Chapter 70

Samuel’s eyes widened as he took in the members from the Stonecrest Pack. He hadn’t anticipated Alpha Benjamin risking the lives of almost his entire pack for the life of one girl. Samuel sucked in a breath and pasted a smile on his face.

“Benjamin, it’s been a long time,” he said to the Alpha standing in front of him.

Benjamin nodded. “Samuel, I wished it was under different circumstances.”

“My warriors said you think I took your son and his girlfriend? I’m sorry to tell you that they’re not here.”

Benjamin lifted his arm and motioned for someone to come forward. After a minute, Samuel’s eyes narrowed as he saw his son emerge from the crowd. He stared at his son in disbelief. How could he betray him and the pack this way? Samuel asked his son, “Why would you tell them something like that, son? It’s wrong to lie to people.”

Colson puffed out his chest and lifted his head high as he stood up against his father, “Like you’ve been lying to the pack. How you’re secretly working with the witches to get rid of a hybrid. For what? What has she ever done to you father?” Colson boldly asked his father.

Samuel was taken aback by how his son was addressing him. “You know the rules of the pack, son. We mate with our own. We don’t mix breeds. The rules have been set upon this pack for hundreds of years. I’m not one to be changing those rules.”

There was a mist that was slowing moving between the feet of the pack and was starting to rise.

Vita looked down and panicked. “Everyone shift and run!” she yelled as she pulled Gretchen behind her and started chanting pushing the mist away from them both. Vita looked over at Madeline and Zachary who started to chant forcing the mist back to where it came from. Vita looked at Deak who was still in his human form. “Deak, you have to shift,” she ordered. Deak shook his head, he started to cough from the mist. Deak was conflicted. He wanted to protect Vita but knew the best way to protect her was in his Lycan form. Deak grunted as he pulled his shirt off and started to shift. He howled when he was in his full Lycan form. Wolves from the other pack started to move back not wanting to engage with a Lycan wolf.

Samuel pulled on his son's arm. “You come with me,” he demanded.

Colson pulled his arm back from his dad. “I can’t live by those archaic rules; it needs to change.”

Samuel growled at his son, “You listen to me, boy. You either come with me now or don’t ever come back. You’ll be an outcast and no longer a son to me.”

Colson searched his father’s eyes to see if he was bluffing. When he could see that his father was letting up on his ultimatum, he turned and looked behind him and looked at Gretchen. He hated that his father was forcing him to make a big decision so quickly. He turned and stared at his father and without breaking eye contact he took a step away from his father and the pack.

Samuel’s heart clenched as he watched his son step away from him. There was a small part of him that was proud that he was willing to separate himself and do what was best for him. Something he was never able to do. Samuel looked at his son for the last time before he turned, shifted into his wolf, and ran back to his pack.

Colson let out a breath as he continued to walk backward pushing himself farther and farther away from his pack. He started to cough as the mist started slowly filling his lungs. What was happening?

“Shift, you need to get out of here!” Gretchen yelled at him.

He shook his head no, he wasn’t running. He was going to stay and protect her. Colson continued to cough as the mist got thicker and thicker. He was having a hard time breathing. He dropped to his knees, it was weakening him.

“No!” he heard someone scream. He was hunched over as he tried to get some air. His wolf started to howl as the mist continued to weaken him. A shiver went through him, which made him look up to see Gretchen running toward him. She sucked in a breath as she leaped over a bush and landed by Colson. She pulled him into her arms and spelled a force shield around them. Colson sucked in a breath and winced as the air seemed to burn his dry lungs.

Colson looked up at Gretchen. “You, you saved me.”

Gretchen shivered, and her stomach started to flutter. She didn’t understand what was going on with her body. She was still afraid of him, but she couldn’t let him die.

“It was the right thing to do,” she told him.

Colson nodded. “Thank you.”

Gretchen stared into Colson’s chocolate eyes. She didn’t want to fall for him, but there was just something that kept her from running away from him. Gretchen looked away as she pushed away any romantic thoughts or feelings for the Alpha wolf that was sitting next to her.

Colson chuckled.

Gretchen noticed the mist moving back off her shield and released it when she knew it was safe.

“Are you two okay?” Vita asked as she walked up to them.

They both nodded. Gretchen got up quickly and tried to put some distance between her and Colson. The longer she stayed close to him, the more she thought about him and wanted to feel his touch. Gretchen coughed as she tried to clear the thoughts that were playing with her head.

This wasn’t the time to be thinking about all this.

Madeline walked up behind them. “I think it’s time we met the puppeteer that is orchestrating all this.” Madeline started to whisper a spell as she lifted her cane and forced it back down into the earth. The ground started to shake and rumble. Clouds started to move quickly through the sky, there was a static current in the air as a bolt of lightning pierced the sky causing Gretchen to jump. She looked over at her Grandmother and was impressed. Thunder boomed across the sky and it started to rain. Drenching the mist and causing it to disappear.

In the distance, they saw a small group of people standing together as a collective.

“Looks like we’re up. Ready to show them what we got?” Madeline asked.

Zachary chuckled as he shook his head.

Both Vita and Gretchen looked at each other before nodding in agreement.

Colson took off his shirt before shifting into his wolf. Gretchen sucked in a breath when she saw Colson without his shirt and watched in amazement, while he shifted into his wolf.

Vita nudged her and laughed as they followed Madeline to the gunfight they were about to get into.

Colson followed closely behind, making sure that no one jumped them from behind.