All it Takes is Love

Byron began shaking his head as he backed up. “No, Dad. I’m not an Alpha, remember? I’m a peacemaker; I bring peace, I don’t make rules. I know nothing about being Alpha because I never trained to be one. Just… just combine the packs or something, Dad.”

Lynn grabbed ahold of his hands, tugging at them until he focused on her instead of this panic. “Byron, Byron, listen to me, baby.”

Byron took deep breaths, staring into her eyes as his body continued to shake.

“Yes, you are a peacemaker,” Lynn agreed. “However, today, you have become an Alpha too.”

Byron shook his head. “No, no, I’m not. I’m a freak. I was supposed to be Alpha like my dad; only I’m not…”

Lynn placed a finger over his mouth, stopping his words. “Byron, no, you are not a freak. You’re just two kinds of wolf, remember? Landon told you this, you are delta, a peacemaker, but you’re also an alpha. Today, just now, you proved that to them and us.”

Byron glanced over at Landon, who nodded and said, “That’s right, Byron. Today your wolf showed everyone that he is strong enough to be Alpha.”

Lynn turned his face back toward her. “Byron, the Simmion Pack needs the peacemaker in you just as badly as they’re going to need the Alpha. That Pack has been hurt deeply, and they need peace, a peace that you, with your calm ways, can give them. Remember, trust your wolf; he knows what to do.”

Byron let out a heavy sigh. “I’m going to need help, though. I know nothing about leading a pack. Since I was never going to be Alpha, I never trained.”

“Okay, what kind of help?” Lynn asked. “You know I’ll help any way I can.”

“I know, but I need your dad’s help. He’s a beta; he’s trained and will know the Pack well. He’ll know where we need to start.”

“But Byron, we don’t know where they are,” Lynn reminded him.

“You said you felt your wolf connect with your mom’s wolf, right?” Byron asked.

Lynn nodded.

“Okay. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Now concentrate. You need to let your wolf rise just enough for her to feel the bond between her and your mom’s wolf,” Byron said.

Lynn took two deep breaths and let her wolf come forward. As soon as Lynn felt her, she began to search for the bond. When she found it, she whispered, “I have it.”

“Okay, now you will send a message through it for me to your mom,” Byron told her. “Tell her the Simmion Pack no longer has an Alpha. They will be safe now and need to come home.”

Feeling the bond even stronger as Mom’s wolf felt Lynn’s wolf, she whispered, “Safe to come home now. The Alpha and his heir are dead. The Pack needs their beta. Come home.” Lynn’s eyes blinked open and focused on Byron as she said, “She said they’re coming.”

“How long?”

“Two days,” Lynn answered.

Byron turned to his dad, saying, “I need to take these men back to the Simmion Pack and see what I’ll be facing.”

“Take the SUV. You should all fit in it,” the Alpha suggested.

Byron shook his head. “No, we’ll run. Lynn, do you wish to go?”

“Yes, you aren’t leaving me behind,” Lynn replied before she turned to face the warriors who had been silently watching. “Are you four in good running shape?”

They looked at each other puzzled, then shrugged.

“Then I feel sorry for you,” Lynn said as she shook her head.

Byron chuckled. “I promise not to run too fast.”

Lynn scoffed. “Yeah, right. When you let that wolf of yours free, he only knows one speed.”

Byron shrugged, and Lynn stripped off her shorts and shirt just as he commanded, “Shift!”

Lynn and the warriors shifted.

Bryon took off, leading them all into the woods toward the Simmion Pack lands.

They reached the Simmion Pack border in no time and heard a howl go up. This let them know they had been spotted, so we stopped in a clearing. Then they stood panting for air from the run and waiting for instruction.

Byron shifted and put on a pair of shorts his dad had given him before they left. Turning to face everyone, he began. “Lynn, for now, stay in wolf form. You two,” he pointed as he spoke. “You will stay in wolf form to protect my mate with your lives. You two shift in and stand with me.”

Everyone did as they were told, and soon ten warriors joined them.

One of them shifted. “Where is Alpha Raymond?”

“You should have felt the Pack bond break with his and Chester’s death,” Byron said.

The rest of them shifted and pulled on the shorts they had brought with them.

The first one spoke again in an almost relieved voice, “Are you our new Alpha?”

“Yes. My name is Byron Rhodes, son of Alpha Byron Rhodes Sr. I fought your former Alpha and his son in a fair fight and won,” Byron answered. “Did any of you know why he went to the Moonscape Pack?”

They looked among themselves. Then, one brave soul stepped forward, gulping hard before he spoke. “I do Alpha Rhodes, sir. He went to get the beta’s, well, former beta’s daughter back. He said she was his son’s mate. We all know, though, that Chester killed his true mate.”

“Do you know why he killed his mate?” Byron calmly asked.

The man took a deep breath and answered, “He said it was an accident, that she fell down the stairs and broke her neck. Mary was an athletic girl, though, and most don’t believe she could have been so clumsy. Plus, she had bruises on top of bruises that had nothing to do with a fall. Nobody dared to argue, though, or they’d be next.”

Byron nodded before asking them to get into a straight line. When everyone was lined up as requested, he walked down the line. Just as he had done earlier with the other four, he stopped in front of each one.

Reaching the next to the last one, he paused longer than he had on the others. “You seem a bit worried. Want to tell me why?”

Lynn saw the man swallow and look around nervously. “I just wonder if we now have a better Alpha or a worse one, sir.”

Byron smiled at him as he laid a hand on the warrior’s shoulder and asked, “What’s your name, warrior?”

“Marcus.”

“Have you ever heard of me?” Byron inquired.

Marcus man shook his head.

“Well, in the Moonscape Pack, I’m known as the peacemaker. Today was the first time I’ve ever battled with anyone. I became the Alpha. I never thought I would be all because I needed to fight for my mate. You see, sometimes we all must do things we don’t wish to do, whether it is a good thing or a bad thing. Today, I had to stand up and do a good thing against a bad person. I’d never felt the need to fight or kill. Why would I when my sole purpose in life was to bring peace to my Pack? But when a man comes into my backyard and threatens everything I hold dear, I won’t let that slide.”

Marcus looked at him, his eyes wide. “Peacemaker?”

Byron smiled. “Peacemaker. I’m going to bring peace to this Pack. Although I fear there will be some killing before peace comes.”

Marcus nodded in agreement. “Chester had some… um, not very likable friends. They won’t take him being killed lightly.”

Byron drew himself up to his full height and calmly said, “Then they will die as he did.” Byron glanced over at where Lynn and the others stood. “Shift, and let’s go!”