The Falcon Ridge Series Book 2 Not Just A Girl
Chapter 17

(Chapter song ‘What About Us?’ By Pink)

JAYSON

I'm woken from the deepest sleep I've had in years by heavy pounding on my door.

"Get up, Sleeping Beauty! You were supposed to be up an hour ago!" The voice yells as I snort awake and come back to reality.

The sun beaming through the windows of my room tells me it's well into morning.

I roll over, throw the blankets over my head and growl. "Go away!"

"No! Dad wants you! Get your ass out of bed, Alpha!"

I groan as I sit up and plant my feet on the floor. Scrubbing my face, I pick up my phone and look at the time. It's almost 10.

"Get up!"

"Alright! Fuck!" I'm tired, but damn don't I feel good.

Sex with Sarah has me feeling like a fucking teenager again. I may have wanted to sleep, mostly due to being woken at 2 am, but I'm actually feeling pretty rested.

I walk into my bathroom and turn on the shower. I brush my teeth while I wait for the water to heat up. I'm already late for a meeting I was supposed to have with my dad and his beta, but I'm covered in Sarah's intoxicating scent and I'm feeling too fucking good to get shit for it.

After my shower, I pull out a black button down and some blue jeans. I was just putting on my boots when my door busts open.

"Get the fuck u... oh, you are." Victor. My older brother. A large guy. Looks exactly like me except his hair is darker. He was supposed to take the pack, but turned it down for some reason.

"Fuck, Vic. Quit harassing me." I get my boots on, splash a little aftershave on my cheeks and grab my money clip. "Why the fucking rush? I'm on break."

I check my hair in my dresser mirror.

Vic is leans on my door frame. "Ok, princess. You look good. Come on." He motions out the door. "Dad's been waiting for thirty minutes."

I sigh. "Ok. Get out." I shove him out the door as I follow him. "Get me a coffee."

"What do I look like, your mate?" He sneers.

"No. You look like the maid. Get the damn coffee. I have to see dad." I push him down the stairs.

I walk through the giant common room. It has high ceilings, large windows and several couches for all the people that live and work here to sit. There's also a TV which is blaring a football game.

Of course, lounging in front of it, is my little brother Nate. He also looks like me, but smaller. He's agile, but not into bulk like I am.

He rolls his head to me as I hit the first floor. "It's alive! What kept you up all night? You look like crap." He smirks.

"Your girlfriend." I snap back.

"Ouch." He grins.

I walk to a hallway on the left side of the common room, off the dining hall. All our offices are down here. I head to the big door at the end. The Alpha’s office. When I get to the door, I can already hear yelling. My head instantly pounds. I open the door and my dad's Beta, Derek, is arguing with him about the Unit.

"Edward, you can't! They'll set up shop and take us over! How many times have they threatened that?" He's sitting upright in a chair on the other side of my desk.

My dad, Alpha Edward Duke, is a hardass, but he does respect the opinion of others. He's way larger than me and again looks exactly like me. Same hair, eyes, physique everything. Just bigger and louder.

Derek turns his head and sees me enter. "Finally, a voice of reason. Jay. Tell your father he’s fucking insane."

"What's going on?" I raise a brow as I sit in the chair next to Derek.

"He's still wanting to call the Unit about this. We can't. Caledon and Falcon Ridge will eat us alive." He shakes his head and leans back in his chair.

I face my father, who has a gruff look on his face and his hands laced on his desk. "Look. We just don't have the numbers. I got the Intel report from the scouts I sent out. Jayson, it's worse than we thought."

"How bad?" I question as my dad tosses a file to me on the desk. I reach out, grab it and open it up.

He grinds his teeth. "Four, maybe five fully functional packs. From the Intel, we have about six weeks before they're on our doorstep. We're not totally sure, but it's suggested most members are Dragons that have gone rogue."

"Rogues don't form packs." I looked at him confused.

"These ones are. We've identified several known rogues that have joined. Jayson, if they band together, we can't stop it. We need the Unit." He rubbed his neck.

I shake my head and throw the file back on his desk. "No. No way, dad. We have a hundred people here, at best. Falcon Ridge has four thousand alone. If it wasn't for the alliance agreement, they'd have taken us over already. The council of Alphas made that clear. They will use this as an excuse to rip Black Lake apart and wipe us out of existence. I’m sorry, but I cant agree to that."

Derek flicks his eyes between us. "We do need help though." He said quietly.

A knock interrupted the silence that was starting to fall. Victor came in. "Here's your coffee, your highness."

I smirk at him, get up and meet him half way across the floor. "Thanks." I take it from him and stand beside him.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I couldn't help but hear what you guys were talking about and I have a suggestion."

Dad looks at him. "What is it, son." Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ (ꜰind)ɴʘvel.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"Jayson has what, a hundred fighters? Call them up." He turns to me.

My eyes widen. "No. Are you insane? They're a bunch of kids! I'm not sending them to their deaths."

"Hey, you said most of the have awesome fighting skills. They're young, agile, definitely have the stamina." He flicked his gaze around the room. "It's better than what we got now."

My dad had his laced fingers on his mouth. "It could help. We have maybe fifty able bodied fighters here. One hundred and fifty could change things."

I shake my head. "This is crazy. I can't do that. Besides, I'd have to inform Caledon."

Vic shakes his head. "No, you don't." I shoot him a curious look. "All these kids have phones, right? Call them up. Make it voluntary. A private mission. Completely off the books."

"If the Unit finds out I could lose my rank. Possibly be discharged." I look at my brother with concern.

He turns to face me and put his hands on my shoulders. "Brother. You're the Alpha. What's more important? Your rank or your pack?"

I sigh, rocking my head with my hand on my hip. "Ok. Fine. I'll see what I can do, but it's strictly voluntary. I won't command anyone who doesn't want to help us."

My father leans back. "That's all we can ask, son. I know this would put you in a difficult position, but whether by rogues or the Unit, this pack is on its last leg. Desperate times call for desperate measures."

I nod as I sip my coffee. "Ok. Give me a few weeks. The kids are all on break now. I can recall them early. Once we're back, we'll start wolf training. Hopefully, they'll be ready before the fight."

"In the meantime, I'll set up a group of fighters to protect the borders. Watch for any changes. I'll have scouts report back once a day. Now, that we know they're out there, they won't get the drop on us." My dad leaned on his desk again.

Derek sat back in his chair. "I'll head up a training program to get us freshened up." He turned to me. "Jayson. You'll have to be the one to address the pack. You'll be fighting alongside whoever will join you. It'll sound better coming from you."

I bite my upper lip and nod. "I'll do it this afternoon. Derek, put the word out. Pack meeting at 2pm."

He nods. "Yes, Alpha."

I better be ready for this. But I'm not ready. I'm scared shitless. Just over a month to save my pack from annihilation. Our only hope is a bunch of 18-year-old kids who couldn't fight worth a damn four months ago. How much faith do I have with these kids? As much faith as I can give. Like it or not, these kids will be our saviors. Our last chance to exist. I really hope I know what I'm doing.

****

2pm.

I'm standing in front of the thirty-foot pine tree in the middle of the town square. Derek made good on my order. People were filing into the square as I figured out what I was going to say.

"Gather round! Make sure everyone can hear!" I boom my voice in a deep Alpha tone.

I look across the sea of confused faces. Even in a crowd, I see Sarah's big, beautiful eyes as she stands with her family. I smile and give a little wave. She smiles and waves back.

I hate that I have to scare her and it's killing me that soon I'll have to ask her to fight. That's if I even decide to let her because right now, I want her as far away from this place as fucking possible.

"What's this about, Alpha?" A voice from the crowd breaks my thoughts and I suck in a breath at the shock of the question.

"I have disturbing news." The crowd mutters as I look at them with a furrowed brow.

"I've just been informed that out there..." I point to the forest surrounding our town. "Are at least four Rouge packs heading this way."

Gasps from women and growls from men fill the square. I watch as Sarah's mother wraps her arm around Sarah's shoulder, pulling her close.

I swallow. "Intel says we have over a month before they get here. We have less than that to get ready."

A big, older man steps up. "How? How are we going to fight four Rogue packs?!"

I wave him down. "I know it seems hopeless. This pack has been through hell, but we have help coming."

A woman grips her young teenage son. "The Unit! The Unit is coming!"

The crowd starts to swell with talk. "No! We aren't calling the Unit!"

The man, who's clearly angry, yells. "Why not? They can take care of this."

The crowds erupt in angry agreement. I wave them down.

"I know you think they'll help us, but they won't. Once they take care of the rogues, they'll swallow Black Lake under the guise that we can no longer take care of ourselves and we will no longer be the pack we are. Is that what you want?" I eye them all. We have two threats and if we're not careful, they both could destroy us.

The crowd quiets down.

I start to pace. "Now, I am joining this fight, but I can't do it alone. I need fighters. Strong, able-bodied fighters who will start training immediately with Beta Derek. This our last chance. If we lose... Black Lake and everyone in it, will be nothing but a memory and I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to give up on this pack just yet."

I stand, staring at the faces. Some are angry. Some scared. Women softly cry as they hold their children. Men grit their teeth, ready to kill.

"Who's with me." I say softly as my eyes scan the crowd.

"I am!" I look and Sarah's pushing her way through the crowd as her mother tries to grab her. "Sarah, no" Her mother protests, trying to stop her.

"I'll fight beside you." She stands tall in front of the crowd which gives me a sense of pride. I was about to respond when the big, angry man, stood beside Sarah. "Count me in."

I nod then more and more women, men, girls and boys stood up. "We're with you."

My heart swells at the sight that my people refuse to just lay down and die or cower under the wing of the Unit.

I blow out the breath I was holding. "Thank you." I stare at Sarah. "We'll be posting the training in the next day. 17 or older only. You must be of good health. This is going to be a deadly fight. Please. Take care of each other. We have time. Go home knowing this. We will win this! We have to win this! I will die fighting for each and every of you! I will fight! I will win! I AM YOUR ALPHA!" I scream. Raising my fist in the air.

The crowd erupts in cheers and guttural yells that fill the town square. Their voices rise high above the trees.

This tiny town of hundred people are so brave and strong. They’re willing to die to protect the pack from what's coming.

What's coming?

Over a hundred dirty, stinking rotten rogues with the fighting skills of Dragons. Paws pounding the ground like thunder. Growling, teeth snapping, snarling and drooling. Tearing through trees like freight trains and ripping up dirt with one thing on their minds…

Murder everyone.

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