Axel’s povI moved over to Lysander, standing at his side as I stared at the rogue alpha. What kind of help did he want? I waited for him to explain. I could feel the way Lysander stood beside me, how tense his body was as he let his arms hang casually by his sides. He would be ready for a fight if it came down to it.The rogue alpha grinned as he stepped closer to us. “Help with what?” I asked as the tension charged between us.“Simple,” the rogue said simply. As though there was ever anything simple about this man causing me heartache while still dead in a hole somewhere in my woods.“I need help managing the finances of my land.”“You want our pack’s money and resources and connection,” Lysander replied before I can get any words past my lips.I frowned. “You want money?”The alpha laughed. “Not money. I need a way to make money. A way to manage what I already have. See, this land? It’s not just a hideout. It’s a home for my people. I need it to thrive. And for that, I need your pa
Axel’s povI drove through the rough terrain, my truck’s engine growling with irritation as we neared the closest rogue camp. The sun was still over the horizon, its rays stretching across the wasteland casting dark long shadows. It was quiet. Too quiet. Lysander sat in the passenger seat and began checking his weapons before loading some bullets into a rifle.I chuckled softly as I parked behind a large rock. “You’re seriously bringing all of that?”He laughed lightly. “I’m not like you, I like to be prepared for the occasion that things don’t go how you have planned it in your head.”“I can’t imagine why anything would go wrong.” I put the truck into neutral hiding behind a large boulder out of view from anything or anyone that could possibly see us. When the engine was silent we sat there in the day just listening. Everything seemed normal but I knew better… This was rogue territory… They were here; they were watching and waiting.Lysander sighed, stretching his arms. “So, what’s t
Axel’s pov“I saw him make a call just now. He walked behind the garage and was looking around like he didn’t want us to see,” Lysander muttered, his eyes narrowing.I clenched my fists. “You think he’s calling someone about us?”Lysander nodded. “Most likely. We can’t be too sure.”Looking around, I noticed how quiet it was here. Too quiet. Something felt wrong. “Keep your guard up,” I replied back just as quietly. “If anything goes wrong, we need to act fast.”Minutes passed and then all of a sudden the sound of roaring engines filled the air. I turned my head quickly to look over at a group of bikers pulling into the parking lot. They were rough-looking, wearing leather jackets, covered in tattoos, and their sunglasses hid their eyes.A guy who looked about six feet tall with a scar running from his eye down his cheek stepped up next to me and said, “Looks like you’re lost little girls.” The other guys laughed behind him.I stared at him, expressionless. “No thanks, I’m good.”He g
Alaric’s povMother took a deep breath before continuing. “Their pack was dying,” she said quietly. “They had no money, no allies, squatting in some shithole territory while their pack members died from war and cold and starvation. We offered them aid—warriors, supplies, land—all free of cost.”She shook her head in frustration. “But as soon as they gained strength, they started to forget. They pushed us aside, acted as if they had built themselves up on their own. They began forming alliances with other packs, ones that didn’t share our values.”I clenched my fists. “So they used us.”“Yes,” she said bitterly. “And now, they think they’re above us. They think they can just have what’s ours because they’ve gotten haughty.”I sighed and her words fell on my shoulders like a heavy cape. “Father made war with them tonight,” I told her in a half whisper.Mother’s lips curled into a grim smile. “Good. They need to be reminded who we are.”I stared at her, shocked by how much anger I saw in
Alaric’s povI nodded. “I know. But we have to trust him. He’s been doing this a long time.”Kai let out a frustrated sigh. “And what about Karla? We left her alone in the hospital. She’s just starting to recover, and we’re here running around dealing with rogues and arrogant Alphas.”I tightened my grip on the wheel. “I’ll go see her first thing when we get back.”Kai looked at me, his eyes searching. “You care about her, don’t you?”I didn’t answer right away. Instead, I kept my eyes on the road ahead. “She’s our mate, Kai,” I said after a moment. “What do you think?”Kai frowned, obviously not convinced. “Yeah… but it feels like you care more than just because she’s our mate.”I sighed, not in the mood to get into it. “Let’s just try and get home.”It felt like forever before we pulled up to the packhouse gates. The guards waved us through, but I could see the look of curiosity on their faces. They had to have heard about what went down at the feast.As I pulled into the parking lo
Alaric’s povAlpha Marcus’s guards stepped forward, hand on their weapons, but my father didn’t back down. Two guards tried to restrain him and he threw them off easily, his strength unimaginable as they stumbled backwards. Before they had a chance to try to take him down again Kai and I acted.I moved without thinking. One of the guards lunged from our left and I grabbed his collar, jerking him toward me and into the table where we ate. Plates shattered as we hit it, glasses falling to the floor as food scattered everywhere on its surface when I shoved him at it hard enough for bones to break.Kai was just as fast, dodging a punch from another guard and kicking him hard in the chest. The man staggered backward, but Kai didn’t give him time to recover. He grabbed the guard by the throat and slammed him against the wall, growling lowly. “You should have stayed out of this,” he muttered before tossing him aside.More guards flooded into the room, and with them came that familiar rush of