Emerson's POV 

The house had been abandoned for a long time, and it showed. The basement was more of a second apartment than anything else. It was very secure now that the nails and boards had been reinforced. 

The women wouldn't be able to make any kind of escape attempt. They were fine down there. All we had to do was install a lock that only we could control.  

I would've been happier with a basement like we had at the last place, but we were hiding out now. I couldn't be too picky.

Thomas was getting more and more annoying as the time passed. He was paranoid that we would be found.  

He really feared Mason Meyers and I couldn't see why.

Meyers was just another person in my way. He would fall just like everyone else who had gotten in our way.

I was relaxing on the front porch, letting my feet dangle off the side of it. It was something I did a lot in my childhood, when everything was secure.

"We can't stay here any longer," Thomas said as he stomped out of the house. "We need to pick up and move away. Far, far away." 

His paranoia about Meyers had finally hit a boiling point.

I shook my head with a scoff. "I am not going anywhere. This is where I want to stay. If I have to kill the alpha and take over the pack, I will." I was confident that I could. "This land will be mine. I'm not content to share anymore." 

The alpha was old and out of practice. If he wasn't, Meyers and his woman wouldn't have been sent here to catch us. 

"You cannot beat the alpha." The doubt was obvious in his voice. What kind of father doubted their son? "He is strong. Having Meyers here only makes it worse." 

"Then we stick with the plan," I ordered, standing up to face Thomas. My ankle didn't like the quick change, but I didn't let it show. "We'll steal the bitch, kill her, then, we'll kill him. Problem solved." 

He shook his head. "It's not that simple. You think he'll just leave her unguarded? He knows that betrayer woman told you about his mate. He's not stupid enough to leave her." 

"Then we'll have to make a trap for him." 

He shook his head, not liking my plan.  

"I'm not asking for your approval on my plans. Your job is to keep in line," I told him firmly.  

I wasn't going to be an alpha that would just let the pack have free reign. Every member, Thomas included, would listen to me, report to me, and ask me for permission before they did anything. 

I wouldn't be weak like Thomas.  

"A wise alpha would take counsel when it's needed. Your plan is a bad one. Your plan will end with us all dead." His frustration grew with every word.  

"You do what I want you to do!" I yelled.  

He snarled like a wolf before turning on his heel and heading towards the door that led to the basement. "These women are the only reason you wish us to stay here." 

The door splintered around the handle before being completely ripped off the hinges from the force he used to open them.  

"These whores," he muttered.  

I calmly followed him down the stairs. He wouldn't do anything. He wasn't allowed to touch the women unless I gave him permission. He couldn't breathe on them without permission.  

He was through the door before I got there. I wasn't worried. I had control over him.  

I heard the girls both whimper when he got closer to where they were.  

"No!" Mary screamed as the other girl cried out. 

"Please don't hurt her!" she cried as the girl let out a loud sob.

I turned the corner into their rooms to see Thomas snap the girl's neck with a quick jerk. 

I felt rage course through me. These were my women to do with as I pleased. Not his. 

If anyone was going to hurt them, it would be me. That included killing them!

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" I yelled as I took a step towards him.  

He didn't even look up at me, but I knew that he had given into his wolf. That would give him an edge against me, so I let mine out as well. "These two are the only reason we've stayed here. We aren't safe. We're out numbered."  

He threw the dead girl to the side. Her body tumbled around much like a doll.  

Then he grabbed Mary by her hair, eyeing me, challenging me to do something about it. She yelped at the sudden pain that probably shot through her scalp.  

"Let go of her," I ordered, feeling the rage I had for him building.  

"No." Thomas shook his head. His eyes had lightened to his wolf's amber eyes, confirming what I knew. His wolf had come out to play. "I know you think you're in love with her, but a little psychopath like you doesn't know what love is. This bitch is just the first one you kidnapped. " 

Tears flowed out of Mary's eyes as she held on to Thomas' hand.  

"We can't take this bitch with us. We need to move as wolves. That's the only way we will get out of here!" 

He jerked Mary in front of him. She cried out in pain again. Her cries didn't bring me any happiness they did before. They weren't from me.  

"If you don't let her go, I will kill you," I promised. "Don't think I won't."  

I undid the clasp that kept my knife at my side.  

Thomas scoffed. "You have no real power or ability. You caught me off guard last time. It won't happen again." 

"Prove it," I taunted.  

As I wanted him to, Thomas tossed Mary to the side. She curled up in a ball, making herself a smaller target, and put her hands in her hair. She didn't make noise only because she didn't want to attract any attention.  

I had my open shot. I grabbed the knife and threw it right at his neck. I knew as soon as I threw it that he'd dodge it. The point wasn't to kill him, yet, I just needed to make him bleed.  

The knife slid across the side of his throat, only going through a couple of layers of skin. His blood wasn't pouring out of the wound, but it would make panic set in.  

He lunged at me, crossing the four yard gap with ease. I side stepped and used his momentum to whirl him around and throw him into one of the rooms deeper in the basement, breaking the door down with ease as he crashed through him. I followed him, feeling the pain from my healing injuries with every step. My ankle and knee throbbed. The grip I used on him made my broken hand ache. 

Once in the room, I immediately had to dodge his fist. He had plenty of time to get up and recover.

I ducked under and punched his ribs. At least two gave way to the force. 

Werewolf brawls were brutal, and vicious. Though, the wounds usually healed within a day or two. 

This fight was different; this fight was for dominance. It could easily turn into a fight to the death… and I had no doubt that it probably would.

If I lost, he would kill Mary and be on his way, running from every wolf under Finn's control. If I won, I would have to kill him for pulling this stunt. I wouldn't be weak.

He threw up his elbow, aiming for the side of my face. I blocked it with my arm, grabbing his wrist and pinning him against the wall. I crushed his face into the wall. 

"What's wrong old man? I'm the one who's hurt here."

He didn't respond, he just jerked his head back, grazing my jaw, but using enough speed and strength to radiate pain through the whole side of my face and down my still tender neck. My jaw wasn't as healed as I thought it was.

I stumbled back a few steps, incidentally giving up a shot for him to take.

He kicked at my exposed ribs. When this fight was over, I'd have problems breathing.

He tried to kick my other side when I reacted to the first kick. I grabbed his leg and pulled him off of his feet. He fell to the ground with a thud.

I jumped when he swung his feet out to trip me. I kicked at him with my good leg three times before he caught it and rolled, forcing me to the ground to keep form having my other leg broken.

I brought my knee up to his face, breaking the skin at first contact. He bit into the leg he had pinned and ripped a chunk of flesh off of me.

Blood flowed from my leg, slickening it up enough to pull away from him. 

I reached down and wrapped my arm around his neck and squeezed, but the hold wasn't good, so he squirmed right out. 

I kicked at his legs when he tried to stand, making him fall. I leapt on top of him, but at the last second, he turned around and caught me. Before I knew what happened, I was in a head lock, struggling. 

Every time I moved, the hold squeezed tighter against me. My neck was already weakened from Mason doing this exact same thing. I had never been a good wrestler, and Thomas knew it.

Blood throbbed in my head as the blood supply lessened from the force of his grip. 

I tried to breathe, but the air wouldn't go to my lungs. 

I was up shit creek and we both knew it. 

There was no maneuver I could make without him countering it and making me sink in his hold deeper.

I knew I had seconds before I passed out, even werewolves couldn't live without a blood supply to the brain. If I did pass out, I knew I wouldn't wake up. So, I fought as hard as I could.

Then a miracle happened.

My knife imbedded in his arm, causing him to cry out in surprise. Honestly, it caught us both by surprise.

I didn't care where the knife had come from; this was my only shot to make it out alive. I just grabbed it and pulled it from his arm. I stabbed back, over my head. It landed in flesh and sunk in.

His grip immediately slackened, so I got out as quick as I could.

Away from him, I could see where I had hit. The blade was now lodged in his head, ending his life instantly. 

There was no healing from that kind of wound. After all, it was the brain that controlled how we healed.

Shock was etched in his features as his eyes clouded with death.  

Mary was breathing hard when I took the knife out of his head and let his body topple over onto the ground.  

She had her eyes on Thomas as I looked back at her. She was pale and looked to be in shock.  

"You had your chance to escape," I barely managed to say as I sat next to the body. 

Her head jerked up and down in a stiff nod, eyes still glued to Thomas. 

Blood dripped down his face and onto the ground. The stab wound on his head leaked congealed gunk onto the carpet. His neck would had bled down his side and slowly dripped to the floor. Even the stab wound oozed as gravity pulled his blood from his body.

When he cooled and laid there for a bit the blood would stop flowing.

It was a gruesome sight for her.

"You could've let him kill me," I offered.  

She nodded again, but instead looked at me.  

"Why didn't you run?" 

Her mouth moved like a fish out of water before she swallowed and said, "You were fighting him because he was going to kill me. I thought that if I'd help you, you'd go easier on me." 

"How do you know I won't just kill you now?" I asked as I tried to stand up. My neck stung from where the headlock was tightest.  It took a few tries, but I finally got to my feet.

"I saved your life just now. I think that earns me something." 

"You should've taken your chance to escape if you think it's that easy." 

She shook her head. "He would've just caught me and killed me if I took the chance to escape." 

"You know what's happened to the other girls. At least with him it would've been quick." 

Her eyes went distant as she let that sink in. "But there has to be something you like about me. If there wasn't I would've been dead a long time ago. You've kept me alive for a reason." 

"Maybe I did keep you alive for a reason," I said as I walked to the door. "Whatever it is, you don't know it yet." 

I heard her walk behind me as I got closer to the door. I was in the process of shutting it when she put her hand on my arm. I reacted to her, heat spread from wherever our skin touched. That was why she was still alive... Because I reacted to her.  

"Don't leave me in here with two bodies." There was no way I would be moving the bodies. I was injured and needed to heal.

I snarled at her order, causing her to immediately jerk away from me. I took the opportunity and slammed the door shut.  

I wouldn't be ordered around by a woman, no matter who she was.  

Now that I was alone, I would have to wait until my injuries healed before I could really do anything.  

Mary would be fine with those bodies for a day. That'll teach her to tell me what to do. I thought as I laid down to rest.

My hand throbbed. My neck seared in pain. My knee and ankle ached. I was in for a long sleep.