The Alpha 8: Protect. Procreate. Prevail., page 27
“Yes, yes,” I chuckled as I backed away. “Give me two minutes.”
Kristina was one of the few betas who had the balls to actually boss me around like that, because she knew I knew she was only joking. Most of my betas wouldn’t dare to be so bold around me, even though I wouldn’t act negatively if they did so.
I’d only been in the house for five minutes, but that was five minutes too long for Kristina, so even though I was in charge, I knew not to mess her around too much.
Shifters’ energy went through the roof when a fight was looming ahead of us, and our animal sides couldn’t help chomping at the bit to sink their teeth into something.
I stuck to my promise, and within those two minutes I’d changed into a different outfit and gathered everyone outside the mansion. My carefree attitude from only seconds ago had vanished, and I switched from Jesse Rafe to The Alpha with a snap of my fingers.
“By now, everyone should know which car they’re getting into, and who’ll be doing the driving,” I announced. “If any of you aren’t sure, then you need to speak up now.”
A heavy silence covered the group as I allowed my order to settle.
“Okay, good,” I said when no one replied. “We have a couple of hours before we get to the bridges, but as soon as we reach those trees by the coast, I need everyone to focus. Connor, I’ll need you to essentially be the messenger pigeon between us and the new werecoyotes. And whoever is riding with Connor must pass on any silent conversations we might have among us, okay?”
“Got it.” Connor nodded.
“Of course, Alpha,” the rest of my army answered.
“Lastly, has everyone taken at least one anosmiac?” I asked, to which my group nodded again. “Make sure you have some spares with you, just in case they wear off before we arrive at the bridges. Now that that’s sorted out, does anyone have any questions?”
“No questions,” Kiri spoke up from the front of the crowd. “But I wanted to say that I’ve printed off a map of the area and placed one in every car. I can’t get a map of the actual island, of course, but it’s still very detailed. It has the nearest gas station, convenience store, and even roads and footpaths. So if any random attacks occur, and any of the cars accidentally break away from the caravan, then you’ll know where to go, and you just need to follow the red trail on the map that leads us to the bridges.”
“Excellent.” I smiled. “You’ve been busy.”
“It only took me five minutes.” Kiri shrugged. “But I thought it made sense for everyone to have a map, especially as this island is so remote. We can’t always trust a GPS.”
“Absolutely,” I agreed. “Well done.”
“Thank you,” Kiri mumbled as a red blush formed on her cheeks.
See, Benji said privately to me. I told you she was brilliant.
I never said she wasn’t, I snickered. I have met Kiri before, y’know.
Just saying. My half-brother shrugged. She’s brilliant.
Yep, and you’re in love. I smirked.
“Okay.” I clapped my hands together. “Let’s go!”
My army cheered as they headed toward their chosen cars, and I walked my omegas toward ours. Nikita had asked to drive because it had been over a week since she was last behind the wheel of a car, so of course, I couldn’t say no.
Besides, I had enough betas trailing us in the woods that I knew no one would get within a thousand feet of our car before they were stopped dead.
Literally.
We were in a car with Blair and Aunt Eva, who both had rifles on their laps. Then Hailey, Arielle, Benji, Brenden, and Thomas were in the car behind ours. Both Benji and Thomas knew how to shoot a rifle, and I’d made sure that each car held at least two shooters, if not more.
I really hoped we didn’t get pulled over by the cops during the journey, because it would have been hard to explain the shitload of rifles and ammunition we had on us.
Nikita increased the speed of the car as we hit the 101 south, and a beautiful smile curled across her lips as she felt the power and pressure of the Jeep. Nikita almost had the equivalent of feeling hangry if she hadn’t been able to drive for a while. Or it might have been like when a smoker couldn’t have a cigarette for a few days, but then they finally had the opportunity to feel that nicotine rush once again.
“According to Kiri’s map, we should get to the trees by nine-thirty,” Aunt Eva said from the back of the car. “The sun will have set by then, so perhaps the lack of sunlight could help when it comes to hiding our crimes from the public?”
“Yeah, absolutely,” I replied. “Connor said they didn’t see any smaller boats around the island yesterday, but I’m assuming if there were any, they would have left by now. Plus, larger vessels won’t enter that area of water, so we should be in the clear.”
“This map really is amazing,” Blair said. “Kiri even included every McDonald’s we’d pass along the way.”
“That was probably for Benji,” Nikita giggled.
“That’s sweet,” Eva chuckled.
“To be honest, I wouldn’t say no to a Big Mac after plucking the feathers off a bald eagle,” Blair snorted.
“Oh, my god, a McChicken Sandwich.” Nikita pretended to drool like Homer Simpson.
“A side salad would be quite nice,” Aunt Eva added. “With extra onions, of course.”
“Live a little, Eva,” Blair chuckled.
“How about, if we kill all of these damn avians, we’ll stop at McDonald’s after,” I suggested. “But… Aunt Eva, you’ll need to go for something more than just a side salad.”
“But you know how I feel about fast food, Jesse,” my aunt replied. “It’s so greasy.”
“I know, that’s the best part,” I laughed. “C’mon. Are you saying you couldn’t devour a box of chicken nuggets after murdering some bald eagle shifters?”
“Funnily enough, that wasn’t at the top of my list of foods,” Eva said. “I’ll have a soda, but that’s as far as I’m going to go. I don’t run around the woods nearly as much as I did as a young pup, so all that grease has nowhere to go, I’m afraid.”
“We’ll see about that…” Nikita giggled. “You might have changed your mind by the time we get off the island.”
“I doubt it, but okay,” Aunt Eva laughed. “We’ll see who’s right at the end of the evening.”
As our journey continued, our conversations ranged from the scenery to new TV shows the omegas wanted to watch. Connor was in constant contact with the werecoyotes in the trees, and every time they texted with an update, they were pleased to say that they hadn’t spotted any eagles, apart from the few that flew over the bridges. The avians had all taken anosmiacs, but none of them had even neared the mainland, so they certainly hadn’t caught on to the werecoyotes hiding within the trees.
That didn’t mean the avians didn’t know what was going on, because they could have heard our plan somehow, so maybe that was why they were all situated around the island, especially as they had taken anosmiacs to mask their scents. But as long as Reuben Dillard didn’t make it too difficult for us to cross the bridge, I felt no need for us to think of a sudden plan B.
I felt another change in my attitude as the caravan of cars carefully drove through the thick forest. We were only minutes away from reaching the bridges, so I was eager for the fight to start, but I also had to be realistic. Anything could’ve happened, and I had to seriously focus in order to protect my pack.
Alright, can everyone hear me? I asked, to which my army said they could.
I’m telling Connor everything you say, Alpha, Leo reported. Then he’ll tell the others.
That’s fine, I replied. We’ve just hit the five-minute mark, so we’ll be seeing the bridges very soon. But before we leave the safety of the trees, I want the chosen patrol shooters to exit the cars to get into position. The new werecoyotes will also leave the cars, and then some of them will stay in the trees, and the others will run beside the cars as we head for the islands.
Noted, Zane said for the group.
There are two bridges, so I want us to use both of them, I continued. It would stop the avians fleeing on foot, but it also means we have more of the island covered when we get there. The shooters who are staying in the cars, I want you to aim and fire as soon as you see a single eagle in the sky. Once we’re on the island, the shooters need to aim for the birds that look like they could be headed out to sea. They’re the only ones the patrol group won’t be able to stop. But remember, it’s not a competition to see who can kill the most eagles. Just do what you can, protect each other, and stay safe.
A minute later, the cars came to a halt as the shooters and werecoyotes jumped out. Fifteen of my betas were going to patrol the trees with rifles and keep an eye on the sky to tick off any eagles that tried to escape. I had another thirty shooters in the cars, plus fifty-six of us were going to shift and use our primal energy to kill those winged bastards.
I checked with my group once again when the bridges were spotted, and we planned who would drive across which bridge. Once that was sorted out, there was only one thing left to do.
“Alright, Nikita,” I growled. “Hit it.”
“You don’t need to tell me twice.” My omega smirked.
Nikita pressed down on the gas pedal, and the car instantly picked up speed. The roaring engine pulsed in my ears, and I simply stared at the private island that would soon be mine.
The bridges appeared to be at least half a mile long, and they both had a slight curve in them as they angled into the island. I could see a large gray building in the distance, but I couldn’t tell how big the entire island was, nor could I see if there were other houses anywhere else. The building had a creepy gothic look to it, almost like a modern version of the house in The Conjuring.
But before I could focus on the island, a singular bald eagle flew over the top of the house.
I didn’t even have the chance to point out the bird before Aunt Eva rolled down her window and aimed her rifle into the sky. A booming sound rolled through the car as Aunt Eva pulled the trigger, and seconds later, the enormous eagle jolted before it began to fall into the water below.
“Holy fucking shit!” Blair cried out. “Yes, Eva, get those little bastards!”
“You, too,” Aunt Eva replied. “Because I don’t think those are clouds headed toward us.”
From either side of the gray building, two black masses appeared in the sky. They looked like storm clouds, but I knew it was nothing but a shitload of bald eagles.
Everyone get ready! I ordered.
The werecoyotes yipped and howled as they sprinted beside the cars, and thirty rifles all fired at the same time as my army aimed for the avians. We were only halfway across the bridges, and it looked like the majority of the flock made up the dark clouds, so we could have had most of the eagles floating on the surface of the water before we reached the island.
But the swarm kept coming, and every time it looked like we had killed a fair few eagles, more would appear to take their places.
And as the swarm came nearer, the birds began to split off into smaller groups. Some of them dive-bombed the cars, others tried to target the werecoyotes outside, and some of them took the opportunity to fly toward the trees like I had expected.
However, the firing of rifles quickly stopped the eagles from escaping.
At one point, one of the eagles tried to pierce its talons into a werecoyote’s shoulders, but my beta was too fast for the avian. I couldn’t tell who it was, but the werecoyote launched itself into the air, locked their teeth around the bird’s thigh, and then pulled the eagle onto the bridge as they ripped the avian into pieces.
Yet, whenever the bald eagles aimed for my werecoyotes, it just made the shooters’ jobs easier, and thirty bald eagles were killed almost instantly.
“Aaah, this is such a rush!” Blair yelled as she reloaded her firearm.
Then, as the cars swerved onto the island, no one hesitated to jump from the vehicles and instantly shift. The shooters spread out across the rocky land, but I couldn’t keep an eye on them for too long before I felt an almighty gust of wind blowing against my black fur.
An eagle had chosen to target me, and that was the biggest mistake the bird had ever made.
The bird aimed his curled talons out in front of him as he swarmed down toward me, and just as I thought I had dodged the attack, I felt his talons slice through my skin like a hot knife through butter.
A pained howl rolled from my lips as a searing pain shot through my shoulder blade, but the eagle didn’t give up there.
He took advantage of my brief distraction, and his talons pierced through my back.
I growled and snapped my jaws as I tried to catch the feathery motherfucker. I twisted my body from left to right and used my back paws to launch myself into the air, but the eagle continued to fly higher every time I thought I had him in my teeth.
Then all of a sudden, the eagle let out a terrifying scream, and his white tail feathers turned red as blood poured from the bird’s body.
I hadn’t realized someone had aimed for the eagle, because the rifles were constantly being fired, but I was extremely appreciative.
Thank you! I called out as I finally forced the eagle to the ground.
I wasn’t going to let some damn bird attack my mate, Blair growled.
Great aim, Blair, I complimented my omega. You’re a natural.
I locked my teeth around the eagle’s neck and used my paws to keep his wings in place as he tried to fight me off. Even though the motherfucker had been shot in the back, he wasn’t going to let that stop him.
But he was fucked, and I had a feeling he knew that.
With a quick twist of my head, the eagle’s head popped from his shoulders, and I chucked the rancid chew toy off to the side before I tracked down my next victim.
The entire fight was fucking manic, but I was still confident that we were going to be victorious.
The massive eagles screamed and called as they swarmed around us, and my mixed pack growled, barked, hissed, and yipped at the birds as they tried to fight them off. The combination of noises were almost like a second orchestra, and the sound of my army shooting and killing those damn birds sounded just as powerful as our rehearsal this evening had.
Whenever an eagle was shot out of the sky, my pack and I would assist and land the final blow to kill the eagles, and we all worked together in order to achieve our goals.
However, the avians were much harder to kill than I’d previously thought.
Fighting against three of them was nothing compared to fighting against one hundred of them. The flock had their own plan, and if they had taken notes the other night, then they would have known what to do in order to dodge my attacks.
I could have used The Howl to get the birds out of the sky, but it still wasn’t the right time.
Plus, Reuben Dillard was still hiding somewhere on this island.
I wasn’t going to use my favorite technique before I was face to face with the avian alpha.
And I wanted to see the fear in his beady eyes before I added Reuben to my ever-growing list of murdered alphas.
Chapter 17
I had no idea how much time had passed since we’d arrived on the island, but my army barely had five seconds to regain our energy once we’d killed an eagle.
Those winged motherfuckers seemed to appear out of thin air, and there was always another one waiting for their chance to attack us. These enormous avians were fucking brutal, and every time one of my pack members cried out in pain, I always imagined the worst injury.
Fortunately, the injuries I saw so far were just flesh wounds, but the eagles’ talons could have easily torn someone’s face off, or pulled eyes straight from the sockets.
Still, my army was doing an incredible job. I couldn’t have been more proud of them. The rocky ground of the island was littered in feathers, there were dismembered eagle wings everywhere I looked, and there was a constant stream of blood flowing into the water below.
The island was much bigger than it seemed from the bridges, and as I ran around the creepy gray building, I noticed there was a village of houses where the rest of the flock probably lived.
The back of the house faced the mainland, and the front of the house had a small grassy yard and a cobblestone path that ran all the way down to the smaller houses. The rest of the island was made up of nothing but sharp rocks and boulders, but that didn’t cause us any trouble as we ran over them.
I had betas spread out all over the island, and everyone had created little groups among themselves. Every group came with a shooter, and once an eagle had been targeted, a second beta would launch themselves into the sky in order to grab the eagle and bring them to the ground.
That seemed to be the best plan, and it worked very well. I didn’t join a group, I just ran around and offered my assistance wherever I could, but there was always an eagle for me to target and kill on my own.
And I was still waiting for Reuben Dillard to show his face.
Jesse! Thomas called out. Jesse, they’re getting away! I can’t stop them!
Up ahead, a group of about six or seven eagles had taken flight, and they were headed further out to sea. A number of shooters aimed their rifles at the escapees, but the eagles were too quick and too far away for anyone to shoot them.
There’s nothing we can do, I said as a growl rippled through my throat. Maybe they’ll return later, but we literally can’t go after them now.
We’ll keep an eye out over here, Kahn said from the forest. Maybe they’re trying to catch you off guard, so they’ll fly around in a circle and attack you from behind?
Possibly. I shrugged my wolfy shoulders. But yeah, don’t stop surveying the sky until I say otherwise. We’re going to get every last one of these avian bastards, and I’m not leaving this island until the deed is done.
The number of eagles had definitely lessened, and unless there were birds hiding somewhere, I had a feeling we had all of them in front of me. I could still see somewhere between fifteen and twenty eagles swooping through the air and dodging bullets as best they could.
