Chapter 11

Alex

"Julia is alive."

Patrick's grim statement has me closing my eyes briefly. "Are you certain about this?"

"Our spies have been hearing rumors of unrest within the town of Oakrest. From what they were able to gather, Julia was captured, but two days ago, there was a breaking of ranks down there. The humans living in Oakrest were warned that there was a prisoner on the loose and to avoid her at all costs. Pictures were circulated around town, and one of our people managed to get hold of a poster they had put up. It's her. There's no doubt about it."

There's definitely an advantage to having humans in our underground spy network. Especially humans who don't have anyone else to pledge their loyalty to and whose loyalty can be easily bought. Humans who are ignored by their own governments and are happy to receive money from us in exchange for knowledge. The homeless, addicts, and individuals who are simply trying to survive on the streets. They pass information to our people, who send it on to us.

"Two days ago?" I murmur thoughtfully. "If she's been in prison for the past couple of weeks, she won't be strong enough to make the journey through the mountains to the Cross River Wolf Pack. She'll prefer the easier path, which is the free zone around our pack. We have to stop her."

Jared looks up from where he's sitting in a corner of the room. "What are you going to do once you stop her? You should've killed her a long time ago, Alex. She's become a liability. There's no way she doesn't know what's been going on—"

"True," Saul interrupts him, his fingers tapping the edge of the table. "She must at least suspect. After all, Sophia also disappeared from the town. She'll be able to put two and two together. Julia has the crazies, but she's not brain dead."

"Which is why she's probably going to want to verify her suspicions," I add quietly. "She'll come here first. She'll be compelled to. Even if she is Karina's right-hand person, if Julia lets the Silver Wolf slip out of the Queen's hands, she won't be very forgiving."

"Even more than that," Nathan speaks up, looking directly at me, "her obsession with you will bring her here. She'll come after Sophia."

"Ah," Jared grins. "Torn between obsession and duty. What a hardship."

"This isn't a laughing matter, Jared," Patrick chastises him, his voice hard. "Till Sophia is able to unlink all the pups safely, we can't touch the soldiers or the nannies. And if they cross paths with Julia and figure out what's going on, they're going to find a way to send word to Karina."

I agree with him. I cross my arms over my chest, a frown forming on my face. "They're currently buying into this whole story of me housing Sophia and Lily because the soldiers tried to attack them, but this isn't the first time Karina's men have hassled our guests…"

"Yet this is the first time you've had the guests stay in your home." Saul studies me, resting his cheek on his closed fist. "You're stirring controversy all around the village, you know. I've had a few females ask me who you're really interested in: the witch or Sophia."

I stare at him.

Saul's smile broadens. "I told them your tastes have always been odd."

Jared lifts his hand in the air. "I've got fifty bucks on them thinking it's Lily."

"People have already seen Alex kissing Sophia," Nathan points out.

"Maybe they think it's some weird poly—" Jared begins to suggest, and I stop him right there.

"Cool it. I'm glad all of you are having a good time at my expense, but I think we have more important matters to think about." I try not to shudder at the thought of Lily and me in that sense. The brat is annoying, but Sophia is fond of her, so I have to put up with her. She's also a good teacher for Sophia, which is another reason I can't kick her out. "With respect to Julia, we have to move fast. Have people stationed at all the free zones."

Free zones are the territories between each pack that are used for travel. No one owns those stretches of land, and they exist solely to lessen friction between packs as travel occurs within the Alliances. What I'm proposing right now is against the sacred laws of each Alliance. No one is allowed to send soldiers into these areas, not for any purpose. They are safe zones.

But ever since Karina rose to power, there hasn't been much left in the North of the laws of the Alliances. She has bent them every way she can to suit her purposes.

Patrick straightens up. "Which faction should we call?"

I can feel his excitement.

Right now, the men staring at me in this small room have their wolves in their eyes. I can smell their anticipation and bloodlust.

For so many years, we have lived like shells of ourselves, subdued, hiding our strengths even as we built them up. For me to recall the factions of soldiers I have concealed in different cities all around the North Alliance means that I will be mobilizing a major force. And it will not go unnoticed.

"Not yet," I growl. "Not till our pack is completely secure. We still have a long way to go."

Setting up businesses in human-controlled cities was not simply to protect them from Karina's influence. It was also to hide the true purpose of those businesses: to train our soldiers. To keep them hidden. When the time comes, I will call on them. And they will come.

At least, that was always the plan. But I never knew what it meant to have a mate.

I've always sought to protect my pack. I've been willing to suffer through anything to keep them safe. But my protective nature is different when it comes to Sophia. For her, I'm willing to cast aside my revenge. I don't want to put her in the position of having to face Karina.

I already know Sophia shrinks at the idea of bloodshed. It begs the question how she survived being a cage fighter for all those years. While she fights fiercely, I can see the reluctance in her eyes when it comes to taking a life. Unlike normal shifters, she doesn't enjoy violence. And I know that if I put her in the middle of this war, she will fight by my side—but it may break her. Because war always means death.

I know Patrick has caught on to my wavering intentions, but my friend hasn't said anything to me about them. I can see the eagerness radiating from him.

As my eyes go around the room, I realize that all my men have been waiting for this day.

They've all suffered losses, not just me. They've lost their families, their loved ones, to cruel, horrifying deaths. Our pack was used as an example for every other pack in the North Alliance: go against Karina, and this is what will happen to you.

"Now is not the time," I force myself to say.

The disappointment is stark in Patrick's eyes. Nathan, on the other hand, seems to be more relaxed now that the magic linking his sister to Karina's people has been dissolved.

It took Sophia two days to unlink the child, and the last time she sat down with Lexie, she didn't lose all her strength. I don't know what the future holds, but my new plans revolve around getting my people to safety. Once Karina figures out a link has been broken, she's going to know she's losing her most powerful leverage against me.

She's not going to sit still upon learning that.

"Mobilize units Aqua and Ruby," I decide, looking at Patrick. Jared has had a fine time coming up with the names for our factions of soldiers. Aqua refers to the soldiers we have at the harbor where we're running our import and export business, and Ruby means the soldiers in the jewelry shop franchise that's been taking off in human-run cities. "Tell them to move under cover of darkness. They only have two days to surround this town. Julia cannot get past them."

I look over at the youngest member of my trusted circle. "Nathan, once everybody is asleep, late in the night, I want you to remove the jammer temporarily so that Patrick can send out the signals."

Nathan shakes his head, looking awkward. "I won't be able to do that for a few days. We've actually lost telecommunications in this area for real. There was a lightning storm near the towers, and they got hit. My guys are doing repairs. From what I've heard, they still need at least a week."

I look at the ceiling. We don't have a week.

"Don't worry." Jared drops his arm around Saul's neck. "We'll keep watch for Julia. In the meantime, don't worry. There's no way she's going to be able to make it all the way to our village that quickly."

"I think we're not accounting for the situation in which she contacts Karina before coming here." Nathan meets my gaze, his own tense. "I mean, we're all assuming she won't, but what if she does? Karina would learn that you're no longer in Oakrest. And if she can't get in touch with her people, there's nothing stopping her from coming here."

Nathan makes a good point.

"That just means we have to move faster."

I get to my feet as I say that, but Nathan isn't done. "And what happens once we save the pups? What's your plan? You used to talk about it before, but you don't anymore. When we are we going after Karina?"

I exchange a look with Patrick. "The first step is to kill Karina's people here, and then we will lead the pack to a safe location. There are a few options we can consider, one of them being to disappear in human cities. Karina's people will not be able to find us—"

"You want us to hide like cowards?!" Nathan jumps to his feet, outraged. "She killed my parents!"

"Technically, she killed all of our parents," Patrick says quietly. His eyes linger on mine, but he doesn't say anything further.

"Even with all the forces that we have, combined," I begin cautiously, "we are nowhere near the level Karina is at right now. And even if we, by some twist of fate, are able to take down her army, she has covens of witches working for her."

"And we have the Silver Wolf!" Nathan snarls. "That's gotta mean something!"

"What if Sophia doesn't want to fight?" Patrick interjects tersely. "This is not her battle, Nathan. You can't force someone to fight your battle for you."

Nathan's face loses color. "What are you saying?" He looks at me and then back at Patrick. "Are you saying we're just going to hide? Are you saying we're not going to get our revenge? She took everything from us! Why doesn't Sophia want to help us?"

"Sophia hasn't said that," I defend my mate. "I haven't asked her. I don't want to put her in a position where she has to do more than she already is doing."

Nathan gives me an astounded look. "More than she already—This is her pack! She should care what happens to—"

"It's not her pack!" I snap at him. "Not yet. Sophia is already putting in a huge effort to save our pups. You're asking me to squeeze her till we get everything of use out of her and leave her a dried husk of herself. She is not like us! Why don't you understand that? This is not her fight. This is our fight."

"You went looking for the Silver Wolf so that we could face off against Karina!" Nathan raises his voice. "Sophia is the Silver Wolf! You have to force her to do this. Why are you giving her a choice at all?!"

A hush falls over the whole room.

I stare at Nathan, stunned. He has never acted like this.

"Your parents would be ashamed of you," I murmur after a prolonged silence. "I didn't expect you to be so selfish as to disregard the life of another just so you can get what you want."

Nathan's face turns white as a sheet, and Saul stirs. "Alex…"

I lift my hand to silence Saul. "Your parents were good, honest people, Nathan. They believed in fairness. Yes, you lost them. You suffered. But you lost them more recently than the rest of us lost ours. Your grief is fresh. Which is why I'll forgive you for your words."

Anger is bubbling inside me. "You were just a toddler. You don't remember everything that happened. And you weren't even here when it did. But we remember. I remember Jared trying to protect his mother as Karina's men pushed him away and violated her. I remember Patrick fighting them off as his father lay bleeding on the ground, his mother already gone. I remember being forced to look at my parents' dead bodies when I was helpless, a child. Do not underestimate our thirst for Karina's blood."

The silence in the room is heavy as I bring up the memories everyone has tried to bury over the years. That's really all we can do to move forward, to pull ourselves out of the dark past that sticks to us.

"We want revenge. We want Karina's head. I want that. But I will not let my mate be destroyed in this quest. I am trying to protect the one good thing I have left in my life. And you seem determined to burn it alive. You went against my wishes and forced Sophia to unlink your sister. I should've struck you down then and there. I may be your friend, and I may have looked after you as a child, but you forget that I am still your Alpha, Nathan. And you disobeyed me."

I take a step forward. "You're not a child anymore. You grew up at some point. So, understand this: my mate's life is not something for you to treat carelessly. She is my whole world. It doesn't matter if she's the Silver Wolf or if she has no wolf at all. She is precious to me, and I am not going to let you hurt her."

I glance around the room.

"If you guys still want to go after Karina, we will. But Sophia will not be involved. I will not put her safety at risk."

Patrick breaks the heavy atmosphere in the room, clearing his throat. "We can decide what to do later. First, we need to deal with Julia and focus on unlinking the rest of the pups. Once that is done, we can figure out our next step. Whatever you decide, Alex, we'll stand by you. You've sacrificed enough for us. I'm not going to ask more of you."

Jared lifts his hand in the air, nodding. "Seconded."

Saul lifts his chin in agreement. "With you till the bitter end. Or sweet end. Wherever we end up."

Nathan is silent, and I can tell that my words have cut the boy deeply. But since his parents' deaths, he has become more hard-hearted, with a streak of selfishness and stubbornness that I've never witnessed in him before. Some of it stems from grief, some of it from anger at the world. I can understand his desperation to have the blood of his parents' murderers on his hands.

The others file out of the room, and Nathan doesn't utter a word as he walks past me, his hands clenched by his sides. Patrick stays behind, shaking his head slowly. He waits for the others to go before finally setting his gaze on me.

"You're going to tell me I was too harsh?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"No," he says simply. "Nathan deserved to be put in his place. He's acting out far too much. You never should have brought him into the circle in the first place. I warned you. He's too young, too hot-headed."

"He's also a genius," I remind my childhood friend.

"True." Patrick nods. "But right now, he's stewing. Nathan has always been single-minded. Not a robot, but he doesn't care who he bulldozes over to get what he wants. We need someone to control him."

"I thought that was your job." I lean back in my chair, exhausted.

"If only he would listen to me." Patrick stretches his arms out before settling them behind his head. "But don't worry. He won't do anything stupid. He likes Sophia and does feel indebted to her. The most he will do is try to talk to her."

Sophia's heart is soft. Even her prickly exterior has begun to fade away to quite an extent. But I don't want anyone taking advantage of her. It honestly does feel to me that Sophia, despite her incredible power, needs someone to protect her.

"Have you thought about this?" Patrick inquires. "You do realize that if you decide not to go after Karina, our pack will hold Sophia responsible. And it's not just our pack. All the other territories in the North Alliance are watching us. The minute we take a stand against Karina and are even remotely successful, they'll follow suit."

"She's got leverage on every pack," I point out grimly. "Do you really think they'll risk the lives of their pups?"

"They're desperate," Patrick says shortly. "I have a feeling they'll take that risk. If they think there's a chance, they will step up. We've all been oppressed for the last twenty years, and if you take a step back now, we're looking at another few decades of living like this, under Karina's tyranny. This may be the only opportunity we have to strike."

"Are you asking me to use Sophia?" I ask quietly.

Patrick looks tired. "I don't want to use her. I know she means everything to you. But I want you to consider the situation at hand. We need her. Let this be her choice."

I open my mouth to say something, but my friend continues speaking. "If need be, we can still protect her. I meant what I said, Alex. I stand by you, no matter what. You've been my Alpha since your parents died. But there is no question about it: Sophia is the only one who can change the tides of this war. As long as you're alive, Karina will not stop trying to destroy you. Like us, she is also aware that you are the true leader of the North Alliance."

Patrick gets to his feet, agitated. "If she had taken control of the Alliance through the proper channels, the others might have considered her a true queen. But she used underhanded methods and is controlling the packs using threats. She has leverage on every single pack. I think that's why the rest of the North is looking to you."

He puts a hand on my shoulder before following after the others.

Sitting alone in the quiet room, I rest my head against the back of the chair and stare at the ceiling.

My pack will be upset. Patrick is right about that. But I don't want Sophia's hands to be stained with blood when she may not be able to bear it. I'm stuck in an impossible situation.

Things are finally getting good between Sophia and me. We've talked things out, and the time we spend together makes me feel alive. It's been hard to keep my hands off her ever since she kissed me the other night. It's been equally hard to stop myself from giving her my mating mark. I want to do it, but even if her wolf is ready, which I doubt, the minute I give her my mark, she becomes vulnerable. The mating mark, especially between fated mates, links our life spans. If I die, so will Sophia. If I suffer a fatal wound, she will suffer with me. Karina will be able to use her against me. But the more likely scenario, which I dread, is Karina finding out Sophia's identity as the Silver Wolf and then using me as leverage to force Sophia to use her powers on Karina's behalf.

It's getting late. I should be getting back home.

A smile forms on my lips as I think about my mate, asleep in my bed. Her scent lingers in every room of our house, and for the first time, I've begun to look forward to going home. She hasn't taken me up on my suggestion to redecorate the place, but she has moved a few things around. Now more than ever, I wish I could house Lily elsewhere.

With the witch living there, Sophia and I are restricted to the bedroom. And Lily knows it. She shoots me smug looks every now and then when I try to flirt with my mate and Sophia tilts her head in Lily's direction, silently telling me to behave.

Lily knows what's going on, but she's enjoying my irritation.

Returning through the underground tunnels to the small shed in my backyard, I climb out before locking the trap door and covering it with tools and unplanted shrubs. As I suspected, Sophia is awake. The kitchen light is on.

It's five in the morning, so it doesn't surprise me. She's usually up at this time, making coffee or something. However, I've only taken two steps inside the house when a different scent drifts toward me.

She's not alone.

A growl in my throat, I stride in the direction of the kitchen.

Sophia is standing by the coffee maker, her expression tense, while Nathan sits at the kitchen counter.

"Nathan." My voice is cold, fury dripping from it. How dare he? "Once again, you're going behind my back to Sophia—"

I'm walking toward him when Sophia jumps between us. "Don't!" Her voice is hard, her eyes flashing. "He didn't come here himself. I saw him outside, and I called to him."

I ignore her, glaring at the young man sitting in my home. "If you're dissatisfied with me as an Alpha, you're welcome to leave this pack, Nathan."

Nathan goes pale, and Sophia grabs my chin, forcing me to look at her as she demands, "Are you deaf? Is that it? I'm telling you, he hasn't said anything! I'm the one interrogating him. If you want to be mad, be mad at me!"

My jaw tightens. I don't believe her.

"I didn't—She asked me to come inside," Nathan mumbles, and at this moment he looks very much like the young boy he is.

I force my attention toward Sophia. "What has he said?"

"Nothing."

"Then, what were you asking him?"

She goes still, and her eyes narrow into slits. "Watch yourself. I may be your mate, but that doesn't mean you get to talk to me in that rude tone. It's none of your business what I was discussing with Nathan."

My wolf growls softly, in warning.

The defiance in her eyes is both attractive and infuriating.

"What am I supposed to assume you two are discussing, then?" I ask, my voice dangerously low.

"He looked upset, so I told him to come have a cup of coffee. Maybe you should set up cameras in your house so you can see everything I do and not have to assume anything."

For a moment, the meaning behind her words doesn't register on me. But when it does, a wave of anger washes over me. "I'm not suspecting you, Sophia. Don't twist my words."

She takes a step even closer to me, drilling a hole in my chest with her finger. "Then don't twist my intentions. I can talk to Nathan if I want to. If he looks upset, I can help him cool down and give him something to drink. If he looks like he's close to tears, I can comfort him. Or is that something I shouldn't be doing?"

Nathan jerks at her words, and I can see that my mate is gearing up for a fight. Of course, if Nathan is uncomfortable, I can understand why. I glance at him.

"Go home. We'll talk later."

He slides off the stool, and Sophia says tightly, "Wait."

She moves to the coffee pot, pours him a mug full of coffee, and hands him a small plate covered in foil. "Here. Take this with you."

Nathan looks at me as if wary about accepting these things, and I have to stop myself from snarling at him. I was clearly too harsh with him before if he is this upset.

"Take it," I say gruffly. "And go home and rest."

As he walks past me with his hands full, I murmur in a low voice, "This is who you want to use, the one person who's looking out for you?"

He stiffens and then hurries out.

Sophia crosses her arms over her chest, irritated. "What did you just say to him?"

"None of your business?" I suggest. My answer only prompts my mate to be more pissed off.

"What do you expect me to do when he's walking past our house, rubbing his eyes and sniffling? You want me to ignore him? I know you had something to do with it. Nathan likes to hide it, but he looks up to you. You're the only one who can get him so worked up like that."

I feel a hint of guilt at her words. "I know you feel sorry for him, but he's young and hotheaded. All I did was give him a dose of reality. Sometimes, being nice doesn't get you the results you need."

"And what kind of results do you want from Nathan?" Sophia looks annoyed. "He's just a kid."

"He's not a kid," I say gently. "He's nineteen, Sophia. As far as our pack is concerned, he's a grown adult, responsible for the life of his younger sister. Nathan isn't thinking straight. He's letting his emotions get the best of him."

"Like you're letting your emotions get the best of you?" Sophia lowers arms to her side, tilting her head. "I didn't need to talk to Nathan to find out what your meetings have been about. I already asked Patrick."

Cursing Patrick in my head, I say, "Look—"

"Alex." My mate's voice is hard, and when she looks at me, her eyes are holding a vicious rage that makes my wolf stir in anticipation. "Let me make it very clear to you. I want Karina dead. That female needs to be buried ten feet in the ground before I will breathe easy. I'm not running away. And I don't need to be protected. I want her to suffer. And I want her to pay for every second of torment she made you go through. This is my decision. Not yours. So, you can join me or you can watch me. That's your choice. But Karina cannot be allowed to live."