Crossed Fates by Lexi C. Foss

Makayla

Daaaamn! Maybe I should call the fire department because someone just got BURNED.

It was an immature and ill-timed thought, but I couldn’t help it. Whether Alpha Hawk had intended it to be or not, that had been some class A passive-aggressive insulting.

Unfortunately, my amusement was short-lived because Hardt’s expression turned sour and his eyes filled with bitter contempt. His gaze took in all three of us, but his animosity lingered longer on me. Because I’d gotten him a blanket? Or was it something else?

Alaric snarled low in warning, his wolf flashing in his gaze.

I understood the feeling because the more Hardt glared at me, the more I wanted to shift and teach the motherfucker how to properly bow to an alpha.

However, the sound of Alaric’s increased rumble had Hardt smoothing his expression. He bent to secure the blanket around Kristen, then stood with her in his arms and returned to the small gathering. Alaric’s jaw clenched as Hardt showered the crowd with gentle words and alpha-like promises. The beta was really toeing a line, one that would hurt like hell if he made one wrong step. Because I had no doubt Alaric would kick his ass on principle alone.

Hardt took his leave with several pack members trailing after him like lost puppies.

A few looked to Alaric first, and he lifted his chin in response, dismissing them with the kindness of a true alpha.

Savannah surprisingly lingered, her sad hazel eyes flickering to Alaric and then to Hawk and back again. She stumbled forward a little, her movements awkward and broken.

Alaric reached for her. “Come here,” he whispered, opening his arms for a hug.

She practically dove at him.

A low rumbling echoed in my chest.

Cut it out, I thought at my wolf.

Then Savannah pressed her nose into Alaric’s bare chest, and my wolf full-on growled.

Back the hell off,I snapped at her—my wolf, not Savannah. He is not ours.

Alaric met my gaze over the girl’s head, his blue eyes sparkling with mirth.

Seriously. He chooses now as a good time to be amused? I narrowed my eyes at him. You’re lucky I don’t have another knife, I thought at him. Not that he could hear me.

His lips twitched, and I suppressed the desire to give him a high five. In the face. With my fist.

When Savannah’s gaze darted to mine, my wolf threw herself against me, trying to get out. It must have shown in my eyes because the girl jumped away from Alaric like he was on fire. Her gaze darted back and forth between me and Alaric a couple of times before she mumbled, “Um… sorry.”

I sighed. “It’s fine. Pay no attention to the wolf behind the curtain. She’s confused.”

Alaric coughed to hide a laugh. At least, I assumed that was the cause of his strangled sound.

“Don’t make me stab you again.”

Now his lips twisted into a full-on grin. “I believe it’s my turn to play with a knife, sweetheart.” Then he looked down at Savannah again, noting the fresh tears in her gaze. “Oh, Savi,” he whispered, holding open his arms once more.

“It’s… it’s not… you,” she stammered. “I just… I miss him. And she—Kristen—was here for me. And now she’s dead, too. Everyone’s dying around me.” She started to shake, and he pulled her against his chest once again.

His gaze met mine over her head, all humor gone from his eyes. “Why don’t you head inside with my dad and bring him up to speed on what we’ve found so far. I’ll just be a minute.”

My first instinct was to growl and tell him he should go inside while I’d be just a minute. But since I’m not jealous, it would be weird.

“Sure.” My response came out a little strangled, what with my wolf digging her claws into me as if it would keep me from taking her inside. Is there an off button in there somewhere?

Summoning all of my strength, I forced myself to pivot and put one foot in front of the other until I entered the cabin. I made a beeline for the coffee maker and started brewing a new pot. It’d been a long night, and I suspected an even longer sleepless day would follow.

Hawk whistled from the living area, his focus on the murder board. “Wow. Looks like you two have been busy.”

“As a consequence of sleeping all day yesterday, we worked through the night,” I responded, though I was only half listening because my ears were straining to hear something from outside. Ugh! Focus, Makayla!

I trudged across the room to where Hawk stood scrutinizing our photos and files. He reviewed everything in silence for several minutes before arching a brow at me. “Well?” he prompted. “I assume this has all led to some sort of theory?”

“Yeah, initially, but—”

The door opened and Alaric entered, his face drawn and his shoulders slumped.

Hawk shifted his focus, his stance protective. “Is Savannah all right?”

Alaric shook his head as he joined us in the living room, coming to stand between me and his father. “She’s falling apart, Dad. First Tyler, and now Kristen? Apparently, they were best friends. But I’m guessing you knew that already.”

“Yeah, I did,” Hawk replied.

“This is so messed up,” Alaric breathed. “She’s all alone.”

“No family?” I asked, feeling guilty for how I overreacted outside. Damn wolf. Of course, she was perfectly content now with Alaric beside me, his scent woodsy and intoxicating and entirely lacking Savannah’s floral perfume.

“Her parents died just after she finished high school, and like her, they had no siblings,” Hawk said, responding to my inquiry about her family. “Everly and I took her under our wing, and that’s how she and Tyler became close.”

“Mom came by to get her while I was outside,” Alaric said. “I think they were going to go for a run.”

Hawk nodded. “Good. Your mother will know how to help her. Now, why don’t you two show me what you’ve come up with?”

“Coffee first,” I breathed when I heard the machine ding, alerting me that it had finally finished brewing.

I grabbed a steaming mug for each of us and handed them out. Then we went over all the links and photos, and I told Hawk what happened three years ago with Sapphire. I also explained the theory I’d come up with and how the new development—a victim from the McKenzie Pack—had caused me to discard it.

By the time we were done, I could see the pride in Hawk’s eyes as he observed me and Alaric. He was impressed by our findings but also wary of what it all meant.

“You think another hybrid dropped Kristen’s remains on your lawn?” Hawk asked, his gaze on Alaric.

“I’m not sure. The ashy scent reminded me of the hybrid I killed the other day.”

And it reminded me of something else,I thought, frowning to myself. But what? I couldn’t pinpoint it. The memory was there and gone in a flash, tainted by the odd underlying addition of smoke. As Vex had been my one and only experience with a hybrid, I didn’t have any other suspects for my list. So I just shook my head, unable to add anything else of use.

“All right, so it seems we have someone creating hybrids. A trafficking ring. Murdered wolves. And missing girls.” Hawk recapped it all while scratching his chin, then he dove into a string of potential theories that left all three of us staring at the murder board afterward in an attempt to figure out our next lead.

“Well, at least we have Neo,” I said after a beat.

“Neo? Who the fuck is Neo?” Alaric growled.

“The wolf Vex sent to tell the boss about the delivered silver packages,” I replied, my gaze still on the board. “Have you found anything on him yet?”

“How the hell would I have found anything on him?” he demanded. “This is the first I’m hearing about him.”

I glanced at him. “Okay, first, that question was for Hawk. Second, I tried to tell you about him when you went all…” I trailed off and made a gesture of an explosion. “And then you were all”—I growled and crossed my arms over my chest—“and focused on the boss after I mentioned Neo the second time.”

Hawk chuckled.

Alaric’s frown deepened. Clearly, he did not share his father’s amusement.

“So you probably didn’t hear it over all your snarling,” I added as though he hadn’t already caught on to my jibe.

“Cute,” he drawled.

“Aren’t I, though?” I winked, then focused on his dad. “Any leads on Neo?”

“Not yet, but I only sent out the request after we spoke yesterday. It’ll take a bit to gather the packs’ files, especially with everything else going on.”

I nodded. “Okay.” I drained the rest of my second cup of coffee and set it on a nearby table. My attention went back to the board, my body thrumming with caffeine. Tapping my jaw, I studied the documents. “I feel like I’m missing something, and it’s driving me crazy.”

We’d added a new section to the board while talking to Hawk—a spot for things that seemed to point to experiments. Like the silver packages, which we assumed had been manufactured somehow, and the hybrid, because how the hell had he been made? Hawk had had no suggestions. He’d been pretty alarmed to learn about the fire-breathing capability, as had I.

Still think he’s some sort of dragon breed,I thought, narrowing my gaze at the experiment part of the wall.

“Okay, we have a hybrid, maybe two, and silver tools… so some sort of lab?”

The Ferris wheel of facts in my head suddenly slowed, and one by one, they jumped off the ride and grouped together.

Hybrid.

Silver tools.

Lab—or a warehouse…

“A warehouse!” I exclaimed as I spun around to face the men. “A warehouse on Grand Street.”

“What about a warehouse?” Alaric asked, clearly confused by my outburst.

“After Vex’s phone call about the silver, he specifically mentioned a warehouse on Grand to Neo.”

Alaric frowned. “Well, that’s an interesting detail.” He checked the time, then glanced out the windows. After a beat, he looked at his father. “I can’t leave to check it out.”

A gleam entered Hawk’s gaze. “Why not?”

“Because it doesn’t feel right.” He palmed the back of his neck and blew out a harsh breath. “I… I feel… needed.”

His dad nodded. “That’s your wolf talking.”

“I know.” He flinched. “He won’t let me go even if I want to.”

“Because the alpha in you senses a threat close to home. Listen to those instincts, son. They’ll guide you.”

Alaric sighed. “Then who is going to check out the warehouse?”

“E.V.I.E.” The idea just sort of tumbled from my mouth without thought, but it made complete sense. Although, I supposed offering to go would make even more sense.

However, I sort of understood Alaric’s comment about not being able to leave. My wolf felt similarly, something I’d have to investigate more later. Maybe she just missed Silver Lake?

I shook off the sensation and focused on Alaric. “Maybe Jude can send someone to check it out?”

Alaric already had his tablet in hand, pulling up a text screen to shoot a message. “On it.”

He finished typing, then looked at me and his dad. “How soon until the files on Neo are rea—”

His question was interrupted by a ringing. I half expected it to be Jude, only the sound came from Hawk’s phone, not Alaric’s.

Hawk pulled the mobile from his pocket, answering, “Calder.”

“Sir, Beta Mavi from Elk Neck Pack called into our main line. He wants to talk to you,” a male voice said, his deep voice easily carrying to my wolf ears.

“Beta Mavi?” Hawk frowned. “What happened to Beta Byers?”

“I think that’s why he’s calling, sir,” the man replied.

Hawk’s shoulders squared, his sharp gaze cutting to his son as he said, “Thanks, Rick. You can put him through.”

Alaric braced his legs, his stance rivaling his father’s protective posture. I smiled a little inside at the sight, noting how similar Alaric was to his dad. I’d noticed it outside earlier, and I’d glimpsed it during a few other interactions, but now with the way they held themselves in the same stance, using the same tone while speaking, I realized just how identical they were.

Alaric was definitely born an alpha, destined to lead.

However, my musing ended when a deep voice said, “Alpha Calder, sorry to meet like this, but we have five more sick wolves. All silver poisoning and fresh.” There was a pause as the male cleared his throat. “We think it’s linked to Alpha Warren’s funeral.”

“Why?” Hawk asked, his body vibrating with anger.

Alaric appeared the same, tension lining his limbs and tightening his jaw.

“Because the funeral was last night and our leadership all fell ill within hours of the ceremony,” Beta Mavi replied, his tone gruff. “We… we think the ritual cup was somehow laced with silver.”

I wasn’t familiar with Bitten pack burials but suspected that part of the tradition was reserved for those in power positions. Which explained Hawk’s confusion about Beta Byers.

“It’s… it’s why I’m acting beta,” he added, confirming my assumption.

“Inform the others,” Hawk told him, the alpha clear in his voice.

“Yes, sir,” Beta Mavi replied.

“I’ll organize a council meeting as well,” Hawk concluded. “Be sure to attend.”

“Of course, sir.”

“As well as your acting alpha,” Hawk added. “Assuming you have one?”

“Not yet, sir.” Beta Mavi sounded uncertain. “I… I would be next in line.”

“Then call yourself Alpha Mavi,” Hawk said, his tone underlined in command. “If someone wants to challenge you later, so be it. But own the position, son. It’s how you maintain order within your pack.”

“Y-yes, sir,” Alpha Mavi replied, not sounding at all certain or in charge. He cleared his throat. “Thank you, sir.”

“You’re welcome.” Hawk ended the call, then he looked at his son.

“Spiking the ceremonial cup would have to be an inside job,” Alaric said, not missing a beat. “Which means Elk Neck is compromised.”

“And Gloria is still missing,” Hawk added, emotion darkening his voice. “First someone enters our boundaries and attacks a wolf under our protection—because Kristen was under our jurisdiction while visiting—and now someone has attacked a burial rite.”

Alaric’s chest rumbled, his wolf agitated. “We need to confer with the other packs. Find out who else was attacked.” He glanced down and then up again. “And I should also reach out to McKenzie Pack about Kristen.”

A very alpha-like thing to say, but Alaric didn’t seem to notice.

His father did, though. I caught the glint in his blue eyes, the pride eclipsing his frustration for just a fraction of a second before his shoulders fell on a sigh. “We can’t properly honor Tyler’s life under these circumstances. Not when I can’t trust the unspoken laws of engagement to be upheld for a funeral.”

“Yes, whoever is doing this lacks any and all honor,” Alaric agreed, as did I.

Because who the hell attacked mourning wolves during a funeral? A monster, I thought. A fucking monster.

Hawk swallowed, his expression shadowed as he softly admitted, “I don’t know what to do. I can’t not bury my son. But I can’t risk the pack either.”

My heart broke for him, not only because he had to voice that confession, but also because he was right. They couldn’t host a funeral under these circumstances. And they also couldn’t just leave Tyler’s body in a state of unrest. It went against the natural order for wolves. We mourned our dead as a pack. That was the same across both realms.

“We’ll bury him tonight,” Alaric decided, taking charge. “Just family. Give him the moment he deserves, then avenge him by bringing this asshole to justice.” He stalked over to his father and grabbed his shoulders. “And when this is all said and done, we’ll give him a proper ceremony.”

His father met and held his gaze. Then he pulled his son into a hug that would crush a smaller wolf.

Warmth spread through me, Alaric’s actions speaking volumes about his future. He’d been slowly changing, taking the mantle without even registering it, because it came naturally.

Hawk’s right, I thought as the two men continued to embrace one another. Alaric’s absolutely meant for this. He just needs to realize it for himself.