“You were allbigger,” I say, gesturing to Remy, Storm, and Wyatt. “Like Hayden. You wereallAlphas.”
Silence. Remy growls under his breath, narrowing his eyes. Storm leans back, slightly, but his hand rests on my knee. He runs the other one through his silver hair.
“That’s not possible. It’s never happened before,” Wyatt exhales sharply. “One Alpha per pack; that’s how it’s always been.”
“You said that when Jaxton fell in love, he started becoming an Alpha,” I say. “Well, he was damn sure one in the vision I just had, because he was bigger than Hayden.”
“Fuck,” Hayden says. “That’s the answer. The mating ritual. If we complete it, could you imagine that? Five Alpha wolves? Brothers? Part of the same pack?”
“Because of our mate,” Wyatt says, patting my shoulder and continuing to massage. “The rules don’t change just because there’s one of her and five of us. Nature still prevails. Finding our mate still makes us become Alphas.”
“Five Alpha wolves versus a… what sounded like a really old vampire,” Remy says. “That’s a fight we could win.”
“You won’t be alone,” I say. “In my vision, I was there, covered in blood with some kind of weapon. A sword. Daisy was there, too.”
“I get to go to the vampire massacre?” Daisy chimes in, grinning excitedly, her face lighting up. Then her face falls and her voice gets lower. “I’m not sure Iwantto go to the vampire massacre.”
“No, you can’t go,” Hayden’s declaration is emphatic. “Not Ansley or Daisy. They can’t bite you or claw you, but they could still hurt you. Seriously hurt you. You could be killed.”
“I just had a vision and I was there, bloody sword in hand,” I push back. “So, I’m going. You can fight me on it, but if you believe in my vision enough to complete the mating ritual, then you have to believe all of it.”
“It’s already affecting us,” Wyatt says. “We were arguing. We’ve been doing that more than we used to.”
“Imagine when we’re all Alpha wolves,” Storm chuckles. “We’ll be at each other’s throat all the damn time.”
“I think we can manage,” Hayden huffs. “But if we’re going to do this, I have to go talk to Jaxton. I should have done it before, but this time it’s going to be more complicated than just run of the mill vampires.”
“I can talk to him again,” Remy offers.
“I don’t mind going. I keep his pantries stocked. We talk sometimes when I stop by,” Wyatt says.
“How about this?” Storm says, taking a deep breath. “What if we just talk to him together?”
There’s silence for a moment. A few heads nod. An agreement is made.
I guess now I know how many mates I have.
All five. The entire pack. My heart should be racing, and not just because of the vision. I should be terrified. Five mates. Five Alpha wolves. Five huge men who will want me, claim me, and breed me.
But instead, it just feels… right.
CHAPTER 30
Jaxton
I sense them coming.
All four of my brothers. Is it something urgent, or an intervention? They’re coming on four paws instead of in a car. If it’s an intervention, it won’t be because of the cigars I smoke, the whiskey I drink, or the isolation I surround myself with. No, this is going to be abouther.
I sensed it building between them. The aggressiveness, just like I had with my father when I started changing. I didn’t even see it happening back then. My love for Joanna was still in its infancy, but it brought my Alpha nature to the surface. So much so that my father knew about my relationship before I’d dared mention it to anyone.
Ansley’s their mate. No doubt about that. They just can’t complete the mating ritual. Can’t fully embrace what their instincts are calling for. Mine built slowly, as I fell for Joanna. With those that feel the pull towards their mate, it’s faster. A wolf goes into his den to claim his mate, and he comes out thenext morning as an Alpha. Usually with the first member of his new pack already growing in her belly.
But I won’t be a part of it. If they can’t finish the mating ritual with Storm, then they’ll just have to learn to live with what that leaves behind. They might change some, but they won’t become true Alphas. Luckily, it won’t break them in the process, like it did me. They’ll still have their mate, instead of a void in their chest where their heart should be.
That’s what losing the she-wolf you love will do to you. Watching her burn at the stake, while you’re paralyzed from your injuries, unable to stop them. Knowing you’re next, but wishing you were first, just so you didn’t have to watch the fire rise and rise, listening to the screams, until there’s nothing left. Nothing except the pain it leaves inside you.
Most days, I wish my brothers hadn’t dragged me away. Hadn’t hidden me, hadn’t found a Witch Doctor to tend to my wounds and nurse me back to life. If you can even call it a fucking life. I would have preferred to die by her side.
