Payment To the Alpha
Chapter 48

Avery's POV

"Natasha, slow down!" I yelled after her as she ran down the stairs with her hand firmly holding onto mine. A big hunk was with her this time. At least two meters long, bald-headed and dark brown eyes and the lack of words, I quickly found him not to be messed with. He took my bags and brought them down to the car before sitting in the driver's seat.

Everything had happened so quickly. I was lying on my bed, watching TV, when Natasha threw the door open and barged in. She took the remote and turned it off before taking out my bags and throwing them on the bed. She told me to pack my things quickly, that we were leaving.

I did as she said, knowing that something bad had happened.

"Get in." Natasha said as she held the backseat door open for me. She was looking around frantically like she was afraid we were being followed. Her tone of voice left little room for argument.

When I got in, Natasha went to the passenger seat and climbed in. We buckled our seatbelts, and no sooner had we settled in than the car drove off in a hurry. A cloud of smoke is the only thing I saw when I looked back at the B&B. A nauseating feeling growing inside me as I realized I didn't say goodbye to Rose. She had been so lovely during my stay here. She treated me like family.

"Goodbye, Rose, thank you," I said to no one in particular. Perhaps the wind would hear me and forward my message to her one day.

"Natasha, what the hell is going on?!" I broke the silence after several moments of nobody talking or explaining.

"Crow, he was at the pack."

"James..." Panic started building up within me, and I felt my palms getting sweatier. I was starting to hyperventilate.

"James is fine. So is everybody else." Natasha said as she looked at me through the rearview mirror.

"Thank god..." I whispered, feeling myself starting to relax. The fear of what happened, however, was still there.

"He posed as a werewolf, saying Crow murdered his family and that he wanted revenge. He smelled like a wolf, according to the pack members, but he never shifted. When I met him and shook his hand, was when I sensed his magic. Not only that but..." She trailed off, her eyes stuck to the road.

"But what, Natasha?" I asked her.

"Nothing, I just sensed that it was a powerful wizard. He said that he's coming soon. I told James to get the warriors ready. I believe the war is merely one day or two away. Where I'm taking you, you won't be staying long. I need you to stay inside until you get the message. Is that clear?" Natasha said. Her voice was stern and left no room for discussion. I nodded my head.

"Words Avery! I need to know that you understand what I'm telling you." I jumped at the sudden change of pitch. Natasha, for the first time since I met her, was afraid.

"I understand. I will not go out. I'll wait for the message." I said. The rest of the drive was silent. Nobody spoke. Everyone was probably preoccupied in their own minds, thinking about the war.

James' POV

"Anna! Make sure they do combat! Grayson, keep them on their feet! Damon! Train them in wolf form! NOBODY RESTS!" I was walking across the training fields, barking orders, and ensuring that everybody knew what was going on. We have good fighters, but they can also be a lazy bunch.

I walked to Anna's group and saw one of the guys sitting down, laughing as his friends were getting beaten. I walked up to him, and the second he saw me, he flew to his feet and bowed his head.

"Alpha," He greeted.

"Why the fuck aren't you practicing?" I growled. His hands started shaking.

"I'm sorry, Alpha, I'll train with Chase." He said. Chase, the guy that had a thing for my mate.

"No. You're with me," I said and walked out on the field.

Chase looked at his friend with pity in his eyes. But also a sense of relief that I didn't choose him to fight me. Sure the kid was nice and all to everyone. But the whole touchy, feely thing he had going on with Avery put him on my blacklist.

Call me possessive. I just don't like other males touching what is mine.

All eyes were on us by now, and they were waiting for me to throw a punch. After I had nearly killed that warrior a month ago, they've all been on edge. And no one was particularly fond of training with the Alpha.

"LET'S GO!" I shouted, making him hurry the fuck up. I didn't have all day to teach someone a lesson.

"What are you guys looking at? Start training!" Everyone turned around and resumed their tasks, training, and whatever it was that they were doing. I looked at the guy, his name was Sam, as he neared me, standing a meter away before raising his hands and preparing for the fight.

I observed him, even though I could beat this punk's ass with my eyes closed. I wanted the others to see how it's done. With every move he took, my eyes followed. I saw everything without turning my head away from him.

Sam went in for the first punch. I grabbed his arm, twisted it, making him roll over, and land on his back. He groaned from the impact before getting back up. More determined this time.

He went in for a round kick. I pulled up my knee, causing him to hit the small of my leg. He bit his teeth together so as not to show any pain.

"That's all you got?" I teased. I decided to end this and get on with what had to be done. I moved forward, threw a punch to his ribs, grabbed his hand, and tossed him up in the air. As he was falling, I grabbed his throat and smashed him down at the ground.

This particular move causes the air in your lungs to vanish. The person inflicted will have a hard time catching their breath, and that was Sam right now. He laid there, trying to replace oxygen. I kneeled beside him and looked him in the eyes. "When the war starts and blood is spilled, do you think you'll have time to sit around and watch the others fight?" I asked him

"N-N, no Alpha." He stammered.

"When your friends are being killed, their bodies ripped to shreds, your family being threatened. Do you think laughing will help them?"

"No, Alpha." He said.

"Then get back to practice!" I shouted before straightening up and walking away.

"Yes, Alpha..." I heard sam whisper as I left.

Alex's POV

"Amber, you and Lisa make sure that the women and children are tucked away when the war breaks out. Trish, make sure that the elderly come into the mansion-"

"Alex, I'm fighting. I'm not going to stay inside!" Amber argued.

"I don't care what you want. You're staying inside with the others! End of discussion." I said.

"I'm fighting this war, Alex!"

"It's Alpha's orders that you stay inside, Amber!"

"The Alpha can shove his orders up his ass! I'm fucking fighting, and neither you nor the Alpha can say otherwise! Don't forget who taught you how to fight, little brother," Amber said and came to stand right in front of me. I looked down at her. I didn't want my sister to get hurt. The wizard knows who Avery is closest to. He knows that Amber is one of them.

"Listen, sis-"

"Don't! I'm fighting. And if you have a problem with that, then you're welcome to chain me down with silver. Because that's the only thing that will stop me from going there once it starts." There was no arguing with Amber once she set her mind to something. I understood why she wanted to fight.

"It's Avery, Alex." Amber said. I nodded my head in understanding.

"I'll talk to James." I said. Amber seemed to be somewhat satisfied, and so I continued giving out orders to those present.

"Fine. Lisa and Trish, you both make sure that the women, pups, youths, and elderly are inside the house before noon tomorrow."

"Yes, Beta." They said in unison.

"Elisabeth, I need you to go to the pack hospital and tell them to prepare for casualties and tents. Everything must be set up tonight. Alice, make sure to cook for war, not dinner." I said, and they both nodded their heads.

"Yes, Beta." They both left to do what I had asked. Now it was just me, my sister, Lisa, and Trish in the hall.

"It'll be big, won't it?" Lisa asked me as we walked towards the communal area.

"Bigger than anything we have faced before." I answered honestly. We haven't given anyone much detail in regards to what we're up against. But I won't make it sound better than it is.

We aren't even sure ourselves what we're up against. We know that Crow will be there, but we have no idea who he is working with. It could be other wizards, vampires, and werewolves. There is no telling what force he will hit us with. All we can do is prepare and hope for the best once the day arrives.

Avery's POV

We had reached the destination, which looked like a burnt-down house. A gate led onto the garden, a garden that looked like death had passed through it. The house was no better. The wood from the house was chopped. There were ashes where there once was a wall.

The roof only covered half of the house, and the door was hanging by its ridges. The small porch had holes and broken floorboards. The squeaking sound it made when you stepped on it reminded me of the house I once called home.

"Natasha, where are we?" I whispered as I neared the door and looked around on the porch. The flowers were dried and dead. The soil was barely there.

Natasha didn't speak. She didn't say a word. She walked up to the door and carefully placed her hand on the handle, moving it over so we could enter. The house was ghostlike, spooky, like something taken out of a horror movie. There were spider webs on the ceiling, and every picture that hung on the walls was covered in dust. Some of the picture frames were broken, with cracks going along the glass. As soon as we entered the house, there was a staircase in front of us to the right. And when I looked up to the top floor, I saw nothing but darkness.

I closed my eyes, collecting courage. Something I didn't have much left of these days.

I felt the breeze from the spring wind blow through my hair, caressing my cheek. The whistling noise it made as it came in through the cracks of wooden boards.

And then, amongst the peaceful noises, a horrific scream was heard. The sound echoed in my head, causing every fiber in my body to tremble. It sounded as though a woman was being tortured. Her screams were like nails to a chalkboard in my head.

I raised my hands to my ears, covering them, trying to close out the sound. But the sound wasn't coming from the outside. The sound came from inside my mind.

'No, please! Stop this! I'm going to die!' The woman pleaded in-between the torturous screams.

A menacing laugh was heard too. He was laughing while the woman was in pain. She was dying. I heard her dying.

"Avery!" My eyes flew open, and I realized I was kneeling on the floor, tipping back and forth.

I looked up and saw Natasha kneeling before me, placing her hands on my shoulders.

"Someone was killed here," I said, sounding out of breath. My hands shaking, and my hair falling in front of my face.

Natasha looked at me in shock before casting her eyes to the top floor. She nodded her head and helped me back on my feet.

"Yes, my mother."