Chapter Sixteen

"You're late," Gunner growled, the flames from the firepit illuminating his face with shadows and gold highlights.

"Well, I have a life outside of here."

His brother stood, and the other Fastlanders dropped their heads from where they sat around the fire. Even Wreck was here. He didn't drop his gaze though. He glared straight at Captain. It grated on him.

"I called you at least ten times," Gunner gritted out.

"Cool, I was busy." Captain yanked a neon-orange chair farther away from the fire, knowing the heat of the flames would be too much when his bear was getting worked up like this.

"Lucia's had an addition to her vision," Gunner said.

That froze Captain. He slid his gaze around the circle to the others, and then back to his brother. "What addition?"

"The boy is in it now."

Captain swallowed down a snarl. "Ruger?"

"Yep."

Captain cracked his knuckles and took a steadying breath. Don't Change. "Explain."

"Lucia sees him running through the woods. A lioness is chasing him."

Captain's chest lifted and fell with his faster breathing as he glared at his brother. "How does Lucia know it's Ruger?"

Gunner shook his head and lowered his voice. "You know it's Ruger."

Captain ran his hands through his hair and stared at the gravel near his boots. Ruger? Little Ruger?

"Soon?"

"She said he looks young. Six, maybe."

"He's six now!" Captain barked out. He paced away and back, jamming a finger at Ace. "It's your fucking fault."

"Again?" Corey yelled, standing fast. "You keep fucking blaming him! He was hiding from them!"

"If he wasn't here, there would be no threat from the Holland Pride."

"If you're doing the blame-game, might as well include me," Silver gritted out, her eyes flashing light gold.

"Fine, traitor. You too. Everyone here has been building this perfect storm of war, and what, Gunner? What do you want? Me to Turn him? He's a kid."

"I'm not asking you to Turn him," Gunner said softly.

"Then what?"

"I'm asking that you separate yourself from them until this is over."

"Oh, but you get your mate, right?" he barked out, fury building inside of him. "You get your happily ever after. You have Hallie, so fuck everyone else's happiness, right? Fuck what I need!"

"I'm not saying it's a forever thing—"

"But I'm the only one who has to sacrifice! Right? You all have your mates?"

"I don't," Wreck gritted out. "Don't want one either."

"Well you don't fucking count! You aren't ever here!" Captain bellowed at him.

"I'm here all the time!" Wreck yelled, standing. Lighting flashed in the background.

"Stop," Gunner ground out. "We aren't burning the mountains tonight. This is just a talk."

"A talk," Captain gritted out. "You're asking me to distance myself from the only part of my life that makes sense."

"To keep them safe!"

" I can keep them safe!" Captain roared.

"Not according to the vision!" Hallie said, standing.

"Ruger's running. Doesn't mean he's in danger!" Captain pointed to Silver. "Maybe you are the lioness behind him."

Silver hesitated, and gave a strange look over to Owen.

"What?" Captain asked.

"Lucia sees me too. I'm hurt. I can't be the one behind Ruger because she sees me not moving."

"Fuck!" he yelled as loud as he could. The curse echoed through the mountains. "All this buildup to a war that consumes every day of our lives, and how do we know Lucia isn't fucking with us?"

"She isn't," Corey said softly.

"How do you know?"

"She isn't!" Corey said louder, and now a growl was in her voice. "I saw her face as she told us about the vision. She doesn't want this for us."

"I'm leaving the Crew then," Captain said, suddenly in a panic. "I can't leave her."

"You can and you will," Gunner said, standing slowly.

"What are you going to do, brother? You gonna fight me?"

"No. But we can't do this without you. We need your bear. You have to stay." A shard of harshness pierced Captain's mind through his words. Shit. An Alpha order. Captain backed away and clapped his hands over his ears. "Don't."

"I need you here, brother," Gunner said, advancing. "It's not forever. You just have to stay away for a while. Stop!"

Captain's legs locked, and he couldn't move them. "Please don't!" he yelled.

"I need you to focus. I need you to keep them safe with your distance."

"Gunner, stop!" he yelled.

"Captain, I order you to stay away from Sloane and Ruger, and any of their associates. I order it. I order it. I order you to cut them from your heart and dull your memories of them until I lift the order. I need you to focus on being a weapon for the Fastlanders. I need you to protect the people here, and until your job is done, I need you to forget your feelings for Sloane."

Captain couldn't move. Gunner's voice bounced around his mind, repeating and overlapping, consuming him like fire. A darkness spread inside of him, enraging him an inch at a time until he felt nothing but fury. He tried to hold onto the image of Sloane's smile. God, he tried, but Gunner was bigger than he'd ever realized until this moment. Sloane's face faded to nothing.

His legs buckled and he pitched forward, fell onto his knees. He wouldn't be able to fight this. He wouldn't be able to!

He hadn't been able to say goodbye.

Teeth gritted, he forced his gaze up to his Alpha. His brother. "I hate you."

Gunner's bi-colored eyes bore into him, and he nodded once. "Truth."

He looked over at Hallie, who had shocked tears rimming her eyes as she looked at Captain. Gunner ducked his gaze, turned, and made his way into his trailer, and then something big shattered inside.

Hallie's lip trembled, and twin tears streamed down her cheeks. "I'm sorry."

The emptiness was spreading through him.

Sloane.

Slo…

S…

He was a weapon for the Fastlanders.

He was a weapon for Gunner.

That was his job.

That was his destiny.