An Alpha's Revenge

Deserved

J

As the sun began to set, her friends began to filter off one at a time until it was just Leah and J left.

J took in a deep, pine scented breath and let the familiarity of Rootbridge wash over her.

"I think we need to talk." She said quietly.

When Leah didn't respond, she continued.

"I owe you for healing Logan. I can't...I can't believe it actually worked. And I'm sorry for hitting you, I should not have done that. But, I don't think I can forgive you. Not yet."

Leah nodded wordlessly. But J didn't miss the anger on the she-wolf's face.

"What is it?" She bit out, intrigued to hear what Leah had to be angry about.

"You. You can't forgive me? J, I'd have helped Logan the second I could. I did in fact, do just that. I couldn't have travelled to cure him before-hand because I was ill from curing Jack. It's not like I knew I could do it and chose him over you. After all the sh*t we've been through and all the things we've seen, you can't forgive me for this. Yet you can forgive Liam. Kelsey. Yourself, for not telling us about your MSA that I maybe could have helped with. None of us are innocent here J. But if you can't forgive me, then fine. But you don't get to make me feel bad for all of this. I found an injured wolf, I cured him, I realised he was my moonmate. What the hell would you have done different?"

J was shocked into silence. Leah wasn't one to get angry, or at least not one to admit it.

And hearing it laid out like that, well, even she could admit when she was being unreasonable. 

Taking a deep breath, she looked over at Leah. "I'm sorry. You're right. And I'm sorry. You've cured Logan, that's all I care about."

Leah nodded tightly and stood to her feet. There would be no warm reunion today but at least they were starting to fix what had broken.

Leah went to walk away but paused long enough to say. "If you hit me again, Josephine. I will never speak to you again."

J nodded at her retreating form and laid out on the flat rock, knowing that she'd deserve it.

*

CALEB

As it turned out, waking up was only half as painful as originally falling unconscious had been. It was, however, still agonising, and he wasn't proud of the low groan of pain that slipped from his lips, but he was, however, proud that he managed not to vomit into the awaiting arms of his grandmother who swept him into a hug.

"Grandma, when did you arrive?"

The old woman released him and ran a hand across his forehead, frowning down at him like she used to do when he was young and was off sick from school. "Your sister rang me a week or so ago. Told me that she needed me. I just hadn't realised how much."

Caleb nodded and rubbed a hand across his face. "What happened to me? I don't remember anything and J- I can't sense her on the pack link."

His gran's face shuttered and he braced himself for the words he'd never wanted to hear. If J was dead then, well then he, he....

"You killed the Magnum pack's alpha, so now you've replaced him. You're no longer in Black Oath, Caleb."

Caleb could only stare up at her. Slowly the words worked in his brain but whatever way he looked at them, they just didn't make sense.

"But I can't be because-"

"It's the way of the world, love. You kill the alpha, you become the alpha."

"But Callie, I was just doing it to protect her, I-"

"Aye. That's something else we should talk about. You're alpha of the pack she hates. And the only way out is if someone challenges you. Caleb, I'm ever so sorry to be the one to tell you this, but you're going to need to let that young she-wolf go. What happened to her, it won't be easy for her to be around those she doesn't trust right now. And your new pack is about the last place she'd want to be. I'm sorry Caleb. I know you loved her."

He stared up at his gran in stunned silence. He'd spent their weekly phone calls updating her on his life – and he often spoke of Callie. She probably knew how he felt more than anyone else in this world – maybe even than Callie herself. And now, now she – the only woman beyond J who's word she trusted and who's advice he took – was telling her to let the one woman he'd ever loved, go.

"Somehow, I think I preferred it when I was unconscious." He muttered.

"That's what your sister said."