The Alpha's Choice

Part 19 in which it they start a fight

The wait staff doesn't seem happy to see 8 of us walking in without a reservation. The hostess shows us to a large table and we take our seats. After a few minutes a waitress arrives and takes all of our drink orders, writting them on separate pieces of paper for our separate checks. Poor girl, has a difficult time understanding the diffrent couples. 

After twenty or so minutes into the meal I get a phone call and picked up right away. "Hello?" I ask anxiously.

"Mr. Cade Almon?" I hear a woman's voice ask.

"Yes, this is him," I reply, nerves eating at my stomach.

"It's about your brother, Benjamin," I'd told the hospital we were brothers because it was close enough to the truth. "His condition has gotten worse, there is some form of poison in his system and we haven't figured out what it is. The lab test we ran on the herb pushed into his wounds came back saying it was Aconitum, which is a poison but usually doesn't have this strong of an effect on people. Do you know if your brother has any allergies to medication?"

"Um, not that I'm aware of," I mutter, so it is the wolfsbane that's killing him. "Is there any antidote to the aconitum that might help?"

"We've ran a few antibiotics and cleaned his wounds but it's the sort of thing his system has to work out on it's own." The nurse explains patiently.

I hesitate a long moment. I don't know if his system will work it out on it's own. I don't have nearly any experience with wolfsbane besides what my parents told me, and they weren't exactly doctors. "Is there really nothing else you can try?" I ask again, there must be something. 

"I'm afraid we've tried everything, Mr. Almon—"

"Cade is fine," I hate when people say my last name, it reminds me of my grandfather who I only met once but, suffice it to say wasn't a very nice guy.

"I'm sorry, Cade," the nurse says again, "there really isn't anything we can do but wait."

"Ok," I sign after a long moment, "thanks you for calling." She apologizes for bringing bad news and hangs up. I look up from my phone to find the whole table watching me expectingly. I take a heavy sign before explaining the situation.

"What'd they mean there's nothing they can do?" Eric spits sounding irritated, "they're a hospital!" I shake my head, unable to answer.

"Is Ben going to be ok?" Sarah asks, worry warping her normally smooth features. She grips Brooke's hand resting on the table.

I hesitate, "I—I hope so," my eyes fall to the food in front of me, I've suddenly lost my appetite. 

"This is bull shit!" Andrew says out loud and all eyes fall on him, "we can't let them get away with this. Poisoning our beta. Bull shit." He spits again, "this is war."

"Yeah!" Eric and Tanner agree in unison and exchange a quick grin. "We can't wait for them to attack us again, it's time to go on the offensive," Tanner continues the two other boys seem convinced, Damien hasn't said anything yet. He notices I'm looking at him so he voices his support.

"I agree, the time for action is now," Damien nods with everyone else. Brooke and Jonah are agreeing now too. Sarah just looks scared and Danny is looking at me with concern. 

"What are you thinking?" I mind link with her.

"Someone should stay behind for Ben..." she replies, her voice quiet in my mind.

I glance around at the group, most of them have started eating again, with newfound zealous, but they all look ready for a fight, except, "Sarah."

Danny looks down at her food, pushing something with her fork, "I was thinking it should be you..."

"No." I tell her firmly, almost offended by the idea. I know Tanner beside me can feel my annoyance and he looks at me sideways, it only takes him a second to realize I'm mind linking with Danny because I'm practically glaring at her. I think of a million reasons that's a bad idea and eventually she agrees.

"Fine fine, Sarah it is then." She glances at the blonde girl a few seats down from her, "do you think Brooke will want to stay behind too?"

"I know Sarah will want her to, but we'll let them decide, Brooke will be welcome in either position." I reply, watching the girl flick a bit of her bangs from her eyes. "Sarah," I speak out loud, pull her and everyone else attention, "you're going to stay at the hospital with Ben while we launch the attack." The table cheers at the mention of the attack.

She thinks about this a moment, then nods, "ok." Brooke seems satisfied with this too, probably glad to know her mate will be safe during the battle. "Can Brooke stay with me?" Brooke's face suddenly pale and she looks at me desperately wanting to go.

"That's up for you two to decide, it doesn't bother me either way." I turn to the rest of the pack, they're looking at me. "As for the rest of us, have you ever heard of the battle of Thermopylae?"

We stoped by the hospital before departing for battle. Five of us crammed into the room at once, Brooke, Damien, and I stayed out side the room. I wanted to see him, honestly I did, but it was hard to see my best friend like that. With tubes sticking out every which way, slick with sweat as his system fights a loosing battle against a poinson specifically designed to kill him. What was important was that he was alive, and he would hopefully be staying that way.

The male nurse that I sort of harassed was in the hallway with us. I'd sense apologized for my overreacting and Danny blamed it on stress. He still looked more than a little uncomfortable with me standing beside him. The awkwardness doesn't last long and soon than I expected we're all headed off, with the only exceptions being Sarah and Ben. 

I lead the group out the hospital and towards the woods. Even with the casted wrist I've never felt stronger. Our pack was walking in synchronized steps as we entered the shadow of the forest, moving as a single unit towards our goal.

Brooke had told us in detail about their base of operations, a deep cave with only two entrances. It was heavily fortified and, like the one James was being kept at, it was temporary, but it was our best option if we wanted to stand a chance in an assault. The base also only housed front line warriors and trackers, no healers or pups were being kept there so we need not be merciful. 

"They're some of Drake's most ruthless troops, traveled her special just for you," Brooke explained to me, and the rest to the pack before we left. "Don't hold back, because they sure as hell won't."

The plan was to light a fire at the main entrance, forcing them to evacuate through the back, where they would be ambushed. It was classic. Oldest one in the book. But it would leave the impression I wanted and that's all that mattered.

The rest of the pack stashes their clothes and shift while I fix my heavy leather jacket and thick pants, they aren't the ideal clothes to bring to a tooth and claw battle but they would have to do. I also have a silver folding knife clipped to my belt as my sole weapon. I am confident in my pack and I know they will all fight brilliantly but I hate to have to watch from the side lines. 

"It makes me feel better," Tanner speaks up, he's the only one who hasn't shifted yet, everyone else is trying to shake their nerves and getting hyped up. "I'm so worried about you I can barely focus," he sets his hands on my shoulders. "You're so concerned about everyone else I can tell you're going to do something stupid, please do me a favor and stay out of the way of the fray, just until you've healed."

"I'll make no such promise," I snap and pull away from his hands. "I'll do what needs to be done to protect my pack and my mate, if that means putting myself in danger--"

"Cade," Tanner grabs me again, with newfound insistence, I can feel his desperation as he looks into my eyes, "I need you to come out of this okay."

I step forward and kiss him deeply. I pull away and rest my forehead against his, "I love you." 

I pushes his head against mine, "I love you too."

"Shift," I order him, "we're leaving now," I announce it to the pack as I pull away to address them. "Time to start a fight."