41. Mai

Chapter forty-one

Mai

I t was late afternoon. Tomorrow we were supposed to meet Brock at the Whispering Willow River just outside the boundaries of Three Rivers. Ryan and I were in the Alpha House kitchen, going over our plans for the hundredth time, and I was trying to stay calm. Wally was here, along with the other Shaw brothers, plus Jase. Sylvie had put out food platters in the dining room and they were all attacking it like they hadn't eaten in years. I couldn't; I'd had a lump in my stomach ever since Brock threw Amara at us and ran out of the room. It was a gnawing sense of foreboding. That something was coming and this time, maybe we wouldn't come out of it.

After Brock had done a runner, Ryan had gone after him. I'd established that physically Amara was okay, then knocked on Sylvie's door and told her to stay with Amara. We'd spent the next two hours hunting Brock. Following his scent all over Three Rivers had been easy, but he was always one step ahead. He'd finally crossed the boundary of our territory and neither me nor Ryan wanted to follow him over it in case it was a trap. It would be just like Brock to try to lure us out of Three Rivers so he could double back and attack it.

When we got back, Ryan had demanded answers from our Renegade guards on how Brock had got past them, not once but twice. Raphael had been appalled. We'd done a search and had found two guards unconscious at the east wall of the compound. They were going to be okay, but both had nasty concussions.

This had only cemented my belief that we were doing the right thing in taking down the wall around the compound. If Brock could get in and out when it was there, it was doing fuck all for our security.

Ryan had nodded when I pointed this out to him, his jaw clenched tight. "You're right. We'll find another way to protect the Pack."

Amara was shaken after her ordeal. Brock had grabbed her off the street on the way back from the shops. Seth had kidnapped me from the street, so I knew what that felt like, how helpless it made you feel.

"We've done everything I can think of, but I'm still not happy about this," Ryan sighed, pulling me out of my thoughts. We'd pulled everyone in. Derek, along with Sam and Mason, had used every favor, every one of their contacts to find out that Brock did indeed have an army. As soon as we got some solid intel on it, Derek had gone scouting. He'd returned a few hours later with the news that Brock had at least two hundred Shifters to throw at us tomorrow. With no idea where he'd gotten so many, that's where Sam, Mason, and Waylen came into play. Now that he knew what to look for, Waylen had been able to follow some email trails on a laptop found at the old forestry station. It seemed that someone had been giving Brock a heads up about rogue wolves. Whenever there was a sighting of some Packless wolves making trouble somewhere, Brock would get an email with a location. The emails had gone back years, before Brock had come back to Three Rivers. If Brock had been recruiting an army, it would explain how there had been so many men at the old forestry station guarding Jem, and how he had two hundred to go into battle with. Ryan said the men at the station had been efficient and well-trained. It looked like Brock had managed to mold rogue werewolves into a deadly fighting force. The fact that he'd been building it for years meant that Brock had started planning his takeover of the Council a lot longer ago than we thought.

"You're right. Brock's not going to play by the rules. He'll have something planned, something we're not expecting."

Ryan ran a hand through his hair. "I know. All we can do is prepare as best we can. We have Ronnie and his men coming, the Renegades and all our enforcers. The people from Sam and Mason's PI agency, everyone we could pull in on short notice. We'll leave some enforcers behind to protect Three Rivers, in case it's a ruse and Brock tries to attack here instead. And if the battle goes badly, they'll be in charge of evacuating everyone to Bridgetown. Michael and Camille are preparing, just in case."

"Don't forget me!" Wally called as he walked in, holding a plate of food in one hand.

I looked at Ryan. He shrugged, telling me it was my choice.

"I thought you'd be here, helping with the evacuation if it's needed."

"Oh, hell no! I'll be on the front lines with you. You're going to need every fighter you've got."

"I see. And what does Thomas think about this?" It was a low blow, but I wanted to try everything I could to keep at least some of my family safe .

Wally narrowed his eyes at me. "Thomas will rail against the stupidity of all of us for fighting. He always does. He also knows what will happen if we lose tomorrow. We're fighting not just for the Three Rivers, but all werewolves. Brock will decimate us with his ripple, and if he ever gets to be the Wolf King he so desperately wants to be, we'll all be royally fucked. Probably literally. So, Thomas will support my decision, and I'm asking you to do the same, Alpha."

Alpha? He called me Alpha. Shit.

"I just want—"

"I know what you want. You want to keep us all safe. I do too, that's why I have to fight tomorrow. Alongside my Pack. Where I belong."

Wow, he was really hammering it home.

I sighed, defeated. "Alright, but I'm putting you next to Evelyn. You can watch each other's backs."

Wally grinned at me. "Done." Then he turned and left the kitchen.

"It's not enough," I whispered, stepping into Ryan and wrapping my arms around his waist.

Ryan hugged me back, and I breathed in his scent, knowing I'd do anything, anything, to make sure he survived tomorrow.

"I'll have to get to Brock quickly," he said. "If I can kill him before our side takes too much damage, there's a chance we'll come out of this."

"You think his men will run when Brock falls?"

Ryan nodded. "I do."

I felt his lie through our bond. That was new, but I didn't have time to explore it right now. I doubted Brock's men would run, too. From what Ryan had told me about the men at the forestry station, and what Derek reported back, these were not the sort to up and run when the leader fell.

"I want to try something. You're not going to like it, so I'm not going to tell you what it is just yet. But I want you to trust me."

Ryan pulled back, his eyes searching my face.

"Mai—"

"I said you weren't going to like it. But this is part of us learning to be the Alpha couple. You have to trust me, Ryan. It's not dangerous. I'll be gone about an hour, maybe two."

"Mai—"

"Please, Ryan. This is important." I would do anything to even the odds, even a little, to give us a chance of getting out alive.

I could see the battle on his face. But this was it; we were both Alphas, and he had to learn to trust me.

I stared into his eyes, willing him to take this leap, his beautiful lashes distracting me for a second. Then he nodded. "Take Jase."

Jase was all up for an adventure. I hoped his puppy-like enthusiasm never got knocked out of him. We pulled up outside a well-maintained warehouse on the outskirts of town. The building was modern, constructed within the last decade, and with its clean lines and sleek design, it screamed of efficiency and functionality.

As Jase and I got out of the car, I spotted Ava and Evelyn standing guard by the door. Ava scowled like someone had stolen her favorite pair of jeans. She'd been at the briefing yesterday and knew what we were up against. She was pissed as hell, though, that Brock had threatened the Pack. Raphael had explained to me that Ava had two teenage sisters in town. They'd be in the firing line if Brock took his army to the streets. Evelyn, on the other hand, smiled as we walked toward them. She was the picture of calm composure. Her long brown hair was tied in a braid down her back and her green eyes were sharp and alert.

"Alpha," Ava greeted me with a sharp nod. "You found it okay?"

I gave her a tight smile. "Yes, the directions you gave me were perfect."

Evelyn stepped forward, her movements fluid and graceful. "We've got them all secured inside, with five Renegades keeping a close eye on them."

I nodded my thanks and took a deep breath, steeling myself. Jase fell into step beside me as Evelyn and Ava led us to the door. Evelyn pulled out a key card from her pocket and swiped it against the electronic lock.

Inside, a concrete floor stretched to fill the space, about half the size of a soccer pitch. The walls were painted a crisp white, reflecting the bright light and making the space feel larger than it was.

Against the far wall, about fifty werewolves in human form sat in neat rows, their wrists bound behind their backs with sturdy plastic zip ties. They looked tired and weary, their clothes rumpled and their hair disheveled, but there was no scent of unwashed bodies or stale sweat. Instead, the air carried a faint hint of disinfectant. I nodded to Evelyn and Ava. I was impressed; the prisoners had been treated well.

The five Renegade guards stood at attention around the perimeter of the room, their stances alert, their eyes watchful. They were each armed with tranquilizer guns and silver-tipped darts.

A few of the rogue werewolves lifted their heads to watch us as we walked in, their gazes a mix of wariness and curiosity. Some looked defiant, their eyes flashing with barely contained anger, while others seemed resigned to their fate, their shoulders slumped in defeat.

I let my gaze sweep over the assembled group. There were young wolves barely out of their teens, and older ones with gray hair and lined faces.

I recognized some of them as the Three Rivers enforcers who had fought for Brock and Hayley at the Pack Meet. Others were the men Korrin had brought into our territory to kill us.

None of them met my eyes.

Good , my wolf chuffed. She was pleased they were acknowledging us as someone to be respected.

These were all wolves without a Pack now, without a purpose. They had fought for Korrin and Brock, and now they were paying the price.

"You sure this is a good idea, Mai?" Jase whispered.

I didn't answer him. Instead, I strode forward, my footsteps echoing on the concrete floor as I made my way to the center of the warehouse..

"Do you know who I am?" I asked, my voice ringing out clear and strong.

One of Korrin's rogues, a burly man with a shaved head, let out a derisive grunt. "Of course we fucking know who you are," he spat. "You're the bitch who defeated us."

I didn't flinch at his words. Instead, I stared at him, letting my wolf peek out through my eyes. He lowered his gaze immediately.

"Yes, I'm the bitch that defeated you. And you are all rogues now. You have no Pack, no place to call home. You each betrayed your own. Some of you chose to follow Korrin and look where it brought you." I paused, sweeping my hand around the room. "For those of you who called yourself Three Rivers people. You let us down. You didn't protect the weak or the innocent. You saw what Brock and Hayley were doing to this Pack, and you let it happen. You betrayed your family, your friends, those you were sworn to protect. You have all been disavowed, and after what you've done, it's unlikely that any Pack will take you in."

A hushed silence met my words. I had their attention. Now I just had to hold It.

"Those of you who were part of the Three Rivers Pack, you will be banished from this territory. You will leave your families, your jobs, everything you've ever known behind. If you return, it will be a death sentence."

A female werewolf with long, dark hair and fierce brown eyes spoke up from the back of the room. "That's not fair! We were just following orders. We shouldn't be punished for that."

I fixed her with a steady gaze. "How can any of us trust you now?"

The woman glared at me, her jaw clenched tight. But she kept her eyes away from mine and said nothing. I let the silence stretch for a moment before I spoke again. "You have all made your choices. You and your families must face the consequences." I tilted my head to one side. "But there may be a chance for you yet."

I paused, letting my words sink in. I could see the confusion on their faces, the uncertainty in their eyes. They had expected judgement, punishment, not an offer of redemption.

"We're going to war tomorrow. Brock and his army want to destroy the Three Rivers. They're going to fight us on the banks of our home, on the banks of the Whispering Willow. If we lose, he will come here to the heart of our land and kill anyone he finds. I'm going to fight for our Pack, for our people. And I'm asking you to join me."

A murmur rippled through the room, a mix of surprise and disbelief.

"Why the fuck would we do that? You're asking us to be cannon fodder for your vendetta against Brock," the burly man said.

I wouldn't lie to them. "We're all going to be cannon fodder. Brock has more than two hundred men in his army. He wants vengeance against me and Ryan. He wants vengeance against this Pack. But there's a chance we'll win, and if we do, any of you who fight beside me will be accepted into the Three Rivers as Pack members."

I could see the wheels turning in their heads, the calculations being made. We were werewolves. The draw of a Pack was strong. We needed to belong, to be part of something bigger than ourselves. It kept us grounded. It kept us stable.

"And why should we trust you?" the burly guy asked, his eyes narrowed. "How do we know you won't just toss us aside when you're done with us?"

I met his gaze steadily. "Because I'm not Brock."

Ten minutes later, Jase and I left the warehouse. Forty-eight of them had agreed to fight for us.