She answered, “Yeah.” I told her, “Have a message thrown across Red Run’s border with the code word.” Nate gave us the names of some good Hunters and they’d agreed to help us if they could. She replied, “It’s done and addressed to the Beta no name because they were being weird. Are you on your way back?” I answered, “Yup.”
When I got in the truck my scent came back, and I quickly wrote down the times. I needed to get my watch program done. It was close, but not perfect yet. I drove back and parked. I told myself, “Pretty good for never having driven before.”
Hendrick shouted, “YOU HAVE NEVER DRIVEN BEFORE?!” I jolted admitting, “I didn’t know you’d be here.” He snorted, “We are teaching you how to drive. I cannot believe you didn’t tell us you didn’t know how to drive.”
I pointed out, “Umm you would’ve insisted on going and…” He cut me off, “I know.” He took me back to their house and I changed. I left and felt the air still. What the hell? Why did everything suddenly feel wrong?
I hid in a bush and tried to figure it out. I heard screams and people began to come outside. Someone cried, “Oh no. Who is it this time?” Somone replied, “A pack from Virigina came.” A woman gripped her husband’s hand. She whispered, “Are they coming for our pup?” His eyes showed devastation and defeat. He said, “We don’t know.” Huh?
I heard Dax scream, “NO!” I started running before I saw who it was. Caine was being held down and so was Dax. Addison, Beta Female Eden and Luna Elena were as well. My heart stopped. That meant this was about Sierra.
A man was dragging her by her hair. She screamed, “Leave me alone!” He hit her and I saw red. Beta Jean urged, “Sierra, don’t fight him. He won’t hurt you. Clay will be a good mate.” Clay actually laughed. Yeah, no….Beta jean was wrong… that was not the laugh of a sane person.
Beta Female Eden screamed, “YOU CAN’T GIVE OUR PUP TO HIM! SHE’S NOT EVEN EIGHTEEN! SHE COULD HAVE HER FATED!” He replied, “He has Alpha blood. It’s a good match.” Sierra tried to fight back.
Clay snarled “You’re MINE! Clearly you lack discipline, so I’ll mark you now.” Dax roared in anger and shifted into his wolf and was promptly shot with a dart which forced him to shift back. Caine shouted, “NO!” He shifted too and was shot.
I hadn’t stopped running to watch. People gasped at me as I flew by them. Alpha Edward finally saw me. He ordered, “Do not interfere!” The Alpha Command yet again did nothing. Sierra was pinned to the ground.
I dove and got my arm between her neck and his teeth. He sank his canines to the bone, and I screamed in pain. Sierra gasped, “Ashley.” Right. Because that’s what outside packs could know about my name.
I kicked Clay so hard I heard his ribs crack. Someone grabbed me from behind and I took him down with a simple move. I stood over Sierra and took them down as they came. They stared at me in shock. I screamed, “Is that all you got?” They said nothing.
I shouted, “PATHETIC! All of you! Come on! LET’S GO!” I had all the rage I could ever need on my side and nowhere and no one to take it out on until they showed up. One man said, “We are taking Sierra with us.”
I mocked him, “Then come get her… jerk. Oh wait, you tried that didn’t you? You will NEVER get past me.” Alpha Edward said, “They bought her.” I replied, “Then give the money back! She’s not going anywhere, and you can’t just sell pack member! Ordinance 124…”
He shouted, “I don’t care! That’s how it works here.” I replied, “No, it’s not… because if it is then every Supernatural will come down here and SLAUGHTER you all. If you’re left standingwhich is questionable at this point… because… I think you know that I know… I can take you all.” I didn’t know why I felt that way, but I did. It was true and I knew it.
I told him, “You will NOT let him take Sierra. You WILL BE the Alpha you are supposed to be! Marking an unshifted pup is AGAINST THE LAW! All of them… BE AN ALPHA!” I was begging him. I needed him to be one right here and now.
I would fight to the death for Sierra. She wasn’t going with Clay. She was there for me when I was abandoned. We were friends and I wouldn’t have stood by even if we weren’t. Clay asked, “Who the fuck do you think you are?”
Addison replied, “She’s Ashley Griffen.” I added, “Fighter for those who can’t fight back… be that training or drugged… apparently.” He snarled and shifted. Gamma Booker yelled, “DO NOT KILL HER!” Huh. That was shocking. More than actually… I was pretty sure he hated me.
I stared down the wolf with black markings. Sierra whispered, “Ashley, it’s…” I told her, “Go get behind your mom.” Beta Jean growled, “Sierra.” I shouted, “NOW!” Clay’s wolf jumped and I moved. I ran full force and slammed him into the ground, broke his front leg, took a knife from my shoe, and held it to his throat.
The shocked gasps that went around the pack didn’t phase me. I stared at the group that came with Clay. I demanded, “Shift back.” He did and screamed in pain. I looked at them, “You leave here… or he dies. Then you never… EVER come back…. Sierra Kiern is NOTHING to any of you.”
One snorted, “And when we come back, what are you going to do?” I warned, “If you ever come back to this state, I’ll kill each and every one of you.” I jabbed Clay in the neck. He shouted, “Ok! Ok, Jesus! You crazy bitch.”
I said, “I’m not the one with Alpha blood trying to mark an unshifted pup. Or running around taking her from her home inthe middle of the night… gosh you people are something else.” He replied, “I win.” I was shot with a dart and simply dug the knife in harder.
Alpha Edward shouted, “Hit her again.” It felt like yet another crack inside me. The Alpha was ordering me to be shot for protecting someone he should. I felt ten more darts hit and decided to stab Clay in the thigh. He screamed, “GOD!”
I heard the next dart coming because it was closer. Trevor McCann wore an evil smile, and I moved so it hit Clay instead. He screamed in agony. His pack winced. One said, “Ok, we’ll go.” I reiterated, “If you come back to this state, I’ll kill all of you… I heard you’re from Virgina…. So, stay there… or find out just what I can do when prepared.” That scared them and it made me happy.
They urged, “Give him back to us.” I replied, “No….not a single chance. Do I look dumb to you? I mean… I’m a genius… so… I’m not dumb. I’ll give him back at the border. So… move it.” Alpha Edward growled, “You don’t give orders here.” Yet I was and it still hurt. His distain and hatred hurt, but I ignored it because I wasn’t wrong; he was.
I dragged Clay with me to the border then threw him in their SUV. I took a dart to the chest that only hurt because of the proximity and close range of the shot. Gamma Booker snarled, “You stupid girl!” He punched me.
I asked, “What is WRONG with all of you? But especially YOU!” I pointed at Beta Jean. I said, “She’s your daughter! She was terrified and you just….” I looked at him shaking my head sadly. He flinched.
I turned Alpha Edward, “You… what happened to you? You shouldn’t allow this! It has to hurt your blood as it does mine…” I saw him flinch too but Gamma Booker hit me again. He asked, “Are you going to take your punishment?”
I shot back, “Are you going to answer what’s wrong with all of you?! Why are you hurting yourselves and your wolves this way? It doesn’t make sense and…” Gamma Booker yelled, “LIFE DOESN’T MAKE SENSE! Now, you can either be whipped and thrown in the hole.”
I shivered not wanting to go back in there. He grinned evilly and I knew whatever was coming meant I was going to take getting whipped and thrown in the hole. “Or you can sleep with all of us here and now.”
