Filed to story: Sorry Alpha I Am Wolfless Novel
The regular group, Joaquin, myself, Noah, Carter, Vincent, David, Shane, Shawn, Dietrich, and Gabriel, all met in the conference room where we waited approximately thirty seconds before the elders came into the room led by Grandfather. The group was definitely too big for our office.
“What is going on?” Grandfather hadn’t even sat down before he started to ask questions.
“Edmond is coming.” I didn’t just hear that gasp that ran through the room from those who hadn’t heard this news before, no I felt it too. I felt the gasp as the air shifted and passed over my skin in a small shuddering shockwave.
“What do you mean Edmond is coming?” Michael’s words came out on a breathless exhalation. He seemed like he couldn’t quite believe what he had heard.
“Riviana, what happened?” Grandfather gave me an imploring look, begging me to say something.
They were all confused, even Noah who had been briefed on everything by Joaquin already. I didn’t want to hide anything from them, they all needed to know what I had seen. I hadn’t even told my guards everything I had seen, only that Edmond was making his move.
Slowly, as if pushing the words past an invisible barrier that had lodged itself into my throat, I told them about my vision. I described in detail the hundreds of children that Edmond had tortured to death because they weren’t strong enough to withstand his personal attention. I even told them how they all looked alike, and how I looked like them.
Joaquin, who had been sitting in his chair next to mine at the head of the table, stood and stepped close to me only to kneel on the floor next to me. He placed his forehead against mine and rubbed soothing circles on my back. He didn’t say a word, he just knew that I needed his warmth and comfort in that moment. He was there, being the fire that melted the ice slowly forming around my heart.
There was silence in the room for a few minutes after I relayed my information. The seriousness and gravity of the situation just finally hitting the others for the first time while my guards had had several hours to process it already. There was not a single face in the bunch that wasn’t full of worry, fear, or anger. I was glad that several of them were angry, anger meant they were ready to face the threat that was coming with the proper fierceness.
Before the unrest from my revelation even had time to disperse, the door to the conference room burst open. The door rebound off the wall with a loud banging thud. Framed in the door were Riley, Bryce, and half a dozen other Alphas that I had met on my rounds with Joaquin, behind them were the Prime Betas from the fealty packs. Reinforcements had arrived.
We continued the strategy meeting with earnest now. We needed to iron out every detail, and fast. The first thing that I insisted on was removing as many people from the city that we could. I wanted all the women, children, elderly, and non fighters taken somewhere safe. I would not risk the lives of innocents here, they weren’t safe around Edmond.
I wanted scouts watching the land from every position, even though I knew that Edmond had ways around that. The truth was, he might not be coming alone and even though Edmond could move without being seen, could he move an army? It’s possible, but I still wanted to be safe. He had moved his creations, but they weren’t people anymore and I didn’t know how his purple mist worked
The meeting lasted several hours, but we had a plan, albeit not too much of one. How do you plan against a man who could appear literally out of nowhere? How do you plan against someone that even the gods considered a threat? There’s not much you can do except have backup plans for when things went wrong. So that’s what we spent the bulk of our time on, multiple backup plans.
There was one thing I knew for certain though. I would not let Edmond escape this time. I would not let him get away. He had to answer for everything that he had done. What he had done to me. What he had done to those children he had kidnapped. What he had done to his own children. He needed to atone, with his life.
I was still too tense and uneasy when everyone set about putting our plan into action. I watched as warriors and guards, and anyone who was a strong fighter, said goodbye to their loved ones. Wives, children, parents, siblings, they were being separated from people they loved and cherished and cared about. I just hoped they would all be united again soon.
Those who were being relocated temporarily were taken to other packs far away. Bryce offered to house many of them, he had one of the largest territories after ours and he was one of our strongest allies. Plus, his lands were far enough away that there should be no casualties. And another added benefit, our packs could form a stronger bond with the citizens getting to know each other.
I only had a brief moment to see Nikki before she left but I saw that her belly was getting so big and it made me just a little jealous to be honest. She was due in a little over a month, at the end of July. Right now, it was teetering on the brink of summer and the kids had just been released from school. Perhaps I should be glad that Edmond waited until the kids could relocate and not mess up their education. I’d be sure to thank him, right before I ripped his head off.
I said my goodbyes to Mom, Lila and Grandfather. I hugged Ella goodbye in between her attempts to explain everything to her mate, Devon. Then I watched as they all drove away and caused my heart to sink. This was actually happening. This was actually real.
Edmond was coming. He was coming to my home in search of a fight. He wanted to get rid of me but he would not get that chance, I wouldn’t let him. This was my home, and I gotta protect my home.
I wasn’t going to go down without a fight. And I had learned to fight, quite literally, tooth and nail. He didn’t know what he was getting himself into by coming here. He was the one who needed to be scared. He was the one who needed to be worried and frightened and unsure. He didn’t know what I could do. He hadn’t seen my abilities yet. This would be my time to prove to him that messing with the lives of others, and experimenting on children especially his children, was his fatal mistake. He was going to be brought to his knees by one of his creations, one of his experiments. I would destroy him and avenge my family in the process, my mother and my siblings.
You had better watch out Edmond. I’m ready for you.
****
Riviana
****
We spent so much of the day planning for every eventuality that I was mentally exhausted, the problem was I was so keyed up that my heart was racing a mile a minute. Dinner was a tense time with only me and Joaquin left in the house. The staff had been dismissed since none of them were fighters and should be sent somewhere safe. I never thought I would hate the quiet this much, but it wasn’t just quiet, it was eerie as well. Sinister somehow, as if the silence was channeling my dread, or Edmond himself.
The excess energy had me feeling jittery and unable to sit still. By ten that night Joaquin had had enough of my frantic pacing and wringing of my hands.
“You need to stop.” He finally exploded as he looked at me, a half smile half frown on his face. It was a complicated look and I wasn’t sure how he had pulled it off, but he managed it somehow, and still managed to look sexy doing it.
“What am I supposed to do Joaquin? All I’m doing is sitting around, waiting for the shoe to drop, so to speak.”
“Well, you can’t just wear a rut into the floor, I don’t have the time to get it replaced right now.” His joke was meant to make me laugh, but all it earned him was a glare. “Geez, tough crowd.” He laughed at himself this time.
I knew he meant well, and I know he was right. I had to calm down, one way or the other. The problem was that I had too much energy from all that adrenaline coursing through my body. My body was acting like I had popped some speed and downed a gallon of espresso just for shits and giggles. I was at a loss though.
Joaquin walked slowly over to me, placing himself in my way as I paced the bedroom for the twentieth or thirtieth time. I don’t remember how many really, but it was a lot.
“Come on, let’s sit down. I’m already exhausted just from watching you.” His voice still held a note of laughter. He was trying to make me forget, make me loosen up. I hoped he could.
“I’m not ready for bed Joaquin.” I told him with a firm voice.
“Who said anything about sleeping.” He looked at me with a wicked glint in his eyes and I knew exactly what he meant. I have to admit, even with all the nerves for the coming battle, I still felt the stirrings of desire for him. There was nothing that would ever make me not want him.
“What did you have in mind?” I heard the tone of my voice, how it had deepened slightly to become more heady, lustful, and slightly erotic.
“There are a few things that I could think of, but is there anything you can think of. I’d be more than willing to please you by doing anything you desire.”
“Anything?” I nearly cooed the word. “You might regret that.” I smiled at him.
“I don’t think I could ever regret being with you for a second, ever.”
