The Alpha and the Mistake

Chapter 26

Ryder

I pulled on the restraints, growling in anger. I didn't understand how they could hold me down. I'm a

werewolf! No cloth cuffs should be able to keep me tied to the bed. This was unbelievable. Alpha Ryan

had Brook, and here I was, strapped to a hospital bed. Who knows what he was doing to her? It was

my fault. I should have been faster. I failed my mate, and I had to fix it!

My whole body ached with my wolf being so close to the surface. My nails had grown longer and darker

while dark hair peppered my arms. The new sharpness of my teeth cut the insides of my mouth, and I

tasted blood. It only made the wolf even more anxious. I pulled on the cuffs again to no avail and

howled in fury.

"If you want out of bed you're going to need to calm down, Ryder," Dad demanded from the door. His

face was uncharacteristically hard. In his eyes, I saw the wolf and something that looked a lot like fear.

I stilled, confused. Was Dad afraid? Did my uncle do something to Brook? "How am I supposed to calm

down? He has my mate."

"Yes, and unless you want to hand him the pack and kill your mate, you need to calm down."

What he was saying made sense but every fiber in my body screamed at me to get free at any cost.

With a roar, I tried to rip free of the restraints, but again I wasn't able to. I fell back on the bed panting

with sweat. I wasn't about to give up. I was an alpha, and I would save my mate. I clenched my teeth, I

tried again, and again, and again until my wrists were so raw they bled. Sweat drenched the bed and

me. I felt my wolf, exhausted as I was, go back into the recesses of my psyche.

"Finished?"

I growled at him, but I was too tired to do more. I was a failure. What kind of alpha was I? I couldn't get

out of one stupid bed! I failed Brook, and I failed my pack.

"Good," Dad said, walking over and sitting next to me. "Ryder, what are the rules for being an alpha?"

Seriously? Did he want to rub my failure in my face? "Dad-"

"What are the rules?"

I sighed, trying to swallow down the shame. "Always be fair and just. Alpha isn't a king but a guardian.

We serve the pack not the other way around. The good of the pack must come first."

"Our pack is almost two hundred members strong and around sixty of those members are under the

age of eighteen. The elderly make up another twenty or so members. This means the civilian

population, the children, and the older generation sum up half the pack. They depend on us to keep

them safe, to protect them and our decisions must be made thinking of them."

My heart stopped as I stared at him. He wasn't suggesting...Dad wasn't considering sacrificing Brook

for the pack was he? "Dad-"

"Go on. Say the rest."

I licked my lips, hoping I was wrong. "An alpha must be strong and true."

He nodded, his expression grim. "Do you understand what that means?"

"Take care of yourself, so you're strong and to be true means you don't lie to the pack."

"Not quite. Alphas must be strong doesn't mean physically or at least not just physically. It refers to all

kinds of strengths. The strength to be able to admit making a mistake. The strength to lay down one's

pride. The strength to know when to fight or when to kneel. And the strength to keep going despite how

dismal the outcome looks."

"No," I growled. "If being a good alpha means I have to let Uncle Ryan keep Brook then I don't want to

be a good alpha."

"Calm, Son. I'm not finished. There is the other part - being true, remember. Being true doesn't always

refer to being honest in the sense that you're speaking of. Despite being in the service of the pack, we

must also remain true to ourselves. If we betray what's most valuable to us for the pack, we will only

foster resentment and hate."

"What exactly are you trying to say here, Dad?"

"Ryder, today you're going to have to bear some of the weight of being alpha. You're going to have to

do things you may not like to ensure the safety of the pack and your own. Why do you think Alpha

Ryan took Brook? He could have taken you instead of her. Imagine, the future alpha as a hostage."

I paused, realizing he was right. My uncle could've taken me. As much as I hated it, he'd bested me in

the fight. "Why didn't he?"

"Ryan is a sociopath. He's going to use Brook to manipulate us into giving the pack to him. He's going

to do everything in his power to make you lose control because, in turn, it would push me to the edge.

He knows I would do anything for my family."

Something in his expression turned my blood to ice. "What's going on, Dad?"

"I need you to master yourself, Ryder," he said, a hint of desperation in his voice. "I need you to master

yourself for the pack, for me, and for Brook. We all need you to stay strong." He handed me his phone.

On it was a text from my uncle.

Such a pretty little mate you have Future Alpha Ryder. Despite just being a human she has a lot of

defiance and strength in her. Maybe that's why my son is so fond of her. I can't seem to get him off her

for very long. If you don't want your precious little mate spoiled by my son, give me what I want.

My blood boiled, and everything went red. I didn't realize my grip had tightened on the phone until I

heard the screen crack. I would kill him. I had no idea how I would do it, but I would kill my uncle for this

and if Mike...if he...I'd kill him too.

"Ryder," Dad said. His voice sharp, making me look up from the damaged phone to him. "To save

Brook and the pack, you need to dominate yourself — strong and true. We have the upper hand here if

you can do that." As he spoke he removed the restraints on my arms.

"How do we have the upper hand?"

"We know what he wants, and as long as Ryan thinks he can get it Brook will be safe."

"Safe?" Didn't sound like she was safe to me.

"He'll hurt her, yes, but he won't kill her. He needs her to get the pack. Now here's the plan. We need to

let Ryan think everything's going according to his plan. You'll have to stay out of sight while we spread

rumors you've lost it. Soon, I say two days tops, he's going to contact me for a negotiation. He'll

demand I hand over the pack, but we'll both know I can't do that so Ryan will offer an exchange — me

for Brook, or perhaps he'll wait for me to make the suggestion."

"Wait, you can't do that. It will leave the pack without a leader."

"It's what he expects. He expects I'd do anything to save you, even hand myself to him. We're going to

play that card, leading him to the idea he's forced the pack into a weakened state, and he'll lower his

guard. When he does, I'll be right there to stop him for good."

Did I just hear him right? Was he talking about...killing someone? "Dad you're not-"

"I've done it before, and it has to be done. I don't like it, but he's given us no other choice. Despite how

much I loathe the man, I've tried to negotiate with him for years. I told you, sometimes you'll need to do

things for the safety and well-being of the pack you're not going to like. I have to do this. I have to do it

for you, Brook and our pack. Do you understand?" There was something desperate in his voice and

face. It was like he needed me to understand so he could do what he needed to do.

"Yeah, Dad, I understand."

He smiled at me and patted my shoulder a couple of times. "Don't worry so much. Everything is going

to be okay. I do know what I'm doing. You just keep to your part and Brook will be home soon."

"And you too, right Dad?" I insisted. All of this made me realize how unprepared I was to be alpha. I

was nineteen and an idiot. I would've fallen for my uncle's trap. The pack needed Dad as alpha more

than me.

"I will do my best, Son."

"Alright. So what do we do next -" I started then remembered. "Andy, is he okay?" God, I was such a Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

dick! I should've asked about him sooner.

Dad grimaced, and I felt my chest tighten. "He'll survive. We arrived soon enough to unblock his

trachea and prevent suffocation, but his bones had begun to heal over in the broken state. It had to be

re-broken, and this caused some major nerve damage. The damage was extensive, and we're not sure

just how long it'll take for his body to fully repair itself. As of right now, Andy is paralyzed from the waist

down, and the estimates for total recovery put it at a couple of years."

Relief and sadness filled me in equal measure. Andy was going to hate being confined to a wheelchair.

He was an on the go, outdoorsy, sports type of guy. "Can I see him? Or can he come see me?" I hoped

I wouldn't get to be around my friends during this whole time.

"He's still pretty out of it, but as soon as he's able, Kara will bring him to see you. Now I have to get to

work and set this plan into motion. We've got a Luna to get back."

"Dad," I said as he turned to leave. "I hope I can be as good as an alpha as you are someday."

He now smiled a real and honest smile at me. "I'm sure you will be."