9
Charlie
Awaveof sickness hit me. My skin went clammy and cold. I nearly doubled over and threwup.
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. There was no way it was true. Gunner wasn’t… he couldn’tbe…
“You know it’s true,” Hector sneered. “You were bred at the clinic, just like every other omega. Obviously, you have no idea who the donor was, so I’m telling you now. She is an alpha born to serve in Gunner’sarmy.”
My knees shaking, I fell to the ground. My head was swimming. I felt like the world had turned upsidedown.
“No, she can’t be…” I couldn’t finish my plea. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Her fierce determination, her strong attitude, and the fact that Gunner and Hector just wouldn’t give up on findingme…
Suddenly Flint’s wolf let out an air-splitting snarl. He snapped his jaws just inches from Hector’sface.
“That’s where you’re wrong,” Flint growled. “Gunner isn’t Casey’s father. Iam.”
His words struck me like lightning. I remembered all the times Flint looked after my daughter -ourdaughter - playing with her, feeding her, comforting her. I slowly got to my feet and facedHector.
“He’s right,” I said firmly. “Flint is Casey’s father. Gunner may have donated the seed, but he is nothing to her. Flint is her family, through andthrough.”
Flint nodded angrily towards the brown alpha. Filled with determination to protect our family, I steppedforward.
“None of us will ever serve in Gunner’s army,” I said, anger rising in my voice. “Not me or any of my pups. Our home is here now, and you have no right to trespass on our territory and demand me back like a slab of meat. Now get out of here before my mate really does tear you toshreds!”
Hector looked stunned. For a moment he said nothing, just standing there in the wake of our words. Then something like fear flashed across his eyes. Slowly, he turned around and began paddingaway.
Flint and I stood on pins and needles, waiting for him to disappear from sight. Then the forestexploded.
The bodies of four huge alpha wolves burst out from between the trees, all fangs and spit. They surrounded Hector like a wall of fire, blazing and furious. Hector immediately shrank to the ground in fear and made himself as small aspossible.
“You came,” Flint growled to hisfriends.
The wolves briefly acknowledged Flint before turning back to baring their teeth at the intruder. I recognized the wolves immediately - David, Jericho, Tyson and Ken. My heart glowed with affection. When I first arrived here, they were all strangers to me - but now I trusted them as packmates and asfriends.
Then I gasped. There was another little wolf in between their legs, snarling and growling in her tinyvoice.
“Casey!” Icried.
Her head perked up and acknowledged me with a quick wag of her tail, but she didn’t move. She looked just as fierce as the adult male alphas keeping Hector in hisplace.
“What do you want us to do, Flint?” David growled deeply, never taking his eyes off of Hector. “Kill him now, or take himprisoner?”
“I saw we skin him and hang him on the border to warn Scarlet Ridge from ever coming back!” Jerichosnapped.
“Please, wait,” Hector cried. He was practically plastered to the ground, a pathetic display of submission from an alpha wolf. Fear scent radiated off of him inwaves.
Flint raised his tail, signalling the other alphas to holdoff.
“I’m leaving right now,” Hector said, his voice pleading. “I’m not stupid. I know I cannot win a fight against you all. I’m leaving and I swear I will notreturn.”
“He’s lying!” Kensnapped.
“He’ll just keep coming back!” Tysonadded.
But Flint briefly curled his lip, a signal for them to be quiet. They fell silent. Instead of saying anything, Flint turned to me. “It’s up to you, my omega. Decide hisfate.”
A brief flicker of shock ran through the other alphas, including Hector, but no one interrupted me. The Indigo Mountain alphas faced me with respect, awaiting my decision. Never in my life had I had this type of power of someone - especially not analpha.
