The Alpha and The Fool novel Chapter 10

I walked through the house, unsure where I was going until I stopped, light headed. I leaned against the hallway, my hands covering my face. I couldn’t believe what had just happened. Alpha Brent was holding me hostage through my father? This wasn’t legal, even by werewolf laws. He’d all but announced war on my pack, but only if I was able to prove it. Some pacifist he was, I thought with a sad scoff. What was I going to do? How could I free Father?

“Nic? Nic, are you alright?” Brook said, laying a hand on my shoulder.

Anger trickled through me. Did I look alright? “No.”

“What happened?”

A laugh that was nothing short of maniacal bubbled out me. “What hasn’t happened? My father attacked Dean, Alpha Brent banished my father, but is refusing to release him for said banishment unless I stay here with his son.” Her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped into an almost perfect ‘o’ shape. “Yeah, my thoughts exactly.” The anger kept building, and I growled. I turned and slammed my hand into the wall, and again. Everything turned hazy and red as I punched the wood over and over again all the while I spat curses which were more growling than actual words.

“Okay, okay,” Brook said, grabbing my arm and pulling me away from the bloody hole in the wall. “Go easy. Good Lord, you’d give Fezzik a run for his money.”

My chest heaved with my breathing. Her comment snapping me out of my fit of rage. “Who?”

“Princess Bride - the giant,” Brook replied and lifted up my hand.

I sucked in a breath as I looked at the battered mess. It looked as if it was crushed. A piece of bone ripped through the skin, lifting upward and blood was everywhere. I’d never done anything like that before. With cold efficiency Brook took my hand in hers and ran her hand over the back of mine, shoving the bone back in place. “Son of a—” I cried out at the pain.

“Sorry, but letting your hand heal over with that sticking out doesn’t seem like a good idea. Come on, I can take you to Emily, and she’ll fix you up.”

“Who?” I asked again.

“Dean’s Mo—”

“No,” I growled out, pulling my hand out of hers. “I want nothing from Dean’s family. I’ll be fine.”

“Nic,” Brook said, looking at me worried.

“No, I can’t. Would you go ask Mike Howe for help after what he did to you?” I saw the answer clear as day on her face.

“Okay. Well, let’s clean it up and see what we’re dealing with.”

“You don’t have to help me. I’ve got people,” I said with a snap. The pain was making me a bitch again.

“I do have to help you, if only for my conscious. I’ve been where you’re at Nic. I know what it’s like to have your life derailed and everyone else deciding what new path it’s going to take. So come on, let’s go into the kitchen.”

I licked my lips, the pain in my hand really making itself known now. Idiot, I cursed at myself. What was wrong with me? I followed her into the dark kitchen.

“We should have privacy for several hours. Preparation for breakfast doesn’t start until five in the morning,” Brook said, opening one of the bottom drawers and setting a first aid kit on the counter. She seemed to find her way around pretty well considering she was the future luna. “Sit,” she demanded, pointing at a bar stool and my spine stiffened at the order. As if realizing her mistake, Brook quickly added, “please.”

“So what are you going to do?” Brook as she cleaned the blood off my hand.

“I haven’t gotten that far yet,” I admitted. “Dean is...I mean he isn’t….I can’t let this stand, Brook. I can’t let Alpha Brent insult my family like this or me. I have to get my father out of there, and I can’t do it at the cost of staying here.”

“So another war then,” Brook said with a frown on her lips.

“Not if I can help it,” I admitted “I don’t want war. If I can get my father out of the holding cells and get us out of this territory, there will be no need for me to declare war. If Brent decides to go to war, well that’s on him, and there is nothing I can do about it.”

“What about your father,” she asked and glanced up at me then smiled. “You don’t plan on telling him what Brent is doing.” I shook my head. “Well getting in won’t be easy. They have cameras everywhere. The only reason I was able to free Mike was that Brent let me do it.” Brook finished cleaning my hand. Healing cuts and gashes were all over my hand. It was bad, but it didn’t seem as bad as before.

I tried to close my hand into a fist. I sucked a breath and had to give up halfway there. “I think I’ll be fine. I ju—”