Torn

Aidan

I’ve had enough of this shit!

All I wanted was a moment with my mate to snap her out of this fever dream. What the hell was her problem?

We made love, and she hit me with that?

Fucking her silly and then having to hear about the Kendricks was enough to set me off. I felt shitty about it.

I didn’t want to fight, but now that I’d ripped the fuckin’ door off our room, it seemed like the fight found us all over again.

~“Jack, meet me in the office!”~

~“Alpha?”~

~“Now, Jack! I’m putting this shit to bed right now!”~

I knew he was confused. I didn’t blame him for that. About an hour ago, I was dead against using any brutal force.

The Kendricks were ~very~ fond of the old ways and the strength of our ancient laws.

They weren’t wrong; those protocols had a purpose that served us and kept us all in check.

So, if I had to find a way to get back at them, it had to be according to the rules and laws of the Council.

That was until I realized my mate was so hypnotized by their bullshit that they would win if I didn’t do something soon.

I would lose her.

Jack caught up to me before I reached the office, “Hey, Alpha, sorry I had to grab my tablet.”

I huffed as I threw open the door, “Good, we’re gonna need all the strategies you have hidden up that sleeve, Jack. These assholes are going down!”

I kicked a chair as I walked in. It was a pointless show, but it felt good to hit something.

“Can I ask what happened?” Jack asked timidly.

“I don’t even know where to start,” I rubbed my face and sat at my desk, “she heard everything.”

“Yeah, fuck, I’m sorry,” he said, his head down, “we’re all just worried, Alpha. This is a sticky situation with some real shifty wolves.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

That was true. Kiarra didn’t know how deep the politics went.

“I tried, Jack. I tried to get her to understand that this is delicate, that she needs to pick a side and stick with it.”

“Is she picking us?” he asked.

I’ve never felt this torn. Part of me wanted to explode, to ensure he wasn’t disrespecting my mate, his luna.

But the other part of me knew that Jack was doing what I had trained him to do.

Watch out for pack interests.

“That’s the reason for our meeting here. I think that the root of the problem is the Kendricks. The minute they touched down in my territory is when shit went south.”

“They’re the root of the evils,” Jack half-heartedly replied.

“More like the head of the snake, and I intend to cut it off!” I growled.

The animal inside me went nuts; controlling the wolf was getting harder and harder.

“What do you need, Alpha?”

“I need a full offensive, Jack. I want those fuckers gone today! I don’t care how we accomplish it either!”

Jack remained silent, but I saw the way his wheels were turning. He was the best strategist I could’ve asked for.

“What do we get then?” I encouraged.

He sighed deeply, “Every trick in the book, a thousand wolves easy who would descend on the guest house and destroy the Kendricks.”

“And that fucking chocolate wolf?” I asked. Melody was a contender and I wanted her dealt with first.

“The sister? Sheesh! That one is fast. She’s gonna give us a run for our money.”

“She’s first, alright? No questions, no answers, no bullshit. Just get rid of her!”

I knew that the potential loss of Kiarra was fueling me. I was being savage, just like the Kendricks.

They would stop at nothing to get their hands securely wrapped around Kiarra, so why wouldn’t I establish a counter-offensive?

“Alpha? Can I speak freely?”

I growled. I wasn’t in the mood for anything rational Jack had to say.

“What?”

“It’s just like you said, this is a complicated scenario. The Kendricks, whether we like it or not, are very influential. They have the sort of power most packs can only dream of.”

“What’s your point? What are you saying? We should back off? Let Kiarra saunter out of here?”

“No! Not at all!” he replied, fear thick in his voice, “I think we should find a way around using force. I’m not sure what that will look like to the council.”

I could have cared less about the council. I had no issue dealing with my pack’s business on my terms.

“I don’t get you, Jack. Weren’t you the one ready to ride out at dawn a few hours ago?”

He smirked and nodded his head, “Yeah, I know. And I got your back! It’s just hard to justify starting a war over…”

He stopped. He knew better than to say her name.

Jack didn’t care for Kiarra; I’m not sure he even respected her. It was no one’s fault. Kiarra had come to us as a human. No one had any inclination there was a wolf hidden inside her.

“Is this about you not wanting Kiarra in the pack, Jack?”

“No! Not at all, Alpha! I would say the same if it were anyone else! Yeah, it’s pissed me off that she does what she wants, and yeah, she makes my life harder with security issues, but no, it’s not that.”

It was a great backpedal. I had to give it to him.

“Jack, I can’t lose her, I can’t!”

I slammed my fist down—“I’m losing control over everything! There’s only one way to make my point, defend my mate, and eliminate the Kendricks.”

“Alpha, I support that. I support the luna, but I have to ask you something.”

“Yeah?” I looked up, but I didn’t want to hear his question.

“Is it worth it? If we murder an Alpha and his family who are supposed to be guests on our lands, that’s gonna cause more grief than we’ve ever known.”

I stood up. I needed a drink—“And if we don’t?”

“Is it going to be better to lose Kiarra, lose the pack, and be prosecuted by the council?”

I took a long sip of my bourbon as I considered Jack’s entirely rational, completely sane point of view.

I hated it.

~“Alpha! We got an emergency!”~

It was Angela.

~“Kiarra’s gone!”~