Page 75

75

Kaylee

Standing in front of over one hundred wolves, ranging from a newborn pup to the elderly using canes, I wonder what their opinions are about Lucas and me standing here. At the base of the steps to Oak Fur’s packhouse, Amelia, David, Simon, Evette, Ash, and Royce guard the stairs and prevent anyone from stepping close.

“We should say something,” Lucas mutters, taking my shaking hand in his. I can feel him shaking and sense his nervousness while facing everyone who remains in Oak Fur. Even after capturing Ramos’ men, one hundred and fifteen wolves remain.

“Do you want to start?” I ask, turning to look up at Lucas. He sighs, running his free hand through his messy hair before nodding his head slightly. Squeezing my hand gently, he releases it and steps down two steps, the crowd watching him with wary gazes.

“Hello, everyone,” he calls out loudly, his deep voice projecting over the crowd. “I know you all must be feeling confused right now, considering I was ready to give up on this pack a few months ago,” he continues, his voice sounding unsure.

“You all know why I left Oak Fur and the things that Ramos and Marilyn have done. You don’t know that I went off to find Kaylee—to repair the bond I broke and have her forgive me. It took some time, but she did in the end.”

I chuckle at this, smiling as Lucas looks back at me, his gray eyes soft with love—love that is strictly for me.

“We would have stayed in Ivory Fangs, where she was the beta for my aunt, Amelia Saint, but Ramos Rider decided to plan an attack on Ivory Fangs, threatening everyone Kaylee and I love.”

His voice wavers once more as anger radiates off my mate. Without thinking, I step forward and take Lucas’ hand in mine.

“In the end, Lucas and I decided that coming back to Oak Fur and killing Ramos and his Luna, Marilyn, was the best course of action to not only protect our family and friends in Ivory Fangs but also to heal the damage that has been caused here in Oak Fur,” I continue explaining, feeling Lucas squeeze my hand as he takes a deep breath, inhaling my scent.

I remember asking him what I smelled like, to which he replied that it was cinnamon sugar and reminded him of Luna Lidia’s cinnamon rolls. I’m glad he can find some comfort in my scent while facing a large crowd.

“We know change may be hard after living in fear for so long, but we want you all to know that one, if you prefer, you’re free to leave and find a pack that will give you a sense of security,” I state, watching the unease on everyone’s faces slowly disappear.

“And two, if you choose to stay, we’ll be working hard on helping you all to grow stronger while creating a welcoming and accepting pack,” Lucas takes over, his gray eyes staring gently into the crowd.

“I know you all have been through a lot, and I am sorry, but I—” he pauses, looking at me before smiling widely. “ We promise to be leaders that will make this pack proud as your alphas.”

The crowd whispers amongst themselves with Lucas’ declaration. Through the whispers I hear many talk about the pack having two alphas instead of an alpha and Luna. Finally, a brave wolf steps forward—one of the rogues we saved from the dungeons.

“Will you let us rogues go free?” he asks, his face set into a frown.

“We will, if that’s what you want. We’ll also allow the rogues held captive to join the pack if they’d like that instead,” I answer this time, watching shock spread through the crowd.

“What do you mean rogues held captive?” someone, an Oak Fur wolf, shouts.

I sigh, deciding that if things are going to change in this pack, we need to be completely transparent with everyone.

“You see, when we snuck past the borders of Oak Fur, one of those goals was the capture the dungeons and use them to hide the unconscious wolves who supported Ramos and Marilyn,” I answer.

From there, I explain our plan of attack from beginning to end and how our group found the dungeons with a few cells full of rogues who had been abused and injured by the wolves Ramos trusted. The faces of the Oak Fur wolves grow pale as the horrors we witnessed by their now-dead alpha and Luna are exposed.

The rogue who had asked the question confirms our words, stating that he watched his sister be raped by many men under Ramos’ command and that she’d almost lost her life three days prior. The heartbreak in his voice as it cracks causes a few wolves near him to embrace him, whispering their condolences and how those men will pay. They have no idea what is to come.

“What Ramos and his people have done is unforgivable,” Amelia calls out from the bottom of the stairs, her body shaking as she holds in her rage. “I should have stopped my brother long before he became alpha, but I was under an alpha command from him myself. For that, I am sorry,” she continues, her gray eyes filling with resolve.

“But we do have some form of justice we hope will satisfy everyone. Parents, we ask that you head into the packhouse with pups under the age of sixteen. The rest of you, we ask you to stay,” I say, pulling Lucas to the side.

Many she-wolves with pups walk towards the stairs, their eyes holding some form of worry. I smile at them warmly, happy that no pup was injured under Ramos’ rule.

Once all the pups and their mothers have entered the packhouse, Ash and Royce move to stand beside the door, blocking anyone from leaving. I don’t want pups to witness what is about to happen.

With a soft sigh, I look back at the crowd. There is curiosity in their gazes but also fear and suspicion. I don’t blame them. The last time I was in Oak Fur, I was being rejected and banished. Of course they don’t trust me or any of us right now. We left instead of fighting back against Ramos, but I needed time to heal and grow into the wolf I am today. And so did Lucas.

“You can link them,” I call out to Amelia, watching her lips curl into a grin. A moment later, the sounds of wolves marching come to our left and the men and women who helped us secure Oak Fur stand off to the side of a blindfolded and cuffed wolf.

“As promised, justice is here,” I state with a grin, watching as our men line up the wolves and force them to kneel. “These men caused harm under Ramos and Marilyn’s orders. Now, they will be executed for their crimes.”

With that, the crowd begins to cheer, calling for their death. These men had harmed so many, from members of Oak Fur to innocent rogues who were minding their own business. Nodding to Titus, who takes the lead, the forty men who were brought from the dungeons are beheaded in one strike, their bodies falling to the ground with loud thuds.

“Our men will clean up the mess,” Lucas calls out over the excited crowd, their distrust of us fading away. “We welcome all of you into the packhouse for some breakfast. It’s been a long night, and I am sure we can all use some food.”

With that, Lucas and I head inside the packhouse. Hopefully, this execution has regained some of the wolves’ trust.

The road ahead to rebuilding Oak Fur will be long, but as long as we have that trust as our foundation, we can create a strong and welcoming pack.