Lone Wolf (The Wulf Pack Book 1)
Chapter Twenty-eight

Rage was engulfed in a hug before he could even rise from his seat. Blonde hair obscuring his view of the men entering.

“Rage!” the woman’s voice cried as she gripped him tightly, “I’ve missed you,” He chuckled at her dramatics.

“Come on Al, you will have plenty of time to catch up with him,” She let out a huff and released him from the hug to step back to allow him to see the other’s.

He found three dark haired men standing behind her, two of which had gold eyes, the other a shocking blue. He had not expected his brothers to come, only Ethan and Allison. He was even more surprised that Fury was not one of them.

“Shut up Ethan, I missed my cousin,” she playfully whined, dropping her duffel onto the floor and plopped down in one of the tall chair.

“He’s my cousin too,” Ethan pointed out, earning an eye roll from Allison.

“Well he is my favorite cousin,” she shot back. Ethan gave a gasp and a fake look of hurt, placing his hand over his heart.

“How could you say that? I thought I was your favorite cousin,”

Hunter cleared his throat, stopping the banter before it continued. Those two could bicker all day long, nonstop and it thoroughly annoyed him.

He silently wished Rage luck with them. James may be younger and less experienced but he wouldn’t have been so annoying.

All eyes shot to him, drawing the attention of every person in the bar, even the humans. After a moment, the other occupants of the bar turned away, going back to chatting or moping over their drinks. Despite it being five in the afternoon, the bar was mostly empty, most of the towns people still working or home with their families.

The four of them remained quiet as they waited for Hunter to say something. Him clearing his throat wasn’t something done just to shut people up, it usually indicated his want for silence and attention so he could speak.

“Rage,” his voice was stern and authoritative, as if he had some power over everyone. He wasn’t magic, his rule was one of respect and fear he couldn’t make someone do anything any more than a human ruler could, “Have you made a decision?”

A tick began in Rage’s jaw as he clenched his teeth. His family’s attention was now on him and not on their Alpha. He was hoping that Hunter would forget to ask.

“I have,” he nodded stiffly to Hunter. He had made a decision, though he still was not sure he was making the right one, “she should be given the pack mark,”

A small gasp came from Allison and the males frowned, as shock ghosted over them at his answer. None of them were expecting that answer. Everyone had assumed he would choose the family, to choose her and finally come home. Or at least they had hoped that would be his choice.

“Are you sure, brother?” Hunter’s face was a void mask as he looked upon his mirror image, his eyes the only thing left showing his confusion, his concern for his brother and the she-wolf.

“Yes,” Hunter tok note of his fist clenched at his side and the tick in his jaw as he continued to nash his teeth togeather.

“Very well,” Hunter nodded, and as if it had been rehearsed, Wrath stepped forward, presenting a manila file to Rage, “This contains everything you should need to know about the mission: what packs to visit, where the are located, their Alpha’s and Luna’s, as well as a list of smaller packs around them and the general location of them,”

Rage took the file from his younger brother, eyeing the unmarred folder before setting it on the table next to him. He was not interested in looking at it right now, Alison and Ethan have most likely been briefed on it already and he would just ask them.

“Now brother,” gold met gold when Rage recognized the tone his brother used, “I expect you to be an embassedor while visiting these packs,” his nostrils flared, he did not appreciate being spoken to like a child, “You are a Wulf after all and are going there under the Alpha’s orders,”

Blood pooled in Rage’s mouth as he bit his tongue, his eyes growing wild at the “Alpha” before him. Brother or not, he would rip his throat out if he continued to speak to him that way.

Wrath stepped forward, positioning himself partially in front of Hunter. Rage’s eyebrows raised at the action. He found it almost funny that Wrath thought he could take Rage in a fight. He never could and it was doubtful he ever would. Wrath was a great fighter in wolf form, but not very quick or graceful in human form. Rage knew this, after all, he was the one who trained him.

There was a bubble of silence aound them, thick with aggression and warning. Rage glared between his brother’s, not caring what would happen if one of them moved. Rage may not be able to take down Hunter swiftly, but the other’s could be put down in minutes if needed.

“Good luck, brother,” Everyone flinched slightly as the words cut through the tight atmosphere like a knife through butter.

Swiftly, like the Alpha he was, Hunter turned and left, his words still hanging in the air and Wrath at his heals. Eyes followed them as they exited the silent bar and made their way back up the trail, out of town, and to the castle.

“Ever since he became Alpha, he has become more of an ass,” Ethan grumbled, plopping down in the seat next to Alison, who nodded in agreement.

“All Alpha’s are assholes,” Rage chimed in, returning to his chair across from his cousins, “I would know, I’ve killed enough of them,”