Forged in Fire (Forgotten Series, #2)

Chapter Four

"Thank you so much, Alpha Sterling." Jessie's mother, Tracy, had tears in her eyes as she hugged me tightly.

I patted her back gently as I returned the embrace. "Don't thank me. Alpha Thorn is the one who returned her home." I released the older female and she wiped at her eyes before patting her cheeks.

She shook her head almost frantically. "Not for that, for this." She gestured to the rather large gathering we were having behind the large former pack house. "Jessie actually smiled when she saw everyone here to welcome her home. She has been down since she arrived back home but you showed her just what she was missing when she was with Alpha Thorn." She smiled at me again and I nodded.

"It was the least I could do. Just let her know that despite returning home, we are still proud of her." I looked into her blue eyes. Jessie was certainly Tracy's daughter. They were nearly identical in some ways.

"I know. My baby was mated to an Alpha but not just any Alpha, a Mountain Alpha." Pride was thick in her voice and I nodded. The pride was well placed.

"She is quite the female your daughter. Now how about you go back to enjoying the gathering?" I could feel a few heated glares on my back and I felt Michael and Ezekiel tense from where they sat by my feet. Silent growls rumbled through their broad chests but I flicked my fingers, trying not to bring notice to the gesture. The rumblings stopped and I breathed out a sigh of relief. I didn't need them to go on a rampage.

"I just want to say you are a good Alpha. I know there is... talk going around but I think those responsible will see the light soon enough." Tracy smiled at me warmly and I returned it.

"I am sure they will see it very soon. After all, I am their Alpha." The words were meant as a warning but I made sure to keep any indication of my anger away from the tone of my voice, leaving the words just a friendly, casual reminder

"That you are and such a good one as well." She gave me one last smile before rushing back into the throngs of people in search of her daughter. Her words were comforting slightly but it didn't stop the thrashing of my wolf as he tried hard to escape. He wanted to tear the throats out of the shifters who dared to silently challenge me, the shifters who threw challenging glares to my back but smiled to my face to hide their intentions. He believed them to be nothing but cowards and I agreed. If they had stepped forward with their claims for my inadequacy there would have been no need for me to plan what was going to happen but they hadn't and they would pay with their blood.

"Alpha Sterling." Dylan said the title mockingly and I gestured with my fingers, keeping my guardians' growls from even forming. I knew they hated it when I muzzled their sounds, that I kept their natures hidden from the pack but for the next few days we needed to place nice. Five years of it and the rebellion, that had been assured to me would fade, had only grown and I was finally tired of playing nice.

"Dylan. How nice to see you." I turned and gave him a smile despite the increased escape attempts at my wolf as my rage started to grow wilder, searing my veins with hate and malice. Dylan was the ring leader but I knew you could not simply cut the head off the snake and have it die. Him and his little group were a tumor that needed to be removed completely before it killed the entire pack.

"This is a very nice gesture. Some might think you are trying too hard to win affections but I think it is nice." The back handed statement made my wolf's snarling grow more enraged and I had to force my hands to stay loose at my side and for my anger to remain hidden. I had grown very good at keeping it under wraps.

"Well Jessie deserves it." I gestured to the tall blonde who was talking animatedly to a group of people. I could faintly hear parts of her story. She was regaling them with stories from the mountains. She would probably do so for months. I could tell, that despite everything, she had a wonderful time there.