The Alpha Assassin novel Chapter 58

By the time I was done, the packhouse had awoken.

No one noticed me slip out of her room. I blended in with the visiting Alphas and Lunas walking to the front; their confused chatter swelled around me. The air in the packhouse was cold, confused, and anticipatory.

I ran into an Omega I didn’t know the name of and stopped in front of her. “Keep all the Omegas out of the new wing for the next few hours,” I said in as much of a command as I could muster; it still rang through me, and she bowed her head. “And any others,” I added. “Close this place.”

“Y-yes,” she agreed.

I hoped that would be enough, just in case, and I continued on.

Someone grabbed my elbow gently, and I turned to find Sam. He kept looking ahead, walking next to me, his hand not dropping my arm. It was steadying.

“There’s a new development,” he said.

“I know,” I replied. “It’s part of the plan. He finally looked at me with wide eyes. “I'm ready,” I stated.

He nodded, but I could tell he was trying to process this. A hundred questions flitted across his face, but he didn’t speak them out loud. As we edged down the front hall, he leaned down to whisper, “I told you you have my support; that doesn’t change even if you are doing something I wish you wouldn’t.”

“Thank you,” I replied, my face slipping into a genuine smile. “You don’t know how much that means to me.”

The formidable front doors were wide open, something I had never seen here. Alpha Raymond was standing on the steps flanked by warriors, some formed a semi-circle behind the visitors.

Other Alpha and Lunas filtered in around him, and I stood off to the side next to Sam. Ezra caught my eye from where he was stationed beside Alpha Raymond. He nodded slightly, but that was the only indication that he wasn’t the cool assessing mercenary he was when he arrived.

On the other side of Alpha Raymond stood Miles. His arms were covered in long sleeves now, but he still radiated that same inky, oily power. It wasn’t as shocking as the first time, but I wanted to recoil. I slipped behind Sam, trying to blend in.

In front of the packhouse, at the bottom of the steps, Nova stood tall as if she belonged here, as if she were the one holding court. She was scanning the crowd, and when her golden charcoal-lined eyes met mine, they lingered for a moment; I nodded slightly as Ezra had done in acknowledgment.

“What is going on here?” one of the Alphas asked. I wasn’t sure if the question was directed at Nova or Alpha Raymond.

“What is the meaning of this?” another added.

I was glad I hadn’t missed much. I was right on time.

Alpha Raymond turned his head slightly to address the guests behind him, but he didn’t take his eyes off the werecats. “They came back to ask for their land.” Alpha Raymond laughed, and some of the Alphas joined in. Others seemed confused, trying to process what was going on and what it could mean.

“We aren’t asking,” Nova spoke. Her voice rose over the murmurs and did not waver. “Our problem is not with all of you but with The Black River Pack that has taken our ancestral lands.”

“That was ages ago,” someone spoke up.

“Yes,” Nova agreed, her face pained. “Ages means something different to my kind. We have never truly settled elsewhere; we have been restless since then. We always knew one day we would return when the time was right, and now is that time.” She spoke in a way that demanded attention.

“And how exactly are you planning on taking this pack back?” Alpha Raymond scoffed, laughter coated his words.

Condescending prick - Aksals growled - I can’t wait to wipe that smirk off his face.

Very soon - I promised her.

A single sound came from the forest. A piercing velvety howl. Then, more joined in, creating a terrifyingly beautiful chorus.

A haunting battle cry.

A promise.

My skin pebbled.

“This is the first time that I have been on my ancestral soil and I do not plan on leaving again,” Nova spoke over the howls. “We are here for the lands. We are not here for undue bloodshed.Enough has been spilled on these lands.” She looked down at the ground, but it was more reverent, remembering.

All at once, the voices stopped.

“You have picked a bad time to start a battle. All of the Alphas in our territory are here,” Alpha Raymond responded, seemingly unphased.

There was a thin line between confidence and ignorance, and Alpha Raymond almost always teetered toward the side of ignorance.

“We know that,” Nova stated. “For your future Alpha trials.” One of her dark eyebrows quirked ever so slightly. The crowd shuffled.

“What have you done?” an Alpha stepped forward. His face was red, but the crowd swelled around him, so I couldn’t fully see his face.

“Nothing…” Nova raised a slender shoulder. “Yet.” She looked only at Alpha Raymond.

“As I have stated, our problem is not with any other pack. It is not our intention to harm them. They may go free as your pack members will if you surrender your lands back to their rightful owners,” Nova explained. “We want our lands back. We do not want your people, nor do we want anyone else's lives. We are willing to negotiate to help make the transition easier.”

“I’m not going to hand my land over to you,” Alpha Raymond scoffed. “I do not have to entertain this.” He looked to his warriors, who moved in closer.

Some of the other Alphas and Lunas shifted again, and whispers erupted.

“Alpha Raymond, let's not start this now,” Sam spoke, trying to reason with him. “We do not know their numbers,” he added in a whisper.

“I am not entertaining this, boy,” Alpha Raymond shot back. “This is my pack.”

“What if we are inviting slaughter?” another Alpha chimed in. “Raymond, be reasonable,” he added lowly.

“Are you afraid of some cats?” Alpha Raymond gawked. “We are Alphas. We do not stand for some meek outsiders' ridiculous demands.”

“Shut up and get inside.” He pointed at the door, his red face contorted in confused rage.

My mask dropped and shattered for the last time. I would not pretend anymore. Whoever I was, whatever I was made from because of them, of pain, of thirsting for blood. I would unleash her. I would not hide her anymore.

They helped form me, and they should see the monster they made. It was only fair.

“Do you deny that you went against our kind’s laws and slaughtered my pack?” I asked louder. “At least they are offering a challenge,” I added, stepping closer to him. “Something that you, as a weak, pathetic excuse for an Alpha, did not.” I let some of the rage coat my words, but my voice did not waver.

“Do you deny this?” I asked. “Do you deny that you could not fight my father one on one and instead damned the innocent, the children, and the rest of my pack to die to try to pretend that you are worth something?”

His eyes were slits.

“Get. Inside,” he repeated, his voice lethal.

The corner of my lips curled up into a cruel smile. “It has been fascinating watching what little men do when they are afraid to lose power and how little men raise others, treat others.” I assessed him, crossing my arms. “But you are nothing, and this display of weakness only confirms it.”

I could feel the crowd moving and hear their whispers, but I tuned them out.

“Backing away from a fair fight?” I tutted, shaking my head. “Wouldn’t be like a real Alpha, but then again…” I laughed once. “I wouldn’t dare call you worthy of that title.”

“You don’t want to negotiate. You don’t want a challenge,” Nova said; she sounded closer now. “Do you want to cower in your stolen castle, or do you want to have others try to dispose of us?”

“An Alpha who leads from fear is not one to be followed,” I added.

“You cannot challenge me,” Alpha Raymond snarled over my shoulder.

“Then will someone in this territory challenge Alpha Raymond on my behalf?” Nova called, and the words thrummed through me. I didn’t break eye contact once with Alpha Raymond, even though he was looking at her.

The silence that settled over the crowd was lethal.

“Over my dead body,” Raymond laughed as if the idea was a ridiculous notion, and it might have been if I weren’t here.

I put my mother's tiara on my head. It felt right and connected me to them. I felt the weight of my ringing ancestors through it. I might be the last one standing, but I would continue on. Our legacy would not die because of a coward.

“That can be arranged,” I said.

I felt all eyes from both sides on me. Alpha Raymond snapped his head back toward me, his face tugging down in a confused frown but his eyes were glinting with madness.

“I Simone Baldour, heir to the Blood Moon pack, challenge Alpha Raymond for The Black River Pack.”