Page 13 of Pack to the Wall

“And how do we do the… turning part?” I asked.

“Didn’t you hear him, Mom?” Milo burst out. “Blood to blood.” He sounded far too eager.

“Or…” Izzy said with a hint of mischief in her voice. “Sex.”

Tyson’s gaze never left mine. His dark blue eyes devoured me with primal lust. An overwhelming heat filled my chest, then sank into my core. He didn’t have to say which would be his preferred option. I could see it in his eyes.

Then he whispered, “Blood to blood will work.”

A part of me was so very thankful for that.

Another part… extremely disappointed.

“Okay.” I drew in a long breath as Tyson’s gaze shifted away and I was suddenly left feeling bereft and cold. “So, how do we do this?”

We discussed our plans before the others returned. Tyson and his friends, Bronn and Colt, would run interference between myself and the old betas. Kira would help. She had enough power as a beta’s wife to stand up to them. Meanwhile, I’d work my… charm… on the rest of the pack and try to win them over to my side. I just had to figure out what my side actually was. Because if my proposal wasn’t tempting enough, it wouldn’t overcome the packs fear of the old betas.

But before I had time to start thinking about that, the others began to arrive.

BRONN

I knewthe death ritual well enough, but it still sickened me. So, I’d been quite happy that the pack left me out when Harley’s bones were passed around. That was Brick’s doing. He’d never liked me, and he loved to show the pack just how much he didn’t like me.

Of the many scars on my body, some had come from Harley, some from Tank, but most were from Brick. The wolf beta glared at me as he gnawed on his previous alpha’s bones. It was customary to do so in animal form, since humans eating bones was barbaric. But Brick was barbaric enough to skirt that custom. He raked the sinew and blood off the bones with his teeth and seemed to like it. It made me want to vomit, but I couldn’t leave, not until this little ceremony was done. The rest of the pack, as wolves, were in a rough circle chewing on the bones of their former leader, breaking them down slowly. It wasn’t a quick process. They’d take the bones with them and continue to work on them over the next few weeks.

Brick broke the large leg bone with a sickening crack and began sucking out the marrow. I held back bile, which burned in my throat.

Then finally, Brick called to the others and they shifted back. The bones were hidden away, the pack dressed and we got on our bikes.

“We’ll take the bikes for a spin before we park them, tear up that nice lawn and garden of hers,” Brick said with a laugh as we made our way back to the woman’s house. “Then make sure to stomp around in the mud before we go in, wreck her carpet. Let’s just see her try to stop us, that should be a laugh.”

Sonny gave a snort.

“We’ll ruin her house and her life,” Tank said, viciously. I knew the man well enough to know he was furious. The lecherous bear shifter had wanted to rape that woman, but now that she was alpha, she was off limits. So, he’d just cause her as much grief as he could. “Then in a week, I’ll tear her a new one.”

“You’ll do nothing of the sort,” Brick said, putting Tank in his place. “She’s mine. I’ll be the next alpha, now that my son has lost his mind. I can’t believe that whelp protected her! I don’t know what he was thinking, but if he’s her beta, he’s no son of mine. He was supposed to be an alpha, not a beta. Fucking stupid little shit.”

I couldn’t understand what had come over Tyson either. Of the entire pack, Tyson had been the only one to ever treat me with any respect. As the next alpha, groomed to lead, he was supposed to make his own decisions, and when he’d taken me under his wing, mostly protecting me from his father’s attacks, I’d become forever loyal to him.

I’d been taken from my father’s pride — the Kings — when I was sixteen. The Fangs — Harley’s pack, which now belonged to that enigmatic woman — had defeated The Kings in a turf war in Morgantown. The price had been the disbanding of my father’s MC. The Fangs took their bikes — selling most of them — and myself as their prize. I’d been a mouthy and cocky young lion shifter back then and I’d earned myself a lot of beatings after I’dbeen branded as a wolf. One on one, I could take any wolf, but in a pack, I had no chance. I’d learned to keep my mouth shut and take any punishment — deserving or not — they dealt me.

Then Tyson had claimed me. I hadn’t known much about the young man back then, but I’d quickly learned he was tough and could stand up to his father… and often did on my behalf. If he was serving that woman now… then I’d follow him and serve her too. The fact that Brick was against it made it all the more appealing.

Still, dread roiled in my gut at the thought of going against the old betas. Years of abuse and beatings had left their toll on me. I’d learned not to show my hatred, not to talk back or show any sign of a backbone. But now…?

We reached the woman’s house. The others went for their bikes. I left mine at the side of the street and headed for the front door.

“Hey, pussy, get back here!” Tank called. That was his favorite nickname for me. For a moment I froze, years of instincts kicking in. I should obey…

“Go fuck yourself, Dad,” Colt called as he stepped up next to me, putting a thick arm around my shoulders. “Don’t listen to him,” Colt whispered. “We know who we serve.”

I smiled and nodded, allowing myself to relax a bit. Colt was an odd one, but I knew I could trust him. He might be Tank’s son, and just as big as his father — with a baby-face and a cheery smile — but he was loyal to Tyson. His father had stopped beating him once Colt had been large enough to fight back. Not long after that, he too had been brought into Tyson’s little band. Colt and I would have been Tyson’s betas if he’d become alpha… now…?

“Get back here, whelps!” Brick shouted.

“Not gonna happen,” Colt whispered. It seemed even Colt wasn’t stupid enough to counter Brick out loud. As much asTank was a beast, Brick was the real power behind this pack now.

The two of us continued into the house. Once there, we’d be safe enough… assuming Tyson was there.

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