Gamma No More - Book 3

She’s cloaked. it’s part of her armour that she has never relinquished, especially when she needs to do anything unpleasant, but soon, she acknowledges, she won’t need the cloak to be recognised, but in all other areas, her life is unrecognisable from the one she used to lead.

Her life has changed so much recently, that she’s not even sure if her brain has caught up with the changes that have been occurring and she still has to lead her pack through the upcoming upheaval, becoming the ruling pack would change so many things, she hoped she had made the right decision for them.

There’s almost too much to do but in the back of her mind, Tyra is still nagging at her to claim her Erasthai before she loses him, she’s promised that once this little jaunt is over, regardless of the outcome, she will resolve it, but deep down, she’s scared that it will end as it did between her and Andy.

There’s hope for a calmer future, but in reality, she knows it will take several years for the werewolf world to settle down from the shock of finding Lycans are back.

The implication of that one small statement is something she needs her pack to have a say in going forward because their world has already changed, and this is just the start.

Luckily, the pack knew of her status, but no one, not even Toni, had understood the full implications of it.

Then there is the animosity that one person wrought on their world when they wanted dominion over the continent that needs to be unravelled and the packs calmed, and that now rests on her shoulders.

They say every decision closes some doors and opens others. Just now, those decisions affect the werewolf world and that prospect is still unnerving, but she has three strong Alphas as support to help guide her.

That idea is still new to her. Relying on others and not just going it alone is not only a novelty, but something she knows she has to get used to.

But for now, she needs to close off these thoughts.

In a small way, she should be grateful to Killian. His actions meant she had had to remain in the hands of Alpha Vincent and that’s when she’d learnt to tap into her dark side.

Learning that sometimes being harsh saves lives and more than that, forcing her to learn to balance her two sides, has made her into the powerful person she is, irrespective of the Lycan blood.

Even after all of that, he still betrayed her and betrayal cannot go unpunished, not as a wolf and not for her Lycan side. Internally, she feels the need for some form of revenge.

Taking out one of her traitor’s arrows, this batch was slightly different, not made to shatter on impact but to carry a different message, a note.

For five minutes she watched Killian Parker outside his home, sitting on a chair with his wife, looking up at the moon, he looked relaxed and happy, a man at peace with himself and it made her sick, at least her sins were not her choice, his, well they all his own doing, Colin’s words were still as clear today as they were when she first heard them almost two years ago.

The Lycan part of Toni was almost disappointed he hadn’t tried to run, but maybe he thought he knew her, or that maybe she had died in the pack unrest, after all, it’s been weeks since her initial message and he showed no concern as he sat in front of his house.

Tomorrow, the news blackout, such that it is, ends, the packs will start being released, one pack every twenty minutes, starting with those that need to travel the furthest and their world, no their continent, will find out Lycans are back among them.

So tonight she has to decide Killian’s fate, and to do that, she will need to deliver her invitation to meet. She grins at her thoughts. Maybe a summons would be a better description.

The Veiled Ones who accompanied her, carried pictures and information on the scents of both Killian and Marcie, were now posted at regular intervals around the pack. They were under orders not to engage the two individuals if they ran, but simply to report it to her and follow them if needed. She couldn’t help but wonder if this pack was aware she had executed their former leader. As much as she wanted to believe no one would find out, with so many wolves present, some were bound to escape and spread the news.

There was no regret that she had killed Alpha Bates. He had been foolish and prideful; she is still on the fence about his son, but everyone needs to be given a chance to change, she’s learnt that from personal experience, but this pack, well they would be under scrutiny, not only for their Alpha but for the wolf in front of her.

She tied the note around the shaft of the arrow and let it fly, hitting the porch floor between Killian and Marcie, Killian’s eyes showed concern, and his wife had paled, her hand covering her mouth to limit the sounds she made, Killian reaches down slowly pulling the arrow out of the floor.

His eyes never leave the direction the arrow came from, searching for the messenger, she steps out of the tree’s gentle camouflage, cloaked and hooded, moving only as much as she needed to announce her presence before she turns into the forest to head to the lake.

Slowly, they get up, Killian still protecting his wife with his own body, Toni noting she is no longer burdened by the pregnancy before they enter their house.

The invitation delivered, the only question now is, will they accept it willingly, try to run, or will she need to invite herself into their house?

The fact that there’s very little he, nor anyone in his pack could do makes her smile, but she aims to unsettle him, as much as she dislikes her time in the Nightshades pack, she hasn’t forgotten the lessons Alpha Vincent taught her.

While it may not involve whips and pain, increasing the mental anguish can still be done. It unsettles the target, and that’s her aim, especially since she hasn’t yet decided on Killian’s sentence.

Toni stares at Killian as he finally walks up to the lake, feigning confidence, but she can see beyond his mask. He’s a predator, unsure of himself.

Standing there, still on his home ground, he is probably foolish enough to think he has the advantage, so he stops a few meters away from her, looking her up and down, trying to assess her under the cloak.

Her eyes take in the man before him, he hasn’t changed significantly, maybe a little shorter than she remembered, but that could be because she’s had a recent growth spurt, but fundamentally, he’s still the same man that caused her to lose her parents.

But he stands slightly straighter. His face before with his mate had been relaxed and happy, but now, there is tension and concern, well deserved, Toni feels as she faces him.

There’s also recognition, but this wolf, she can’t form the words in her head to fully describe how she feels, but he is responsible for the ultimate betrayal and none of her feelings are good.

“Tone, is that you?”

His voice is hesitant, calling out softly the name he used when she was a child, but beneath the calmness, she can hear a slight tremble in his voice and a smell of fear slowly permeates into the air as she listens carefully, hearing his increased heartbeat, all of which make her happy.

“That’s Alpha to you”

Her voice is hard and cold, and while with others she wouldn’t always enforce the title, here, this wolf, this traitor doesn’t deserve to call her by anything else, he should realise if she is standing there in front of him, that he should be on his knees, begging for forgiveness.

And yet he stands not doing any of these things. She can feel her jaw tightening as she speaks again.

“Tell me why you should live?”

As much as she feels broken inside as she relives her past, outwardly her voice is firm, a little harsh as her Lycan side comes out, an integral part of her, but unlike her wolf, not an independent being.

He steps forward slightly trying to get himself into a better position in case she attacks and instinctively, her dominance floods out of her, swallowing slowly, he takes a faltering step back, before dropping to his knees briefly until she reins it back, noting, he hasn’t acknowledged her question.

“I spoke to Colin, the human that went to prison for killing my parents. It was an interesting, if painful, story he told me.”

Slowly, he scrambles to his feet, no longer looking as confident as he was. This is the Killian, she remembers, one who hated to kneel before anyone, who hid his feelings from the world.

“You would believe some human scum, a drug-addled man, before you even listened to me?” His eyes flash dark brown, his wolf appearing makes Toni smile. He’s trying to dominate her.

“He was clean, sober, and lucid.

Granted, he was also panicked and fearful. Having to face a werewolf with bad news isn’t fun for any human, but there were no lies, and more than that, he was aiming for redemption, cleansing his soul.

Or did you forget I have had plenty of training to smell lies?”

She pauses, eyes narrowing at the wolf in front of her. She lowers her hood so he can finally look at her.

“So yes, I believed him. You, well, shall we say not so much…

Just so you are aware, he falls under my protection. If he dies in any way, bar from old age, I will hunt down his killer, and anyone involved.

So please” The bitter sarcasm is dripping from her voice at this point.

“humour me with your version of what happened. I’m ready to listen, but you should know, I was going to let it go until I found out you had been involved in bullying other packs.

You will get one chance at this, one chance only, so you better make it truthful, or I’ll rip your throat out without hesitation.

Your life means that little to me.”

The silence from Killian sat heavily between them, but she hadn’t missed the involuntary jerk as if she had physically hit him, as she spoke about his death so easily.

“And if you have no self-preservation, just know that your family will not be exempt from my wrath. Just because you died, I will have the truth one way or another.”

She can see him falter. He doesn’t know her words are empty threats, that she would never choose to harm pups, but a threat only needs to appear real for it to be effective, something she had learnt from an early age.

Killian takes a deep swallow, the shoulders dropping slightly before his back straightens, his resolve strengthening once more, thinking he can control her in some way.

“Enough Antonia!

You are my daughter; you will not threaten me or your family!”