****
“You’re sure you want to do this?” Raul looked at Keira; he knew he was stalling, that he simply didn’t want to actually move forward with the next phase of their plan.
“How else are we going to bring this to an end?” Keira shrugged, and Raul noticed that her right hand moved to the slight curve of her abdomen; she wasn’t showing yet—and certainly their future child was not by any stretch developed enough for her to feel—but she was aware of its presence nonetheless.
“We could leave the town,” Raul pointed out. “Get the hell out of Dodge and let them kill each other off.”
“I don’t want to do that if we don’t have to,” Keira said, sighing. “I know it’s stupid, and the town isn’t even something…” she bit her bottom lip, thinking. “It’s not something to be proud of, living in a small town like ours. But it’s my home. If we can keep from having to abandon it, I’d really rather stay.”
Raul took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. At some point while he and Keira had both been in hiding—or maybe while they’d been captives of their own groups—both of their homes had been destroyed. Keira’s house, inherited from her parents, had been torched in the night, the blame laid by the police—guided by members of the Pack and were-foxes acting on orders—on a group of delinquents from another town, visiting because of a game at the local high school. Raul’s own home had been vandalized, all of his possessions looted; at least, according to Cam. Cam hadn’t been able to tell him who it was that had done the deed—there were too many scent-marks, both panther and wolf, to be sure.
“The elementals are the only people we can go to,” Keira said. “They’re supposed to be the arbiters of all things supernatural, right? So, if we want this to stop…” Raul nodded reluctantly.
He’d gotten word out to Fintan and Tara two days before, asking for a meeting; the two elementals—fire-aligned and earth-aligned respectively—were quick to respond, saying that they knew about the skirmish going on between the panther and wolf shifters, but hadn’t been aware of details. Raul looked out through the windshield of the car, thinking to himself that if their survival depended on the flaky, ivory-tower elementals, they were in dire straits indeed.
“Let’s go then,” he said finally, taking Keira’s hand in his and giving it a squeeze. They’d agreed to meet with Fintan and Tara on neutral territory: a clearing in the woods surrounding the town, where none of the groups of shifters had any claim. It wasn’t specifically set aside for the elementals, but they had sufficient authority—and sufficient power—to enforce the area’s neutrality. Unless someone wants to be treated to a torrential downpour, or spontaneous combustion, or an earthquake…or whatever it is the air elementals do…they know better than to screw around with an ambush while the elementals are meeting with someone.
Keira had all but recovered from her punishment; Raul knew that it would take him longer, but after days of doing little more than eat, rest, make love, and catch bits and pieces of news from the town, he was willing to risk short-term recovery for the long-term benefit of safety and stability. He held Keira’s hand as they slipped through the woods together, nearly silent, looking around; even if he knew that none of the wolves or the panthers were stupid enough to try and ambush them, the fear persisted, slick at the back of his throat.
“Raul, Keira, you’re on time.” Tara’s voice—almost as familiar to Raul as that of any member of his Pack—cut through his abstracted, anxious thoughts. The two elementals had arrived only a few moments before; Raul could tell that they’d only just sat down at the stone table set up in the clearing. Tara was short, with black hair and green eyes, a dusky, olive complexion and a broad frame. Fintan, seated at her side, was tall and wiry, his deep auburn hair brushed back from a high forehead, blue eyes flashing incongruously in his bronzed face.
“Good to see you, Fintan,” Keira said, inclining her head slightly. Raul nodded to Tara. Fintan tapped his fingertips on the tabletop in a rapid staccato, glancing from Keira to Raul.
“So, you two have fucked things up royally,” Fintan said without preamble. Tara shot the other elemental a dark—almost censorious—look.
“You’re mated,” she said, making the phrase not quite a question.
“Yes,” Keira said, taking a quick breath next to him. Raul glanced at the mark he’d left on her, the night he had taken her formally as his mate.
“The battle between the wolves and the panthers isn’t over us,” Raul pointed out. “We came together because of it, not the other way around.”
“Things are getting out of control,” Tara said firmly. “There have been at least three incidents in the past week that could have resulted in exposure.”
“We need your support,” Keira said; Raul noticed that she carefully divided her attention between the two elementals, though Fintan was the natural focus for her as a fire-aligned shifter. “Even if we weren’t mates, what’s going on in my clan—in Raul’s Pack—it’s not right. They’re killing each other off, and neither Alpha is going to back down.”
“What started it?” Fintan gestured for the two of them to sit down, and Raul let Keira seat herself first. They took turns explaining the background as they understood it: the alleged murder of a potential outside mate for Lachlan, pilfering by wolves of panther property, leading the panthers to attack wolf-owned businesses.
“So, you two met because she was raiding your people’s businesses and got caught?” The fact amused Fintan more than it did Tara. “And she challenged you?”
“I almost had him on his back, too,” Keira said, giving Raul a quick glance. Fintan laughed; Tara raised one dark eyebrow, looking at Raul closely.
“So, doing the right thing—refusing to allow the extra-judicial murders of Keira’s clan mates—is what sent this into chaos?” Raul nodded in response to Tara’s question. For a moment, the two elementals looked at each other silently, and Raul kept his gaze carefully in front of him, torn between fascination and discomfort at the fact that they were clearly communicating telepathically.
“We can’t give you anything for your punishments at the hands of your groups,” Fintan said finally. “Those were done in accordance with your respective by-laws.” Raul clenched his teeth for a moment, fighting back the urge to argue.
“But the fact that the two Alphas are so bent on revenge and are acting outside of bylaws to get that…” Tara shrugged. She looked at Raul intently once more. “Are you in shape to challenge Reginald?”
“Yes and no,” Raul said. He pressed his lips together. “I’m mostly recovered.”
“But not fully,” Fintan said. Raul nodded. Fintan glanced at Keira. “Can you be his second?” Raul stared at the elemental in shock.
“You’re damned right I’m his second,” Keira said sharply. Raul turned his stunned look onto the woman he had taken for his mate; of all the solutions that the elementals might propose, he would never have expected that Keira being his second in a battle for the leadership of the Pack would be an option.
“Cam isn’t going to act as your second, Raul,” Tara said, shaking her head. “And to us the situation is clear. With the two of you mating…” she shrugged. “You’ll have to unite the two groups under a joint rule.”
“That means that Keira will have to take Harold out, too,” Raul pointed out. “She’s pregnant.”
“We know,” Fintan said, his voice brittle with annoyance. “It’s the only way to end the war between your groups and secure your safety. Take it or leave it.” Tara looked at her counterpart sharply and then met Raul’s gaze.
“Panthers fight pregnant all the time,” she said, her lips twitching in a wry smile. “Right, Keira?”
“Right,” Keira said. She turned her head, looking at Raul. “We have to do this.” Raul closed his eyes for a moment, the lupine desire to protect his mate at war with the military strategy-trained human part of his brain. It wasn’t the answer he’d wanted; but it was obvious to him that the two elementals weren’t going to give them another option. It was battle or nothing. He opened his eyes and nodded.
“We’ll call the meeting,” Fintan said. “Neither Harold nor Reginald would dare to buck us on this.” Fintan grinned. “Both groups will come here at moonrise, and we’ll hash this out.” Fintan looked at Tara, his blue eyes glittering with anticipation of violence. “It might even be interesting to watch.”
“I just want it over,” Tara said with a sigh. “You two have five hours until the meeting. Make them count, however you want to take that advice.” The two elementals rose and Raul knew that he and Keira were dismissed; he stood, taking his mate’s hand in his, and they walked out of the clearing in silence once more.