Luke
Len and I took off through the line of trees, stopping when we got to the fence. It must have been close to ten feet tall, surrounding the perimeter of the property. We shifted back to our human form, to scale the wall.
Once on the other side, we shifted back to our wolf and took off for the truck. “It’s a damn good thing, Mags, leaves an extra key in case of emergencies,” Len declared as we came upon the park. As we approached the vehicle we caught, the scent of an unwelcomed ‘were.’
“Well, well, look who we have here, ole’ Pussy-Whipped and his trusted sidekick, Sniffer-Boy. Are you two the only ones that got away?” Nico asked as he came around the truck and sneered at us. “Wait, don’t tell me, let me guess, you walked into a den of rogues,” he laughed.
“Seems a little odd that you know what happened, Nico?” His gaze shot over to the trees and I knew something was up. I glanced over at Len as he wearily watched Devon’s brother and it was safe to surmise, that we were on the same page.
“I might be inclined to share that info with you, for say, one particular little lady.” Nico glowered at us, “I’m done with this charade, if you two are smart you’ll just fucking surrender. Besides, Devon could use some company.”
We heard movement off to our left, and I dove to the ground to retrieve the spare key.
Len lunged for Nico, and threw him head first, into the rear quarter panel. “Start the car, Luke, we’ve got to get out of here,” he yelled.
I jumped in the cab and unlocked the passenger door so that Len could jump in. I saw five wolves running through the trees out the windshield, bounded straight for us; more fucking rogues. I yelled for Len to jump in and we hightailed it out of the park.
The rogues followed us onto the roadway, chomping at the bit. It was absolute chaos, it was going to cause significant problems in the metro area. Rogue-wolf packs would terrorize the community.
“Call the compound, Len. Tell them what’s going on, and make sure all the exits are secure. We could be facing an all-out, fucking rogue war.”
* * *
Everyone was on high alert at the Richie compound, as per my instructions. I pulled the truck to a stop in front of Devon’s house, and Mya came out with Ivana and Willow.
“Where is he? Where did you leave my mate?” Mya yelled, getting up in my face. “How could you leave him there?” She hissed out the question while glaring at me. I knew Mya, was thinking I abandoned Cade, but that could not be further from the truth.
“You need to take it down a notch,” I told her. Hell, she was irate at this point. “He wouldn’t leave, and who am I to tell him what to do? He’s a fucking Alpha, just like Devon and me,” I huffed. “Darius disobeyed Cade and took off, only to be caught by a group of rogues.” I glanced at my mate then turned back to Mya. “Cade felt responsible for Darius and told me he had to go after him, and Magnus stayed to help him.”
From the corner of my eye, I saw Willow walking toward me. She grabbed my shirt with both hands and yanked me against her lush curves, rendering me speechless. Her lips parted, and she thrust her tongue into my mouth, fuck me. I knew how Willow loved danger, how it made her hot and in turn, left me hard and wanting to fuck the shit out of her.
As usual, my mate was never easy to figure out. After she tongue-fucked me, leaving me breathless, Willow let go of my shirt and punched me square in the jaw.
“What the fuck, Willow,” I growled, grabbing my jaw. I adjusted the front of my pants, because yeah, I’m sick that way. “Jesus, we don’t have time for this shit, babe. I’ll let you beat me later,” and I turned to Ivana. “Call for the Pack to meet.”
“Wait, I want to know where my brothers are,” a gorgeous petite woman asked me.
Her face set with a stern expression, “Have we met?” I asked her, looking over at Willow.
“This is our daughter, Falon,” Devon’s mother, Lizbeth, informed me as she walked out onto the veranda. “She has just returned home to this horrendous mess.” The alarm sounded, echoing over the compound grounds, alerting the Pack of the meeting. Devon’s mom went back to the house to get Bronson, her mate of many years.
“So, Luke,” Starling sidled up next to him, “I heard you left Cade behind.” She smirked, “You and Willow on the outs or something?”
“What did you say to me?” I asked as Denver came and stood beside her. He cleared his throat as if that would deter me. “Fuck off, Den. Starling knows how to open her mouth and dish it, so she should also be able to handle the retribution,” I claimed as I glared at him.
“Oh, my bad,” and fluttered her lashes at me. “Why don’t you go on and suck up to your wife, Luke.”
“You know, I’m not Cade, Starling. I’m not going to put up with your crap and sweep it under the table.” I had about enough of her, and we hadn’t been in Toronto that long.
“No shit, Luke, you could never be Cade. He is my Alpha and my friend.” Starling eyed Willow and muttered, “Good luck to you, honey. Ain’t no one wanting any of this Alpha,” she stressed.
“I think you’re overstepping, Starling,” Mya told her, but she just ignored her Alpha’s mate.
“Is that how you show respect for your Alpha?” I asked when I grabbed her arm, turning her to face me. “Mya is your direct superior, Starling, who are you to neglect that fact?” Denver ripped her from my hold and Mya jumped between us.
“Alright, guys, the pissing contest is over. Come on, we have bigger things going on.” Willow pulled me toward the hall where everyone was gathering, “Yeah, we’ll meet you there shortly,” I heard Mya say from behind me and continued walking, my brain on overload from the past few hours with no chance of settling down.
MYA
“Hey Falon, you should come with us to get our Alphas back,” Starling uttered an invitation to Devon’s younger sister.
“Damn, I’d love to be in on that. You’re Cade’s Beta,” she stated and turned a thumb toward Denver, “is he your mate?” Falon asked, but Starling chortled out her answer.
“What’s so funny,” Denver asked. “I’m just a fuck, aren’t I, Starling? I am sick and tired of your bullshit.”
Starling rolled her eyes at him, “Why are you making such a big deal out of nothing, Den? What exactly do you want me to tell people, huh?” She shook her head and placed her hands on her hips, “We have to go and save Cade and Devon, and I don’t want your feelings screwing with my head before I go into battle. And I think Falon should be part of our mission?”
“I’m down with that,” Falon affirmed.
“Hold on a minute. I’m going with you guys to save Cade and the others.” I turned to Den, “You know something more than you’re saying about these rogues, don’t you?” Denver looked away which only confirmed what I had just asked him.
“You’re not going, Mya and that’s final. Cade would have my ass, and I’m his Beta, so I do know a bit more about these types of thing than you do,” Starling growled out.
“Oh, and who is going to stop me from going.” I sneered, pointing at her to ask, “You? Not likely,” I snickered. “You’re not going in there to save my mate. I suggest you back your shit up, know your role and stay the fuck out of my face.” I turned on my heel and walked away from them, one battle down and two more to go.
* * *
The hall was three-quarters filled when I got inside, Denver stood behind the podium on the small stage. “Thanks for getting here so fast. First off, I’m Denver from the James’ Pack. It’s most likely that you know who we are, we are here trying to find our Alpha’s brother, Milo.” People were still talking, not minding anything Denver had to say.
“Sit down,” Falon barked through the mic, “now, listen to Denver, he’ll be helping rescue Devon.” Quiet fell over the din of the room, and Den looked somewhat flustered by the magic she demonstrated.
“Goddamn,” he smiled at her and cleared his throat. “Our Alpha, Cade James, along with your Alpha Devon and Cade’s youngest brother, are all being held by King Lazarus. I’m sure you’re aware of the significant number of vampires creeping into your city.” All faces focused solely on him, with little to no emotion, “I’m not standing up here asking you to agree with me. However, the fact is, our Packs, our homes, our cities, and towns are in danger. Why they are coming is something I can’t tell you, because I don’t know why.”
The room began to buzz with idle chatter, shaking heads and disinterested faces. I stepped up to the mic, pushing Denver aside. “Here’s the problem,” I claimed, “We will rescue our people, and that includes your Alpha!”
A loud ruckus of displeasure grew over the crowd, “This is how you thank your Alpha and the Pack that puts their lives on the line for you, every single day.” I shook my head in disgust, “I can see now, this was a complete waste of time.”
“We already know the rogues are here,” a man yelled out. “We also know that it all has to do with your Pack and most of all, you.” He had a section cheering him on. I heard his heart beating erratically and knew he was close to shifting.
“Okay, I hear what you're saying, and I understand your frustration.” I closed my eyes, willing my newly turned Alpha psyche to calm the crowd. Without words, visions of a babbling brook filled my conscience. The full moon casting its light over the night, the humid air filling our senses as the Pack ran behind their Alpha. I blew out a sigh of relief, as a collective singular thought of the Richie Pack was now on their Alpha.
“Let me stress,” I muttered into the mic. “The enemy is out there,” I pointed toward the door, “Not inside this building.” My voice echoed off the walls. “These rogues and vamps would love for us to fall apart in the absence of our leaders. We can’t let our Alphas down,” suddenly I was the one they were cheering. “We fight together, as a united Pack because if we don’t, they’ll use that against us, they’ll do anything to annihilate what we have,” I saw the hunger in them. “We have unity, trust, and respect, something they will never have. If they destroy our foundation, then the war between your Alpha and his predecessor will all be for not.” I stepped back from the podium, and the hall erupted in applause. Yes, I did my job!
“Okay, let’s do this,” Denver shouted over the din.
“Christian, divide up the enforcer's, half with us and half will stay here,” I ordered him without any hesitation he jumped into action. “I want security stepped up, don’t leave any place without guards.”
“I’m on it, Mya,” Christian muttered. “Everyone will be on point in fifteen minutes.” The pack was on high alert, and anything out of the realm of normalcy needed reporting, immediately. The rest of the enforcers, trackers, and volunteers gathered in front of the Alpha’s house.
Luke pulled me aside, “Jensen, I’m glad to see you’re here. There were a few things that happened that I didn’t want to share with your pack, it’s not the best news.” Len shook his head, agreeing that the news was about to rock the boat.
Jensen wrapped his arm around Falon, their gaze on Luke. “Well, you’ve peaked our interest, what’s going on?”
Len cleared his throat, “While Luke and I were trying to get away from the rogues, we had a,” and he rolled his hands, one over the other. He looked at Falon as he began to speak again, “We had a confrontation, with Nico. He told us exactly what Denver had said, except, he was nowhere around when Cade got the call.”
Falon frowned and crossed her arms over her chest, “So, what are you trying to say, Len?”
“I’m sorry, Falon,” he muttered as he rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. “Nico is working with the rogues,” Falon growled. “Hell, I’ve known your family my whole life. I’ve been in the Pack since birth, girl. But, he knows too much, things he shouldn’t know, and hinted at the fact, about knowing where Devon is.”
Falon lunged at him, yelling, “You’re a fucking liar.” I grabbed her before she got to Len.
“Why do you think that Len would lie,” I asked. “I only met your brother, Nico, briefly, but he’s sketchy as fuck.” Denver moved beside me and pinned her arms behind her.
A menacing growl sounded from Jensen, as his canines descended, “Let her go,” he demanded.
I looked at Denver, nodded for him to release her and faced the two of them, “Aren’t you both part of Devon’s inner circle?”
“We are,” he stated, speaking even as another row of teeth came out. “He touched what is mine,” the amber flickering in Jensen’s eyes. “Denver’s unmated,” he roared.
“Holy fuck, get a hold of yourself. Either that or I’ll have your ass locked up until you come to your damn senses, Jensen,” I threatened, I got nose to nose with the cocky wolf. “Your duty is to Devon, he’s in trouble. Dom is in a fucking coma,” I muttered shoving him hard, making him lose his balance.
Once Jensen regained his faculties, he came at me but was cut off by Denver, Luke, and Starling. “This,” Luke snarled, twirling his index finger, “Ain’t going to happen, you got me, kid?” Then bared his teeth, “I will take you the fuck out, and I don’t give a shit about who you’re dicking or who’s Pack you serve.” Luke’s not the laid-back kind of guy I thought he was.
I stepped up next to Luke. “Are we going to work together or not?” I asked them.
Jensen shook his head, probably knocking the testosterone lose. He took Falon’s hand in his and sighed, “He was acting weird before we left, babe,” she lowered her head, and he raised her chin up with his index finger. “He knows everything that goes on in this Pack, and he never lost contact with your grandfather.”
Falon gasped and looked at Jensen as if he slapped her face. “Look, your brothers, are some of the best guys I’ve ever met, but I can’t say that about Nico. He’s a cold, calculating, conniving sociopath.”
Falon’s eyes widened, and she punched him, “You don’t get to judge him!”
“Damn it, Falon,” he rubbed his jaw. “You're not fucking blind,” he sneered at her, as she geared up to hit him a second time. “Nah,” he muttered, “That’s not happening again.” She stared up at him, her eyes glimmering with unshed tears, “You can’t only think of, Nico, Fal, he sure as hell hasn’t been thinking about anyone but himself.”
“That’s enough. This petty bickering is only giving those bastards more of an advantage. Stop acting like children.” The entire room fell silent, all eyes on, Ivana.
Len took her hand, Ivana was every bit a calm, collected person. Since we have arrived, she had never raised her voice. It was a bit unnerving, to say the least. “We’re going out there to get them, I pledge this to you, but you have to stay tough. You are the only one who can hold this pack together, Ivana. Trust in yourself and your pack.” Tears streamed down her face, and Willow, stepped in to hug her.
“We need to get this show on the road, people. We fight together; we die together,” I stated. “We’ll leave our cars at, Wilket Park. There, we will break off into groups, and make our way into the lion’s den. Ivana said something, and she was right…they have the advantage, but we have strength, agility, and the element of surprise. Let’s head out.”
Denver drove, I demanded to go. Even though my request was fraught with contentious issues. I did not back down. Everyone was quiet in the large vehicle, which felt rather small, because of the hulking bodies squished inside.
We were a pack of pissed off wolves and probably not a good thing if we were hunting for you.
“It’s just up there, Denver. We should park closer to the exit, don’t want a repeat of last time,” Len said as they pulled into the park.
“Okay, everyone, phones on vibrate. We are going in, the rest of you make sure you downwind so they don’t pick up our scent. If you don’t hear from us in a half hour, send in the next crew. Let’s go,” Denver said heading out.
“Wait one minute, Denver,” Starling turned to look at me. “You smell different, Mya.” A light bulb seemed to go off, then she said, “You’re in fucking heat! You can’t go in there, fragrant as a gourmet meal ready to be served on a platter.”
I glared at her, and Denver grabbed my arm. “Mya, there’s no way you can go with us. Not smelling like, fuck,” he hissed. “These wolves want you. If they get the slightest whiff of that scent, they’ll tear you up.”
“Well, maybe we could use it to our advantage?”
Len and Denver just looked at each other, and at the same time said, “No!”
“Why, it’ll work. I will get in the compound, find Devon and Cade, and message you. They’re not going to take you guys over me.”
“I’ll go in with her,” Starling said. “We’ll work together; besides that little bastard, Nico has the hots for me.”
“No…no fucking way…that’s out of the question.”
“Uh, I don’t think, we were asking for permission, Denver. It’s the course of action that we’re going to take,” I said bluntly.
Starling shook her head in agreement. “That’s what we’re doing, so…wait for our call.”