POV: Victor
"So our alpha takes vacations now? And without prepping me first? Or is he out there stirring up shit that I'm going to have to help him clean up later?"
Victor questioned Will, barely keeping the irritation from his voice. Gasper had been gone for days without any explanation. The last time he pulled this disappearing act, he brought back a war that took months to fight. They lost half their warriors, and the pack was attacked repeatedly for months. And why? Because Gasper wanted a territory that sat between the two he already owned. Oak Moon. They won, and Victor's brother Reed was now the alpha there, but Victor wasn't willing to go through that again. They needed to move on from that type of chaos before they lost everything.
"Victor, I can't share anything else. But I promise it's not another war."
Why was Will so calm about this? The pack was on edge without Gasper's energy here, and the rogues started noticing. Keeping them out had been a challenge since yesterday. The warriors were getting tired, and so was Victor. For some reason, the rogues seemed particularly interested in targeting the safe houses even though they were empty.
"Because you would be honest with me." Victor snorted. "I'm getting real sick of this shit, Will."
"You are his beta, Victor. Do your job."
Will practically screamed at him, and Victor didn't appreciate the tone.
"Fuck off with that." Victor wasn't going to take his bullshit or Gasper's. This whole 'do your job, know your place' nonsense was getting old fast. He didn't need this place. Not as much as it needed him.
"Watch your tone. That's how you get yourself banished."
Will warned him, and Victor struggled not to laugh as if that threatened him. Gasper would never banish him. No other wolf was strong enough to be his beta, and everyone knew it.
"Empty threats are beneath you, Will." Victor walked to the door, looking back to add, "But I will go do my job, as you put it. Because I don't want to demote myself to grave digger."
"You are being dramatic."
"Am I? I had to burn six rogues last night. The only reason I didn't have to bury any warriors is because I rescued their sorry asses."
"Be careful." Will's face softened.
Will might be being an asshole to him right now, but Victor knew deep down the older wolf saw him as another son. He also knew that Victor's anger was justified. No matter what was happening, Gasper's disappearing act was unacceptable.
"Aren't I always?"
Victor left him behind and headed outside. It was a quiet night so far, but he didn't know what hell was lurking in the shadows. Even though the warriors attempted to protest, he sent their patrol out further than usual. The rogues had been too close to the border last night for his taste. He needed to keep them further out. Then he rotated the groups, splitting up the warriors who were too friendly. It was a distraction they didn't need.
"Beta Victor?"
He heard Samantha behind him as he lit up a cigarette. At least for today, his bad habit was back. As he took a drag, his nerves started to level out.
"Yes?" He turned to look at her.
Something about her always bothered him. Her main motive was to get close enough to Gasper to become his luna, which wasn't uncommon for female warriors to do. But there was something she was hiding. Victor didn't know what, but he was always suspicious of her. Plus, she had been sleeping with his brother for years and once tried to mark Reed forcefully. Reed was lucky that Victor pulled her off of him. The incident didn't teach his brother any lessons, and a year later, he was marked by his mate while he was drunk. The only salvation there was that Lissa was his fated mate. Victor didn't think Reed had been ready, though. Reed had told Lissa he wanted to wait. A few drinks later, his brother was marked and mated. Now they were a mess of an alpha and luna.
Thinking about it made Victor remember he should check up on Reed and maybe find himself a playmate for the night. He could use the distraction. Unfortunately, that would have to wait until Alpha Gasper showed his face again. Being distracted when Gasper was gone was a bad idea. At least one of them needed to be responsible.
"Where is Alpha Gasper?"
"On vacation," Victor told her, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he blew smoke in her face. She scrunched up her nose in response.
"When will he be back?"
"Don't fucking worry about it, Samantha. Do your job, or I will kindly ask you to resign and leave the territory." He growled at her.
Goddess, I hate that woman.
Xander grumbled in his head as they watched her join her patrol for the evening.
Doesn't everyone?
"A bit harsh, man."
Yuri, their gamma, said, coming up next to him.
"Fuck off, Yuri."
Victor blew him off and walked away to finish his cigarette. Once he tossed it, he stripped down while striding toward the territory line. He needed to run for a while. Xander forced his way out, and they took off. Whatever his friend was up to, he had no patience for it.
We could just keep running.
Xander offered.
We can go home.
Don't start this again.
For months, Xander had been laying into him about going home to be alpha again. His wolf had never wanted to take a step down to become a beta, and lately, he was even more restless about it. It had something to do with their mate, but Victor didn't know what. Of course, Xander wouldn't tell him.
Just saying. It's always an option. And if Gasper feels he can run away whenever he wants, why not us?
That was an excellent question.
Some day, wolf. Just not today. We can't leave everyone while he's gone. They still need us.
They are his pack, not ours.
Xander snarled.
It's not our problem.
It may not be our pack, but we are still an alpha wolf. You know we can't just leave them. They will fall. It would not be the right thing to do.
Maybe they need to fall. It will teach him a lesson. I'm sick of him ruining our lives.
Don't worry. One day we will go, and he'll regret all this bullshit he pulls.
A year, Victor. No longer.
Seemed as good a plan as any. For now, they continued their run until they came face to face with a group of rogues. They were getting aggressive and closer every day. Not all of them were a threat, so Victor stayed back to determine his next move. As he watched, they surrounded a female. It wasn't clear from her scent if she was a wolf, but she was afraid and still in human form. Xander and Victor couldn't leave until they understood what was happening. The scene looked like it could get ugly fast.
"Just go. He'll be back soon and won't appreciate you doing this."
One of them bared his teeth at her, and she jumped back.
"Please. Walk away, and I won't say anything. I swear."
One of them shifted back and pulled her against him. She screamed for him to stop, and Victor had seen enough.
Xander raced over to the group and charged one of the wolves. He knocked him to the ground and bit into his neck, ripping out his throat. Two more backed away as Victor flared his aura at them. He pulled the one who had shifted back away from the woman. Xander put his jaw around the rogue's neck and beheaded him.
Victor growled, standing in front of the woman, protecting her. The other two wolves made the right choice and ran in the other direction. He turned back to look at the woman, who was now in shock. Slowly, Xander moved back from her a few feet and bowed down to show he meant no harm.
Another wolf jumped out of the bushes and pounced on Xander. He managed to break free quickly, but only because the rogue was distracted by emotions. The wolf was strong. Much stronger than most rogues.
"Stefan! Stop! He was helping me."
The woman screamed. The two wolves stared each other down, daring the other to move.
"Both of you, please. Don't do this. Stefan, he stopped them."
Victor saw the fear in her eyes as she watched them. He decided it wasn't a fight he wanted and shifted back. His hope was Stefan would do the same without attacking him. If Victor had to guess, the other wolf would realize his only move was to shift back and talk as soon as he saw who Victor was. Not to brag, but Victor was famous, and his eyes gave him away. The genetic defect that wouldn't allow him to shift them made them look like a wolf's eyes, even in human form.
"T-thank you, Beta Victor."
Stefan stammered as he pulled the woman against him. He wrapped his arms around her as if he wanted her to disappear under his protection.
"Thank you for protecting my mate."
His mate looked incredibly uncomfortable and wouldn't look at Victor. She was one of the first wolves he had met who was embarrassed by nudity. When he caught her scent in the wind, he detected something unusual about her. His guess was her wolf had died or never showed up. It was a rare occurrence, but it did happen. The more he stared at them, the more he felt terrible about their situation. The wind picked up his mate's scent again, which carried the smell of his pup straight to Victor.
"Leaving your pregnant mate out here alone is probably a bad idea."
It was a judgmental statement, but Stefan bowed his head, knowing Victor was right. Rogue camps were no place to keep a mate who was carrying your pup. It was asking for trouble.
"You are right."
Victor's guess was the pup wouldn't make it. Stefan's mate was dangerously thin, and the pup's heartbeat was off. Victor wasn't an expert, but he had been around enough pregnant she-wolves to know when a pup was distressed. She had bags under her eyes, and now those bags were filled with tears.
"Why were you banished?"
If Stefan was clean, Victor would make a case for them. Something about his mate interested him. Not that he wanted her for himself or anything, but she had this bright power around her. If Victor was honest, she reminded him a bit of his mother. Plus, he could use a wolf this strong. He would quickly make Stefan a warrior if he would let him.
"Why is anyone banished? I pissed off my alpha."
It was the most common reason that a wolf was made rogue. Wolves liked to say it was a wolf who committed a crime or chose to leave, but it was all at the discretion of the alpha.
"Pissed him off how?"
"He wanted me to kill my mate. He had other plans for me in that department."
That was interesting. Most of the time, alphas only cared about someone's mate if it was a she-wolf they wanted or their daughter or something similar.
"Well. The territory door is on the north side if you ever need a place. All you have to do is knock, Stefan. We accept rogues all the time."
"I'll consider it."
His alpha had burned him. The way Stefan held his mate, he knew the pup was dying. He understood it wasn't safe for her out here. But the fear of being part of a pack ran so deep that he was willing to risk it. Victor wished he had his wallet or something with him. To give them money at least. Help them not have to sleep out here. Maybe it wasn't his problem, but it felt wrong to go back to his warm bed while she suffered. He hated seeing she-wolves as rogues.
"I hope you do. Keep her close."
"Thank you." She whispered to him but didn't meet his eyes.
"Just part of the job."
Victor smiled as best he could and shifted to take off towards home. Lost in his thoughts, he wandered too far away. He could only hope Stefan wouldn't let fear stop him from saving them.
The forest blurred past as Xander ran. Victor's mind was elsewhere, caught between frustration with Gasper, worry about the pack, and the haunting image of that pregnant she-wolf's hollow eyes. Xander pushed harder, faster, trying to outrun thoughts that wouldn't leave them alone.
That could have been our mate, Xander whispered. Alone. Pregnant. Dying.
We don't even know if our mate is alive.
She is. I would know if she wasn't.
Victor didn't argue. There was no point. Xander had been insistent about their mate for months now, growing more agitated with each passing day. Something was shifting in the ancient wolf, something Victor couldn't quite grasp.
They circled back toward the pack house, finally slowing as they approached the training grounds. Victor shifted back and dressed quickly, his body exhausted but his mind still racing.
Inside, the pack house was quiet. Most wolves were either on patrol or sleeping. Victor made his way to his room, passing by Gasper's closed office door. The alpha's absence felt like a weight pressing down on the entire territory.
One year, Xander reminded him. Then we leave.
One year, Victor agreed.
He just hoped they all survived that long.