Chapter 154: The Return of my Ex's - Halley's POV

Slowly, I open my eyes and meet his gaze. The warmth in his expression grounds me instantly. “That means we need to plan, even with him recovering and the council kneeling to me, this isn’t the end of the issues. Those who left will come back and probably try to test us. We have to be ready for the next wave.”

Reed raises, brushing off the blood on his legs. “We will reinforce what loyalty you have. You have to show the pack that you are more than capable of doing everything you said. If you falter, then they may leave as well. It’s going to be the toughest thing you’ve ever done.”

I nod, letting his words settle over me. “Fine, we can set up patrols in rotations. I’ll meet with those who are willing to swear complete loyalty to our case tonight, but Sam…” I glance at him. “I need you with me as their alpha. The pack sees us as a pair now and we will lead them together. I need your support more than ever.”

Sam smiles in a quiet, confident way. “Always.”

The room falls silent. I stand and take one step toward my father, brushing my hand lightly over his arm. “You need to rest. Reed and I will handle everything else.”

Finally, I shift slightly, letting the wolf come closer to the surface. She’s not fully released, but present and alert. I need the reminder that she steadies me more than Sam or Reed ever could.

We stand there a moment longer, just the three of us with my father and the healer. I listen to his steady breathing, the faint creak of the house I grew up in, and the distant sounds of the pack in the woods. Outside, the world is dangerous and fractured, but inside, for the last few minutes, it almost feels… peaceful. At least, as close as I can get to peace. I allow myself to breathe, to plan, to be Halley, the alpha.

“I’m ready,” I whisper, mostly to myself, but Sam hears it too. He squeezes my hand again, and I feel the spark in our bond. “We’ll handle everything that is thrown our way, right? That’s what you keep telling me.”

For the first time, I actually believe it. Every hurdle and battle, we have overcome it and made it. It has shown me that I can do this, though I want to cry and say I can’t. I have to protect the packs. No, I will protect them, no matter the cost.

The quiet doesn’t last. A low, vibrating rumble jars the floor. It’s so faint at first, that I’m certain I imagined it. Sam’s head lifts, his nostrils flaring. Reed stiffens and so does the healer.

My wolf rises to the surface, ready to shift at a moment’s notice. It’s not thunder, not the wind. So what is it?

“Are they gathering already?” Reed asks, his jaw tightening.

My pulse spikes. “No, surely they’re not.”

Sam doesn’t answer immediately, because he doesn’t have to. I already have a feeling I know what it is.

I turn, and head to the doorway. When I open the front door and step onto the porch. All my hopes die instantly. I thought we’d heal the fractured pack, mend the bonds, and stand together as one unified pack. We were going to rule together without any problems. At least, that is how I dreamed it would be.

Now, I’m looking into the eyes of the four Howler brothers, Tyler, and the twins, all of whom I had gone on dates with. They stand shoulder to shoulder, staring at me as if they plan to attack me. I had known they were here, somewhere that is.

I just never expected them to come see me personally, especially at my father’s house or tonight, when everything is still hanging by a thread. Their expressions aren’t curious or even conflicted. They’re cold, calculated and unified in a way that makes my stomach drop. Whatever grievances they had over me not choosing them and rejecting them has been turned into something else entirely.

Sam steps in behind me and he’s close enough that his body heat melts into my back. Once again, he’s reminding me that we’re in this together, though it’s a silent reminder.

Marcus looks at me, his gaze narrowing. “We need to talk.”

Talk? Right, because men who stand like a firing squad always come to chat first. I let my wolf rise to the surface fully, my eyes glowing.

“This is the last thing I expected. Imagine you all coming here together,” I say, my tone cold. “At my doorstep, no less.”

“I see you finally mated the beta,” Tyler says, folding his arms over his chest. “You made it public and everything. Now what?”

Sam steps around me, refusing to hide behind me. “So what are you doing here? Threatening her?”

“Oh, I think you know what this is,” one of the twins murmurs. “Not only that, but when did the little beta become an alpha? Is that what happens when betas mate with alpha females? Interesting.”

I square my shoulders. “If you came here expecting to intimidate me, you’re wasting your time. I could make you bow at my whim. So just leave.”

Marcus’s mouth twitches, not quite a smile. “Not intimidate. Inform.”

My wolf snarls internally.

“The ones who left the pack?” Marcus continues. “They didn’t leave because of the council’s decisions and they’re not wandering. They’ve chosen sides, Halley, just not yours.”

A chill goes down my spine. “You’re not telling me something I don’t already know.”

“They’re gathering,” Tyler says. “And they want you gone.”

“Okay. That was easy to figure out without you telling me, so what do you want?”

“You killed the leader, our grandfather,” one of the Howlers says. “We should hate you and join them.”

“But you’re not?” I ask, my voice hesitant.

“That remains to be decided and depends entirely on you.”

“Me?” I ask as I glance at all the men present.

What in the world are they here for? I’m mated.