Chapter 25
Nyah
“Let him go, Levi,” Daddy says with his eyes still on Horace.
When Levi doesn’t follow the order, Bryant commands, “Now, Levi.”
Levi snarls, tossing Corey to the ground. He slowly backs away, wildly staring at Corey.
The sound of loud tailpipes has everyone looking towards the backyard’s driveway. A dark brown, double cab comes to a jerking stop. Daddy lets me go when Joaquin’s father, Alpha Lennox, gets out along with four other men.
Members clear a path as the large men make their way into the circle. Alpha Lennox slows his pace as he looks at his dead member with the gunshot wound. He keeps going then stops when he sees his son lying on the ground, bloody and bruised. His expression is hard to read. I can’t tell if it’s anger or embarrassment. Either way, if he’s ready to go to war behind the bullshit of his son, I know daddy wouldn’t back down from it. I just hope it doesn’t come to that.
“I thought I’d make it here before this happened,” Alpha Lennox says, then faces daddy. “Noah, I assure you I had no prior knowledge of my immature ass son’s involvement in this. I only found out about it after one of my Pack members overheard his son talking about it to another member. He then made the boy tell me what was going on. After receiving the information, I tried calling you several times to let you know but didn’t get any answers. That’s why I’m here.”
“My cellphone is in the house,” daddy calmly responds.
Alpha Lennox nods before peering down at Joaquin. “I guess by the state he’s in, my son didn’t win the fight. I hope you taught him a good lesson, Noah.”
“I didn’t,” daddy returns. “My daughter’s mate did.”
Alpha Lennox jerks his head up. “Mate?”
“Yes. Nyah’s mate, Braxton was my proxy,” Daddy informs, pointing to Braxton.
“I see,” Alpha Lennox says, glancing at Braxton who now has a robe on that one of the members brought him. “Congratulations on your mating and winning the fight.”
Braxton bows his head.
Alpha Lennox then asks daddy, “What happened to my fallen member back there?”
“I will be happy to answer that for you, Lennox but I would also like to know everything the boy told you,” daddy replies, walking over to him, then looks over his shoulder. “Bryant, will you join us?”
“Of course,” Bryant answers, joining them as I go to Braxton’s side, interlacing my fingers with his.
Daddy introduces the two Alpha’s and as they start to walk away, Horace says, “Alpha, I think I should come...”
Daddy cuts him off with a gruff tone, “And I think you should fucking stay right where you are.” He glares at our Pack security and tells them, “Make sure they don’t leave.”
As the men surround Horace and Corey, a surprised Horace looks as if he wants to protest but keeps his mouth shut. Not having daddy ever speak to him like that has got to have his nerves on edge.
“What do you think is going to happen?” I whisper to Braxton.
He untwines his hand in mine to wrap his arm around my waist. “I don’t know, but I’m sure your father will do the right thing in regards to his no-good Beta and Corey.”
Minutes passed while the Alphas were in discussion. During that time, Horace is able to get Corey to his feet. Joaquin is finally able to sit up with the help of Alpha Lennox’s men.
“Why are they keeping us here?” Corey questions Horace. He tries to walk away but security blocks his path. “What the Hell?” he yells. “Move! My father is the Beta of the Pack and has authority over all of you. We want to go home, so get the Hell out of our way!”
The men stand their ground, ignoring his tirade. Seeing that they weren’t going to budge, Corey slaps Lester, who is a Gamma. Lester has been a member of our Pack long before I was born. One thing I know about him and Corey knows too is that out of all the men in daddy’s security, Lester is the one with the shortest fuse. He swiftly cocks his fist back, ready to lay into Corey but before he can connect, out of nowhere Corey’s head snaps back from a hard punch from Levi. Corey’s unconscious body hits the ground like a ton of bricks.
With all eyes on him, Levi nonchalantly says, “I think we’ve heard enough from his ass today.” He side-eyes Horace, asking, “Wouldn’t you agree?”
Quickly nodding his head up and down, Horace replies, “I do.”
At that moment Daddy, Bryant, and Alpha Lennox return to the backyard. Alpha Lennox whispers some words to his men. They along with Joaquin’s friends split up with half retrieving the dead man’s body and the other escorting Joaquin to his vehicle. After the dead body is put in the back, Joaquin is ushered into the second-row seating. Three of Alpha Lennox’s men wait outside of the vehicle for him.
Extending his hand to daddy, Alpha Lennox says, “Noah, I’m glad that this didn’t destroy the truce that we’ve had in place.”
Daddy shakes his hand, returning, “We’ve come too far to let something like this come between wolf and bear. But like I told you, your Pack is still welcomed on the Midnight Pack lands but not your son. As long as he doesn’t try any shit like this in the future, our pact will still be upheld.”
“I understand,” Alpha Lennox attests. “You won’t have any more problems out of Joaquin, that I can guarantee.” He lets daddy hand go, then shakes Bryant’s. “It was nice to meet you, and I look forward to the three of us getting together to do some hunting.”
“Likewise,” Bryant says. “And again, I’m sorry about shooting your Pack member.”
Alpha Lennox holds up his hand. “There’s nothing for you to be sorry for. He chose to break the rules, and his demise is that of his own making. Everyone knows there is no interfering in an Alpha challenge.” He turns to daddy, saying, “Noah, I’ll be in touch soon.”
“I’ll make sure I have my phone on me,” daddy chuckles with Alpha Lennox joining in.
With a quick head gesture, Alpha Lennox and the rest of his men retreat to his pickup. They get in and drive off with Joaquin’s SUV following behind them.
I was once told that you should keep your mouth closed when the attention isn’t on you. Obviously, Horace wasn’t taught that because he inquires, “Noah, what about me and Corey?” he points to Levi. “That asshole sucker punched him again, knocking my son out while you were having your little meeting. Corey issued the challenge, and lost, so what happens now? I want to take my boy home to tend to his wounds.”
Daddy turns to face him with a look in his eyes I have never seen before. Usually, when a shifter is angered, their eyes will change to that of their wolf’s, but daddy’s eyes remain to his dark brown.
“What happens now is you and your son are officially exiled from the Midnight Pack.”
“Noah, you can’t be serious,” Horace mutters, trying to move closer to daddy but security stops him. “After all that we’ve been through, you’re going to let this one little infraction turn into something bigger that it shouldn’t be?’
Daddy frowns, taking a step back. “Little infraction? Your son challenged me to be Alpha of our Pack and from what Alpha Lennox relayed what the boy told him, your name came up too many times for my liking. So, as of this moment you are stripped of your Beta title to the Midnight Pack. You and your son are forever exiled from our Pack. After this betrayal, I will make sure no other Pack from Alaska to New York will let you in. Hell, I’ll even go as far as those we are affiliated with overseas.” Daddy gives Horace a daring look. “You know how long my reach is, Horace. The best thing for you to do is get in the vehicle that brought you and your son here and go. I will have the items from your house packed up and sent to the forwarding address you give me.”
“You know this isn’t right,” Horace gripes. “Our families have ruled over this Pack for decades and now you’re going to fall into the influences of an outsider.”
“Influences?” Daddy roars, making the ground under our feet shake. I lock onto Braxton. Daddy’s eye color flickers between his natural color and his wolf’s. “Influences?” he snarls. “From what I was just told, you fell into your son’s influence. You knew what he was going to do, but you didn’t stop him. The both of you knew Corey couldn’t defeat me which is why Joaquin was thrown into the mix, not expecting me to have Braxton stand in for me.” Daddy laughs. “Let me be the first to say that if Braxton wasn’t here, I would have proudly fought Joaquin, and the results would have come out the same.”
Frowning, Horace responds, “Whether I fell in or not, I think me, and Corey should be given another opportunity to prove that we are loyal members of the Midnight Pack.”
Daddy takes some time to mentally go over his decision. He finally focuses on Horace, declaring, “As of this day, your title of Beta has been stripped. You and your son have twenty minutes to get what you need out of that house and leave Pack land.”
“You can’t do that,” Horace argues.
Daddy laughs. “I’m the Alpha of this Pack and I can do whatever I want. And since I own all of the Midnight Pack lands and the houses on it, including yours, I want you off my property.”
“Noah, can we talk in private?” Horace requests.
Daddy narrows his eyes at him, responding, “Just like you talked in private with your son. I don’t think so. My decision is made, and you nor your son are no longer members of the Midnight Pack. Get the fuck off my land before I get my son-in-law and his Beta to help you.”
“You’re going to regret this,” Horace sneers.