Cruel Alpha Daddy (Silver Meadows Wolves #4)

Chapter 13 - Rider

After Fiona and I make love, I can’t bear to stop touching her. I pick her up and carry her into the bedroom, and she wraps her arms around my neck, snuggling against my chest. When I put her on the bed and lie down beside her, she immediately wraps herself around me. It’s as if we’re melding together, our souls as entangled as our bodies.

Even though she seems relaxed and content, I’m uneasy. I can’t forget how all this started.

She really, really wants to go back to her pack.

On the one hand, I can’t blame her. She’s been ripped away from everything she knows, and life here is extremely hard. It will take months to establish enough resources so that our lives are supported by all the basic amenities Fiona is used to in Silver Meadows.

There is another part of me that can’t help feeling betrayed. I know I abandoned her, and it was for all the wrong reasons. I’m fully aware that it was hurtful. Maybe even unforgivable.

But I can feel it in her kiss, in the way she clings to me like she never wants to let go. She loves me still. So why can’t she just let go and be with me?

As Fiona’s breathing settles into a deep, slow rhythm, I think about all the things I could do to make her more comfortable. No matter how many times I turn things over in my mind, the biggest issue is Tobias.

I have to get rid of him. He’s a huge threat, and Fiona won’t feel comfortable until I’ve dealt with him.

I slip out of bed, making sure I don’t wake Fiona as I leave. I contemplate locking the door but eventually decide that would be an act of poor faith after what we just shared.

In the main hall, there’s a lot of noise. People are talking happily, and all the kids are laughing, chasing each other, and playing games as they wait for dinner. After just a few days, they are gaining confidence that life is going to get better.

And it’s my responsibility to keep it that way. With Fiona by my side, we can turn this into a beautiful town. A place where our pack can thrive.

As I go through the doorway, I see Ryan and Luke by the back table, setting out stakes of plates and utensils. I wave to Ryan, and he heads over to me.

“Any word on Tobias?” I ask.

“No,” he answers. “I’ve put out some feelers, trying to be discreet. So far, I have no idea where they are getting their new gear from.”

“It has to be connected to the bar. Have you asked around there yet?”

He shakes his head. “That’s next on my list.”

“I still want you to investigate, but I need to confront Tobias now.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea? It will just make him even more secretive.”

“I want to see how he reacts. The situation between me and Fiona is still volatile, and I think it would help a lot to find out his intentions.”

Ryan nods. “Okay, then. I’ll head out and spread the word that we’re having a meeting.”

“Good,” I reply. “Get everyone in here as soon as you can.”

As Ryan leaves, I turn to the main tables to let the women know what’s going on. A couple of them seem nervous, and I realize just how deeply Tobias is wounding the pack.

No one trusts him. And that means they don’t trust me to keep them safe.

I go to the front of the room and wait. People start filing in from the main doors, and the hall fills up quickly.

Eighty people, all counting on me to lift them out of a life of pain. I can’t do that while nearly half of them are determined to stay in hell and drag the rest of us down with them.

Tobias and his ring of goons are the last to enter. I’m disappointed to see a fairly large group of young men around him watching me with obvious hostility.

“Thank you for coming,” I say, raising my voice so it echoes around the hall. “I want to have an open discussion with the whole pack about our recent changes and what we are hoping for in the future.”

Low whispers ripple around the room. It doesn’t show, but I’m pretty nervous standing up in front of all these people. Not so long ago, I was a scared kid who only knew how to do one thing.

Run.

But now, I want to stand still and fight for what I believe in.

Thoughts of Fiona drift through my mind, and I know I should have had the strength to stop running years ago while I still had her by my side.

“We’re happy, Alpha. Very happy,” Lilah’s voice rises above the crowd. “Already, we are far more comfortable than we have ever been. Everyone standing here now joined this pack to leave the world behind—to run from reality. We’re ready to stand and fight for a better life now. We know we deserve it.”

Her words are so close to my own thoughts, it sends a shiver down my spine. “You do deserve it,” I reply. “All of us do. As it stands, there seems to be only one threat to our way of life.”

I’ve been watching Tobias closely out of the corner of my eye, and so far, he hasn’t reacted. He’s leaning on the wall, watching me with a confident smile on his ugly face.

Silence falls across the hall. Not even a baby cries. I know the time is ripe, and if it comes to it, I’m ready to fight Tobias right here and now.

Make it like one of Jethro’s death rings, I don’t care. I’ll keep beating them, one by one, until they are all dead and the pack is safe.

I turn to look at Tobias, and he grins at me.

The bastard knows exactly what I’m here to do.

“Tobias,” I say firmly. “Step forward.”

To my surprise, he does. A couple of the young males try to follow him, but he waves them back.

“Yes, my alpha?”

Damn, he almost sounds sincere.

“I am here to charge you with crimes against the pack. You have repeatedly gone against my orders and even attacked our luna. You know what the penalty would be if Jethro was still in charge.”

“You aren’t Jethro,” Tobias says, his smile widening. “Isn’t that the whole point of this peaceful little town? No more violence, happiness for all?”

I scowl at him. “I did not expect you to return after the punishment I gave you for attacking our luna. I could set the pack against you right now.”

Tobias spreads his hands, blinking innocently. “I was trying to bring her back for you! My only desire is to serve the pack, my alpha.”

I can’t believe he would tell such a blatant lie, but from the looks his supporters are giving me, every single one of them believes him. As if I beat the absolute shit out of him for no reason.

He’s been telling them I’m worse than Jethro.

I realize that Tobias is trying to provoke me into a fight. He wants to prove to his supporters that I’m unhinged and violent, and maybe try to sell that story to the rest of the pack, too. Even though it hurts like hell, I swallow my rage and smile back at him.

“I appreciate your hard work,” I say smoothly.

Even though I had my guys with me when I rescued her, no one actually saw the exchange except me. I can’t prove that he meant Fiona any harm.

Tobias’s eyes widen in surprise, but he gives a little bow. “Thank you. I try my best.”

“If that is true, then there’s something else you need to answer.” A hard edge creeps into my voice, and I glare at him, fighting to maintain control.

“Anything, my alpha.”

His mocking tone is bringing me close to the breaking point.

“Where are you getting your resources from? While the rest of the pack struggles, those close to you have new clothes, expensive liquor, and decent food. If all you want is to serve the pack, then why are you hoarding resources that should be shared with us all?”

Tobias grins and gives me a little nod as if acknowledging a hit. “I was hoping you’d ask,” he replies. “I know your beta has begun to ask questions, so I was expecting you to say something.”

Fuck you, you smarmy bastard! How are you going to get out of this one?

“Explain yourself,” I bark.

Tobias gestures to one of his friends, and a couple of them step outside. My body hardens from head to foot as I prepare for a fight. I’m fully expecting them to burst back through the doors armed with machine guns.

“It’s a little surprise I’ve been cooking up,” Tobias says, his eyes glinting. The cruel grin does nothing to settle my suspicion.

Ryan glances at me, and I give him a short nod. If Tobias decides to throw down, we have to move quickly to ensure the safety of the women and children.

His guys return with huge, bulky sacks. They move into the center of the room and open them up. Toys and clothes spill out across the floor. Another bag has plush animals in it, as well as pillows and linen. The guys go back and get more bags, revealing stationery and art supplies, along with stacks of dry goods and cooking staples.

I’m so shocked, I can’t even speak. The children have come running in, excitedly going through the toys, books, and clothes. One of the older girls shrieks with joy when she finds a stack of candy bars and excitedly hands them out to the other kids.

“I realize there was a terrible miscommunication between us,” Tobias says. “I have been working in the surrounding towns, asking for donations for our youngest pack members. Protection of the pups should be our greatest concern.”

You fucking bastard.

It takes all the strength in my body to keep myself still. Tobias has ensured that if I call for a leadership challenge or try to punish him, I will look worse than Jethro.

“Charities were more than happy to help,” Tobias says. “There should be enough here to keep us going for some time. I was always going to share with the rest of the pack; I just had to take care of these excellent young men first. They volunteered to help, you see, so I needed to make sure they had warm clothes and decent vehicles.”

What about the weapons and the liquor?

My inner voice is screaming, but Tobias has set this up perfectly. If I accuse him of any crime and we go to search his cabin, we won’t find anything that could incriminate him. It will look like I’m persecuting him for no reason.

He’s got at least twenty of the young guys completely on his side… not including his loyal pack of cronies. This is making it completely clear that he doesn’t just want to fuck me over. He wants the whole pack.

Tobias comes forward, standing over the pile of bounty and the laughing children like a scary, leather-clad Santa Claus.

“I live to serve, Alpha, and I apologize for any misunderstanding. Please accept these gifts as a sign of my loyalty. All I want is peace within the pack.”

“Then you shall have it,” I answer tersely. “I’m glad we got this straightened out. Thank you for the gifts, and the entire pack owes you gratitude for this generosity.”

Tobias bows his head, giving me a feral grin as he lowers his eyes from mine, just like a good, submissive wolf would.

Well played, you bastard. Well fucking played.