Chapter 23
Braxton
I remained closely behind Nyah as she whipped through the trail, holding Crown close to her.
I knew Crown would survive but I was more concerned about his wounds. Yes, he’s still young and would recover, but what if the injuries to his leg were more complex? What if he wouldn’t be able to use it again? So many concerns bounced around in my head, I was beginning to have a slight headache. However, the outcome of his injury, whoever did that to him will suffer in the worst possible way.
I never thought I would have this kind of compassion for an animal that my wolf would normally hunt for sport. It must be part of the mating experience. Crown still needed a chance to thrive and become the stag he was born to be and if I have anything to do with it, he will be. Anyone who tries to kill him for sport or out of retaliation will have to answer to me.
The way he laid his head on Nyah’s shoulder was enough to let me know, Crown was not a pet but a member of the Lightfeather family which means he is a part of mine. Once we make sure he’s going to be okay, I’m hunting down everyone I think is responsible. First on my list is Corey’s bitch ass.
“Kenia, Kenia!” Nyah yells as we clear the woods. “Kenia!” she shouts again.
“Nyah,” Kenia calls, appearing from the tree line with Levi behind her. Father, Alpha Lightfeather, James, and our men come into sight.
Nyah and Kenia meet each other in the front of the backyard.
“Crown’s right thigh is injured. He has claw gashes,” Nyah tells Kenia.
Nyah moves her arm back to show Kenia. Alpha Lightfeather sees the damage and his eyes switch to his wolf’s as he blows out a gust of breath through his nostrils.
“Shit,” Kenia murmurs before trying to take Crown from Nyah.
Nyah twists Crown away from her.
Sensing Nyah’s apprehension, Kenia takes a step back, then tells Nyah, “I need to take Crown to the barn and examine him more closely to determine the extent of his injury. I know you’re in momma mode, but time is not on our side. Push your feelings to the fucking side and think about Crown.”
As a tear rolls down Nyah’s cheek, she kisses Crown’s forehead. Looking at Kenia she says, “I’ll carry him inside.”
“Then let’s go,” Kenia orders before they and a few of my guard’s race to the barn in the back. Levi wanted to go, but I held him back. We’ll let the sisters deal with Crown while we try to sort out everything else.
Father walks to Alpha Lightfeather, but before he can speak a vehicle pulls up to the house, then parks.
The front driver’s side door and passenger opens with Horace and Corey getting out.
“Alpha, I got your message. I’m here. What’s going on?” Horace asks, closing his door, then approaches Alpha Lightfeather. Corey walks with a little bit more confidence next to his father as his eyes meet mine.
If my father hadn’t grasped my wrist to hold me back, I would have disemboweled Corey right then and there.
With his tall, intimidating frame, Alpha Lightfeather towers over Horace, replying, “My mother’s cabin was burned down by an act of arson and Crown has been injured also.” He narrows his eyes at Horace, asking, “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that?”
Horace frowns, staring back at his Alpha. “Why would I know anything about that when Corey and I were off Pack land, visiting family?”
A blur whiz past me. When I’m able to focus on what’s happening, Nyah is on top of Corey with her talons puncturing his skin enough to draw blood.
“You!” Nyah growls. Corey fights to get out of her lock. As he tries to remove her hands, Nyah presses deeper into his skin. “I know it was you who burned down my grandmother’s house and harmed Crown,” she seethes. Fur begins to cover her hands, then along her arms. She is in the midst of shifting.
Corey chokes, gasping for air as Horace pleads to Alpha Lightfeather. “Noah, please stop her! She’s going to kill him! Nyah is accusing Corey of something he had nothing to do with! Pack law indicates there must be proof to condemn a wolf, without any, the wolf is innocent until proven otherwise. You know this!”
Alpha Lightfeather studies his Beta with an angered expression. Although I understood Pack laws, I still wanted Nyah to kill the fucker, but if she did without proof and it comes out that he had nothing to do with the fire or Crown, she would be considered a murderer. I didn’t want Alpha Lightfeather left with having to determine his daughter’s fate.
I go over to Nyah and lean over her, taking her wrists in my hands. I lay my forehead against the back of her head, exuding enough of my Alpha dominance for her to release Corey and her fur withdraws. Lifting her up, I wrap her arms around her torso as she breathes heavily.
Nyah’s crazed eyes stay on Corey as Horace goes to tend to him. He rips off his shirt, then wraps it around Corey’s neck. Corey is lucky because a few seconds more, Nyah would have hit his arteries, and he would have bled out before EMS could make it here.
“You did all of this!” Nyah yells. “You’re going to pay harshly.”
Nyah peers at everyone standing around, then at Horace. “I might not have any proof, but I know it was your son! Hell, probably you and him are responsible.”
Horace scowls, saying “Little girl, I don’t know what you’re insinuating, but you need to remember who you are talking to. I am your father’s Beta.”
One thing I’m learning about having a mate that is an Alpha too is that their strength is magnified when angered. Right now, it’s taking everything inside of me to hold onto Nyah.
“Fuck you, Horace! I am an Alpha which means your Beta title means shit to me. I am and will always be above you and your pitiful son,” Nyah declares, trying to break free.
“Alpha,” Horace exclaims, twisting his head towards Alpha Lightfeather.
Alpha Lightfeather shows him no sympathy. “Horace as I asked before, did you and Corey have anything to do with this?”
Horace looks as if his whole world has been shattered by the Alpha’s question.
“Seriously, Noah? After all the years I’ve stood by your side and you’re asking me this?”
Anguish filled Alpha Lightfeather’s face. I’m sure he has always revered Horace as his best friend, ally, and Pack confidant. It must pain him to question his Beta.
Giving his longtime friend another chance, Alpha Lightfeather asks, “Horace, can you please just answer the question?”
“No, daddy you don’t have to answer shit,” Corey defiantly declares, standing.
Horace looks over to his son. “Shut the fuck up!’
Corey shakes his head from side to side. “Hell, no. If we had done things the way I wanted, we wouldn’t be in this position.”
What the fuck is he talking about?
Nyah clears the air when she says, “What type of position, Corey? Like how Kenia is your true mate and when she denied you, you thought you could move onto me?”
As if he’s possessed, Alpha Lightfeather’s neck rotates towards the father and son.
“What?” he booms, making the ground under our feet rumble.
Horace tries to make a plea, but Corey pushes him to the side. “Alpha Lightfeather, I know how all of this must seem to you, but the only reason why it was done is because I saw that outsider claim Nyah last night before the bonding ceremony.”
Daddy shifts his eyes to us. Honestly, I think daddy already knew about our mating. If he had an issue with it, he would have maimed Braxton when we first pulled up. With all of the commotion with the cabin fire and Crown missing, he must have pushed that shit to the back of his head.
“You were spying on us?” Nyah snarls, having me hold on to her tighter. As she writhers in my arms, proclaiming, “You thought this would make me mate with you...fuck you, Corey! You could be the last wolf on earth, and I would be happy dying peacefully knowing I didn’t mate with your sorry ass.”
Corey menacingly grins, saying, “At this point it doesn’t even matter. You were just a stepping stone I needed to get there, but since you’re now mated to this mutt, I’ll have to go to my backup plan.” His deranged eyes swirled like a lunatic. “The shanty should have been demolished a long time ago and as for your pet , he should have been skinned and on the grill just like the rest of his kind.”
His remarks send everyone in an uproar, especially Alpha Lightfeather who takes a step towards him but stops when Corey holds up his hands, announcing, “I formally challenge Alpha Lightfeather.”
Well, shit if the Midnight pack is anything like ours, no matter if a shifter is an Alpha, Beta, or Omega if there is a challenge issued, it must be honored. Thus, saving Corey from a certain death because of what he has done.
Nyah frowns. “And how the Hell do you think you’re going to do that? My daddy is an Alpha, and you are a Beta.”
Corey snickers, shaking his finger at her. “You are absolutely correct. Yes, I am a Beta, but I never said it would be me fighting your father. I will have another as my proxy.”
Shit, another one of those Pack laws. Like a pitch hitter in baseball, a shifter can have another fight in their place. I hope Corey chooses his no good father to stand in for him. I’m sure Alpha Lightfeather is all for punishing him for going along with his son’s plan.
“You want to be Alpha of this pack, then fight me one on one for it,” Alpha Lightfeather demands.
As if this whole situation is humorous to him, Corey laughs again. “We all know that would be a severe disadvantage on my end, so I have someone who can match your strength.”
Just at that time a maroon SUV with deep tinted windows pulls to the backyard. I strain my eyes trying to make out the figures inside. The front driver’s side door opens, and a big burly motherfucker gets out as the other doors open.
“Oh, there’s my proxy now,” Corey says.
“Shit,” Nyah whispers.
“Who the fuck is that?” I ask.
“That’s Joaquin,” I reply. “Kenia used to have a crush on him.” Braxton and I look behind us when a scary growl comes from Levi. Four other large guys get out of the SUV and follow the asshole to Corey. We watch as he hugs Corey like they’re old friends.
Sniffing the air, I ask Nyah, “What is he? His smell is off.”
Nyah looks up at me, replying, “Joaquin is a bear shifter from the Lord Bruin Pack. His daddy is the Alpha of their pack, and he is also an Alpha.”
Shit, that’s all I needed to hear. Elbowing Alpha Lightfeather to get his attention, I mentally communicate with him to take Nyah. He nods.
“Nyah, go stand with your father,” I tell her, losing my grip for Alpha Lightfeather to secure his lock on her.
“Braxton, what are you doing?” Nyah inquires, effortlessly squirming in her father’s arms.
Glaring back at her, I say, “What needs to be done.” I kiss her cheek.
Father, Levi, and James join me as I walk to face Corey and his build-a-bear.
“I will be Alpha Lightfeather’s proxy in the fight.”
Corey’s once jovial attitude is replaced with a twitching right eye and shaking hands.
He quickly puts on a brave face, saying, “You can’t do that.”
“And why not?” I ask.
As if Horace was going to save him this time, Corey asks, “Daddy, a proxy can’t be from any region from our surrounding four States, right?”
Alpha Lightfeather answers for Horace, “Corey, you do know we are what some would consider the Four States?” Corey looks confused but Alpha Lightfeather continues. “Honestly, we are the original Four States, but what I do know is we are in the Oklahoma sector, we are affiliated with Dallas and surrounding areas. Giving me the opportunity just like you to name my own proxy...my son-in law, Braxton.”