The Alpha 9: Protect. Procreate. Prevail., page 6
It reminded me of the fortified town of Woodbury in The Walking Dead, except without zombies roaming the trees, and thankfully I couldn’t spot any men with rifles standing on the top of the wall.
But if this new location was anything like Woodbury, then Jayden definitely would have taken the role of the Governor. He’d just been missing the eyepatch.
I was more like Rick Grimes, or maybe Daryl Dixon.
All of a sudden, before I could assign The Walking Dead characters to the rest of my family, a beam of light appeared from the watchtower. I had to block the piercing light with one hand, but I could just make out the shape of a person standing behind the beacon.
It looked like a guy from their broad shoulders, but it was difficult to tell from the darkness that shadowed around them.
“Who’s there?” the person shouted with a booming voice. Definitely a man. “What do you want?”
“Do you want me to talk to him for you, bro?” Benji whispered from directly behind me.
“Nah, I’ve got it,” I said confidently. “Thanks, though.”
“Anytime, boss,” he replied.
I scanned the wall as I left the car, but I couldn’t see anyone else apart from the man behind the light.
“What do you want?” the man asked again.
I was thoroughly impressed by the setup the werewolves had here, and the guy was clearly on patrol this evening. But I was also looking forward to seeing what sat on the other side of the wall.
“Is Jayden Carver your alpha?” I asked.
“Who’s asking?” the man demanded.
“My name is Jesse Rafe, and I–”
“Jesse?” the man queried.
“Yes.” I nodded.
It didn’t surprise me that he’d obviously heard my name before.
Especially as Jayden Carver had recently chosen to target me for some unknown reason.
“Where is Jayden?” he asked. “Where are the others?”
“Do you have any idea what happened this evening?” I questioned as I shielded my eyes from the bright light. “Do you know exactly what your alpha was up to tonight?”
“I…” he paused. “Yes, I do.”
The guy had tried to keep up his demanding pretense, but he couldn’t hold it for that long.
“Right, then you should know where he is.” I smirked. “That asshole put our lives in danger. He put my omegas’ lives in danger, and I don’t take that shit lightly. So I came here this evening to show my face and inform you that I’m your alpha now.”
“I had a feeling we’d see you this evening, or perhaps tomorrow,” the man said with a heavy sigh. “We knew Jayden was headed toward his grave when they left, and I personally want to apologize that he put you all in danger tonight.”
The man had taken the news surprisingly well, and he’d dropped his booming voice from when I first stepped out of the car. He seemed to naturally have a more laid-back, southern California drawl about him, and his manners struck me as almost comical.
“Can we come inside?” I asked as I motioned toward the gate.
I didn’t really need to ask for permission, because it was technically my property now, but it felt like the right thing to do.
“Is everyone else with you, too?” he asked.
“Yeah, they’re all with me.” I nodded.
“Okay,” he replied. “Come through the gates, and we can talk there.”
“Okay,” I said.
By the time I’d returned to the car, the guy in the tower had opened the gates, and the solid steel parted into the brick wall.
At first, the only thing I could see was a square of asphalt where a few other cars were parked. Then we drove through the gates, and I noticed a selection of at least ten wooden houses with several footpaths leading up to each house. There were some grassy areas in between the houses, a greenhouse toward the back of the property, and I imagined there were probably more areas to see and explore.
This is so pretty! Hailey squealed from the car behind mine. I just want to prune the flowers!
Imagine the picnics we could have, Arielle said in the same tone.
I could run so many laps around these houses, Azalea added. I could probably complete my marathon right here.
You’re taking part in a marathon? Blair gasped. In your human form?
Not an official one, Azalea replied. But I like to run a minimum of forty-two kilometers at least once a week, maybe once every two weeks. It all depends on my schedule, y’know?
Well, have fun with that, Nikita chuckled. I could probably run that with my eyes closed in my animal form. But as a human? Nnnnnope!
Especially when you’re pregnant, Arielle said. Unless there’s a quinoa salad at the finish line, then I’ll just sit and cheer you on from the sidelines.
God, I love you, I laughed.
The feeling is mutual, Jesse. Blair smiled.
All of a sudden, a series of street lamps lit up the ten houses, and my betas and I left the cars as the guy from the watchtower wandered over to us.
The guy before me had on a pair of faded blue jeans, a red plaid shirt, and brown cowboy boots. His muscles were almost as impressive as Azalea’s, his hair was long and blond, and he had a thick wiry beard that reached his chest. He looked like the sort of guy who brought out an acoustic guitar while he sat around a firepit, or he was currently working on his first solo country album.
But as well as looking like he’d have a heart of gold, the guy looked like he could also skin a bear with his teeth just because he needed to feed his starving family.
One of those guys.
In fact, this dude reminded me of Thor, but instead of the Asgardian God of Thunder, he was the Californian God of Country Music.
“Hey,” Thor said as he muffled a yawn with one hand. “I’m really sorry about the orders and demands out there. I didn’t know who you were, so I had to be sure before I let you in.”
“It’s fine,” I said with a light shrug. “Thank you for letting us in. I’m already impressed by the security. Who needs patrol groups when you’ve got that wall?”
“I know, right?” he asked with a booming laugh. “I’m Austin, by the way. Austin Hayes.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” I smiled. “I’m Jesse, as you know, and this is just a small portion of my pack.”
“Hi.” Austin smiled at the group behind me. “Is it alright if I just get the others before we talk about this properly? We all know what’s happened tonight, but I think they should be here to hear it.”
“Of course.” I nodded.
I already liked this dude, and he hadn’t reacted negatively at the news that I was his new alpha.
In fact, his gentle smile and subtle scent made me think he was relieved at the fact I was his new alpha. He didn’t smell like rancid meat and mud like Jayden did. Austin smelled more like freshly mixed soil and blooming flowers.
It made me think that maybe he did have a heart of gold, and I was already interested to learn more about this guy.
Mmm… Austin Hayes, Raina snickered as the guy turned on his heel.
What a gentleman… Kristina purred silently. He’s so polite. His momma raised him well…
Nah, he’s too pretty for me, Kiri replied. Also, how can you cuddle someone with those muscles?
Believe me, it’s possible. Azalea winked. Jesse never complains.
What’s there to complain about? I shrugged.
Then Kristina and Raina, he’s all yours, Kiri replied.
I turned to look at Benji just as he subtly punched the air in happiness. My half-brother noticed the smirk I gave him, but he just shrugged it off and continued to smile.
I hate to break it to you both, but I think he’s a little old for you, Aunt Eva said.
He’s, what, late-thirties? Kristina guessed. Age is just a number, Eva.
Yes, but as the mother of the pack, I need to make sure I look out for everyone. My aunt gave her a knowing look. Plus, he probably has a sweet little beta girlfriend in one of those houses. So I suggest you put those wild thoughts to one side for tonight.
Fine… Raina sighed. One can dream, though.
Myself and the rest of the betas ignored Kristina and Raina’s heated thoughts as I paid close attention to Austin.
The guy had returned to the brick wall, and then he grabbed the rope of an enormous bell and began to swing it wildly in his hands. The high-pitched sound rang out across the entire property, and a few seconds later, individual lights began to light up the various square windows.
I imagined Austin had informed the werewolves silently that there was no reason to be alarmed, because as thirty betas began to leave the houses, none of them rushed out like there was any sort of emergency.
There was a fairly equal split of both men and women, and they looked to range between the ages of eighteen and thirty. Austin definitely looked like the oldest member of the pack, but it was hard to tell without knowing the betas personally.
All of the betas were in their pajamas, so they’d obviously been roused straight from their beds, but they all gave me a smile as they joined us in the makeshift parking lot.
“Guys, this is Jesse Rafe, he wanted to come and talk to us this evening,” Austin explained. “But Jesse, I want to start off by apologizing profusely. I know I’ve already apologized, but I genuinely have no idea what Jayden was thinking, and I’m so sorry he caused you any sort of trouble this evening.”
“Yeah,” another guy said from the front of the crowd. “We didn’t even know your name until last week. So believe me, we’re just as confused as you are.”
He ran his hands through his messy brown hair, probably with a mix of both exhaustion and confusion.
“So you don’t know why Jayden decided to attack us this evening?” I asked.
“No.” Austin shook his head before he threw his hair behind his shoulders. “Jayden and the others didn’t cause too many injuries, did they?”
The injuries were so minor that I’d forgotten I had any.
“I’d liked to have seen them try,” I snorted. “But no, any scratches we did have are all healed now.”
“They were the ones pleading for mercy, not us,” Benji chuckled, but then he clapped one hand over his mouth. “Sorry, I probably shouldn’t have said that. Those guys were like family to you.”
Instead of a negative reaction, the group of new werewolves all started to laugh.
“They lost that title last week,” the brown-haired man snickered. “Everything was fine, and we lived a pretty peaceful life. Usually we don’t like to look for no trouble, but then Jayden started mentioning your name, and it was like our pack was split into two. We knew the orders, but we didn’t want anything to do with his plans. He knew it, too. Jayden said he didn’t want anyone on this job who wouldn’t give a hundred percent, and the guys who attacked you this evening would have done anything to kiss Jayden’s ass. He literally became obsessed with you, and we have no idea why.”
“I know the type…” Hailey mumbled under her breath.
Clarice Osborn literally did whatever she could to be in Theo’s good books. Or any alpha she wanted, for that matter.
“And you don’t know how he knew my name?” I asked.
“Not a clue.” Austin shrugged.
“Do you by any chance know of a guy called Reuben Dillard?” I questioned.
“Reuben Dillard…” Austin mumbled. “I can’t say that name rings any bells…”
“Never mind,” I sighed. “I had the same issue with him, too, so I thought maybe Reuben and Jayden were buddies, hence why he attacked me this evening. But Reuben’s death clearly isn’t the motive for the fight.”
I was still certain it had something to do with the SDD, especially with the similarities between Reuben and Jayden, but it could have been that the packs were ganging up on me together for some reason.
Clearly not, though.
“I mean, Jayden was a hothead, and he thought he was the king of the fucking world,” Austin continued. “However, he really didn’t have that many friends, and I never heard him mentioning any other alphas, not unless he’d planned to kill them, of course. But the tables have turned, and he’s no longer as powerful as he first thought.”
“Because he fucked with the wrong alpha.” I smirked.
“The Alpha.” Austin grinned. “Jayden mentioned that a few times. Like we said, he became obsessed with you.”
“Honestly, that’s no longer a shock to me.” I rolled my eyes. “I just want to know what’s going on, or why it started. I’ve had enough of these random attacks now. Anyway, enough of Jayden. He’s literally six feet underground right now.”
“Good riddance,” the brown-haired guy laughed. “I’ve been under that young fool’s thumb for too long. Far as I can tell, he got what he deserved.”
“Damn right,” Blair chuckled.
“I know it’s late, and I know we all want to get some sleep, so I’ll keep this quick, but I have something to run past you all,” I explained to everyone. “As you’re aware, you’re now a part of my pack. Our home is based in Monroe, Oregon, which is where we’ll be heading in the next few days. If all goes well, of course. But I have territory in Washington, British Columbia, California… It’s ever-growing. My pack is filled with shifters of all species, apart from werefoxes and selkies–”
“For now,” Nikita snickered.
“For now,” I agreed with a smirk. “But because I am a wolf, I’d love to have a few more werewolves in Monroe with us. So it’s completely up to you, and you’re more than welcome to stay here if you’d like to, but I’d also like to offer some of you a place in Monroe, if you’d be willing to follow us there?”
It wasn’t just the fact that I’d have more werewolves with me. It was also because I wanted my pack to be as strong and successful as possible, so the more I had on hand, the better. I also would have been okay with them going wherever they wanted to. So if some wanted to stay here, but others wanted to move to the borders of Alberta, then I would have been fine with that.
“I appreciate that you gave us the decision,” Austin replied. “We never had a say in any choices when it came to Jayden.”
“I’ve heard that before.” I nodded. “But I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for my pack, so I think it’s only right that you get to decide. My territory is getting pretty big, so take your pick of where you want to settle down in it.”
“Thank you.” The werewolf smiled. “And it’s because of the way you treat your pack that I’d be more than happy to follow you up north.”
“And me,” the brown-haired beta replied. “I’m Wesley, by the way.”
“So will I,” a woman spoke up from the back of the crowd. “And I’m Autumn.”
It took a few minutes for everyone to reply, but it ended with half of them willing to come with us, and the other half would stay here and keep watch over the area. I also learned the rest of their names, but it was probably going to take me a day or two to remember them all.
The equal split meant that four beta captains would come with me, including Austin, and three captains would stay here, and a smattering of betas would join each group.
“Thank you for all agreeing to do that,” I said. “I have a group of werecoyotes in Harnsey, so you won’t be alone in this state. And I’ll keep in contact, of course, so you’ll just have to complete your jobs as normal, and hopefully all will be smooth sailing from there.”
“Absolutely,” Austin replied. “We rarely ever have any trouble around here, despite the giant wall, so there shouldn’t be any issues.”
“Yeah, what’s the big wall all about?” Benji asked. “It made me think you were constantly keeping threats away.”
“It’s all to do with Jayden,” Wesley chuckled. “Because he thought he was the king of the shifter world, he thought we needed that sort of protection. It comes in handy, but it’s not exactly necessary. We’re the only wolves in San Bernardino, and the other shifter species around here are pretty laid-back.”
“Yeah, hence why I was the only one keeping watch,” Austin added. “As long as there’s one pair of eyes watching over the gates, then that’s all we need.”
“Things are much different in Monroe,” I chuckled. “But you’ll see that for yourself when we get there. Which reminds me, we should probably think about heading out soon. We hadn’t planned to make such a big detour when we organized this trip.”
“I can imagine you didn’t,” Austin said with a small shake of his head. “But given that the sun’s about to appear, and you guys probably haven’t had any sleep, why don’t you stay here for a couple of hours? We have to pack a few bags anyway, so we can get some food prepared for you, and then we can hit the road once you’re a bit more rested?”
It didn’t take me long to decide on an answer.
We were already several hours behind schedule, so another two or three weren’t going to make much of a difference.
“Sure.” I smiled. “But I don’t want to stay for too long. I mean no disrespect to California, but I’ve had enough of this shit now. I need to leave this state before yet another attack happens.”
I kept my fingers crossed that nothing like that would happen before we managed to arrive back in Oregon.
However, if that was the case, then at least I had fifteen new werewolves by my side.
Chapter 4
Austin and the other betas very generously showed us into the wooden houses and up to the bedrooms where we could nap for a couple of hours. They also showed us where the bathrooms were so we could all take a shower.
Autumn apologized that the sheets hadn’t been changed, even though they hadn’t expected us to turn up so suddenly. She offered to swap them for fresher sheets, but none of us took her up on the offer.
It made no sense to change the sheets just for us to sleep on them for two or three hours, and Autumn even informed us that she’d washed them yesterday, so they were still relatively clean.
