Chapter 6 SEEKING VENGEANCE

Ezra's Pov

I had a few minutes to really roll my thoughts around in my head when he turned back to the window of twinkling lights. It was pretty and peaceful as we stood there side by side.

It almost felt like the stars were watching us as we were them. Maybe the sight of us relaxed them too—

I blinked, my thoughts screeching to a half. I pinched myself, gripping a bit of my skin harshly just to make sure I wasn’t actually asleep. What was I thinking?

“I should go back to bed.”

I really should, if that was what Ws going on in my head. He turned around and looked at me. His eyes lingered on my frame as he nodded. “Good night.”

Then I lingered, I wasn’t sure why other than he was still looking at me. But I really should walk off, especially as I couldn’t help but feel like the atmosphere around us was changing.

And then he leaned in.

I swallowed, as my eyes dropped to his Adam’s apple. For a moment I thought he was going to kiss me. I thought he’d pull me close with the hand I could see coming up to reach for me and press his lips against mine.

I… didn’t move away.

But he didn’t. He cupped my face, his lips brushing my cheek fleetingly and when he pulled away he physically took a step back. “Good night.”

Why didn't move away?

I walked off, forcing myself not to look back. When I got into bed again, I immediately fell asleep.

But It felt like I had only been sleeping for half an hour when a heavy, urgent knock sounded at my door. I tugged the blanket higher over me and said, “Come in.”

Kieran walked in, and I sat up immediately. His expression was neutral but I could sense rage radiating off him in waves. He was clutching his phone in his hand in a death grip and when he spoke it was basically through clenched teeth. "Get dressed, please. We're leaving."

"Where are we going?" I asked groggily.

“There’s a threat at Juluis’ house asking for me and I can’t leave you here by yourself.”

A threat? “What threat?”

“There’s no time to explain. We leave in five.”

——

Kieran's POV

My anger was barely constrained. Immediately we got into the car, I kept trying to regulate my breathing.

What was another pack’s Alpha doing on my land uninvited?

Julius didn’t live far away from me, so by the time I pulled into his driveway, I was still on edge fighting a shift. If anything happened to Julius, I would send Ezra far, far away from all this and burn it all to the ground.

And there he was.

Hector Kane, Alpha of Silver Fang, was standing in Julius's driveway with wolves in human form, all of them radiating aggression.

We stepped out of the car, and I stepped in front of Ezra. Hector’s grey eyes narrowed at the action and I knew the cogs in his head would be turning. He was smart, which I tried to remind myself of so I could think logically.

In the past few years, Hector had been quite vocal about how Seattle shouldn’t be in my hands anymore, but he had never actually stepped foot here. Until now. "Kieran. It's good to see you.”

"Hector,” I called, counting ten wolves with him, “I didn't know you were in Seattle. I should have but who’s fault is that?”

He smiled, tight-lipped at my implication. "Just passing through. I thought I'd pay a visit to my dear cousin." He glanced at Ezra, peeking out from behind me. "And who's this?"

"What do you want, Hector?" I asked, ignoring the question completely.

"What I've wanted for quite some time now, Seattle. This territory. You're not a pack anymore, Kieran. You have no claim.” He paused, tilting his head. “The human, he smells like you. That's interesting."

Hector stepped closer, and I instinctively pushed Ezra behind me even more. He grinned in a way that set me on edge. "So you have taken a mate, a human mate. How... progressive."

Again, I ignored that. I had contemplated leaving Ezra at home but I couldn't bear the thought of not having him nearby, just in case something happened. "I'm the last Vaughn. You know that gives me a claim."

Hector let himself be steered away from Ezra. “The last Vaughn, yes. And why is that? Huh, Kiernan?”

I clamped my mouth shut, a tick in my jaw. As seconds ticked by without an answer from me, Hector’s face soured. “Since the words escape you, it's because you left. You left! While your father, your brother and my aunt died defending this territory, you weren’t even here."

The words hit like a physical blow because… he wasn't wrong. I carried the pain and the shame everyday of that decision.

Hector's smile sharpened. "You don't deserve this territory. You don't deserve to be alpha, even as there's no one left to preside over!"

That was true, I knew. I had said similar words to myself over and over, grappling with my cowardice, my pettiness, my inadequacy. A breath shuddered out of me as I forced those thoughts away. Not right now. I couldn't break down now.

But I also knew that Hector wasn’t doing this because he wanted to liberate anyone, because as he said, there was no one left to liberate. "This isn't about territory," I said quietly. "This is about revenge. You blame me for what happened to the pack. Somehow, somehow, it was all my fault.”

He nodded. “You were a fucking coward, leaving everyone else to die while you ran, tail tucked in between your shaking legs, that’s what this is about. You should not be an Alpha!”

“I didn’t know,” I muttered, with no bite in my voice.

“That’s even fucking worse!” Hector's eyes flashed amber, claws growing out of his outstretched hand. "And you’ve had the audacity to keep claim of the territory and now take a mate?"

Hector's wolves shifted, moving to surround us. They growled and crouched low. Julius’ door opened and a moment later he was by my side. Eleven against two— me and Julius. Terrible odds, especially with Ezra behind me.

I glanced at Julius and saw that he was thinking the same thing. But we both mirrored their position, ready for a fight.

Goddess, help us.