“You think anyone heard that?” Ash asks, the alarms sounding right after.
“I would say yes,” I answer, hearing footsteps rushing through the building. Kaylee and I look at each other before turning to Ash and Titus.
“You two have this under control, right?” she asks, already moving backward towards the stairs that will take us to Ramos and Marilyn.
“Oh yeah,” Ash chuckles, cracking his knuckles. “You two go take care of those pieces of shit. We’ll make sure no one bothers you.”
With that, Kaylee turns around, only to dodge an incoming attack. Without thinking, my nails turn to claws again, and I rush to her attacker before either can regain their bearings. My hand aims for the attacker’s chest, my claws slicing through easily as the ribs break around my hand, and I pierce their heart. The wolf dies instantly, unable to retaliate. It takes a moment to retrieve my hand back from his chest, but once I am free of his dead body, Kaylee and I rush up the steps.
Thankfully, the way is clear. No other wolf but the alpha family lives on this floor.
“What the fuck is going on?” someone shouts, the sound carrying all the way towards Kaylee and I. A smirk graces mylips as I recognize this angry roar as Ramos’. It seems our wolves have been stealthy—he still has no clue what’s happening.
“We’re under attack!” a scared female voice replies.
By now, Kaylee and I are just a few steps from the landing. I can see Ramos standing in front of his bedroom door, an omega in his grasp.
“By who?” A loud growl vibrates the walls, and it takes everything in me not to laugh. What little power Ramos has is nothing compared to what Aunt Amelia has shown me these last few weeks. Ramos is a pup compared to her.
“By us,” Kaylee calls out as we reach the fifth floor, the two of us coming to a stop.
Ramos’ eyes widen in shock as he takes us in, the scent of blood coming from our black clothes—blood that belonged to his men. Beside me, I feel the power that Kaylee has grown into and release my own. Our powers mix with one another in harmony, and from where I stand, I can see Ramos pale, his body shaking with slight fear.
“Hi, Dad,” I greet Ramos, feeling Kaylee’s amusement at my choice of words. “I’ve come back for my pack.”
70
Ramos
The office light above me flickers, and a sense of unease suddenly hits me like a bag of bricks. The task I was working on suddenly seemed minor, and I tried to pinpoint what was causing me to feel like this. Everyone in my pack should either be asleep or performing their assigned tasks. The wolves on patrol should be checking in to assure me that no rogue has crossed the pack line. Yet when I check the pack and warrior links, I hear no chatter.
“What the hell is happening?” I mumble, pushing away from my desk and standing to my feet. I know Marilyn is in bed—I’d had it confirmed by one of the warriors guarding her. But what about the other wolves that live and work in the packhouse? What are they up to?
Deciding to leave my office, I enter the halls to find an omega quietly carrying some linen toward the laundry chute. Shenotices me staring, her small frame quivering as she turns and bows.
“I-is there anything you need, Alpha?” She asks, her voice timid.
“No. I was just finishing my work,” I decline, deciding the omega wasn’t doing anything unusual. She nods, throwing the last of the linen down the chute before scampering away like a pup with her tail between her legs.
Unease still remains as I quietly stroll the halls of the packhouse, listening in on the many sounds the night brings into this creaky old place. Lidia had told me the packhouse would need repairs long ago, but I’d brushed her off. Now, as I step along the quiet halls with the creaking of old floorboards, I wish I’d listened—the sounds add to my growing unease.
[What’s the status of the pack borders?] I call out through the warrior link, hoping those on patrol will hear and reply quickly.
[Everything is quiet, Alpha,] someone replies back after a minute has passed. I should feel relieved by this report and be able to relax and settle down. Instead, the unease becomes a gnawing anxiety inside me. I know I should trust my men with their duties, trust that they’re keeping pack members in and danger out. Lately, however, I have felt unrest amongst those I lead. Maybe it’s this unrest fueling my unease tonight.
[Keep me posted if anything changes.] I ordered, shutting off the link before anyone could reply. Maybe I’ve been working too hard and need some relief—relief only Marilyn can provide.
Trying my best to push the unease aside, I make my way to the grand staircase and climb to the fifth floor. Omegas and warriorsbow as I pass them. I dismiss them with a wave of my hand, not bothering to say anything as I climb the steps, stopping every so often to look out the window and see if I can spy anything in the woods beyond the packhouse.
Nothing stirs but the leaves in the wind. A bat flies across the window, heading towards its unknown destination, and that unease persists. Something is coming. What that is, I do not know, but instinct is telling me that a hidden danger is nearing the pack.
I could wake the warriors now and have them rush to the borders for extra security, but that would only cause them to hate me more than they already do if there is no threat.
“Alpha Ramos?” a soft voice calls out, and I spy a she-wolf with a basket of clothes in her arms—clothes I recognize as belonging to Marilyn.
“It’s nothing. Carry on with your duties,” I order, catching the she-wolf’s curious glance. She looks away out of fear when I send a glare her way before apologizing to me and scampering down the hallway. I scoff, wondering when everything started to go wrong for me as I make it the final few steps and stand on the landing to the fifth floor.
The anxiety grows as I look at the corridors leading to the bedrooms of this floor, which is meant for the alpha family. Did my problems begin when Lucas left and sent that email? No. They had started before then. Was it when I killed Lidia in cold blood for threatening me? That can’t be it, either. No one knew I’d murdered my first mate—not even Lucas knew how his mother had really died.
