Caine

Caine is the Alpha of the Locus pack. Some say he’s strict, everyone knows he’s unforgiving, and most consider him cruel. After an incident three years ago that marked a very important part of his life, Caine decides to shut himself down from all emotion. Charlotte is a free spirit who relishes in being an easy going and friendly member of the Knight Pack. Thanks to a false accusation, Charlotte gets banished from her pack. Her Wolf has yet to make an appearance, and already Charlotte is left to wander around as a Rogue. Surely the Werewolf spirits wouldn’t pair the ruthless lonely Alpha with a lively outspoken girl who tries to live her life like a human….

Caine’s POV

2 years ago….

My house was silent. I was used to the silence, and most times than not- I preferred it.

Silence gave me time to think, time to plan.

I made my way to my office, readying my mind for the long night of work I would be having. It had been an exhausting day, but a welcome distraction.

Rogues had been getting closer to our boundaries. Just yesterday there had been a group of six Rogues trespassing and attacking two of my fighters.

I had just taken a seat behind the desk in my office, when I heard a commotion outside of my house.

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply.

Macon.

My third in command was outside, and he wasn’t alone.

I took my time walking through the corridors in my mansion, knowing there shouldn’t be anything pending for me to take care of.

“It’s late.”

My voice was low, and Macon knew he should be careful with me. I didn’t like getting disturbed, he knew that.

“Alpha, we have a problem,” Macon said, his eyes showing the urgency of the matter.

“Why didn’t you call me through,” I said, pointing at my mind.

He could’ve sent me a mental message, instead of wasting time coming all the way to my house.

“They are coming here, Alpha,” Macon said, looking at the ground and bowing at me.

“Who is coming here?” I asked him.

“Humans,” Victor, my Beta replied.

I laughed, all though their humor held no amusement to me.

“What are humans doing in my land?” I asked them.

“These aren’t regular humans Caine. They know what we are and who you are to us,” Victor answered, taking a step closer to me.

I growled at him.

“My Alpha,” Victor said.

He called me by my title, something he only ever did when it was a serious situation.

“How do they know what we are? Who told them? Why are you letting them get so deep into our land?” I questioned Victor.

My Wolf, who had been dormant, was ready to attack anyone who so much as said one wrong word.

“It was Andrew, Alpha,” Macon replied, in a voice so low.

The only reason I was able to hear him was because of my enhanced hearing.

“What?” I asked, through gritted teeth.

I was a lot stronger and taller than Macon. I grabbed the collar of his shirt with both of my hands, forcing him to keep his eyes on me.

“It was him, I’m not lying Alpha,” Macon replied, not retracting from his accusation.

I narrowed my eyes at him, but the noise approaching the front area of my home distracted me from doing anything else.

“How many?” I asked, directing my gaze at Victor.

“It’s only fifteen of them. I already sent men into town. These humans, they aren’t from around here. We could knock them out and send them away. No one will believe what they say,” Victor said, as four cars appeared from the narrow road in the woods.

“Where is Andrew?” I asked, giving Macon a once over, before looking at Victor.

“No one has seen him all afternoon. He missed his round a few hours ago,” Victor replied.

I shook my head, but didn’t comment anything about it.

Just as the humans started getting out of their cars, my men came out of the trees in the woods.

I smirked when I noticed they’d all stayed in their human forms. There was no reason for formality. I had a plan for these humans either way.

“Are you Caine?” One of the humans asked me.

He was standing only a few feet away from me. The stench of sweat, cigarettes, and beer was all over them. Under that disgusting odor, the smell of fear was what dominated them all.

I laughed- more than any of my men had ever seen me laugh before. The humans weren’t the only ones who seemed surprise.

Fear seemed to dominate them even more after I laughed, because they took a step back from me.

“I am Caine. Who’s asking?” I asked, crossing my arms and keeping my stare on the one who appeared to be their leader.

“We know what you are. We’re here to kill you,” he said, with less confidence than I’d been expecting.

If they had a death wish, I was hoping they were at least man enough to not reek of fear.

“Alright,” I said, opening my arms wide.

Victor and Macon were flanking me, and they were looking at the humans with caution. The only things the humans had going for them were the guns in their hands.

But a bullet, what could it really do to me? Nothing, that’s what.

“Should I take care of them, or do you all want the privilege?” I asked, looking around at my men.

Right after I asked that, all the humans picked up their weapons and they aimed them at me.

‘What are you doing Caine?’ Victor asked me through our mind link.

“I’m having fun. Don’t you always tell me that I never have fun?” I asked, but my voice was nothing near playful.

They were ready- my pack, that is.

Slowly but surely, they began shifting from their human form into their Wolves.

‘Caine, they’re just humans. Knock them out and send them packing,’ Victor almost pleaded.

I wasted a moment to turn and frown at him.

“Let them go so that they can return?” I asked him out loud.

“Kill them all,” I ordered.

It was the only signal my pack members needed before they began attacking and ripping the humans apart.

The screams and cries of pain only lasted a few minutes.

“Humans are weak,” I commented, as I saw the last of them getting his neck broken.

“They shouldn’t have come here,” I stated.

The Wolves remained in place, waiting for my order.

“What do we do now, Alpha,” Macon asked.

Victor was glaring at me, but I simply rolled my eyes at him.

“Not now Victor,” I said, and then turned to Macon.

“Get this mess cleaned up,” I ordered, signaling with my hand for the rest of the Wolves to help Macon.

‘Rogues, up North,’ Ryan’s voice must’ve been heard in everyone’s mind.

“Six of you, stay here and clean up. The rest, let’s go,” I shouted.

I turned towards the woods, and shifted as I ran to catch up with Ryan.

‘Do you think this is Knight Pack’s doing?’ Victor asked.

He was running by my side, but a few steps back.

‘Do you think Derek and his filthy father are dealing with Rogues now?’ I asked.

I was hoping that Knight Pack wasn’t making business with Rogues. My problems with them had just started, and they were already giving me too much hell.

Derek was supposed to start leading the pack, but his father Tristan seemed reluctant to step down. What did it create? Complete chaos. They’re ideas usually collided, and they tended to run over someone.

At the moment, they were trying to run over me and that was something I wouldn’t even begin to allow.

‘Andrew!’ I yelled in my mind.

I was met with silence. It made me run faster, as I felt my blood start to boil. My Wolf and I did not like being ignored or disrespected.

Wolves from my pack were already attacking the Rogues.

The sight of the man standing in the middle of the fight was what brought me to a halt.

The men that had been with me, while I ordered the killing of the humans, were arriving there as well. They were joining in on the fight.

It was a given the battle would be ours.

There were plenty of Rogues, but it was easy to see they were weak. That wasn’t what was gaining my attention.

“Caine,” Andrew said, grinning at me.

I shifted back into my human form.

Andrew was feet away, so I took slow steps toward him. Whenever any Rogue tried to attack me, Victor or Macon would shove them away and send them to a man from our pack.

“Andrew,” I said his name guardedly.

“It’s so nice of you to join us,” Andrew said, as he motioned to the fight surrounding us.

“What are you doing?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

There was no doubt my grayish green eyes were dark. I sensed my Wolf was waiting to surface.

“Ah,” Andrew said, as he inhaled deeply a breath of air.

“I’ve waited a while to take over my pack. The humans were just a small gift, from me,” he said.

My Wolf growled, but I didn’t agree with him for once.

“You sent the humans?” I asked, and turned to look at Macon who was looking at me with a sorry expression.

I didn’t need his pity. I was an Alpha. I didn’t need anyone’s pity. Andrew’s words made me realize I didn’t need anyone.

“My own brother is a traitor,” I said, with more confidence than I was feeling at the moment.

“I’m not just your brother, Caine. I am your twin brother. I deserve the Alpha position as much as you do,” Andrew said, sounding hurt.

“Hurting the pack is a way to show you’re deserving of the position?” I asked, opening my arms to motion at the Wolves that were fighting around us.

“That’s not even the half of it, brother,” Andrew sneered, before shifting into his brown Wolf and jumping to attack me.

Victor and Macon were going to step in front of me, but I moved them away. I noticed that more Rogues had poured into the grounds.

“Fight, there’s more!” I shouted, before shifting into my black Wolf and attacking Andrew.

It wasn’t a fair fight. I was aware of it, but I didn’t think Andrew was.

Every time he tried biting me, I was swiftly able to move away. He didn’t get a chance to come at my neck, which was what seemed to be his main target.

‘Don’t do this Andrew, you are my brother,’ I pleaded him.

I had lowered myself to that. After our father had been killed years ago, I’d taken over the pack. Our mother had slowly killed herself after our father passed away.

‘I’m going to kill you,’ was all Andrew said, before he bit down into the side of my body.

I growled at him. Seeing my own brother do this to me- it was almost ironic for a man who had focused all his attention in protecting his family.

I surrendered to my Wolf. I allowed him to take over and stood back as he got a grip on Andrew’s neck and bit down with more force than necessary.

My Wolf snapped our head to the side, and brought with us a chunk of Andrew’s flesh.

Andrew shifted back right after I did that. He wasn’t dead, but his blood was everywhere.

My Wolf didn’t stop there. He kept clawing at Andrew’s body, ripping into his arms, his legs, his stomach- until his body was in parts and no longer recognizable.

I shifted back, knowing it was the only way my Wolf would allow me to take control once again.

My mouth was covered in blood, and so were my hands and other parts of my body.

I stared down at Andrew’s unmoving disintegrated body.

“I loved you, brother,” I said, getting up from the ground.

A single tear escaped from my eyes, and it was because I hadn’t been able to control it. I quickly wiped it away, and closed my eyes.

The fight was still going on beside me, but I simply stood there, staring down at my brother.

“These have surrendered,” Victor told me, pointing at twelve Rogues that stood naked, with their hands up.

That was enough to snap me out of my thoughts about death.

“Do I lock them up?” Victor asked, ordering someone to take the Rogues underground to our holding cells.

“From now on, any Rogue, human, or pack Wolf that crosses our territory without permission will receive immediate death,” I commanded.

The Rogues, who thought they would get away with simply surrendering, were now looking afraid.

They were Rogues, what else could they expect? I thought to myself.

I shifted into my Wolf, letting him take over once again, and took care of the Rogues one by one. Smelling their fear, hearing their pain, and tasting their blood- it sedated my Wolf and distracted me for at least a few moments.

“Alpha,” Victor called, as he looked around at the bodies lying on the ground.

“Andrew is,” he said, without finishing his sentence.

One of the men handed me a pair of sweat pants, and I put them on quickly, deciding I wasn’t done yet for the night.

“He’s dead.” It hurt to say those words, but it was a hurt I would learn to suppress.

The traitor decided to be the last of my kin the moment he chose to betray me, and so he would be.

I was twenty-two years old, and still mate less. The traitor had his mate, who was expecting their first child. That would have been enough for me. Why couldn’t it be enough for him?

“Where is Jennifer?” I asked Victor.

“Why?” He replied with a question of his own.

“Clean this mess up,” I shouted to no one in particular, and began making my way to the traitor’s home.

“I’m your Alpha. You follow my orders and you answer my questions. Being my best friend doesn’t give you the right to question me,” I snapped at Victor.

He nodded, and lowered his gaze.

It was sad the day I realized my best friend was more loyal to me than my own blood.

“Jennifer is in her home. She wasn’t feeling well. The bond between her and Andrew broke after you killed him, Alpha. I’m sure she knows Andrew is gone,” Victor said, his voice sounding grim.

I remained quiet for the rest of the walk. It would’ve been easier to shift and run there. With how worked up my Wolf was, I didn’t want to give him another chance to take over.

I didn’t knock on the door once I reached the traitor and his mate’s house. I simply walked in.

“Jennifer!” I yelled her name.

She must’ve already felt my presence either way.

When Jennifer walked into the room, I realized she knew the traitor was gone. Her hair was picked up, and I took notice that the bite in her neck from the traitor’s claim had disappeared.

“What happened to Andrew?” Jennifer asked, sobbing as she made her way to me.

When she tried to come into my arms, I took a step back from her.

“The traitor is dead,” I flatly stated.

My words only made her sob more. She looked a mess, and her pregnant belly seemed to be the only thing consoling her, because she kept running her hands over her stomach.

‘She just lost her mate Caine, don’t be too harsh,’ Victor said to me through the link.

“Victor, always the voice of reason,” I dryly replied, so that Jennifer could hear.

‘Lesley!’ I called for one of the few women in the pack who actually fought with us.

“Caine, you have to forgive Andrew. He was confused, he just,” but she didn’t get to finish before she broke down sobbing and crying.

Her behavior was angering my Wolf more.

‘Traitor,’ he kept growling at me about Jennifer.

“Did you know of the traitor’s plans?” I firmly asked Jennifer, keeping my cold stare on her.

“I- I’m sorry Caine,” the traitor’s mate said, as she continued rubbing her belly.

“You are a traitor as well, aren’t you? And you have the traitor’s son inside of you. Did you want him to take over my pack after he’s born?” I asked, closing the distance between us and staring down at her.

“Answer me!” I shouted, which made her shrink back.

“I knew, I just didn’t think he would actually do anything,” Jennifer replied in broken words.

I hardly understood what she was saying, and she continued to mumble incoherent words to herself.

“Caine, you’ve already tormented her enough. Leave the woman alone. She’s grieving for her mate,” Victor told me, putting his hand on my shoulder.

I growled at him, and shrugged his hand off.

“Her mate is a traitor. So are her and that filth that she’s carrying!” I snapped at him.

“Alpha,” Lesley greeted me as she stepped inside the room.

“Get a group of five men to escort Jennifer out of my land. Fifty miles away, dump her, and return,” I ordered.

Lesley nodded without a question. I appreciated her silence. Victor didn’t look happy, but that wasn’t my problem.

“You can’t do this Caine. He’s your nephew,” the traitor’s mate cried, as she tried holding onto my arm.

“You just killed your own brother,” she accused me, as she dropped to the ground.

I grabbed both of her arms, making her forcefully stand up.

“He was a traitor and so are you. Leave now that I’m feeling compassionate. This house belongs to me, and so do all the things you received while here. I don’t want to see your face. If I catch your scent anywhere near my land, I will execute you. I will also go and hunt that disgrace you’re carrying,” I said to her, before letting go.

She had been resting all her weight on me. When I let her go, she crashed onto the ground.

I was about to lower myself to pick her up on instinct, before I remembered she was a traitor.

“Leave Jennifer,” I ordered.

I could hear her cries as I walked away, but I didn’t let it stop me. A part of me was crying with her. They had been the only real family I had.

I felt Victor following after me. Soon enough, Macon and a few others joined me.

It was almost three in the morning when a loud banging on the front door woke me up.

“Fuck,” I said to myself, as I grabbed a t shirt and made my way to the door.

I had only seen restless sleep, but that was a hell of a lot better than getting disturbed. The anger and feeling of betrayal hadn’t left me. They were tormenting me, and doing in my head.

“What?” I asked in a growl after opening the door.

I was more than surprised when I found Lesley standing there, looking nervous. It was a first from her, and I was not looking forward to hearing what she had to say.

“If Jennifer is still here or if she ran away- I will have your head,” I threatened in a deadly voice.

Lesley swallowed, and she turned back to the group of five guys who were accompanying her.

Two trackers and the rest were members from the pack. One of them was one of my best fighters. They were probably the team Lesley had chosen to escort Jennifer out.

“Jennifer, she, uh,” Lesley nervously mumbled.

“Jennifer, what?” I snapped.

“Alpha, Jennifer killed herself,” Lesley said, dropping her gaze down, and leaning on the ground in one knee.

She exposed her neck to me, showing me her submission.

My Wolf was seeing red, and he wanted blood, but not the blood of a woman.

I growled loudly, in agony and pain.

Before I knew it, my growl had turned into a howl. My Wolf had forced us to shift, and we had destroyed the sides of the wall on the front door.

I howled up at the sky, louder than I ever had before. Soon enough, my pack was howling with me. They didn’t know why, but they were sharing my suffering.

Just yesterday I had my family, my brother, and I was soon to be an uncle.

Now, I had no one.