And Thomas said, “You shouldn’t have come here.”
Richard laughed. “You knew this would happen one day.” He glanced over at me before looking back at Thomas. “Humans, Thomas. Really? Still? Have you learned nothing from the past? You should be thanking me for taking care of the problem for you.”
I was not an Alpha, but layers of red fell over my eyes and all I could think of was death and murder and blood.
Thomas said, “That’s always been your problem, Richard. You underestimate the value of those you deem beneath you. Just because you can’t appreciate their value doesn’t mean it isn’t there.”
Richard’s eyes flashed. “Your idolatry was amusing thirty years ago. It’s since lost its meaning.”
Gordo’s voice was low when he asked, “Where is he?”
Richard smiled. “Who?”
“You know who.”
“Ah. But I just want to hear you say it.”
It was a game to him. All of this was.
“My father.”
Richard said, “Yes. Him. He had… other matters to attend to. He sends his regards. I’m sure you’ll see him soon.” He scanned over the rest of us until he stopped on Joe. “Well, you’ve certainly grown up. Hello, Joseph. It’s lovely to see you again.”
And that was enough. That was it. No more. He could speak to me as he wanted. He could say shit to Thomas. And Gordo. They could take it. They could. But this man had killed my mother and now he was talking to Joe and I was done.
But apparently so were Carter and Kelly because they flew forward as I snarled, their claws extended, their teeth bared.
I followed because they were my brothers.
I followed because of my mother.
I followed because of Joe.
The bonds were there. Between us all.
We were pack. We were outnumbered, but we were still pack.
I raised my crowbar and smashed it down on a clawed arm that swiped at me. Bone cracked before the claws tore at my stomach. The Omega screamed as his skin burned away at the touch of silver. He started to shift to his wolf, but I spun low on my heels, launching myself up halfway through, arcing the crowbar up in a golf swing. The shock of the impact shook through my hands as the Omega’s jaw broke. Shards of teeth and blood sprayed from his mouth and splattered over his face as he rocked back. The curve of the crowbar slid through the skin on the underside of his jaw and hooked behind the ridge of his teeth. I jerked my arms as hard as I could and tore his lower jawbone from his skull.
A line of fire etched down my back. I grunted and stumbled away. Somewhere off to my right, Joe roared in anger, either at the Omega that had come up from behind me or at something else, I didn’t know.
I turned on the Omega behind me. She had blood on her face. She sneered at me and reminded me of Marie.
She said, “Your mother will start to rot soon. Decompose and fill with gas. How she’ll bloat.”
And I knew what she was doing. Thomas had taught me that. Rage and anger caused surges in power and strength at the cost of precision. It was easy to sink into the red sheen because it was all-encompassing. But it made you sloppy.
She was baiting me.
And it was close.
Because she was talking about my mother.
Maggie Callaway had never hurt anyone. She’d been given shit all her life, and all she wanted was to be happy. She never asked for much. She didn’t need much. She had me. Eventually, she had the pack too.
And she was taken from us.
From me.