Chapter 23
Creed
From the moment I knocked Connor unconscious, there had been a presence of NYC wolves in Atlanta. At least five at any time from what we could tell. At first just trying to get any information on me and my situation that they could.
But when they weren’t getting anywhere, they tried applying pressure and sent more.
“You are beyond annoying me and it’s about to cost you your head,” Ha-joon told a wolf in the recording Ellie sent me. “And don’t lie to a fucking Alpha wolf stronger than yours, git. Just don’t. If you’re too weak to gauge how powerful I am—have some fucking self-preservation.”
“None of that matters, but the relationship between our packs is—”
Ha-joon threw an elbow with impressive speed and growled in the guy’s face.
“I’m insulted that your fucked Alpha sent such an uninformed lackey to come try and talk and pressure me.
You’re not even clever fuckers and I’m insulted.
I’m the son of one of the biggest Alphas in the world and ya fucking talking to me like we need ya fucked pack?
“Are ya having a laugh? I could eat ya Alpha and not blink, fool. I’m a world-renowned doc and ya come in here treating me like ya Alpha can make me?
Ya Alpha is shite compared to me and I like Aurora, not to mention she’s basically my mother-in-law since I want to mate Ellie.
So take all that back to ya Alpha if ya can fucking manage it. ”
He threw another quick punch and stormed off cussing under his breath that he was so tired of bullshit.
The message from Ellie was that they were desperate enough to be stupid and make mistakes, so like… What did I seriously know?
Yeah, I didn’t blame her for asking that.
And impressed she knew that was what was going on and not just some wolves being stupid. The Alpha—that pack—kept power for a long time by being smart.
They didn’t make stupid moves really. This was them unraveling.
Funny how one lion they used and abused was the catalyst.
I received word when the Alpha and my “dad” arrived in Atlanta.
I didn’t immediately react because that would scream a trap.
I let them get to the point where they gave a few howls one night, swearing under my breath when Aurora immediately noticed and commented that there was no chance they were natural wolves.
But it meant it was time to move because she was too smart and could get hurt in all of this. Plus, I hated keeping things from her. We both needed honesty in our lives and I was being anything but.
Fine, she knew I was up to something, but that was splitting hairs when I was intentionally keeping her in the dark.
So I made sure she was out the door the next day and then got rid of my guards at home with Ellie’s help. Everything was in place and a great trap set.
Or so I thought.
“You really got big for your britches, pup,” Alpha Edwards greeted when I walked outside once I felt them on the property.
I snorted and then couldn’t curb my true reaction, chuckling darkly. “Wow, I really feel like such a fucking fool for ever having respected you. I truly did once.” I glanced over at his Beta, my adoptive dad. “And you too. You were harsh and—I really did, but you’re both fucking monsters.”
“Who do you think you are—” the Alpha started.
“What did you do to my parents?” I interrupted.
“My real parents? Kill them, right? You’re that fucked in the head to have killed my real parents—probably my whole family—and kept me like a fucking trophy, yeah?
Your pet lion you trained and bound magically—a fucking kid.
” I glanced between them. “You think you’re not monsters? ”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” the Alpha bit out. “We saved you and you’re an ungrateful—”
“No, don’t fucking turn this around anymore,” I snapped.
“I’m not a kid. I’m—even if I remotely believe your bullshit on how it all happened, you made a choice to adopt a child.
That’s not a fucking contract forever that I owe you everything.
I’m not indebted to you for life. You do not fucking own me. I’m not fucking property.
“I’ve given you more than you ever did me!
” I snorted when they both stared at me like I’d grown another head.
“Fucking hand-me-downs and always reminding me of my place isn’t love.
I killed myself to be the best and do everything I could to protect your family and you sold me up the river for it because I was better than your actual family.
“So try again. Seriously, try anything else because the curtain has been pulled back and I want you both in the ground for what you’ve done to me.
What you’ve done to the other orphans. Give me a reason to bring your whole house down and I will.
” I snorted when they still didn’t say anything.
“Yeah, you thought you came here to get more from me but—”
“Son, this isn’t—”
“I’m not your son!” I roared, letting them hear my lion even in this form and feel my power.
I took a threatening step towards him and smirked when he retreated.
“Don’t disrespect my actual parents who I’m very sure you killed.
You abducted me and pretended to rescue me.
” I snorted when they shared a look. “I knew it. You kept me from other real family.”
“No, we didn’t and we—” he started to defend.
“Shut up,” the Alpha snapped.
I tried to swallow down my rage, but my hands shifted.
“You really did it. You really did kill my parents and then held me in some fucked up—I thought maybe it was—but you really did. You’re dead.
I’m done being quiet with what I know. You made a mistake not leaving things alone and trying to pressure me to make a move against my mate’s family. ”
“She’s not really their family and it can benefit her,” the Alpha snapped. “She could be set in New York with us instead of—”
“What fool would ever trust you again?” I snarked, rolling my eyes as I shifted my hands back. “Are you kidding me? The only way I would ever even go back there was if I took over the fucking pack so the good wolves were free of you.”
I said it to be flippant and an ass, but my lion liked the idea… And they both felt it.
Shit.
The threats started immediately, but that wasn’t bad since I wanted them to admit to… Everything? As much as I possibly could?
And it was going well for several minutes, my lion even behaving for the ploy when they both made threats against Aurora.
Until Aurora showed up holding my adoptive mom by the throat. I was struck stupid by her ferocious beauty with her eyes darker than normal, fangs out, and death in her very aura.
But then I tried to handle the situation and it was very clear I was in deep shit.
Fuck.
Okay, well, that was later.
“Aurora, this is an abduction and—” I tried, worried about who was watching the trap.
She snorted. “I’m not actually an idiot. She came of her own choice even if I lied to her.”
“Actually, you didn’t,” my adoptive mom—no, Mrs. Edwards mumbled. “My mate is in grave danger. Creed could tear him apart.” Nothing shocked me more than when she looked at her mate with hate. “And I hope he does.”
“What?” I gasped, several echoing me.
“You swore to me that you were leaving him alone!” she growled at her mate, ignoring the rest of us.
“You promised that you would leave him alone to be happy! If I didn’t go visit him in prison and beg his forgiveness for what your brother did—that was the price for him to be free after prison.
Nothing you say is ever true and I hate you! ”
Aurora was clearly as shocked as I was since she let the wolf go and blinked at her.
“You don’t understand,” the Beta tried to defend.
“No, enough lies!” she screamed. “I’m not nearly as stupid as you think and my love for you was real unlike your brother’s mate who just wants power.
I put up with your whores and so much else, but I loved him like he was mine.
You hid so much from me, and I knew there were battles we had to be careful for so we could keep up appearances—I hate you. I hate you!”
“You are so useless you can’t even keep your fucking bitch in line,” Alpha Edwards grumbled at his brother.
I gasped when a wound opened across his chest, my gaze darting around.
“Whoops?” a soft female voice chuckled on the very wind.
Aurora simply smirked at me. “Again, I am not an idiot. Of course I brought backup.”
I sighed and tried to control my desire to spank her even as my love for her swelled. I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and my lion reacted before I even realized what was happening.
I changed forms and intercepted the Alpha when he made a desperate move to get the upper hand… And go for Aurora.
“If you kill him, they would try to make you Alpha, Creed,” Mrs. Edwards screamed as I was about to go over the line.
It was the sanity I needed to hear even if my lion wanted it. Aurora wouldn’t have. That life would have made her beyond miserable.
My lion released him and moved protectively in front of Aurora, making it clear to both men not to make such a foolish attempt again.
They didn’t get the chance though, portals opening and police coming through them. The Beta looked at me with shock and I simply snorted, still in lion form. Idiots. They really were so desperate to have made that play and not have thought it through.
I changed back to a man when I saw who was on the scene so I could talk and not risk the wolves slithering out of the trouble they were in. Plus, I needed to protect Aurora because she could be in deep shit no matter how she spun what she’d done.
“Ma’am, we need you to come with us,” one of the officers said to Mrs. Edwards, but she resisted.
“Creed, please,” she begged, waiting until I glanced at her. “I did so much wrong and I know I don’t deserve to be forgiven. I just need you to know one thing.”
“You didn’t know they bound his lion,” Aurora whispered from next to me.