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Mj heard the chains holding the door closed clank against the wall as it was thrust open, but she did not open her eyes nor did she move. She simply sat and felt the air around her, the dirt beneath her, and the wolf within her as she waited for the angry she-wolf to approach. The sound of Talia’s laugh was not the only sound that piqued Mj's interest. The sound of multiple sets of feet approaching had the assassin at the ready but as the wind picked up the scent of not just her Alpha but her brother and Dante mixed with Talia and a few strange scents had Mj’s back sitting a little straighter as she waited for the pompous Alpha to open her mouth.Talia did not disappoint nor did she wait long, “oh look Azreal, your assassin is as soft as you are,” she sneered and Mj slowly opened her eyes, completely ignoring Talia she bowed her head slightly to her Alpha. “Alpha
As Mj was making what felt like her twentieth lap around the arena, she heard a commotion begin over by the gate and as she picked up speed to make it to the exit she reached it in time to watch a petite young woman slip through the slit of the gate as two others pulled the door taught against its chains. Mj watched Azreal, Jay and several others begin to start physical altercations with the guards as the very gaunt girl ran up to her with a jug. “Please drink quickly,” she whispered, looking over her shoulder and pressing the full container into her palms. Mj opened the canteen and smelled, “it's water,” she mumbled back, and the girl urged her on with her hands, “it’s moon water Alpha, now please drink,” she hissed and Mj tipped the water bottle back, draining its contents before the poor girl ripped the flask from her hands and slipped back through the narrow opening. Mj licked her lips as the taste of the water was surprisingly refreshing. She couldn't quite remember the last tim
Talia was walking the arena with her arms held out in triumph, some of the crowd hissed and booed while others cheered or merely clapped. Dante continued to fight against the guards who were now not only keeping him at bay with their silver spears but also the Quicksilver Alpha, Beta, and hunter as they all attempted to make their way into the arena in hopes their assassin might still be alive. The guards were terrified of Azreal but unfortunately not more than their own Alpha because although they let the Quicksilver Alpha get near enough to the gaping hole to see inside they would not let him go any further and when he tried to poke his head through one of them touched a spearhead to his cheek, causing the skin to sizzle and smoke. Azreal didn’t move; he simply growled and turned toward the guard, causing the spearhead to scrape along his cheekbone. The line on the Alpha’s cheek burned and smoked, but he did not even wince, he simply growled as Jay and Dante saddled up beside him.
Mj was breathing heavily as she watched the head roll away and as the ringing in her ears dulled she looked down to notice the silver rope had started to eat into her skin. With what was left of her shirt the Quicksilver assassin started peeling the rope from around her arm and as she dropped it to the floor she took a few tumbling steps down the mountain of death and rubble before collapsing to her knees with her head hung low and her shoulders shuddering with every heaving breath. The sudden roar of the crowd drowned out the ferocious sound of Theron as he ripped through Dante’s body and shed his human shackles at the same time. The tunnel visioned wolf burst through the hanging gate, bringing even more of the arena crumbling down as he made his way toward Mj, who was still slouched on the ground. He could tell she was still alive because her body was still warm, and he could hear her heartbeat, but the overwhelming feeling of the man he shared his existence with yearned to reach
While the first bits of morning twilight peaked over the horizon, Mj approached the still imprisoned guards as a sense of organized chaos broke out around them. She tried to ignore the strange behavior of the other wolves as she saddled up next to the kitchen staff; they simply bowed their heads and parted like a bad hairline, giving her complete access to Talia’s henchmen. Mj looked out of the arena as the first signs of walkers running in the distance could be seen, and then she turned back to the eyes of the captured, “Let's move them out of the arena, follow me,” she said simply and walked directly out through the gargantuan hole Talia had made with her body. Mj waited until every prisoner was re-secured and on their knees in front of her, she once again glanced out over the horizon and then back to the captivated but unwilling audience. “Fight with us or stay here as you are, tied, helpless, and hope they don’t breach the first defenses,” was all she said, and it didn’t take long
The eerie calm of the aftermath coupled with the warmth of the morning sun as it poured over the battle tested crew was almost calming if it hadn't been for the piles of bodies that were being collected. Mj looked around to begin surveying the damage when she heard another fleet of automobiles began arriving. Azreal approached Mj, and she kept her eyes cast as high as they could reach as she was unsure whether or not the Alpha was wearing any pants. “That should be mostly medical, come on,” he urged and as she marched back up the hill, the sight of dead or dying walkers around her tugged at some baser instinct within her she couldn't quite put her finger on yet. Mj watched more wolves shift back to their human forms as a very naked Moxie hoisted Lila above the crowd. “if you desire clothes and have none, please follow me,” she announced and Moxie walked them toward the approaching vehicles. Mj followed Azreal to the bottom of the steps, and as she tried to gather a single thought
Mj found John Pearl as quickly as she could. “John, can you sedate a moonwalker without killing it?” The new Alpha asked and John bowed his head respectfully, “I can certainly try,” he answered with confidence and Mj turned with a sour look on her face, “follow me with your bag of tricks doc.” Mj watched John walk around the weakest of the moon walkers before he knelt down near one that was missing a leg and half it’s jaw, “I will try it on this one, if it doesn't work, at least it died,” he finished and looked to Mj for confirmation. She exhaled and gave him a curt nod before turning her attention toward the few guards that had stayed behind during the attack. Lou did not speak as she approached and Mj was almost hurt by the gesture until she watched him and the others bow to her in respect, “guys, we have got to stop bowing every time I walk up to you, how about… only during special occasions?” she offered and was met with a murmur of smiles and slight confusion. Mj drew a heavy br
Dante kept watch over Mj as she slept, partly because he wanted to make sure she did not need anything after their first night together and partly because he was afraid if he took his eyes off her for too long, she would disappear and this would all turn out to be a dream. To absolutely no surprise of anyone, Mj slept through the rest of the day, but when she dozed the entirety of the next day, Jay knocked on the door in concern. Dante opened the door and only let Jay look in to see that she was resting. Azreal also helped assure everyone that she may need extra rest to heal herself and the wolf after being apart for so long. The new Bijou pack kitchen staff kept a steady rotation in the gallery for when their Alpha eventually woke, and after almost two entire days, she finally made her debut. Dante accepted two glass flasks full of water and an assortment of pastry and fruit dishes from Jay, just like he had done for the last two days, but this time as he closed the door and set th
In the weeks and months that followed Dante and Mj set to work building a pack their wayward people could call home. Some chose to leave, Mj agreed and almost insisted that they all stay in her building in Lowder until they figured out where they wanted to be. She assured Dante this was the best course of action as it kept them safe while they learned about the world and kept the Bijou pack safe, as the Alpha’s could easily keep an eye on anyone wishing to leave. Mj and Lila spoke on the phone almost daily, and the Quicksilver Alpha had even gotten her techno - impaired friend to do video calls, so they could truly visit with one another. In that time, the two women had exchanged troubling tales of walkers that continued to plague the outskirts of Bijou territory, while the Quicksilver pack was having its own trouble training hunters and tracking down the other Triad testing facilities. The two Alpha’s started to become somewhat legendary as they paved the way for a new way. Every wol
Mj looked at the phone in her hand and then at her mate, “I think she hung up on me,” she said and Dante laughed as he grabbed the small square device from her hand and tossed it over his head, “good, now I get you all to myself, yummy” he growled before wrapping his arms around her and burying his face into the center of her chest and inhaling. Mj cupped his face, smashing it between her breasts, “we have time for this later Alpha, we have a pack to rebuild and a family to prepare for,” she said and Dante looked up into her eyes with an excitement she had never seen as he placed the palm of his hand over her stomach, “are you,” he asked, and she let a laugh blast from her chest, “hell no, number one, it’s way too early to know… I think, and two I was actually talking about Moxie and the brood of babies he and Jay now have,” Mj finished and Dante looked at her, first, slightly disappointed and then confused, “kitten,” the Alpha cocked his head, “how the fuck,” he began and Mj laughed
Azreal led Lila by the hand toward the Alpha’s private office, and although she knew they had to make this call now, it did not stop her from dragging her feet all the way to the desk. Azreal smirked at the new furniture arrangement before pulling the large ornate armchair out from the desk, “your seat my lady,” he rumbled, and although she suddenly wanted nothing more than to rip his clothes off and let him have his way with her right there on the desk, she was now the acting Alpha and unfortunately that was a fantasy she would have to put on hold. Lila sat back in the chair while Azreal pushed her up to the desk and as she reached for the phone, Azreal put both of his hands to work on her shoulders. Lila groaned in pleasure as she lifted the phone. “What do I tell her?” she asked, and Azreal kissed the side of her head as he continued messaging her shoulders and neck. “You are the Alpha my love, what do you think you should tell her,” he answered and Lila made a small, unpleasant
The sound of hushed voices woke Azreal with a start as he realized his youngest children were no longer cradled between his arms as they had been when he fell asleep. Sitting up, he exhaled when Lila and Beth stood in the kitchen, each with one small bundle wrapped in their arms. Azreal stood up, stretching his arms, before he approached the women in the kitchen. “Alpha,” Beth said respectfully and bowed her head. Azreal glanced at Lila and smirked, “Beth… I am no longer an Alpha, just call me Azreal,” he mused and watched as the corners of her mouth twitched up just slightly as Briella and Matty made their way back into the suite, followed by Aliza and Adler.“Momma can we take the babies outside to play,” Aliza asked as she twirled around in her canary yellow dress and as Lila inhaled to answer, Azreal bent down to address his youngest daughter, “Lizzie sweetie, the boys are very young and they are vulnerable, it's not safe for them to be without me or your mother,” he explained and
After making it into their suite and getting the muddy youngsters clean, Lila waited until they were occupied with other activities before she approached Azreal, “we need to talk Alpha, alone,” she said softly and Azreal looked at her with a genuine but soft concern. Azreal stood, reluctantly leaving the side of his sleeping infant boys, and approached his mate. “You seem tired my love, would you like a bath?” he asked her with a wry smile and Lila grinned at him warmly, “Azz I would love nothing more than to take a bath with you, but I think you should hear me out first, you may not want to be in the same room with me let alone a bathtub,” she warned and Azreal’s eyebrow arched so high it almost disappeared in his dark hairline, “my greatest love, my Beta, my mate, and the mother of my legacy, there is nothing on this planet or any other that would make me not want to be naked with you,” he said with a heated look and Lila sighed. “Azreal I mean it. I already spoke with the hunters a
Lila exhaled again as she dismissed the hunters and followed them out of the Alpha’s private office. Mara turned to her and offered a warm smile, “for what it’s worth, I think what you are doing is incredibly brave, for what it's worth,” she tried and Lila offered her an appreciative smile, “thank you Mara, I really needed to hear that, sometimes I just don't know what the right decision is,” Lila shook her head, fighting back the tears threatening to fall from her face, “especially right now,” she added and Mara offered the Beta a firm and warm hug, “don’t worry Lila this pack loves you almost as much as the Alpha does, they will stand behind you the way we are, because even we can see the change in him,” she finished before Tanner turned to find his mate lagging behind with their Beta. As he approached Lila tucked her head slightly and Tanner cleared his throat, “Be- uh, Lila, when things have settled here I would very much like to take a trip up to see the new Bijou Alpha and Beta
Moxie watched Azreal disappear with his children, and as hard as the faithful hunter tried, he could not keep the hateful poison from his heart. Thoughts of sadness and melancholy swirled around his mind as the swamp wolf stood by waiting for direction. “Why should Azreal be the only one to enjoy the wholeness of his family,” Moxie thought to himself and, almost as if his Beta could hear his thoughts, Lila approached him and held out her arms.Moxie looked at her suspiciously and she only smiled at him in kind, “I miss him too, but not more than you, do you need-,” she began, and before the Beta could finish, Moxie landed against her chest, his arms wrapped around her waist like a small child as his back shuddered with every silent tear he shed. Sam, Tanner, and Ace all stood by looking between one another in confusion and a growing sense of worry, “his sadness consumes him,” Briella murmured from behind them and the trio all turned to the young Alpha for direction, but she only tur
Azreal tried to settle into the uncomfortable silence that had engulfed their ride home since Lila watched Jay chase the S.U.V. Moxie was in, howling a forlorn tale as the shifted hunter galloped furiously alongside his departing mate. The sound of Jay’s whaling howl finally faded into silence and as Azreal looked to his mate, she tightly folded her arms around her chest and sat with her back as rigid and unforgiving as a steep mountain cliff, “I won’t speak to you,” she snapped and Azreal sat back into his seat slightly in shock, “why,” he asked, genuinely curious and Lila simply shook her head as tears welled in her eyes. Azreal threw his hand into the air before letting it fall onto his thigh, making a loud smacking sound, “what would you have had me do Lila,” he asked in a frustrated but soft tone and the Quicksilver Beta snapped her head in his direction with a look of malice seated deep into her eyes, “did you hear his heart break Azreal, how could you,” she hissed and Azreal l
Mj waited with her heart pounding in her chest for the crowd to make their decision, and although she could tell quite a few of them were not pleased with some of the things that were happening, they were also not leaving, so she took several deep breaths and placed herself calmly in the seat at the center of the podium. Lou and Dante followed, although Dante moved his arm to caress the side of her fingers, trying his best to show her that he was there to support her through the tough decisions they now had to make. “Bring the first one forward,” Mj spoke with a hint of the wolf beneath her voice, and Dante sat next to her with pride swelling in his chest to such a vast degree he thought he might pop. As the first Nerezza guard was shoved forward and slammed to his knees, Mj peered over the podium at him before she looked out over the crowd, “state the nature of his crimes,” she demanded with the confidence of an Alpha, and with little hesitation the other pack members began rattling