Chapter 7

The Alpha of Stonemountain Pack must have had a heart beneath that stone after all, and some deep down connection to his humanity while he wore his wolfskin. Though he had threatened to end his own nephew to keep the pack from dishonor, he did not stand for someone else threatening to kill his beta. A disgruntled, potent roar echoed through my diner and I nearly dropped my shotgun to cover my ears. But to do so, would not have ended well for me. While the dark wolf still wore his fur, he’d likely get his pound of flesh from me instead, and Old Faithful was likely the only thing standing in his way.

Alpha Roam let go of the grey wolf, but he sure as fuck wasn’t happy about it. He snarled his fangs at me, blood dripping off his teeth, and menaced closer in my direction. I retrained the gun on him, and he knew I had no reservations about shooting him for a second time. The evidence of which he wore on his fur, now stained darker on his front leg. I didn’t dare take my eyes off the wolf and he watched me like his next meal, awaiting the opportunity to strike. But I was no Little Red Riding Hood and this was my fucking house.

Alpha Grey picked himself up off the floor, back up onto all fours, determined not to be seen as weak, though I knew he was in serious pain. His pretty pelt was peppered with angry bites and I noticed a limp in his back paw. But the dark wolf had disregarded his enemy as an immediate threat, as I was now the largest threat on these lands. And those amber eyes of his regarded me with vicious intent. I had not only broken up a sacred challenge between Alphas, shot him, threatened his kin, I’d also made perhaps the worst insult of all in his eyes, I had not submitted. I was sure he wasn’t used to it, especially not from weak females like me. Wolves bowed to the big bad Alpha of Stonemountain, and those who didn’t bled.

But I stood my ground and held his gaze, “I’ve already offered Lily and Randon sanctuary here, and here they’ll remain until this can all be worked out in a civilized manner instead of like animals. You, Alpha Roam have outstayed your welcome.  And in case you haven’t figured it out yet, my bullets have an extra special ingredient, wolfsbane. So, I’d suggest you get to your pack healer sooner rather than later before you meet your maker. Now, get the fuck off my land.”

He shed one skin for another, and a naked, bloody male stood before me. I would be a dirty liar if I claimed I didn’t check out his package. It was oversized just as my filthy imagination had guessed it to be. My eyes perused his hard body in one long pass from top to bottom. I swallowed thickly and ignored the ache reemerging between my slick thighs. My wolf had had her fun already, and I doubted this Alpha now had fucking me on his mind. I think he’d swayed back towards killing me instead.

Alpha Roam stared me down for several more heartbeats, waves of his Alpha influence rolling off him like fog over the mountains. As if the power of his intense glare and wolfy pheromones could break me down or something. But he’d never met a bitch like me, and I had lots of practice with bastards like him.

Then he narrowed his eyes on his nephew. A conversation passed between them without so much as a word spoken. By Randon’s tight stance, defiant gaze, and his protective hold on his mate, the answer was clear enough. The beta wasn’t going anywhere.

He did not even spare another look at the enemy Alpha. It was a dismissive slight. He found the other Alpha, lesser, unworthy, and little threat now. Alpha Roam knew he was the dominant. Well, here on these lands, I was the dominate.  

“This isn’t over,” he gritted out, “I’ll be back to finish what I started.”

I rolled my eyes, “How cliché. Here’s another one for you, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”

Then I realized two seconds later, he’d broken my fucking door, but it was still the principle of the matter. His feral gaze locked on me a final time, before he merged with his wolf. He bounded out the door in but a few leaps, his obsidian fur blending with the shadows and being swallowed up by the night. He let out a call in the darkness that spoke of future retribution to come. No, this wasn’t over by a longshot, and I probably needed my head examined to think that animal could be reasoned with logically.

I heard the patter of boots across the tile and turned to watch Lily all but tackle her brother. She threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his fur. The wolf whimpered and she eased her grip.

“Sorry! I’m so sorry Grey! You’re hurt because of me…”

Rand hung back and tried not to intrude. He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. His golden eyes caught mine.

“I wouldn’t have done it you know. I wouldn’t have actually shot you in case you were wondering,” I clarified to the beta.

"I know. But I wouldn’t have blamed you if you had…Well maybe a little,”, he amended at the skeptic look I gave him, “but whatever it took to get my Alpha to back off. Alpha Grey, really is all the close family Lily has left.”

“No, he isn’t. She’s got you.”

The beta gave me a beatific smile. I wasn’t good at this mushy stuff.  I was far too out of practice with caring and giving a damn. The things which made me warm and tingly inside were not normal. Like the release of a new murder podcast. Or dreaming of rabies killing off most of the male werewolf population. Or how my stepfather’s spirit would never find peace because I’d bound his remains with iron and silver. Even though I had my doubts about the wolf afterlife, I was taking no chances where that evil fuck was concerned.

I focused back on Lily and her brother in case I caught any more feelings. That proved to be a mistake. The grey wolf was no longer a wolf at all, but an injured man of flesh and blood with his sobbing sister plastered to his chest. He rubbed her red blonde hair in soothing strokes.

“Ssshhh. It’ll all be alright. I’m fine. I have thick skin and I’ll be healed by sundown. There’s no need to cry,” he told her.

But things were not alright. We all were in a giant clusterfuck and things had only begun. There was likely only one way this could end, bloody. I could only keep the wolves at bay for so long. Alpha Roam would be back, neutral territory be damned, and he’d likely bring his wolf pack. I stiffened, and let dark thoughts take me to a place I’d tried to bury as deep as I had the wolf who’d haunted my dreams for far too long and had taken so much from me. Memories of beatings, and bites and long, dark nights of terror and pain, but those didn’t compare to losing my mother. I would rather die than be controlled ever again.

The Alpha’s grey eyes searched out mine. I let out the breath trapped in my lungs and ignored the unwanted sting in my eyes. I broke first and looked away.

“I’ll let you have a few minutes. But then it’s best if Alpha Grey returns to his packlands,” I mumbled, trying to make myself scarce.

I eyed the wreckage strewn across my diner. I didn’t know where to start cleaning up this mess. Fuck. I did a mental inventory of all the things I needed to do. The door needed to be boarded up first. Wolves weren’t the only animals who prowled these woods at night.

“I’ll get the broom,” offered Rand.

And I laughed. Laughed when I felt like crying. Because it would take far more than a broom to fix this. I wasn’t sure this could be fixed. Things were likely broken beyond repair in far too many ways. My life of semi-peace and solitude in these hills had come to an abrupt end. Everything I had fought so damn hard for was slipping through my fingers. I had shot the Alpha of Stonemountain pack, offered sanctuary to his enemy, and I would pay for it one way or another.