The Falcon Ridge Series Book 1 She's Not For You

MICHAEL

‘What time is it?’ I send out a mind link.

I'm pacing back and forth across a dark alley way. The same alley way, Adrian threatened Anna in.

I run my fingers through my hair with one hand while nervously shaking out the other as I walk.

‘It's only a few minutes since the last time you asked, Michael.’ Anna answers. She hold up in an alley down the street

‘Mike, stop fucking pacing.’ River jumps in. My eyes find his in the dark of the alley across the street.

I shake my head. ‘He's late. I don't like it. This doesn't feel right...’

Anna links again. ‘Michael relax.’

‘Relax.’ I chuckle to myself. ‘The guys a raging lunatic and they want me to relax.’

‘You didn't have a problem with him when you sold us out?’ The tone of River’s voice had me stop and look in his direction.

‘River!!’ Anna scolds.

‘That was different.’ I squint my eyes.

‘How? How was it different?’ I see River’s form facing me.

‘I wanted you dead at the time.......no offense.’ I narrow my eyes further.

‘None taken.’ He growls.

‘Will you two stop!’ Anna scolds again. ‘Look Michael. We're right here. It's fine. If he tries anything, we'll move on him. Try to be calm.’

I blow out a breath and continue waiting.

‘Heads up, Big Dog.’ Blade jumps on the link. ‘Baddie off your six.’

‘Ok. Michael just calm down. Keep your mind clear and your link open. We need to hear what he says clearly.’ River instructs.

‘This isn't my first rodeo there, bud.’ I link him back. ‘I am a border agent.’

‘Ok, smart-ass. You can also lose the attitude.’

I smirk at River. ‘Yes, dear.'

I see River's head turn. ‘Here he comes from the west side. Get ready.’

I watch the opening to the alley. Adrian struts into my line of sight slowly.

"Hey, Mikey. What's happening?"

"You're late." I scowl.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was on a clock." He looks at me smugly.

"I've got shit to do."

He closes the gap. "Then we better do this quick, huh?"

He reaches up and straightens my jacket with that cocky grin on his lips. "Now, Mikey. You didn't call this little meeting to try and back out again, did you? Because if you did, I'm just going to have to make a personal visit to your little slut." He raises his chin and ticks his jaw, eyeing me up and down.

My jaw clenches and my hands ball to fists as I'm backed against the wall.

River links me. ‘Keep it together, Mike.’

"No. I'm not backing out." I give him a little shove back.

He backs up more, smiling. "Ok. Then why am I here, Mikey?"

"I want to know what the plan is?" I stare him down.

He chuckles. "Why, Mikey? The only thing you need to know is to take your girl and run when we tell you."

I shake my head. "No. I need to know what you guys are doing?"

"Why?" He asks again, stuffing his hands in his jacket pockets.

"Four reasons." I walk up to him, counting my reason on my fingers in his face. "One. I dropped cash on this plan so, I want to know what I bought. Two. I could be executed for what I told you. Three. Anna's gonna be there and four..." I push my nose to his face and drop my hand. "I DON’T LIKE FUCKING SURPRISES!"

Adrian raises his hands and shoves me back. "Ok. Ok. Jesus. You don't have to be so hostile, Mikey. I'll tell you."

"So, what is it." I demand again.

He starts laughing. Like full on laughing. What the fuck?

I look confused. "Adrian?"

He wipes a tear from his eye as he catches his breath. "It's fucking beautiful, Mike. Fucking beautiful. This plan is going to change everything and we have you to thank for it."

"What are you talking about?" I'm confused.

"When I told Torrent about your little love quest, he was fucking giddy. Mike, he's gonna take the Dragons to a whole new level." He stood smiling.

"Fucking tell me already!" I yell at him.

"This plan of yours, Mikey, is so damn perfect. For years, we've been trying to get in here without a big fight, and you handed our opening to us on a silver fucking platter."

"What? The ball? That doesn't make sense..."

"Think bigger, Mike. While everyone's distracted by your little run off into the sunset, we'll finally be getting what we always wanted."

Realization flooded my face. A spikey shiver ran across my entire body. "The Unit."

An evil grin spreads across his face. "The Unit."

He slinks up to me and slings an arm around my shoulder. "And we couldn't have done it... without...you." He pokes my chest as he says the last two words. "When you handed over the location of the biggest event of the year, Torrent almost fell out of his chair. Everyone will be there, including most of Caledon's security unit. Leaving it wide open for us. We give you your little distraction to get your girl, we come in for everything else."

As I piece together what this means, I start to feel dread flood my body.

I swallow. "How many?" I look wide eyed at Adrian.

"Enough." He says.

"How many?!" I demand as I lean to him.

"While everyone's partying it up, Mikey, five thousand blood thirsty wolves will be knocking on your door." Again, he smiles that dark smile.

I stumble back, shaking. "Five thousand?"

He nods. “Oh, yeah. Torrent’s going all out for this. He's even making a personal appearance. He wants to meet you, Mike."

I shake my head, wide eyed with fear. "No." I whisper.

"Yes. He wants to meet the man that made the Dragons the most powerful pack this side of the northern hemisphere. I tell you. He likes what he sees. You might even replace Karver. Beta Dorian has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" He crossed his arms.

I'm panicking. "No. Adrian. I didn't buy a war."

He shrugs. "Think of it as a bonus gift."

He walks over to me and puts his arm around me again. "Mikey, think of it. You me, ruling this place. Running it however we want. You can even bring your lady. Of course, Torrent will give you any woman you want. You'll live like a king, Mikey."

"No! I didn't sign up to have hundreds of people killed." I shrug him off.

He arches a brow. "You sure about that? I seem to recall you giving us the Ok to the leftovers after your romantic escape."

"No. Adrian. This is not what I wanted."

"It's what you got, Mikey. You gave it to us. This is all you." He slaps my stunned cheek and steps back.

I swallow. "We don't stand a chance..." I stumble back to the wall.

"No, Mike. You don't.” He ticks his head quick. “⁰So, don't fight it. You're a Dragon, bud. Like it or not. When Torrent gets here, you'll bow to him or die, just like the rest of them."

He starts to step back. "Little over a week, bud. Make your decision now. You want to rule with kings, or die like rats."

He turns and laughs. Walking out of the alley. His cackles bouncing off the walls.

I fall back. My knees are weak. I slide to my but on the pavement, placing my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands.

"Five...thousand..." my words come out as whines as I gasp for air. I grip my hair like I'm going to pull it all out.

"Five...thou...” I can't deal. I'm fucking freaking out.

There's no way we can beat back five thousand murderous wolves.

My breath is labored. I'm suffocating. Starting to hyperventilate as my body breaks out in heated sweat. I can’t hear anything but the snaps and growls of an army bent on murdering us all. An army I fucking called.

River runs to me and lands on his knees at mine. "Mike? Mike, don't do this...Mike...."

I shake my head quick. Fighting my brain and my guilt. I'm on the verge of tears. "Five...we can't...we...." I'm struggling to talk. "My fault...it's all my fault..."

"Mike! Come on, man. Don’t do this." River tries to get me to snap out of it.

I lift my head, my face crazed with fear. "We can't do it, River. We...we're all gonna die." I'm shaking so bad, the tears are falling now. “I’ve killed everyone.”

River shakes his head. "No, we can do this. Mike. Don't give up on me now. I need you. Anna needs you." He places a hand on my cheek to keep me focused on him.

I look around wildly. "Anna..." I whisper. I grab River's arms. "Take her! River, take her and get out of here!” I sniff and wipe at my wet cheeks. I squeeze his forearms in complete panic. “We can't win this, River! Take her now!"

River shakes his head. "No, Mike. We're fighting."

I shake him, gripping him harder. "PLEASE!" My breath hitches.

"No! Mike. I know it looks bad.” He grabs my head and looks into my terrified eyes. “We can do this, but we can’t if you give up. You give in and Torrent will win.”

I shake my head and flop it into my arms that are crossed on my knees. I completely break down. I cry hard as River places a hand on my nape.

Anna skids to a stop at the alley entrance. "Michael."

I glance at her through my hair buried in my arms. My eyes filled with regret.

She runs to me, drops to the asphalt and wraps her arms around me, resting her head on my back. "Michael." She whispers.

"Mike, we gotta go." River says.

I nod. Tilt my head back, sucking back my grief. "Yeah. Let's go." I wipe my nose with my jacket sleeve and stand. I stuff my hands in my pockets as I walk beside River. "We need a fucking miracle." I choke past the lump in my throat.

"We don't need a miracle. We need a plan. Come on." He back hands my chest and we quickly race to River’s car.

****

River busts through the front door. "Dad!!" He yells through the house.

Blake comes running down the stairs. "How did it go?" He jogs up to us, searching all three of our faces.

River stabs his hair with his fingers. "It's way worse than we thought, dad."

He crosses his arms.

We told him all about what Adrian said.

"I'm so sorry. I fucked up so bad. I never wanted this...." Pain fills my face as I shake it.

Blake stood stiff. "I know you didn't, son. We can worry about that later. Right now, we need to stop a war."

Anna looks to my dad. "We have to cancel the ball. If the unit doesn't have to be covering the ball, then they'll be at the complex."

Blake shook his head. "I tried that. The council wouldn't go for it."

"But dad, they don't know about this. If they know that Torrent is coming..." River pushed in front of his father.

Blake nods. "I'll make some calls. In the meantime, you three gather as many fighters as you can. I've already sniffed out those on the Council that are trustworthy. We've been working on how to play this. The other packs are sending people over to Caledon as we speak. About four hundred."

River sighs. "Four hundred is nowhere near enough."

"We need to talk to the people." Anna looked to us all.

"Babe?" River raised a brow.

She nods. "Any abled body willing to fight. There's what six, seven thousand citizens between the five towns? Surely there will be some willing to fight."

Blake looked to Anna. "But, darling. They aren't trained. We could be sending them to their deaths."

"Alpha, when it comes to your home, your family. You'd be surprised how much of a fighter you become. We have to try."

I speak up. "Our secret would be out then. Torrent will get wind we're building an army and..."

"We have no choice." River says. "We just don't have the soldiers."

Blake puts his hands on his hips. "Ok. So, here's what we do. We out the moles we've found so far. Anyone involved, we lock up tight then we'll be free to build this army without Torrent hearing about it. Those moles we don't catch will scatter once they see the take down. We can get them after."

River hangs his head.

"I'm sorry, son." Blake rests his hand on Rivers shoulder.

"Yeah, so am I." He mumbles. "Let's go." He takes Anna's hand and they head to their room.

Blake turns to me. "I want to thank you."

"For what?" I say quietly.

His mouth ticks up a bit. "For coming to me. You could have gone in a whole other direction with this, but you chose to do what's right. It takes a man to make that choice. For what it's worth, I respect that."

"Thank you, sir." I bow my head.

"Go get some rest." He clapped my shoulder.

I slightly smile and head for my room.

As much as I hate myself right now, I feel a real sense of redemption. If I leave this world, I won't be remembered as the guy who killed his people, but the man who tried to save them.

For the first time, in a long time, I actually feel...happy.