I said, “Guys, it’s fine… I knew he was coming. One doesn’t forget the scent of a man who tried to rape them and then peed all over their sleeping bag… especially when one doesn’t have a bed to sleep on… or access to the laundry for personal items.” Their wolves snarled and ripped him apart.
I snorted, “I guess they feel the same type of way I do about that. Ezra, you can tell your Gamma to give up before he starts trying to sneak up on me. He might live longer that way… but between my mate, my family… and all the packs fighting here… his life expectancy is quite short. Especially if I say what he did to me...” That earned several growls.
I chuckled, “See? I have very real question for you. Do you seriously just have this innate need to break every rule? Is that your thing?” I punched him in the face when I heard a gun being loaded. Ezra snorted, “You’ll go down either way.” He tried to grab me.
I yelled, “EVERYONE DOWN!” I ducked under Ezra’s legs and dove behind a large boulder. Several shots hit the rock. I yelled, “SERIOUSLY?! ARE YOU AN IDIOT?! IT’S A BOULDER! BULLETS DON’T PIERCE BOULDERS! THEY RICOCHET!”
Lake snorted at me, and I could just picture Lux doing the same thing. He was still fighting though. I took out my gun and shot back into the tree line at those firing. I killed a few of the shooters before I saw the red dot... aimed at Alpha Theo this time.
I closed my eyes grumbling, “For the love of all that is good in this world… why do I NEVER get a break?!” I took off running and quickly tackled Titan, Alpha Theo’s wolf, so the shot hit the rogue he’d been fighting instead of him.
I rolled onto my feet and caught the rifle Valentina threw me. I quickly aimed it and took out two more shooters. A Warlock came out of the tree line moving towards us. Valentina went to the ground screaming in pain which had Julian snarling.
I realized no one was popping. How was the Warlock stopping that? It had to be more than him that was here. I threw the rifle at said Warlock and his reflexes had him catching it. Sadly for him, that was my plan. I was already running full speed at him.
I grabbed the gun and used it to flip over him and pulled the gun with me snapping his neck with my momentum and the gun. Valentina stopped screaming instantly. I asked my friend, “Are you ok?” Valentina nodded.
I ordered, “Find the Coven members here. Somehow, they are stopping the Fairies from popping inside the circle. They are fighting their way in, but they should be able to pop. Paige is here too so shimmer to her and go find the Coven.” Valentina nodded and shimmered away and now Julian growled in anger. She wasn’t leaving…it was fine!
Freya took over and ducked as a rock flew at my head. I snorted, “Really, Ezra? A rock? What’s next, dirt or sand in my eyes?” He growled at me, “You disrespectful bitch!” I smiled as I heard several growls and a roar of anger. No need to figure out the roar… it was Xander. It even made Freya purr.
I heard people screaming in pain. So Xander could use his powers, just not pop. I told Ezra, “I suppose being a bitch is better than being a jerk who doesn’t know how to do anything but make people fear him. You don’t hold a single person’s respect. You are terrible at your job. I’ll go out on a limb and say your wolf hates your guts.”
Freya told me, “His wolf does hate him.” I continued, “Your people aren’t really yours. You use fear to rule, and they hate you.” Ezra snorted, “I don’t need their respect or love. I rule my way.” I smiled, “Not for much longer, you don’t.”
I ran at him again. For all his faults, Ezra was a good fighter. He was nowhere near as good as me or Xander though. I headbutted Ezra in the face and his countermove was to rip the top of my shirt on the back of my collar. I froze for a second. With my vest on only the whip marks would show.
I barely dodged his punch and heard several growls of anger. I snarled, “You bastard!” Freya linked, “It’s just the top of our back. They can only see a few of the marks. None of the words.” I knew that. I flew at Ezra furiously because now everyone know there was more. I flipped him over my knee and slammed his back onto it, breaking it.
I grabbed him by the neck into a headlock. I addressed his pack, “Rivers End Pack, ENOUGH!” Everyone paused. I kept talking, “STOP fighting for this pathetic piece of garbage who calls himself an Alpha! He does NOTHING for you! He is ONLY fighting because I challenged him.”
“He even ignored the rules of the challenge to try and kidnap me while he planned to leave you here to die. Ezra had an escape plan that my pack cut off. Now, some of you know me as Ashley Griffen, the voice of the forgotten packs.”
I gulped adding, “But my REAL name is Melanie McAlister, daughter of former Beta and Beta Female Drake and Sam McAlister from Red Run. When I tell you that Ezra is NOT a man to follow, I mean it… from my soul. He has raised you like lambs to the slaughter. You are nowhere near prepared to take on Alpha Theo Bartlett or any of his allied packs.”
“You are BARELY trained in combat because this idiot doesn’t want you to have the ability to overthrow him. The time to stand IS NOW! You have been complacent far too long. That time is over. Stand up for your daughters, your sisters, your mothers, your nieces, your cousins, your sons, nephews, and your friends who this man treats like an object to be auctioned off.”
“Do this for your mates who you were forced to mark because this man said so. The mates who stood before you, crying, begging you to do something to help them. While you had no choice but to mark them or watch your family and hers die.”
“Do this for your mates who you had to WATCH as your Alpha RAPED THEM on the first day of their heats after you’d marked them while he sedated you. He forced you to be powerless to stop him from hurting your mates for the second time.”
Several of his pack members were looking around at each other. I threw Ezra to the side and kept talking, “Stop following an Alpha who doesn’t know the meaning of the word. A true Alpha protects his or her people. A true Alpha knows that a pack is a family, and it’s his or her JOB to protect them from everything.”
“He nor she sells them to another wolf or sends them to Hunters to die. He nor she is to force their people to mark someone as their mate. That’s a personal choice, and it should be up to the couple in question. Speaking out against what is wrong is NOT subject to demotion and beatings. Having punishing fields is not normal.”
“You HAVE a pack member who is the leader I’m describing, and he’s been protecting you all along. He’s been training behind his father’s back with me, to prepare for the day it was time for him to step up. He’s wanted to so many times over the years, but his sperm donor back there kept him weak. He has been training hard, and his moment is now.” I nodded to Crush, and he smirked in response. I knew he’d tell Virgil to come now.
I told them, “So stand down because you are NOT a lamb… you are a wolf, and the time has come to reclaim that! Stand with your true Alpha. Alpha Tao.” Virgil and Tao shimmered beside me. I nodded to both of them.
Xander popped to Tao and then reached for me and pulled me into him. Julian popped to Valentina the second her and Paige shimmered back to a visible area, and he declared her his. Xander stuck his face into the crook of my neck and inhaled deeply.
I told Tao, “It’s your pack now, Alpha Tao.” Tao nodded and I tapped my cheek where Virgil could see so he’d know to bring the next player here. Eric linked me, “Did you guys steal ALL the Hackura signs in the field?” I answered, “Huh? What? How? Why? What?” He snorted in reply.
Virgil laughed, “I’m off again. The Demon shimmering express is at your service.” Xander linked me, “Where did you send him?” I answered, “To get Tao’s mate. They’ve been apart long enough.” Xander gripped me tightly and linked, “I thought I explained this to you before, but we fight together.” I explained, “I couldn’t be in Red Run… It made me sick. Plus, I needed to get to Alpha Theo.” I could tell my mate didn’t like my answer, but there was solid logic to what I’d said.
Tao addressed his pack, “You all know me. You know I wasn’t here because my sperm donor ordered thirty of his men to silver me and throw me in the dungeons so I could not help you.” The jerk. Tao continued, “You know my mother has Alpha blood, and that’s why my sperm donor keeps her locked away in the dungeons along with her mate, my dad. We have no quarrel with these people and never did.”
He declared, “The Ducant Alpha deserved everything he got. Hell, if it were me, I’d have tortured the fucker for years. We have suffered and been put down as a pack long enough. I know many of you are bitter over those you have lost. I’m here to tell you that since I met Melanie those you thought you had lost are not truly lost to you.” Several gasped.
