The Wanted Alpha

Chapter 44 - Wedding ~ Special Episode ~

Ethan

Unknown | Nicholas is on the move. You have around 36 hours. He's bringing 2000 wolves. Be ready

I stared at the screen, dismayed.

Me | Who the fuck is this

ERROR 30004 MESSAGE NOT SENT

Whoever had sent this had either blocked my number or disconnected their own, straightway.

"What's up? I can feel it, something's happened?" April's quiet voice spoke out from where she was now sitting upright on the bed, sleepy but alert.

I was about to answer her when my phone started ringing.

Helen, one of the two she-wolves I had sent to have eyes on Nicholas's pack.

"Alpha, sorry if I've woke you. But there are a fuck ton of large vehicles moving out of Monkshood's pack right now" as she spoke my phone buzzed again with an alert from one of the CCTV on the human highways showing huge transport trucks heading out "I don't know how many they're transporting...but it's gotta be hundreds."

"Ok, good job. You and Becca get back here on the first flight you can find, I don't care how much it costs...Becca didn't send me a message just before you, did she?" I asked.

I knew what the answer would be, but I asked anyway. Never assume anything.

"No, she didn't, Alpha" Helen answered, sounding a little confused.

"Ok, just get yourselves home."

I hung up and threw my jacket off.

This was finally happening.

Ezra was alert and pacing with his hackles raised at the prospect of our enemy approaching. Like me, his usually protective demeanor was replaced with the want for blood from these Alphas that believed they could take my mate.

"He's coming, isn't he?" April spoke from in front of me, resting her hands on my chest.

I nodded, slipping my arms around her and holding her as close as possible, taking deep breaths of her meadow sweet scent to calm myself and my wolf.

'He'll never get to you, neither of them. I won't let it happen' I whispered into her mind with my nose buried into her hair.

'I know. I trust you. I'm not letting them near me either, or this pack. We'll fight this together' she replied.

I chose not to reply; it was ridiculously late, or early depending on how you looked at it, to have that argument, but there was no way in hell I was having her anywhere near the fighting. Even if I had to wrestle her onto a plane to send her to the other side of the world.

As I held her I mind-linked all patrols that our enemy was on the move, to be vigilant and to not engage in any scouts found unless they posed a direct threat. I didn't want the enemy to know we knew they were moving out. I don't know if I could trust this source, I didn't even know who it was. Maybe a member of April's old pack that was doing their best to aid her? It would explain why it was so brief and why the number was disconnected, they were trying not to be caught. Whoever sent that message had given us valuable intel: numbers and an estimated time of arrival. They would be here sometime after 3pm tomorrow and I would be surprised if they didn't send scouts ahead to scope out our borders. And, fuck, 2000 wolves? I would need every full-time warrior I had to match that and I would still be short by 50…

My train of thought was interrupted by my mate's voice.

"You need to sleep, you won't be any use to anyone later today if you're exhausted. A lack of sleep impairs brain function and decision-making, which from you is going to be vital for however long we have" she spoke firmly. She wouldn't be letting this go, I could feel it…and she was technically right…dammit.

I sighed "fine, just a few hours."

We climbed into bed and I drifted into a fitful sleep. I could already sense an argument in the morning.

----------

"April, I said no!" my voice boomed throughout our bedroom, my aura pulsated violently. 

She never flinched or shied away, she squared her shoulders meeting my hard gaze with her own. This argument had started from the moment we woke up and neither of us were backing down. 

'Is this a bad time to mention how insanely hot our mate is?' my wolf decided now of all times to speak up.

'Yes, it is! Now shut up and let me deal with this!'

I didn't have time for his urges right now!...Even though he was very much correct.

'You're dealing with it wrong. This is her fight, more so than anyone else's. She's our equal, not subordinate.'

I couldn't believe my wolf! Of all beings, I would have thought he would've been the first to want to lock April far away from our enemies.

"I'm not hiding away like some scared, little girl!" she growled, aggressively "I am standing by our pack."

Her aura pulsated with a strength I hadn't felt before.

"They fucking want you! I am not about to hand you over on a platter by having you next to me! I said no and that's final!" I shouted, my chest heaving in frustration.

"Listen here, Alpha" her tone venomous but quiet, that had me internally wincing and held no playfulness that it usually did "you don't order me round for shit. Now, when you're ready to speak to me calmly as my mate, I'll be waiting. But until then, you can fuck off" and with that she entered the bathroom, slamming the door so hard I was sure it would crack the wall.

I hardly ever heard April swear. Even in her mind. She only did it when she was upset or on edge. 

I walked up to the closed door she had slammed, placing my hand on its surface and resting my head against it. 

I just want to keep you safe.

'Keeping her safe doesn't mean locking her away. You have to let her be free, otherwise we're no better than the bastard Alpha after her' my wolf spoke up like he was some wise old sage all of a sudden.

I'd go have a shower and then maybe after, when we were both calmer, she'd see some sense.

April

That fucking man!

Did he seriously think locking me away would keep me safe?!

'His wolf is on our side, he'll talk some sense into our mate' August spoke. I was surprised to hear that, usually our wolves were the illogical ones.

'Gee, thanks.'

'Sorry, but it's kinda true.' 

She huffed at my remark, choosing to remain silent.

I scrubbed myself clean in a rage and left to get dressed. He was sat in one of the deep armchairs with slightly damp hair, facing the bathroom door but I ignored him to go to the closet. I wasn't doing this just wearing a towel. Coming back out in some athletic gear to emphasise the point I would be training today, I sat on the bed facing him with my arms crossed, waiting for him to start.

After a few moments of awkward silence and his expression becoming more and more uncertain of himself, I decided to begin. 

"I'm not a damsel in distress that needs rescuing, Ethan. You're letting your fears control you again. You seem to be forgetting, I'm an Alpha first and foremost too...before I was your Luna, before I was a rogue...I was meant to lead a pack, just like you were. And that was stolen from me. I'm not doing this to prove something, what sort of Alpha would I be if I didn't defend my pack?"

"You can defend it from here, you can help protect the pack house" he tried to reason. At least he wasn't shouting anymore.

"He'll send a team here, I know he will, the pack house will be in danger. You can't spare any warriors to guard here and me, you'll need them on the front line. And if I'm there too, it'll keep his attention there. Can you really say that if I'm out of your sight, you're not going to worry?"

I could tell by the tight line his mouth formed that he knew I was right and he hated it.

I stood and strode over to him, perching myself on his lap and wrapping my arms around his neck, making him look at me.

"I'm not asking for permission. If our places were reversed, I'd never do this to you, so don't lock me away either. I am going to go training, with Carrick and Jude, they've already agreed. Do you need my help to call our allies for reinforcements?"

He shook his head to indicate no, still trying to avoid my eyes.

"Ok. If you need my help with anything just mind-link me."

I was about to get up, but his arms embraced me like a vice and his lips crashed upon my own without warning, dominating my mouth with his.

We parted, a little breathless, resting our foreheads together.

"I can't lose you…" he whispered, his voice breaking slightly.

"And I refuse to lose you either" I smiled at him, grasping his jaw to look at me "we do this together, ok?"

"...ok."

Chapter 51 - The Wanted Alpha