The Alpha’s Companion - Chapter 93

Although Lacey couldn’t hear Rex, she didn’t need to. She knew exactly what he had come for. Exactly what he wanted.

“Julien!” Lacey yelled in the Pack Mind. “I need you over here! Now!”

“I’m a little busy at the moment, but I’m on my way!” In the background, she heard the keening of a wolf and then a crunch as the scream cut off abruptly.

Lacey sighed as Rex took a step closer. “It’s Rex.”

“On my way!” She could hear Julien’s footfalls in the background of the Pack Mind.

Lacey stood her ground just outside of the glass double doors of the castle. “Young warriors, stand tall! Steady! Do not let them breach… no matter what!”

“Aye!” They all took their fighting stances, willing to fight to the death if it was asked of them. Lacey hoped she didn’t have to.

Rex took a purposeful step onto the bottom stair, his eyes trained on Lacey, licking his lips as one side of his mouth curled into a sinister smile.

Lacey took her fighting stance, a low, guttural growl erupting from deep within her chest. If he wanted the castle, he would have to go through her first.

Suddenly, Brock jumped at Lacey, knocking her down. She immediately planted her paws on his stomach and catapulted him right into Rex, sending him flying backward. Then she jumped on Rex, stomping on his neck, but he quickly twisted out of her grasp.

His smile quickly faded into a snarl.

Lacey hurried back up the stairs to the top of the landing, donning her fighting stance once again.

Rex took another purposeful step.

Her young warriors growled behind her.

“Steady….” Lacey ordered. Rex stepped up again as she awaited his next move.

Rex took another step closer… so close that she could smell his breath.

Adrenaline coursed through her body, her heart pumping it through her veins with each beat. This was it… the moment of truth. “I love you, Julien,” she said in the Pack Mind, knowing he would hear.

All of a sudden, a huge white wolf sailed across her vision, taking Rex with him.

Julien had arrived.

“Julien!” Lacey yelled.

“Quick! Go inside!” Julien yelled.

Lacey was going to do as he asked but then a huge black wolf jumped up on the porch steps, blocking her way. His lips curling into a sinister smile.

Thorn.

She didn’t want to do it, but Lacey knew that he would fight to the death, and she would be forced to do so, too. Lacey would give up or betray her pack for no one… not even her stepfather. She flipped him onto his back, slamming his head against the hard stone landing. But when she stomped on his chest, he arched his back and pushed with his paws, sending her flying backward. But she twisted in mid-air and landed on her feet.

“My Alpha Queen!” Kio said in the Pack Mind from inside the castle. “You’re bleeding!” Blood pooled onto her fur from her side, having opened the wound from her surgery. Koi unlocked the door and started to open it to pull her in, but she stopped him.

“Do not open that door… no matter what happens!” Lacey yelled. “That’s an order!”

“Aye!” Koi quickly backed away, quickly closing and locking the door once again, and donned his fighting stance.

Lacey rammed Thorn hard, going low, and he flipped over her back. But he pulled her with him, throwing her into the glass doors, causing them to shatter. Glass fell over Lacey and Thorn, cutting her arm and her face.

The castle had been breached… and it was her fault. She quickly got to her feet and donned her fighting stance. If they wanted to gain entrance to the castle, then they would have to go through her.

“Young warriors!” Lacey yelled. “Prepare to fight!”

“Aye!” they all yelled in unison, bravely taking their fighting stances, blocking every inch of the entrance.

Thorn leapt over her toward the shattered double doors, trying to get in, but she quickly pinned him to the landing, and stomped on his neck. Thorn was ready to throw her off again, but Koi grabbed one of his paws with his teeth, growling furiously as blood poured from the wound, while Maggie stepped on his other paw, rending him immobile.

If Thorn could hear her, she would have told him that it didn’t have to be this way, too, just like she had told Lynessa. But then again, he had made his choice.

“Alpha Queen!” Koi yelled, bringing her from her hesitation. When she looked up, Wildclaws noticed that the castle had been breached and a wall of them were headed their way.

They were out of time.

Lacey bent down with her razor-sharp teeth and slit his throat, causing him to gasp and choke, his body writhing until he lay motionless. His body immediately morphed and changed into his human form. She pushed the body aside and yelled in the Pack Mind. “Young Warriors, assume your positions!”

“Aye!” they all yelled in unison.

Just then, Julien looked up and saw what was coming.

Just then, two warriors from The Harvest Moon Pack jumped on Rex, pushing him back several feet, and Brock jumped on Julien, knocking him to the ground. But Julien jumped back onto his feet. “Brock, you don’t have to do this!”

“Why?” Brock laughed without humor. “So you can arrest me and try me for war crimes against the Alpha? I think not! I’ll take my chances now.”

Julien growled. “Then so be it.”

He bit Brock’s neck, spitting out a chunk of his fur and flesh. Brock fell backward and Julien jumped on his chest, shoved his muzzle into his chest, and pulled out his heart, as blood gushed over the lawn, seeping into the ground. Brock’s body phased immediately into his human form, his eyes wide and his mouth open in disbelief.

“Lacey, go up on the landing!” Julien commanded. “Stand your ground!”

“Aye!” Lacey jumped up on the landing as commanded and Julien fought in front of her, holding them off.

“All available warriors!” Lacey announced in the Pack Mind. “Defend your Alpha!”

Julien threw several of the Wildclaws forward, knocking down other rogue wolves upon approach.

Then everything happened at once.

Julien took down two shifters in a heartbeat, when two more shifters jumped onto the landing. Kio came out to stand with Lacey and the other young shifters stood behind them at the ready, taking down any that got past them.

Together, they formed three lines of defense for the castle.

“Gggrrrwwwllll!!!”

Lacey looked up and members of The Harvest Moon Pack and The Shadow Pack attacked the Wildclaws from behind. The battle raged on, but soon, only a few Wildclaws and members of The Silver Pack were left standing. The ones that were left were apprehended.

Rex killed the two shifters he was fighting and slowly advanced, blood dripping from his mouth as he took in Julien, his brother. Then he leapt toward Julien, causing him to fall backward, but Julien quickly jumped back on his feet.

“Harvest Moon Pack and Shadow Pack, do nothing!” Julien ordered, stalking toward him, lowering his head, raising his eyes with Rex in his sites. “He’s mine!”

“Aye!” the pack yelled in unison.

Lacey knew she could do nothing but watch as the fate of the pack rested on two wolves. Julien had ordered all of them not to interfere… and that meant her, too.. And she respected him enough—not only as her Alpha, but as her husband—to obey.