“Already been warned to move,” Nic told him. “Now, hurry up.”
“It’s the middle of the night. They can’t know.”
“They know, trust me, Mandy,” Nic told him as he quickly changed into jeans, socks, and boots. “Everyone knows by now.”
Mandalay finished dressing and quickly packed a bag before dialing his parents’ number.
“Mandalay, get out of there,” Cross ordered.
“What about you and Mom?”
“We’ve already been moved. Get Serena and get out now!”
“Okay,” he said. “Love you both.”
“Don’t,” Cross said. “We’ll see you soon.”
“Mandy, come on. Cross, we’ll talk to you later,” Nic called and grabbed Mandalay’s arm.
An explosion could be heard in the distance, and Mandalay trembled. He didn’t want to fight, and he didn’t want his mate mad at him. Nic had to be horrified by what he’d done.
“They’ve already taken everything that side of us,” Bo said with a gesture of his hand. “They’re moving in now. We’ll have to fight on the front lines to hold half the den.”
“We just need to get there,” Nic said. “Where’s Robert and Serena?” he asked, glancing in the direction he knew Serena slept.
“Downstairs,” Bowen said. “Robert got the call and was already up when I went to get them. What was going on with Ross?”
“He betrayed us,” Nic bit out. “I wished I’d seen it sooner. We knew they were getting help from the inside, but he’s not the only high-ranking soldier on their side, I’m sure.”
“We’re going to have to fight our own to survive,” Bowen muttered as they hurried down the stairs.
“It’s close,” Serena said. “I saw some hyenas outside.”
“Be strong,” Nic told her and took Mandalay’s hand. “Mandy, fight behind me with Serena and Robert, okay?”
“I—”
“No time,” Nic said and pulled him to the door with the others on their heels.
Nic opened the door and stepped out onto the porch. Hyenas and a few jackals came charging up the stairs. Nic snarled and back-handed a jackal before grabbing a hyena that had launched itself at him.
Mandalay was jostled aside, but he watched as Nic bit the side of the animal’s neck taking out the jugular. He was mesmerized by the brute strength and sheer ferocity of his mate.
“Manly,” Serena snapped.
Nic moved, and the jackal slammed into him instead of Mandalay. The momentum had Nic staggering back, and Mandalay hit the jackal with a rush of cold. The jackal shivered, and Nic threw him to the ground. That was when Mandalay realized the man’s sides had been pierced by claws and his throat had been damaged.
He was already dead when he hit the ground and became human again.
Nic grabbed Mandalay’s arm and dragged him from the porch, but Mandalay snapped out of the fog he was in and tugged on Nic’s hand. Nic backed away from the garage.
“Run!” he shouted, and they all took cover.
Their animal speed gave them enough time to put distance between them and the garage before it exploded, sending debris everywhere.
“Oh, my god,” Serena whispered. “We’re going to die.”
Nic hurried them down the street of burning homes and survivors that had come out into the street. Mandalay realized there were so few of them despite the fact he had plenty of neighbors.
They had to fight their way out of the neighborhood and to a command center. It was small and unmanned despite the lights throwing illumination onto the street.
Nic got them and the small group of ten inside. Mandalay was breathing hard as were the others from the fighting and running.
“This won’t take long,” Nic said. “Gains, take your team and head to your post.” He tossed a set of keys at the tall black man. “Michaels, you do the same.” He tossed keys to a woman of barely five-foot-seven.
“I’ll pick up my team,” Bo said. “See you guys later.”
They headed out a door and into the large garage where several Hummers were parked. Mandalay followed Nic and climbed in front after Nic unlocked the doors. The vehicles were started, and they all headed out going in different directions.
“You had this planned?” Serena asked incredulously.
“We suspected for the last few days this would happen,” Robert said. “The young were moved along with the elders and half of the omega females.”
“Some of the novice soldiers are manning a post on the front lines along with senior soldiers. We’re prepared to make a stand on two fronts, but we’ll lose more than men and women,” Nic said.
“How do you know? And what about our parents?” Serena demanded in a brittle tone.
“They’re gone,” Nic told her. “We sent them out yesterday to get a new shop set up where Mandalay could get to work with the very small healing staff we did trust.”
“Me?” Mandalay asked, surprised.
“We trust you, baby. Besides, Nika’s dead, and I damn sure wasn’t going to have a bigot like Leon in charge.”
“Leon’s one of them,” Robert said. “I overheard your buddy Ross talking to him tonight. He thought we were all too busy, but he was just too edgy for my tastes.”
“You should have told me,” Serena said. “He always seemed like a good guy.”
“He was once upon a time,” Nic said. “I still trusted him, but I’m glad my wolf—well, he was on alert with what was going on.” He glanced over at Mandalay briefly.
“We’ve only got three minutes left,” Robert said.
“Almost there,” Nic told him and took a sharp turn. He mowed down two hyenas in the street dotted with dead soldiers.
He put his foot on the gas, and Mandalay’s eyes widened when spikes appeared in the street. Soldiers came out of nowhere and began firing at the Hummer.
Mandalay let out a cry as shots bounced off the glass and doors. “Nic,” he squealed.
Nic picked up speed and spikes punctured the tires as they rolled over them and hit a soldier who’d stepped out in front of them. The heavy body slammed into the windshield and rolled off.
Nic kept going, and they hit a bump, the tires making an odd sound as the vehicle careened to one side. Nic held the wheel, fighting for control until he pulled up outside a guard house. Men immediately came out.
“Out,” Nic barked.
They all climbed out, and Nic hurried to the men blocking their entrance.
“Commander,” a female said, and they were ushered inside. Behind them another vehicle pulled in. It was hit with something and it exploded.
Mandalay pitched forward and knocked Nic to the ground. He heard Serena’s cry from the back and side of them. Nic rolled them over and debris landed next to them.
“Shit.” Nic was up, pulling Mandalay to his feet.
“Inside, Commander. Everyone!” the woman ordered. “Hurry!”
Behind them, shooting started.
Mandalay was separated from Nic within seconds, and he watched his mate catch a weapon. He was dragged away along with Serena, who was bleeding and leaning heavily on Robert.
“Mandalay,” Robert said. “You’ve got to heal her. She’s been shot.”
“The field clinic is up ahead,” a soldier told them as he jogged ahead of them.
Mandalay had a feeling it was going to be a long night.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
By the time the first rays of dawn streaked across the sky, Nic was tired, bloody, and filthy. He went to the command post to find Jody already there along with a worn looking Kimble. Both men had been out in the fight, but so had everyone in the small house.
“We’ve lost the north,” Jody said grimly. “I expected to lose on the east, but Artisan and Michaels held the line.”
“It’s been a long night,” Kimble said. “The fighting is over for now. Rest and we’ll meet at eleven for a full briefing.”
Nic left, heading for the house he’d selected for himself, his team, an
d Mandalay. He knew he had to make a hard choice now, but he refused to shrink from it.
Mandalay was in the kitchen with coffee going when he arrived. Nic went straight for him instead of going to take a shower.
Mandalay got up from the table and ran to him. “Nic.”
“Pretty baby,” he said, catching the bundle of grown man that had launched itself into his arms.
Mandalay nuzzled. “I’m glad you’re okay. Serena went to our parents.”
“I know,” Nic said heavily and put Mandalay away from him. “You need to go, too.”
“No.” He shook his head.
“This is a fight-zone,” Nic snapped. “We’re close enough to the front lines we’ll know it the minute they start in on us. I don’t expect them to attack anytime soon, but it’s coming.”
“I don’t give a damn,” he screamed. “You’re my mate. My place is by your side, and right now, your place is in a shower. Go.” Mandalay pointed. “We’ll talk when you don’t smell so rank.”
Nic made a face and slunk off to take a quick shower. When he was finished, he stepped out into the bedroom to find Mandy there with coffee. He was sitting on the window seat.
“Tell me everything,” Mandalay ordered. “What’s going to happen from here? Why didn’t you tell me to expect this?”
There was no accusation in his voice, just questions and fear lighting his eyes.
“We needed to make sure there were no leaks,” Nic said. “I knew I could trust you to do as I asked, and I thought I could trust Ross.”
“He was a douche,” Mandalay said. “I’m sorry I killed him.”
Nic snorted. “I killed him, baby boy,” he said. “That burst of cold you threw off was just that. My bite is a freezing one when I’m in battle mode. I’m a snow hunter wolf,” Nic told him.
“You’re a snow wolf, too?”
“A hunter, which makes me different from you in some key ways. One being I can’t freeze a room, but I do carry the cold virus in three grades.”
“You’re a true cold viral?”
“You can say that,” Nic said.
The cold viral meant the cold of his bite and nails was a virus that killed when he was in killer or hunter mode. It was one of the things that made him more effective as a hunter.
It was also something that wasn’ normal. Most snow hunters only had one virus, but his connection with Mandalay had changed him—made him evolve.
“At least I don’t have to worry about hurting you,” Mandalay murmured. “How did you guys get things ready without people noticing? And why not put more resources into protecting the den than preparing to run?”
“We just don’t have the manpower. Voss can’t spare us any teams, so we’re on our own.”
“What about the wildcats?”
“Jody is looking into an option that might work. I’ll find out later what it is.”
Mandalay nodded. “So, big changes are coming? More fighting?”
“Yes.” Nic went to sit on the edge of the bed facing Mandalay. “Some of the pack has been evacuated to Peyton City. So, the pack is smaller and that will make the fight harder if our options don’t pan out.”
“We could lose everything?”
“We could, and we’re preparing for that eventuality.”
Mandalay sighed roughly. “The pack could split?”
Nic nodded. “We could, but we might be able to hold part of the land.”
“So many people are going to lose respect for Jody,” Mandalay said. “They were already saying X would never have allowed this to happen.”
“X couldn’t have stopped what’s happening,” Nic told him. “Jody is doing his best, but the pack was already coming apart at the seams when X was killed. Traitors were inside, gays were struggling and straights beating them. Some of them died.”
“I know,” Mandalay admitted. “I heard the stories.”
“This pack isn’t going to make it as it was, and with straights refusing to put their beliefs aside, we have to accept things are never going to be the way they were for us.”
“We’re our own worst enemy,” Mandalay murmured. “The wildcats survived because they pulled together when it really mattered.”
“They had time to work things out without a war looming over them,” Nic told him. “So, it’s not fair to compare us to them. It’s apples and oranges.”
Mandalay got up and came to sit next to Nic. “Then, why are we fighting?”
“A matter of pride, and some of us might be able to hold the den and build a new life. Jody has done a poll. He’ll probably discuss that with us later, too. We’ll see what happens.”
“What if the straights want us gone? It’ll be better that we left to prevent the pack from fighting itself as well as an enemy.”
“I agree, but in doing what’s in the interest of the pack, Jody will make a decision that’ll be best.”
“What will you do if the straights decide they’d rather be free of us?”
“I’ll leave,” Nic told him. “It’s a decision you’ll have to discuss with your family.”
Mandalay frowned. “There’s nothing to talk about, Nic. We’re mated. I go where you go. No two ways about it.”
Nic hoped it wouldn’t come to a split. He was certain once Jody saw the poll and talked to the others they’d decide the best thing for the pack was to work as a whole.
A few hours later when Nic had to go to the meeting, he hadn’t gotten much sleep. He was a little nervous when he made it back to the command center. Jody and Kimble both wore grim expressions, and all of the high-ranking soldiers were there.
“I don’t want to waste time,” Kimble said and glanced at Jody. “We’ve gone over the poll and more soldiers are here than we planned because each one of you are lead commander of your sections.”
“After looking at the poll, I’ve found that the number of gays or those who will admit to being gay or lesbian is small,” Jody said.
“We don’t want you in our pack,” one of the lead commanders, Ritz, said. “We want you gone. We all feel we’ll be much better off without you. Even you, Jody.”
“That’s the general consensus,” Kimble agreed. “The families with gays in them are torn.”
“We aren’t going to waste our time protecting gays,” Ritz said. “We’ll let them die or let the enemy have them, and you can’t try us all for treason.”
Jody sighed. “You do realize this fight is going to take us all doing our part?”
“We feel a straight man with straight senior soldiers and lead commanders will win this war. We’d like you all gone,” a second commander spoke up. “We’ll back Reno.”
Reno gave Jody a look. “I wouldn’t want you all to leave immediately, just stay quarantined in your own section.”
A harsh bark of laughter escaped Jody. “I’m not leaving.”
“We’ll challenge you, and we all know you aren’t a true alpha. You and Kimble will end up dead,” Ritz said.
“There are soldiers who’ll stand with Jody,” Nic said. “Gay and straight.”
“Not enough,” another commander said.
“And honestly, it would be best if you left immediately to prevent us from having to protect you if another attack comes. Besides that, we don’t trust you, Jody,” Ritz growled.
Jody nodded. “Reno, are you going along with this?”
“Yeah. The gays are nothing but disruptive to our pack, and I think if you hadn’t been so concerned with making all those girls happy, we wouldn’t have lost any part of our lands,” Reno said.
“This betrayal is going to cost us lives,” Nic said. “Reno, I’m surprised at you, but I guess you were no friend of Jody’s.”
“No. I was X’s friend,” he said. “X’s second, but Jody took leadership from me that I was rightfully due. As alpha, I’ll have what should have been mine.”
“You fuckers stand around here thinking you’re due something like entitled assholes,” Nic snapped as he rose from his spo
t next to Ritz. “You’re going to get slaughtered because you’re going to be too busy fighting for leadership and titles to do your jobs.”
“I’ll need a few days to talk to the inferior wolves,” Jody said icily. “We’ll move out after that. Nic, get Artisan and Bo. Reno, you better replace them immediately if you can decide who’s the worthiest.”
“Yeah, Michaels is good, but she’ll die out there on her own,” Nic said and headed out with Jody, Kimble, and two other men on their heels.
“Nic, prepare as before,” Jody told him. “We’ll need to split as soon as possible. I don’t trust them not to attack us.”
Nic nodded. “I have access to the tunnels, none of them worked with my teams on this.”
“They might need them as an escape,” Kimble said.
“Fuck ’em,” Jody said, his eyes glittering ruthlessly. “They’re smarter and stronger than us gays, let them figure out how to survive.”
“There are few guys on my teams that can do the job I handled with Artisan, but they aren’t going to make it if they don’t get their heads out of their asses,” Nic said, shaking his head.
“Just get your people,” Jody ordered. “We’ll meet in twenty. I want out of here by dusk.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“I can’t believe it,” Mandalay said to his sister, who he was on a video chat with.
“It’s true,” Serena told him. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m staying with Nic,” he said.
“You can’t,” Mya said. “You’re part of this family. You’ll stay with us, and you’ll remain single.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Yes, you can,” Mya snapped.
“I’m mated to Nic,” Mandalay murmured. “I can’t leave my mate.”
For a long time, his family was silent. “We’ll be there within the hour to discuss this,” Cross said.
Mandalay was nervously sipping tea when Nic arrived twenty minutes later with a female soldier named Kaylee. The petite blonde was a woman he’d seen around but didn’t know.
“What’s going on?” Mandalay asked.
“We need to pack,” Nic told him. “Jody wants us to move out by dusk.”
Wolf’s Fall Page 17
