Selene was amongst their ranks. The curiosity of two female alphas would be dealt with later. The redhead never broke her gaze away from Kristi as she crossed the distance. When she was feet away from Kristi, Selene bowed her head – acceptance and submissiveness.
A thrill ran through Kristi's thoughts as her gaze turned to the rest of the pack. They turned their eyes away, recognizing her authority.
“Our former alpha played incessant games inside our pack,” Kristi's first words roused the crowd and, slowly, they looked up at their new leader. Her confidence flew high as her voice carried on the wind, “We will return to our land under my guidance. But,” Kristi's gaze flickered to Selene. The other alpha still hadn't drawn her gaze level with hers. Kristi took a step forward, seeing the other woman tense in preparation. She was ready to be struck down, like Gavin. Kristi's hand fell to Selene's shoulder. The redhead dared to look into the face of her new Alpha, “I will need help. You have experience as a leader and you will stay on, Alpha Selene.”
Relief deflated the tension in Selene's shoulders. A brief smile flickered across her lips before she wiped it away with a somber expression. Selene gave a single nod before Kristi turned her gaze back to the pack. No one seemed to have an immediate abhorrence of her. That could easily change as the days went by.
“We will continue our plan of attack on Goldbridge. That was one of Gavin's less problematic ideas,” Kristi announced as she turned her gaze toward Goldbridge. “Training and raiding as scheduled. The Sentinel put us back, but we can make it up.”
She could feel the waves of shock and sympathy that radiated from the pack. Surely, Gavin sputtered about the incident enough for it to be well known.
Somewhere in Goldbridge, Jay was being hauled into the innards of the city. Would they treat him well? Would they take care of his gaping hole? Or would they take the supplies and kick her Mate to the curb? Uncertainty knotted with unease. Her eyebrows furrowed and blunt pain throbbed in her chest. Could she salvage their connection, at all? Or was it too far gone?
“What shall we do with Gavin, Alpha Kristi?”
Selene's words jostled Kristi from her inner world. The high title coupled with her name should have brought her utter delight. However, the situation of her status felt hollow and tarnished.
She turned her gaze slowly to the corpse. It sat in an immense pool of blood, guts torn and leaking from his body's cavity. Gavin's green gaze stared heavenward, toward the waning moon. Mixed feelings coiled and curled in Kristi's head. “Leave it for the crows,” she said finally. Her gaze darted to Selene's expression, wondering if her co-alpha would dissent.
The redhead's expression didn't even twitch. She simply nodded, yet again, before saying, “In that case, I think we should go before Goldbridge notices us.”
“Yeah,” Kristi muttered, noncommittally with a wave of her hand. As Alpha Selene took care of herding the pack back to the cave, Kristi turned her gaze back toward Goldbridge. She didn't care what the Goldbridge wolves thought of the body. Let them stew in fear or let them celebrate the rise of a new feral alpha. They would soon learn. Kristi's fingers clenched tightly, her knuckles burning.
She reached out to Jay, feeling his familiar resonance somewhere among the lights and concrete and girders. It was faint, but she felt it. Fondness curled through her thoughts, tipped with regret and wishful thinking. She harshly shook her head and turned away from the artificial lights of the town.
Alpha Kristi blinked back her tears as she retreated to the safety of the forest.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Jay stumbled to the city limits of Goldbridge. Kristi's howl haunted his every step, knowing it was one of pain. Whether it was physical or emotional, though, Jay couldn't guess. He didn't want to think about it. His whole body ached and his thoughts pounded against his temples. Everything felt fragile and raw.
Nameless Sentinels were awaiting his arrival with an air of curious suspicion. Chaos erupted behind them, realizing that catastrophe was happening just outside city limits. Jay’s arrival seemed to confirm their terror.
The Sentinels' eyes darted to his blood stained shirt and gaping wound then to the bag he dragged behind him. Jay managed to heft the bag in the air, proffering it to the guards. With agonizing effort, he managed to mutter, “Stolen goods. Bringing back. Big news. Goldbridge in danger.”
Then, his eyes rolled back in his head. Before he hit the ground, he heard the jilted footfalls of the Sentinels attempting to catch his body.
***
Hours later, Jay awoke with groggy memories: being rushed into the town, put on a gurney, snatches of conversation and bits of a surgery. The sleepy dust in his head fractured his thoughts. Slowly, Jay managed to push himself into a sitting position. Hospital sheets crinkled under his weight.