Ken
“Youdidwhat!?”
The question exploded out of me before I could stop it. I could barely believe what I was hearing. Wesley stood there, unblinking, while my jaw hung open indisbelief.
“I told Gunner where and when to meet me,” he saidfirmly.
“I heard that part,” I growled. I reached for his arms, holding onto him, like he would slip away at any moment. “I just want to knowwhy- didn’t we talk about this? Wesley, you’repregnant! You can’t just go around and do rash thingslikethis!”
“It’s not rash,” he snapped back. “I thought it through. Whether you like it or not, this is something that needs to happen. I refuse to stand here and do nothing when omegas - hell, wheneveryshifter in Scarlet Ridge is suffering underGunner.”
I opened my mouth to object, then simply sighed. “I know you’re right,” I said gently. “I just… I wish it didn’t have to be you. I know that’s selfish, but you’re my mate, and I don’t want to see you in any situation where you could possiblybehurt.”
Wesley shot me a humorless grin. “Ken,everysituation is one where I could possibly be hurt. I could be standing here and get struck by lightning. Youneverknow.”
“Stop being a smartass.” I pulled him into a hug and ruffled his hair, then sighed. “Well, I guess it’s too late to stop you from going through with this now,isn’tit?”
“Alittlebit.”
“I guess the only thing we can do now is help you go through withthisplan?”
“Uhhuh.”
“You sneaky little omega,” I growled playfully. He smiled at me and I reached out to tuck his hair behind his ear. “Just promise me you’ll be careful, okay? I’ll be there with you, butstill…”
“I will be,” hepromised.
“And ifanythinggoes wrong, or even smells like it’s going to go wrong, I won’t hesitate to jump in there,” I growled. My wolf was awake and alert, ready for the upcomingdanger.
“I know.Thanks.”
We embraced again. I took in a deep breath, soaking in his scent. A protective fire burned within me. I would do everything in my power to prevent harm from coming to my mate - and ourunbornpup.
And if that meant killing Gunner, then sobeit.
* * *
In the nightsleading up to the night of the full moon, I informed my friends about the plan. Flint, Jericho, Tyson, and David had all taken pills to mask their alpha scent. I was the only one not to, so that I could pose as the top alpha that Gunner was meant to kill. Or at least, what was what hethought.
We would ambush him then, and it would allbeover.
All the pain and suffering, past and future… We couldendthis.
That was what gave me the strength to go through with this. I thought of our child, growing up in a world where they would never have to know the evil thatWesleydid.
On the night where moon shone brightly in a full circle above, we moved. All of us gathered around the cabin where Wesley told Gunner to meet him. They stood a ways off at first, so that their scents wouldn’t be immediately noticeable - and even when he did notice them, they would be omega scents. Harmless and weak - in Gunner’s view,anyway.
Unlike my friends, I did not have my scent masked. I was to lay in the cabin bed and pretend to be the top alpha of the pack, whatever that was supposed to mean. I guessed I just had to act dominantandmean.
Wesley explained that he lied to Gunner and said he would be having sex with the top alpha in this cabin, so that it would be an “easy ambush” for Gunner. Little did he know that we had a counter-ambush just waiting for him. It relieved me to know that all my friends wanted to help out to defeat this menace. But I knew some of them had a personal history with Gunner - specifically Charlie and Mason, who lived under his rule. Even they agreed to help with the attack tonight, which surprised me. Their omega instincts to protect and nurture didn’t stop them from launching a counterstrike on Gunner. They would finally have their revengeonhim.
It was quiet now. The sun had set hours ago, and Wesley and I took our places inside the cabin. Somewhere outside, mingled and hidden among the trees, were our friends, waiting for Gunner toshowup.
I looked at Wesley. He looked a bit nervous, which was understandable. I squeezed his handreassuringly.
“Don’t worry,” I said. “I’m herewithyou.”
He smiled weakly. “I know.” But his smile fell. “I guess I’m just…worried.”
