Chapter 14

Kade should have known it wasn't going to be a good day when he received a text message from his sister telling him their father had finally passed away.

They had just gotten back from visiting Silver Moon and preparations for Daniel's crowning as Alpha of the Hellhound pack had been taking up most of everyone's time, including Kade's. In all honesty, he was glad to be home where things were familiar and he didn't have to go running around trying to find Daniel's missing mate.

When Daniel had told him that Eva Larson had run off when they first met, Kade had burst out laughing. It had earned him an angry growl from his Alpha but Kade had ignored it, too amused by the turn of events.

He hadn't been laughing when Daniel sent him out to go looking for Eva.

It was about that time his sister had called and told him their father had taken a turn for the worse. The old bastard had been battling with Alzheimer's for a couple of years now but had been rapidly deteriorating since just before the winter Solstice. Kade hadn't really cared. As far as he was concerned, their father didn't deserve his sympathy or forgiveness for all the things he had done to them over the years. If it weren't for the old fucker, Kade and his sister, Sienna, wouldn't have had to go live with a grumpy grey haired witch called Dagmar. Their mother wouldn't have gone to prison where she would later die alone and scared. Kade might have avoided joining the military and Sienna might have not decided to live in the human world.

No. The bastard didn't deserve anything from Kade.

*Sienna: the funeral is in two days. Will you attend?

Kade: No

Sienna: why not? He was our father.

Kade: I'm busy with pack business*

What Kade really wanted to say was he wasn't about to stand around listening to people talk about how great and wonderful Patrick Kade was when it was all a lie. Kade knew better. Sienna did too but chose to seek out her closure on past events by forgiving those who had played a part in it.

Kade found closure by keeping as far away as possible from anything to do with his father.

However, as the day went on his mood darkened. He had gone to talk with other betas from packs that were strong allies of the Hellhounds. As the old guard began to step down, the new blood were looking to form alliances at home and overseas. It meant better trading, better intel and a unity that could keep darker forces in check. Initially it was only meant to be between the wolves but somehow, vampires had gotten wind of it and asked to join.

That had thrown a curveball no one had anticipated.

Kade hadn't been put off by the idea. He had worked with vampires before but there was the issue that they relied on human blood to survive and that usually meant innocent people died. Their joining would mean that terms would need to be drawn up to protect the humans and Kade had a feeling that would be met with resistance on both sides.

Right now, that wasn't his problem. All he had to do was head back up north and report back to Daniel on the progress and get his agreement to continue forward with the alliance. It would be another month or two before their next meeting anyway.

By the end of the talks, Kade's head was pounding like an icepick had been driven through the inner corner of his right eye and was currently trying to make its way through the base of his skull right next to his occipital nerve. He also needed to shift and let Legion out before the damned wolf drove him crazy.

Sienna had been blowing his phone up all day to the point he had to turn it off just to get some peace.

Sienna and Dagmar had always made it well known that they disapproved of Kade being the beta for the Hellhounds or that he always put his duties for the pack first. The witch hated most shifters though and Sienna thought living a human life fixed everything even though they would always be wolves and some things just couldn't be fixed.

He decided to stop at a pub a few miles outside of pack territory. Tonight was Daniel's Alpha ceremony and Kade had promised to be back in time for it but needed a drink to try and kill his foul mood.

The pub was already busy with mostly humans from the local town dining or sharing a few drinks with friends after work. The 16th century building still boasted its low ceiling with exposed beams and wrought iron windows. It was a typical pub in a typical rural town with crimson red plush seats in the booths and dark wood chairs dotted around equally dark wood tables. The fire was roaring in the large hearth and the heat mixed with the smell of hot oil from the kitchen and the smell of stale beer didn't help Kade's headache any.

The beta scented the other shifters before he even saw them. This was neutral territory so it wasn't like anyone was trespassing but Kade wasn't in the mood for a pissing contest or for any trouble so he steered clear of the small group of males at the other end of the bar.

"What can I get you?" The landlord asked as Kade sank into a stool at the edge of the old bar.

"Two double whiskeys, no ice." Kade muttered.

Just two drinks and he'd leave.

The first whiskey went down in one mouthful, burning its way into Kade's stomach then flooding into his veins with its fiery heat. He wasn't a fan of whiskey but it was his go to when he needed to feel the numbing effects of alcohol quickly. The first one was to quell the thirst while the second would take the edge off of his mood and hopefully the headache. Setting the now empty glass down, he pulled the second glass towards him, his grey eyes staring into the amber pool inside of the tumbler.

His old man had liked a drink but the alcohol was not the cause of Patrick's sins. It would be easy to blame it all on the booze but it wouldn't be the truth. Patrick was just rotten and Kade knew more than anyone just how rotten his father was. It was the very things old Patrick Kade had done and managed to get away with that had his son pushing for the alliance to work. Someone had to make these monsters pay for what they did. It might be too late to do so with Kade's father but there would be others and there would be their victims who would need someone on their side.

Kade had only taken a second sip of his drink when he felt the presence of shifters moving in around him. He hadn't made an effort to conceal himself but he also hadn't advertised his presence. He could tell without looking that the wolves now standing around him were the same ones he clocked earlier. They were young, probably high on their own testosterone and looking for a way to show their worth to whatever pack they were from. Kade wasn't interested but as he glanced at the reflections in the pictures behind the bar, he knew he wasn't going to get much choice in the matter.

"I've not seen you around these parts before." One of them sneered, leaning against the bar beside Kade, making a show of invading his space. "Are you lost?"

"Just passing through." Kade muttered, taking a sip of his drink.

"Passing through? Seems to me you're doing more than just passing through." The male growled. "Hellhound scum aren't welcome in these parts."

Kade finally turned his gaze to the young male. He couldn't be anymore that twenty with short curly blonde hair and dirty blue eyes. He was tall but lacked muscle, meaning he wasn't part of his pack's security. The other two however were a bit older and bulkier. They looked like a mismatched trio but that didn't negate the fact that they were looking for a fight. Kade wondered if they would have started in on their own pack mates or humans if Kade hadn't walked in. Did they know that they were on neutral ground and any werewolf could be there no matter what pack they were from?

Probably. They just didn't care.

"I'm just having a drink and then I'll be on my may." Kade finally spoke, looking away again.

"Well we will keep you company until you finish up and make sure to escort you out." Blondie smirked. "It'd be a shame if something were to happen to that pretty face in that car park."

"Trust me, it's not my face you should be worried about." Kade muttered before he could stop himself.

Blondie's eyes hardened at that and Kade heard the other two move closer, swallowing up his space. Legion stirred in the dark recesses of Kade's mind where he usually lurked like an insidious nightmare. The wolf didn't like being threatened and rarely had patience.

"You should be more careful with that mouth of yours." The lanky male snarled, his eyes flashing dangerously. "It's three against one and I don't fancy those odds."

"Well then call some more of you mates to help you out and make it a fair fight." Kade smirked, finishing his drink and setting the glass down heavily. "Now if you ladies don't mind, I have places to be."

He pushed himself out of his seat, not letting the close proximity of the three shifters intimidate him. He had no intentions of backing down but he wasn't looking for a fight. Still, he wasn't surprised as the three idiots followed him out into the crisp early spring night. The cold air cooled the heat in Kade's cheeks from the alcohol but did little to settle the fire in his veins. If they were doing this then they weren't doing it where there were witnesses.

Shrugging off his jacket, he chucked it onto the seat of his motorcycle to pick up later. The dark and twisted part of him thought about letting the poor buggers get a few shots in first. He craved the pain like his lungs craved air. Maybe he'd just let them kick the shit out of him and be done with it but deep down he knew that wouldn't happen.