The Northern Alpha's grip on his shoulder was taut. Strong. So strong, he thought it would snap in the man's hand. It was definitely stronger than Barry's hold, and that was saying a lot. He tore his gaze away to face Barry who'd solidified his place in the doorway, lip curling in a sly sneer when Kai's expression registered the shotgun he was holding.

“About damn time you woke up,” the Northern Alpha said in a calm voice. It was expected. He just didn't know the extent of terror Barry could pose.

Barry stormed into the room now, planting himself at the other end of the table, across from the Northern Alpha. “I just thought I smelt a runt poking his nose around my precious omegas.”

“But they aren't really your omegas now, are they?” Ian asked, laid-back as ever.

Barry's face darkened. “Who told you that?”

Ian shrugged. “It's pretty obvious. No true Alpha treats their omegas this way.”

Kai felt bile rise up his throat. The last thing he wanted was to be in between two battling Alphas. It didn't bode well most times, and this situation would be no different. Barry was already an unstable threat, and this Northern Alpha's strength wasn't known yet.

What was worse? The Northern Alpha seemed to be a total gentleman. He smelled heavenly. And despite being an Alpha, he didn't treat Kai and the others like abused puppets.

“So the little idiots have been spitting, heh?” Barry sneered at the huddled group. The omegas were now shaking uncontrollably as Barry shifted the gun from Ian direction toward them. “I see y'all have a hard time adhering to instructions.”

Swiftly, the Northern Alpha pushed Kai aside to round on Barry, putting himself directly between the omegas and Barry's gun. Kai cussed as he stumbled back, almost losing his balance.

“They didn't need to tell me anything. Anyone with a good nose and sniff out an old-fashioned mumbo jumbo from a distance. I can certainly smell you from that far away. PS: you're worse than a pig. The only thing you're fit to rule over is nothing but your hygiene.”

For the first time that Kai could remember, Barry was intimidated by the other Alpha's aggression. He'd never seen Barry look so stunned, and Kai was sure it wouldn't take long before Barry responded in the only way he knew best.

With violence.

While the Northern Alpha was an Alpha like Barry, and possibly stronger, he was too ‘northern'. Kai felt incredibly sorry for him, and feared he would meet the same fate as the Elders and their previous Alpha, Kade. Barry was a hooligan — a man whipped by life, over and over. A hard life lived off the grid.

The Northern Alpha grabbed the barrel of the shotgun and lifted it out of Barry's grip smoothly. “Calm down, Alpha. You're drunk so stand down. The Elders informed you of my arrival and why.”

To Kai's surprise, Barry stared from his empty hands to Ian's face before balling them up at his side. “Yes, they did.”

“You're aware? And this is how you treat a guest? With a gun?” With one fluid motion, the Northern Alpha ejected the shells out of the gun and threw them away. They clattered on the floor, straight into hidden corners. He went further to dismantle the shotgun in three motions and gave the pieces a toss towards the open door to the bedroom and pointed to the chair. “Now, sit.”

Kai blinked thrice in surprise, his heart hammering wildly against his chest. This was a moment. He'd never, ever seen anyone make Barry cower like that. Not the mouthy Elders, and certainly not Kade. The tension in the air was palpable — stinging and bristling as the Northern Alpha stared Barry down until he sat down.

Stepping back, the Northern Alpha nodded once in satisfaction. “Good. My name is Ian Brooks. I'm second-in-command to Pharrell Williams of the Blue Moon Pack. Our Elders have been in talks with yours for several months now, and they agreed to let the Blue Moon Pack absorb yours. Therefore, all finances and assets now belong to us. I'm also here to pick up an omega named Kai West to seal the negotiated deal finally.”

“You're not taking him with you.”

“I don't think it's in your place to say that. I don't need your permission.”

Barry flew out of his chair, every muscle in his body strained and tight.

“Yes, you do. I am the Alpha now and I sure as hell never agreed to this deal, so it means nothing. You have to negotiate with me afresh, and I'm not negotiating. Kai is mine.”

Kai gulped, backing up to the door. He was right after all. This was not a situation to be resolved amicably. He knew that much about Barry.

What made things more serious was, they were both Alphas. Whenever things got heated, and Alphas got into fights, innocent onlookers always got hurt one way or the other. The rest of Kai's half brothers were crammed into the far corner of the corner. They watched, horrified by the confrontation.

They all knew how this would end. They also had no clue on how to avoid it.

Something in Kai shifted, causing him to react. There was something firm, something powerful in the way Ian stood up to Barry bravely. It was a courage the Elders had tried to summon, but they fell through. Perhaps it was the way Barry had taken Kade down so easily. It had destroyed their confidence. Made them helpless and miserable.

Kai wasn't sure about the commanding presence, but it pushed him out of his helplessness. Forced him to act.

He backed up to the door until he felt the brush of a jacket hanging on the peg near his head. With his eyes still trained on the two Alphas, bristling in challenge, he pulled the jacket down quickly and felt behind his waist for the door knob.

Easing the door open gently, he slipped out, dragging the jacket along with him.

Flying out, he hit the ground at the base of the porch stairs at the run, making straight for the familiar tree line. The wind whipped about, charged around him. It picked up leaves and dirt, swirling them into the air, and carrying them off. The smell of rain was starting to get strong, and the sky was angry.

The downpour was close.

Kai didn't care about getting drenched. It would enable him the opportunity to get away as fast as he could.

The rain would also make tracking difficult if it was hard enough to wash away his tracks.

Behind him, Barry's start of terror morphed from angry shouting and hot exchange of words, to the crashing of furniture. Kai held his breath and didn't dare look back. He ducked into the woods to put as much distance as possible between him and the cabin. Shifting to four legs, he could make better speed.

Hopefully, with Kai's sudden, really, really stupid idea, the Northern Alpha would gain the upper hand in the situation and save the rest of the omegas.

It was the best he could hope for them.