Page 16 of Bond To The Alpha (Fated Bond #1)

KANE

" 'If they can't take it, they shouldn't dish it out. That's just how the world works ?’” Liana says incredulously.

Her eyes are blazing with upset and disappointment.

I'd said those statements to Lina not too long ago. This was because when she’d told me she didn't want to play with the other kids after they’d had an argument. Lina's always been such a sweet, reserved little girl. Sometimes too reserved, in my opinion. I'd only wanted to help boost her confidence; to show her she wasn't less than the other kids. But I can see now how my words and advice might have been misinterpreted by a child.

"She's just a child. She doesn't need to understand how the 'world works' right now. I don't want a life for my daughter where she has to resort to violence to defend herself."

I take a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. Liana's always been protective of Lina, almost to a fault. But I've never seen her this upset before.

"I didn't mean to upset you," I begin, but Liana isn't finished.

"I've worked to give her a peaceful life and teach her kindness and empathy. Of course, it’s going to be hard for me seeing her getting into fights, breaking things..."

I nod, trying to show I'm listening. "I get it. I'm not trying to turn her upbringing around or anything. I just thought...well, I guess I thought wrong."

I want to tell her how much I want to care for both her and Lina. But I know it's not my place. I'm still an outsider here, no matter how much it pains me to admit it. And I probably feel the most jealousy today, than I ever have, towards the unknown man who fathered Lina.

Her voice turns calmer, and she faces me fully, also stepping away from Lina’s door.

"I appreciate that you care about Lina. But she's my daughter, I know what's best for her."

There's a finality in her tone that makes my chest tighten.

I want what's best for Lina too.

I nod in agreement.

She gives me a small smile. "Thank you for understanding."

I return her smile with a pursed one of my own as I watch her go into Lina’s room, all the while wondering if Liana used to be repressed as well, before I met her.

??????

I still can't stop thinking about the matter even as we trek through the dense forest. There's a faint scent on the breeze that’s wild in a way that makes my hackles rise.

Sam stops first, followed by me and Jimmy.

Barely visible through the trees is the abandoned campsite we've been searching for, on intel. We spread out to carefully examine the area. The campsite is a mess of trampled vegetation and scattered debris. My eyes are more drawn to strange markings and crude symbols carved into nearby trees. They remind me of ancient runes I've seen in the pack's historical texts.

"Over here," Sam calls softly.

He's crouched near the remnants of a fire pit, examining something on the ground. As I move closer the smell of rotting flesh gets stronger. There are partially eaten animal carcasses littering the area around the pit and the flesh is torn and mangled in a way that speaks of frenzied feeding rather than hunting for sustenance.

"This is recent," Jimmy mutters, poking at the cold ashes with a stick. "Can't be more than a day old."

I nod.

The rogue wolves were here, no doubt about it.

Sam heads towards a dilapidated hut at the edge of the clearing. Its weathered boards are barely holding together.

"I'm going to check inside," he announces.

"You two keep looking out here."

As Sam disappears into the hut, Jimmy and I continue our search of the perimeter.

A flash of movement catches my eye, and I spin towards it, claws already extending instinctively. But it's just a scrap of fabric caught on a branch, fluttering in the breeze. I reach it cautiously and my nose wrinkles at the foul odor emanating from the cloth.

But it’s not stained with blood; it’s some kind of liquid with a putrid smell.

I touch the stain, and my finger comes away wet.

It's fresh. Fresh like it was left there a few….

I immediately turn my head in Jimmy’s direction on the other side of the rubble.

"Jimmy!" I shout, leaping towards him.

It’s too late.

My claws catch the collar of his shirt as he falls into the hidden pit he’s just stepped into. My grip doesn’t hold him for long because his shirt gets ripped off my hands, leaving Jimmy plummeting below with a startled yell.

"Sam!"

"It's an ambush!" I roar.

No sooner have the words left my mouth than shapes hurtle down from the trees above. Rogue wolves. And that foul stench fills the air as they land.

I don't have time to think. My bones immediately start to crack and reform, fur sprouts all over my skin in seconds.

The first rogue lunges at me, and I meet it mid-air with a savage growl.

The impact of our collision rocks me harder than I expected. This rogue is strong…unnaturally so. It takes his claws over my chest, just as my own claws find quick purchase in its throat, and I rip and tear until it goes limp.

There's no time to catch my breath.

Two more are on me in an instant.

I duck and dodge their attacks, leaping for a nearby tree to use as a springboard to launch myself at another rogue. We tumble to the ground in a tangle of fur and fangs. Its jaws snap inches from my face, fetid breath washing over me.

I manage to get my legs under it and kick hard until it’s sent flying into another attacker.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Sam holding his own as well, but there are so many of them.

A howl of pain seizes my attention.

Jimmy's pulled himself out of the pit, but he's cornered by three rogues. Blood mats his fur, and he's favoring his left leg. I need to get to him, but two more rogues block my path.

I feint left, then dive right, using my momentum to barrel into one of them. We crash through the underbrush, and even as its ribs crack under my grip, it doesn't seem to feel pain like a normal wolf. It keeps fighting, slashing, and biting.

Soon I’m able to get my hand around its throat and I squeeze with all my might. It thrashes wildly, claws raking down my arms and I only let go when its struggles weaken.

I spin around, searching for my next opponent.

The clearing is chaos now. There’s fur and blood and snapping jaws everywhere I look.

Sam's handling some others while Jimmy's still in trouble.

I spring towards the tree above Jimmy.

Right below me is Jimmy, pinned under a massive rogue. I launch myself from the tree, aiming for the rogue's exposed back. My claws sink deep into its flesh as we roll away from him.

We wrestle for a long time and all I can say is, this one's way stronger than the others. It pins me for a moment, fanning my face hot with its breath as it lunges for my throat.

It takes a hundred times more strength than I’ve channeled for the past fights to plunge my hand into its chest, until my fingers close around its heart, clenching hard on it until I crush it.

The light fades from its eyes as its body goes lifeless atop me.

I push it off, panting heavily. I stagger to my feet, my body aching from a dozen wounds I hadn't even noticed receiving. Sam's knocked down about three rogues already.

I’ve fought rogues countless times before… but these aren’t normal rogues. They're too strong and organized.

And what is that terrible smell...

"Kane! Jimmy's down!"

I see Jimmy has collapsed on the bloodied ground.

"Keep your eyes open, man,” I say, pressing my hand over the worst of the wounds.

Jimmy wheezes weakly, his eyelids fluttering. The rest of the wounded rogues are retreating by now, melting into the shadows of the forest like wraiths.

It would be stupid to try and give a chase.

I’m still tending to Jimmy when a thud behind me makes me whirl around.

Sam has collapsed.

"Alpha Sam!" I shout.

I quickly tear strips from the shredded clothes littering the clearing to fashion a makeshift bandage for Jimmy's chest and leg.

Then with Jimmy temporarily stabilized, I rush to Sam's side. He’s also covered in cuts and bruises…and a particularly nasty gash running down his arm.

He grunts a bit when I get closer.

"I'm alright," Sam insists, wincing as he moves.

I help him sit up. I’m also feeling serious pain.

"I'll go get the car up here.”

Sam nods painfully. "Be careful."

“You be careful,” I reply.

It takes a short while for me to find my car keys in the mess, and after I do, I force myself into a jog as I head back through the forest. By this time, the adrenaline is wearing off, and I'm starting to feel the full extent of my injuries. Most of the shallow cuts have already begun to heal, but the deeper wounds still throb.

I break through the treeline and the small clearing where we parked comes into view.

I jump into the driver's seat, looking briefly in the rearview mirror. My hair is matted with blood and dirt, and there’s a nasty cut above my eye that’s still oozing slowly. My shirt is in tatters.

Sam is already slumped against a tree with continued labored breathing by the time I get back. Jimmy also lies motionless nearby, his chest barely rising and falling. I go to Jimmy's side and carefully hoist his limp body into my arms.

Carrying him to the car, I never thought I'd feel sorry for Jimmy, of all people. No snarky comments or scoffs from him now, just silence.

“We need to return with one of them," I say, gesturing to the fallen rogues when I reach Sam.

Sam nods weakly, and I survey the carnage.

Despite how many rogues we fight, only one rogue is truly dead, and it’s the one whose heart I ripped out. The others have slunk away.

I heft the corpse and dump it unceremoniously in the trunk.

Returning to Sam, I help him to his feet. He leans heavily on me as we walk to the car.

I start the engine, carefully maneuvering the car back onto the narrow forest path. As we bump along, my thoughts keep circling back to one unsettling conclusion: there might be a traitor in the Moonlight Pack.

The rogues' escape routes were too precise. They seemed too familiar with the layout of the town and surrounding forest. It's as if they had inside information, and knew exactly where we'd be and how to trap us.

I glance at Sam, wondering if he's reached the same conclusion. His eyes are closed, and his face is etched with pain.

After dropping Sam and Jimmy off at their residence for treatment, I drive back to the tavern, but I only pull over a short distance away.

I stare at the front door.

Our earlier argument about Lina replays in my head.

Absently, I pull out my watch in the center console, checking the time. At the same time, Liana comes out from the tavern. It's her nightly routine to take out the trash, I think.

Watching her walk around the place without knowing I’m watching is like a balm to my nerves.

During the fight, when that rogue was aiming for my heart, it was Liana I thought of. I guess it’s because I couldn’t imagine myself dying and not getting back to her and not seeing her again that I fought that hard.

I flash my headlights once when she turns back to head inside.

She turns towards the car warily, standing still for a few seconds before she wraps her jacket tighter around herself and starts to come to me.

Liana walks to the passenger side and peers in through the window.

I see the brief flash of shock on her face as she takes in my bloodied state and torn clothes. I won’t say I’m not pleased to see that trace of concern, even though she tries to hide it.

I roll down the window

"Sam and Jimmy were injured," I say.