Reckless Regrets
Chapter 22

Kade

***Flashback Continued***

I didn’t think there was anything worse than being locked in a bunker with two newborns, not knowing what was going on outside. We’d been down there at least an hour, probably closer to two, when I finally realized that we were missing members of our group. I looked for Xander’s little sister Kimmy and Matt’s brothers Luca and Gio, and when I didn’t see them, I began to get nervous.

“They are probably in the west bunker. They were touring the pack hospital when everything went to s**t,” Xander said, clearly reading my mind.

“Cool. If we have to be locked away like kids, then they should be too.”

I silently thanked the goddess, who had mercy on us and allowed both Lily and Rose to stay asleep through the chaos and the chatter bouncing off the walls, but my stress levels were through the roof.

“Kade, do you want me to take the baby for a little while? If you keep bouncing her like that, you’ll scramble her like an egg,” Xander joked.

I hadn’t realized how long I’d been rocking her back and forth, but when I’d finally registered the pain in my arms, I figured it was a long-a*s time. I passed her to him, then walked around a bit to stretch.

“How long do we have to be down here? We should be up there fighting; we’ve been training for years, and we’re stuck in the bunker with the kids,” I complained.

“Sure, we’ve been trained, but not for something like this. We’re rookies, at best, and what happens if we die, Kade?” Matt asked.

I wasn’t expecting to hear that; we all had to die sometime.

“Then, we die. But we die with honor,” I told him.

“Don’t be an i***t. All three of us have been prepared by our dads for years to take over. If we died, because let’s face it, we could use a ton more combat training, all of those years of hard work are gone. And then what? How can they be expected to have solid replacements in place in less than two years when Uncle Xavier is supposed to step down as alpha? Get your head out of your a*s.”

“I hate to admit it, but he’s right. I’m a fighter, we all are, but I’m also smart. You have to train, mold, and protect the next generation. Otherwise, you’re screwed,” Xander agreed.

“Whatever. You two always agree with each other and leave me out.”

“Shut the hell up and sit down. No one is leaving you out; we’re just utilizing our common sense, something you choose to ignore most times.”

I plopped on the ground and hung my head between my knees.

“This is bad, you two, I can feel it. I’ve never heard that alarm before, and I’ve never seen Aunt Kathy look so frazzled. Her hair was messed up, guys, can you honestly say you’ve ever seen her look anything but the perfect Luna?”

“Whatever it is, our pack is strong, and we’ll get through it. And I’m sure my mom’s hair will be back to your twisted version of perfect before you see her again,” Xander replied.

Before I could think of a witty comeback, I heard the locks to the heavy metal door disengage. When it was opened, my father was on the other side covered in b***d and dirt and looking just like he’s just crawled off a major battlefield.

“Dad! Are you alright?” I shouted and rushed towards him.

As soon as he touched me, he collapsed and broke down in tears. I’d never in my life seen my father cry; whatever was happening was more serious than I’d thought. I looked around at Xander and Matt, both holding my tiny little sisters but neither knowing what to do or say.

After a few minutes, Uncle Xavier came in looking no better than my dad.

“Peter, come on. Come up to my office for a moment and calm down so we can figure everything out,” he gently said.

“What is there to figure out, Xavier? She’s gone. I watched her die right before my eyes; I couldn’t save her.”

Dad broke down all over again as the worlds he’d just spoken replayed in my head.

She’s gone.

I watched her die.

“Who is gone, Dad? Where is mom?” I asked but judging by his physical appearance, I already knew.

“You are all safe now; please exit the bunker and return to your homes. Those of you who can help with cleanup, please see your Luna or Gamma female,” Uncle Xavier told the group that had gathered behind me.

They quietly filed out of the room, but questions still plagued me. Why wouldn’t they see my mom? She always helped with things like this.

“Uncle Xav? Where is my Mom? Please tell me,” I begged.

He waited for the room to empty until only the five of us and the babies were left. He then closed the door and stepped towards me.

“We lost her, Kade. Her and your father were out on their run deep in the woods. They were attacked before the rest of us even knew we were being ambushed, and as hard as he tried, your father could not save her.”

I was so thankful that Xander had taken the baby from me because as soon as I heard that my mother was dead and my suggestion of her taking a break caused her death, I broke down next to my dad. I felt the touches and heard the voices, but absorbed none of it.

My mother was dead, and I helped make it happen.

***End Flashback***

“Kade! Marisol, slap the s**t out of him if you need to but get him to snap out of it!” Xander’s voice boomed through the speaker.

I looked at her and saw the fear and sadness on her face. Oh, she’d better be afraid, because I was about to f**k up everything she’d ever known and loved. She took a single step towards me, but when she saw the fury in my eyes, she wisely stepped back.

“If this b***h lays one finger on me, I’ll rip her to pieces,” I advised.

“Kade! What the hell is wrong with you? I know this is some heavy news that just got dropped on you, but Marisol isn’t to blame. Be smart about this,” Xander advised.

“Smart? Was it smart when her pack attacked ours? Or smart when I had to watch the smoke from my mother’s body rise to the heavens? Smart when I had to raise two f*****g babies because my dad was too broken to do it himself? Was any of that smart?!”

“I’m so sorry, Kade, I truly am. I wish I could have told you sooner, but we’ve just now started getting along. And it wouldn’t have changed anything.”

I felt my wolf Elias at the surface, wanting to break free and add some real b***d to the red on these walls. Someone needed to pay for everything my family went through. But I needed answers first.

“Why?”

I didn’t elaborate, and luckily Marisol didn’t ask me to.

“The target was all three of the ranked women. You take a wolf’s mate, and you take their strength. You saw that with your dad. The plan was to take out the women; then, it would be much easier to move in and take over.

But my father wasn’t prepared for how strong you all were, and the mission was aborted right after it started. Ever since he’s been trying to figure out how to get to you guys. Why he’s so obsessed, I do not know, but he won’t rest until the Canyon Woods crest rests above the door of your packhouse.”

“He’s going to be waiting a long f*****g time, I guarantee it. Kade, let me call you back in about an hour. I need some time to think all this over and plan the next steps,” Xander stated.

“Will my guys still be welcome, Alpha?”

“We had an agreement, and I will honor it. I’ll have the house ready for their arrival tomorrow.”

“Thank you.”

Xander hung up the call leaving Marisol and me in uncomfortable silence.

“I understand if you hate me right now, I’d hate me too,” she whispered.

I wanted to hate her, but she was just a kid like me when this happened, even younger, actually. And she was right. I never gave her the chance to tell me before now. I ignored her every chance I got.

“I don’t hate you; I can’t. Not for this. But I promise you this; I will kill your father for what he did. You telling us just guaranteed his death.”

She shrugged a shoulder and looked off into the corner.

“I’m responsible for my mom’s death, why not be responsible for my father’s as well?”

***

After Marisol dropped her bomb, she left me alone to pack a bag for Cameron and let Nathan know that he would be leaving.

I did not know how she would explain to her father that little Cam would be gone for thirty days, or how they’d justify Nate’s disappearance since this pack did not believe in time off for its omegas, but that was not my primary concern now.

The number one thing on my mind was Thorne and how it would feel to rip his heart from his chest while it was still pumping. That was a dark and twisted thought, but it was mine, and I had no problem owning up to it.

Then I had a thought, and it pissed me off because it distracted me from the fantasy I had on repeat of Thorne begging for his life before I ended it. She said he’d been planning this for years, so it was probably no coincidence that of all the unmated wolves at the summit that night, he chose me.

He targeted me, but I didn’t know why, and unfortunately, Marisol probably didn’t either. So, I had two options. I could kill Thorne now and take my chances, hoping that everything would eventually come to light, or I could sink deeper undercover and swallow the bile that rose to my mouth at the thought of even being in the same room as him and get the information.

Deep in my heart, I knew that I would never forgive myself if I didn’t find out everything. Plus, I felt that I needed to do this for my dad. He needed to know why he lost his mate and best friend, and Lily and Rose needed to understand why they were forced to grow up without a mother.

I didn’t give Xander the full hour. Once I was calm enough, I called him back to see where we were.

“Is everyone still alive over there? We can justify killing the a*****e to the elders, but I don’t think you’d be able to justify it to his pack,” Xander said upon answering.

“Everyone is good for now. Please tell me you have something planned and that it’s not going to take weeks to execute.”

“I don’t have a plan. Not yet, but I have an idea more like a thought.”

“What is it? I’m open to pretty much anything at this point.”

“We need to talk to our dads, especially you, and see what they know about Thorne and his obsession with us. I don’t know if you’ve figured it out yet, but you’re there for a reason. He’s done a lot of work to get you there, and I feel that our fathers may be able to tell us why.”

“I thought that as well, not the talking to Dad part, but the rest of it and it’s good. They are all around at the same time, and if Thorne’s obsession started back when we were kids, the old guys should be able to fill us in on why.”

“Exactly. So, I think that I can ask the three of them to come to the house and we can all sit down and talk. You should probably be here as well, so make up whatever excuse you need to so you can get out of that house and back here for the day.”

I then had a brilliant thought. It was perfect and would drive Thorne crazy. We had to do it.

“Get them to come tomorrow afternoon, after lunch,” I said.

“Get them? Our fathers are the most stubborn old men I’ve ever known. And you expect me to get them here tomorrow, just like that?”

“They may be stubborn and old, but you’re their Alpha. They don’t have much of a choice if you don’t give them one. Don’t act like you haven’t been waiting your entire life to command Uncle Xav to do something.”

“He’s going to be so pissed off. I can’t wait to see the look on his face,” he replied with a small laugh. “So, what’s the plan?”

“Technically, you have already granted the asylum for Nate and Cam, right?”

“I have. Why?”

“Plausible deniability. We can’t have you taking mercy on a kidnapper,” I replied.

“Kidnapper!? What the hell are you talking about?”

“When it’s time for you to know, you will. Just be ready for me tomorrow afternoon and make sure the asylum paperwork is filed tonight. I just figured out how to f**k with Thorne without him even knowing what’s happening.”