Star Cursed (Zodiac Wolves #2)(47)

Wesley came out and brought us some crackers, salami, and cheese, along with a couple of beers. "Your old room should be ready in a few minutes, and then you can go rest. I'm sure it was a long journey getting here. But first, let's catch up a bit."

I leaned forward, with one burning question I needed the answer to before we discussed anything else. "I saw the Scorpios take you down. How did you survive?”

Wesley popped open a beer and stared at the waves. “I barely did. The Scorpios attacked me with their poison claws, and I used my crab armor to block what I could, but eventually I passed out. I probably should have died, but I woke up and managed to crawl out from the pile of dead shifters around me. A woman from the Virgo pack found me and healed me. There were almost no survivors, but somehow I made it.”

“You were too stubborn to die," I said with a wry grin.

Wesley took a swig of his beer. “I could say the same thing about you. What happened?”

I took a deep breath and cast my mind back to that night, as I recounted it for him. How I ran from Jordan and found the Pisces pack, only to be left for dead again. How Kaden had taken me in, trained me, and made me one of them.

“Look,” I said, pushing the sleeve of my shirt up so Wesley could see the pack mark.

Wesley's eyebrows darted up. "Wow. I always expected you to join another pack, but I have to admit, I never thought it'd be that one." To my surprise, he leaned forward and offered his hand to Kaden. "Thank you for helping my sister when I couldn't. I owe you a debt."

Kaden shook my brother's hand and bowed his head slightly. "She's made a fine Ophiuchus."

"I don't doubt that." Wesley's eyes flicked to me. "I am sad you won't be in our pack anymore, but I guess it's better than having you be a Leo."

"If not for Kaden, I would be one now," I said with a slight shudder. "Jordan decided he wanted me back and he held me captive for a while, but the Ophiuchus got me out. Then we decided to come here to see if any of the Cancer pack was still alive. Thank you for the photo, by the way."

"I left it there in the hopes you might still be alive and would find your way to us. But if you didn't know I was alive, why come back at all?"

"We came to offer our help in getting revenge on the Leos," Kaden told Wesley. "And in return..."

I shot Kaden a sharp look, knowing he was going to say he wanted the Cancers to submit to him, but that was before we knew Wesley had become the alpha. Surely he wouldn't suggest such a thing now?

Kaden paused, meeting my eyes with a frown, and then continued. “In return, I want the Ophiuchus pack accepted back into the Zodiac Wolves.”

A rush of relief went through me, and I was pleased he'd changed his mind because of me.

“The Cancer pack is small now.” Wesley sighed and he suddenly looked tired, and much older than his twenty-six years. “Nearly powerless. I don’t know how much help we’ll be. We don't have the numbers to stand up to the Leos. Hell, right now I'm just trying to keep us alive."

"It must have been difficult when you became alpha," I said, my voice softening as I imagined what Wesley must have gone through. While grieving the loss of our parents and me at the Convergence, and recovering from his own near death, he'd had to become a leader to what remained of the Cancer pack and make sure they were safe. My respect for my brother grew ten-fold, and it was no wonder he looked a lot older now.

"It was no picnic, that's for damn sure," Wesley admitted. "I'd always wanted to be alpha, just not like this."

“I went through the same thing,” Kaden said. “I had to become alpha and keep my pack safe when my parents were killed by the Leos. It was before I was ready, but I managed to make do as best I could. If you’re anything like Ayla, you'll be fine."

Wesley nodded at him. "Thanks. I'm trying my best."

I made a little sandwich of cheese, crackers, and salami as I considered my next words. "The attack on the Cancers was only the beginning. Jordan plans to take over all of the Zodiac Wolf packs. They have the Sun Witches on their side, and they’re nearly unstoppable already."

Kaden finished his beer and set it down. "If you join forces with the Ophiuchus, we can fight the Leos together. You know they'll come after you again at some point. You can hide on this island all you like, but someday they'll find you."

"What are the other packs doing?" Wesley asked. "We haven't reached out to any of them yet, in case they were working with the Leos."

I handed Kaden another beer as I spoke. "Most of them seem to be watching and waiting at the moment, but if you join us, the other packs might as well. No one wants to be ruled by the Leos, or have their pack nearly wiped out like the Cancers."

Wesley stared out at the waves as he considered our words. "Even before I was alpha, I swore I'd do things differently than Dad. Better. Yet here I am, planning a war with the Leos, just like he did for decades."

"This is different," I said. "They struck the first blow, and this is much bigger than a feud between two packs. This is about the fate of all the Zodiac Wolves."

"That's true." Wesley tapped his fingers on the side of his beer. "I want to keep my pack safe, but I fear you may be right. We won't ever be truly safe until the Leos are stopped."