by Lori King
“Javier, I didn’t mean to—” Mateo started, his face pale, and his hand shaking.
“Pathetic. Even when you attempt to do something right, you fuck it up,” Rolando taunted. “Exactly what I would have expected from Erock’s son. You’re just like Erock and Barton. You can’t handle the tough decisions and get shit done when it’s necessary. Always too afraid of who might retaliate. Well I’m not. I welcome retaliation. Let’s start this battle so that I can enjoy ripping out someone’s throat.”
Everyone looked at him in morbid fascination and utter disgust. Here was a man who was willing to sentence his children to die out of some sort of twisted power trip. It was sad and infuriating all at once.
“Rolando Asis!” The melodic voice commanded attention even as it soothed the tempers of the agitated wolves who were making room for the petite woman.
Delaky made her way to the center of the group to face off with Rolando, and Cadence stared at her in wonder. The pale beauty had become more ethereal with her temper. Her hair, which normally hung in long straight locks almost to her knees, was wildly rippling around her, as if controlled by a wind that no one else could feel or see. Her pale cheeks were stained pink, and her tiny hands were balled into fists as she confronted Rolando. “You are not Alpha here. As of this moment I strip you of all rights and privileges of the wolf. Should you somehow survive this battle you will no longer be welcome by your people. Heart and wolf are to be separate beings, and you will wander evermore as a rogue until you die of your own poisonous tongue.”
Rolando flinched under the power of whatever magic encompassed Delaky. There was no mistaking the energy that flowed off of her petite frame in waves. In front of their eyes the wicked man swayed and then took a staggered step before dropping to his knees. His body partially shifted and he let out a howl of pain as his wolf was forced to the surface. Once he was completely shifted, his wolf cowered and dropped to the ground on its belly.
It felt like Cadence was watching a movie as Delaky reached out and grasped something diaphanous out of the air just above Rolando’s fur and yanked it away from him. The sound of pain that his beast let out called to Cadence’s wolf, begging for him to come forward and fight on his behalf. Looking around, he could see similar looks of shock and confusion on the faces around him, and he instinctively moved closer to Whitney and Mateo. Mimicking his cousin, the two men held her between them as Delaky tossed the gauzy cloud of mist she held in her hand up into the air, and it disappeared. She muttered a few words under her breath and then turned to face the three of them.
Addressing Cadence and Mateo, she spoke in her peculiarly sweet voice. “The son of the moon, and the heart of the bear. Two have formed a perfect bond with her now. Don’t let these trials corrupt your progress. I have lifted his human spirit to the souls of the past, and he will never again walk on two legs. The battlefield has been prepared, and the path is written in the earth. It isn’t failure to accept your future and let go of your history. The earth welcomes new life and so will your mate.”
She reached for Whitney’s face and lovingly caressed it. “My daughter I have watched you grow into a strong wolf. Accept your place, and let go of your betrayal. You carry the next line of wolves, and with you the strength of the moon and the bear will breed a new generation of loyalty.”
Dropping her hands, Delaky glanced at Alastair with an angelic smile, and he tipped his head in acknowledgment. They seemed to share a silent connection for just a brief moment, and Cadence wondered at the history that the sage and the elder shared. Without another word, Delaky quietly walked the path back into the trees, disappearing from sight.
* * * *
Mateo leapt to catch Whitney when her knees gave out from under her. His eyes lifted to meet Cadence’s astonished gaze. What in the world had just happened, exactly? And what did it mean for them as a triad and for their pack?
“Did she just…” Cadence questioned before he moved to embrace his mate, too. Together they wrapped their arms around her as the jolt of what Delaky had said, set in.
“I’m pregnant? But that’s not possible. We just mated two days ago, or was it three? How could she possibly know?” Whitney’s eyes were the size of dinner plates as she clung to the two of them.
“Shhh, flower. If you are it would be wonderful,” Cadence said, staring across her head at Mateo. It was like they shared one brain as they smiled and encouraged her, and Mateo could feel everyone’s eyes on them as they all dealt with their news. He was thrilled at the idea of Whitney carrying their child, but at the same time they were preparing for the biggest changes of their lives, and a lot was still unknown.
“Cadence, I’ve got her. She just needs a few minutes to think. You handle the business at hand,” he told his cousin, trying not to let his own anxiety and excitement over the news fluster him. Unlike the butterflies currently swarming in his stomach and the ripples of nerves under his skin, Cadence looked cool as a cucumber. Hell, he looked over the moon about the pregnancy.
Thankfully, his cousin nodded his agreement. “You’re right. I have to finish this, and then we’ll go back to your cabin and celebrate.”
Whitney rose up on her toes and kissed him deeply. “Whatever happens, I love you, wolf-man.”
“I love you, too, little flower.
Rolando and Javier had been led to the designated area for the fight. A sturdy looking temporary fence had been put up to protect the onlookers from the contenders, and waiting patiently opposite father and son, were Liam and Chance.
Mateo and Whitney watched as Cadence joined the two men. It was three against two, and Javier was severely injured. Rolando had been stripped of his humanity so he was in a weakened state as well. It wasn’t a fair fight, but it wasn’t meant to be either.
He wondered at the lack of concern he had for the men whose blood he shared, but when he heard Cadence’s voice in his head, he grinned.
How many bones would you like me to break before I put him out of his misery, cousin?
At least two. One for my father, and one for my mother.
And half a dozen more for Serena, Tawny, and the other women we weren’t able to protect.
You got it.
Deal. You just take care of our mate. She shouldn’t be worked up in her state.
Whitney’s sweet voice echoed through his head, interrupting their vicious conversation. My state? What do you mean my state, Cadence Diego? Just because I might or might not be pregnant doesn’t mean that I’m weak. I’ll prove it when you’re done.
There’s the flower that I love.
Mateo snorted with laughter at their antics. Sure, he saw through the ruse, but knowing that the two of them were trying to help each other relax when both of them had so many reasons to be anxious made him love them more. Cadence might not be his cousin, but he was the brother of his heart, and he was proud to be sharing a mate with him. There was no other person in the world who understood him better.
Devin and Alastair conferred for a moment more and then gave the signal so that the men shifted into their wolf forms. Within moments, Cadence took the lead as Mateo had expected, hurling himself in Rolando’s direction. It was a blur of fur for a few moments. The only distinction between them was coloring. Cadence’s solid black wolf easily took control of Rolando’s weaker, tarnished steel colored frame.
The sound of Javier’s warning growl echoed just before he leapt onto Cadence’s back. He attempted to sink his teeth into the black wolf, but a shot of burnished red fur knocked him loose, and Chance and Javier rolled across the dirt, snapping and snarling. The distraction was enough for Rolando to regroup, and he slipped away from Cadence, backing up into Liam, who was waiting for him.
Liam’s silver wolf had an almost iridescent shimmer under the early morning sun, and it flashed as he fought his way in between Cadence and Rolando. Two separate fights were raging, but only one side was winning.
The sharp whine of a dying wolf drew everyone’s attention to Javier
and Chance. Javier’s rib cage rose and fell sharply for only a moment longer and then Chance suddenly stopped fighting. He let out a mournful howl as his opponent died and then dropped to the dirt beside him, panting heavily as he recovered his energy.
Mateo felt Whitney tense in his arms as everyone turned their attention back to the other battle. The other three wolves hadn’t noticed yet that the fighting had ended nearby. They continued to bite and claw at each other, but Rolando’s body was weakening rapidly. One of his back legs hung at an awkward angle, and he had a gaping wound in his side just above his right hip.
Liam’s ear hung by a tenuous bit of skin, and Cadence’s fur was matted with blood, but the two weren’t slacking. As if in unison they moved forward and forced Rolando to his back, baring his throat and belly. Cadence didn’t waste time, but he didn’t make a scene either. He simply bit into Rolando and ended the battle in the blink of an eye. It was almost unworthy of the drama the way it ended, but Mateo was glad it was finally over.
Dropping back onto his haunches, Cadence let out a raw howl for the dead wolf, which Liam and Chance echoed. When the wails finally quieted, there was utter silence for several moments. Finally, Alastair signaled Silas and Martin, who were waiting at the gate, and the two men went to the downed wolves to confirm that they were dead. When both deaths were assured, the crowd let out a small cheer that lacked any sort of joy.
How could anyone be cheerful watching someone die? As much as this fight was necessary and justified, it was still bloody and painful to watch. Whitney tugged at his arm as she hurried to meet Cadence at the gate. His cousin was covered in dirt, blood, and slobber, and Mateo could see he was limping on one paw gingerly.
What’s the damage? he asked as Whitney dropped to her knees beside her mate to inspect his fur for injuries.
Not too bad. A few bites and a twisted knee I think. I’ll heal shortly.
Thank you, cousin, for doing what I couldn’t.
Cadence lifted his head from Whitney’s shoulder, and his dark-brown eyes met Mateo’s as he spoke in his head. Thank me by taking Whitney back to the house while I clean up. My wolf can’t stand smelling Rolando’s blood on her skin, and the more she touches me the worse it gets.
Mateo nodded, and Whitney stood with a small smile. “We’ll be waiting for you. You did promise me that we would celebrate when this was all over.”
Taking her hand, Mateo led her away from his past and forward to their future. No matter what happened from this day on he knew that he would be all right. The sordid details of his family history would dry up and blow away with the dust on the breeze once Rolando and Javier’s bodies were buried. It was finally over.
* * * *
By the time Cadence had cleaned up and returned to her cabin, she and Mateo were more than ready to celebrate. The three of them made love several times before falling asleep in her bed, rising only when a soft knock at her front door startled them all awake.
“I’ll get it, flower. You go back to sleep,” Cadence said, kissing her nose and leaving the cocoon of love they had been ensconced in for the last several hours. He tugged on a pair of jeans and disappeared into the living room.
Mateo pressed his face to the curve of her throat and inhaled deeply. “Mmm, you smell like sex.”
She giggled back. “I’m not surprised. That’s all we’ve done most of the day. I’m going to have to get up, though.”
“Why?” he growled back.
“Because if we’re going to leave for Chicago this weekend, I have my work cut out for me on that photography job. I signed a contract, Mat. I have to do the job.”
He sighed. “I know. I just thought we might be able to waste one whole day in bed.”
“When we get to Chicago, we’ll make sure that we do.” She lifted her head when a familiar voice wafted through the bedroom door. “Daddy?”
Shooting out of the bed, she jerked her clothes on as quickly as possible, not even bothering with underwear before she headed in to see Henley. He smiled when he spotted her and held his arms out for a hug.
“Hey, sweetheart. I just came by to check on your man here and to congratulate him. I’m sorry I interrupted your celebration,” Henley said. His blue-gray eyes sparkled with laughter when she flushed at the reminder that she and her house probably smelled like sex.
“You didn’t, Mr. Gray. You’re always welcome,” Cadence answered, smiling warmly at her father.
Henley snorted. “You might as well drop the Mr. Gray business. My name is Henley to you. And I can promise you that back when Victoria and I were newly mated, I didn’t welcome any sort of interruption when we were, uh, celebrating.”
They all laughed as Mateo joined them. “Is everything okay, Henley?” Mateo asked, standing shoulder to shoulder with Cadence across from her and her father.
Her heart lurched at the sight of her two mates. Did they know how impossibly sexy they were with tousled bed hair and bare chests? Probably not, but if the flaring of their nostrils and darkening of their eyes were any indication, they knew how much she liked the view.
Henley rolled his eyes. “Everything is perfect. Tawny is awake and mostly healed physically. She’s been really quiet, and the only one I know of that she’s talked to is Chance. We’ve cleaned up and wrapped both wolves. Alastair insisted that the pack would want all three bodies back for burial in Chicago.” Cadence nodded, but his expression didn’t change. “We’ve also spoken to Rafe and Ryley, and they are on the road headed this way. They will be here early in the morning. Possibly before sunrise.”
“Good. Did Caroline and Tina find everything they needed for the surgery?” Cadence asked.
“I think so, but it doesn’t sound like Tasha has much of a chance either way after talking to Rafe. By the way, KJ has mated with both Thomas and the Kaplan wolf, Bryson. So I guess there will be another mating to celebrate,” Henley said, shaking his head.
“What is it with you Gray wolves? All of you need more than one mate to handle you?” Mateo asked with a devilish smile on his face as Whitney reached over and slapped his shoulder.
“I’m going to take a shower and then go up to Devin’s to see Tawny,” Whitney said.
“She’s not at Devin’s now. She went back to her house with Chance about half an hour ago,” Henley said, and Whitney’s stomach dropped.
“What? She went back to her house? Already?”
Henley nodded. “Yeah, I think she felt like the sooner she faced it the better. I don’t know. I can’t imagine being in her shoes and having to go back to the scene of the crime.”
Whitney gave her dad one last quick hug and then headed for the shower. “We’ll come to your place for dinner tonight, Daddy, but right now I need to see Tawny.”
Henley’s laughter followed her through the house, and as she climbed into the shower, she heard the front door open and close as he left. She was washed and dried in no time, but Cadence and Mateo were waiting for her when she came out.
“What?”
“We’re going with you,” Mateo said.
She shook her head. “No, you two are going to shower and clean up and then join your pack mates to plan how we’re going to move all of both mine and Tawny’s stuff to Chicago.”
“I don’t want you to be alone,” Cadence argued.
Her head ached and she rubbed at her temple. “Look, I know you guys are protective, and most of the time that’s so ridiculously hot you have no idea…” She had to shake herself to regain her focus. “But right now, my best friend needs me, and I have a job to do. I know it’s your job to protect your pack, but this is my home. The Gray pack is still my family even if I’m a Diego now. Besides, even when we get to Chicago you won’t be able to trail me twenty-four-seven. You have to trust me to take care of myself, too.”
Cadence growled. “After what happened with Tawny—”
“Reyes is dead!” she yelled. “You can’t possibly expect me to stop living because that freak attacked her. How will I ever
get any work done?”
“You don’t need to work. You have Mateo and I and we’ll take care of you.”
Anger rose in her and her wolf snarled at him. “Take care of me? I’m a grown woman, Cadence Diego. I don’t need anyone to take care of me. Not even you! I will work, because I love what I do, and I will not be asking your permission to do so, got it?”
“As the Alpha-Bitch it’s your obligation—”
Mateo growled. “Cadence, stop, before you make this worse. Whitney, we want to protect you, that’s all. We’re going to be over cautious for a while. Please understand it’s not because we doubt your ability to handle yourself, but it’s because we love you and the baby you might be carrying. I know how important your job is to you, and Cadence does, too, even if he’s too hardheaded to admit it right now.”
Whitney stared at him as she absorbed his words. He was right. Cadence had every reason to be overprotective right now, but it definitely chafed her wolf. “If I’m pregnant I’m not quitting my job.”
Before Cadence could speak, Mateo put a hand on his chest and said, “Of course. If that’s what you want.”
She nodded and after another moment, Cadence nodded, too. “I will try not to be so quick tempered about you being overprotective.”
Mateo’s sigh of relief was followed by another nod from Cadence. “I’ll try to back off some.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “All right, a lot, but you keep your phone on you at all times so that I can check on you.”
