by M. A. Church
“Wasn’t it, though? Jackson set up that attack but used a shape-shifter. Asshole wasn’t brave enough to do his own fighting.” Mark ran his hand through his hair and grimaced. “Man, I need a shower.”
“I imagine we all do.” Hunter cleared his throat. “Um, are you okay? This was the first time you’ve had to kill. Taking a life is never easy, and with you not being born to this life, I—”
“I did what I had to do. Would they have killed me? I’m going to say yes, they would have. Most assuredly they would’ve tried to kill you. If I have this right, if one of us dies, the other does too. Or it’s very possible. That right there is enough for me to get over any feelings I have about killing someone.”
“I’m glad. Still, killing can affect you.”
“I would hope so. I hope I never get so cold that it doesn’t. Look, they attacked us. It’s not like we were prowling the streets looking to murder some innocent person.” Mark picked at his nails. “My wolf couldn’t care less. The human side of me is working on accepting it. But I’m okay.”
“I’m here if you need to talk.”
“Thanks.” Mark fiddled with the radio, turning it down. “Jackson had two Alphas with him. I don’t know exactly how to phrase this, but—is that usual for an Alpha? How can someone who’s responsible for running a pack be doing these kinds of jobs on the side?”
“They wouldn’t be, for the very reason you just mentioned. Being an Alpha is a full-time job, and no self-respecting Alpha would jeopardize his pack in such a way. The death of an Alpha can devastate a pack. I’m guessing those two were rogues.”
“And the Betas?”
“Probably the same, although I did notice none of them made an effort to protect either Alpha. There were no pack bonds there. So maybe they’re rogues too. Or possibly mercenaries. I don’t know, and that’s the problem. We don’t have enough information to make an educated guess one way or the other.”
“But this attack, and the one at the gas station—rather coincidental, don’t you think?”
“Sometimes things can be explained, and sometimes stuff just happens. Was all this chance? Fate? Or was it a reaction to another action?”
“Good grief.” Mark leaned his head back against the seat. “I’m not even going to try and decipher that.”
Hunter snickered. “I hear you.”
Mark sat right back up. “I will say this, though. Did you not find it odd that Jackson attacked Michael with nothing more than a handful of werewolves? I’m not discounting how dangerous wolves are. Two of them were Alphas, after all. That hybrid form is badass, I know that. But look at who Michael had with him.”
“Hmm.” Hunter tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. Michael did have a point.
“Okay, look.” Mark ticked the facts off on his fingers. “There were two Guardians, a fire elemental, an ice elemental, two vampires, and two Alpha werewolves. Do you see what I’m getting at? It was like bringing a knife to a gunfight.”
“What are you saying, exactly?”
“Clay fought a shape-shifter who looked like Jackson, right? We were all made to think it was really him. I’m willing to bet, though, the real Jackson was somewhere close by watching. Maybe he was with that other guy who didn’t fight. I honestly think that this deal was nothing more than Jackson fucking with Michael’s head.”
“Really?” That was unnerving. “He sacrificed all of his wolves, though.”
“There’s always more bad guys. We were told that Jackson used to run drugs, guns, and humans. I’m guessing he has money, and unscrupulous folks are always looking for a quick payout.”
“A mind-fuck, huh?” Hunter noticed Paul had put on the blinker and was getting ready to turn into the complex, so he did too. “I think you need to mention this to Paul.”
“Oh, I plan to.” Once Hunter parked, Mark unbuckled his seatbelt. “I mean, don’t get me wrong. If those werewolves had managed to kill all of us, then Jackson could’ve waltzed in and taken Michael, but I don’t think that’s what this was about.”
“Well, that’s just downright terrifying.” Hunter shut the truck off and opened the door. “I’ll start on this side of the truck looking for that tracker.”
“I’ll take the passenger side.”
Paul and Andy helped search too. Hunter finally found the device stuck to the bottom of the tailgate on Mark’s side of the truck and destroyed it.
PAUL TOLD Hunter and Mark to shower since he had to call the Council and update them on the attack and what they’d found on Hunter’s truck. Once they were finished, Andy and Paul took their turn, then everyone gathered in the living area, and Mark told Paul his thoughts on the attack, with Hunter adding his two cents.
“There’s something else I wanted to talk to you guys about.” Hunter leaned back on the couch. Mark rested his arm behind Hunter. “I’ve told Mark this already. I plan to challenge Alpha Bennett.”
Paul furrowed his brow. “For what reason?”
“We don’t have to have one, you know. But in this case, I do. The reason is Michael’s kidnapping. I know you said you spoke to Alpha Bennet but couldn’t do much. You may be a Guardian, but you aren’t an Alpha. I am.”
“That makes a difference?” Andy asked.
“In werewolf society, yes. Paul needed a reason to push for more information. I don’t. Alpha Bennett denied knowledge of his werewolves’ actions. That’s fine for anyone who isn’t a wolf. That won’t work with me. All Alphas are accountable for their wolves. Our Betas don’t act without our knowledge.”
“Why do you think he targeted Michael?” Paul asked. “You think he did, don’t you?”
“I think he kidnapped Michael as leverage against Zane and me. It’s no secret that we were trying to find who trespassed on our territory and robbed our pack members. I imagine he heard through the grapevine that Mark had lived, and I’d mated him. So, he investigates Mark and finds that Mark has a brother.”
“I so want to meet this asshole,” Mark grumbled.
“Soon, babe. Anyway, it’s not much of a leap to assume he’d take Michael as a hostage to make us back off.”
Andy looked between Hunter and Mark. “And done what with Michael?”
“Most likely forced him into a mating with one of his Betas,” Hunter answered.
“Whoo boy, they better hope Clay doesn’t get wind of that, or he’ll just appear in the middle of the fucking pack one night and wipe them all out.” Andy grinned at Hunter. “Could be fun.”
“He’d better not. Alpha Bennett is mine. I also want to point out that just because the Alpha and his Betas are dirty, that doesn’t mean the rest of the pack members are,” Hunter stressed. “I’m going to take over that pack, but there has to be a pack to take over.”
Andy hooted. “Hot damn, that means you two are staying in the area? Michael’s going to be absolutely thrilled!”
“Andy.” Paul pursed his lips. “That also means Hunter is giving up his birth pack and leaving his brother.”
“Oh, shit.” Andy covered his mouth with his hands.
“Uh-huh.” Mark sighed.
Andy lowered his hands. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t think about that. Is there a problem with the, um, with…?”
“I’m having trouble being around Zane. He’s an Alpha who I’m not related to by blood. My wolf keeps wanting to either challenge him or go belly up. One is dangerous, and the other one is unacceptable. I’m the problem.”
Hunter twisted around the couch. “You’re not a problem. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, and I thank the goddess every day I met you.”
“Awwww,” Andy cooed.
“You’re the best thing that ever happened to me too. I have no regrets with how things turned out.” Mark slipped his hand underneath Hunter’s hair and gently squeezed Hunter’s neck.
Hunter turned his head slightly and kissed whatever part of Mark he could reach. His wolf chuffed happily at Mark’s words. There was an answering yip back in his h
ead. Mark had said before that he was happy, but to say that he had no regrets? Hunter’s heart swelled with joy. Any concerns that might have lingered about how Mark came to be a werewolf faded away.
Mark cleared his throat. “I was going to tell Michael tonight, so please, don’t let it slip before I can.”
“We won’t,” Paul promised. “Hunter? How much do you know about the Marked Tree pack?”
It took some effort, but Hunter managed to get his mind back on the conversation and not on how happy Mark just made him. “Not much, I admit. I know the pack is located about forty-five minutes from here and is near a national forest. That’s it. Oh, and that it’s small.”
Paul ambled over to his desk where his laptop sat. After he woke it up, he fiddled around for a couple minutes and then the printer came on. Once it quit spitting out papers, he gathered them up and brought them to Hunter. “This is the basics on Marked Tree. I also printed off Alpha Bennett’s statement about Michael. As you can see, Bennett says his wolves acted on their own.”
“Oh, thank you for all of this. It helps a lot. I appreciate it.” Hunter quickly scanned the sheets, with Mark reading over his shoulder.
“Huh. They are small,” Mark mentioned. “Especially compared to our pack.”
“Day Canyon pack is around two thousand people. This one is about fifty, so yeah, really small.” Hunter frowned as he continued to read. “Nobody owns their own business in this pack? Really? How the hell do they support themselves?”
“Work in human-owned businesses maybe?” Mark guessed.
“Ugh. I don’t like that. Humans don’t know about us so they can’t understand our needs.” Hunter continued reading. “Very few mated pairs. Looks like most of this pack is made of single males, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but a pack can’t grow without cubs.” Hunter wrinkled his nose. “Lots of Betas for a pack this small.”
“Is that unusual?” Mark asked.
“Yes. The ratio is out of whack. You need Betas to help uphold the law, but with the pack this small there shouldn’t be that many.” But if the Betas were being used as muscle to keep pack members in line, then it made sense.
“This concerns you?”
“Very much. There’s a fine line between upholding an Alpha’s orders and being bullies. Once we take over, our numbers are going to drop because the first thing I’ll be doing is kicking out the troublemakers. We won’t have time to be worrying about who wants to stab us in the back.”
“I got your back, don’t you worry,” Mark rumbled.
Hunter’s wolf preened. Their mate was more than capable of protecting them. That too could be a problem, unfortunately. “Babe, we may lose members because you’re a bitten Alpha. But that’s fine. I’d rather they leave than try and sow dissent.” Hunter handed all the papers to Mark and massaged his temples. “This is going to be an uphill battle for a while, I’m afraid.”
“I don’t know much about the inner workings of werewolf culture, but if I can help in any way, I’d be pleased to,” Paul said.
“I imagine Clay and Michael will feel the same way,” Andy added.
“Thank you. I appreciate that. Might as well involve all four of you early on, if you’re serious about helping. I’ll need to know upfront who’s going to have a problem with Guardians, vampires, and elementals being allowed on pack lands.”
“There will be some,” Paul stated.
“Maybe. Maybe not. I guess I’ll find out once we take over.” Hunter checked his cell phone. “Since it isn’t too late, I need to call my brother and update him. I also need to see which of my Betas are willing to either join or help rebuild the Marked Tree Pack. I’m also going to have to find housing for not only them, but Mark and me. We can’t stay in your guest room forever.”
“How many Betas are you talking about bringing?” Paul asked. “And for how long? The Council has apartments we lease out.”
“Marked Tree has fifteen Betas.” Hunter shook his head. “I can’t get over that. Anyway, I need to have as many as Alpha Bennett does, so fifteen.”
“Why?” Mark asked.
“Because I have a feeling he’s not above cheating.”
Paul frowned. “I’ll gladly volunteer to stand by your side.”
“So will I,” Andy piped up. “Between me and Paul, we can make sure no one interferes.”
Hunter shook his head. “I appreciate that, but in a challenge only werewolves can attend.”
“So, what? You’re just supposed to walk onto this asshole’s pack land to fight him with no more backup than your Betas and Mark? Not that I’m putting down either, but if this guy is as slippery as we think he is, it seems to me like you’re taking a chance.”
“Thus the reason I’ll have fifteen Betas. Plus, I said you guys couldn’t be at the challenge.” Hunter smiled broadly. “I never said you couldn’t be close by.”
Andy rubbed his hands together gleefully. “Oh, I like the way you think.”
“Thank you.” Hunter climbed to his feet, and Mark stood with him. “Do you have at least three apartments that have three bedrooms we could rent for the short term? The guys can bunk up.”
“I’m sure we do, but I’ll check into it. I’ll let you know.”
“Thanks.” The more prepared he was beforehand, the smoother things would go after they took over. “I’m going to go make those calls. Good night.”
Mark followed Hunter into the bedroom and shut the door. “We’re really doing this.”
“Yes. We are.”
“Hunter, I have to ask. Is Zane going to resent me for pulling you away from your birth pack?”
“What? Oh, babe.” Hunter patted the empty spot next to him on the bed. “Come on. Sit with me.”
Mark collapsed next to Hunter and rested his head against Hunter’s shoulder.
Hunter wrapped his arm around Mark’s waist. “Wolves leave their birth packs all the time. It’s not the end of the world, and besides, we can visit. They can come here once we’re established. It’s not like I’m never going to see my brother again. I’m okay with this, Mark.”
“I just wanted to make sure. Sometimes I wish I hadn’t ended up as an Alpha. Why couldn’t I have been a Beta? I should’ve been.”
“Hey now.” Hunter kissed the top of Mark’s head. Where were these doubts coming from all of a sudden? He hadn’t picked up on this before. “The goddess made you an Alpha. Don’t disrespect her gift. She had her reasons for this.”
Mark was silent for several minutes before releasing a deep sigh. “You’re right. That was a shitty thing for me to say. It’s just, sometimes I think it might’ve been easier if I hadn’t been an Alpha.”
“Naw. Once you grow into your powers, you’re going to keep me on my toes. Challenge me. Besides, easy isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. I like you just as you are.”
“You always know what to say.” Mark straightened and kissed Hunter on the cheek. “Now, make the call.”
Chapter Twenty-seven – Mark
THE PHONE call actually went better than Mark thought it would. Hunter started off with the attack by Jackson—and who Jackson was, of course—then why this vampire was stalking Michael… and that Michael was now a vampire and mated.
The angry growls Mark heard from Zane were hair-raising, but it also made him feel good. Zane wasn’t upset because he now had a brother-in-law who was a vampire. No, Zane was mad because somebody dared attack a family member.
Mark discreetly knuckled his eyes. It warmed his very soul that Zane considered Michael family, but at the same time, it made Mark feel like an even bigger jackass because he couldn’t handle being around Zane.
Hunter and Zane amused themselves for a few minutes discussing ways of killing Jackson. They were damn inventive too. While Hunter and his brother spoke, Mark noticed something else—he could hear Zane clearly, but his wolf wasn’t reacting the way he normally did.
That pressing need to show that he was an Alpha too wasn’t there. Neith
er was the temptation to go belly up. Mark paid careful attention to the feelings he was picking up from his wolf. Oddly enough, what he was feeling was… wistfulness. Not knowing what to make of that, he ignored it. He’d figure it out later.
Hunter recounted what happened at the restaurant that night, and Mark wasn’t surprised when Zane threatened to hop on a plane and fly to Florida. Hunter talked him out of it, though.
Once he and Zane finished arguing over whether or not Zane should come down there, Hunter related all the information about the Marked Tree pack. He told Zane how he and Mark had come to the conclusion the Alpha was responsible for not only trespassing on Day Canyon territory but for also kidnapping Michael.
“You plan to challenge Alpha Bennett?” Zane asked.
“Yes.”
Hunter explained his reasoning, and why he was doing it. Mark didn’t hear any displeasure in Zane’s voice. In fact, Zane was one hundred percent on board with challenging Alpha Bennett. Zane offered resources and the necessary Betas Hunter needed.
“I’m proud of you, brother. You honor your pack and your mate. I’m very tempted to attend this challenge.”
“Thank you, but you can’t leave the resort right now, you know that. I got this, and I have backup, if I need it.”
“That’s right. The ice elemental,” Zane said.
“Well, he’s just one of our new friends, but yeah, dude’s a total badass.” With a werewolf’s acute hearing, Mark knew Zane could hear him.
“Hey, Mark. How are you doing?”
“I’m good. Things have been kind of nuts, so I haven’t had a lot of time to spend with Michael yet. Hopefully tomorrow night we can catch up more.”
Mark made small talk with Zane for a couple minutes before backing out of the conversation. But Zane did manage to wrangle a promise from Mark that he’d keep an eye on Hunter when he challenged Alpha Bennett. Now that both brothers had mentioned that, Mark would definitely be watchful.
Hunter and Zane hung up, then Hunter called Brax. “Hey, Brax. Are you busy?”
“Hey! How’s the sun and beach treating you? And nope, not busy. Just the same old, same old.”
