Alpha Brothers - The Trickster (book 4)

Chapter 28

Chapter 28
Graham
Throwing on some clothes, Bleu and I ran out of our room and to the gallery where my siblings were already.
"Hey, did you see those clouds out there," Amy said as she and Archie came out of their room.
Bleu went to tell her that it was Harrison, when Archie buttered in, "When did you get back?"
"Why?" I asked, "Miss me."
"Well, I –."
"Callum!" my head shot towards the stairs as Cuddy bolted up them.
At the sound of his name, Callum came pacing down the gallery with Liv running behind him. By then Malcolm, Tarna and Allie had joined us.
"Callum, a pack's been sighted by the boundary," Cuddy told him, making fear and anger appear on his face.
"It's Harrison," Bleu told him, "The red in the clouds is from his witches. He's attacking."
"What does that mean?" Amy asked, taking Archie's hand.
"It means another idiot is threatenin' our pack," Archie said, growing angrier by the minute.
I didn't blame him. None of us wanted to relive the Macangus attack, not to mention the first one.
"Right, Cuddy. I want you to take five wolves to the boundary. I want their numbers and I want to know how far away they are," just as Cuddy went to leave, he stopped him, "Don't make connect. If they spot you, come straight back, do you hear?"
He nodded before running back down the stairs to do as Callum asked.
"I'll go with him," Allie said, taking a few steps before I took a step and snatched her arm.
She frowned and just before she went to speak, I buttered in, "I'm sorry for last night."
I thought she would bite my head off. Tell me what an idiot I was and that I didn't deserve someone like Bleu. But all she did was wrap her arms around me, hugging me tight.
"Stay safe," I told her, squeezing her and praying that I would see her again.
"You too."
And with that, she let go and followed Cuddy down the stairs.
"Archie, go find as many people as you can," Callum ordered.
Taking two steps to look over the railing, Archie's eyes widened, "I think they found us."
Callum frowned as we all looked over the railing. He was right. Already an angry crowd had gathered in the void, wanting someone to yell at more than guidance.
"Oh crap," he groaned, running down the stairs with us quickly behind him, "everyone, just calm –."
"And why should we?"  Beathan yelled coming out of the crowd, "Why should we die for somethin' that isn't our fight?"
I narrowed my eyes at him, not caring if he noticed as I pulled Bleu into my arms. If we weren't under attack by some wolf that threatened to take the woman I loved, I would make him eat his words.
"Harrison is our fight," Callum told him.
He didn't look convinced.
"When Harrison first came to these parts, he was workin' with Hector Macangus. That makes him our enemy. He sneaked into our castle, our home and tried to drown our queen. That makes him a criminal. And, he's here to take back Graham's mate. That make him our fight."
There were a few grumbles here and there making my death stare spread to the whole group.
"Now, if you don't wish to fight then there's the door," Callum said, pointing to the corridor, "But don't expect to be welcomed back."
Everyone's eyes widened, including mine. That wasn't a threat that he made often – actually I don't think he had ever made it. I even wanted to call his bluff but I was afraid that I would lose.
Nobody moved.
"Right, I want everyone outside. Cuddy and Allie and the others haven't returned with information but that doesn't matter. We'll get into position."
They nodded before running for the corridor.
Turning to us, he started, "Right, Liv take Amy and Tarna to the safe house."
Liv frowned, "Wait, no, no, I'm staying."
"You are not arguin' with me on this," he told her, digging into his pockets for the Jeep keys, "Your goin', end of story."
She scoffed, but took the keys anyway.
She went down two steps before he stopped her.
"Wait," snatching her arm, he pulled her around, "I love you."
Her face softened before he leaned down to take her lips in his.
"And me?" Amy asked, wanting to fight as well.
"You're goin' even if I have to through you in the Jeep myself," Archie warned her, taking her by the arm and pulling her down the rest of the stairs.
"Are you goin' to argue?" Malcolm asked Tarna.
She shook her head, supporting her back with her arm and holding her belly, "Just help me down the stairs, will you?"
He nodded, scooping her in his arms and carrying her the rest of the way.
We were suddenly alone.
Turning to Bleu, I opened my mouth to speak but she spoke first, "Don't even ask. I can't expect all those people to fight for me and then run away myself."
I smiled, proud of the person she had become. She was no longer the scared little witch I found in the forest a month ago. She had become strong, determined and even firry. And the fact that she was telling me where to put it, told me just how much she was tough enough to face this.
"I was goin' to ask, are you ready for this?"
She swallowed, guilty for snapping before I took her by the hips.
"I'm ready," she said strongly, "I'm not going to let Harrison take me away from you. Not again."
"I'll kill him before that ever happens," I vowed to her.
"Okay, just don't get yourself killed in the process," she said.
I shrugged, "It's an occupational hazard."
"Graham!"
I turned and saw Malcolm in void nodding toward the corridor, "Allie's back. It's not good."
My mind started to go crazy at the idea of something horrible happening to her before I realized that I was running through the glass doors to outside.
A crowd had gathered around someone and my fear began to grow.
"Let me through! Let me through!" I yelled breaking through the people till I found what they were looking at.
It was Gus. His shoulder had been cut opened and blood covered his pale skin. One of the pack women held his wound, trying to stop the bleeding.
My eyes widened at the shock but I couldn't help but be relieved when I spotted my sister retelling what had happened to Callum and Archie.
"It's not their numbers we have to be afraid of Callum. He has a half an army of witches," she told him.
"Did they do this?" Archie asked.
She nodded.
"Okay, that's it!" Beathan spoke up again, "We should get out of here as fast as we can."
"Righto, there's the road," Malcolm said, pointing to the drive way.
"Don't you start Malcolm," he snapped, "a year ago, you weren't even a werewolf."
"He was more of a werewolf than your bein' right now," Allie growled.
"I'm just tellin' it how it is. Sorry if I don't want to die for somethin' I don't believe in."
"And like I said, Beathan," Callum snarled, making everyone bow their heads, "You can leave when you want."
Everyone grew silent, watching him make his decision. In the end, he didn't move. I guess he quickly realized that dying for his pack was better than living as a rogue.
"I can heal him," Bleu spoke up from behind me.
I stepped aside and allowed her to get through. The woman, looking after Gus backed away, giving Bleu enough room to work. Hovering her hand over Gus' wound, he gave out a cry before his skin started to spread and bubbled. And like that, he was healed.
Gus frowned, "There's no pain anymore. You healed me?"
Bleu blushed and bowed her head.
"Thank you," he said, offering out her hand, "Thank you very much."
Her blush deepened as she shook his hand before he was helped up and I took her in my arms.
Clap!
I jumped five feet high, my head looking up to the sky. A lighting scattered across the sky, turning the deep red clouds a deep purple. One fell from the heavens electrify the earth that burst from the ground.
Instinct took over and I hugged Bleu to my body, hiding her head in my chest.
"What the hell was that?" pack members yelled.
Over their arguing, I asked Bleu, "You okay?"
"Huh-uh," she said not very convincing.
"Right, everyone spread out!" Callum called, shifting with the others following.
I knew that I should shift and follow them, but I couldn't leave Bleu defenceless.
"Bleu –,"
"Shift, I'll follow you," she said.
I shook my head, "No, I'm not leavin' you by yourself."
"What am I going to do? Ride on your back?"
My eyes widened at the idea. That was exactly what we were going to do.
Stripping, I shifted.
Everything became so tense. I could sense the black magic in the air as well as my mate's fear for my safety. But I couldn't focus on that now.
I grumbled and lied down, a signal for her to climb on. She knew what I was saying and flopped herself on my back. Waiting till she was comfortable, I set off into the trees, trying to find my pack.
I caught my second brother's scent first. I sent him an image of my location, also mentioning the precision cargo that I carried.
An image was immediately sent back. They had already met the attacking pack and was fighting them off at the boundary. I couldn't see any witches which gave me hope that they wouldn't meet any.
"Graham!"
My eyes stung at the sound of my mate's screech making me halt. As I skittered to a stop, I spied a wolf in the trees. He growled and didn't back off when I did, telling me that he was here for my witch.
"G-Graham," I heard the fear in my mate's voice as her grip in my fur tightened.
Its growl deepened and just as it went to attack, it dropped to the ground.
I stayed still, confused till I felt the heat of my mate's hand, return to my fur. She had used her magic.
Not wanting to stick around, I set off again. My mind was going crazy. Where was safe? Who was around? How could I get my witch out of here alive? I didn't have any answers. All I could do was run.
"Graham!"
In my thoughts, I had lost where I was going and only just stopping in time before we went over a cliff.
And that's when I saw it. Underneath, the two packs fought. One big but losing with the lack of strength and leadership. And the other, smaller but going strong.
"Harrison's not there," my mate told me, watching them like I did, "I can see Callum and Allie. Oh there's Malcolm and I see Archie."
I calmed, spying them too. They weren't in any trouble.
I was too focused on my siblings that I didn't notice the growing scent of wolf. Not till my mate's weight lightened and her screams filled my ears.
My body whipped around and froze at the scene I saw. My witch pinned under a she-wolf that I recognised, snapping its teeth at her face. I watched as she squirmed under the she-wolf's body, her scared cries growing.
I snapped and charged at the wolf, hearing my body groan at the impact it made. It took a couple of moments for the she-wolf to regain her footing but by then I was already standing over my witch.
Show me your eyes I ordered, watching as her yellow eyes turned bright green.
Laire! My human yelled causing growls to erupt from my chest.
That bitch had threatened my witch for the last time. And this time, was the last.
I gave her warnings, loud and clear, for her to back off. She didn't listen.
"Graham," I heard my mate say, but I ignored her as I started to move off her and toward the greyish wolf.
She growled back, flashing her teeth, her own threat. Snapping at her feet, I forced her to back away. I felt her claws rip my skin behind my ear before I even realized what she had done. Holding back the pain, I clawed at her shoulder no longer playing nice. She whimpered for a second when I ripped the skin covering her shoulder but fought back by biting my paw. Stepping on her muzzle and biting her ear was the only thing that caused her to release her death grip on my leg before backing off a little. I limped closer to my witch, worried that she would try and attack her again.
But she growled and turned around, realizing that she couldn't win. I allowed myself to relax, turning to face my little mate.
She lied underneath me, out of breath. I spied her red shoulder, licking it clean. Purrs erupted chest as she scratched between my ears.
And just as I was about to lower myself to the ground so that she could climb on, she screamed, "Craig, no!"