His mark will mean nothing when he is dead

Alpha Maximus POV

I wait for Marcus to come to our brother's wolf land. He takes a late flight leaving his wife and pack behind to help me with burying our brother and parents, as well as the Luna's sister. I sit on the porch of my brother's house. Now, there is no one here. All of the wolves were at the wedding, and all of his wolves are dead now.

None of this makes sense. From what my parents told me about his bride and her family, they were peaceful people. I left the pack so young that I barely remember Kayla or her family. I do know that her pack was elders and young women. I also know that she chose my brother even though they were not mates. She made a sacrifice to protect her pack. Kayla must be a wonderful wolf, and she does not deserve any of this.

Mother told me that Soran was in love with Kayla and did not care they were not mates. He doted on her and wanted a life with her. Of all wolves, Alpha Ranon wanted her for his. There has to be a reason why he wants her. We are missing something in all of this chaos. Alpha Ranon is known for defeating wolf packs and enslaving other wolves. If he wants Luna Kayla, it is not a coincidence. He has a reason, and I want to know what in the hell it is.

Alpha Ranon is a monster. Now that monster has Kayla. I have to save her and protect it. It is what Soran would want me to do. I will ensure she is taken care of if it is the last thing I do. If the tables were turned, he would protect the woman I loved.

I open another beer and listen to the early, unusual quiet that surrounds me. I look out over my brother's pack land. The land where we grew up, and my father was Alpha. I was happy for him to become Alpha and take my father's place. My call and my brother's call were to the north. We formed our packs and made our parents proud. Soran would have done the same. He would have been a great leader, father, and husband.

Bright lights are coming down the road. I stand and look to see who or what is coming. My security team shifted and are waiting for whatever it is. No one should be coming here except Marcus. An SUV pulls into the dirt drive. I throw down the beer bottle. I am ready to take out some of my anger on whoever is in the SUV. My wolves are ready too. This has been a horrible night for everyone.

"Max," Marcus calls out from the SUV.

"Stand down," I call out to my wolves. They turn and go back to what they were doing. I walk over to the SUV.

"I thought you were going to call me when your flight landed so I could send someone for you?" I question Marcus.

He opens the door to the SUV and gets out. "Well, I decided to rent a car to get here. I figured you and your wolves would be upset and maybe drinking. It is fine. I know the way home, Max," Marcus says.

Home, it is hard to remember this place as a childhood home for me. Max and Soran, yes, this is home, but for me, I left the pack when I was twelve to work for Alpha Armed. He trained me to be an Alpha and to take over his pack. He did not have a wife or children. His pack was his life. He chose me out of many wolves to take over his pack. I became his son. I only visited my parents and siblings once a year, but that time was well spent. I have no regrets. I loved both my family with Alpha Armed and my family here.

"I have everything ready. We built a burial structure for all four of them. I do not see a problem allowing the luna's sister to be cremated with Soran and our parents. Unless you have a problem with it?" I inform Marcus of my plans.

Marcus looks to the left of the house and sees the structure built. We will place their bodies on the structure and light it. We will cremate all four of them together, and then they will be at peace. I hope they are at peace. I know if I can rescue Kayla, then Soran will be at peace.

"You and your men did a good thing here. I am sure Kayla will appreciate you taking care of her sister. What are we going to do with the pack land?" Marcus asks me.

I have not thought about it. What will we do with the land we once called home. I look around at the land, and I can almost hear the laughter of the three of us boys running through the grass as children. I smile for a moment, and then I remember that one of us is dead and our parents died. I quickly become angry.

"Maximus, you can be upset and happy. You do not have to be the macho Alpha all the time. I wish you had someone like Mindy to help you navigate those raw emotions. You know the ones you hide," Marcus says.

I growl loudly into the night. "I do not have time for emotions," I snap at him.

"It seems to me this is emotion, Maximus. You are a great Alpha, but you kind of suck at everything else," Marcus says.

Marcus walks over to the structure. He goes to our mother first. Her voice and scent are forever in my mind. My mother, her beauty, grace, and kindness are gone forever. My father's knowledge, forgiving attitude, and love for his pack are gone forever. The Luna's sister, she fought through the pain to make sure someone knew who had taken her sister; she was brave. Soran, my brother, dead on his wedding day for loving a woman another Alpha wanted; it is senseless. I will not let them down.

I walk over to the structure after giving Marcus time to say goodbye. I have had plenty of time to say mine tonight. "Are you ready to do this?" I ask him.

"Yes, I am as ready as I will ever be to do this," Marcus says. We each take a torch and begin setting the structure on fire. I feel as if my heart is sinking as I set the structure on fire. I cannot seem weak in front of my brother or my wolves. No matter what anyone says, I have to be strong.

Marcus and I watch in silence as the structure burns. We will bury the ashes in the morning. My wolves howl into the moonlight, giving honor to the fallen, just like we do in battle when we lose a wolf. This was not a fair fight. This was an ambush. There will be no honor in his death or honorable burial when I kill Alpha Ranon. I will put his head on a stake and mount it to the entrance of his pack territory. He will regret touching my family.

"We should give it to her," I say.

Marcus looks at me, confused. "What?" he asks me.

"The pack land, we should gift it to Kayla. She deserves it. She will need a home and a place to build a life. I will help her build a pack and make sure she is safe," I say.

Marcus looks back to the burning fire. I hear our laughter again. It is almost a haunting sound from our childhood. "I agree, but first, we have to get her back from Ranon before he kills her, too," Marcus says.

"He is not going to kill her. He wants her," I say.

"What if he marks her as his?" Marcus asks me.

"His mark will mean nothing after I kill him," I answer.