Cruel Alpha Daddy (Silver Meadows Wolves #4)

Chapter 25 - Rider

When Tobias grabs both of my front paws and yanks them in separate directions, I know it’s all over. Pain splits my chest, and I can almost hear my breastbone crack. My lungs feel like they’re about to burst. My heart is literally about to be ripped in two.

I fought well, but that early hit on my front paw won the day for him. There was no coming back from it.

Tobias pulls even harder, and a high-pitched whine echoes through my throat. My only solace is that Bailey is here. He will protect Fiona and Caleb. The bikers won’t get away, and the rest of the pack will be safe.

Darkness clouds the edges of my vision, and I feel the black maw of death slipping up to take me. The shadow of night falling across the mountains is in perfect harmony with the void that claims my soul.

Then, I hear a faint cry on the wind. It’s so far away, I could be dreaming it, but it penetrates the dark cloud surrounding me. It pierces through the hopelessness and strikes my heart.

Don’t give up, Dad!

The rush of emotion that floods into me then is like nothing I’ve ever felt before. It’s hope, and strength, and…

Love.

It’s an all-encompassing, white-hot blaze of a love so deep and profound, it drags me back from the void. My wolf will not allow this. The primal force that rules my soul cannot die, not while my son still lives.

The pain in my chest is excruciating, and I can feel the cracks splintering through my bones. But the new strength pouring through me forces me to fight, and I start to struggle in Tobias’s hands, snarling and snapping as full consciousness comes back to me.

“Beat him, Dad!”

I will. For you, I will. I’ll do anything for you!

A great roar vibrates through me, and every muscle in my body flexes, slamming my front paws together, wrenching them out of Tobias’s grip. He jumps back in surprise, and I instantly shift back into my human shape and launch myself at him.

I try to get my hands around his throat, but he grabs my arms and shoves me back. Instead of falling, I relax and roll, flipping straight back up onto my feet. Tobias is right there, bracing his feet and throwing a fist at my face. I dodge at the last second and land a firm punch in his ribs.

He staggers, glaring at me as he touches his side. I heard a nice crack when my knuckles met his guts, and I’m pretty sure I’ve broken a few ribs.

He flicks his head a little, trying to get the blood out of his eyes. My claws ripped a ragged gash across his nose, tearing open his eyelid on the left side. It’s bleeding freely, blood pouring down his cheek.

Not quite as good as blinding him, but almost.

Tobias hisses through his teeth, his face twisting with hatred.

“Why don’t you just fucking die!” he yells.

“You can’t get out of here alive, Tobias,” I say. “You should surrender, and maybe I’ll let you live.”

He laughs, a high, maniacal giggle. “Which fight are you watching? I’m kicking your ass, man!”

I shrug. “You’ll still never get out of here, even if you kill me.”

“Worth it,” he says, grinning. With the blood pouring down his face, he looks truly nightmarish.

Yeah, well, I’ve had worse nightmares.

“If you kill me, you’ll never find out about your brother,” he says, grinning.

My heart pounds a little faster at the mention of Peter, but I keep myself under control. “You’re lying.”

“No, I’m not. I was on a run to the state line, and I saw you in a bar. I wondered how the fuck you got there ahead of me, but then I noticed… no scar.” He draws his finger across his cheek, mocking me. “It’s the only difference between you. Otherwise, identical.”

“Shut the fuck up!” I scream.

“How else would I know?” Tobias chuckles. “Have you ever told anyone you have a twin brother? Figure it out, smart guy. How else could I possibly know, unless I met him?”

Sick horror creeps into my guts as I realize he’s right. There are still other ways he might have found out, but it’s extremely unlikely he could stumble across the information by accident.

And I never told anyone, except Fiona. I didn’t even tell Kyle.

“So, let’s talk,” Tobias says. “How about you let me go, and I’ll tell you where your brother is?”

“You’re a fucking liar and a coward!” I yell at him. “I’m not making any deals with you.”

“Fine,” Tobias snarls. “Let’s just kill each other, then.”

He charges me, and I plant my feet, ready to punch him straight in his ugly face. Tobias slows and spins at the last second, grabbing my right arm and twisting it as he shoves his fingers into the long gash on my forearm.

A howl of pain rips from my throat, but I react immediately, throwing the full weight of my body into Tobias so we both go crashing to the ground. He struggles under me, trying to maintain his grip, but I shove my knees into his chest and wrap my hands around his throat.

“Last chance!” I growl.

Tobias just snarls back at me, his eyes glowing as his wolf tries to get free. I tighten my grip, feeling my thumbs sinking into his flesh. When he throws all his effort into one final struggle, I close my hands and crush his windpipe.

An incredibly deep silence falls across the clearing. I stand up slowly, looking around at the ring of people. All the bikers look terrified, completely pinned by the Silver Meadows Pack.

“Attack!” Bailey’s voice cracks the silence in a shocking tone of absolute command.

His wolves don’t hesitate for a second. Every single one immediately charges the bikers with lethal intent. Some of the bikers shift into their wolves, some run on foot, but all of them flee, with Bae’s pack right on their heels.

As they disappear into the woods, the sounds of brutal fighting filter back down to us. There is no one left in the circle except Bailey, Fiona… and Caleb.

I take a few shaking steps towards them, but I fall to the ground. The world spins around me. Even though my knees and hands are pressed against the earth, I feel like I’m on a rollercoaster.

Then, two tiny hands grab my shoulders.

“Dad? Are you okay? Dad!”

The scent of my son floods my nostrils, shocking my wolf. It’s unmistakable—a perfect blend of my scent and Fiona’s, entwined together to create one that is entirely new, yet familiar.

I lean back, kneeling so I can look into my son’s face. The recognition when I look into his eyes is the greatest shock so far.

Those eyes… are my eyes.

“Caleb,” I whisper, the name on my lips like a prayer. I open my arms, and he hurls himself against my chest, locking his arms around me and squeezing me hard enough to hurt.

He can feel it in my scent just like I can.

We are made of each other.

A heavy blanket falls across my shoulders, and I look up to see Fiona standing over us. Tears are flowing down her cheeks, and I can’t read her expression. Her hands are wrung together as if she is desperate to join in the hug but afraid to.

“I’m so, so sorry,” she gasps, fresh tears running down her cheeks. “After you left me in Delta, I found out… there was no way to tell you, and I thought I’d never see you again. Then…” She trails off.

I nod, holding out one arm to invite her in. “I understand,” I say firmly. “The only thing that matters is that we are all together now.”

She sobs. “Really? You mean it?”

“I do.” I beckon her with my hand again, and she rushes forward, going down on her knees to wrap herself around me, with Caleb between us.

Our shared scent rises around me, and deep inside, my wolf stirs.

There is nothing greater for a wolf to live for.

Nearby, someone clears their throat. I look up to see Alpha Bailey standing over us. I tighten my arms around my family, afraid that I’ll have to fight for them again.

“Settle down, old pal,” Bailey says, waving his hands a little. “I’m not here to fight you. My wolves will be finished with the last of the bikers soon, and I can smell your pack on the wind not far away. Kyle and Fiona have spoken for you, and so long as you can put an end to the violence, you will have my support.”

“Thank you,” I answer, meaning it.

This man owes me nothing and has every right to kill me. Instead, he’s offering me another chance.

Bailey looks down at Fiona and Caleb, nodding at them. “I think you’ll have plenty of motivation to keep your pack on the straight and narrow now. We will have meetings soon between the alphas of all surrounding areas and work out how we can help each other. Agreed?”

“Yes, Bailey. Agreed.”

“Okay. I’m going to chase down my guys. We’ll talk soon.”

Bailey jogs across the clearing, heading into the woods. A few seconds later, I hear him howl as he announces to friend and foe that he has joined the fight.

I struggle to my feet, still holding onto Caleb and Fiona. The forest above us suddenly erupts in barks and howls, and I recognize the scents of Ryan, Donny, and the others in my top circle.

“Don’t tell me we missed it!” Ryan yells after shifting in the clearing.

“I’m afraid so,” I answer, pointing at Tobias’s dead body. “Bailey’s got the others on the run, though.”

“I really did miss out on all the action,” Ryan grumbles. “We chased around in these hills for ages, getting backup together and trying to figure out where you’d gone. I’m glad Bailey showed up early to help.”

“Me too,” I agree.

Caleb lets go of me and moves forward to look up at Ryan. “Hey, are you guys with my dad?”

Ryan looks between me and my son, his eyes wide. I nod, trying to keep my grin from getting too big but not doing a good job of it.

“We are,” Ryan says, bending down to hold out his hand. “I’m Ryan, the beta.”

“I’m Caleb,” my son says, shaking his hand. “And my dad is the toughest alpha in the world!”

“He sure is,” Ryan says, grinning. “Never seen anyone kick ass like he does.”

Caleb smiles proudly, taking my hand and looking up at me. I smile back, astounded by the waves of love that keep rolling through me.

Fiona comes over to my other side. I try to put my arm around her but end up buckling over in pain.

“You okay, boss?” Ryan asks.

“It’s okay… I think I’m still in a few pieces, that’s all.”

“We’ll get you home,” Donny says.

“Yes,” Fiona agrees, taking my hand and squeezing it gently. “Let’s go home.”

As I look at my family, I see the future rolling out ahead of me, and for the first time in my life, I’m excited to meet it. Hope has always existed inside me, stubbornly persisting even on my darkest days.

Now I know why I never let go of it. With hope, anything is possible.

Holding the hands of my mate and my son, I turn and walk from the arena, leading them into the bright future that waits for us all.