Rise of The Phoenix Alpha

Sylvan Stone

Axton

“I will be happy to look more into the herbs she’s sending him. Though we aren’t on speaking terms any longer. My brother barely.” Trent says dryly.

“So why did you want to free him of Reyanne?”

He sighs. “Second chances. It’s hard watching the brother who was your champion and hero suddenly change. And part of it is from Reyanne. Cheating changes a wolf and then the human. Deceit is hard on our wolves unless they are on board with it. Often, they will fight against it and somehow cause issues or they will refuse to be present and shift, leaving you vulnerable. Oliver’s is currently onboard and I’ve noticed the changes.”

“Trent, have you ever heard of a Sylvan Stone?” He shakes his head.

“Family I assume?”

“I have no idea. Dad had no siblings and I know that for a fact. I checked the registry once.”

“Ask your Alpha if the council records show nothing. Jacob Cortland was a council investigator for a long time. A true one too. He would dig and make sure things were handled.”

“That’s a good idea. I feel like I can trust you more than half the people in this pack.”

He grins. “You can Axton. I owe you my life and will never betray you.”

“Can you tell me how I can contact you if I need to?”

He asks for my phone. I watch him program his number in. He hands it back smirking. “John Wick”

“Seriously?”

He shrugs. “You won’t forget it. It fits and hey no one else will ever have a clue.” He stands up. “I should go. I’ll let you know soon about the herbs.”

“Thank you, Trent.” I hold out my hand for him to shake. “One last question? How are you getting in the pack without the pain of crossing the border.”

“Someone granted me access when they contacted me about the contract on your head. Said I was their nephew or something. But I have no idea who signed the order.”

He leaves and I sit to ponder all that I’ve seen today. My mother died trying to help me hide away along with Evan. Dad was gone like he said. Who is this Sylvan Stone though? I’ll ask Alpha in the morning.

When I wake the next day, Evan links me that Dad is still unconscious. I hurry out the door intent on finding Alpha Jacob before training. He’s in his office already and I breathe a sigh of relief.

“Axton? Is something wrong with your father?”

“No Alpha. I wanted to come and ask you about someone. I had a dream. In it, I was a young boy and there was a battle going on. A woman was crying and said something about Sylvan Stone. Dad has no siblings. Do you know who he is?”

He motions for me to sit with a sigh. “You’re dreaming about the attack on your pack that killed all of them including your mother. Sylvan Stone was the Alpha of the Rising Sun Pack. His mate was Luna Freya. They had a daughter; I believe her name was Alison or something like that. All were killed in the attack by rogues. Sylvan was you father’s cousin. Their fathers were brothers. Sylvan was an only child and so your father became his Beta. He was a powerful Alpha. I was surprised to find out he died in that attack. But from my understanding, explosives were used and he never stood a chance. Nor his family. I believe they hit his home first. He didn’t live in the packhouse.”

“He’s never mentioned him.”

Alpha eyes me sadly. “Axton, your father rarely speaks of any of that. Even your mother whom he loved tremendously. You can feel it when he does mention her. Grace was his mate and I think losing her affected Xavier Stone in ways that many wolves cannot believe until they see it.”

“He told me she was killed protecting me recently.”

His eyes widen in surprise. “I am shocked he told you finally. I am the one who responded to the reports their pack was attacked and burned to the ground. It was a humbling site Axton. I arrived two days after it occurred. I will never forget the sight. You could still smell the burnt wood. The ground was black and charred and all the houses had been torched. I came upon your father kneeling in front of four graves. His Alpha, Luna, their daughter and your mother’s. He was sobbing and laying in the dirt chanting over and over “forgive me my love. I was too late.” You and Evan were sitting off to the side. You were holding him. As you know, the bond between a Beta and a Luna is also quite painful when broken. He suffered a lot and I believe it changed him from whatever he was like before.”

“Alpha did you know I was taken by a man along with Trent Yarrow when I was six and Dad was picking up healing herbs for the hospital here?”

“Yes, I was about to lead a team to come search for you when you were miraculously found. Axton do you remember how you got away?”

“All I remember is his mate coming in after he set the fire. She killed him I think. I heard her telling him she’d let him die and then she was howling in agony.”

“Ah that solves that mystery. She was gone by the time others arrived. You were quite traumatized by that day. Your father had to take you to see a wolf therapist for a while.”

Evan links me as I sit there. “Dad’s awake. He’s asking for you.”

“Dad’s awake Alpha and asking for me.”

“Go son. Come and see me later if you remember any more about that pack attack though I truly hope you don’t.”

I sprint to the hospital intent on asking about those herbs somehow. Dad sits up talking to Evan weakly.

His eyes light on me as I enter the door. “Evan, I need to talk to Axton alone.”

He stares at me and I nod. Once Evan is gone and the door shuts, he looks up at me sadly. “You know don’t you?”

I stare at him curiously. “What do I know Dad?”

“About what really happened at the house. You took photos. I vaguely remember you frowning and muttering.”

“Why did you kill her Dad?” He sighs closing his eyes.

“I raised you too smart I think.” He reaches for my hand which is odd. “She cheated on me, Axton. With a man who delivers things to our pack for the hospital. And I know about her flirting with Evan. That you’ve been protecting him from her. I confronted her after I found out she withdrew a very large sum of money from our bank account. I didn’t know about Evan until that night when I was searching her phone for clues about the $20,000 she withdrew. I found a photo of him Axton. It was while he was sleeping shirtless and she had it saved. There was no reason for her to have that kind of s**t unless it was for nefarious reasons. How long Axton? Tell me, I can take it.”

“Since he turned eighteen, Dad.”

“f*****g bitch.” He growls. “Axton, I confronted her about it all and she tried to deny it. But the money she couldn’t. Started saying it was for a fancy gift for me on our anniversary. I told her to produce the receipts. Told her I would start really digging. That’s when she admitted she hired someone to kill you and I. Started with only you but then she was going to add me so she could go after Evan. She was obsessed Axton. I told her I’d reject her and she’d never touch my sons. She turned away and had this jar in her hand. Next thing I knew she was flying toward me and scratched the fire out of me. Some kind of silver powder on her claws. I threw her back but she kept charging. I had enough and finally I killed her realizing she’d only hurt you two if I let her live.”

“Dad, I know it was Oliver Yarrow.”

He looks shocked. “How did you know?”

“I saw him at the house and smelled her all over him when he passed by me.” He nods slowly looking pained. Unfortunately I’m going to have to question him more.

“Dad, I need to know who Sylvan Stone was?” His head flies up with his mouth agape.

“He was my cousin. My Alpha in our old pack. He and his whole family were killed in an explosion. Where did you hear his name?”

“I had a dream and heard his name. And I remember who killed the man who took me to that burning cabin. It was his mate.”

His voice is a whisper. “You remembered things?”

“Yes, was I not supposed to?” I cross my arms ready to get angry.

“It…it used to give you night terrors. Both the attack and your mother’s death were already affecting you. But then the cabin and that fire, it broke your mind for a while. I had to take you to a therapist. You would wake screaming and we couldn’t calm you down. Telling me that I killed your mother. Saying that you wanted us to die. It was….so hard Axton. The therapist tried everything for almost two years. Nothing worked. You were angry all the time and destructive. Went through three beds and so many other things. Did you do ok when you remembered?” He reaches over to grip my arm and I stare at him.

“Did it affect you in any way?”

“No Dad I was fine. What…”

“Because we took you off the medicine before when you were eighteen and shifted into Phoenix the first time. You remembered and went feral. Ask Alpha Jacob. We had to sedate you and hide you away until we could get enough of the herbs back into you to suppress those memories.”