Page 13 of Claimed By the Alpha Wolves

“Yes,” I’d croaked, taking another tissue and dabbing at my eyes. I looked up at the sheriff, who was standing next to the door, his arms crossed. “Miles was killed. By Kurt Baine of Pack Obsidian. I saw it happen.”

A funny look crossed the woman’s face that I couldn’t quite read. “Tell us about it.”

I took a deep breath. “My brother and I were in the woods near my grandparent’s cabin, and got separated while we were playing a game. Kurt and his buddies came across Miles, I think by accident. I heard the commotion and came over to see what was going on– no one ever ventures out by our woods–so hearing strange voices was frightening. When I saw the group of big alphas insulting my brother, I was too scared to approach them. They started pushing him around, threw him to the ground, and then Kurt asked his buddies if they wanted to see him kill a worthless beta. They were laughing, taunting my brother. Miles tried to get up. To escape. Kurt threw him to the ground and stepped on his neck. I tried to stop him, but Kurt’s friends held me back. And then, while my brother cried and pleaded, Kurt crushed his neck.”

The woman reached forward, putting both of her hands on mine and smiling gently. “I understand you’ve gone through some other family tragedies. Sometimes, when our brains go through trauma like that, it’s easy for us?—”

I’d yanked my hands back, glancing up at the sheriff. I started to stand out of my seat. “You don’t believe me? Isawhim do it with my own two eyes!”

“Please, Faye, sit down and we can—” she began.

“No. I don’t believe you, and neither will the council,” the sheriff said, looking like he had finally lost his cool. He stepped toward me, jamming a finger in my face. “The rising alpha of Pack Obsidian is a good man. I’ve known his father for years. I saw him when he was in diapers, and I’ve watched him grow into the man he is today. And that man is not a murderer.”

“I—” I said, struggling to catch my breath. When I was packing up my things, coming to town to tell the sheriff about what happened, I didn’t even consider that he might not believe me. “But I saw it happen.”

This can’t be happening. They have to believe what I saw with my own eyes.

The sheriff gave me a disgusted look, like I was something below pond scum. “And that’s why I brought a counselor to speak to you. Clearly, you’re having hallucinations.”

Anger and disbelief coursed through me. “My brother isdead. That’s not… that’s not a hallucination! I had to move his body!”

The sheriff sneered. “Like I told you before, we can come and investigate whatever accident led to his broken neck, and take care of the body. But I won’t entertain the notion of a false accusation against an alpha.”

When he stormed out, the woman leaned toward me, her voice soft as her eyes darted around the room as if looking for spies. “Kurt’s father, Dexter, is the leader of Pack Obsidian. You remember him? He wasn’t invited to a birthday party hosted by the alpha of a smaller pack… and then the alpha’s entire family was murdered, somehow. He’s also the one who started a war with Pack Scarlet because he thought their leader insulted him. Dozens of shifters were killed when he attacked with all his alphas. And he hasa lotof alphas. The most of any pack and all regularly trained for war.”

What she was telling me was clear. As psychotic as Kurt was, his father was even more unstable. No one would risk insulting him for fear of the consequences. Saying that Kurt didn’t kill my brother was their way of sweeping everything under the rug to protect “the greater good.” The greater good didn’t matter to me though: I was determined to find justice for my brother, to take a dangerous man off the streets.

Leaving his office, I didn’t stop until I stood before the council. The three ultimas whose words held the most power. I begged them to take some action against Kurt, yet they did nothing. I went to my pack, to my alpha, Charles, and pleaded with them to add their voices to mine, so that someone might listen, but they avoided eye contact. Pretended like they couldn’t hear me. Like Miles’ death was just something that could be ignored and forgotten. Only Addilyn looked at me, but we both knew our voices together would do nothing.

As an omega, I had lived my entire life in deference to others. I knew when my voice wasn’t going to be heard. And now an omega was accusing an alpha. If I were an alpha, they would’ve listened to me. Miles would’ve gotten justice. So after I’d pointlessly tried everything possible, I made the long trek back to my cabin, where I spent two days digging a hole in which I could bury my brother.

Now, Kurt makes a noise, drawing me out of my reverie. His breath, which smells like rancid cider, fans out over my face, as I continue to grab at his hand. A dark thought occurs to me.Maybe he won’t be satisfied until every last person in my family is dead.I stop grabbing at him, letting my hands drop.Maybe I’ve been fighting too long. Maybe my fight is finally over.

Air floods into my body when he finally relaxes his hand, and I collapse to the ground, gasping in breaths.I’m alive? He let me go?No, this man is a murderer. He’s not done with me yet.

I look up at him, and our eyes lock for a long moment. I know something is coming. Something bad. I just don’t know what yet.

“Hello, Faye,” he snarls. He’s silhouetted in the light from the hallway, and from this angle, he looks even taller and broader than I remember him. A ball lodges in my throat when he leans toward me, that stink of alcohol washing over me again. He takes a long breath, his nose tipped down. Like he’s smelling me.

A shudder of disgust moves through me and a desperate need to escape him uncoils from within, but I can’t seem to move. I’m entangled in his awful web. In a nightmare.

“You smell good, Faye,” he says, one of his eyebrows quirking upwards.

I flinch away from him, desperately trying to keep from having a panic attack. Just as quickly as it appeared, the smile on his face drops, and he moves closer to me, boxing me in. Stealing even the small chance that I might escape.

“Don’t think I’ll ever forget about your little stunt. About you lying to everyone. Trying to say that I was the one who attacked your brother? Why would I waste my time with your worthless brother? Why would anybody believe a lying bitch?” His words are cold and cruel.

It’s obvious this man is a liar, the kind of man that tells his lies so many times that everyone around him starts to believe him. Maybe evenhestarts to believe himself. ButIknow what I saw.Iknow I’m not crazy. So he can try to paint any pretty picture he wants, but I’ll never forget what he did.

Yet, he keeps staring down at me. Keeps invading my space. More than anything, I want to close my eyes and avoid his gaze while he speaks. But my body feels paralyzed, and I keep looking right at him as he leans even closer, a piece of spittle landing on my cheek.

“I’ll never forget, Faye. Watch your back.”

With that, he steps back, turning on his heel and walking down the hallway, his boots clicking with every step. As I watch him go, the horror of his words doesn’t even sink in, because I’m too busy being grateful that he’s gone. But the thing is, we both know he won’t be gone for long.

Evil always has a way of coming back.

SEVEN

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