Rise of The Phoenix Alpha

Responsible

Axton

I wake in the hospital having no memory of how I got here.

“Phoenix?” I don’t sense him. He must be knocked out.

The attack comes rushing back to me. I was standing near the border when I smelled bananas. Before I could react, something heavy hit my temple. I remember falling to the ground and then I got hit again. Blood was trickling from my temple into my eyes. What the hell did they hit me with?

There were almost twenty-five of them. I managed to drag my claws across a few of them, maybe five or six, and shred their sides enough they died before I got hit again, and it all went black. I couldn’t even link anyone it was so fast. And now Phoenix is out and I cannot link. Hopefully no one in the pack is injured.

Bellamy… maybe her mate protected her if she was outside. Did they come for her?

Seemed like a lot of wolves and the one leading the charge was not a rogue. Several seemed to be non-rogues. Which means someone sent them deliberately to attack us. I remember the footprints. They were large, definitely male. I installed the camera last night, so I can only hope their accomplice went to meet them again since then.

I’ll have to check the saved feed once I get out of here and back to my office. I look around for my phone hoping it’s here so I can text Evan or Corbin. I am about to push the call button when my dad storms in his eyes blazing. He comes to my bedside and his hands are around my throat instantly. I try to pull his hands away completely bewildered.

“Let go of him, Xavier!” Alpha Jacob steps behind him and rips him off me.

“My own son is a traitor to his pack!” Dad shouts at me.

“What?” I rasp out. I watch Evan and Lane file in the door. Evan looks extremely angry as his eyes flash to Dad.

“The attack? Did they hurt anyone?” I manage to say hoarsely. Evan walks over grabbing a cup of water and handing it to me though my father glares hard at him. He glares right back.

“Very funny, Axton. I knew you weren’t the best son, but to do this to your pack…”

I down the water letting it soothe my throat. “Would someone tell me what is going on? I tried to stop them, but they hit me in the head multiple times.”

“You set this whole thing up, you f*****g ungrateful bastard.” My father says through clenched teeth.

“You think I… I didn’t do anything except try to stop them!”

“I can’t believe you would do this, son.” Alpha Jacob says looking disheartened. “To grant them entry… so many could have been injured. What was your aim? Why did you do this?”

“I didn’t do anything! I was patrolling the line like Dad, and I discussed after we found those cigarettes.” I protest heatedly. Phoenix is out. My head feels like a sledgehammer hit it which apparently is close to the truth from what Evan managed to tell me before they burst into the room.

“Really? Then why was this found in your desk this morning?” He tosses a paper onto my legs, and I lift it to read. It’s a number and has a single name. “Yarrow” followed by a telephone number. Underneath it “20,000.” It’s circled in red.

I look up in confusion. “Don’t pretend, Axton! Yarrow is the name of a hitman. A contract wolf killer. He’s been hunted by the council for the last two years, but we can’t catch him.” Alpha Jacob says his anger building.

“I don’t know anything about this.”

“That’s your handwriting, Axton.” My father speaks up from his spot on the wall. He looks furious.

“Dad, I didn’t do this.” I plead.

Alpha Jacob steps forward. “I command you to tell me the truth. Why did you do this?!”

I stare at him blankly. The order washes over me, but I feel no compulsion.

He frowns then turns to the doctor. “Is there some reason my Alpha command isn’t working?”

“His wolf is out, Alpha. And with the head trauma he suffered, it’s possible it won’t work until his wolf returns. Has happened a few times.”

He frowns. “Very well. I will wait until his wolf is awake. You will tell me what happened, Axton. And if you are indeed responsible, my judgment won’t be pretty.”

He leaves. Evan, Lane, and my dad stay.

“What the hell, Axton?” Dad says stepping forward his fists clenched.

“Dad, I swear I didn’t do this. I was patrolling and got blindsided. I have never heard of this Yarrow. Why can’t you believe me for once?”

“Because you are nothing more than a poisonous root in this family. A f*****g curse!” He spats and I stare at him sadly. “You are responsible for your mother’s death and I will never forgive you for that. Just confess and let Alpha execute you!”

I sit back staring at him. I’ve always had a suspicion for why he treated me as lesser than. For why Evan was more like his true son and I was the one he tolerated. He blames me for Mom’s death…

“I’m innocent.” I say lowly. He shakes his head with disgust and storms out.

Lane and Evan watch me. “I didn’t do this.”

Lane comes to my side. “I know you didn’t. But the evidence is damning Axton. They caught one and before he died, he said you hired them to come in. I’ll look into it.” He squeezes my shoulder and then leaves.

Evan steps up and looks over his shoulder at the door. He pulls my phone from his pocket. “Bells has been trying to reach you. I tried to text her. Lane told her you were awake. Hide it. Dad was pissed he couldn’t find it on you but I had already hidden it.”

“Evan, you believe me right?”

He nods vehemently. “You would never. Corbin, Lane, and I are behind you.”

“Wait where’s Bellamy? How many days have I been out?” I ask him his words about trying to text her finally filtering in.

He sighs. “Little over two days. Your head… I thought you weren’t ever going to wake up as bad as it was. That Alpha Tylen took her back to his pack a few hours after the attack. Said he wouldn’t risk his Luna. Blamed Alpha Jacob for shitty security. It was tense Ax, like her father almost shifted and attacked him. Alpha had to hold him back. He invoked the mate interference laws. Her grandmother went with her though so that’s a small comfort.”

I snarl a little. I didn’t like that guy at all. Phoenix wanted to slit his throat which meant he was bad news. My wolf has been a little violent lately.

I hurry to open her messages. They start out with concerned well wishes and her asking me if I’m ok. But they slowly get worse and worse. The last three have my blood running cold. We had a code language as kids. That way I could tell her if my dad was being unusually shitty.

“Told you for me that if I’m going to his party at his property…”

“Locked up for me. The safe in closet is my one in room. I hope Mimi feels better in hospital, needs cell reception.”

“Says in that he doesn’t know he could find will that compels forcibly for Alpha Mark to give me.”

Every third word after the first one forms the real sentence.

Told me I’m his property.

Locked me in my room. Mimi in cells.

Says he will forcibly mark me.

Fucking asshole! Why the hell did they let her leave with him?! Mate laws or not! She's only been gone for two days....what the hell happened over there?!

“Evan…” Before I can say more, I hear movement outside. I hurry to slide the phone under my pillow as my dad walks back in.

“Time to go Evan. You are taking over Axton’s Beta duties until he’s cleared or executed.”