by T. S. Ryder
His stomach growled, but there wasn't any time to waste making food. Already his blood with pumping with anxiety. He needed to get back home, to make sure his people were still okay.
The only problem was he also needed to protect Naomi but wasn't certain what was best for her. He needed her to be safe. There was enough firewood and food here that she would just fine if he left her. But he had the distinct feeling that he would have a hard time convincing her to stay. They had used up all the formula she had brought the previous night when Sapphira woke throughout the night. Would it be safer for the baby to let her go hungry here, or to risk getting back to town when they could potentially be attacked by Wolves?
Naomi stirred at that moment, and Joshua returned to her side.
"I have to go now," he said, and then explained his dilemma to her.
When he was finished Naomi frowned. "I see. That is a problem. On the one hand, maybe if I was with you, they wouldn't attack as readily. On the other hand… Would we be putting Sapphira at risk? Or would we be putting her at risk if we left her here? Or if you left her and me here? We've mated. My pack has every right to forcibly eject me if I stay."
"If they even know you're here. And if they don't, then can we trust your father not to…" He trailed off.
"Kill me? I don't want to believe he'd go that far." Naomi swallowed hard. "But right now, I don't know how we can trust him."
That decided it, then. He couldn't leave her behind when there was a chance that she might be attacked, and he wasn't there to protect her.
"I'll shift. You hold Sapphira and ride."
Naomi shivered. Was it because she was remembering the last time they had such an arrangement he had actually gotten shot? He rubbed his shoulder, reminded that there was still a bullet inside him. Had it really only been yesterday? He shook his head. Life was moving so fast…
But he was going to keep up. He was going to surpass it. There was no other option.
"Should we bring the car seat and diaper bag, or should I just hold her in my arms?" Naomi asked, making sure Sapphira's hat was tucked down around her ears. The baby stretched her arms up, making a face, and took off the hat.
"Will she fit comfortably in the diaper bag? So you can wear it like a sling or something." Joshua's eyes darkened as he considered what would happen if they were attacked. "I want you to be able to run if you need to. You can't do that carrying a car seat."
Naomi considered for a moment. "I think she'll fit. Just… if Wolves show up, try to let me talk to them. Maybe we can resolve this without violence."
Joshua nodded, although he doubted it would be that easy. If the Wolves came at them… well, he wasn't entirely certain that they would give him and Naomi time to explain what was happening before attacking. Still, he didn't say it out loud. Every minute they wasted here was a minute they couldn't afford to waste.
He shifted and Naomi climbed onto his back with Sapphira nestled in the diaper bag (although she was quite unhappy about it). They set off at a trot. Joshua kept his ears rotating as he made their way through the forest, listening for any sound of attack.
They were almost to the town when a howl rent the air. Joshua picked up his pace, but it was too late. Within moments, there was a wall of Wolves charging at him through the trees. He felt Naomi tense.
"Wait," she called.
A few of the Wolves hesitated, but the three biggest only howled again and leaped at him. Naomi slid off his back, and without stopping to think, Joshua bellowed his own challenge and charged back at the Wolves. He could hear Naomi shouting at them all to stop, but it was too late to heed her. The Wolves broke around him, surrounding him. Their sharp teeth tore into his flesh as he turned and swatted at them.
They jumped aside, barking and growling their taunts. One of them jumped onto his back, tearing at his neck. Pain lanced through his body, but so did rage. Joshua threw it off and caught another wolf by the hind leg. It howled in pain as his teeth crushed the bone.
Another wolf latched onto his foreleg, snarling as it shook his whole body. Chunks of fur flew every which way. Somewhere behind him, Sapphira was screaming, but Naomi's own voice had gone silent. He batted the wolf clinging to him, making it roll several times before it came to a stop and lay still, whimpering. He swiped his massive paw at another one, tearing long strips from its side.
Naomi's grey-brown form darted in front of him. She tackled one of the wolves, snarling fiercely as she grabbed it by its scruff and threw it back. Joshua was brought up short, so shocked for a moment he stopped fighting altogether.
He hadn't seen Naomi in comparison to other Wolves before. He had known she was bigger than the non-shifter variety, but she seemed so small running next to him that he hadn't realized how much bigger than the other shifters she actually was. She stood a full head higher than them.
She barked out a growl, making the other Wolves flinch. Their tails tucked up under their bellies and they ran from before her. Joshua grunted, fighting the urge to chase after them. He could have defeated them. He knew that. They might have caused a bit of damage, but he would have killed them all in the end.
But instead, Naomi had stopped it, just like that. They had responded to her position as true Alpha. Did she even understand how momentous this was? As she raced back to Sapphira and shifted once more to bring their child back to him, Joshua's heart pounded in his chest.
He wasn't sure if it would work, but if these events were anything to base it on, then if he could unseat her father from his place, she could step into the role she was born for. The Wolves would follow, and they would at long last have peace.
"Can you still carry me?" Naomi asked, her eyes huge as she took in his injuries. She cradled Sapphira, still in the diaper bag, patting her back gently. It did nothing to calm the screaming child.
Joshua grunted and nodded. Once Naomi scrambled onto his back again, it didn't take them long to get to the town. Hasty fortifications had been built everywhere. Windows were boarded over, braces had been erected for men to crouch behind, and the streets were deserted. When he jogged into the main square, Matt came rushing out of the courthouse. Relief was written all over his face.
"You're finally back."
Joshua waited until Naomi slipped off him before he shifted. "We ran into some trouble. Susan is dead."
Matt's body jolted as though he had been punched. He swallowed hard. "Wolves?"
"Yes."
Matt lowered his head a moment and let out a deep breath. He nodded. "We've had a few small skirmishes already. I think they're testing our defenses. And…" He glanced at Naomi. "The Alpha's other two daughters turned themselves over to us as prisoners."
"My sisters?" Naomi stepped forward, eyes wide.
Joshua fought to keep his jaw from dropping. It was the last thing he expected! "Have they said why?"
"They said that their father is using Naomi as an excuse to attack the Bears, and they wanted to prove she was here of her own will."
Naomi shifted the now-whimpering Sapphira. "Where are they?"
"We put them in the hospital bunkers." Matt looked at Joshua. "Do we keep them or let them go?"
Joshua glanced at the skyline. It was still early morning. They didn't know when the Wolves would be attacking, or if Naomi's sisters coming here would have added fuel to the fire. He ground his teeth and glanced at his mate. Her eyes were wide and hopeful.
"Try to get a message to Tucker that we want to talk to him, and that his girls are not being harmed in any way. Don't send anybody to talk to him, I don't trust him not to kill the messenger. But we keep them here for now. I don't want them to get hurt by accident when there is a battle about to happen." He clasped Naomi's hand. "I'll take my mate to the hospital. Meet me there when you have word from Tucker."
Matt nodded once. He whipped his phone from his pocket and headed back to the courthouse. Joshua led Naomi towards the hospital, grim-faced. If there was a way to avoid a battle he'd take it.
But Go
d help any Wolf that stepped foot into his town looking to start a fight.
Chapter Eight – Naomi
Naomi shook her head, her lips pressed tightly together as she settled Sapphira into her youngest sister's arms and handed her the bottle of formula. It wasn't that Anne and their sister, Heather, were unwelcome sights. If anything, Naomi was happy to have them here and away from their father.
But it was the timing.
"You both put yourselves in danger by coming here," she said.
"We heard Father's plan and decided we wanted to help," Heather said obstinately. "We didn't know that the Bears would all be on high alert waiting for Wolves to attack. Or that you'd have a baby."
Anne grinned. "Yeah, is there something you want to tell us? Were you having secret rendezvous with your Alpha Bear for nine months, sister dear?"
"We found her in the woods and adopted her. We think she might be a Wolf-born non-shifter. Do you know anybody who has had a baby recently?"
The sisters glanced at each other helplessly. Naomi knew how they felt. Their father deliberately kept them isolated from the pack, trotting them out for special occasions when he wanted to show them off, but not much else. Now as she thought about it, Naomi couldn't help but wonder if it was because if she had gotten to know more of the pack, they might follow her instead of him.
She was born to be Alpha. Was she strong enough to take her position back?
"But seriously, about the Bear," Heather said. "Is he treating you right? I could see a little blood on your thigh and smell him all over you when you first came in here. If he did anything you didn't want, I'll kill him. I promise you I will."
Naomi smacked her arm, her cheeks warming self-consciously. She twitched the long, oversized dress she wore, glad for the modesty. "I don't want any of that, Heather. For your information, we spent the night at the Mating Caves. And yes, he treats me right. Better than I expected. And with little Sapphira, I feel like we're complete. Like an actual family."
Anne stroked Sapphira's cheek as the baby drank hungrily. A frown crossed her face. "We never really had that with Father, did we? I mean, you're both my sisters and I love you dearly and I feel like family with you, but I've always felt like we were missing something."
"I know. You're too young to remember Mother, but when she was alive, it was like we were… Well, we were a family." Naomi sighed. "But never complete. Father might have been more devious back then, but he was always using her from the start. I don't think he actually ever loved her."
"But you love Joshua?"
Naomi tensed. Love at first sight was the norm among shifters. In fact, it was odd for a couple to be together for more than a week without declaring how much they loved each other and mating or breaking up because it just wasn't going to happen. There was no moving slow among them.
But she wasn't ready to share this with her sisters. Not yet, at least. She and Joshua hadn't even said that they loved each other out loud. Did he love her?
I think I love him. I want to be his mate forever… yes, that's love, isn't it?
Heath frowned. "Naomi, I know you've always been private—"
The sound of gunfire made them all tense. The three sisters and all the other children and mothers that were down in this hospital bunker looked upwards. A few of the little ones started to cry, but apparently it was too distant to bother Sapphira, because she kept drinking, though her little eyes were growing heavy.
Naomi's hands clenched as she stared at the ceiling. The battle had started. Her father leading her pack against her mate and his pack. Apparently, all three of his daughters being with the Bears wasn't an incentive for him to call it off. The nervous energy she had been feeling for hours was growing to the point where it was almost burning.
She shouldn't be here. She should be out there, helping. Somehow.
"Take care of Sapphira," she ordered, jumping to her feet. She didn't stay to hear their protests as she ran for the exit.
That was her pack up there. She wasn't going to let her father ruin them any more than he already had.
The gunfire increased as she ran up the stairs. There were a few Bears that tried to stop her, but all she had to do was throw them a single glare and they backed off. She had no idea why, but she didn't stop to consider it. There was something strange pounding in her blood, something filling her from head to toe. A kind of buzzing that started in the woods when she had jumped in front of the Wolves, and stopped them from attacking Joshua, and Joshua from attacking them.
When she emerged back on ground level, she found herself in an all-out war zone. Gunfire echoed from every side. All around there were people with guns firing at one another. Bears and Wolves both in their Beasts' forms were fighting. A wolf howled as a Bear's jaws closed over its back. A Bear fell writhing under a pile of Wolfs. Blood splattered every which way. The sidewalks were slick with it.
Naomi took a deep breath and slowly stepped out of the hospital. She wanted to scream at them all to stop fighting, but her voice couldn't seem to work. There was no stopping this. Not with her voice alone, anyway.
Joshua.
Naomi glanced around. If she could find Joshua, then she knew that they could end this. Maybe she couldn't do it with her voice alone, but she knew that as soon as Joshua's was added to hers, then nothing could stop them. She dashed through the ranks, nostrils flared as she tried to scent him out. The smell of gunpowder and blood was heavy in the air.
A few Wolves formed a circle around her, running beside her, like a guard. A few Bears chased after them, but they made no move to attack. They must recognize her as Joshua's mate.
It didn't take her long to find Joshua in the end. He was in the main square, in front of the courthouse. Half a dozen Wolves were coming at him from every side, but he held them off expertly. He was in his Bear's form, but she had seen him enough by now that she recognized him. The creamy fur was stained red with blood, his massive jaws snapping here and there, holding off the Wolves that were driving at him.
When she stopped moving, so did the Wolf escort that had formed around her, and the Bears following after them.
What was she supposed to do now? She clenched her hands. Her heart pounded. All around her the guns and the howls and the roars just seemed to get louder and louder. A Wolf tore into Joshua's leg and she found herself running forward again. That burning sensation was back in her chest. All around her, the Wolves howled.
"Stop!" she screamed.
The howling stopped. The Wolves attacking Joshua froze. The Alpha himself stopped as well. Naomi ran between the now-still masses. The posse that had followed her thus far stayed behind as she went to Joshua's side, and dug her fingers into this thick creamy fur.
"Whatever my father told you, it was a lie," she said to the circle of Wolves facing them. "This is my mate. He didn't kidnap me. I went with him of my own free will, and I want to stay with him. All this bloodshed is not necessary. You all knew my mother. She wouldn't want this. Please. This isn't what should be happening between our two packs."
A deep, commanding howl drowned out the rest of her words. She turned to see her father's familiar dark shape bounding down the road. His teeth were bared, ears flat against his skull.
He leaped right at her.
Chapter Nine – Joshua
When the Alpha Wolf leaped at Naomi, Joshua did not see the Alpha of the Wolves. He didn't see Naomi's father.
He just saw somebody threatening him mate. Instinct roared in him, beating through his blood to pool heavy in his chest. The need to defend his mate and destroy the threat coming at her was stronger than anything he had felt before.
Naomi cried out, holding her hands in front of her face. Joshua pushed her out of the way and swiped at the Wolf in the air. His paw hit into the Alpha Wolf's side, knocking him off course. Tucker tumbled over several times. Joshua lunged for him, but several more Wolves dodged in from the sidelines.
One of them snapped at Joshua's face while two circled him
and bit fiercely into hindquarters. The fourth ran under her body, tearing at his belly. Joshua roared in pain, slapping at first one then another. They were quicker than the Wolves he had fought thus far and dodged his blows. Matt and Luke both charged at them, but several Wolves with guns jumped in their way and began firing at the Alpha Bear's two friends.
Joshua twisted, rearing to his hind legs to get a better aim at the four Wolves attacking him. Tucker was still on the sidelines, barking and howling like he was egging them on. These must be his Elite that Naomi told him about… The gunfire continued, and Joshua broke free of the Elite and charged at the Wolves firing at his friends. They scattered—
And then closed ranks behind Joshua's charge, leaving him cut off from Naomi. All the guns were pointed at Joshua now. The four Wolves that had been coming at him before stood between the Wolves with the guns, snarling at him and his two seconds. He cried out in anguish as Tucker crept up on her, teeth bared, snarling, hackled raised.
Naomi backed away from her father as he advanced, her eyes wide as his growls deepened. Joshua snarled and started forward, only to have a bullet fly past his ear. Naomi held her hand out to him.
"Joshua, you can't interfere." Her voice trembled, but even as he watched he saw a change come over her. She stood straighter, her eyes grew steely and determined. "This is between my father and I. He stole my right to leadership. I have to take it back."
The Wolf Alpha stopped growling. His ears pricked up, tail twitching from side to side.
"That's why you chose to attack me, isn't it?" Naomi said to her father, topping her retreat now. "You sensed that I was coming into my own. After all these years where you have tried to suppress me, I have found my power. I started to find it when I went with Joshua against your will, and I continued to develop it when I refused to give up the baby we found in the woods. I guess there's only one thing left I have to do before I can claim my rightful place as Alpha of my pack. Defeat you."
Joshua burned to drive through the wall of wolves as Naomi yanked her loose dress over her head and shifted. The current Alpha began growling again, but Joshua was shocked to see that even though he was larger than the Wolves around them, Naomi was yet bigger than him. Her paws planted firmly in the ground as she threw back her head and howled.
