Hidden Destiny (Redwood Pack) (16 page)

“We’re stronger than them,” Patrick spat. “We’re the fucking Redwoods. We bow to no one.”

“That arrogance will get you killed,” Jasper put in.

“No, your ignorance in leading will get us killed,” Patrick said. “Now.” He held up his arm, the glint of steel catching North’s eye.

North pulled Lexi behind him even as the shot rang out, overpowering the screams and shouts around him.

North could only watch as his father lurched, putting his body in front of his mother—the intended target—and take the bullet to the chest.

“Dad!” Maddox screamed, along with the rest of the family.

Edward growled, his body taking the hit but still standing. Blood poured from the wound, but he didn’t fall. His eyes glowed gold, and a sense of deadly calm rolled over him, his claws slicing through his fingers—a talent only a few of their family could do. With one last look at his wife, the Alpha jumped from the platform, landed in the dirt circle, then stalked toward his prey.

No one had ever used a gun within the Pack circle before.

No one had ever
shot
the fucking Alpha during a circle before.

North would fucking kill the bastard who thought he could get away with trying to kill his mother and shooting his father.

He kissed Lexi hard then ran out to the circle, his brothers following. From the corner of his eye, he saw Cailin trying to come with them, but Logan pulled her back.

“No, protect those weaker than you,” the other man shouted. “I’ll help you. Let your father and brothers take care of those pieces of shit. We’ll protect the Pack.”

“That’s my family out there!”

“And your Pack needs you.”

North would have smiled at any other time when Cailin nodded and went with the Jamenson women and Logan to protect the other wolves and make sure Patrick and his men didn’t have another plan waiting in the wings. That was the plan he hoped. The Jamensons had always made plans for something like this though they had prayed it would never happen. People scrambled away, screams and shouts echoing in the air. Chaos erupted and people held some back, urging some to safety while others moved forward, trying to find a way to help their Alpha.

He turned back to the circle and growled, ready to fight.

Sandra and Marissa had run off when the chaos had started, but Colleen was standing with the men, ready to fight. She screamed and lunged at Jasper, who didn’t care she was a woman. He fought back.

She was trying to kill their Pack.

She was the enemy.

Another man, Jeffery, came at North, his teeth bared. North growled and punched the bastard in the throat. His wolf howled, wanting to spill blood, but he stopped himself. There wasn’t any call for killing those other than Patrick, at least not yet. Not until they got all the information they could out of them.

Then, if his Alpha demanded it, he’d kill them.

Kill them all.

He reached out and grabbed Jeffery by the throat, keeping him pinned. Adam had another wolf down while Maddox was fighting another. Reed and Kade each had their own wolf while Jasper had Colleen pinned. Each of their enemies fought and spat, trying to claw back, but they were nothing compared to the Jamensons—something all others should have known.

His father stood above Patrick, his face pale from blood loss, but he looked strong—like the Alpha North had always known he was, but North was still in awe to see it.

“Yield, Patrick,” Edward growled, a sadness in his tone that North wasn’t sure anyone other than family could have picked up.

“Never. I’m through being your pussy. I’ll never quit trying to take care of this Pack. You’re
nothing,
Edward Jamenson.”

Edward let out a sigh. “So be it.” Before North could blink, his father had his hands around Patrick’s neck. The quick snap was loud, the resulting silence deafening.

Patrick died instantly; the coup was finished.

His father turned to the others, his eyes glowing gold. “I give you all one last chance. Yield and accept your punishment of hard labor at the bottom of the hierarchy or death. There will be no banishment. I’ll not have you go to our enemy.”

“We yield,” Jeffery gurgled, and the others murmured their assent.

“Take care of them,” Edward ordered his enforcers, who rushed to their sides. They’d been in the fray with the Pack, doing their duty to protect their Alpha’s back while the Jamenson sons protected his sides. “Know this, you lot, every time you come near another wolf, you’ll bow or fall to your knees. If you don’t, I’ll know and you won’t get another chance. Your lives will be forfeit. We have no tolerance for disobedience and cowardice. You understand me? You’re lower than any other wolf in our Pack. You’ll have to earn your rank back, if you can, through loyalty and service, not strength. You will serve the submissives and ensure their happiness. I will add hard labor—rebuilding what was torn down from the attacks on our den and other things needed within our community at a later time. Do I make myself clear?”

The wolves nodded, and Edward walked away, giving his back to the wolves he’d deemed less than nothing. With the enforcers and his sons, the Alpha wouldn’t have to worry about his safety.

North looked at Kade and lifted his chin. “Get to Lexi and make sure she’s all right, okay? I’m going to go take care of dad.”

Kade nodded and loped off in a run, the rest of his brothers following.

“You want me to get Hannah to Heal him?” Reed asked.

North looked to where his father had gone. “No, I don’t think he’ll allow that.”

Reed frowned. “He doesn’t have to take on the pain and scar.”

“I think he thinks he does.”

Reed shook his head but went toward his mates. North would go to Lexi and Parker soon. First, though, he needed to care for his father. He went behind the platform, got the first aid kit, and ran.

He made his way through the forest to where his father sat on a rock, his hand over the wound on his chest.

“Let me see, Dad.”

Edward let out a breath and dropped his hands. North winced at the angry wound, but it didn’t look too bad. It was a through-and-through and was closer to his dad’s shoulder than his chest.

He cleaned it up and made sure it would heal on its own. His father was the Alpha and was stronger than all the others in the Pack, meaning he’d heal quickly, but without Hannah’s help, it would be painful.

“You don’t have to do this, you know,” North said as he patched his father up. “Hannah could Heal this quickly.”

“Let her be with her mates, North. I need to do this on my own.”

“It wasn’t your fault that Patrick went crazy.”

“Wasn’t it?” Edward asked, his gaze in the distance. “He almost killed your mother because I was too arrogant to deal with the people in my own Pack.”

North blinked. “You’ve always put the Pack first, Dad. Always. You know everyone’s names, birthdays, and sometimes what they ate for dinner the night before. You take care of this Pack better than any other Alpha I know.”

Edward let his gaze rest on North’s. “And what has that gotten me? War and fighting within.”

“Dad…” North had never seen his father look so…defeated. It chilled him to the bone.

“Ignore me. I think seeing that bullet come after your mother scared me more than I thought.”

North liked that his father was actually being truthful about this feelings and not hiding them because he thought he had to, but he wasn’t sure what he should do next. “Why don’t you go to Mom?” he suggested.

“I just needed a second to breathe. Plus, she doesn’t like seeing me bloody. Two hundred years together, and it still hurts her.”

“She’s your mate, Dad.” There really wasn’t anything more he could say.

“That she is. Take care of your Lexi, North. I know you don’t have the bond, but you don’t need it to love like you do.”

North smiled. “I will, Dad. You want me to walk you home?”

Edward shook his head. “I’m old and wounded, but not dying. I’ll make my way.” The sound of someone stepping on a branch and the scent of warmth and cookies reached them. “Or my mate will be here to get me home.”

“Damn right, Edward Jamenson.” She walked right up to him, cupped his face, and then kissed him.

Hard.

North looked away. “Uh, I’ll just go to Lexi then.”

“Do that, son. Let me take care of my mate who thinks he can dodge bullets.”

“I didn’t dodge. I just blocked it from you.”

North winced. Yeah, that wouldn’t help his cause.

“Edward Jamenson, you do
not
step in front of bullets for me.”

“You’re my mate.”

“Yes. I am. And as your mate you get to listen to me, Edward Jamenson. Let’s get you home, and I’ll make it all better.”

The suggestive note in her voice made North run a little quicker away from them. There were some things a son didn’t need to hear or see.

He hoped that over time he and Lexi would be like his parents. He also knew that if the situation arose, he’d step in front of a bullet for her.

She was his mate.

There really wasn’t another answer.

“You’re sure he’s okay?” Parker asked as he squeezed his hands together.

North held himself back from pulling the kid into his arms and soothing him like he would with one of his nieces or nephews…or if Parker had been his biological son and not just the boy he thought of as his son. They were right in the transition phase of getting to know each other, and most days he had no idea what he was doing, let alone what he thought Parker would want him to do.

Being a parent was hard.

He closed his eyes. Oh, yes, that was an elegant thought right there. Lexi would probably laugh at him if he ever told her that.

So he wouldn’t mention it.

North cleared his eyes and looked into Parker’s hazel eyes, eyes that looked so much like Lexi’s it was a bit scary.

“The Alpha is going to be fine, Park,” he finally answered. “He was resting yesterday because my Mom made him, and the Pack knows that if the Alpha female says to rest, you rest. He wasn’t sequestered or anything.”

Parker furrowed his brow. “What does sequestered mean?”

“It means hidden away for a awhile,” North explained then finally sat down next to the kid on the couch. They were in North’s home and had been for the night. It had also been Parker’s first night staying over in the guest room, which would one day be his room in truth—a big step for them. Lexi was in the shower, leaving him and Parker alone in the house. It was awkward and a little scary.

Hopefully that would change soon.

“So he’s really okay?” Parker asked. The kid looked so scared that North was afraid he’d have to take him to the Alpha’s house right then and there, even though North’s mom might hurt him since she’d told the entire family to give them space.

North let out a breath and wrapped his arm around Parker’s shoulders. The kid stiffened for a moment then sank into him. North’s wolf nudged along his skin, savoring the feel, as if Parker was theirs and comforting was their duty.

North squeezed Parker closer for a bit then let him loose, not wanting to frighten him. “My dad’s fine, Parker. I promise.”

“But he was shot,” Parker said, eyes wide. “How can you be all right when you’re shot?”

North swallowed hard, remembering his father’s pallor and the defeat on his face when they’d been alone. The war was wearing on Edward, but the Alpha would never acknowledge that.

His father was stronger than all of them.

“He’s a wolf, Parker. The Alpha at that. You know we can heal faster than humans and can live through most wounds when others couldn’t make it. My dad’s really strong, bud. Really strong.” North let out a breath, trying not to think about how things could have been so much different if the bullet had been a couple inches to the left. “He’s healing and will be back to top form probably today knowing him. When Mom lets us, we can go over and check on him. Will that make you feel better?”

Parker nodded, his head rustling against North’s arm. “Yeah. I know I’m being a baby, but I want to make sure he’s okay, you know?”

“You’re not being a baby. Get that out of your head. You’re a dominant wolf—or at least will be when you get older—who wants to make sure his Alpha is okay. All that means is that your wolf is strong and the person that holds that wolf is even stronger. You care for others. That’s not a bad thing.” North paused. “Plus, in a way, my dad’s your family too.”

Parker turned toward him on the couch, his eyes narrowed. “Because you and my mom are mates? You already said I can call Cailin, Aunt Cailin.” He grinned. “And I think she likes that.”

North chuckled. “Yeah, she would.” Though if she was called that through her connection with Logan, it would be a whole other matter. “And yeah, you’re my family, Parker. I know we haven’t made anything formal, but your mom and I? We’re the forever kind of mates.” At least he hoped they had a forever to look forward to, but that was another talk for another day.

A light shone in Parker’s eyes, but he still frowned. Oh hell, had North not said the right thing? Was this too soon? Where the hell was Lexi? She could handle this way better than him, though at this point a monkey with a banana could handle this better than him.

“So…you’re not leaving?
We’re
not leaving?”

North couldn’t speak, his throat too clogged with emotion. Parker had never had a home, not really. He’d been on the run his entire life, and now people were telling him the Redwoods was his home. How was he supposed to believe that? How was he supposed to trust in that?

How was North going to make sure Parker knew there was no backing out of this—that they were family, no matter what happened with the mating bond and the war around them?

“Parker honey, this is our home,” Lexi said from the doorway, her hair wet and her eyes filled with tears.

North had been so involved in his conversation with Parker he hadn’t noticed the shower turning off or Lexi padding into the living room area. With all that had happened with the revolt and other wolves, he needed to keep alert if he was going to protect his family.