Zane.
After nearly getting killed on the streets of Misenium by one of my dad’s men, I decided enough was enough. I convinced Chelsea that I would reject my mate if she was able to help me regain my pack. I didn’t trust her, and she didn’t trust me but eventually, she accepted to help me out. At least she had the strength to make me fulfil my promise by force. Reminding her of that made her agree to do it.
I paced around the hotel room as I waited for my father to pick up his phone.
“Finally,” his voice came through the phone, menacing as always. “My son, it’s time for you to give me my rights back. I’m the alpha of this pack and I need you to hand over everything. I can take it by force but you’re my son. I still love you despite everything.”
I rolled my eyes. What a liar. If he had any love for me, he would not have kicked me out of my own pack like a thief.
“I can’t do that,” I told him. “I’m ready to fight you for what is mine.”
My father laughed. “You have no idea what I’m dealing with.”
“And you have no idea what you’re dealing with, either. Since you have been gone, I’ve had to grow stronger and I think I’m ready to take you on.”
“Don’t be silly. I heard you gathered up some five warriors that have been out of the pack. You saw what my warriors can do now. They may have failed to capture you on the day you return to the pack but this time it will be easy.”
“Well, I cannot live without what I worked so hard for. I’m ready to die fighting for it.”
“If that’s what you want.”
I wanted to ask him to meet me at a cottage in the woods near a lake but decided against that. If I invited him, he’d think it was a trap. I needed to go there so as to lure him out. I gathered the few men I had with me and we went into the woods with the few weapons we had in our possession.
We stayed there for about four hours before sensing movement around the cottage. Chelsea was in the basement of the cottage and had told me her scent was masked and no one could detect it. Chelsea and I had agreed that she would capture my father and make him lose consciousness so that I could arrest him and force him to grant me my pack back.
When we detected the warriors of my father, I stepped out and yelled. “Come out, you coward.”
When nothing moved, I continued. “Are you that afraid, Joseph Carrington? Have you realised that your son is so much better than you? I don’t need some voodoo to get people on my side. In fact, I don’t even need it to fight. Oh, Joseph. You can’t do anything without whatever powers you may have got when you abandoned the pack. How sad.”
Suddenly, a figure stepped out from behind a tree. It was my father, wearing a white shirt and green cargo pants with black boots. His ripped arms were staining the material of his shirt, and so were mine. We were both ready to fight each other.
Suddenly, my father sent a lightning bolt my way. It nearly caught me but I escaped. When I looked back at him, his eyes were on fire and I could feel a strong wave of heat. It seemed my father was not out to play. I decided to take the coward route and ran into the house, leaving two of my warriors outside. My father zapped them and they fell to the ground.
He followed me inside and threw down the other two warriors. At that point, even I was scared of the power my father seemed to possess. I was about to open the basement door when I felt myself being lifted up in the air.
“What the hell?”
“I told you, son. You can’t fight me. Last time in the cave, I let you win because it was all part of my plan. I could have defeated you but that would expose my powers. Giving out too much information is risky. It’s time to give me what I want or I will force it out of you.”
“You know that I will not surrender what I worked so hard for. Kill me if you want. You’ll be the alpha and get everything. Powers and all. Kill me, Joseph.”
My father smiled. “I didn’t want it to get to this but if that’s what you want, I’ll do it. I’ve lived without you and I can do it again.”
“You’re a horrible man. Are you really going to kill your own son?”
My father lowered his hand and let me down. I fell on my head and heard a crack on my skull sending pain all-over my head. I gritted my teeth and tried to use my alpha powers to fight back but realised they were not working. My father walked closer and grabbed me by the neck before lifting me to standing position.
Where was Chelsea? I wondered if she had chosen to betray me and work for my father. Had I been used?
My father faced me and started holding my neck tight. I struggled to breath and just when I was about to lose the remaining energy in me, I saw him reaching into his trouser pocket and pulling out a short thick dagger. my eyes widened as I realised that my father might really kill me. There was a madness in his now-golden eyes. I didn’t want to die. I thought of Maya. No, I couldn’t leave my mate alone.
“Okay, I’ll do it.” I said in a soft voice.
“Are you sure about that, boy?” he asked.
Suddenly, there was a crash. My father let go of me and looked around.
“Who is here?” he asked.
Chelsea appeared from nowhere and charged on my father sending him down. Shock clouded his face as Chelsea started hitting him. He was able to throw her off him and stood up.
“Run!” Chelsea told me.
I glanced at the two warriors who had woken up and we ran out of the building.