Mated to the Alpha: The Complete Collection (11 page)

K
imberly felt
through her link with her brother as he finally fell asleep. She was grateful, Keith had been awake almost constantly since the fight with Nioclas Thornblood, getting less than an hour of sleep each night as he pondered and worried about his Clan's future. Now, it was her turn to do what she could as Clan Alpha Female.

Kimberly found herself in the gardens, next to a shrub which overlooked the river, gathering her mental energy. Kimberly was harnessing one of her most special talents, one that came to her more naturally than any of her other skills. While all werewolves were quiet, Kim had found at an early age she had a unique ability even amongst her kind to seemingly disappear, to blend into the shadows and mask her presence to the point that she could often sneak undetected past even attentive guards. It had served her well in the past.

Tonight, she was going to violate one of the most important rules of the Gathering, that of privacy. All Clan Alphas were given their own quarters or guest houses on the grounds, which by Council law were supposed to be private, treated as Clan territory for the duration of the Gathering. Kimberly would never even think of violating this most strict of laws, if it weren't so vital to her Clan's survival. She was dressed in all black, her normal scent masked by washing herself in a specialty soap and spray, her lustrous brown hair tucked under a knit wool cap. Dressed in soft felt soled shoes, she still had doubts. This wasn't sneaking past human guards or breaking into government buildings. This was testing her skills against werewolf senses.

Kim finished her meditations, gathering her will, and softly rolled to her feet. She was just about to stand to her full height when she heard a rustle on the grass approaching her. She froze, and waited to see what it was. The wind carried her a female scent, but that was all she could tell.

Whoever it was stopped on the other side of the shrub Kim was hiding behind, and she could hear more rustling as a device was pulled out. From the soft beeping, she could tell it was a cell phone, and somebody was making a call. "It's me," the voice said softly, and Kim felt her heart leap into her throat. Morrigan Thornblood.

"You think I like working with you assholes either?" the young woman growled into the phone, piquing Kim's interest. Whatever the hell was going on, she needed to listen to this. "Yeah, yeah, I don't want to fucking hear it. If you trace this call, you get what you want."

Kim kept her breathing as soft as she could, straining to hear what the other party was saying, but even with her werewolf enhanced senses, the mutterings from the phone's speaker was too soft. "Listen, I don't give a damn about your justifications for this. You know our deal. You take out Waldwyck and his bitch, and you leave my Clan alone. You get the tri-state area, and my Clan is safe. Permanently."

Kim almost leapt through the bushes to grab Morrigan and throw her over the cliffside when her heart froze in her chest at Morrigan's next words. "Yeah, I gotcha. Richter isn't to be touched by any of us. She'll be delivered to you free of major injury. After that, I don't care. Actually, I take that back..... send me pictures of her body. You guys still do crucifixions, right?"

Kim slowed her breathing even more as Morrigan ended the call without waiting for a reply, snapping the phone in half and slinging the shattered pieces down into the river below. She stormed away, her boots grinding into the gravel of the walkway as Kim sank down to the ground, sweat breaking out on her forehead. Regardless of Morrigan Thornblood's rage fueled naiveté, her traitorous acts had now placed all of werewolf kind in danger. She had to find Keith, and wake him now.

T
he meeting hall
was ablaze with light as the sleepy, grumbling members of the Gathering assembled. For the first time, it was an Alpha only meeting, even Melanie staying in her room.

It was well past midnight, and even though few were as stressed as Keith, all were exhausted by the long meetings and endless political machinations. Nerves were frayed, and none were happy about being roused from their sleep. "Assembled Alphas, I apologize for...." the white haired chairman began, before being cut off by the Alpha of the Blanc Loup.

"Can the shit, my friend. No offense," he said, "If you are gathering us at this fucking hour, then we don't need any ceremony."

"So be it. I turn the floor over to Kimberly Waldwyck."

Kim stood from her position at the table, still clad in her black clothing from her earlier activities, although she had taken the time to remove her knit cap and change into more normal shoes. There was no need for the assembled group to know that she had been planning on violating one of the most sacred of Gathering rules this night.

"Gathered Alphas, I regret to inform you that less than thirty minutes ago, I overheard a cell phone call between a member of a Clan's delegation and what I believe to be the Silver Bringers. I also have reason to believe that this Gathering will be attacked soon."

"What evidence do you have?" asked one of the Alphas, an Alpha Female aligned with the Thornbloods. "I have greater suspicion that you wish to end this Gathering early, before some of the important votes at tomorrow's meetings."

Kim rolled her eyes, vaulting the table to land in the middle of the space between the ten tables. "Listen well, and listen on my honor. I overheard this conversation. Now, I personally do not give two fucks about who sent the message, and I have spoken directly with their Clan Alpha Female to discuss the matter. I leave the discipline of her own Clan members to her. But know this: danger is coming. If you wish to continue this Gathering, you are playing with all of our lives."

The old chairman raised his hand for silence, as others clamored to be heard. "I have known Kimberly Waldwyck for her entire life," the old man said, "And I believe her. As such, I have asked Clan Lockwood to mobilize all of their forces in the area, to act as protective forces. If the Assembly wishes, we can continue our Gathering in the morning. If not, we shall make a temporary adjournment to reconvene next month at our alternate location."

"And let the Lockwoods use their political muscle to choke the life out of our Clans?" another Thornblood ally said contemptuously. "I would rather risk my life here, now. If you lack courage, please, go ahead and take a respite. I'm sure the Lockwoods would appreciate it."

Keith's fingers gouged deeply into the oaken table in front of him as he stood to his feet, his eyes blazing as he barely controlled his rage. He could control himself against insults to himself, to his Mate, to even his own sister. But to challenge the courage of his entire Clan? He could feel his teeth lengthening, when suddenly the faint sound of helicopter rotors could be heard in the distance.

"What the hell?" he asked, as an explosion bloomed against the side of the estate, shattering the stained glass windows of the hall and sending shrapnel flying throughout the entire room. Keith closed his eyes and ducked in time to avoid being blinded by the flying shards of glass, but could still feel the pain as sharp slivers sliced into his arms and cheek.

"Incoming!" he yelled, vaulting the ruined table and heading towards the explosion. Already he could see bodies, at least two of the Alpha wolves were bleeding from the throats, their jugular veins sliced open in the explosion. They would not survive.

"Kim! Kimberly!" he cried out, looking through the swirling smoke and dust for his sister. He found Kim on the ground, covered in fine shards of glass, the concussion of the blast knocking her to her knees. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, Brother," Kim said, regaining her feet. "I seem to have warned us too late."

"No time for that," Keith said, looking toward the direction of the incoming fire. He couldn't see anything yet, but he knew the helicopter had to be close. "Kim, I need you to go get Melanie. Keep her safe."

"But I'm...."

"You're the only one I can trust fully with this, Sister," Keith said, his eyes ablaze with meaning. "Keep my Mate and my son safe."

Kim closed her eyes and nodded, dashing through the hole torn into the side of the Lockwood Estate and sprinting off into the night. Keith watched her go for just a moment, before he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Keith!"

Turning, Keith restrained his immediate desire to rip Nioclas Thornblood's head from his shoulders. He must have known his daughter was a traitor to their people. "What do you want, Sir Thornblood?"

Thornblood swallowed deeply, before holding his hand out in a gesture of peace. "You were right. Morrigan betrayed us all. But her mind is not my mind. Let us end this rift between our Clans, and defend our people together, with honor."

Just as Keith reached to take Thornblood's hand, the sound of machine guns could be heard coming from the direction of the road. Keith quickly clasped his arm against Thornblood's, and nodded. "I think there is plenty of honor and glory to be found near the front gates, Nioclas. We shall speak of your daughter and our Clans later."

Both Alpha Males sprinted out through the smoking hole in the wall, followed by their respective allies. As they ran, their bodies changed, flowing like water into their wolf forms, as chilling howls echoed through the night sky. Already at least a hundred men armed with heavy machine guns and night vision goggles were streaming through the front gates of the Lockwood estate, which lay in a smoking ruin, the bodies of ten Lockwood Clan members laying torn among the rubble. They quickly set up firing positions, backed by a military style Humvee armed with a Mk 19 grenade launcher, unleashing hell against the Lockwood forces and the assembled Alphas.

Bodies began to fall, but the brave wolves pressed their counterattack. There were gaps in their enemies abilities, they knew. Their night vision goggles paled in comparison to werewolf senses, and their automatic weapons offset by their weaker bodies and slower reactions. It was just a matter of how much advantage their surprise attack would give them, and if it was enough to tip the balance in the attacker's favor.

M
el waited
in the sitting room, her Glock in hand, dressed in jeans and a ballistic vest from the estate supplies, praying that Keith was safe. She could feel Kim coming for her, and knew that it was best if she waited where she was. In this chaos, even the psychic link could be strained to uselessness.

The door to the master suite opened, and Kim and Valeria burst in, Kim carrying her own sidearm while Valeria stood in wolf form. She was an impressive wolf in Melanie's opinion, taller than Kim was in wolf form, the silver of age threaded through her fur adding gravitas to her frame.

"Let's go," Kim said, as Mel rushed across the carpeted floor. "Keith wants me to get you out of here. We're going to get to the chopper."

Even in all of the tension and danger, Mel could see the ironic smile in her Sister's face. "How many years have you been wanting to say that?" she asked, as they ran down the hallway.

"Since about 1987," Kim replied, turning the corner and heading for the stairs. Valeria led the way, when suddenly at the top of the stairs a shot echoed through the hall, and Valeria's head seemed to expand sideways for a moment before a jet of blood and brain matter exploded from the hole, splattering against the wall as the proud former Alpha Female dropped to the floor, dead.

"Mother!" Kim screamed, sprinting towards her fallen mother's body. She hadn't even begun to kneel when a black garbed boot came from a hidden alcove, kicking her in the head and sending her tumbling down the staircase. Kim landed hard, striking her head twice on the steps before stopping on the landing below, unconscious.

Melanie couldn't spare her Sister a glance as she pulled her Glock up to the firing position, squeezing off two shots in the direction of whoever had just murdered her mother in blood and attacked her Sister. Her face paled as she saw Morrigan Thornblood step out of the small alcove, a bullet hole in her arm, but otherwise unharmed.

"Ah, if it isn't the little whore," Morrigan said, Melanie speechless as she watched her bullet wound begin to heal. "You know, you just ruined my favorite jacket."

Melanie knew she couldn't focus on the horror in front of her. Letting her cop instincts kick in, she aimed directly at the red head's eyes.

"Bitch, I'm going to do a lot worse before I'm out of ammo."

K
eith leapt through the air
, his body a furry arrow as he tackled the first Silver Bringer soldier. Plunging his claws through the man's throat, he flexed his hand, tearing his head clean off. While Keith was bleeding, none of the wounds were too serious, and now he could even the odds. Slipping back into semi-human form, Keith picked up the M-203 machine gun, and socked it to his shoulder. "To me!" he cried, squeezing off a burst towards the enemy positions.

At his cry, a victorious howl erupted from the remaining wolves, and he could feel his blood rush as his Clan brethren tore into the enemy afresh. Soon, more positions fell, and with every loss, the Silver Bringers felt the sting of their own weapons being turned back upon them, now wielded by semi-changed wolves who could fit their hands through the trigger guards.

Still, Keith could see wolves falling. The tide was turning in their favor for sure, but it could possibly end up a Pyrrhic victory, he thought. Clearing his mind, Keith sighted in on the Humvee with the grenade launcher when he heard the Huey helicopter swoop overhead, razing the ground with machine gun fire. Keith barely avoided the blast, rolling to the side and squeezing a short burst off at the Mk19 gunner, missing completely. Cursing, Keith bounded forward, when he felt the presence of Nioclas Thornblood on his side.

"Hell of a fight, isn't it?" the older Alpha said, grinning madly. "Haven't had this much fun since your dad and I took on the fucking Hell's Angels back in '72."

"You're mad, you know that?" Keith replied, feeling his own grin stretching his face. Thornblood might have been mad, but he was right. They were werewolves, and there was always going to be a part of them that yearned for battle, for bloodshed, for slaughter. While the modern world may have partially tamed them, it would never fully control their kind, and when the opportunity presented itself, the inner wolf burst forth, ready to conquer again.

"Mad enough to kill those fuckers," Thornblood replied, pulling his scavenged M-16 up and firing a burst that almost decapitated the Humvee's gunner. "First one to the launcher gets to use it!" he cried, bounding towards the now empty Humvee.

Keith was hot on his heels. Dodging the shots of the desperate Silver Bringer forces, Keith flew through the air, landing beside Thornblood just as the man reached the triggers, grinning at Keith in victory. "My turn," he said, blasting the few Silver Bringer soldiers left around them.

The night dropped eerily silent, and Keith almost let loose a howl of victory when a new sound pulsed through the night air, clattering and rumbling. Coming around the corner, 25mm chain gun ready, was a Bradley fighting vehicle. Keith looked at Thornblood, who just shrugged. "At least they didn't bring a fucking Abrams tank."