“I’ll reach out to Alpha Pan as soon as we get to the jet.” Caius sounds as concerned as I feel.
I quickly put three of my men in charge of cleaning up here, and tell them to head to Black Mountain Pack territory when they’re done. I’ll call my father on the way to let him know the plan.
“If anyone tries to hurt a Carnage Wolf while I’m gone, there will be hell to pay when I return,” I say to those at the bunker on our way out.
Most of them are staring at me with reverence.
Some possess a hint of unease and distrust.
And only a handful glare at me. That handful is promptly taken by Alpha Ion. He’ll start by questioning them first.
I start toward the path we came in on when the little alpha calls out to me. I turn toward Jimmy to see him chasing us down.
My heart is torn between embracing him and running toward my intended mate. But the wolf in me makes me squat to his level as he reaches me on a pant.
“You kill papa,” he tells me, blinking innocently with the childlike words.
I swallow, but nod. I won’t lie to this tiny being. “Yeah, we did.” All the enforcers here are dead. So unless his father ran, which is doubtful, then his dad is no longer with us.
His lips twist and he nods. “I take care of mama.” He sounds almost relieved by that, making me wonder how his father used to treat his mother. Because he isn’t upset at all. Just accepting, almost to the point of thankfulness.
“Yes, Jimmy. Go take care of your mum.”
He beams. “Thank you, Alpha.”
My heart warms at the clear designation in his tone. His mom is waiting for him just beyond the trees, her eyes wide.
“He’s a good kid,” I tell her. “If you seek refuge with Black Mountain Pack, we’ll turn him into an alpha that can lead.” Because he has the genetics. I can sense it in him.
She looks ready to cry. Not necessarily in sadness, but maybe with a hint of shock to it.
I clear my throat and stand, then ruffle the kid’s hair. “Go be a good little alpha and take care of your pack. I’ll be back.”
I turn away, just for the mother to say, “I hope Clove is okay.”
All the hairs along my arm lift as I face her again. The entire pack probably heard that display with Bryson. We are nowhere near their cabins, so if the speakers are out this far, then they likely span the territory. Also, everything went down near the bunker.
So yeah.
They heard everything.
“She’s a good wolf,” the female adds.
“She is,” I tell her, my lips almost curling. “And she’s fine.” I say it with a confidence I don’t feel.
But I’m determined to believe it.
“He told us she was dead,” the female adds. “Bryson. He said she went feral and killed her mom.” She swallows. “Clove would never kill Serena.”
“Another one of his lies,” Volt says as he steps up to my side. “And we really need to go.” He voices it gently, but with a touch of urgency.
She nods. “Yes. G-Gafton isn’t a bad wolf. He’s… he’s just under Bryson’s control. But Kin…” She shudders, her shoulders turning in on herself as Volt and I share a look. “You’re not like him.”
“You’ve met Alpha Kin?” Caius asks, inching toward the female.
Her son is wrapped around her legs again, his face buried into her thigh as he tries to rumble for her in the same way I did for him.
It comes out as a grumble more than a purr.
Because he’s not a Carnage Wolf.
“Alpha Bryson… he… he lets Kin…” Her violent tremble tells us all we need to know.
Jimmy clings to her tighter and she clears her throat.
“There are two Carnage Wolves that he introduced to certain members of our pack. Always in secret. He didn’t know that I…” she trails off, clearing her throat again. “He never knew that I saw it happen. I was only six the first time. But I saw what that Alpha did to Serena. His scent haunted me for years. It’s how I knew when he returned. And then, one day, he brought Kin.”
“Do you know the name of the other man? The one you can scent?” I ask, gentling my voice.
She shakes her head. “I only knew Kin because he made Evelyn scream his name while… while he… he killed her.”
I understand what she’s saying. He forced his knot on her.
“What did he smell like?” Caius infuses a hint of his purr in his words.
“Like sour mud,” she whispers.