In the Alpha’s Arms

Foundations Crumble

Lita tracked her eyes across the dark of the sky that crested into dawn. From the main compound doorway, she could see to the pits. It was chilly, dampness in the air that hung fog like a film over the world. This kind of morning always had her feeling uneasy. For as long as she could remember, days like this spelled disaster. And for once, she hoped the disaster had already come and gone. The battle was over. Maxim wasn’t coming back for any more dinner talk. Or torture. The men had been hurying bodies for hours. That was a side effect of conflict, Lita had never considered People, other than Maxim, dying. But they had. And the losses were from both sides. Cole admitted that they’d lost pack members too but that each of them knew what they were fighting for. Cole had always taken on people that no one else. Wolves that needed a pack and a place to belong. And those people were willing to put their lives on the line for him. She hadn’t recognised the names he listed. And while it wasn’t long, even one name was too many. Her heart already wrenched for the families. Even though they may have been loners, even they had family somewhere. People who might miss them.

And then her mind turned to more practical things. How would they explain the deaths? Would there be a human investigation? Would they have to lake a story? Or would they simply be brushed aside as missing people buried in unmarked graves?

Her

gut tightened as she considered the loyalty that her pack had shown. Most of them didn’t even know her, had never even met her, and still, they came. And fought and some died so she could be free. There would never be enough gratitude she could show to balance that. But she would try. Far against the horizon, she could see the bleeding of colors from deep blue to orange. The breeze kicked up, whipping through the doorway and she shivered, pretending not to limp as she turned back into the foyer.

She and Cole hadn’t yet stepped out into the main drive of the compound where Maxim’s pack had been lined up and brought to their knees. It bothered her to see it, some part of her recognizing that begging position. The months that felt like years spent begging not to be hit. She recognized the defeat in their eyes and it twisted her heart. Many among them were innocent, she was sure. Bullied or abused into serving Maxims will. Many were probably born under his thumb. How many among them were ever given a choice? She assumed none had that choice if his son had to flee.

At this hour, and in her current state, she couldn’t tell her pack apart from Rat’s so she bit her tongue about the situation and waited for Cole to return. He’d gone with Alex and Andres to investigate the cells below the house. And likely raid any security information they could find now that the building had been cleared.

It wasn’t supposed to take long, but that had been an hour ago now.

1. w. Lita didn’t think she could stand and watch people kneel for another minute. She needed to find him. No one innocent would be hurt, she told herself. That was the hill she would stand on, Hurting innocent people was not what she was about and it wouldn’t be something she would become. Or else, they were no different than the monsters they were fighting

Are bounded into the entryway. He scanned the area like he was searching for something. His face: strained and paling, turned surprised as he saw her and he came to a stop right in front of her.

“What’s WT-

“Have you seen Jax?” he blurted, a pulse of hysteria threading into his voice. Before she could finish asking what was wrong or answer him, he’d already started looking inside the rooms just off the entryway, “Jaz?!”

“Why would Jaz be here, Ace? This isn’t the place for…”

“I know,” he ground his teeth and tugged at his collar, “And I promised Cole I wouldn’t bring her but… I mean you’ve seen how pushy she can be when she wants something! Plus she didn’t want to stay behind alone. Hell, I didn’t want her to stay behind alone either

“What about all the other humans in the pack? She wouldn’t have been alone, Ace,” Lita could already feel herself scolding him. It was irresponsible to bring a defenseless person knowing there would be a battle.

“If I’m not with her, she’s alone, Lita,” his voice turned hard and for a second she could see the strange desperation in his eyes. She was starting to think she’d either missed a lot over the last week or jaz and Ace had been fooling everyone into thinking they were just casul..

so it’s done now. I–I told her to stay with the vehicles but… she’d

“But what?”

she’s not there

all the vehicles? Lita felt her own bead of hysteria building, “Did you ask the other

I did! But no one saw her. I mean literally, no one even knew a human was waiting out there. That was the idea at first but now… I mean. what if we missed one of Maxim’s men? What if she’s trapped somewhere? And where the hell is

him to calm despite her raging

Foundations Crumble

and Mark are outside with Maxim’s

Lita grabbed

went, “And the rest are through here. I think they were headed to the cells. Or… they might be in

here; you’re still injured. Cole would kill me if you got even

for a second I’m going to wait around like a fool while my friend is missing in a place like

because she could feel the hot trickle of blood down her

tumed back, eying the

the sound of raised voices. As they got closer, their werewolf hearing kicked in and they could hear Cole arguing with someone. Her father, Rafi? Or

they got to the offices. Something was wrong. They could tell

laz and she sounded like she was trying. What should have been a welcome relief felt sour, Why was Cole arguing with Jaz? She hoped it wasn’t because of Ace bringing her. If Cole had a problem with that, he should take it out on the

MATTER! THERE’S NO EXCUSE JASMINE! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU’VE DONE!!” That time it was Anders Lita had never heard Andres yell at anyone. Ever. Especially not a female. He was always the gentleman, always the flirty protective one. Hearing how angry he was

to stop the unstoppable thing that was about to happen. Because she could already feel it building. The sense of foreboding. The question shed asked herself a hundred times until Cole told her it was Brian. How did Maxi know where she was? How could anyone have tracked a phone number they didn’t have? It had never made sense. She believed Brian would betray her

Cole was standing near the windows, eyes red, claws out. He took great heaving breaths as Alex

sent ripples through Cole and Alex as Jaz whimpered, collapsing

never even heard of a werewolf before my father was murdered by one. I

with tears. She began

a

eyes wide as saucers, lax scrambled to her feet, taking Lita’s hands in her own to stop her from running. You have to believe

or three extra steps frots Ales. Andres skirted armund Ace to help hold

His voice had lowered, shoulders locking in a defensive position and she was sure it had more to do with shielding himself from whatever laz had to say, than anyone else. Lita fel