Book 1: Chapter 69

I unlocked the bar as the guys grabbed all of our bags. Opening up the door, I stopped as I stared at the back of my old man. He was leaning over the bar, a glass of bourbon sitting on the bar next to him. We had added him to the back door thumbprint unlock but I never really thought he would use it while we were away. His shoulders were slumped and he turned to me slowly as I stood in the doorway.

Noah and Nate came up behind me, looking over my shoulder to see why I stopped.

“Alpha King…” Nate was the first to say something.

“Good to see you up and spry, Beta Nathaniel.”

I walked in, slightly limping since my leg still tingled with the numbness of it not moving for a long. Silas and Finn came in after, both also equally shocked at the presence of my old man.

Going around the bar, I reached up and grabbed the top shelf whiskey. Flipping over a couple of glasses, I poured myself one and took a drink.

“You’re not here for a social visit, are you?”

“I’m afraid not. I’m here for the First Alpha Prince.”

I swallowed hard and looked at the liquid in my glass. “How can I be of assistance, my King?”

The horror that etched on both of Noah and Finn was enough for me to focus on the man before me. His face showed just how much stress he had been under the passed few weeks. It showed someone who had heard nothing but bad news and now was about to hand some of it to me. To his daughter who he knew might be the last time he would be able to talk to her in person depending on his request.

“The Hunters have more information than we originally realized, more power than we originally realized.”

I nodded and looked at the four guys. “Noah and Finn, please head up stairs and start to unpack. I’ll be up in a moment.”

“Solaris! You can’t!”

Taking a deep breath, I let my aura blast out. The two of them went down on their knees, stunned. Nate had also gone down on a knee and Silas was holding onto the back of one of the booths in order to stay up. Even my old man had his head slightly cocked to the side.

“I’ve had enough of this insolence today from the both of you. I’m ordering you to go upstairs and not to come down. I am still your Alpha. Stop fucking treating me like I am a child.”

The two of them coughed and immediately headed up stairs without a word. I got a glare from Noah, I wasn’t about to let loose anymore. One for the fact that Finn was pregnant and second that I didn’t want to dip into the already dwindling well of strength. Once they were out of sight, I finally lifted what I had pushed out and I gave a small, quick smile to Nate and Silas.

“Sorry you two. They needed to be put in their place. We are best friends but sometimes they forget who is their Alpha and why I am their Alpha. The fact that I will always be their Alpha even up until my last breath seems to escape them sometimes.”

My Dad reached out and took my hand, squeezing it. “You really shouldn’t do took much so unnecessarily. I could have helped in that case.”

I shook my head. “They would have just done it again when you left. Because it would have been you and not me. No, it’s been a rough day of travel. I have a limit and I hit it about two hours ago.”

“We should go then.” Silas nodded to me but my Dad turned around.

“Actually, son, I think you should be here as Alpha as well. However, I’m sorry Beta Nathaniel but I will need to send you outside.”

Nate smiled and shook his head. “No issue, sir. I’ll be outside. I can load up the bags anyways. I’ll wait in the car.”

“Thanks, Nate. For taking that middle seat. I know it couldn’t have been easy. I owe you.”

He chuckled. “Yeah you do. I’ll come collecting soon.”

I smiled and nodded as he turned and headed out the door. As soon as it closed, I poured another glass and placed it two seats over where Silas had sat down. My dad smiled and held out his hand to Silas.

“I know you know who I am but we aren’t officially introduced. I’m Alpha King Jackson Ulrich, Solaris’ adopted father.”

Silas shook his hand. “I’m Silas Penn, Aelia’s older brother. Thank you, for saving my sister and giving her a chance to live this long. I know she wouldn’t have made it this far without you.”

He chuckled. “There are times where I think that. Then I think about all the times I sent her out on missions, shortening her life more and more and I wonder if I really deserve that credit.”

“Dad.” I squeezed his hand this time. “What’s going on?”

“They have chosen Silas’ pack as a test pack. They intend on taking over the whole pack and administering their supposed vaccine on the pack.”

My eyes widened. “Why his pack?”

“Because of you, my dear. Word gets around and apparently, your little stunt of protecting Silas’ territory made him a bigger target. They are going after him to go after you. Their intent it to kill you and take down any support system you have. This is revenge…revenge that aligns with what they want.”

I fell back against the counter of the back of the bar. The blood drained from my face and my mouth just was open. There was no way I could look at Silas. This was my doing, my fault. His entire pack, my old pack, was in danger because I just chose to be here and we ended up with a good relationship.

“Sol…”

Shaking my head, I buried my head in my hands. Silas spoke up next.

“How much time do we have? What are we looking at? Cause if it’s a measly twenty to thirty Hunters…”

“Hundreds, son. We already seen the shift across other territories. They are starting to move in. They aren’t coming directly into the city because they know it’s being watched. You’ve already eradicated every Hunter that stepped foot into the limits but they are setting up close. We think they will pull a final assault when they are at their strongest.”

I slammed my fist down against the wood. “Fuck! I…fuck!”

“I can call in the alliances that I have. We can set up a defense. It will be alright.” I finally looked at Silas and he was nodding, the wheels turning in his head. He was rubbing his chin but with my magic eye, I saw much more. Silas looked like he was on a verge of a panic attack.

“I’m sorry son, they aren’t going to help. Those alliances…they aren’t going to come when you call…” My old man looked sadly at Silas.

Silas furrowed his brow and shook his head. “No. That’s why we have the alliance in the first place. I’ve helped out each one of them already…”

I sighed and looked up at the ceiling. “He’s right, Sil. Your alliances, some if not all have already switched over to having humans on their territory. The rumors of them creating an alliance with the Hunters in order to protect their own pack…those weren’t just rumors. Keri confirmed them. The Hunters are going to ensure that not a single one will help you, because it wouldn’t be in their best interest or that their pack will be next. Either way…you won’t get help from them.”

Shakily, Silas reached out for his drink for the first time and took a large swig. “I…then I…hundreds…I don’t have a force for that. I can’t fight that.”

Stepping forward, I reached out and took his hand that wasn’t sloshing the drink. “You aren’t alone, Sil.”

He looked up at me and there was fear in his eyes that I hadn’t seen in a very long time. “What…what can I do?”

“You have the First Alpha Prince’s army behind you.” I stood straight. “I have made this area under my jurisdiction. I asserted that jurisdiction when I implemented Nate’s punishment and I will not go back on that promise.” Turning to my old man, my dad, but more importantly, the Alpha King. “I, First Alpha Prince Solaris Ulrich will pull my army together and we will defend Alpha Silas Penn’s pack. With your permission, Alpha King.”

My loving, sweet, and overprotective Dad looked at me, the lines in his face showing clearly how much this pained him. “You know what this means, don’t you?”

I nodded. “I do.”

He sighed and rubbed his face. “Alright. Then as Alpha King, I grant your request. Pull your army together and defend your territory. Send those bastards to hell.”

Smiling, I reached out to him and pulled him close, kissing his cheek. He wrapped his arms around me and almost pulled up over the bar. “I can’t send my knights. It has to be yours, Sol. If you…if you fail…”

I scoffed. “We don’t fail. My army doesn’t fail.”

“But you…”

Pulling his arms away, I brushed his cheek. “I know.” Glancing at Silas, he was still trying to process what was happening. “You’ll tell Mother I love her, right? You’ll tell her thank you for me?”

Immediately, there were tears in his eyes. “I will, my dear. I love you. You’ve brought so much joy in my life. Even when I despaired that there was nothing I could do to help. I still am so glad you accepted my mate and I. That you gave us someone to love rather than feeling the hole of not having a child.”

“I love you too. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for showing me there are more than just shitty parents in the world. For giving a damn and not giving up on me. You and Mother mean the world to me. You gave me a chance that I never thought I could have or that I wanted. You let me meet the family that means the most to me and accepted me. Thank you, Dad. Thank you.” Tears slipped out as I held him tight.

We knew, this would be it. If I could make it to this final stand, I wouldn’t be walking away from it. This was it. The last time I would stand tall as the First Alpha Prince. My last stand. I would be doing it to save my old family, my brother and my mates pack.

It was almost a relief I wouldn’t go out dying in a bed unable to move. This ensured that no matter what, I would die at the end of this. The problem now was making it till then. Making it so I could lead my men against the enemy I had sworn to wipe off the face of this planet. I’d die doing what I loved, killing Hunters and protecting the people I loved. Smirking, I took a deep breath and downed the rest of the drink I poured.

“Let’s get this party started then.”