Chapter 61

​​​​​​​Pip had been asleep for an hour before Francis phoned to say they were outside. He didn't wake up from the ringing, or Krey's short and blunt conversation to say that he would greet them at the gate.

Krey looked down to his sleeping mate. Pip's head rested on Krey's bare chest, with hands curled up against himself. The duvet was pulled to Pip's ears, and he felt warm against Krey, who was very hot under the duvet, not used to sleeping bundled up. Pip had shivered right up until he fell asleep. Krey had to keep Pip warm, even if it meant that he was uncomfortable himself.

Krey was reluctant to move. He had to wake Pip to tell him to lock the door behind him. As Krey opted to slide out from underneath him, Pip softly murmured something in his sleep and tried to coil around Krey's arm.

I can't leave him. He'll freak if he wakes up and I'm not there. Krey still snuck from the bed and watched Pip curl himself in the thin duvet. He'll get cold soon. I'll have to hurry.

Krey tiptoed to the door, unlocked it as quietly as he could, and looked left and right down the corridor. The lights were dull and made the ends of the corridors eerily dark. Krey crossed to the opposite door and banged hard with his fist, not caring if he woke Mark.

As he thought about what to say, Krey concluded that he had to be the one to greet his pack, not Victoria, not Viktor, and not Viktor's snotty Beta. Crescent Pack had promptly come to his side when he needed them. The least Krey could do was act like their Alpha and make sure they were all okay.

Victoria quickly opened the door with a finger over her mouth. "What is it?" she whispered.

"Mum and my pack are at the gate. I can't leave Pip by himself, and I don't want to wake him. Can you sit with him while I bring in my pack?"

Victoria took one look at her mate, sleeping soundly on the bed, and nodded, knowing Pip was more vulnerable because Krey's mate was a target. "Will you wake Viktor?" she asked, stepping into the corridor and shutting the door behind her.

"I'll tell a guard to find his Beta wolf. He won't be happy with this, but I couldn't leave them at your place." Krey handed her the phone. "Find out what's going on over there, and why the fuck your parents left her guests and my pack to fend for themselves."

"I will." Victoria's eyes darkened. "I'm not pleased with my parents. I hope you know that."

Krey nodded once and watched her enter his room and sit quietly at the desk. Krey took one last glance at Pip before setting off down the corridor.

The walk to the gate felt long. Krey was desperate to get back to Pip, yet relieved to see his mother, Francis, Sid, and forty members of his pack standing on the other side of the gate to greet him. The guards opened the gate when Krey demanded it in his bold Alpha voice and red pulsing eyes.

His mother greeted him with a tight hug and strong pats on the back. "Don't worry," she said quietly into his ear. "We'll get our home back."

"We will." Krey remained emotionless, despite him feeling rather panicked on the inside. "You know Viktor better than me. Are we safe here?"

Makena examined the cuts on Krey's face. "We will be if your pack keeps watch all night."

What his mother meant was Viktor could be unpredictable. He was usually an ally when it suited him, but Krey's father had built a good and trustworthy relationship with the Sea Claw Pack. Viktor was big on trust.

"Sid, what are your injuries?" Krey asked after greeting Francis with a strong pat to the shoulder.

"Just a broken arm and a few deep cuts on my shoulder. Nothing too serious." Sid had made a sling from his shirt, but the cuts were left exposed.

Krey stared at the blood with blank eyes, though the cuts were deep enough to raise concern. "Francis, find a first-aid box."

Francis had a few minor cuts on her, but she was otherwise unharmed. Krey was glad. Francis had shown that she was a strong fighter.

Krey greeted the rest of his pack by returning their brief nods and asking the ones who were hurt to find Francis who would have something to help clean their wounds.

Krey followed them back into the house. Viktor's grumpy Beta squeezed them all into the nearest room with couches and beanbags and a full left wall stacked with board games and DVDs.

Krey stood by the door to the room, watching his pack help each other with injuries, and lift each other's moods and push a smile out of those who were close to tears. Krey knew he stood in his dad's shoes in that moment, proud of his pack, united by the courage and spirit of one of the most powerful packs in the country.

Though tonight, Krey and his pack had been shunned from their home and targeted at a safe event. Krey had no idea who was really behind the attack. He doubted the southern wolves acted alone. After the Shadow Pack's failure to help, Krey suspected that they were in on the attack, wanting to sabotage Krey's Alpha position because of what happened to his father.

There was no better way to prove that Krey was a bad leader by invading his home right under his nose. But Krey wouldn't back down so easily.

"Wolves," Krey boomed and the room silenced. His pack turned to look at him, so Krey stood tall on the chair. "Tonight, has been a test of your loyalty to your new Alpha. Without question, you came to my aid and for that, you've gained my trust, and I yours. Times have been hard for us as a pack, but we must bind together now and fight for what matters to us. We must fight for our home." A few wolves shared enthusiastic agreements. "We must fight for our status." More wolves cheered. "We must fight for the survival of Crescent Pack." Every wolf in the room cheered. Some raised fists, some clapped, some whistled. Krey looked around at all the faces. "We might be in low spirits tonight, but this fight is only just beginning. We will end on top." The pack cheered again, and Krey stepped down from the chair. "Rest now wolves. At dawn we will make a plan."

The pack clapped Krey, and for the first time, he felt like their Alpha.

Krey decided to leave them to settle for the night. As he moved down the corridor, his mother fell by his side, matching his long strides. "You sounded like your father."

Krey's heart twisted. "I know."

"I'm proud of you."

Their brown eyes connected. "I'm glad nobody was seriously hurt."

"Me too. The last thing we needed was to lose wolves when we have to fight to get our home back. Maybe we can convince Viktor to help us if we bribe him with something."

Krey grunted a response, not minding that his mother followed him into the room where Pip was sleeping. Victoria stood with a smile.

"Pip's talking about you in his sleep," she said.

Krey turned to Pip, still curled up how he left him. Cute.

"I tried to phone home. There was no answer." Victoria looked to Makena, worried. "I'm sorry my parents left you guys to fend for yourselves. As much as I love them, I know this means they're up to something. I just hope they haven't gone against family. My mum can be tough at times, but family means a lot to her."

"In her eyes, I don't think I'm family anymore," Krey grumbled. Pip started to stir, so he told Victoria to get some sleep. His mother settled on the desk chair, but Krey still didn't mind that she had chosen to stay.

He locked the door and climbed onto the bed. Pip, as though he sensed him in his sleep, reached for Krey and curled up on top of him. Krey only remembered that he was shirtless when Pip's cold hands touched him, and the side of his face pressed over his heart.

"I forget how cold humans get," Krey mumbled, pulling the duvet back up to Pip's ears.

"His clothes are wet," Makena said, prodding Pip's yellow converse. "I'll see if there's some wood for this old fireplace."

Krey hadn't noticed there was one in his room. Viktor's father had ruthlessly taken the grand building from humans in the second human world war, so fireplaces weren't unusual in a building made by humans.

Pip would like one in our room, I bet. Krey thought about the many winters they would spend together. Even if Krey dripped with sweat, he would do anything to keep his mate comfortable.

Krey sank in the bed and held Pip tightly on top of him as his mother ventured the building for dry wood.

He wasn't sure when he fell asleep, or how long his mother had been back when he opened his eyes. The first thing Krey felt was Pip's legs tangled with his. Then he felt the tickling of Pip's hair on his chest, and his breath against his collarbone. Krey felt the slow rise and fall of Pip breathing, and the warmth. Pip's sweet scent masked any other smell in the room, but Pip's gentle breaths didn't mask the crackling of a fire.

Krey stared tiredly at his mother feeding chunks of wood to the orange flames. She had hung Pip's clothes in front of the fire to dry them.

The heat of the room was unbearable for a werewolf, but just right for a human. Pip was content, so Krey was too.

He shifted to the side of the bed, so he could sit on top of the duvet. Krey stayed close enough for Pip to clutch his arm.

Makena turned to the noise of the creaky single bed. She smiled when she saw that Krey was awake. She smiled even wider at Pip pressing his face into Krey's bicep and clutching Krey's wrist with both his hands.

"I'm glad someone is sleeping." Makena sat back on the desk chair and titled her head. "Have you connected the bond?"

"How did you know?"

Makena shrugged. "You both just look more... connected."

Krey agreed. Pip was no longer afraid to be close because he knew Krey wanted him to be. Even in his sleep Pip knew.

"Mum." Krey waited for her to look at him, and not the hypnotising flames. "Should I have suspected something like this to happen?"

"Nobody has seen a feud between two packs like this for centuries. I don't think anyone knows what to expect from the southern wolves. I don't think anyone knows what to expect from the Crescent Pack either."

"Now that I'm in charge?"

Makena frowned thoughtfully. "Yes," she mumbled, tapping her chin. "Now that you're in charge."

Krey swung his legs over the side of the bed. "Why did you say it like that?"

Makena's jaw tightened. "I just had an unpleasant thought."

"What?"

"Well, what if your father was always meant to be killed? You were both in his office when it happened. They could have easily got you, but they didn't."

"Yeah because dad jumped in front of me."

"I doubt they only had one bullet on them, son."

Krey started to frown deeply. The fire cast jumping shadows all over his face. "Southern wolves are cunning," he mumbled.

"And they love a good fight."

Krey and Makena stared at each other. The orange flames warmed the colour of their eyes, but their blood ran cold. "They took three months to attack after I killed the Alpha's mate. This could have been their plan all along. Weaken me with grief, then come for my pack when we're most broken."

"And by doing so, they don't just kill you for revenge, they strip you of everything, your pack, your Packhouse, your status, your pride, and now maybe your mate, though I doubt they saw Pip in the mix."

Krey gripped the front of his hair with a thumping heart. "Now that sounds like a southern wolf plan. Sly bastards."

"But how far did they get in their plan?" Makena asked, wheeling the chair closer to the bed. "Did they predict that we'd end up here? Viktor wasn't at the annual meeting. Is he part of their plan?"