Payment To the Alpha
Chapter 40

James' POV

Avery and I were walking back to the house after our little picnic. It had been an amazing evening, though I was left with a few questions, like what it was that was eating at her. She wouldn't share, and I wouldn't pressure her to. Perhaps she'll tell me tomorrow.

We were walking hand in hand when she suddenly stopped mid-track and looked at me whilst stepping closer.

"If you don't mind, could you shift? I really want to see Blade." I was a little shocked by her request being as she hadn't seen me shift many times. Only once, if I remember it correctly, but who am I to deny a request from my Luna.

I stepped back and removed my clothes, smirking when I saw Avery's eyes growing darker the further down she scanned my body.

Soon my love, soon.

The first time we made love was in a dungeon, and the second one wasn't going to be in the woods. It was going to be in our bedroom, on our bed.

Are you ready?

'Always.'

Blade took control and started shifting. When we had shifted, Blade let out a powerful roar, and Avery stood still. She didn't move. She wasn't scared. We were then standing on four paws, walking towards our mate.

"Hey, Blade." Avery reached out her hand and stroked blade's face. He nuzzled into her touch and really enjoyed the love he was getting. Because Avery didn't have a wolf, Blade didn't get to meet his other half, I did feel bad for him, but he was happy being loved by Avery.

"Soon." Avery said in a calm yet serious manner. What does she mean by soon? Why couldn't I hear Blade?

Soon what?

I didn't get an answer. The fucker blocked me out. But I could still see Avery through his eyes, and Blade was looking at Avery with such longing, with such love and pain at the same time.

Blade pushed his snout against Averys' chest, and she started scratching him behind the ears. She held his head and closed her eyes, enjoying the moment as much as Blade was.

***

We were back at the house now, and Avery had jumped into the shower. I was removing my shirt,

Why did you block me out earlier?

'It was a private moment.'

What can be so private when you can't speak with each other?

'Not yet.'

THEN WHEN?!

I was losing my patience with this mutt.

'Soon, and call me mutt again, and I will dig your own claws into your ass.'

Sorry, what happens soon? Earlier, Avery told you 'soon,' what did she mean?

'I can't tell you.'

I heard the uncertainty in Blades's voice, he wanted to tell me, but he really couldn't, and the only time he couldn't tell me something was when it was a direct order from Selene (The moon goddess)

I wanted to respect it, I really did, but when there were things I didn't know, there were things I couldn't control, which meant I couldn't do my job. As an Alpha, surprises are the worst things I know.

I decided to block Blade out and focus entirely on Avery tonight. We had shared such a special moment, and I didn't want the night to end. By the looks of it, neither did Avery.

She walked out of the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel, and she had another one wrapped around her body. When she saw me, she dropped the one in her hands and slowly undid the other one, giving me small peeks of that gorgeous body of hers.

She was now standing in front of me, completely naked. I could tell that she was a tad bit insecure, her cheeks were flaring up, and she bit her bottom lip. She stretched her arm and opened her hand, letting the towel fall to the ground.

She was a real tease, seeing that only stirred up the animalistic parts of me.

Avery took slow, long steps towards me until her body was pushed up against my own. Her nipples were stiff, and her breathing ragged. She drew her hands over my chest and down to my pants, her hands fiddled with my belt, her eyes never leaving mine.

Avery's POV

I was slowly unbuckling his belt and slowly pulled it off, letting it fall to the ground before unbuttoning his pants. I stared into those beautiful eyes as I slowly started pushing his pants down, but then, like a spell was lifted off me, James' eyes dimmed over, and my whole world came crashing down.

"Rogues! Stay here, don't leave this room. I'll be right back!" James placed a soft kiss on my lips, worry evident in his eyes.

"I love you."

"I love you too," I said and then swallowed a lump in my throat.

No, no, not yet, it's too soon!

"Wait, Jam..." The door was slammed shut, and James had taken off. This wasn't supposed to end like this. We were supposed to have more time.

"SHIT!" I screamed in frustration as I fell to my knees, and then the door opened up, and a dress was thrown my way, landing in front of me.

"You started too soon! You were supposed to wait!" I screamed in frustration.

"I'm sorry, but we were running out of time. We have to leave right now before they realize."

"I just wanted some more time..." I said as a few tears rolled down. I quickly wiped them away and knew that I needed to hurry. I got into the dress and ran to the closet, taking out the bag that I had packed. I opened it up and at the top were three letters,

Too James,

Too Alex,

Too Amber,

I placed James letter on his nightstand and handed the other two to her,

"Make sure they get these, Natasha." She nodded her head and took them before offering her hand, which I grabbed. As we were walking out of the bedroom, the thing that wasn't supposed to happen did.

"Alex," I gasped as I looked at him standing there in the hall, his hands were hanging by his sides, and he didn't need to speak for me to know what he wanted to say.

"Please don't go." He said, his eyes pleading, and he took a step towards me.

"I'm so sorry, but everybody seems so hell-bent on protecting me, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that I'm now choosing to protect you." I said as I grab his hand.

"I won't let you leave. Nobody knows you're leaving, Avery. Stay, we'll figure everything out together." Alex said.

"I can't."

"And I can't let you go." His eyes were turning darker, and I knew that he had no intention of stepping aside and letting me walk.

"Then please, forgive me for this." I stepped back, and Natasha lifted her hand. With a flick of her fingers, Alex fell unconscious to the floor.

I kneeled beside him and kissed his cheek before placing his letter beside him.

"I'm sorry, Alex, but I won't allow any harm to come to my family. I promise this isn't forever."

Natasha and I walked out of the house and into the car that was waiting for us. As I had one leg in the vehicle, I turned around and took one last look at the first place that ever truly felt like home.

"I'll be back soon. I love you, James."

James' POV

'Why aren't they dying !?'Anna yelled through the mind link as she fought a rogue while dodging attacks from another.

That was a good question. We had been fighting these rogues for twenty minutes. I had killed at least a dozen, but as if they rose from the dead, they stood back up and continued the fight.

Even weirder was the fact that none of my warriors were injured. Something was way off about this fight.

A grey rogue came at me, and I jumped up, biting down on his neck, raising off a piece of his flesh. Two others were charging at me. I dodged one while killing the other. I dug my canines into the second rogue's hind leg and ripped it clean off. This was a never-ending battle.

'Alpha, look to your left.' Damon said he had stopped fighting and was looking to my side. He looked unbothered. I turned my head and saw why. The rogues were retreating.

'What the fuck?' They weren't only retreating. They were dissolved. They disappeared like ashes spread into the forest.

'Alpha-'

'I have no fucking idea.' I quickly answered.

Why would someone send a dozen rouge ghosts or whatever the fuck that was? Nobody got injured, nobody lost their life, and it was like this was all some sort of a ...

'IT'S A DISTRACTION!' Blade let out a growl loud enough to shake every member of the pack.

'Where's the Beta?' Damon again asked. I looked around at the warriors and saw that Alex wasn't here. Blade let out a howl, which was responded not too long after, my brother's wolf came running towards us.

Cesar stopped a few feet away from the rest of us and looked around, seeming confused by the absence of dead bodies and injuries.

'Alpha...'

'What is it, Alex?'

'It's Avery; she left.'

I stared at my brother's wolf, a deep desire to kill him for reasons unbeknown to myself.

Get home. NOW!

I yelled at Blade, and he started running faster than he ever had. We were back at the house within three minutes and quickly shifted before heading in. I ran up to our room to see it empty, I looked in the closet and saw half her clothes were gone, the bag that laid here before, it was gone too.

"WHERE IS SHE?!" I growled loud enough to wake up the dead.

"She's gone." Alex said, standing by the door frame.

"I CAN SEE THAT! WHERE THE FUCK DID SHE GO!?" I growled while walking up to my brother, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him off the floor.

"Hurting me isn't going to bring her back!" He said, unfazed by my hold, he was upset too. I let go and he dropped back to his feet, he straightened his t-shirt and started walking over to the nightstand.

"She left with Natasha earlier. I had noticed her weird behavior, but I tried not to read too much into it. Then today with he rogue attack, not many rogues or wolves, in general, are suicidal enough to step foot onto this territory. Yet a dozen

came? I knew that something was up so I came looking for her and that's when I saw her, with Natasha and a bag in hand. She also left this." Alex said taking an envelope from the nightstand and handing it over.

I grabbed it and saw that my name was written on it, was this her goodbye letter? A FUCKING LETTER?

I felt my face heating up with rage, and my shoulders taking a predatory bow, my eyes were black and everyone in front of me became an enemy.

'You need to calm down.'

DON'T TELL ME WHAT THE FUCK TO DO!

'James, you need to breathe, you're an Alpha.'

Who just lost his mate.

'We haven't lost her, she'll be back, read the letter and you will understand.'

I decided to listen to Blade and took a few deep breaths. He was right, I'm an Alpha. Regardless of the circumstances, I can't lose my temper or I will lose control over everything. I will become feared instead of respected, the one thing I swore would never happen.

I looked at my brother and the warriors standing by the door, when suddenly they were pushed aside by two frantic she-wolves. My sister and Lisa. They entered the room in a hurry, and it looked like the air was punched out from Amber's

lungs.

She stared at the emptied closet and at my angry expression and quickly put the pieces together.

"She's gone." Amber said in a sigh.

I was still holding the letter from Avery. Alex has his and I'm guessing there is one for Amber as well.

"What's that?" Amber said as she reached for the letter that I held so tight.

I jerked my hand back, not wanting her to take it, to touch it. Why? I don't know, this is the last thing I have from Avery, and hopefully, there is some kind of explanation in it.

Amber looked at me with a frown.

"I think there's one for you too. Check your room." Alex said as he waved his letter. Amber quickly left to go check, and not two minutes had gone by before she came back. With the letter in hand.

"Have you guys read yours?" We shook our heads.

"Could everybody please leave?" I asked the people in my room, including my siblings.

"Alpha, what do we tell the pack? That our Luna has left us-"

"YOU TELL THEM NOTHING!" I roared, making everyone wince from the authority that exuded.

"My apologies Alpha." Damon said, bowing his head.

"Please. Leave." I demanded this time.

They all turned around and walked out. Lisa and Amber held hands while the others hang their heads. This loss wasn't only felt by me. But it was more excruciating for me than the others.

I walked over to the seating area and poured myself a drink. I then went and sat on the floor where Avery and I had sat the morning of Christmas day.

Staring at the letter, I finally decided to open it.

To James,