Healing The Alpha Collection (7 page)

      
Aster's house was completely dark except for a single light in the kitchen that appeared to come from some sort of lantern. His truck was still out back, but Aster couldn't tell if his old friend was there or dead somewhere else.

      
Please be here, Rowan,
he thought as he stopped the motorcycle at the end of the street.
I need you now more than ever.

      
The gang members all turned and looked down the street, trying to make out the figure who sat tall on the motorcycle. The headlight was shining in their direction, obstructing their vision and revealing only a shadowy figure atop the steel steed. Was it friend or foe? They had no clue and Aster was going to use that to his advantage.

      
None of them had made a move to draw any weapons or shift as they tried to figure out who they were looking at. No doubt they had been warned by the others about his escape and subsequent slaughter of their brethren. Still, no one had moved to intercept him as he moved through town. Surely they were setting a trap, but if this was the trap location then it was a horrible trap. Six guys were going to stop him? He was going to crack their skulls open and feed on whatever poured out. He would eat their hearts, but he knew these honorless dogs didn't have one.

      
Finally one of them stepped forward and threw his arms out to the side as if he was asking what the hell was taking so long. They must have thought he was a friend, which meant they could be expecting reinforcements.

      
"See you all in hell," Aster whispered as he gunned the motorcycle and sped down the street.

      
The one who had stepped forward leaned over, as if a couple more inches would allow him the clarity he hadn't had before. As Aster drew closer the wolf realized his supposed reinforcements weren't slowing down and were heading right for him. His eyes grew wide and he tried to turn, but Aster was already on him. The motorcycle crashed into him, sending him flying across the yard. At the same time Aster lost his balance and began to skid. With unmatched agility he sprung out of the seat and used the skidding motorcycle as a launching point to jump onto another one of his enemies.

      
The man cried out in terror and pain as Aster crashed into him. Aster managed to get one hand around the man's throat as he rode him to the ground, applying extreme pressure as they hit the ground. The man's throat was crushed and he would soon suffocate.

      
Aster stood up and stretched his back, allowing the muscles in his human body to crack and pop as he worked out the stiffness of sitting on a motorcycle for too long. His back was to his enemies, who hadn't made any move to attack.

      
Slowly he turned and looked at them, winking and giving them a half smile. "Were you expecting someone else?"

      
"It's Aster!" one of them hollered, rushing forward to attack.

      
Aster yawned at the wolf's feeble attack, catching his fist in one hand and twisting with all of his might. He smiled as he saw the broken forearm split out around the wolf's elbow, causing him to cry out. He reached for a knife, but Aster was quicker, grabbing it from the man's still grasping hand and driving it up under his ribs.

      
"You son of a bitch," the would-be attacker weakly mumbled as he fell to his knees.

      
"Who's next?" Aster asked, looking at the remaining three.

      
"Fuck this," one of them said, turning and walking towards his motorcycle.

      
"Abaddon will have your head!" another one yelled to the retreating coward.

      
"No," Aster said, running forward and lifting that one off the ground by the throat. "Tell Abaddon I'll have
his
head!"

      
The man tried to fight back, but his struggle was all for naught as Aster crushed his throat with his bare hands.

      
He dropped the lifeless body to the ground and looked at the one who remained standing next to him. Quickly he ran to join the other on the motorcycle, cussing and hollering the entire way. Aster watched as they pulled their bikes onto the street and burned rubber out of the neighborhood, leaving him alone in the front yard with four dead bodies. He looked around at the carnage and death. This was what he should have done four years ago; this was how he should have fought back. He cursed himself for having been so weak and turned toward Rowan's house.

      
"Rowan!" he called, his booming voice echoing through the neighborhood. "Are you home, Rowan? It's me, Aster! Rowan!"

      
The only thing that met him was silence. Nobody answered and the solitary light remained the only one to provide illumination. Aster took a deep breath and confidently strode to the front door, ready to kick it open and begin kicking ass again. Just as he reached Rowan's bright red front door he froze.

      
"No," he whispered.

      
There was something there, something in the back of his head calling to him, letting him know she was there. Leena. He felt Leena.

Chapter 8

"It's either me or you," Aster said, giving his old friend a stern look.

      
"Why does it have to be one of us?" Rowan asked. "Crow and Forrest are much more qualified. They've been alphas in this town longer. Hell, Thorn has ascended to become his pack's alpha. He can run this show."

      
"We are the direct lineage of Luke. We have the first rights to be head alpha. They would need to defeat one of us to move up to being head alpha. Since Luke banned the old ways, that means none of them will do it. It's gotta be one of us."

      
"I thought you hated the old ways," Rowan said, looking at the ground. "It's what killed your father."

      
"I do," Aster said.

      
"Well, the right by blood and trial by combat are part of the old ways, dammit. Why can't we just elect our new leader?"

      
"We can do that after we get the town under control," Aster said. "One of us will just take over temporarily, to ease the people, then we can introduce an election."

      
"Fine," Rowan said, walking to the front window his father used to spend so much time looking out. It was on the second story, overlooking the yard and the entire city. "His body isn't even cold yet. Why can't this wait?"

      
"The people are scared and panicked, Rowan. It has to be done."

      
"So why are we even talking about this? He's been grooming you to be head alpha."

      
"He's been grooming both of us. You're his son by blood. You have the first rights."

      
"I don't want those rights," Rowan said. "I don't even want this house. Take it, take all of it. I'll move into my grandma's old house. I never want to look at this place again."

      
"You're being irrational, Rowan. Just stop and think about what you're telling me. Think about what you're giving up."

      
"I've thought about it plenty, Aster. I want nothing to do with this anymore. All I want to do is protect these people and be normal."

      
"So then it's settled?"

      
"It is. Congratulations, head alpha." Rowan said it with a sarcastic drip in his voice, one that made Aster's skin crawl. He didn't act jealous of Aster's position, but at the same time he didn't seem thrilled that Aster was taking this spot.

      
"What are you going to do, buddy?"

      
"Why?" Rowan spun around, looking to Aster like a snake coiled and ready to attack. He obviously hadn't slept in several days and the stress was getting to him.

      
"I'm worried about you," Aster said, putting his hands up like he was approaching a snarling, wild wolf. "You just lost so much."

      
"So did you," Rowan said before bitterly adding, "You seem to be doing just fine."

      
"Is that it?" Aster asked. "Is that what this is all about? Because I'm not grieving the way you want me to? Because I'm trying to keep it together?"

      
"You could show some hurt," Rowan spat.

      
"Compassion?" Aster was about to punch his old friend right in the face. "You think I'm not hurting? You think this isn't tearing me up? I just lost the only father I've known for ten years. I just lost the only wolf I'll ever love. Screw you."

      
"No, screw you!" Rowan said, wheeling on Aster. "You had it all and now you want more! My father was grooming you! My sister only loved you! When you came into our lives I was thrown to the side."

      
Aster knew it was just the hurt and grief speaking, but he couldn't help being enraged. "Is that how it is? You think I stole your family? Your family loved you, buddy! I'm sorry you're too bullheaded to see that!"

      
"I'll show you bullheaded," Rowan yelled, charging at Aster.

      
Aster was waiting for him and both men tumbled backwards onto the ground, rolling and scrapping as they bumped into furniture and shelves. After several minutes of fists and feet flying Aster rolled away, standing up and trying to remove himself from the situation. They were evenly matched; neither could gain the upper hand.

      
"This isn't getting us anywhere," Aster said. "We're fighting over nothing."

      
Rowan looked like he was fighting back tears. "I just don't know what to do without them."

      
"We have each other," Aster said, before remembering something else. "And that little girl. Rain, was it? We have her."

      
"Yeah?" Rowan asked, looking up at him. "Did she not have any other family?"

      
"No," Aster said. "She's an orphan, no older than the two of us when we met."

      
Rowan nodded. There wasn't anything that needed to be said to one another. They both knew Rowan needed Rain as much as she needed him. She couldn't fill the massive hole left by the loss of so many loved ones, but she would add more love and more capacity to his heart.

      
"I still feel her, Rowan," Aster said, looking at the ground.

      
"Who?"

      
"Leena. I feel her all the time."

      
"You do?" Rowan jumped up, excitement playing across his face. "How is she?"

      
"Scared," Aster said, covering his face. "Afraid for her life. Sad, angry, so many emotions, Rowan. None of them are positive, none at all. She's in pain, Rowan."

      
Rowan's face turned to grief and concern. "You feel that?"

      
"Every damn day," Aster said, feeling himself begin to break down. "It's horrible. I can't shake it. She's always there, always in pain and I can't do a damn thing to help her. I just have to let her suffer."

      
Aster couldn't hold in his mighty tears anymore. He was a big, strong wolf and he had a mighty heart that was broken into so many pieces. He felt his friend's warm arms grab him in a tight embrace, laying Aster's head on his shoulder.

      
"I'm here for you," Rowan whispered. "I always will be."

Chapter 9

Those moments were all in the past now. Rowan had always been there for him, except for right now. At this very moment Aster realized the ultimate betrayal.

      
But you asked to be removed from the situation,
he thought.
You didn’t want anything to do with it. You told them to keep it a secret, but they were supposed to keep it from Rowan too.

      
They
were
supposed to keep it from Rowan, but here she was inside of his house. Aster knew that the lost love of his life was waiting just inside the door he stood at. It had to be why he could feel her fear and anger so bright, so intense.

      
Humans who were thinking of mating to his wolves had asked him to explain the mating bond before, but he could never find the words—it was just something that you had to experience yourself. It was like there was a colored orb inside your brain. All it did was hang in the darkness, glowing a soft white light. When it was white you couldn’t feel anything; it was practically dormant. But when your mate’s emotions flared too highly the ball began to change color and sprout electricity. The brighter the ball got, the more powerful the electricity became and the more intense the feelings inside of you grew.

      
Over the years he’d managed to keep his ball the soft white color it was when you didn’t feel the pain of others, but every now and then it would shift colors and a spark would fire off. Those sparks were Leena, calling out to him. Right now the electricity threatened to blow him off the face of the planet; it was that intense. She
was
inside Rowan’s house and Rowan had kept it from him.

      
Hawk was under strict instructions to hide Leena’s rescue from Aster and Rowan, but it was obvious he had betrayed his head alpha too. Why was Rowan so special? Why did he get to see his sister after all these years before she was returned to her own personal hell? Why was Aster left completely in the dark?

      
The hurt stung him as his hand lingered on the doorknob to Rowan’s house. Did he dare open it and face her? Or should he turn and return home, waiting for Abaddon to come? There was so much pain, so many negative feelings behind this door, yet there was also the love and caring that he had been missing for ten years.