The Alpha’s Heir
Chapter 11

*** Aiden ***

The alarms ring out shrilly and I run from the dungeon. Preston briefs me as I undo my button-down shirt and kick off my shoes. “There’s been a breach, undetected again. It’s got to be Nikki, Alpha, and she’s with Junior.”

“Where is Max with Summer and Melanie?” As I say it, the distorted mindlink from Max makes my b***d run cold. Junior is after my little girl and Max has been hit with something and is weakened.

I don’t even take off the rest of my clothes, they shred as I shift and Roman takes over. I bound over to the patch of grass with Amber and Preston flanking me, and watch helplessly as Junior runs at Summer. He’s too big and too uncontrolled. He will kill her without a doubt. Her tiny frame wouldn’t stand a chance.

Roman howls as the scene plays out until an angel comes, her blonde hair blowing out, and spears the giant beast of a man who threatens the little girl in her care. We all stop in shock. Melanie saved Summer; her actions have without a doubt saved my little girl’s life, but I am unable to stop him in time as he ploughs through Mel. Her scream of pain, her broken body and the copious amount of b***d confirm this is serious.

Max shifts as he jumps through the air at Junior, and I don’t stop him when he snaps his jaws at his throat. Max found out less than an hour ago that Melanie is his fated mate and now she lies lifeless on the floor, seriously injured at the very least, and all at the hands of Junior.

Max isn’t successful in killing Junior, he is still weakened from what I presume is wolfsbane that was shot into his neck. Junior manages to escape, and he shifts and runs off too.

A woman flees on foot. I presume that it is Nikki, and send Billy and his team to track and capture them. I tell Preston and Amber through mindlink to sort Max out and get Melanie to the pack hospital as soon as possible while I return Summer to her mummy and explain what has happened.

Billy places Summer on my back. She’s had a ride from Roman before and knows how to hold on as I run carefully back to the packhouse. Her tears run down Roman’s fur and her little body trembles. I mindlink and ask for clothes to be brought to the door for me so I can shift and comfort my little girl properly.

An omega brings a dressing gown to the door for me so I can shift quickly. Once I’m dressed, I lift Summer so I can take her to the dungeon. It breaks my heart to hear her crying, and to feel the way her body shakes as she sobs for her mummy and daddy.

“I’m here, sunshine girl, your daddy is here. I’ve got you and I’ll never let anyone ever hurt you ever again. I’m so sorry.”

“AIDEN!” Eva shouts as she sees us. “Is she bleeding? There is b***d on her feet.” I shake my head at her and open the cell, allowing mother and daughter to cuddle and comfort each other properly.

“It’s not her b***d, she’s pretty shook-up but she’s not physically harmed.” I explain to Eva. My voice shakes, and it is the first time I notice the lump of fear that hadn’t moved from my throat since I saw Summer in danger.

“Whose b***d is it, Aiden? And who harmed them?”

Summer physically relaxes in her mother’s arms. No one can make it better like her mummy can and within moments she is asleep with her thumb in her mouth, a trait I haven’t seen often from her.

“Aidy, what happened?” Eva’s voice is firmer this time and after dragging my hands over my face and through my hair, I try to explain what I know.

When I finish explaining, Eva asks me to take Summer to her bed and lock her back in the cell. “I am so angry, Aiden. I want to rip Junior’s throat out with my own bare hands. How dare he go after our daughter? How dare he come here, to her home and make her feel unsafe and frightened, how dare he try to harm a little girl who isn’t even three years old yet.” Her body shakes and I can see her losing control.

“Lina, please, calm down, if you emerge you will jeopardise the safety of our pup. Please calm down.” Appealing to the wolf within is the only thing I can do, Eva cries as she breathes deeply and slowly.

“This is my fault for bringing her here, Aiden. If anything happens to her or her baby, I’ll never forgive myself.”

“Stop this now, Eva, this is not your fault. Melanie’s own actions led her to be here today, and it was Junior that hurt her, not you. You need to think of our baby now too. This is not your fault.”

She hiccoughs as she starts to calm down. “I want to call my father. This is war now and I want to know what side he is on, because if he supports Junior after what he has done, I want nothing to do with him. He must pick a side. I will be calling for Junior’s throat for what he has caused today.”

I agree with her, there is no grey area anymore, you’re either with us or you’re our enemy. I just hope her father doesn’t break her heart by not choosing her once again.

Amber returns to the cells looking shook-up, even paler than usual. “How is she?” she nods towards the sleeping form of Summer.

“She’s better now she’s back with her mummy but it’s frightened the life out of her. How are Max and Melanie?” Amber gives a quick shake of her head and looks pointedly at Eva.

“Just tell me. Is she seriously harmed, Amber?” Eva demands and my sister lowers her head.

“She’s lost her baby. The doctor said it was the equivalent of being hit by a car doing ninety miles per hour. They are going to remove her spleen and give her a b***d transfusion. Max sends his apologies, but he refuses to leave her side.”

There is, of course, nothing for him to apologise for. He must support his mate now more than ever, even if they have only just met.

Eva asks for privacy while she calls her father, so I post one of Max’s Gamma Guards to stand sentry while I go and debrief the pack and also make contact with the Werewolf Council to report a human harmed on my property. With Amber’s trial about to start tomorrow, this is more fuel for them to burn us with.

Preston asks for a word in private and so we quickly go into my office. “Alpha, has Luna asked her father for the Moon Stone registry yet?” I shake my head; it was her plan to ask tonight when she called to ask him to bring her mother.

“No, but she is on the phone right now to demand he pick a side, her or her brother. Junior has just attempted to attack Xavier’s granddaughter, which should surely have some weight. He cannot expect us to turn a blind eye to this.”

“I think we need to talk to Xavier and establish something. It’s been bugging me for a couple of days now. Junior is in sh!t, his own father had him in the dungeon, but we never found out what the trouble was.” I wait for Preston to continue. “What if the answer has been under our noses? What if Xavier Junior is JR? Maybe we got the meaning wrong and it’s not initials but an abbreviation of his name?”

Junior killing a powerful Mafia Don…. My first thought is why? Why would he do that? I have a feeling my new father-in-law could fill in some blanks, but it’s whether or not he is willing to give his son up.

“Look Aiden, I don’t have all the answers,” Preston continues, “I might be barking up the wrong tree, but we know Nikki has gone rogue, and now she is with Junior. The last we heard of Junior, he was locked in the dungeons for causing his father aggravation. Also, Xavier told us that the Werewolf Council went to him to find Eva, but why did they stay there when a break-off team came here and saw for themselves that Eva was in our dungeon?”

Everything seems to fall in place. Beta Preston is an astute man and with everything that has been going on, maybe we have both been preoccupied, but he still got to a worthy conclusion before I did.

“I’ll go back to Eva now and ask to speak to her father too.”

I am too late when I get back down to Eva. The Gamma Guard is back inside keeping watch over her, which tells me her phone call is over.

Eva looks shocked and pale. “What’s wrong, my love? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” I am becoming increasingly concerned about her and our pup and the strain this is taking on them both.

“Aiden, it’s Junior. He’s the werewolf Salma is after. He is the one causing all this sh!t. My father says he sides with us, and Junior is out of control. I’m taking him down, Aiden. He killed Jose; he has hurt Mel, causing her to miscarry. He tried to kill Summer and he’ll try to kill me because I threaten his position as Alpha.”

The rage and anger and panic she feels fills my chest too; Roman is baying for b***d now.

“I need to let Salma and Alejandro know as soon as possible, Shortie; they’ll want his head.” She nods her agreement.

“They can have his head, but his throat is ours, Aiden. We can all have our vengeance.”

My girl is back to looking in control, she looks fierce and strong. She knows who she is and what she has to do.

I’ve never felt prouder of her.

*** Salma ***

Life since Ale and I became a couple has been a series of ups and downs. I love him more than I could ever comprehend. Marrying him is the best thing that ever happened to me. However, the high of being in love was tainted with the lows of my papa dying, of finding he was poisoned and of his secret life and family. However, from that low, I also gained my little brother. The dry-humoured, silly little monster who is now my pride and joy had been a source of my sleepless nights until I realised he was just a young boy. He was no threat to me, quite the opposite. He has completely stolen my heart and warmed it with his love and fun and innocence.

The truth about my father’s death continues to elude me and with each passing day that goes by without answers, our standing within the Mafia wanes. We are losing respect. I need to take action and bring the culprit to justice and soon or the vultures will come to take what is mine.

Ricky has settled into the Suarez house with me and Ale, but I crave getting back to our own space and settling into our own groove as a family. Ale got me a load of realtor details with properties we could have. Now that we are Ricky’s legal guardians, we will need a bigger permanent base and my mother still refuses to move out of our family home or share it with “Jose’s bastard”, as she put it. She has become increasingly bitter since I got custody of Ricky and resents that I have put his needs above hers. I want to swing for her for being such a selfish, uncaring b!tch. Ricky is a child. Papa’s child. His place is with me now.

No matter how I look at the limited evidence we do have, I still come up with nothing. No leads, no iota of an idea of where Dominga is hiding or the werewolf she is in cahoots with. I am beginning to believe that we may never get answers, and that means I will never get justice for my papa.

I am watching Ale interact with Ricky as they play a building game on his PlayStation. Ale is amazing; he hasn’t been resentful or even offered a word of complaint about our new-found responsibilities. He embraces them and excels at being a guardian and it cements in my mind that I want a family. I want to give Ale a child more than anything in the world.

My phone rings and the caller display shows me it is Eva. “Hey, how are you?” I ask absentmindedly as I watch my boys playing their game.

“Sal? Sal, I need you to come to me as soon as possible. I have the information you need.” My heartbeat pounds in my ears, and the ground shifts momentarily. “Sal, did you hear me? Come to the Onyx River now, bring Ale, we need to plan, and we need to do it fast.”

“Who is it?” I need to know. I want to know. Who killed my papa?

“Its Junior, the f*****g idiot I share a father with. It’s him, Sal. The Werewolf Council is also after him, so we need to move fast. If they get there before us, we will not get our chance to pay him back.”

“Ok, I’ll be there soon.”

I hang up and try to take a deep breath but my body doesn’t feel like it belongs to me. My legs feel weak and like they are made of jelly and my head is spinning with overwhelming thoughts and emotions.

“Salma, Salma. What happened, did you faint?” How silly. I have never fainted in my life, my constitution would never allow it. I am a Morales; I am a Mafia Princess. Salma Morales does not faint!

And yet here I am, on the floor, sprawled out like a fallen bird as Ale crouches over me, checking my head and eyes with worry and concern etched all over his face. He strokes the side of my face which throbs, I must have banged it on the way down. “You’re going to have one heck of a shiner, Chula. Your eye is already starting to blacken.”

Ale lifts me from the floor with ease and my body continues to shake and sweat. “Are you getting sick, bebe?” he murmurs to me gently and tenderly and I shake my head at him in reply.

“Ale, that was Eva, she’s found out who JR is. We have to go back to the Onyx River now.” I jump out of his arms, and cringe when I am still unsteady on my feet. I take out my iPad and upload a picture of Junior Woodward from social media. “Let me just do a check. Ricky, do you know this man?”

My little brother pauses his game and looks over at the picture I am showing him. “Yes. That’s my mum’s boyfriend. That’s JR.” With that settled, he immediately returns to his game.

Ale takes the iPad too and looks at the photograph. “Junior Woodward? Eva’s half-brother?” I nod to him, still not trusting my voice. “Do you want to stay here with Ricky, and I will sort this out once and for all?”

I clamber up off the couch. “NO! No way, Alejandro. I am coming with you.” He smiles at me, and I realise he pressed the right button to spring me out of my spiral of panic.

“Hurry up and stop fainting then, we can ask my mother and father to watch Ricky for us and be out of here in twenty minutes.”

He k!sses me hard, pulling my head to him roughly. “Eurgh, get a room. You two are so gross,” Ricky shouts at us while pretending to vomit.

“Just wait until he’s older and in love, I’ll get him back.” Ale whispers against my ear while suppressing a laugh.

We quickly change our clothes and get our bag of goodies together. I tell Ricky I will be back soon and to keep his phone turned on so I can contact him.

As we leave the Suarez family home, I can’t help thinking this might all be over really soon. Justice is finally going to be served.

*** Xavier ***

The cat is out of the bag, as the saying goes. As soon as Eva mentions what has been happening at Onyx River, everything else pours out of my mouth. I have no intention of lying to my daughter, she is the innocent party in this, and I will not be responsible for her being hurt once again. Besides, Junior has attacked a pup, my grandpup to be exact. I want him punished for that. No, I want to punish him for it.

Lydia is starting to realise that our son is unlikely to make it out of this alive. I wish I could make this better for her, but Junior is a grown man. By the time I was his age, I was running this pack single-handed. I had been in a fair few scrapes and battles; I had suffered defeat and tasted victory. I took every lesson. My son just doesn’t. He takes every slight as a personal dig, and now he has made a grave for himself, and the way he is going, he may as well hand them the axe to chop off his head too. As much as someone is going to kill him for what he has done, I concur that Junior has been instrumental in his own downfall.

That doesn’t make it any easier for his mother, the woman who grew him from a seed in her own tummy, who almost lost her life carrying him and birthing him. The mother who raised this little boy and had so many hopes and dreams for the future for him. My heart is sore for her, and for us. But Junior has crossed boundaries he should never cross and now he has werewolves, the council, and the Mafia after him. That’s before we even get to the point of him attempting to hurt or kidnap Eva’s little pup and seriously injuring a human, causing her to miscarry.

Junior has made his choices and now he has to pay the price for those choices, but so will we as his parents. I have a daughter now and that gives me a reason to carry on. Lydia doesn’t and I worry if she is strong enough to overcome the loss of her child. Despite what Junior has done, my Lydia doesn’t deserve the heartache she will undoubtedly suffer if he is executed.

I want her to be a part of my daughter’s life so she has something to live for. I know it’s not the same, but having grandchildren to look forward to might just be what makes the difference.

Lydia has been so upset since we returned home yesterday.

“I messed up so badly, X, I scared the little girl and Eva seemed so mad at me.” I remind her of what she was like when Junior was little, and she smiles. “Yeah, I suppose us she-wolves are overprotective of our young. I want to try to get to know her. I’m just scared she’ll reject me. After all, I am not flesh and b***d to her.”

The Council are still swarming my lands and the seriousness of the situation is starting to filter through to the pack.

Everyone now knows Junior has killed a powerful Spanish Don and that his firm wants revenge. Several members of the pack have voiced their concerns and have also questioned my ability to continue leading. I need to discuss the succession with Eva and Aiden as soon as possible, but so much is happening right now that I haven’t found the right opportunity. Eva is my heir, and I believe that is the reason why she was able to shift when she came onto my land. The land recognises her as the future of this pack. However, right now, Eva is in no position to lead. She has many admirable qualities, but she has no Alpha or leadership training and she is currently locked in her own cell as a potential danger to herself and others because of her Dire Wolf.

I have to face facts: Eva isn’t going to leave her mate to come and lead here. Therefore, I need to extend my olive branch to Alpha Aiden and ask that we merge our packs. That way, he will become Alpha over both packs and Eva will be his Luna should things not work out as I would want.

I also need to reach out to the Mafia and hope they won’t take my head too, although with the prospect of losing my son, my mate and my pack, maybe death will be a welcome reprieve.

*** Amber ***

It doesn’t matter what is going on at home, I still have my trial to attend. Aiden is beside himself with worry and responsibility and Preston looks ready to kill the next person who looks at him funny. I tell them I can go by myself and to just stay at home and deal with Junior, the Mafia, and the council, but they won’t hear it.

“Youare not going to your trial without us, Amber. No way.” After making his position clear, he turns to my brother. “I’ll go with her, but if they start looking like they aren’t going to let her go, we are going rogue, right Red?” Preston is on edge, and it is making me on edge. I don’t have the energy to fight him today. I don’t want to fight him. I want to climb back into bed and pretend this isn’t happening.

“Aidy, you have to go with them, Summer, and I will be fine in here. Mrs Moore will look after her and the Gamma Guards are still patrolling and reporting for duty. You have to be there. I want you to go.” Eva is demanding he go, but I know Aiden feels torn.

“What if Junior comes back? What if you need me and I’m not here?” he agonises and I sympathise wholeheartedly.

“Would you feel better if I asked my father to come here, just in case?” Eva looks pained at the thought of asking her father for more help, but since Xavier isn’t due to give evidence until tomorrow, there is no reason why he couldn’t help out. He will know Junior’s weak points without a doubt.

“Would you, Shortie? For me? I’d feel a bit better knowing another Alpha who also loves you was here to protect you.” And although I can see her reluctance, she does it because she knows it’ll give Aiden some reassurance. I love that my brother finally found his mate, and that it is Eva. They are perfect and it makes going to this trial more bearable knowing Aiden will be cared for regardless.

Eva asks us to give her privacy while she speaks to her father and Aiden pulls me and Preston to his office again. “Before we get in there, you both know the plan, right? You know where the passports and fake IDs, clothes and money are all stashed?”

We’ve been over this plan several times. Aiden has made all the arrangements so that if it looks like the trial is not going to fall my way, Preston and I can leave the country, get as far away from here as possible and never look back. It is a last resort. I hope it doesn’t come to that.

“We know, Alpha, don’t worry, no one is going to touch my girl. I promise you I’ll get her out of here if needs be.”

Aiden nods his appreciation before he turns to me. “And you: have you stashed your knives and swords? Use them as needed, but don’t draw attention to yourself. I love you, kid.” It’s been years since I’ve heard my big brother call me kid, and my throat stings as I gulp back the tears.

The guard on duty mindlinks Aiden to tell him Eva wants him and so we return to her cell.

“My father will be here with Luna Lydia in about forty minutes, Aidy. I’ll be well looked after. Summer is going to meet her grandparents.” I notice how my brother’s eyes soften, how his shoulders relax, and it confirms he will be fine here with Eva if Preston and I have to leave.

Once Alpha Xavier arrives, we leave to head to the Silver Shore Territory where my trial will take place. It doesn’t take long, around half an hour to get there, but it feels like every minute stretches out for an hour. I both cannot wait to get this over and done with and also want this journey to stretch out even longer, so I don’t have to face my fate.

There is a commotion as we arrive, and my legal representative ushers us into a side chamber. “Ms Goldrick, you are going to be offered a plea deal. If you plead guilty to the lesser charge of Unlawful Killing this morning, the trial will be stopped and you will be sentenced this afternoon. You’ll probably receive less than ten years imprisonment, but you’ll be out in seven for good behaviour.”

“No. No way. Don’t even consider it, Amber. You used reasonable force. No deal,” Aiden shouts as he agitatedly paces.

“Aidy…” I start to protest before Preston’s cool, calm voice stops me.

“Why are they offering her a plea deal?” Preston asks. “Remember you are representing Amber here, not them, and you need to be advising the best route to take. So, answer me… why? Why now?”

The legal representative sits down and quietly invites us to sit too by gesturing to the remaining seats. “Look, I’m not meant to say anything. My boss will kill me if I mess this case up. It’s been so high profile; this could destroy my career and the company I work for. The main complainant hasn’t showed up and is now facing charges relating to witness intimidation. Her Alpha has also withdrawn his support of her complaint and has given additional evidence that supports your defence.”

“What does that mean for me? Will there still be a trial?” I am impatient to know. This is my life after all and right now I am so out of control.

“This case has come so far and cost so much money that they will want to proceed if you don’t accept a plea. Would you like my advice now?” I nod, I don’t know what to do anymore, Aiden and Preston look ready to kill and I just need this to be over.

“Please, tell us what you advise and why,” Preston pleads in the background. The desperation in his voice claws at my heart.

“They want something to show this hasn’t been for nothing. If you want to avoid a trial, give them a plea back, but instead of prison time, offer community time. Tell them you will plead guilty to the lesser charge ‘Inappropriate use of an offensive weapon’, but tell them you refute all other charges and see if they accept that with a punishment that is more acceptable. If not, then you are looking at a full trial.”

I think the way forward is clear. I only hope my mate and brother will agree too.

*** Preston ***

Call me biassed, and I don’t care if you do but I do not see what my Red has done wrong. And I therefore do not see why she should plead guilty and be punished. It’s stupid. They should have Junior and Nikki in here for what they’ve caused too.

“What do you think, Preston?” Amber asks me, and before I have a chance to be diplomatic, all my uncensored thoughts tumble out.

“It’s all bollocks. It’s all political bollocks. So, basically, even though she hasn’t done anything wrong, they want to convict someone, so they don’t look stupid and in the absence of Junior and Nikki, she has to take the fall?” My face is red with fury, I am full of nervous energy and so I stand to relieve some of the tension. My body trembles and I know I am seconds from losing control.

Amber gets up and walks to me and gently places her hand on my cheek. I look back at her, stunned. Amber is not a featherlight-stroking type of person, she doesn’t calmly react. What on earth is going on? Needless to say, she has distracted me enough that I can’t remember what I am shouting about. “I want to offer the lesser plea deal for a start, if they refuse or continue to insist on prison time, we’ll go to trial. What do you say, Mate?” She looks for my agreement, and when she flashes her bright green eyes at me, I am helpless to do anything but what she wants.

I gulp and nod at her, and I don’t miss Aiden’s smirk at her display. She has just played me, and it worked. God damn it! “Thank you for supporting my decision, Preston,” she murmurs sweetly at me when the legal rep leaves us all and Aiden goes to get some coffee and to obviously call Eva and check in with her and Summer.

“I would do anything to take you home tonight, Red. I just didn’t like that someone had to take the blame and, in the absence of anyone else, you’re in the firing line. No one treats my girl like that.”

“I don’t want you to be ashamed of me, Preston, but I’m just tired of fighting, I want to go home with you and live the life I thought I might have lost.” My heart flutters as my hopes rise. Does that mean what I think it means? Can we have our mating ceremony and start a family?

Hey, calm down, boy. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I still might get a custodial sentence. I thank her for saying it through mindlink, knowing it would have stung more in the moment if she had said it out loud.

Sorry, I can’t help it. I have wanted this for the longest time and it is close enough that I can touch it. But you’re right. One step at a time. We k!ss and only stop when Aiden returns.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Aiden never apologises for this stuff. He normally tells me to get off his sister. I wonder what has rattled him.

“Are you okay, Aiden?” I ask him, slightly concerned.

He nods and then frowns. “I just had the weirdest conversation with my mate. Apparently, we need to have a talk with her father when I return home tonight. I wish everyone would f**k off and leave us alone. I want one day of peace with my mate. It’s been nothing but drama since we met. I’m going to be grey by the time the baby comes.”

Despite the glumness of the situation, the uncertainty of the future, we all end up laughing at Aiden’s expense. What’s the point in living if it’s without a bit of fun and laughter? No matter what is happening in your life today, find something that brings you joy. It’s those little moments that carry us through the tough times.