Meredith frowned at the voices echoing from across the house, rolling to stare at her bedroom door.

“What the hell is going on?” Meredith asked from the bottom of the stairs, her voice gruff with sleep.

“It's an ambush,” Alex growled.

“What?” Ollie and Meredith asked confused as they followed the beta out of the back door towards the small Village the pack made up.

“We need to get everyone into town,” Alex yelled, making as much noise as she could.

“I'll ring the bell,” Meredith nodded running back towards the house.

“What do you mean ambush?” Ollie asked, following Alex’s lead and banging on doors.

“He wants to hurt me. He'd kill her in front of me, he'd kill me in front of her. He has to separate us to get to either of us-”

“Wait, what if he’s after Vanessa, we're sending the pack into town.”

“No, he’ll want to make me watch. Kill everything I love, everything I built in front of me. He’ll want to do it in front of them. Like I did him,” Alex mumbled preoccupiedly, “Everyone, we need to evacuate to the town!”

“What, why?” a woman asked, groggily pulling her toddler more securely to her chest.

“Rogue wolves, it's safer for you and your children to be in town.” 

All signs of sleep left the woman's face as she reared back yelling to her mate and children. “Child, is there anything we can do?” Mrs. Monroe asked, Mr. Phillips not far behind her.

“Make sure everyone makes it out.”

[x]

“Okay, everyone's up. Most of the town's got a vehicle of two but a few people will need to be taken to town by van.”

“You go, someone will have to make sure everyone gets there safely.”

“Are you sure-”

“Ollie, I'll be fine. Just let me get Mer-”

“Nope, I'm not going until everyone's out,” Meredith said, helping an elderly woman into one of the community vans.

“Meredith,” Alex grumbled.

“Alex,” Meredith sing-songed back.

“You know neither of your mates are going to be happy about this.” Ollie sighed.

“Yup,” both women grumbled.

[x]

“Where is he?” Vanessa growled at Bayley.

“See the dickhead in a three-piece suit?” Bayley nodded towards the man sitting at an outside table of Giovanni’s. The man smiled, giving the group of alphas and officers a slight wave.

“What's the plan?”

“Arrest him, leave the rest up to the counsel-” Alistair stood suddenly, heading towards the center of town at a slow easy pace.

“Shit,” Bayley and Vanessa huffed, following him.

“Shit! Where did he go?!” Vanessa roared.

“There!” Milo yelled, taking off after Alistair's retreating form.

“He’s heading for the woods!” Jason yelled, following Milo.

“Fuck!” Vanessa growled, cutting through the middle of the plaza. She made quick work of catching up to him. Something was off, he was moving fast but not nearly fast enough for an alpha running at top speed. Vanessa was barely jogging before she got within an inch of him, she would have caught him if it weren't for the huge delta tackling her. She kicked him off like a leaf stuck to her foot. Warrock grabbed him, slamming him to the ground. When she finally got eyes on him again he was halfway in the forest. She didn't even look back to make sure she wasn't going in alone, she just ran.

[x]

Vanessa braced herself for impact as she tackled Alistair. She sat up, grabbing the alpha by the shirt readying to punch him but froze- “Vanessa?” Milo asked stopping at her side, “You okay- wait isn't that-”

“We need to go back!”

[x]

“That’s almost everyone, just need to get Mira and Jo, stay here,” Alex said yelled over her shoulder, jogging up the back stairs of the main house. “Mira?”

“Alex?” a small voice soaked with fear yelled from the kitchen. Alex froze, peering around the corner as best she could.

“Mira, you okay?” 

“Yeah, but Jo needs help.” 

“Can she walk?”

“I can walk,”Jo groaned.

“Okay, I'm coming in-” 

Alex screamed as a sharp pain radiated through her ribs. “Miss me?” Alistair smiled down at her. Alex growled kicking his feet out from under him.

“Mira get Jo out!” she yelled, grabbing Alistair around the neck. Alistair broke the hold before she could lock it in, elbowing Alex in the face.

“This is gonna be fun,” he laughed grabbing Alex by the hair.

[x]

“An alpha!” Alistair roared, his eyes wild, his fist dripping with Alex’s blood as he stood over her.

“Get away from her!” Meredith yelled, jumping on his back, wrapping her arms around his thick neck.

Alistair roared as he grabbed Meredith and threw her across the room, Alex cringed at the loud thud Meredith’s body made as it slammed into the wall and fell to the ground, “You ruined my life,” he laughed, “Then you mate an alpha!” he growled, sauntering over to Meredith's crumpled body.

“No,” Alex moaned, reaching for Meredith through the pain.

“I would have given you the world, we would have ruled everything! The counsel, every pack in the country! But you threw that all away!” Alistair ranted, grabbing Meredith by the scruff. “You took my pack. You took my power. You took my respect!” he snapped, his claws shooting from his nails as he raised his hand. Alex groaned as she pushed herself to her knees. “Now I'm going to take everything from you,” he spat, his hand moved too quickly Alex couldn't move fast enough- Alistair roared in pain dropping Meredith’s limp body. He whirled around to face the doorway, Bayley shot him again as he started to charge her, the bullet barely slowed him. He crossed the room in seconds, his claws ripping through Bayley’s bulletproof vest. “No!” Alex growled, launching herself at the offending alpha.

“What’s wrong? I hurt your friend?” Alistair mocked, stepping to the side laughing as Alex slammed into Bayley. 

“Shit, Bayley-”

“I'm okay,” Bayley coughed, the air returning to her lungs.

Alistair chuckles, grabbing Alex by the nape of her neck- Alex elbows him turning just in time to keep him from crumbling, grabbing him by his shirt, “You think I took everything from you?” Alex spat a crazed smile pulling at her lips. “Oh, alpha. I haven't begun to take from you.” she laughed, pulling her head back and bashing Alistair square in the face with her skull. “I’ve never been good at protecting myself,” Alex chuckled stumbling over to the groaning alpha as he clutched his bleeding head. “But my family?” Alex laughed, kicking Alistair in the stomach once, twice, he grabbed her ankle before she could land a third so she punched him instead. She watched as his blood flowed like a river from his head, from his mouth, from the shots Bayley had managed to make. It wasn't enough. He didn't get to do this. She took from him! She laughed as she grabbed the knife from the counter, she'd show him loss.

“Alex!” She froze, there were arms around her waist and Vanessa’s voice was in her ear, when did she get here? “Alex, please, stop!”

“‘Nessa?” Alex asked dazedly, the knife falling from her fist. 

“It's okay,” Vanessa cooed, taking all of Alex’s weight. “It's okay, I'm here. I'm here, I'm so sorry,” Vanessa choked through tears.

“He said- you're dead,” Alex choked, her own tears beginning to stream down her face as she turned in Vanessa’s arms. Her heart stopped as she took in Vanessa’s beaten and swollen face, her blood ran cold then it boiled as she turned back towards Alistair, “Alex, no,” Vanessa cooed, pulling Alex into her chest.

“Vanessa is she- holy shit!” Ollie yelled running to check on Bayley.

“Meredith,” Bayley waved him off.

“He threw her, she hit her head pretty hard,” Alex winced as he gently pulled Meredith into his lap trying to wake her.

“Alex…” Meredith mumbled, “The alpha-”

“She got him,” Ollie nodded helping Meredith sit up.

“Bayley!” Meredith cried, wincing at the sharp pain in her ribs.

“I'm fine, the vest took most of it,” Bayley smiled gingerly removing the vest revealing four deep gashes. “I'll need stitches but I don't think it's life-threatening.” she said applying pressure as Alex and Vanessa crouched to help.

“It is if you bleed out!” Meredith yelled angrily, trying to get up only to fall back into Ollie as her leg buckled, “Ah! I think it's broken,” she growled angrily.

“You should stay still,” Ollie chastised.

“My mate-”

“Is fine!”

“Bayley-”

“Vanessa?” Warrock stormed in, prepared to wreak havoc. He stopped in the door frame, “Shit- Milo, send the EMTs in! We have three injured!” his eyes landed on Bayley, “One bleeding out!”

“I'm not bleeding out,” Bayley groaned as Alex pressed a little harder on her abdomen.

“Sorry, Meredith will kill me if I let you die.”

“I'll kill her if she dies!” the omega screamed angrily.