Wolf's Bane (Shifted)

by Leite, Lynn

  “Hey Ash don’t underestimate the troops we have. They kick ass,” Matt said proudly as if he already was one of them.

  “Brendan, how close?” Bryce asked looking to the youngest for his expertise.

  “They can see the house. They seem to be waiting for something.”

  “Aiden, go! We will give them what they are waiting for.”

  “And what might that be?” Aiden asked.

  “Me to leave. They were waiting for someone to call and let me know the pack was under attack. Any enforcer would rush to their aide. That has to be what they are counting on.”

  “Makes sense to me. I’m going to shift. Ashley, you hold the door. Let them see you.” Aiden said stripping his clothing off as he spoke.

  “Watch your back, brother.”

  “Will do. See you on the flip side.” Aiden shed the last of his clothes and shifted into his wolf form. Ashley held the door as the huge black wolf left the house, turning back once before bolting into the woods that surrounded the house. Ashley closed the door behind her making sure to engage the lock.

  “Okay boys, I suggest you hide,” she breathed slowly.

  “Hide?” Matt asked looking at his brothers.

  “Yes, they might still think I’m alone. At least we hope they do. The order was to bring me back alive, right? So, I will just let them in when they knock.” There was a note of sarcasm in her voice.

  “I know you’re kidding honey, but you might not be too far off. If it was me out there, I’d send the girls first. You’re sure to open the door for them.”

  “Then shoo, go hide. Even if they think there is another guard, they have no idea I have four males here. Maybe I can get the girls safely inside.”

  Bryce nodded to the others. Ashley was right. His first instinct, to just rush out the door and rip the three men to shreds, would put the girls in harm’s way.

  “Hold on. They are sending the girls out,” Brendan said. His eyes were glued to the monitor.

  “We can slip out back and take the men from behind,” Matt suggested.

  “Go!” Bryce ordered, seeing his brother was already half way to the door. “Brendan, can you tell if they have any weapons on them?”

  “I can’t see any. No.”

  “Cocky sons-of-bitches, aren’t they?” Colin smiled.

  “They think they have a lone woman cornered,” Ashley pointed out.

  “Okay Ashley, open the door. Boys go!”

  17

  Ashley opened the door slowly while trying to keep her hands from shaking. She needed to get her friends inside. She watched as the women came into view. Resisting the urge to run to them, she just called to them.

  “Yas, Bri, in here. Hurry!”

  Yasmin rushed forward. Brianna took off after her at a dead run. Ashley stepped out into the yard. She was trying to keep the men’s eyes on her so that the boys could surround them. She couldn’t see Dan, Julian, or Frank, but she knew they were there.

  “Ash, no… don’t let her...” Brianna’s words fell off as Yasmin reached the first step. Ashley had meant to hug her friend but was surprised when Yas grabbed her arm and yanked her away from the door. The forward momentum caused by Yasmin’s surprise move had Ashley stumbling out into the yard.

  “No!” Brianna screamed as she slammed into Yasmin at top speed. “Run Ash! She’s with them. They are in the woods.”

  Ashley took a second to process. This was what she had been missing. Yasmin had said Dan and Julian had already left when she had called to warn her. So, how was it that she was there with him now?

  The cold sting of betrayal fueled her anger. This was too much.

  “Brianna, get in the house.” Ashley said as she pushed an advancing Yasmin to the ground so Brianna could pass. The truth was a hard pill to swallow. Only Brianna had been the bait. Yasmin had been in on it the whole time.

  “Why?” she snapped at Yasmin who was still in the process of getting up.

  “Richard was mine, you bitch.” Yasmin spat as she rushed her again.

  “Yours?” Ashley managed to ask as she twisted out of the way.

  “God, you are so stupid. Yes, mine, and you killed him.”

  “Yasmin, he was attacking me.” Realization dawned on her. Not only was Yasmin part of this attack, she was part of Richard’s assault as well. “You knew he would be there,” Ashley said seeing the smile on Yasmin’s face bloom. It was pure evil.

  “You weren’t supposed to survive. With you gone, then I’d have him all to myself.”

  “I didn’t want him. You knew that.” Ashley growled. She could see the men emerging from the woods. Little did they know they were surrounded? “So what now?” Ashley asked. Yasmin had seen her notice the others. The best distraction was for Ashley to pretend she was defeated. Yasmin had stopped her advance as soon as the men had emerged from the woods.

  “Now, we finish what Richard started,” Yasmin laughed.

  “You’re planning on raping me like he did?”

  “He didn’t rape you, bitch. He was trying to kill you,” Yasmin spat.

  “That’s not what it felt like.” Ashley knew Yasmin well enough to know she was enraged. That’s what she was hoping for. “So, why are you here now? Even if you wanted Richard, although for the life of me I can’t imagine why, he is dead.”

  “But Frank isn’t, are you, honey?” Honey?

  “Not yet, he isn’t,” Ashley muttered slowly noticing one black wolf and three greys emerging from the woods behind the three men that were advancing with confidence.

  Ashley knew the moment the other men noticed they weren’t alone. Taking advantage of the distraction, Ashley shifted. Scraps of clothes flew as she charged Yasmin. Bryce would be furious that she didn’t get herself out of harm’s way, but Yasmin was hers. The shocked look on her former friend’s face was the last thing she saw before sinking her fangs into Yasmin’s throat.

  Bryce saw Ashley shift before lunging at her friend. He didn’t know what was happening, but he had confidence in his mate’s decision. Raising his head, he signaled to the others to move. Taking down the three men was easy. The surprise on their face seemed genuine. It was clear they were not aware Ashley had been guarded by more than one. In the end, their confidence had worked against them. The original plan to leave Frank alive was tossed out as soon as the were shifted. Frank was Alpha, and Alphas didn’t back down. Bryce was not leaving anything to chance. He still had the rest of the pack to worry about.

  Drew and his father were formidable opponents, but with Bryce and his brothers gone, they were down on man power. The end came swiftly with Matt taking out two of them while Bryce took Frank Bane down in a bloody battle. The man was Alpha, the fight evenly matched except for Bryce’s drive to protect his mate at all cost. He knew in his heart leaving any of the Bane Alphas alive would mean his mate was still not safe.

  Ashley shifted back to human form as soon as Yasmin’s body stilled beneath her. The loss of her friend was cooled by the betrayal. Yasmin had wanted Richard but was willing to switch to Frank. She was obviously after the Alpha bitch position and would be willing to do anything to get it, including conspiring to have Ashley killed. How had she not known?

  Sobbing behind her turned her focus away from Yasmin’s motionless form to her true friend, a friend that had been willing to risk her own life.

  “Bri?” she said approaching her friend slowly. Brianna had warned her, tried to help her. She owed the girl a debt.

  “Ash, oh Ash, I didn’t know. I swear I didn’t know,” Brianna sobbed wrapping her arms tightly around herself.

  “I know, Bri. It’s over.”

  “But how?” Brianna asked seeing four weres shift on the edge of the lawn. “They thought you were alone.”

  “That was the idea. Come on inside while I get the men something to wear.”

  “Who are they?”

  “My mate and his family.”

  “ Mate?”

  “It’s a long story,Bri. You�
��re safe now. . .”

  “Safe,” Brianna muttered.

  Bryce rushed to his mate as soon as they entered the home. “You’re covered with blood!” she said with alarm.

  “Not mine, Ash. You seem to have some on you as well.”

  “Not mine,” she mimicked.

  “You okay?”

  “No, but I’m better. Bryce, Yasmin was in on it from the start.”

  “And her?” he growled looking at Brianna who had curled into a corner of the couch as soon as the men entered the room.

  “I’m sure she had nothing to do with it. Brianna, this is Bryce. Bryce, I’m sure you want to talk to her, but could you put some clothes on first?”

  “I was thinking the same thing. I love when you’re naked, but not in front of my brothers,” he laughed. “Matt, call Maverick. Tell him we have this situation under control. See if he can help at home. Ten minutes, boys, and we move out.” Ashley looked at him questioningly. “I have other Bane men to take care of. No one will ever threaten you again.”

  18

  Bryce left Brendan to take care of Brianna. She was in no condition to go with them, and, since Ashley insisted on helping, he had to leave the girl with someone. Truth was, although he didn’t like Ashley coming with them into what might be an inter-pack war, he didn’t want to leave her side either.

  “Have you reached them?” he asked Matt who was busy trying to call the compound.

  “Not yet. I have to think they are busy. Bryce. Our men are better than Banes. He won’t win.”

  “I have no doubt we will win this, but at what cost?’ Bryce mumbled pressing his foot harder on the gas.

  As soon as they were in range, it was clear that the Bane pack had taken the biggest hit against his pack. The fact that bodies of shifted weres were visible meant that this had been hard to contain. They would have to run interference with the human population. Wolf pack attack sounded about right to Bryce as he headed for the pack house. All was quiet now. Whatever had happened there earlier was over.

  “Bryce?” Ashley questioned, looking at the door to the pack house that had been ripped off its hinges.

  “Stay here!” he ordered bursting from the car with Matt and Colin close behind.

  “Bryce skid to a halt at the sight as he entered the home. Practically every were in his pack was there. Some were injured and being treated.

  “Report,” he yelled to one of the enforcers. Before he could answer, he heard the familiar voice of Maverick.” I see you missed all the fun too,” Maverick said slapping him on the shoulder.

  “Hardly. We had our own wave to contend with. Where’s Drew and my father?”

  “They are in the great room along with your brother.”

  “Aiden?”

  “Yes.”

  “And Bane?”

  “I’ll let them fill you in. We were just on our way out.”

  “Thank you for coming. I appreciate all you have done, Maverick.”

  “It was really nothing. Your pack had the situation handled even before we arrived. My men only batted clean up. There is really no need for thanks, Bryce. You are family. The packs are united now.”

  Thank you just the same.” Bryce nodded at Hank and Sam, the enforcer’s Maverick had as his guard knowing they were also Maverick’s brothers-in-law. Family was important to the Alpha, and Bryce was proud to be counted among them.

  “Is it over?” Hearing his mates voice drew Bryce’s attention away from the crowd.

  “I thought I told you to stay in the car?” he teased, pulling her to his side to let her know he was just kidding.

  “I figured when Maverick strolled out of here, that it was safe. So, what’s going on?”

  “I have no idea. Come on,” he said grasping her hand firmly and making his way through to the front of the commotion.

  The sight of his mother and father sitting beside Aiden took a heavy weight off of his heart. Looking for Julie and Drew next, he found them both seemingly healthy and whole.

  “Bryce, Ashley, oh thank god,” his mother said running to embrace them.

  “We’re fine. Drew, how are we?”

  “The pack lost only three.”

  “And Bane?”

  “Dead,” Aiden mumbled.

  “Dead?”

  Lars stepped forward to address Bryce. “Bryce, Aiden killed Bane.”

  “Warren Bane?”

  “Yes.”

  “The Alpha?” Ashley asked to make sure.”

  “Yes.”

  “And Jack?” Jack was the only other Bane male left.

  “He took off. Ran like a coward. As soon as Aiden took the Alpha down, the others stopped fighting.”

  “So that means...”

  Drew finished the sentence that Bryce began by announcing it loud and clear to the others packed into the room. “That means that Aiden Woodland is the new Bane Pack Alpha.”

  The news spread quickly. Aiden was Alpha. According to pack law, he had taken on an Alpha in a fight to the death and won. Whether he intended to be Alpha didn’t matter.

  “Always trying to one up me, aren’t you?” Bryce teased.

  “Right, that was the plan all along… Bryce, I don’t know a thing about being Alpha.”

  “Aiden, you have the support of the Reiner and Cheveyo packs. You can do this.”

  “But it’s such a mess.”

  “So clean it up. After all, you are the Alpha now. What you say goes.”

  “I guess you’re right.”

  “At least you know the women will love you.”

  “Women always love me, Bryce.” A smirk crept across Aiden’s face.

  “Not what I meant. Although I’m sure you are right. I meant all you have to do is tell them things will change. Demand that the males treat their women with respect or force them to leave.”

  “I can do that,” Aiden said with conviction.

  “My brother, the Alpha,” Bryce dipped his head to Aiden with a smirk.

  “You are Alpha as well.” Drew interrupted.

  “Bryce looked at Drew with question in his eyes.

  “Bryce, I think it’s time. I am too old for this kind of excitement. I have no doubt you are ready. Julie and I have discussed it. I think it’s time I stepped down.”

  “Drew?”

  “Before you answer, hear me out. You are young and much stronger than you give yourself credit for. You not only took over the pack in my absence, you thought of the pack first. You rushed here to assure we were all fine. I’m old, and, to tell you the truth, I’m tired. With Ashley by your side I have no doubt you will do right by our people.”

  “Lars?” Bryce heard his mother’s protest and turned to his parents.

  “Jane, they are grown. Bryce is mated. You saw Aiden take charge. Our sons were born to be Alpha.”

  “They are so young.”

  “I know dea,r I know,” Lars said holding Jane as she trembled.

  Bryce approached his parents. “Mom, I know you will worry, but, tell me, is a few years going to make the difference. Will you all of a sudden not worry if I’m older?”

  “I’ll always worry, Bryce… Aiden.”

  “We know and we appreciate it. Drew I would be honored to follow your lead,” Bryce said taking Ashley’s hand. Feeling his mate’s firm grip only strengthened his resolve.

  19

  Bryce stood alongside his brother as they faced the mass of weres that had come out to see the official ceremony. Aiden taking the Bane pack as Alpha and Bryce as Alpha of the Reiner pack. The double ceremony had drawn a record crowd.

  Half the Cheveyo pack was in attendance, as well, to show support for the change in leadership of both packs.

  Aiden addressed the Bane weres like a pro. He may have not been training to take an Alpha roll but he was a natural. The Bane weres bowed in response to his firm command. For the first time in Bane history the women of the pack were also in attendance. It was a new day for the Bane pack.

  Bryce followe
d noting Drew’s service and his intention to continue in his path. The formal introduction of Ashley as his mate met with cheers of approval.

  Royal Cheveyo was in attendance to officiate on behalf of the council. Maverick’s presence as the Alpha of the largest pack in the Americas stressed the familial connection between the three packs.

  “I don’t envy you,” Bryce said to Aiden as they left the podium to join the celebration.

  “Meaning?”

  “Meaning the Bane Pack, although small, is damaged. Feel free to ask for assistance.”

  “I will.”

  “Are you leaving right after the ceremony?”

  “Yes. I have a few things to get in order. The sooner I start, the sooner they will see I mean business. Brianna has agreed to help me with information on what the women might need to move forward. I’ll be back next month for Lexi and Gage’s mating ceremony.”

  “It’s about time.” Bryce laughed. “Mom insisted we have their ceremony first since they were mated first. At this rate, I thought I’d have to bring my kids to my mating ceremony.”

  “Are you saying Ashley’s pregnant?’

  “No. at least not yet, but, trust me, I’m trying,” Bryce laughed.

  “She perfect for you brother. You’re a lucky man.”

  “Don’t I know it? So what about you? Now that you’re an Alpha, are you going to find yourself a mate?”

  “No, if there is a mate out there for me, she’ll have to find me. I’m a little busy right now,” Aiden joked.

  ‘Too busy to entertain females. Wow, that is busy.”

  “I didn’t say anything about not entertaining, Bryce.” Aiden grinned.

  “Someday brother. You watch it. I tell you finding a mate is life changing in a good way.”

  “I’ll take your word for that for now. Let’s go find that mate of yours and get something to eat. Those Cheveyos were hovering around the buffet, and I know they can eat. I’ve seen Lexi’s mate eat three times what she does and that’s saying something.

  Bryce made his way over to where Ashley was sitting with her friend Brianna. “Alpha,” Brianna said dipping her head.