Chapter 47: 47: Return

MAX

Derek’s having a hard time, and that’s an understatement. We’re nearing the end of our two-month trip, visiting other packs, and his anxiety is thick in the air.

I’ve lost track of the times I’ve found him pacing in the middle of the night. He’s running on fumes, his mind always somewhere else during our meetings with other packs and their alphas.

Once more, I find myself covering for him. We’re visiting a small pack in Colombia, and their alpha is aggressive and spoiling for a fight.

We’re all on edge, ready to leave this pack behind. Just one more stop and we’ll be heading home for a much-needed summer break.

“Derek of Half Moon Pack, your disrespect is astounding,” Alpha Alphonso roars at Derek.

Derek just stares blankly, not even realizing he’s been called out. The alpha had asked him a question and when Derek didn’t answer, he asked him again.

He suddenly stands from his chair, sending it flying back and slams his fists on the table. Everyone winces but doesn’t say anything as he throws a tantrum.

Even beneath his tanned skin, Alpha Alphonso’s face is turning a dangerous shade of red. He’s lost his temper several times over the past few days.

I’m starting to wonder if he’s going feral or if this is just his normal behavior. His beta doesn’t seem the least bit surprised or bothered by it.

He just stands and whispers something into the alpha’s ear and he scoffs and then throws his cup or anything close to him.

Derek looks blankly at the alpha and then finally responds with, “I apologize, did I do something wrong, Alpha?”

The alpha seems to grow angrier. “Are you playing with me boy?” he roars so loud that the thin walls of the building we’re in literally shake.

The omegas in the room cower in corners, fear clearly etched on their faces. I’m thinking this is for sure his usual behavior.

Taking that as my cue, I rise from my chair. “Alpha Alphonso, allow me to apologize for Derek. He’s had a situation occur back at his pack that was quite difficult to handle.

I’m sure he was just reflecting on what he will do to help them once he gets home.” Alpha Alphonso shifts his gaze to me, his eyes boring into mine.

I don’t look away, nor do I flinch. I’m a good six inches taller than this man and honestly have at least fifty pounds on him.

He can’t intimidate me in the slightest. He huffs loudly when I continue to just stare back at him.

“Perhaps, Derek of Half Moon, you should return home rather than insulting myself and who knows how many other alphas with your rude behavior.”

This finally gets Derek’s attention, and he rises slowly from his chair. “Alpha, I can assure you that if I was allowed to go home, I would have.

My sister was attacked in the worst possible way. She’s just a young girl, and her life is now forever changed.

If my lack of attention has offended you, then I am sorry. I am not, however, sorry for thinking of her and how I can help her to heal. I will be leaving now.”

Derek turns and walks swiftly out the door that’s right behind him. The alpha stands momentarily shocked that he has literally walked out on him.

“You can all leave. There will be no alliances made here. You leave tomorrow. All of you,” he all but growls the last part before he walks out as well.

His beta remains seated until the alpha is gone and then he stands and asks us for a minute of our time. He apologizes for the alpha’s behavior, telling us that his mate had given birth recently and the pup had died.

He’s still processing his anger and grief. He thanks us for visiting and wishes us well before he himself leaves.

Shaking our heads in disbelief, the twenty or so of us who remain in the room begin to make plans for our return home.

We’re in a remote area and will have to make our way to the city to fly out anyway. We decide we will leave after we go back to our rooms and pack our bags.

None of us feel comfortable with the alpha being unhinged. His wolf has been at the surface the entire time we were there, he barely kept himself in control of his wolf.

This is a recipe for disaster. I go back to my room, pack my bags and find Derek.

I help him pack so we can get out of there as soon as possible. We all load in our transport vans that we had rented and head back to the city.

It’s about a three-hour drive, so we plan to drive back and check into a hotel and go to sleep. Our flights home can’t come fast enough.

MAX

Two days later and I’m landing in Billings, Montana. I had said goodbye to Derek at our layover in Phoenix, hoping he’d get home and not fall apart.

I can’t tell exactly what’s getting him so distracted. I know he’s upset about his sister, but he’s always lost in his own mind, and it’s strange.

I’ll have to be sure to call him and have my Dad check in with Alpha Damien. It’s mid-June and the sun is shining, a cool breeze blowing.

I lift my face to the sky as I exit the airport and breathe in the crisp Montana air. Home.

I close my eyes briefly and am almost knocked over when my crazy sister Melanie runs into me, throwing her arms around me like it’s her last lifeline.

“Geez, Mel, you about took me out. You’ve been working out huh?” I laugh as she swats my arm and then kisses my cheek.

“I’m so happy you are here! You have to tell me everything! And I do mean everything!” She’s literally bouncing up and down like a young child anticipating their birthday.

“You’re twenty years old Melanie, not ten. Relax,” I tell her with a smirk on my face.

“I am not twenty, yet anyway. Oh that means you will be turning twenty one in two weeks Max!! You know what that means right?”

Her smile is wide and her eyes sparkle as she hints to me the obvious. “Yes, I do know Melanie. Now where is Dad?”

“Oh he’s circling back around to pick us up. There was no place to park on the curb.”

She looks around and then points at a black Suburban that’s just coming to a stop in front of us. “There he is! Let’s go.”

I grab my bag and follow her to the SUV, shaking my head at her enthusiasm. What I want is a hot shower, a home cooked meal and my bed.

There is no place like home, that’s for sure. I climb into the passenger seat and my father reaches over and places his hand on my shoulder, a wide smile on his face.

“Son, it’s good to have you home. You look good, stronger. Definitely tan too,” he laughs as he throws the Suburban into drive and pulls away from the curb.

“We just got back from Colombia,” I say. “It was hot, humid. We spent most of our time outdoors, trying to dodge the alpha of the last pack we visited.

I think he was losing it, Dad. Seriously.” My father glances at me, then refocuses on the road.

“Sounds like we have a lot to discuss. How’s Derek? Did you manage to keep him out of trouble?” I hesitate.

“Well, he was doing okay until the thing with his sister. The past two months, he’s been on autopilot.

He wouldn’t talk about it, and I didn’t push him. A few alphas got pretty pissed at him. The last one seemed ready to literally rip his head off.”

I know I need to tell my dad everything so he can alert Alpha Damien about his son. My father sighs deeply, running a hand through his hair.

He glances in the rearview mirror at Melanie. She’s just sitting there, silent. It’s unusual for her not to chime in with information.

This time, she’s as quiet as a church mouse. “I think he’s been in touch with his father a few times.

Damien might have told him things that should have waited until he got home. I don’t think he realized how it would affect Derek’s training.

Maybe he didn’t care.”

“So what did he tell him that sent him into this tailspin?” I ask.

“His sister was alone in the woods because she was meeting someone. That someone stood her up.

She waited until dark to head back, and that’s when she was attacked. The someone was Derek’s best friend.

Damien blames the friend for what happened to his daughter, and I can’t say I blame him. He could have just told Charity the truth, that he wasn’t meeting her in the woods.

Instead, he said nothing.” My dad’s words leave me speechless. Derek’s in a terrible situation, and I can’t help but wonder who he blames for the whole mess.

The rogues had no right to be on their pack land, so where were the patrols? That’s the burning question in my mind.

How did they manage to infiltrate their territory? “Is she doing okay?” I ask, genuinely curious.

From the back seat, I hear Melanie sigh. I glance over my shoulder to see her looking out the window, her face a mix of sadness and tension.

“Mel, are you okay back there?” I ask. Melanie turns to face me, shrugging.

“I guess. I just feel terrible for her. What they did to her was monstrous, and she’ll carry that trauma forever.

My encounter with a rogue was nothing compared to what she’s been through.” A single tear rolls down her cheek, which she quickly wipes away.

“Max, it’s a grim situation. We sent warriors to track the rogues. They found a cave where the rogues had been hiding, but they’d already left.

Alpha Damien has increased security and organizes extensive search parties every day, hoping to find the rogues. I think he wants closure.

He wants revenge for what they did.” My dad’s knuckles are white on the steering wheel as we drive toward our pack lands.

I can feel his agitation over the situation, hinting at more he’s not telling me. He glances at me in the rearview mirror, then back at the road, silently promising a later discussion.

I shift uncomfortably in my seat, steering the conversation toward safer topics.