over his shoulder to where he subtly pointed. Indeed there were, and a little close for comfort.

"We should go around," I suggested. "Get far enough behind them and then follow, see if they can lead us somewhere."

Jerah grunted in agreement, and the five of us moved to the other end of the alley to peer out. As we did, I realized we had shit luck, because five Hazel Coast Epsilon were right there.

I was shoved back behind the others as one of them barked, "Who did you just hide?"

"We're just minding our own business," Jerah began, but another guard snapped, "Why are you covered in blood? And is that…?"

The first guard lurched forward and grabbed a fistful of Rai's hair—his wig. My blood went cold. When Jerah punched him, it dislodged the cheap thing, showing more than half his real hair.

"Moonwake," a third breathed. "A Liviana! Catch him!"

Jerah barked, "Run!"

I didn't need to be told twice. Jerah and the others jostled with the enemy guards as they tried to get past them. It was clear they didn't intend to flee with me, but I yelled, "Come on!"

"We'll be fine! Go!"

I hesitated. I couldn't let Jerah and my other pack members be hurt or captured too. Rian was one too many to lose.

No one was shifting into their wolf forms, but that didn't mean they didn't have claws. I heard yelps of pain following the sound of shredding flesh. I knew the sound all too well.

No. I couldn't just run away.

But I only took two steps before a fist snatched the collar of my shirt and yanked me back so hard I almost flew. My skull hit the packed dirt ground when I fell. Coughing dust and blinking it from my eyes, I heard husky, barking laughter. My vision cleared somewhat to see several Epsilon leering over me with savage smiles. One of them was holding my sad black wig.

"We found the dead king, my friends," one of them said. "Let's take him back to Connor."

My last thought before they knocked me out was of the mystery girl.