Chapter 4
CALEB
“That’s the third one today,” Felix, my Beta, says.
I blink at him in annoyance. “Already?”
He sighs. “I mean, we knew they wouldn’t like it.”
That’s an understatement.
They despise me for taking over their pack and replacing their Alpha. I should have expected people to run at the first chance. They’d rather risk their lives out there instead of being in my pack because of the reputation they think I hold.
Despite holding a formal meeting with them about the situation and reiterating that they’re safe with me, from the looks I received, I might as well have been dead to some of them.
“Where are they now?”
“Patrol guards have them.”
I graze my teeth over my bottom lip as I slowly twist in my chair.
“This isn’t going to work unless you earn their trust, Caleb.”
A cold laugh bursts from my chest. “Trust? Of course, they don’t trust me. They know this is the work of my father, and they want to get as far away from here as possible. This was a stupid idea.”
Felix leans against the wall, crossing one foot over the other. “Well…for one, it wasn’t your idea, and two, there’s nothing we can do about it now other than show them that you’re not like Ryker and you have better plans for them.”
My teeth grind together subconsciously before I roll my finger over my lip and let my lungs fill with air.
“What people hear about Ryker are mostly rumours,” Felix says as he pushes himself up from the wall and takes a seat opposite me.
My brow flexes. “You and I both know that man isn’t a saint, and most of those rumours are true.”
“Yeah, but they don’t have to know that.”
I close my eyes in defeat.
“Look, this isn’t an ideal situation.” Felix leans forward. “But we had to do this to get your father off your back, okay? If you keep him happy, nothing will happen to us.”
At first, I argued against taking Cole’s pack because it’s not something a respectable Alpha would do, but my father grew angrier and threatened to do things that had my blood boiling with fury.
A scoff falls from my lips. “Until he wants more power. Cole owed him a favour from years ago; do you know how many other people owe Ryker favours? It’s only a matter of time before he wants to take over—not just this district but our entire world.”
“He thinks you’ll end up joining him.” He shrugs. “But we know you’re never going to do that.”
“If I could cut him off, I would,” I rasp before clenching my jaw.
Felix nods in understanding. “I know. And you’ve got a pack to protect.”
“It’s better to pretend than be honest, and I know that makes me a coward, but I don’t stand a chance against him and his powers.”
Knowing my father has mind control and telekinesis powers is a tough pill to swallow.
He’s not like most wolves; he’s his own kind and could tear this world in two.
My grandparents were both hybrids—wolves and witches—meaning he somehow absorbed Goddesslike abilities from their experiments with dark magic.
But instead of using his powers for good, he uses them to inflate his ego even more. It’s a terrible imbalance of justice. To give something so incredible to someone so evil. I’ll never understand. There isn’t a single paternal bone in his body. All he knows is violence, authority, and control.
A knock at my office door stirs me away from my thoughts as Carson, my head guard, steps inside. “Alpha, I think you should see this.”
I curse under my breath, stand from the desk, and follow him out of the room, Felix close behind me. Zara, Felix’s mate, meets us on the way down into the main hall, where I find my old pack members fighting with my new pack members.
Guards are trying to pull them apart as I flare my nostrils.
“Enough,” I bellow, causing the room to vibrate.
They step away from each other as my guards move between them. I flick my gaze around and clench my fists. “What on Earth is going on?”
“We don’t want to be here with you,” someone pipes up. “We want our Alpha back.”
I raise my brows. “Fine, you don’t want to be here? Then go. I won’t stop you. Find another pack that will take you in, but it’s not going to be as easy as you think.”
The guy squares his shoulders to me but says nothing more before folding into himself as I stare him down.
“You guys don’t trust me,” I say simply. “And I get it. But I haven’t chained any of you up or rationed your food. I understand it’s a change that will take a while to get used to, but it’s either this or find your way out there as a rogue. It’s your choice.”
A few of them blink up at me but keep their mouths shut. I don’t want a pack that is terrified of me. I want a pack that knows who I truly am.
“If I see any of you fighting again,” I say heavily, “then there will be severe consequences. Packs don’t turn on each other. Do I make myself clear?”
A gulp can be heard from the silence until they say, “Yes, Alpha.”
“Good. Save the fighting for training.”