Chapter 9
CHAZ COULDN’T BELIEVE he allowed Daphne and his parents to push him into going along with this ridiculous plan. It was going to get them all killed.
He stood at the bottom of the steps that led up to the main lodge. Daphne and his mother were still inside. The hope was that Cosmo and one or two of his crew would follow the men out, leaving Daphne alone with Heidi, giving Cosmo enough time to do something stupid which would allow them to legally take him into custody.
“So, I guess your mother gets her wish and you won’t be working as an officer anymore,” his father said with a slight grin.
“Not the time to be making jokes. Besides, I can work in my current position until you step down.”
“Not with a magical baby on the way. It would be too dangerous for all of you.”
Chaz swallowed.
Hard.
Before his parents had said anything about a baby, Chaz had picked up on its scent. A combination of Daphne’s sweet doughy aroma and his dense musky smell, with a hint of vanilla.
The hard part wasn’t so much that Chaz was about to be a father, but that his child would be so special that his or her life could potentially be in constant danger because so many creatures, humans included, would not only fear the unknown, but they’d be terrified of what the child represented.
Change.
“What do you suggest I do? Go into hiding?” Chaz put his hands on his hips and faced his father. He’d always admired and respected him, and perhaps had been slightly frightened of him growing up. He remembered as a small child, when his father would bring him to council meetings that everyone would bow their heads as he walked into a room. His presence commanded attention, but his father also had a gentle side. He’d always had a kind heart, showing respect to even those who didn’t deserve it.
“Not at all, but I think we need to consider bringing you, Daphne, and her family, back home to the farm, where we can protect you while you prepare to step up as Chief and King, which is going to be an interesting role.”
“You’re not ready to retire and don’t call me King.”
“I’d take on an advisory role, as my father did, as you will one day.” His father placed a strong hand on Chaz’s shoulder. “Tradition, it’s important.”
“Our traditions are about to change by bringing a Fairy Princess into the pack.”
“Actually, a future Queen.” His father arched a brow, lowering his chin. “Our ancestors protected them for many years, so really, we’re just going back to our roots.”
Every wolf in the Crescent Moon Pack had heard the Legend of the Princess and the Wolf. Some secretly hoped they would be the one to unlock the royals, others hoped the legend was nothing but a myth. Chaz never gave it much thought since he hoped his mate would never find him. His parents always told him he was special. Different from the rest of the pack. That he was destined to do great things for his pack, and for society. Chaz thought it was all one big pep talk, preparing him to be Chief.
Heavy footsteps coming from the porch caught his attention. He glanced over his shoulder to see Cosmo and a wolf named Ricky coming toward them.
At least they wouldn’t have to go looking for Ricky.
“I don’t like being beckoned,” Cosmo said, standing in front of Chaz and his father.
“I don’t like having my family threatened by a rogue pack of wolves,” Chaz’s father said, puffing out his chest. “You may have turned your back on the pack to which you were born, but that doesn’t mean you are outside of the law that governs us.”
“You came all the way here just to tell me that because of a simple misunderstanding. One, I might add, was started by your son.” Cosmo shook his head. “Not very Chief like.”
Chaz growled low in his throat.
His father reached out and tapped Cosmo’s neck.
Cosmo twisted his body to the side. “Back off.”
“I was just pointing out your tattoo, which is a clear statement on how you feel about interspecies unions and my future daughter-in-law—”
“This is a waste of my time,” Cosmo said, slapping his buddy Ricky on the back. “Let’s go back inside.”
“Not just yet.” Chaz inched closer, stepping into Cosmo’s personal space. “I called an officer in to arrest Ricky, so best you just stay put.”
“For what!?” Ricky spoke for the first time. He narrowed his eyes and let out a menacing snarl.
Chaz went unfazed by his outburst. “Trespassing.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Ricky asked.
“You were in my cabin today,” Chaz said, just as Aron approached from his lookout on the right side of the lodge in the woods.
“I wasn’t anywhere near your cabin.” Ricky shifted his gaze back and forth between Chaz and Aron, who twirled a special pair of handcuffs, so if a prisoner tried to shift to wolf form, the cuffs would still hold them.
“This is harassment. You’ve got nothing on him,” Cosmo said.
“I’ve got an eye witness.” Chaz continued the bluff, waiting for Ricky to shift and run. After doing some digging, Aron had found out that Ricky had a long rap sheet of stupid, petty crimes, and that every time he’d gotten caught, he tried to run.
Stupid wolf.
“Not to mention you’re wanted for questioning in a robbery that took place two weeks ago in the village,” Aron said, still flipping the cuffs up and down over his hand. “Want to tell us about that?”
Flanking in from the left, Chaz’s brother, Drew, made a ruckus, stealing everyone’s attention.
Immediately, Ricky took off running, ripping through his clothes as he changed form, howling into the night.
“That’s going to suck to shift back and have no clothes,” Chaz mused.
Aron let out a long breath. “Guess I better go after him.”
“I’ll help,” Chaz said, following Aron to the woods.
“He’s signaling his pack to go after you,” Daphne’s voice sang in his mind. “Be safe.”
“I will and you stay put in a room full of humans.” Once in the woods, he shed his clothes and shifted, his father right behind him. They continued the pretense of looking for Ricky, but they could care less about him, or his petty crimes. They needed to lure Cosmo and his crew, force them to go on the attack, and then make sure they were all arrested.
Chaz met up with his dad, and the rest of the wolves that had come to help, less than a mile from the lodge. Aron, now in human form, caught Ricky. He lay hog tied and gagged. Not a good look for a wolf.
“You need to change back, it won’t take long for Cosmo to track our scent,” Chaz projected to Aron.
He nodded.
“We can’t let them split us up beyond two sectors,” his father said to the group of fifteen wolves that had gathered. “Their goal is to kill me and my son and I suspect Cosmo wants that more than anything.”
Chaz stuck his nose in the air, catching Cosmo’s repulsive odor. Chaz growled, turning one-hundred and eighty degrees as Cosmo and at least twenty other wolves circled them. They snarled in unison, sending off a warning, followed by a threat.
Large grey clouds floated across the night sky, covering the three-quartered moon and stars that normally produced a fair amount of light through the thick trees. Chaz dug his paw into the ground, scraping three times, lowering his chin, staring into a pair of bright yellow eyes piercing through the darkness.
Cosmo inched forward as the rest of his pack began flanking left and right, working to split up Chaz’s group. As long as he and his father stayed together, he figured they’d be able to defeat Cosmo and either arrest all of them, or send them running with bounties over their heads.
It had been a long time since Chaz had been in a brawl with another wolf. Most wolf packs respected each other and coexisted despite any differences. They worked together to protect their species and promote a balance with all other creatures. But the more packs like Cosmo’s popped up, the more these kinds of confrontations had developed in the last few years.
“You don’t want to do this,” Chaz projected to Cosmo. “It’s not going to end well.”
“For you,” Cosmo said, adding a loud howl. “Your child is an abomination and needs to be put down.”
Chaz growled, inching forward, searching for Daphne in his mind, but got no response. His heart tightened. “Don’t make me put you down.”
Cosmo lifted to his hind legs in an act of aggression.
“What are you waiting for?” Chaz questioned, baiting the wolf to attack.
His father stood tall at his side as Cosmo’s pack systematically separated them from everyone else. Snarls and howls echoed across the air.
Chaz continued to graze his paw against the ground, anticipating Cosmo’s ambush.
“This is going to be the end of your family’s reign and the destruction of the Twilight Crossing.” Cosmo lurched forward, springing through the air.
Chaz lowered his body, waiting until the last second before launching his body, engaging in battle. He sunk his teeth into Cosmo’s shoulder, but two other wolves came out from behind Cosmo, grabbing Chaz’s hind legs, yanking him backward, flinging him against a rock. Chaz shook his head, focusing on Cosmo, who had his head to the ground, his right front paw scratching at the dirt, ready to attack.
The other two wolves turned their attention on Chaz’s father.
“Dad, you good?”
“Take care of Cosmo. Don’t worry about me.”
Chaz howled, charging at Cosmo. They connected midair, both nipping at each other, trying to get a decent hold on the other. When they landed on the ground, Cosmo had the upper hand with his teeth digging against Chaz’s neck, but he quickly kicked his hind legs and tossed Cosmo across the forest. The howling of other wolves in battle filled the night with a brand of terror that sent other creatures running for cover.
Cosmo continued to come at Chaz, biting and scratching, then retreated to catch his breath. Chaz used the time to look around at all the individual battles, making sure none of his men were down.
“Surrender now, and things won’t go so bad for you when you stand before the council,” Chaz projected.
“Fuck you and your council.” Cosmo growled low, charging, death burning in his eyes.
Chaz braced himself. The two wolves were evenly matched and it would be a long and bitter match. He figured he better pace himself.
Out of the corner of his eye, his father grabbed ahold of one of the wolves by the neck, pitching him effortless into a tree. The wolf whimpered, licking his wounds, scurrying off like a coward.
Cosmo flung himself upward and Chaz thrusted himself forward, trying to get his mouth into Cosmo’s paws, but he miscalculated the distance and Cosmo’s sharp teeth ended up clutching Chaz’s back, tearing through his flesh.
He growled as his skin ripped open.
“You’re done,” Cosmo said just as he shifted, making himself vulnerable, only he pulled a small hand gun from the pouch that carried his clothes. “You’re dead.”
Chaz froze, his eyes wide as Cosmo pulled the trigger.
Bang!
“No!” his father yelled, leaping into the air, but it was too late.
The bullet ripped through Chaz’s chest like a jagged-edged knife. Blood squirted from his body. He dropped to the hard ground, panting, unable to fill his lungs with air. His vision blurred and the wailing of wolves at war became a faint crackle of white noise.
“I’m sorry,” he managed to project to Daphne. “Take my mother and run. Hide. Protect our child.”
In a single breath, the world went black.