Wicked: A Savage Alpha Shifters Romance, page 44
“If anything happens to my sister,” I shout, “You will be very fucking sorry.”
“You’re gonna be sorry anyway,” Greyson tells him. “After the shit you’ve pulled. After the shit you’ve put your sister through?”
“I’ll melt you into a puddle of bad guy goo,” I warn. “You’re gonna look like a steaming pile of wolf shit if you or your goons have harmed a hair on my sister’s head!”
“Shh, baby. Easy does it,” Riley coos into my ear.
“He wanted me. He took my sister because she has red hair and they thought she was me, Riley. She probably smells like me being my sister, right?”
“I know, darlin’.”
I’ve got my hair flat-ironed tonight. Jessica’s typically straight hair is curly tonight. We always laugh that her pin-straight hair done curly is party hair for her and my curly hair flattened to straight is my party hair.
I can see the disappointment in Wyatt’s expression. “I’ll give her back. She’s unharmed, just mostly disabled right now. Let me take my mate. Let me and my guys out of here. You hurt me, you’ll never find them. I’ve got all their scents masked.”
“No, no, no,” Sherry cries.
“No,” Jase practically snarls. “You give her back and then maybe we let you live.”
“I’m an alpha and I’ve identified my mate. Alpha code of conduct states no other shifter fucks with that.”
“Oh, you adhere to shifter codes of conduct, do ya?” Riley quips. “Really fuckin’ funny.”
“Walk me to my rendezvous point, give me my female, and I’ll give you back the redhead,” he says.
“No, please no,” Sherry cries. “Jason! Dad!”
“Lads?”
We turn to Mitch, who is talking. He’s moving forward from a group of men. “Technically, you should release him with his identified mate.”
“What the fuck?” Jase growls.
“Wyatt Meadows of the Silver Hills wolf shifter pack?” Mitch addresses him, “I’m Dr. Mitchell Blakely of the Supernatural Council Collective.”
“That’s me,” Wyatt says with a shit-eating grin. “Nice to meet you Dr. Blakely. I wanted to rescue my sister here. I filed a complaint about them kidnapping her.”
“Here’s the thing,” Mitch says, eyes bouncing between Riley, Greyson, and Wyatt. “Wyatt Meadows filed a grievance against your pack with the SCC, stating you kidnapped his sister. I got the report a few days ago. Didn’t act on it because I found out Greyson identified her as his mate. You need to extend the same courtesy. Let him leave with his mate.”
“No. Fuck that,” Jase states.
“It’s the law,” Mitch tells him.
“He kidnapped my sister!” I shriek. “He had me kidnapped and he tried to kill Riley, Mason, and Lincoln!”
Mitch looks at me. “He filed a complaint against Riley for murdering his cousin. We let that go because James Meadows abducted you and interfered with an alpha and his fated mate. You.”
“What the fuck?” Riley snaps. “These assholes have been poisoning our pack. They shoot Ty and have the nerve to file complaints about us with the SCC? He just admitted to abducting my sister-in-law.”
“Technically, it was Greyson’s mate Stacy Meadows who poisoned several pack members before shooting Tyson. Correct?” Mitch asks.
Grey glares at him and says, “Blackwood. Stacy’s name is now Blackwood. And what happened is a pack matter. We haven’t asked for involvement from the SCC.”
Stacy is staring at her feet, looking like she wants to hide.
“There are clearly several beefs ongoing between these two packs,” Mitch says. “As a member of the SCC, my recommendation is that you allow Wyatt Meadows to take his identified mate. He should return the hostage. Any further beefs between the two packs can go before a tribunal to be worked out according to the law. This pack needs to file their complaints officially like any other pack.”
“This is bullshit,” Riley snaps. “He just abducted my mate’s sister thinking she was my mate and you’re suggesting we let him leave? So he can continue to plot against us and look for more ways to fuck with us? He wants to have a witch in his possession to help him take us out and then take our territory over.”
“Mitch, for fuck’s sake,” Riley’s father says from behind him.
“You folks aren’t above the law,” Mitch replies. “And you’ve got a lot of eyes on you lately what with recent happenings. The SCC isn’t thrilled with some of the antics of this pack lately and with these newfound supernatural gifts, they’re not going to be okay with those antics continuing despite the strength of Greyson and Erica. You all need to follow the same rules as everyone else. Nobody gets between an alpha and his mate. The grievances between these two packs can be addressed in arbitration after reports are filed. For tonight, Wyatt Meadows should be allowed to leave with his fated mate after he returns the hostage. We’ll launch an investigation and then we’ll-”
“I’m not his mate. He’s lying,” Sherry shrieks.
“I haven’t had the opportunity to prove I’m not lying,” Wyatt counters calmly, looking smug. “But I’m very much looking forward to proving I’m not lying.”
Jase is flexing his fists over and over, looking ready to lose it.
“Gross,” I mutter. He’s talking about having sex with her. Knotting her. Biting her.
“Let me fry his insides, guys, please?” I ask sweetly. “My sister is quite capable of dealing with whatever predicament his men have her in.”
I’m bullshitting, but this guy doesn’t need to know this. This guy needs to be afraid.
Riley flashes a grin like he wants to knot and bite me. I flutter my eyelashes.
Greyson pipes up. “Me and my mate have grievances to file against her former pack. Let’s do that now, too, then. You ready to file formal complaints, Stace?”
Stacy looks frozen with fear. She nods timidly.
“And us. Attempted murder times three, a count of kidnapping and an account of attempted kidnapping,” I put in.
“We’ll launch an investigation,” Mitch assures, “but for tonight, let’s stick to some basics.”
Mason rushes in. So does Tyson.
“What the fuck is goin’ on here?” Mason shouts.
Tyson glares at Wyatt. “I can’t smell this fucker but I’m pretty sure he needs to die.”
“We all want a piece of this guy,” Riley states.
“Flip you for it?” Ty suggests.
Riley laughs.
Wyatt’s eyes bounce between them like the whole thing is bizarre.
“This is Wyatt Meadows,” Grey calls out. “Stacy’s brother. And I think you’re right, Ty, but Mitch disagrees.”
“Update us,” Ty demands, glaring at Wyatt.
Grey replies, “Tried to take my wife and says he’s identified Sherry Creed as his. Thing is, he took Jessica Young somewhere. She’s making the phones all go nuts, probably to alert us they’ve got her. Mitch here is suggesting we let him take Sherry and give Jessica back. Mitch says we’ve got grievances against Wyatt’s pack, he’s got some against ours. Wants us to settle those in arbitration.”
Mason looks thrown. “Give us Jessica and take her, then. We’ll sort the rest of this later.”
“Fuck that. He’s not taking my goddamn sister!” Jase shouts. “I know she pissed you off, bro, but come on!”
“He’s lying. I’m not his mate!” Sherry cries. “Nobody’s listening to me. This is my life here!”
“There’s a solution,” Tyson says. “Put Sherry and this assclown in a cell in the basement tonight. We find out tomorrow if he claimed her in a way that proves she’s his.”
“Wait. What? That’s barbaric!” I say. “Women should not be treated this way.”
Riley wraps his arms around me. “Erica,” he says softly.
“Don’t Erica me, there pooky. This is bull pucky.”
“I agree!” Bailey calls out from where she stands by the door. “If a woman is repulsed by an alpha, if he’s a psychopathic criminal, he should not automatically get to take her just because he identifies her as his. She should have a choice!”
Sherry looks at Bailey with shock.
Bailey keeps talking. “Don’t mistake me, Sherry. I hate your guts. And that’s on you. Because you’re a shitty person. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have rights. It doesn’t mean that just because you’re a girl you should be stuck with a psychopath.”
“These are the rules. If you have a problem with them, there’s protocol,” Mitch says. “But as of right now, my recommendation is that we follow Tyson Savage’s suggestion. Though instead of a cell, perhaps Tyson’s cabin and have guards posted.”
“No. Not my cabin,” Ty denies. “That’s for pack use only.”
Mitch shrugs. “I was thinking this way, the lass is safe while it’s determined whether this alpha does have a legitimate claim to her.”
“The cells downstairs can be used for that,” Riley puts in. “Grey was willing to stay there with his mate when he identified her.”
“Jase, no,” Sherry buries her face into Jase’s chest and bawls.
“Sherry,” a voice calls out and I look over at Robert Creed, who I met earlier. “You need to go with the man that says he’s your mate. I like Tyson’s idea. Then you’re still here while we find out for certain.”
“Dad-” Jase starts to say.
“No, son. You mate next. Would you want someone standing in the way of that? Would any alpha here allow anybody to get in between them and their mate? We don’t know this guy. We don’t know what led him to think we’re their enemies.”
“Tyson Savage killed my old man,” Wyatt speaks up. “That’s where all this started. I might be willing to talk it out. Look for resolution.”
He’s lying and everyone in the room has to know it. Maybe not about the death of his father, but about willingness for resolution.
“I don’t know you, man,” Tyson tells him. “I don’t know who your father was. Your sister told Grey this, but I was in another life back then. My uncle used drugs to send me into the red haze for fights for money. I don’t know any of these details. Whatever I did to your family, if it wasn’t deserved, I apologize. But I apologize to your sister, not you, because what you’ve pulled is bullshit. Using a woman in your pack to enact your revenge? Treating your pack badly? She told Grey that you’re a dictator, that you’re abusive. You need to be usurped. Maybe one of our alphas should take over for you if you have nobody who-”
“Whoa whoa. Seems like there’s been hurt on both sides,” Mitch interrupts. “How about if we table all this until there’s a tribunal? I’m trying to help you all find peaceful resolution tonight so that common sense will prevail.”
“I don’t want to be alone with him,” Sherry pleads. “No. I’m not okay with going to a jail cell or anywhere else with him, especially not in a cell next to a dead witch. I want to go before a tribunal before I’m alone with this guy. What if he’s lying? He gets to have sex with me even if he’s lying?”
“Lass, you know that’s not how it works when an alpha identifies his mate,” Mitch tells her.
“He’s lying! And this isn’t fair!” Sherry cries out. “This is my home. He’s not even in our pack! Daddy…”
“I’m sorry, Sher. You know this is our way,” Robert replies.
“It’s wrong!” Bailey says. “This stuff needs to change.”
“Viva la revolution,” I say, loudly.
“Yeah!” Ronnie chimes in.
Riley gives me a squeeze. “Don’t, baby.”
“It’s true. This is the fucking twenty-first century, people.”
I hear him sigh.
Wyatt speaks up, “If you want your witch sister, these people will let me be alone with my mate. Non-negotiable. I’ll stay with her in that cabin if needed. But she’s mine. I want what’s mine. We’ll sort the rest of this out later.”
Sherry openly weeps. Jase hugs her tight, looking ready to rip Wyatt’s head off.
“In fact, I’ll show any who wants to watch that she’s mine.” He snickers. “Prove I’m telling the truth. But we have seven minutes to meet my rendezvous so… tick tock.”
I look at Stacy. She’s staring at her brother with true fear in her eyes.
Stacy says loud, “Wyatt has a thing for explosives.”
Wyatt shoots Stacy a death glare.
I speak up. “We need to figure out where my sister is because our phones are still messed up but they’re no longer buzzing or ringing and that better not mean she’s hurt or so help me Wyatt, you’ll be sorry.”
“Is her sister hurt? Are we in danger here?” Riley demands.
Wyatt snickers. He says, “Tick tock. Take me to my rendezvous point, let me take my mate, and I’ll give you the redhead and stop bad shit from happening.”
“A lot of the pack is downstairs? Why?” Tyson asks. “I smell them.”
Grey explains, “I called for code red when Mimi told me why the phones went nuts. We put all non-alphas downstairs to keep them safe. Gus, Andy, and six betas took off to go door-to-door to tell people not here to get secure. The Youngs are here as they might be able to help. Bailey, you shouldn’t be up here.”
Bailey folds her arms over her chest as if to say she’s not going anywhere.
“This place doesn’t feel safe,” I say.
“No. It doesn’t,” Vivica agrees.
“Six minutes,” Wyatt advises.
“Save this fight for another day,” Mitch suggests. “You girls want to petition to have new rights, that’s your choice to initiate and you can discuss that with your pack after this is over, or petition the SCC if you want new laws brought in for all shifter females, but...”
“Enough with the longwinded shit, Mitch,” Riley snaps, then looks to Wyatt. “Why is the clock ticking, fucker? What did you do?”
Wyatt laughs like he’s holding all the good cards.
Robert steps up. ”Meadows, if you’re telling me you’re my daughter’s mate, you’re going to be connected to me and my pack. That’s reason enough to cooperate and ensure nothing harms us.”
“I didn’t know your daughter was my mate until ten minutes ago. My phone’s fucked so I can’t call anything off. I need to meet my guys at the rendezvous point. Like now.”
“Everyone who doesn’t need to be here, clear out,” Tyson shouts. “Erica, do you have something of your sister’s so we can track her scent?”
“I already memorized her scent,” Linc answers. “I can tell from here it dead ends in our parking lot.”
“I masked her scent. We need to go. Follow me to meet them. You can have the redhead. I’ll talk my guys down and I’ll go spend the night in that cabin this other witch was at with my mate. Tomorrow, when I’ve proven she’s mine, I’ll take her back to Silver Hills where there’s a pack with one alpha. Me. Like it should be unlike this abomination here. And she’ll be my queen. You’ll be my queen, mate.”
Sherry’s and Wyatt’s eyes lock for a second and then she says, “Um…”
“No,” Jase growls.
“I don’t want anything bad to happen to everyone. I’ll… I’ll go with him,” Sherry says, eye-locked with him.
“No,” Jase says. “Not likin’ this at all.”
“If it’s meant to be, we’ll know it by the morning,” she says. “I want to help find resolution. This might be the resolution.”
“More like she’s in a place where everyone hates her and she wants to know what sort of queendom awaits,” Bailey says.
I look at Stacy. She looks pale. Horror-stricken.
“Downstairs, Bailey. Girls,” Greyson calls out. “Hurry.”
“Go on downstairs, baby,” Riley says, steering me toward the rest of the departing group.
“No,” I deny, “I need to know Jessie’s okay.”
“Let go of your sister, Jason,” Robert orders.
“Yeah. I will go,” Sherry whispers, looking up at Jase. ”I don’t want to cause irreparable harm here tonight by being stubborn or scared. If this is fated, it’s fated. We’ll find out, I guess. Can I go pack a bag from home first?”
“No. I don’t trust that,” Wyatt states. “Let’s walk to my rendezvous point now. You’re in my grasp. Let’s get there quick so I can call them off. But know this everyone, any bullshit flies, a bomb will go off and I happen to know that the house it’s in has someone sleeping in it right now. All of you need to listen to me to make sure nobody dies tonight.”
Tyson lunges forward, his pupils blow and he half-shifts, looming over Wyatt. “Did you fuck with my house?”
“I never said I did,” Wyatt replies, and it’s obvious he’s trying hard not to shrink away. “They won’t hit the button if I get there within the next five minutes, so let’s fucking go then.”
He’s trying to act nonchalant, but he is definitely about to shit his pants.
Stacy is bawling, face buried in Greyson’s shirt.
Sherry’s eyes are dry now as she pulls away from Jase and moves in Wyatt’s direction.
“Fuck,” Jase cusses.
“I’m not gonna let anything bad happen to our pack if I can stop it,” Sherry says. “Maybe we can work things out if our packs are connected this way.” She gets to Wyatt, and he grabs her and pulls her close, nostrils flaring as he buries his nose in her throat.
And Bailey and I exchange looks like… what the fuck?
“Stay here,” Riley orders, kissing me. “I need you to stay here and stay safe. I’ll get your sister back here. Promise. I love you.”
“I love you,” I whisper,” But Riley…”
“Stay here, Rikki,” he says.
“No, baby,” I deny.
“Mate,” he looks into my eyes. “I love you and we’re partners but in this, I’m taking the lead. Fuckin’ please. Don’t fight me on this.”
“Look after Stace for me?” Grey asks me. “I’ll get Jessica back. Promise.”
Aunt Mimi steps up and puts her arms around Stacy. “I’ve got her. Go ahead.” Aunt Mimi looks at me. “Let them go.”
“Darlin’,” Riley says, looking deep into my eyes. “Please stay here.”
“Don’t get hurt,” I demand.
