Alpha Jaxon POV
It goes even smoother than I could have dared to hope. The women forced to sing on the outskirts of the territory, continue to slowly walk forward, their voices rising in harmony, as pack members of the Red Moon Pack begin to slowly swarm towards them in droves. Warriors, Omegas, Pack members, women, and children, all of them with the same puzzled expressions on their faces that slowly change to expressions of blankness. My men, stand directly behind the women, weapons in hand, prepared to slit the women's throats should they so much as attempt to betray us in any way, but I know it won't be needed. I have already informed them that to do so will also result in the death of the innocent child back in my pack, Tiana, causing them to know that repercussions will continue even after they are dead. They won't risk her life, no matter how much this pains them.
We make it to the center of the grounds. My eyes scan the pack. I am reasonably impressed. The security had been tight. Patrol had consisted of more than enough shifters. The warriors were in good shape. Fit and toned, they weren't unused to training, another bonus. I couldn't abide lazy men. The last person to be entranced and placed underneath the siren's spell, was of course the Alpha and Amber's father, a helpless expression on his face as he wandered into the clearing, his teeth gritted as he tried to fight the song with every fiber of his being. I smirked. The alpha was strong. There was no denying that. He was glancing at his people, and then towards the sirens, a look of sheer panic on his face. Whether he knew it yet, the Alpha was about to die today and his people, would merge with my pack, The Blood Moon Pack, and pledge their loyalty to me.
I nod towards the sirens. The song changes. The Alpha is freed from the siren's grasp. He blinks and then looks at me, recognition dawning. "You" he hisses, "Where is my daughter? What have you done to Amber? What are you doing to my pack?" he demanded.
I gave a lazy smile. "Amber is alive for now, although I must say she's not enjoying being in the dungeons as an accommodation" I cocked my head "And isn't it obvious? I'm taking your pack Alpha. Why else would I be using the sirens to entrance your people?"
He stared "Bastard" he growled and then he shifted, causing me to chuckle as I did the same. He was a fool to think he could overpower me. Even if I began to lose, the sirens would re-entrance him. Still, I had my pride and we began to fight, circling each other.
His anger began to get the better of him as he lunged heedlessly towards me. He was distracted. I easily dodged his attacks and countered with my own, swiping his side and spilling his guts as he howled in pain. I bit into his neck and shook him, sending him flying across the grass. He hit the ground with a painful thud and awkwardly got to his feet. It was almost pathetic, the fight he put up and within minutes I was severing his spinal cord with one bite to his neck, breaking it and dropping his floppy body to the ground, blood staining my fur. I shifted back to human form and nodded to the sirens who slowly petered their song out, watching as the light dawned back in the pack member's eyes as they blinked and then looked towards their fallen leader in shock.
"What happened to the Alpha?
"The Alpha, the Alpha is dead."
"Our leader is gone, what do we do? Even if the Beta and Gamma step in..."
"Sirens, they have sirens. We have no hope. Is he going to kill us?"
Children crying as mothers swept them in their arms, babies held fiercely against their breasts. Reggie handed me some clothes and I nonchalantly put them on as my men kept a careful eye on the confused pack members, the sirens lowering their heads in apology and remorse. They had helped to kill the Alpha and even if they hadn't wanted to, they would still carry part of the blame. I raised my eyes and addressed the pack, the men grim-faced and angry.
"Your Alpha is dead," I said deliberately, gesturing to the blood-soaked wolf on the ground "killed by my own hand. Your pack is surrounded by sirens. I have control of your pack right now. Anybody wishing to challenge me one-on-one shall do so, but you don't have a chance in hell of winning if your own Alpha couldn't defeat me."
Silence. The women shot each other nervous glances. The men clenched their jaws. "Where are the Beta and Gamma?" I asked.
Two men slowly stepped out. I nodded to my men. They quickly surrounded them. Cries of shock sounded as the men's necks were broken before they could defend themselves.
"Why would you do that?"
"Beta's and Gamma's are always loyal to their Alpha," I said, watching two women scream and sink to their knees in anguish, presumably the men's mates "I won't risk them trying to overtake me."
"What do you want?" one of the pack members called out, their voice shaking as the group eyed my considerable number of men and the silent sirens.
"I want this pack" I declared, grinning smugly as the pack went quiet "to merge with mine. To become one with the Blood Moon Pack and increase its strength."
"But what about our pack?" a woman whispered, "what about our home?"
"That is no longer," I said icily.
"What if we don't want to?"
"You have a decision to make" I announced, watching the group nervously shift on their feet and mutter amongst themselves "and it's an easy one. Either," I paused and glanced deliberately at the pack members, my men nodding in agreement with me "come and pledge your loyalty to me, by making a blood oath" a gasp at those words "or die. It's your decision, but anybody who chooses to die today will be left here for the wild animals and rogues to feast on."
More sobs as the women begin to break down. I stride to a spot and stand, while Reggie hands me a dagger. I hold it, the knife glinting in the sunlight. I tap it impatiently against my leg. The group glances uneasily at each other. "Oh, anybody who hasn't pledged by sunset will automatically be killed" I added, causing another mutter amongst the group and more sobbing.
One of the mates of the dead men slowly stands and makes her way towards me, tears staining her cheeks. I see the looks of disbelief on the group's faces as she faces me, her body trembling. I cock my head. I'm surprised to see that she's willing to abandon her pack so easily, but her mate is dead now and she has nothing left for her here now. The devastating loss of the mate bond is no doubt clouding her mind. Still, she will serve as an example to the others.
I raise the dagger and slice my hand, before she tentatively holds her hand out, it shaking slightly. I show no kindness as I slice hers, hearing her gasp in pain. She places her hand in mine, our blood mingling together. I can feel the warmth of hers as it joins with me. She takes a deep shuddering breath. I wait.
"I, Felicia Jones, pledge my loyalty to my new Alpha" she hesitated.
"Alpha Jaxon of the Blood Moon Pack" I supplied.
"Alpha Jaxon of the Blood Moon Pack" she repeated and I felt a slight tingle in my forehead and then I could mind-link with her as she joined the members of my current pack.
I waved a hand at her and motioned to one of my men. "Get her in the truck."
She went willingly, avoiding the stares of her fellow pack members.
Just like that, the others began to give up. One by one, they filed forwards. Children did not need to pledge their loyalty as their parents did it for them, meaning they also did not need to be cut or share their blood. I watched as the Siren's faces filled with tears, my men beginning to drag them away towards a separate truck, no longer necessary to keep the people in line as the crowd began to dwindle. Unfortunately, a select few refused to pledge, forcing me to kill them and leave their bodies littered on the ground. By the time I was finished, I was more than satisfied with what I had accomplished, already planning which pack I was going to hit next. My wolf was triumphant.
So easy and so delicious seeing all those pitiful faces. Their tears are music to our ears. We need more Jaxon. More blood, more tears, more pain. One pack isn't enough. We have to take over all of them.
We will, I told my wolf silently, as I began to turn around and join my men, every pack and then Riley will be ours again.
Our true mate he snarled every minute spent away from her is agony. Let us find her pack and soon so that we may be joined like we were always meant to be.
Patience I chided have patience and both of us will be rewarded.