32. Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-One
Christopher
Benji was happily munching on his second burger in the backseat and I lovingly wiped his chin for the second time, not that he even seemed to care, too starved to think about anything else than his cheeseburger with extra bacon.
It was weird how being mated had changed me so much.
I was much more selfish before, but I would never regret claiming Benji.
Doing so had given me both him and Sal and I couldn’t imagine living without them now.
We were facing the pack later today, or as soon as I could get everyone gathered at the old warehouse out back.
It was the biggest building in town and could fit the entire pack.
Keen was a mix of humans and werewolves, around fifty-fifty, so it made it harder having these big meetings without the humans noticing half the town had gone missing.
It meant big meetings were rare, but it was needed as I stepped down as alpha.
“Altaur has summoned us for a meeting when we move you into the mansion,” Sal said from the driver's seat. “He’s allowing us this time to get things in order, but demands to speak with us as soon as we arrive at the mansion.”
“Fine by me,” I said, smiling at Benji, who was now resting with his eyes closed, his second burger already devoured.
He’d wanted five burgers, so we’d gotten him five, even though I knew his stomach wouldn’t be able to handle them all.
We had no idea how long it had been since he’d last eaten, and with him being asleep for so long it was long overdue that he fell into a food coma.
I closed my eyes as well, intent on getting a few minutes of sleep as we neared Keen. I would need all the energy I could get before facing the pack. They might even be mad at me for fucking up so much lately. No matter, I would soon be gone for good.
I blinked awake in what felt like seconds later, and saw we’d arrived home. There wasn’t any sign of the pack and upon leaving the car, I couldn’t smell any lingering scent of blood either. They’d watered the backyard then, removing the smell of Panu’s blood. Fuck…. Panu. He’d been so young.
“When are we meeting the pack?” Sal asked, standing next to me.
“I’ll do a summons and ask them to be there tonight at eight. I think that’s enough time. The only ones not in attendance will be those with small children or if they’re sick, but we’ll still be around two thousand in total.”
“Fuck, I had no idea the pack was that big,” Sal said, grabbing the still sleeping Benji and carrying him inside.
It was weird how little they knew of the pack they were such a big part of, even if we were leaving it.
They still had no idea who these people were that trusted us to run the pack.
I was pretty sure Father would be disappointed in me, but for once that thought wasn’t a scary one.
He’d been a good alpha, and still died because of his mate.
He wasn’t a better alpha. I knew that now.
The house felt colder now that I knew for certain this wouldn’t be considered home for much longer.
I actually doubted we’d stay for long after the meeting.
It felt wrong living here when I wouldn’t be pack anymore.
One thing I wanted to do before leaving was to visit my father’s grave and say a final goodbye.
It wasn’t something that was needed or demanded of me, but I wanted to do it.
My mother’s grave was somewhere in a town I didn’t even remember.
Juniper had sent her off to get cremated and dumped in some random place.
It didn’t matter. The pack had all agreed with my decision regarding her burial, so that was at least something.
They’d loved my father as their alpha and had all blamed her for his death, just like I’d done.
Sal had placed Benji on the couch and eyed him with worry. “You think this is just because he needs more rest? I don’t like how he keeps sleeping.”
I rolled my eyes and hugged Sal, figuring he needed it. “He went through a lot. Let his body decide what it needs.”
“You’re right,” he sighed. “You think he’ll be mad when he learns of the whole Hell thing?”
I grimaced as we ended the hug. “I fear he might. It wasn’t as if we had a choice. It was either him or the book.”
“I can’t wait to talk to Altaur about everything,” he said, looking at Benji’s sleeping form again. “There was a lot that just didn’t make any sense. Hopefully, he’ll have more information for us.”
“I doubt he’ll know much. Isabelle told us a little but then teased the rest. But no matter what happens, we protect our own pack: you, me, and Benji.”
He tilted his head at me. “You want us to be your only pack? You don’t think the coven will be that for you?”
I shook my head. “Pack means I’ll be accepted in all forms. I won’t feel comfortable in my werewolf form in the mansion. Only you two will see that form from now on.”
He nodded thoughtfully. “I can have a cabin built in the woods behind the mansion for us to use. You can safely shift there and run around with us. The coven will stay away from that area during the full moons.”
“You think they’ll agree to that?”
“Of course. You’re family to them now. I get why you don’t feel comfortable shifting around so many that aren’t werewolves themselves, but they will respect you and your boundaries.”
That made me feel… I didn’t actually know.
I’d always been around other werewolves so I was fully accepted as I was.
This would be the first time others would have to respect all parts of me, some who might not even fully understand what I was, or how little control I had when the full moon took over.
“I need to do the summoning,” I said after a few seconds of silence as we both watched Benji sleep peacefully.
I left the living room and walked out of the patio doors, stripping my clothes as I reached the grass.
I could still smell Benji’s blood in the grass from when he’d been abducted.
I doubted the scent would linger for long, but it was still there, haunting me.
It was a reminder to never let them leave my sight for long.
Another good reason for me to step down as alpha.
I shifted into my wolf, sitting there on the grass as I used my alpha power to send them all a telepathic message.
I told them to show up and that I had news and some future changes planned.
I’d kept it at that, not wanting the pack to know what was coming.
Some would likely be pleased I was leaving, others wouldn’t.
It didn't matter, though, only my men mattered. I was even tempted to just up and leave, but I couldn’t do that to people who were loyal to me.
When I felt certain everyone had heard my message, I went back inside, still in my wolf form because I wasn’t quite ready to return to my human form just yet.
Sal was sitting on the couch, stroking Benji’s leg and looking a million miles away as he stared into the distance. “Everything okay?” I asked, sitting between his legs and planting my head on his thigh.
He gave me a fond smile and petted me. “I worry about the future,” he whispered, glancing over at our softly snoring human. “I was too busy worrying about him to really take in what she said. About Hell.”
“And you doubt Altaur will know about it?”
“He likes to act as though he knows everything that goes on in our world, but none of us even knew about the book's existence. Or why the witch coven who’d created it had it so locked up,” he said.
“And all these different covens that all want the book. Some to destroy and some to keep, it’s maddening.
We still have no idea who we fought and killed, who Gabrielle worked with, or why the Greenwren Coven didn’t just demand we hand it over to them.
We wouldn’t have been able to fight them, and they knew it.
There’s just so much that doesn’t make sense. ”
“And you don’t like the unknown,” I guessed.
“I fucking despise it,” he growled, making Benji stir.
We didn’t speak after that, just comforted one another while our human slept. So many things were unknown to us, we could only do our best to stay safe and happy, no matter what went on around us.
I’d never felt more nervous facing my pack than I did at this moment. The warehouse was one big open room, with a staircase at the end that led to an upstairs office. I now stood at the top of said staircase, Benji and Sal by my side as we stared down at the werewolves I called pack.
“Thank you all for coming on such short notice,” I started, already hearing their murmurings of annoyance. “I decided now was the best time to tell you what has happened, and why we no longer have the book.”
“Your father died getting that book!” Someone I couldn’t see yelled in the crowd.
“Yeah!” a few others agreed.
“And you just gave it away?!” Someone else yelled. I was pretty sure it was Susan. Susan was a bitch, so that wasn’t a surprise.
“Some alpha, we’ve got!” Harry yelled. He was one of my father’s best friends. His clear disappointment in me was what hurt the most.
To my surprise, which I honestly shouldn’t have been, because I wasn’t alone anymore.
I had mates now. Sal moved closer and snapped.
“You were at war with all vampire covens for having that book! You wanted to keep it for funsies and have your entire pack killed because of it?! I think not. So shut the fuck up and listen to your goddamn alpha!”
I was so hard. It so wasn’t the time, but man, that had been hot as fuck to witness, even Benji seemed to like Sal taking charge like that, telling people to shut up.
There was utter silence in the room now, so I figured I would take over. “The Greenwren Coven, which is the most powerful vampire coven in the world, was set on getting that book. Which was why Benjamin was taken. They demanded we hand over the book or he would die.”
Silence.
I kept going. “We have no idea which witch covens we’ve fought or not, but because the Greenwren Coven demanded we hand over the book, the witches can’t fight us for it anymore, or get angry that we “gave it up”.
“What about my mother then?!” Mindy shouted from close by. “Why did she have to die?!”
I growled low, unable to stop myself. I felt my eyes glow with anger. “Because, your mother betrayed my mate.”
“Bullshit!” the once timid and blushing Mindy snapped back.
“She told unknown vampires where to find Benjamin and then hoped they would kill him!” I roared, losing my temper.
“They wouldn’t even have been here had it not been for him!” Another one shouted, clearly agreeing with Mindy.
“They were here because of the book!” I roared.
“How is that so fucking hard to get into your fucking heads?! Benjamin and Salizar have fought our battle, a battle forced upon us because my mother demanded we get that damn book, without even knowing what it held! My mate was punished because he was a part of this pack, and Stacy led them straight to him without remorse. I would gladly snap her neck a second time for just daring to cause him harm!”
Now there was utter silence. I didn’t care. I kept going. “The book is gone and now the most powerful vampires have it. There should be no more fights coming your way, and I’m leaving.”
The murmurings started, most sounding truly surprised I was leaving them, likely not knowing if I meant it permanently or like a happy little vacation.
So, I figured I would speak plainly. “I’m resigning as your alpha.
I want nothing to do with this town ever again.
I never wanted to be alpha in the first place, and I’ve spent the entire time fighting witches and rogues, battling desperate mothers who wanted me to mate with their daughters.
Then I had to fight for my mates’ right to stand beside me.
I’m done. I hope whoever you choose will lead you better.
My mates and I will pack up our stuff and leave now. ”
I turned and went into the office. Sal and Benji right behind me. It didn’t take long after the door had closed behind us that a knock sounded.
“Come in,” I called, expecting either Juniper or Freddy. It was Freddy.
“You’re seriously leaving?” he asked, closing the door behind him and leaning against it. I’d felt him when I made the summoning, so I knew he was alive. Seeing him walking around without even an ounce of pain was nice. I liked Freddy, when he wasn’t winking or smiling at Benji, of course.
“We are,” I confirmed. “You should step in as alpha. You’d be good at it.”
He smiled shyly at that. “You really think so?”
I nodded. “Takes a bit of getting used to with the whole pack mentality taking over, plus the summonings. But I think you’d be able to handle it better than I ever did.”
“That wasn’t why I came in here, but thanks.”
“Why did you come?” I asked.
“Because I wanted to say goodbye,” he shrugged, looking much younger than he was at that moment.
Benji stepped forward. “I’m glad you came in. I don’t remember what happened when I was taken, and have only heard a little about it, but I know you tried to defend me, so thank you for that.”
Freddy smiled widely at that, his charm already in full force.
“No,” I growled. “You don’t look at him.”
Both Freddy and Benji laughed at that, but Sal was glaring at Freddy so at least I had my vampire mate on my side.
“You should head out as soon as possible,” Freddy advised seriously. “Some in the pack aren’t too happy with you, weren’t before the meeting and aren’t after it.”
“Shouldn’t they be happy he’s leaving then?” Benji asked.
Freddy shook his head. “Packs don’t just leave, especially alphas. They see it as him abandoning them and thinking he’s better without us. It’s a werewolf thing and they might get violent if they keep stewing in that anger.”
I sighed. “Let’s just go now and if a fight breaks out, then they’ll see just how strong and sexy Sal is when he’s fighting.”
Sal gave me a salacious grin and winked. “I aim to please.”
Benji laughed happily and together we followed Freddy out of the office and down the metal stairs.
We hadn’t even reached the bottom step before howling from outside reached us.
The howls hadn’t come from a shifted wolf.
I shared a grim look with Freddy and then my mates.
That had been werewolf howls, and we all knew they weren’t exactly accepting of outsiders, which we now were.
Great.