The Greystone Ridge Pack Series Book 3

Alpha Hawk

The journey took me two hours. Warden Warwick’s home was hidden away, a sprawling green expanse enclosed by a fence where horses roamed freely. The cabin was nestled to one side, smoke curling from its chimney. Warwick was a solitary man, content in his own company. He was the guardian of the prison, a place we referred to as the Cooler.

The door creaked open, and he stood there, arms crossed. His icy blue eyes narrowed as I climbed out of my truck. “I was wondering when you’d show up. He’s been howling again today.” He jerked his head toward the cave entrance.

“He’s been with Akasha. I need to get some information from him.” I pulled a hoodie from the truck and slipped it on. Even though I was a werewolf, the inside of the cave was as cold as a freezer. “Has he said anything to you?”

“Just that he’s innocent,” Warwick replied, rolling his eyes and sighing heavily. His towering seven-foot frame was intimidating to most, and he could easily handle an alpha when necessary. Few had seen him in his wolf form, so his true appearance remained a mystery to many.

He reached inside, retrieved a chain of keys, and closed his door. His bulky gray cape enveloped him as he pulled the hood over his head. It was hard to believe a man of Warwick’s size could fit through the cave entrance. He ducked as he unlocked the gate. Inside, metal bars lined the right-hand side. A grotesquely deformed werewolf occupied the first cell.

“He tried to shift with the lock around his neck, but he’s stuck halfway. He’s deadly, that one,” Warwick muttered, leading me deeper into the cavern.

“I thought…” I began, but Warwick cut me off.

“Those were the original locks, before I made the ones I use now. Now they just lose their heads instead.” He gestured toward a creature huddled in the corner of the next cell. “Brought in by Ozworld himself. I was thinking of putting them together.” He chuckled as the creature lunged forward, hissing and spitting blood.

I grimaced at the sight of it.

“What happened to it?” I asked.

“Burned badly, never healed right before I got him. Still standing and waiting for trial. One thing the council forgot to do when some of these guys were brought in here.”

When we reached the end of the row on the right, Warwick held up his hand and lowered his voice. “I keep Ozworld in the deepest part of the jail. Stay away from the next three cells on your left. The middle one houses a dark seer werewolf. She killed the ones on either side of her, so I haven’t put anyone in there since.” He kept his distance from the cage and hurried past it.

“A dark seer werewolf? I’ve never heard of such a thing.” I tried to recall anything from our history but came up empty. I was glad Akasha didn’t know about her. The thought of asking about Akasha and whether he could free such a creature, I kept to myself. Everything said here would be heard by the inmates, and I didn’t want that.

We continued walking until we reached the far end where Ozworld sat on the floor. “You have a visitor,” Warwick announced gruffly.

I wasn’t here to waste time, so I got straight to the point. “What are Akasha’s plans?” I crossed my arms over my chest.

Ozworld was jerked back by the chain around his neck as he lunged at me. “You! You ruined everything. That bitch, the fucking moon bitch, did this.” He screamed at me, and I raised an eyebrow at his words.

“Don’t you realize Akasha was using you all along? Alpha Ajax figured it out and changed his ways. He helped us stop Akasha from taking over the vampires. If he had killed the vampire king Absalom, he would have had complete control over them.” I stepped closer to the cage. “He’s already figured out that if he feeds off the alphas, he can control the pack.”

Ozworld, panting heavily, snarled at me. “I was the one controlling him.”

“God, you’re dense. Akasha has already taken over all the packs you had agreements with. What’s worse is that he’s disappeared, moved into other territories, taken over one of the roughest packs around, and rumor has it he’s brainwashed humans.” I grabbed the bars, and my skin burned. “What the fuck?”

“Coated in wolfsbane tar.” Warwick pulled me back. “Be careful, there are hairs from the Mammillaria cactus on there. Those little bastards get under your skin and the wolfsbane seeps in slowly.” He pulled a cloth from his pocket. “Make sure you clean it all off.”

I was impressed. Warwick had certainly taken every precaution to prevent anyone from getting in or out of here.

“You’ll pay for killing Councilor Bennett and the others,” I told Ozworld.

“But you’re mistaken. I didn’t touch him, or any of the others. I just wanted to improve the council, lead us into a better alliance with everyone. The council needed to get rid of the old rules, they’re outdated. One person should make the rules and run the council.” He didn’t understand what I had already told him. He was so focused on his own expectations, he was oblivious to what was happening behind his back.

“I came to find out if you knew where Akasha might be hiding, but this was a waste of my time,” I snapped, turning to leave.

“Don’t leave me here!” Ozworld’s cry echoed through the cave, followed by a roar and a howl. Then he began sobbing, lashing out at the walls with his chains. “He will come and destroy you all!” The cave fell silent.

“Where is he hiding?” I spun around to see Ozworld curled up on the floor. I wanted to let Razor out to rip his throat open. “Pathetic.” I signaled to Warwick that I was ready to leave.

As we passed the dark seer werewolf, I caught a glimpse of her eyes, a bright light glowing from behind her irises.

“The one you seek is closer than you think,” she hissed, and I stopped. “A dark cloud is coming, and red seas will spread.” She crawled across the floor, muttering to herself, her eyes holding me captive.

“Move.” Warwick nudged me forward.

“Where is Akasha hiding?” I needed to find him, but Warwick was insistent on keeping me moving.

“Come closer, Alpha Hawk.” She beckoned me with her finger, but Warwick shook his head. “Where the sun never rises.” She spoke in riddles and retreated. I left her behind, following Warwick out of the cave. The light was blinding as we emerged.

“If she touched you, you’d be trapped in your own mind. She drove the others mad until they killed themselves,” he grunted, heading back to his cabin. The horses galloped up to the fence, and he patted them. They ran off when I tried to approach them.

“Who is she?” I wanted to know why he had her locked up in there.

He motioned for me to follow him into his home, a privilege few were granted. Once inside, he removed his cloak and sank into an armchair that seemed to fit him perfectly. A seer was someone with the special ability to see the future, guide others, and help them without revealing too much. But a werewolf seer was something I’d never heard of before.

“A long time ago, a wolf turned her, but the visions that followed drove her mad. She seeks peace here, as being around others makes her lose her mind. I didn’t believe her when she said she couldn’t be near others. Whatever happened to her during the change, I don’t know, but I found her covered in werewolf blood with no memory of what she’d done.” Warwick sighed heavily. “A seer shouldn’t be a werewolf. She believes she’s waiting for someone important, and that she’s seen her own death.” He shrugged. “That’s the only reason she’s still here.”

I came for information on Akasha but ended up learning something entirely different. “Does anyone else know she’s here?” I leaned against the wall, intrigued to learn more about her.

“No, and no one will.” He stared at me intently, and I gave him my word. “You should leave before it gets dark,” he muttered, sinking back into his chair and closing his eyes. This was why he didn’t have friends.

I had no more reason to linger, so I shut his door, climbed back into my truck, and set off for home. My mind was heavy with thoughts of Ozworld and the ominous seer werewolf. I dialed Star’s number, needing to know she and the kids were safe, and to let her know I was heading back. We were in the middle of our conversation when the howling began.

“Hawk,” Star’s voice was filled with fear, and instantly I regretted ever leaving.

“What’s happening? Are you with the kids? Are they safe? What about everyone else?” I pressed harder on the gas pedal. I was still two hours away. “Star?” If this has anything to do with Akasha, I’ll kill him myself.

“Alice just confirmed that Alpha Alex is under attack. We need to send him reinforcements,” she said, her voice filled with the sounds of hurried activity. “I’m getting us ready to evacuate.” I could hear her sniffle. “Please, hurry back.”

“Send him the backup. I’m on my way.”

If there was ever a moment when a man was hell-bent on risking his life to get home as fast as possible, this was it. My foot was flooring the gas pedal, my heart pounding against my ribcage. The anticipation of the impending disaster coursed through my veins. The war had begun, and it was too close for comfort.