Pack Bonds, page 34
part #4 of Amarok Series
“Yes. And?”
“And?” The rogue looked at him as if Beckett were insane. “Obviously, they aren’t coming alone.”
“Obviously,” Beckett growled. “Your point?”
“They’re going to kill us!”
“Yeah, we’re most likely going to die here.”
“What!?” the rogue shouted, jumping backward. Across the room, the humans, their faces covered by black hoods, looked up from their kneeling positions in front of the bus they’ve been dragged off of. “You didn’t say we were going to get killed!”
“What did you think would happen after kidnapping humans in this city?” Beckett pushed to his feet, stretching languidly. Even a changer’s constitution could be stressed after maintaining a position for too long and he’d been sitting for hours. Thinking. Preparing. Coming to terms with his future and the end that drew near.
The alphas of the world had taken away his choice on how to live his life. Now, they would dance to his tune as he played out his end.
“I have to get out of here,” the rogue said nervously, his shifty eyes going through the building as he searched for the best escape route.
“Go ahead. I doubt you’ll get far. They’ll have the area surrounded but there’s always a chance that you’ll escape.”
The rogue whimpered as he came to a similar conclusion. Beckett raised a hand to grab his shoulder but paused, taking a deep whiff of the horrid smell coming off him. “The moment Alpine forsook us, we were dead. Changers’ strength comes from our unity and we are united through our trust in our alphas. When they abandon us, we are nothing.
“We are going to die, brother. But we are different than the others. Because we--” He raised his arms, gesturing to the other rogues in the building that were paying rapt attention. “We get to choose how we die. And we won’t go quietly. We will make sure the prideful alphas who so casually dismissed us will once again remember us.”
Beckett stared at the rogue with an intensity that made the smaller man squirm. “You can run. Or you can stay and be a part of something bigger than yourself. No matter how long you’ve spent on your own, I’m sure you remember what that feels like.”
The rogue slowly nodded.
“You know what to do.”
Beckett watched as he moved over to stand by the humans. Their pleas for mercy had steadily increased in volume as they overheard their captors talk about their imminent death but an inhuman growl from the rogue quieted them as he stood at their backs. The man no longer appeared frightened, only resigned with a hint of determination squaring his thin shoulders.
The draw of the pack was irresistible, even to those who’d been bereft of it for as long as the rogues had. Beckett shook his head in wonder. Here they were; strangers, criminals, the lowest of the low, but they’d managed to come together.
It disgusted him that alphas would abuse such power, nearly as much as his helplessness in the face of it. Despite the betrayal he’d endured, when Alpine called to him, he’d come eagerly. Desperate to obtain it.
“No more. They will control my life no longer.” His enemies were close now, close enough that he could hear the sounds of their boots scraping across the gravel that surrounded the building. The time had come.
-
The first thing Dean noticed as she stepped into the dark warehouse were the humans. The rusty door had made quite a lot of noise when she threw it open and the commotion caught their attention. Fresh pleas, cries of fear, and questions arose in an incomprehensible jumble of sound that was quieted by the rogues standing watch over them.
There were three of them standing behind the humans. Their hands twitched as she met their eyes, inching closer to the hostages. The message was clear; a single move toward them would result in the death of the humans. No matter how fast she was, she couldn’t stop them from snapping the humans’ necks. Two more rogues hovered on opposite sides of the room.
Beckett stood in the middle of the room. Broken crates debris had been swept to clear a space and arranged in a circle around him. A ring.
Something was different about him. Dean noticed he looked cleaner than the others but that didn’t explain the feeling that nagged at her as her group moved forward.
Dugen passed her as they came within a dozen feet of him. “Beckett, I presume.”
“Dugen Alexin. You’ll have to pardon me for causing such a huge mess in your city, but I had to make sure I had everyone’s attention.”
“That you did. What is it you want?”
Beckett pointed past him to Alpine. “We have some unfinished business.”
Alpine stepped forward with a neutral expression. “You didn’t have to kidnap humans to grab my attention. I would answer any challenge.”
“I wish I could believe that, but alphas are conniving creatures and you’ve lied to me before.”
“I have never--”
“You called on us rogues with a promise!” Beckett shouted over him. “You promised justice and revenge! You promised that we would spill the blood of a traitorous alpha! You promised us this, even if it cost you your life. Well Alpine, I will see that you keep your word.”
Beckett shrugged off his tattered shirt, throwing it to the side. “You and me. And your friends will keep out of it. Or else…”
A short scream echoed through the warehouse as a rogue pulled a knife and slash the back of a bound woman. Dean sneered at the display.
“This is not my challenge to accept,” Alpine said, shaking his head. “I’ve pledged myself to another. That makes me an alpha no longer.”
Dean stepped up beside him and he looked to her. “That’s right. When I accepted him, I accepted all his burdens as well. That includes you. If you want to fight an alpha, I’m right here.”
Beckett growled, his eyes practically alight with anger. “Another trick. Another way to dodge responsibility. It won’t work. I will face Alpine. You cannot hide behind another’s back coward! FACE ME!”
The shout carried a power that made Dean frown as she felt something brush against her consciousness. Did you feel that beast?
Her other half came to the forefront of her mind, melding with her. Colors sharpened as the bonds appeared in her vision. Dean’s eyes went wide as she observed Beckett.
The man held bonds from the rogues in the room. However, instead of knotting together over his chest, they were wrapped loosely about his body. As if they were searching for a place to come together but couldn’t find it.
What does this mean? Dean questioned.
HE IS NO ALPHA.
Isn’t he? He’s doing what we do. Or at least he’s trying to.
YET, HE IS NO ALPHA.
Dean digested the words. The beast was never wrong and she insisted he wasn’t an alpha but he was collecting bonds like one. Did that mean that he was…becoming one? Through force of will alone? Was it possible? Dean never heard of it happening. People were born to rule. It was either in their blood or it wasn’t.
To defy that…
She shook her head. This man is incredible. “You,” she said aloud. “What’s your name?”
Beckett scoffed. “You mean to tell me you haven’t heard it from him?”
“I want to hear it from you. Who are you?”
His frown eased a fraction. “I am William Orion Beckett, a proud wolf.”
Dean nodded. “Answer me honestly. Do you want to die here?”
“No, but there is little option and I don’t fear death.”
“You have another option. Surrender to me now and I promise nothing will happen to you.” Dean ignored the incredulous looks her companions gave her.
“...You’ll spare me?”
“Yes. And the others too if you want them to come along.” She swept her gaze through the warehouse. “You have my word on that but only if they accompany you.”
Beckett stared at her with narrowed eyes. “And why would you do that?”
“Because killing you would be such a damn waste it’d make me sick.”
He laughed but the sound was hollow. “You speak with rare honesty. I could almost trust you. Almost.” Beckett rolled his shoulders. “But it’s too late. I’ve already decided my fate. Alpine, will you step forward or will I have to come for you?”
Dean scowled. She hadn’t exaggerated when she said she’d feel sick at the thought of killing Beckett. He had to be a changer that came around once in a million lives, which was something especially incredible considering their birth rates.
Still, he had made his choice.
Dean looked to Alpine and waved him forward, trying to hide her disgust with the whole situation. As Alpine prepared for a fight, she asked “If you don’t mind me asking, where are you from? Which pack did you belong to?”
“The Huron pack,” Beckett answered, his voice mixed with both longing and anger. “Now, I am done with words.”
“Yeah, no problem.” She sighed as the two fighters squared off on opposite sides of the ring. From the corner of her eye, she saw Dugen incline his head toward one of the walls. Dean saw shadows flicker behind the bus. The Freewood wolves had entered the building. “Know this. No one will interfere with this fight. No one.”
Beckett grinned. “That’s far more than I expected,” he said before running forward.
Dean knew how formidable a fighter Alpine was from their fight, which made Beckett’s performance all the more impressive. He seemed focused on trying to get close to his opponent. A good tactic, as Dean could see from their physiques that he was the stronger of the two and would have the advantage in a grapple, but her newly minted bodyguard was keeping him at a distance with well-placed strikes.
Then the air changed. Suddenly, the fight was no longer one-sided. A heavy blow to the chin sent Alpine to the ground. He jumped back to his feet in an instant, but his eyes were cautious, while Beckett became emboldened. Screaming in anger, he charged forward, ignoring Alpine’s hits as he tackled him outside the ring, wood splintering beneath them.
The bonds surrounding Beckett whipped into a frenzy as the two men struggled, climbing to their feet and facing off again. The rogue’s eyes cleared and his swings became smoother, connecting with their target more often.
For a moment, Dean thought Beckett had become faster but Alpine appeared to have slowed down. There was a hesitation to his movements that wasn’t there before, precious seconds he paid for in blood as his wounds piled up.
The fight showed the bonds in a new light and she felt she was just beginning to understand their true nature. Why alphas were special, why they were dangerous, and why packs existed. It’s not about numbers. We draw power from those we control.
YES, her other half confirmed.
But how? What is he doing? She didn’t know what the others could see but to her, it seemed Alpine was intimidated. She had seen a similar effect in rabbits and deer when suddenly faced with a predator. For a moment, they froze in the presence of death.
Was he using the bonds to strengthen his presence, make himself more intimidating? Any ideas how help?
WE CANNOT INTERFERE WITH A CHALLENGE.
I’m not saying we interfere. But Beckett is fighting with his pack behind him. Alpine deserves the same or it becomes an unfair advantage.
TOBIAS HAS ALREADY SHOWN US.
Dean thought back to her lessons and nodded to herself as an idea struck her. Focusing on the rays of light spreading out from the node in her chest, she thought of Alpine and one jumped out at her. She touched it lightly with a finger and became aware of him; his confusion as his opponent proved to be a different kind of foe than he believed but his determination to win anyway.
What sound means pack to me? A moment later, she sent her memory of the Warriors howling for her when Lucien welcomed her into their ranks. Several voices blending into one. Her last good memory before her home was destroyed. There’s no need to be afraid. He stands with a handful of half-starved dogs. You stand with an Amarok.
The change was immediate. Alpine scooted back and gathered himself. The hesitation in his expression disappeared as he went on the attack. The turnout surprised Beckett but not for long.
Their exchange was brutal, but their differences slowly became apparent. Alpine was more controlled and Beckett had already taken damage. Dean watched with satisfaction as he weakened his opponent with one well-placed blow after another, as unhurried and methodical as a machine.
Beckett finally went down with a spray of blood as a punch to the jaw snapped his head to the side, one of his teeth skipping across the floor. Beckett immediately tried to sit up but was halted as Alpine launched an uppercut. Beckett moved to lean away from the blow, but Alpine’s hand rippled as fur sprouted along his skin, his blunt nails transforming into claws that raked across his opponent’s face before reverting to a normal hand.
Beckett howled in pain as he covered his face. Alpine reached down, hauling him his feet by the scruff of his neck.
“The match is over,” Dean pronounced, her voice lanced with a bit of regret. “You rejected my offer. That means there’s only one way this can end.”
Beckett laughed bitterly, the sound made more disturbing by the blood leaking through his fingers. “Prideful alphas,” he growled. “Powerful alphas. You think nothing of us. We’re too far beneath your notice for you consider us threats. But I am a threat! And I won’t die alone!”
Reaching behind him, he pulled out a remote, raising it high above his head for the room to see before he pressed the button in the center, laughing manically.
When nothing happened after several seconds, he pressed it again. His fingers mashed the button as his laughter petered off. Finally, he realized it wouldn’t work and threw it to the ground with a cry of rage.
He removed his hand that covered his damage face. Three long gashes where he had been cut, skin and flesh hanging off as they slowly healed, made his glare a nightmare.
“It seems,” Alpine said coldly, “that the only one who looked down on his opponents is you.” He spun Beckett around, putting him in a headlock. The rogue tried to fight him but was too exhausted to break free. His angry growls were quieted as Alpine broke his neck with a sudden crack.
Beckett slumped in his grip but Alpine didn’t let up. With a roar, he gave Beckett’s head a vicious twist, tearing it away. He held it aloft as Beckett’s body hit the ground, throwing it away afterward. “One of the few things a changer cannot heal from.”
Dean sighed. “Such a waste.”
“But at least this mess is finally over.” Dugen gestured over to the humans that were being shepherded back onto the bus, their hoods still on. “I will see to them. You’ll clean this up?”
“Yeah, yeah. And we’ll need whatever it was he was trying to activate with that remote. Judging from the pictures Vikky got, it’s probably what the vampires gave him.”
“Mm.” Dugen clasped Alpine’s shoulder, giving him a nod before jogging off.
Dean knocked Beckett’s head closer to his body with her heel. “I’ll call Vikky and get her to send some of our people this way. You don’t need to be cleaning this up and I’m not doing it.”
Alpine nodded. “This is finally over.”
“You’ve got balls saying that when you started this whole fiasco.” She shook her head. “One thing you’re going to learn living in this city, Al. Nothing’s over. The hits keep coming.”
“So, the war is not over. But we’ve won the battle.”
“That we have.” Dean felt the beast step away and grunted at the wave of dizziness that made the world spin and the way her stomach cramped. Victory didn’t feel as good as it should have. What kind of alpha would drive a changer like Beckett down this path? They might have won but all she could feel was a great loss. He had done something beyond her capabilities, an incredible feat.
The Huron pack. She was going to have words with that leader, along with all the others. She’d thought Franklin was an anomaly. It seemed he was but in a good way. At least he thought he was trying to help his people. These other alphas…
“No,” she growled. “The war is far from over.”
Chapter 21
Pruella was seated at her desk with an old tome in her lap when Addison burst into the room. She hastily bowed before handing over a tablet. “Forgive the rude intrusion but I think this may be what we’ve been waiting for.”
“How rare to see you excited.” She carefully examined the photo on the screen, swiping through the series with a pensive expression. A small curved the ends of her lips as she placed the device down. “Nothing to implicate Thane directly but more than enough for us to take action. We’ll go with plan B-2. Who sent them in?”
