#Chapter 180 – The Battlefield

When all of the hummers and war machines have made themselves present on the fields surrounding Walsh’s property, Victor steps out of the car, Alvin climbing out of the driver’s side with him.

They’re nowhere near the house, not really. Instead, they’ve positioned the majority of their forces around the barracks where the mass of Walsh and Willard’s forces lay.

“Do you see how he’s made our job easy for us, Alvin?” Victor asks, taking his son’s hand and looking down at him.

Alvin looks up at him, confused.

Victor gestures towards the barracks, where Willard’s Beta forces – trained by Victor’s own hand, really – are scrambling to prepare themselves. “That’s the barracks, there, where your grandfather and Alpha Willard are keeping his army. Then,” he points over a hill on the other side. “That’s where your grandfather’s house is. What do you think is the mistake there?”

Alvin takes a moment to consider and then squeezes his dad’s hand, excited.

“Too close together,” he says, grinning up at his dad. “We don’t have to split our army to attack both at once.”

“Exactly,” Victor says, nodding. “Precisely why I located my own Beta force so far from our house. It’s a pain to have to drive there but,” he shrugs, “it’s better than this. Your grandfather’s house and barracks were built over one hundred years ago, when packs needed to be close to their Beta forces to communicate.”

Alvin nods, agreeing. “Yes, but now we can talk over long distances. It’s better to spread them out.”

At that moment, a set of Betas come forward.

“Sir?” They say, saluting to Victor and then glancing down at Alvin. Victor nods to them and goes to one knee in front of his son.

“What did we promise, Alvin?” he asks, fighting the tightness in his throat. If things went terribly, terribly wrong…this could be the last conversation he had with his son.

God, he didn’t even want to think about the last conversation he’d had with his other child, with their mother…

“I’ll be good, dad,” Alvin says, likewise working to be strong in the moment. He hesitates, then throws his arms around his father’s neck. Victor wraps his arms around his little boy, holding him close.

“Good boy,” he murmurs, his forehead on his son’s shoulder. “I love you. I’ll see you soon.”

Then, he lets Alvin go, and the little boy moves to stand next to his Beta keepers.

sliding his hands into his pockets. “Don’t let him out of your

Betas salute, meeting his gaze with steady eyes. Victor nods, and the three move

battlefield. Beta Stephen comes up to

to go. We might have an advantage, if we press now

means – many of Willard’s forces have readied themselves, but some are still spilling out of the barracks, pulling on their jackets. Sloppy. Clearly, they’ve forgotten many of their lessons from their time with the

– that the time to strike is now, but

wants the information that Rafe had left several hours ago to collect. Rafe had been right – they

really, was their

forces…Victor grimaces. It doesn’t really look like

now, as they line up before Victor’s on the field. He had given Willard half his Betas, and that,

takes a deep breath, looking over at Stephen. “Is it as

down at the tablet in his hands. Then he looks up at Victor, his mouth

do it by sheer force. Instead, he’s

Rafe? This was the area in which he could really shine. But unfortunately,

indeed been playing him, that he’s gone and made a deal with Walsh, sold

Rafe was

Evelyn, when they were escaping from her father’s property last

had been something to that – something extra, something about the two of them – him, and Evelyn –

his mind. He’d already decided to trust Rafe, and he was gone, so what

Victor says evenly to Beta Stephen. “One last chance to reconsider, to surrender to us. For the sake of the lives that

onto his tablet. “A

arms over

nods and types more. Then, as the pair watch, a group of four Betas move onto

of Pack battles – the negotiation beforehand. Four of the enemy Betas come forward to formally meet them in the middle of the field. A piece of paper is exchanged, and the

the Betas on both sides had returned alive – this means, at least, that Walsh

there’s nothing to do but wait. Five

the forces ahead of him, almost unblinking. Stephen, still standing next to him, is running a timer on his tablet, counting down the

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