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“No!” A shrill cry comes from the thin lips of Shadow’s mate.
“Ah fuck, I didn’t want to kill a woman.” Dom mutters in my head as Shadow’s mate shifts into a mangy looking mutt. Dom’s wolf pounces, his paws landing on her shoulders. She falls helplessly as he pins her to the ground. He growls into her ear as a warning, but she still fights, nipping and snapping her jaws. Her teeth puncture his ear, and he snarls a greater threat. She barks loudly over and over, but her pack is silent.
Slowly, I rise from the corpse and take in what’s happened while I attempt to breathe and steady myself.
From my place at the edge of the woods I can easily see everything. Two wolves lie dead. One at the feet of Caleb and the other a few feet behind Devin. Dom has the Alpha mate pinned and the last remaining man, the one with a shotgun at his feet, and the three women are standing with wide eyes by the fire pit. The man has his hands raised in surrender and the front of his pants are soaked in urine. He didn’t even attempt to shift. The women are shaking, and one is rocking back and forth crying hysterically. This is so fucked.
“Are they really fucking surrendering?” I sneer in my head. I find it hard to believe that the fight is already over. There’s no surprise waiting for us. This wasn’t enough. My wolf paces in a small circle. He snarls and barks with agitation. My mate. What they did to my mate comes back in flashes. My wolf isn’t over it. There needs to be more. He tries to go back to the lifeless body, but I pull him away. This wasn’t nearly enough to rectify the pain Shadow has caused me. Let alone the hell he put Lena through.
“Please don’t hurt us.” One of the women finally speaks. She sniffles and grabs hold of her shoulders. She’s a pitiful sight. Her eyes are bloodshot, and her body shakes with every movement she makes. I’m not sure if it’s from fear or from whatever high she’s on.
My Alpha shifts. I’m momentarily surprised that he would shift to his weaker form and show such vulnerability. But then I take another look around. There’s nothing here that’s even close to a threat.
It’s sickening. Both the disgust and the guilt. A pack with no Alpha, surely one left in this condition, is pathetic and in need of great help. Devin was right to alert the Authority.
“Tie up your Alpha mate.” He commands the man and in an instant Dom releases her. She slashes out at him and snarls. The man looks back at Devin with an expression of equal confusion and fear. “Now!” Devin commands him and the Alpha waves rock through the camp. The women all fall to the ground and the man’s legs weaken as he looks furiously around the camp for something to restrain the Alpha mate. She rises on her legs and attempts another futile attack. Dom merely swipes his heavy paw at her body as she leaps in the air. She crashes to the ground from the blow and her wolf gives in, shifting back to human.
“I don’t fight women, Devin.” Dom’s voice is low and sorrowful in our heads.
Devin doesn’t even bother shifting. His feet pound against the dirt as he walks with purpose to the Alpha mate, still partially stunned from the fall and naked in human form. His large hand grips her nape and pushes her head into the ground. The shifter from the other pack approaches quickly with rope in his hand, but I don’t give him a chance to get anywhere near my Alpha. I barrel toward him, snarling and practically foaming at the mouth for another fight. He screams in terror and drops the rope as he falls to his ass in the dirt.
I pick up the rope in my mouth and turn my back to the bastard. Showing him he means nothing to me. He’s not worth my energy. Devin huffs a laugh and takes the rope in his other hand while the woman struggles beneath him. I shift and help him tie her to the tree to keep her from attacking us. More so we don’t have to kill her. We’ll leave her here for the Authority.
All the while she screams and cries “Shadow” while attempting to buck. Her effort is futile.
Once she’s secure, Devin tugs on the rope and nods before turning back to the silent spectators. Everyone is in human form; the pathetic battle is over. My wolf howls with discontent, but I remind him that our mate is waiting for us. He shuffles and paces with impatience. I feel the same as my wolf. This wasn’t a hard enough battle. I look back at Shadow, wishing I’d restrained my wolf and given him time to shift so I could’ve enjoyed the fight. My only regret is that he barely had a moment to suffer.
“Stay.” Devin speaks to the enemy pack and stalks back to the woods, not waiting for them to frantically nod their heads in submission. Their fear and anxiety mix with the scent of blood and urine. The stench is nauseating. Our pack follows Devin into the woods, listening intently to ensure their obedience.
Devin pulls out his phone as he unlocks the SUV for us to pile in. “Alec.” He puts the keys in the ignition before looking back through the forest at what’s left of Shadow’s pathetic pack. “They’re all yours.”
JUDE
Hours with the hum of the SUV driving us home allow the adrenaline to fade. Half my pack slept the last hour, but I couldn’t. The late night is nearly early morning by the time we’re back. I’m so fucking tired, but the thought of my mate waiting for me gives me the energy I need. I walk quietly down the hall to my bedroom, cringing every time the damn wooden floor squeaks beneath my heavy weight. I try angling my boots and walking a bit slower. If they’re asleep, I don’t want to disturb them.
I turn the knob gently and slowly, pushing on the door with a slight weight to prevent too much sound. I haven’t snuck around like this in years. I hold back a chuckle as I remember my brothers and I sneaking around the house at night to steal candy from the kitchen. Warmth fills my chest at the thought of my own pups doing the same, at the memory of family, and at knowing that the worst is truly behind us. An asymmetric grin pulls at my lips. I already have one pup; I can’t wait to have more with Lena.
By the time I’ve broken into my own bedroom, I can’t hear a damn thing in the room and it’s pitch black with the curtains closed, but I can make out a small form bunched under the cream comforter on the bed. My mate. The sight makes my heart swell and my wolf brushes against my chest desperate to feel her. I’ve dreamed of coming home to my mate for as long as I can remember. Dreamed of climbing into bed behind her and pulling her small body into my chest. I can imagine the pleased sigh escaping her lips in her sleep. A soft rumble grows in my chest at the thought.
It feels as if I’ve already loved her for a lifetime.
My wolf is eager to climb into bed beside her, especially after the day we’ve had. I strip out of my filthy clothes as I silently stalk toward the bed. I know I need to shower first, but I just want to see her. After throwing on a pair of gray sweatpants, I slowly pull the covers back and frown as my blood turns cold and my fists bunch the comforter in my hand. Finally, I rip the damn thing away. It’s empty. She’s not in my room. For a moment, panic washes through me.
I scent the air and follow her sweet citrus smell to the door and down the hall. Not giving a damn about the smacking sound of my feet on the floor, I hunt her down. I’m led to the other side of the estate, and I let out a long, agitated sigh as I quietly open the door to her niece and nephew’s room. Panic vanishes, but a mix of other emotions quickly take its place.
What the hell is she doing in here? My brow furrows in confusion and then harder in anger. She’s my mate and she belongs in my bed. Tension rises up my shoulders and I do my best to keep my breathing even and stay firm in my place. I don’t want to startle her, but I don’t know what to do with all of the emotion that riddles its way through me. The loss of what could have been, if only I’d met her long ago before any of this shit happened.
I silently scold myself and cuss under my breath. I need to rectify that right fucking now. She’s my mate whether she feels the pull to me or not. And I need to fucking act like it.
The door squeaks behind me as it opens just slightly and I hold my breath, hoping I haven’t disturbed the children. My eyes adjust to the darkened night and any anger dissipates.
Some of the tension leaves my body as I see her curled behind her niece, her arm wrapped around the young pup. To the right of her is a bassinet, holding our sleeping pup. Everyone’s sleeping soundly. I can’t help the warmth that flows through me, even if I’m upset that she didn’t stay in my bedroom. I can’t blame her for wanting to be with her family.
But I’m her family now. My wolf howls in agony. The feeling of loss and rejection is undeniable.
My throat dries and I struggle with what to do. Finally, after a moment of my heart racing and far too many old wounds reopening, I do what feels right.
I walk quietly across the room and gently peel the covers from around her body. I lift her arm from around her niece and tuck the blanket under the little girl. I slide my hands under my mate’s soft, warm body and gently lift her. At the movement, her eyelids pop open and stare back at me in fear. It fucking kills me. It’s a dagger to my already wounded heart. It takes everything in me to ignore the look and lean down to give her a small kiss on the tip of her nose as I carry her away from the room. Her body shifts in my arms as she reaches back for her son.
