Page 63 of Alpha's Forbidden Bond

“Did you call this meeting?” I said.

“Yes, I did. I was really banking on you saying yes to coming back here. Follow me.” He walked towards the group, having taken hold of my hand again, and we passed by as everyone turned to stare at us. I felt horribly uncomfortable with this many eyes on me, and I kept my chin tucked tightly into my chest. When we reached Andreas’ back porch, he leaped up the steps and brought me along with him. Smiling from ear to ear, he waited until everyone faced us and fell quiet.

“Hello, members of the Vilks and Morena pack,” he said, clapping his hands together like a man about to deliver a very inspiring speech. Perhaps he was. “I want to start off by saying thank you all for gathering here. It means a lot to me, as I know some of you are very busy. Others are probably wondering just what the fuck is going on.”

There were a few chuckles, and some people in the crowd seemed to relax a little after his opening joke. “I’m sorry that I had to call a compound-wide meeting at the last minute,” he continued. “But I wanted to do what I could to address everyone’s concerns and to fill you all in on what’s been going on the past week or so. As many of you have probably already heard, the pack was attacked a few nights ago by a man hellbent on avenging his son’s death. Poor Sarafina was injured in the attack but, thank god, is expected to make a full recovery.”

If there was anyone left in the group who hadn’t been paying much attention, they were now.

“We have the attacker in custody still,” Andreas went on. “And we are currently investigating his claims that his son was killed by a Vilks werewolf some time ago. If any of you have information regarding such an incident, now would be the time to come forward.”

Nobody spoke.

“Very well,” he said. “We will return to that issue in a moment.”

“Wait just a fucking second!” shouted a man from the crowd. “You have more to answer to, Mr. Pack Leader. You told me the fucker was dead. Now you’re saying he’s ‘in custody’.”

“Ah, hello, Becc. I was hoping to have found you in a better mood now that we know your sister is going to pull through. I guess not.”

The man separated himself from the crowd and walked right up to the bottom step. “You tell me where Stanley Kingsley is right now, or so help me?—”

“You’ll what?”

The voice came from the man’s right. A strong, broad-shouldered woman stepped up to him with a sneer on her face. “You’ll attack my pack leader? I don’t fucking think so. Not if I’m around.”

“Or me.” Another person stepped up, a man, who had at least a foot on Becc.

“Or me.”

Soon enough, nearly the entire Vilks pack had joined in on the chorus, making it very clear that Becc didn’t stand a chance. Now was not the time for him to make threats. He stepped back from the stairs and snarled. “Fuck you, Andreas. Fuck all of you! You have no idea what it truly means to be a wolf or to protect your own. I’m sick of listening to you, and if you think this merger is going to go through with my approval, you’re insane. The only way the Morenas are going to join the Vilks is over my dead body!”

“That can be arranged.”

I gasped, not expecting to hear a voice coming from behind me. The back door was wide open, and none other than Stanley himself stepped forward to enter the conversation. He was holding a gun in his shaking hands, different from the one he’d brought with him the other night, and his eyes were bloodshot and intense.

“Where the fuck did you get that?” Andreas yelled.

“You didn’t think I was stupid enough to come up here with just a single weapon, did you?” Stanley said. “No. I left this handy piece in the woods. Can’t have enough backups. You all thought I was in a coma. I walked out this morning without anyone even noticing me. Just a quick dash into the trees this morning, and I was able to find this in no time. Now I want you to tell me who is responsible for killing my son.”

“Stanley,” I said, thinking I was probably the only one he wouldn’t shoot on sight. “You don’t want to do this. Andreas didn’t kill you when you fought. He spared you. But if you hurt someone in his pack, he won’t hesitate.”

“She’s right,” Andreas growled. “I’m running low on patience this time around.”

“Just—just tell me!”

Nobody spoke.

“It’s—it’s not fair,” Stanley’s voice cracked. “You murder my son, and somehow I’m the bad guy? Somehow, I’m in the wrong for wanting justice for my little boy?”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Becc start to advance up the stairs. Any second now, he was going to pounce. I made a snap decision and positioned myself between him and Stanley. If things were about to get ugly, I wasn’t going to stand on the sidelines like last time.

“Michael was my life. He–I loved him so much. Everything I did was for him. And you all took him from me! You—you monsters!”

“Actually, we didn’t.”

Everyone’s attention was ripped away from Stanley as another figure appeared in the doorway. With a swift and powerful motion, Mikeal was able to reach and tear the gun out of the old man’s grasp while at the same time pushing him down to his knees.

“What?” Stanley asked. “Who–?” He winced as he was brought down hard on his lower joints.

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