Page 4 of Alpha's Revenge Luna

The doors slam audibly against the walls, and silence falls over the room. No sound is made beside the soft music, which is switched off after one growl from whoever enters.

I try to see the commotion, but can’t make out anything past my father’s Beta, who tucks me behind him.

“What’s going on?” I whisper, only to be hushed, and hustled toward the back near the far exit. The Beta pushes on the doors, but they don’t budge. He grips my arm, yanking me to the next set of doors.

What about my parents?

A deep voice fills the air. I glance over my shoulder, the laughter, dance, and chatter are long gone. Everyone backs up and moves out of the new guest’s way, clearing my view.

In steps a man, his presence instantly commanding the room. There’s a collective gasp, as a sudden chill spreads throughout the attendees.

“Alpha Dion.” His name whispers through the crowd like both a chant and a curse.

His eyes are piercing, cold as ice, and they’re set intently on my parents. My father stiffens as his eyes go wide. His grip on my mother tightens.

Alpha Dion walks into the room, his steps measured and controlled, each one exuding complete power and dominance. The silence in the room is crushing.

“You foolish old man,” I hear, the growl out from some unidentifiable source. The dangerously cold voice sends a chill up my spine.

“Alpha Dion, it was a mistake. One I will rectify if given a chance.” I gasp when I hear my father’s voice answer.

“You’re right. You will,” the Alpha says. I stand by, confused at their exchange.

What’s going on? Why is Father having a conversation with Alpha Dion?

“Michael, what did you do?” I hear my mother shriek, before murmurs break out. The sea of people part, shuffling back, revealing Alpha Dion. One of the Alphas who I know rivals my father—his biggest rival actually.

He has instilled fear in every pack because of therumors sayinghelives by the old ways. Not to mention, the ones that claim Alpha Dion isn’t just a werewolf, no, buta Hybrid: a lethal combination of our two mortal enemies.

My bones feel like they have turned to jelly. I can tell I’m on the verge of having a panic attack. Alpha Dion’s anger is plainly directed at my father.

Everyone circles around my father and mother, getting out of their way, as Alpha Dion walks further into the room with slow, calculating steps, his furious gaze still pinned on my father.

Some of the attendeesrun for the doors.

At the same time, I notice he does not have warriors or guards with him.

This man doesn’t need them if the stories I have heard are true.

My father doesn’t answer my mother’s question. He glares the other Alpha down, though I know he fears him. But that won’t stop him from challenging Alpha Dion. Alpha Dion stays out of our business, and we stay out of his. A fight between him and my father would bea war no one wants to see.

“Let’s be reasonable here. We can go out back with the elders to talk this out,” my father offers.

“Eye for an Eye, Alpha,” Alpha Dion growls, staring at my mother. My father pushes her behind him, standing protectively in front of her.

“She had nothing to do with it,” my father states, his aura coming out threateningly. The hairs on my arms raise as my skin prickles with fear.

“You stayed in your territory, and I stayed on mine. That was the treaty!” Alpha Dion bellows. My mother glances around nervously, searching. When her eyes find me, she immediately tears her gaze away.

“I had nothing to do with the attack,” my father says to defend himself. This makes me think back to his strange meeting with Beta Tyson before we came here. Is that what this is all about?

“You led them directly to my pack!”Alpha Dion roars. My father shakes his head.Beta Tyson shuffles me along as he seeks another exit, tugging me behind him.

Fear coils and writhes inside me for my parents when I hear the elders speak.

“Alpha Dion, may we ask what this is about?” The question comes from a voice I just listened to drone on about tradition, the rarity of female werewolves, and all that jazz all damn night. This elder has the sort of voice that makes your brain shut down.

“No. This is between Alpha Michael and me,” Alpha Dion replies. The elder nods, clearly unwilling to get between them. Even the elders fear my father and Alpha Dion.

“Stupid pup. You come in here, and what? Challenge me over an attack I had nothing to do with?” My father laughs, the same nervous laugh I heard earlier this evening.

Alpha Dion growls, then chaos ensues.

He attacks my father. As my father shifts, Beta Tyson jumps into the fray, while people scream and hurry out the far doors straight toward me.

I am knocked down by the stampede, left on the ground to hear the vicious growls and the savage blows of fighting. The sickening sound offlesh being torn from muscle and blood spattering walls fills the air as all hell breaks loose. More and more people rush outside, leaving me unable to get up.

Then my father shrieks in panic, and silence follows. All I can hear is my own labored breathing as I crawl to my bleeding and bruised hands and knees.

“You took her from me, and now you will get to know exactly what it feels like,” Alpha Dion yells asa whimper fills the air.

Getting to my feet, I peer over the tables to find Alpha Dion has my mother by the throat.

My father is drenched in blood, and Beta Tyson is dead at his feet.

I can’t stop the gasp ofhorror that escapes my mouth.

Two elders also lay dead, though the remaining Alphas look onto the scene with indifference.

I have never seen my father, the man I see as larger than life, look so weak and petrified.

“Mom,” I choke out, causing everyone’s attention to turn to me. Alpha Dion’s body turns tense, and his back goes rigid at the sound of my voice.

“You have a daughter?” Alpha Dion’s voice is cruel and mocking as he asks the question. The Alpha turns slowly to look at me, his head tilting to the side.

“Emery…” He chuckles darkly. I’m overwhelmed with the sound of my heart beating in my chest, thumpingso loud it renders me temporarily deaf. His sinister gaze runs the length of me. “It must be fate, because I’ve found my Luna’s replacement,” he growls, his eyes flickering with menace.

“No!” my mother chokes, her panic-stricken eyes going to me. But Alpha Dion just smiles wickedly.

I stagger back, bumping into a nearby table.

“Emery, go!” my mother pleads. My father’s gaze stays locked on Alpha Dion, who suddenly lets go of my mother, tossing her aside like she is garbage.

My eyes widen as his face twists into a snarl.

He turns, his claws slipping from his fingertips, just as I see my father’s bewildered face switch to one of determination.

My father tackles the Alpha before he can even step foot in my direction. I hear my mother screaming for me to run. I remain still, paralyzed by fear.

The other Alphas back up, not wanting to get involved.

Alpha Dion slashes my father’s face with his claws before wrapping an arm around his neck.

He jams his claws into my father’s ribs, causing my father to gasp in pain and surprise.

He tries to throw Alpha Dion off when, suddenly, my mother shifts and attacks Alpha Dion.

Her teeth tear into his back. He reaches behind himself in retaliation, gripping her malt-colored fur and easily tosses her aside before kneeing my father in the head.

My father goes down, and I race toward my mother’s naked form as she smashes against a streamer-wrapped concrete beam in the center of the room. Before I can reach her, I stop, realizing that I’m headed straight into Alpha Dion’s path.

A malicious glint flashes in his eyes as his hand reaches for my mother’s hair.

My heart nearly stops at her scream, and my father gasps when he grabs her head between his hands to snap her neck.

How? How? is all I can think. Because how did he get past all the guards?

Did he kill them, too? What of our pack warriors? Where were they throughout all this?

“No!” my father chokes out frantically.

“Pick Alpha, your mate, or your daughter,” he says. What did my father do to warrant this?

“No, kill me,” my mother cries. At her words, I scream. Alpha Dion smiles sadistically, as if he’s enjoying all of this.

“Please, don’t hurt her,” I beg, and his head whips up to look at me. He stares at me oddly and then shakes his head as if to clear it.

“Whatever you want, just leave them be,” my father says.

“What do I want? You know what I want, Alpha. And you can’t replace her.” My father’s eyes dart between my mother and me.

“I accept my death. Just leave them be,” my father says, and my mother chokes on a sob.

“What did you do?” my mother sobs.

“I’m down a Luna and an heir because of your husband. Luckily for me, you have a spare,” he growls, his fingers moving to her throat.

“What?” my mother chokes out around his crushing grip.

“I didn’t mean for this to happen,” my father pleads.

Alpha Dion laughs humorlessly, the sound of a madman cackling.

The elders whisper among themselves, and I can tell they are trying to find a way to settle things down.

If our two packs go to war, all the packs between us will be caught in the crossfire.

If he kills my mother, there will be blood.

“May I offer a suggestion, Alpha?” Elder Eric speaks up.

My father looks at him hopefully, and the Alpha looks back, a bored expression on his face. Elder Eric continues.

“You lost your Luna?” Elder Eric states before motioning to me. My eyes widen when everyone looks at me.

“Alpha Michael has an eligible one for you,” Elder Eric continues.