Chapter 9: A Path Toward Ruin

**Jake**

The room is tight, with barely enough room to spread my elbows.

I find John sitting behind the desk, Nathan glowering at him from the corner. I enter and shut the door behind me, trying to ignore the pain in my gut, the worry for Kait knotting there.

It’s strange not to know someone yet be completely absorbed by them. At first, I thought, if I didn’t know better, I mean, I might even consider her for a mate. But she’s human, and my world is far too chaotic for a human.

“Well, I was afraid you wouldn’t come. You didn’t seem very pleased the last time we spoke,” John says, flicking a pen between his fingers and grinning like a dog staring at a treat.

“He almost didn’t,” Nathan remarks sourly.

John pouts, his lower lip jutting out awkwardly. “Oh, please. I don’t think he’s willing to sacrifice the life of that pretty little thing in there.”

“Don’t call her that,” I grit through my teeth.

At this, John laughs, a cruel sickening laugh that sends the pit of my stomach spiraling. “Sounds like the little Alpha found himself a new toy!”

“Hey, watch it!” Nathan warns, but I hold out a hand to sedate him. He curses to himself and returns to his corner.

“Let’s not talk about Kait,” I say. “Tell me why you brought us here.”

John looks at Nathan and grimaces. “I brought YOU here. I don’t remember inviting Mr. Pouty over there.”

Nathan growls, and I give him a stern look.

“He stays. Now, why are we meeting?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” John asks, propping his feet up onto the desk and knocking down whatever papers lay there.

After a few moments of my silence, John continues. “I invited you here to talk.”

“Just to talk?”

He nods. “Yes. I assume you don’t want that fire from last night to spread further, right?”

Nathan and I look at each other but don’t respond.

“Given that you don’t want to see more of your precious buildings set on fire, and I honestly am tired of getting my hands dirty, how bout we call a truce?”

Nathan scoffs but says nothing.

“A truce?” I question.

“Yes, call off your dogs, and I’ll call off mine.”

“That’s funny, considering you’re the one who started all this!” Nathan shouts.

“I started nothing,” John shoots back. “I’m not certain if you’re aware, but I’ve been an Alpha far longer than you, little Jake. You aren’t the only one to lose a father in this war.”

“What war? You mean the one you’ve created in your head? You started this. You and your crazed father. He couldn’t handle what my father created, so he went and tried to do the same thing but ended up dead because of it.

“Admit it. You and your father were never really Alphas. You stole that claim just like you stole those lands!” The sudden rage came unexpectedly, but I went with it, letting it fuel me.

John’s eyes flash darkly. I’ve hit a nerve.

“My dad deserved that territory. It was promised to him, the same as your territory was promised to your father. But your father just had to take more than what was promised. He took our people. He took my mother!”

I see the pure hatred on John’s face. His bitterness has lasted far too long. I want to feel sorry for him, but he’s the enemy. He started this war, and I mean to end it.

“Your mother joined our pack willingly. It was your father’s choice not to let her go.”

“And then William Cunnington, your dear father, killed him.”

I stood straight, surprised. “My dad never killed him. He got himself killed.”

John chuckled. “Sure. You can say that all you want. But it was your father’s claws that tore into mine, murdering him.”

“He wanted a fight. My father gave it to him. John, give this up. Our dads fought for our territories. My dad won and let you keep yours. You should be grateful.”

“Grateful! I lost everything! I was six years old. My father was murdered, and my mother abandoned me to give birth to you! I was forced to lead my pack before I hadn’t even had my first shift! How is that fair? How is that right?

“No. Your father stole what was rightfully mine, and I WILL get it back.” John stands, his fists at his side, white with tension.

“I had come here to offer peace, but I don’t think that will be necessary now.”

“What do you mean?”

John looks at me, his false Alpha’s eyes glaring. “You don’t deserve my pity. I was going to let you go if you only gave up your lands to me. I was going to let you and your people go and settle elsewhere.

“But you ruined that. Now, I will see to it you watch your kingdom burn before you’ve even had a chance to rule it. Now we are the same. Two sons with dead fathers. Brothers without blood. I will end you and everyone you love. And…” he looks to the door, “I’ll start with her.”

John leaps forward, but I catch him in mid-air, throwing him back to the desk. Splinters of wood fly everywhere as we crash into the desk. I hear Nathan yelling somewhere nearby, but I can’t bring myself to listen.

I hear thunder crash outside. The small window flashes bright white. I lift John up before he can find his feet and throw him through the glass, which shatters on impact. The sound of glass breaking fills my ears.

Rain pours outside, the gods crying over our sins. I heft myself over the sill, intending to jump after him, but a hand pulls me back.

“Now isn’t the time!” Nathan yells and fights to bring me back inside.

“I won’t let him touch her!” I howl. I can feel myself changing as the anger floods through me. Endorphins crash into me like a sledgehammer, and I welcome them greedily.

Then, my world turns white, and I crash into the wall, my cheek stinging.

Dazed, I look up and see Nathan breathing heavily over me. “Get a hold of yourself, okay? You can’t shift here! There are humans who could see! Are you crazy?

“And you can’t go after Brackon by yourself. You’ll get killed! He’s probably got like a dozen warriors outside ready to take you down.”

Gasping, I look back at the window, splinters of wood and glass jutting out from the windowsill. Blood dusts the walls like small droplets of red spackle against a white prism.

Nathan offers me a hand, and I stand, adrenaline fading and the crash settling in.

“You’re right,” I breathe. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Damn right, you shouldn’t have done that! Now we have a full-scale war on our hands!”

I nod and wipe my face off.

“I do have one question, though.”

“Yeah?”

He looks at me, his eyes serious and his jaw set.

“Why didn’t you tell me he was your brother?”

A knock sounds at the door, and I turn to it, ignoring Nathan’s question. The small door opens, and I see Kait’s head pop through. Her eyes widen almost instantly, and she gasps when she sees the wreckage.

“What on earth happened here?” she whispers, her eyes looking everywhere but at me.

Nathan looks at me and laughs. “You probably wouldn’t believe us.”

“Don’t worry about it,” I say quickly. “I’ll pay for the damage.”

Without thinking, I step toward her and reach for my wallet. I grab a wad of bills, not paying attention to what’s in it, and hand it to her.

She takes it, her hand shaking, but her eyes even.

“Thank you,” she says.

“I’m sorry again,” I say, gesturing to the room, pieces of wood and glass decorating every surface.

She shrugs. “S’okay. Jeff needed a renovation anyways. Can I get you two something to drink?”