Chapter 11 - Kaiden

I'd slept in the woods, branches and twigs sticking into my back the entire time. As the first rays of sunlight reached the forest floor, I stirred awake. I'd dropped my wolf form sometime after passing out, and every bit of my body ached from running for who knew how long. I did my best to shake it off, and as I stood, my stomach growled.

"Fucking hell," I grumbled. "And, of course, I'm starving now."

It had been years since I'd been so worked up that I had to shift like that and even longer since I'd been dumb enough to fall asleep outside. Predators—both human and wolf alike—stalked these woods, and I knew that real threats wouldn't care if they were breaking the rules of territory.

I needed to get back. Fast.

Looking around me, I determined where I'd run off to in my somewhat fugue state. I matched the direction of the Collins compound in relation to the sun. I'd run quite a ways, and the only way I was going to get back to the house in decent time was if I shifted again.

I also didn't have clothes, so there was that.

Letting my wolf take over again, I shifted, landing on all fours as black fur sprouted all over me. I took off running for the house and prayed to anything that was listening I'd be able to sneak in unnoticed.

***

When I got back to the main house, snagging the hidden set of clothes I'd stashed in a safe place near the back door, I was just pulling my shirt over my head when the commotion in the foyer hit my ears. Lupe's voice sounded over the murmuring of the other wolves, and I rushed forward to see what all the fuss was about.

As soon as I arrived, the pack settled some, and I worked to send out a wave of calming energy. Agatha and Fleur held each other close, tears staining their faces as I approached. I smoothed a hand over Aggie's shoulder, and the sharp snap of grief that flooded out of her was nearly too much to stand.

"What's happened?"

Lupe stepped forward, lowering his head toward me. "Two more wolves have been found, Alpha. Colt and Hunter. They…"

He stepped closer to me, leaning in and whispering directly into my ear, knowing very well how well wolves could hear.

"They tore each other to pieces, Kaiden. It…it smelled like before. The drugs."

I yanked my head back, my stare landing on Aggie and Fleur in horror. They'd lost their children—overnight. Aggie's son, Colt, was only sixteen, and Fleur's Hunter was seventeen. The two of them had been friends since they were babies, according to the women's numerous tales. The boys had grown up together, practically swapping pacifiers.

The ache filling their hearts rolled off them in waves. I could smell the bitter char coloring their scents, and…fuck, this had to stop.

"Sunny," I turned to the kind woman, still young for a wolf but mature enough to be twice her age, "would you please take them somewhere to be alone? They don't need to deal with all this."

Aggie shot her head up from Fleur's shoulder, looking me dead in the eye as the sobs racked through her.

"My boy…C-colt, can you bring…"

She couldn't finish, but I knew what she needed. It was already on my mind as well. Stepping to her slowly, I laid a gentle hand on her shoulder again, meeting her eyes and not hiding the remorse I felt for her son.

"I will make sure that they are both brought back home and prepared to meet their ancestors. We will not leave them alone."

The tears flowed harder, streaming down her face, but I could feel the gratitude coming off her—off Fleur as well.

Poor Fleur looked like she was still in shock. She held Aggie, unblinking and her gaze unfocused. She'd detached from the reality before her because it was too much to take, and I didn't blame her for a single second. When it hit her, and it would, it would hit her all the harder, but Fleur would have her packmates around her to lend their strength.

Sunny joined me at their sides, laying her hands on them both. "Let's let them get things ready. We'll choke down a cup of tea, okay?"

Her light voice was so quiet, this gentle nudge to get the women to move to the kitchen so that I could deal with getting the wolves' bodies taken care of.

I nodded at Sunny, patting her shoulder and sending a rush of gratitude and appreciation in her direction. When she looked up at me, I silently mouthed, "Thank you."

She nodded back and then took the pair to the kitchen for that tea.

Returning my attention to Lupe, I met his eyes as I felt the presence of the other wolves around me. They were all so concerned about what was happening, and I couldn't have this meeting with them around.

"Pack," I spoke with authority, still holding Lupe's soulful brown eyes, "please allow my beta and I the time to collect the remains for proper burial and to discuss our next steps. I'll send for you all when I have a plan of action ready to present."

I could sense their hesitation, their want to know what we would be discussing, and I pushed a bit of the alpha command into them, just enough to let them know I was serious. They each nodded their acceptance, and after a few moments, the front hall cleared of everyone but me and Lupe.

"Tell me more about what you saw. Don't spare the details."

He looked shaken, his skin a paler color behind the deep tan, and his long dark hair was slipping free of the long braid he kept it in.

"Kaiden, it was…" He released a shaky exhale, and I could see the man's eyes go glassy.

Lupe wasn't one to cry easily. He was a proud, compassionate wolf. I'd chosen him as beta easily thanks to his natural ability to both lead and follow and the empathetic way he looked at a situation. Lupe was also intelligent and down to earth. He wasn't prone to rash decisions or fleets of fantasy.

He was an excellent beta, and the fact that he was so affected was not a good sign.

"Apologies." Lupe cleared his throat. "The two wolves smelled the same as the others, the trace of that astringent chemical smell to their blood. Both of them had shifted, so Marigold had thought they might have been actual wolves at first."

"Jesus," I interjected, "Mari found them? Is she—"

"Her dad has her now. They're resting."

Marigold was a younger wolf, a teenager herself, and in so many ways, she reminded me of Kenzie growing up. She'd yet to have her first shift, and I knew word was starting up about her potentially being another V?lva shifter—magic but no wolf.

I hadn't written it off entirely, but Marigold was still young, only eighteen. And we all knew that a first shift could take as long as twenty-one years to happen. She was also incredibly sweet, training to be a healer for the pack, and I hated to think that the kind soul had seen something so violent.

"Good. Good." I sighed, raking a hand through my hair. "All right, sorry. Go on."

"According to her and what I saw when I went to the scene myself, for all intents and purposes, it looks like they literally tore into each other until they both bled out. The area was stained with so much red, it…it was nauseating, even for a wolf. Their fangs had been covered in the stuff, claws. Hell, I found a chunk of each of them in their mouths."

My jaw dropped open, and I pulled into myself, the horrid nature of their deaths lancing through me as deftly as a heated blade.

"Wolves don't…we don't eat each other, Lupe. What the hell is this stuff doing to them?"

He shook his head, clearing his throat again. "I don't know, Alpha. I can't say anything about actually consuming the other wolf, but this level of aggression is…I've only ever heard of it being the case for rabid wolves. Shifters who'd gone mad or been affected by a brain disease. This is supposed to be a recreational drug? I cannot understand it."

I nodded, turning toward the living room off to the side and walking through the open expanse to collapse down onto the couch. My entire body felt weighed down, something pulling me down into the floor—hell, all the way past it into the center of the earth.

"I've only heard a little about drugs that humans use from Jet, but he's mentioned that several can induce a type of psychosis if abused. I can only imagine that that's what's happening here."

Lupe followed me into the living area, standing in front of me with his arms crossed. When I looked up at him, his brows were raised, an expectant expression on his chiseled face.

"What's your plan, Alpha?"

My head fell between my arms as I leaned my elbows on my knees. Fucking hell. This shit can't possibly get worse.

"Plan for what?"

I shot my attention to the door. Kit stood at the back of the room where the entrance from the kitchen was, and my heart sank. I'd forgotten to lock the door when I tore out of there in a shift. And I'm sure the entire pack was here when Lupe came in to announce the terrible news, so no one had been keeping an eye on her.

Goddammit .

Meeting her overly cheery gaze, I frowned, rage and sorrow and exhaustion burning behind my eyes.

"Two more dead wolves, Kit. Teenagers. So if you know anything else, anything you've been keeping in, now is the time to fucking tell me."

Her eyes flared wide, and I felt the wave of intrigue and confusion waft off Lupe. I had to ignore it for now, settling into the feeling of anger that grew stronger by the minute.

"I…oh God, Kaiden. I'm so sorry. I really don't. I swear."

I had to believe her. I could smell nothing to suggest that she was lying. I didn't see it on her face, and everything inside told me she was being honest. You were supposed to appreciate honesty, but all I wanted to do right now was scream until my lungs gave out. But something had to be done.

Which, of course, left me with just one option.

I looked between Kit and Lupe. "Looks like we'll be attacking the Williams pack."