Avery’s smile widened. “Between the two Packs, they’re going to have like forty close family members making sure they’re safe. I like that.”
Parker turned to them, a smile on his face, as well. “And don’t forget, this child will one day be Alpha. So he or she is going to want to take care of everyone else, as well.”
Brandon laughed. “I can’t wait to see Gideon holding a squalling baby Alpha.” He froze, a tiny new bond wrapping around his heart. He sucked in a breath as he recognized who this new thread belonged to. When he turned to those in his Pack that held similar connections to his Omega ones, smiles broke out on their faces.
“You won’t have to wait long,” Walker said as he entered the room. “Gideon and Brie are holding their new child now, but soon, they’ll bring our one-day Heir and Alpha out to be introduced.”
“Don’t keep us waiting,” Jasper, Brie’s father, said with a grin. “My mate is in there with them and won’t tell me a thing.”
Walker winked. “I think Gideon and Brie should be the ones to tell you.” He looked at Mitchell, Brandon, Ryder, and Kameron and snorted. “Though some of you already know.”
“Well, damn it,” Max grumbled with a laugh. “These are the days I wish I had a special power like you guys.”
“Tell me about it,” Brynn said with a smirk.
Walker moved out of the way as Gideon strode inside, a tiny bundle wrapped in a pale, dove grey blanket in his arms.
“I wanted Brie out here with me,” Gideon said softly, his gaze on his child. “But she and her mother are getting her comfortable and she didn’t want me to wait to introduce you to your new Pack member.”
He looked up, his wolf in his eyes, along with tears. “Everyone, meet Fallon, our daughter.”
The room went silent for a bare moment before they rushed forward as one to greet their new one-day Heir and Alpha.
Fallon.
A daughter.
One day, a woman would rule the Talons, and Brandon thought it was about damned time.
LASTING
McMaster did not like to be kept waiting. He’d waited ten years after learning of the shifters’ existence, only to have Montag act too rashly and almost derail his entire plan. He’d spent countless hours researching how Packs worked and how he could use the knowledge to his advantage.
Finally, finally, after all his long years of painful waiting, he was almost at the pinnacle of his plans. He would use the anger and fear of the people to catapult him into the presidency and the history books forever. That was what he wanted.
Power.
Legacy.
And the wolves would be the ones to give it to him.
But the people were faltering. They were taking far too long to get on board with his plan. They were starting to see the wolves as people. As humans who could have children and jobs and do everything normal people could do but who also happened to shift into an animal; a beast the public apparently thought the wolves could control.
The hate groups were backing away from attacking the dens straight on because the wolves fought back. And since they had claws and teeth, they could win. McMaster didn’t understand how people were suddenly okay with these abominations.
The government, as always, was working at a snail’s pace to put forth the legislation that would aid McMaster. And because of all of this, he was starting to lose ground in the polls.
The current President might just beat him after doing nothing to protect the people of this great nation from the hordes of wolves that could kill them with one blink.
McMaster let out a breath. His first splinter cell outside of Montag had been killed too easily. He hadn’t sent enough men from his mercenary payroll, and now they were dead, and McMaster needed more ammunition. More momentum.
It seemed he might have to actually do something himself this time to ensure that his plan actually worked. He might be putting more into this last battle than he’d originally planned on, but soon, it wouldn’t matter.
Soon, the Talons would be dead, and McMaster would be there to pick up the pieces and show the world that he was the only one who could lead them through this horror.
Soon, the world would see.
Soon.
MITCHELL
Mitchell refused to show weakness to those who could still be his enemy, but today, he didn’t have a choice. Even though he was a shifter and could heal faster than humans and survive injuries others could not, he was still limping after the shot that had hit his femoral artery.
Apparently, his injury had been worse than they’d thought, and he was lucky to be alive. And since Walker couldn’t fully Heal him thanks to whatever had gone wrong with the wound, Mitchell would be limping for a bit longer yet. He just hoped it wasn’t permanent. Because while he might still have the same strength he did before and could still fight in a battle, he couldn’t let the other Packs know that the Talon Pack Beta had been injured.
He let out a breath, ignoring the ache in his leg that echoed through the hollowness in his chest and made his way to the lone sentry at the Central’s den. Though they weren’t a full Pack yet as they hadn’t been blessed by the moon goddess with an Alpha or any of the other hierarchy members, they had wards and children to protect, so it made sense that they would at least have a sentry.
From the look of him, however, Mitchell had a feeling this man needed much more training to be of any use.
Many of the Central members who had hidden their young all those years ago had left to find full Packs to join. Not many Packs would take them in unless they had young, and no one had come to the Talons for aid. Considering the Talon’s former Alpha, Mitchell didn’t blame them.
But Mitchell had a feeling if these wolves weren’t blessed by the moon goddess soon, all of them would have to leave for other Packs. He wasn’t sure why they hadn’t yet, but there had to be a reason.
And that reason was the motivation for him being there now. That and to ensure they were ready for what might come soon. They were located close enough to the Talon den that if another battle broke out, they might get caught in the crossfire. Gideon didn’t want these people to die because they weren’t strong enough yet and couldn’t fight for themselves. Only Mitchell didn’t know what they were going to do next for their own Pack, let alone these other wolves with no home of their own.
The sentry gave him one look and let him slide through the weakening wards. He shook his head, holding back a curse. Hell, the Talon wards were getting closer and closer to failing, and yet they were still far stronger than these. He knew that if McMaster and the others were aware of the Centrals, these wolves would be slaughtered in a matter of moments.
His wolf growled, needing to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves.
The man almost wondered why it would matter.
He hadn’t been able to protect her in the end.
How could he protect anyone else?
DAWN
Dawn watched as the man strode into the Central’s den, his chin held high. If it weren’t for the minuscule limp she spotted, she’d have thought him an invincible force. The fact that he seemed hurt made her feel a little less on the defensive about his presence.
She was a wolf with no Pack, just a den with a name that had once caused the deaths of hundreds before she’d been born. And yet this man had come to them just now, and she didn’t know why.
Was he there to kill them after all this time?
Or was he there to help them?
No one had helped them for so long, and Dawn knew it was her Packs’ penance. They helped themselves, their weak and submissive wolves the majority as they didn’t have many—if any—true dominants anymore.
She looked over at the man one last time, aware that he hadn’t yet glimpsed her. She didn’t know why he was here, but she knew, knew, that him being there was an omen.
Her wolf pushed at her as if scenting a danger she couldn’t. She looked around at the same time the man did and froze.
The wards pulsated around them. Once. Twice.
Before they fell.
They were open to the world, to any eye that wanted to glimpse them. No amount of magic would save them.
The wards had fallen.
And from the look of horror on the man’s face, it wasn’t just her wards.
All the wards had fallen.
All of them.
Chapter Nineteen
Avery let out a scream as the wards fell around them. Whatever bonds connected the Pack to the wards that usually protected them were ripped from within her, leaving her a tattered mess of agony.
Brandon went to his knees at her feet, and she followed him, holding him to her. Blood seeped from his nose as he coughed, trying to catch his breath, and she ran her hand down his back, at a loss for what to do. They’d been walking back from training and were only a few feet from their home, but she knew she wasn’t strong enough yet to pick him up and carry him inside on her own.
Parker ran up to them, his brother Blake by his side, shouting. “The wards fell,” he said with a growl. “And, of course, fate has decided it’s the perfect time for another fucking splinter cell to attack us.”
Blake cursed. He’d been visiting Brie that morning and had wanted to stay with Parker for a bit while the rest of the family had gone back home. “Dad texted to say the wards fell at the Redwoods, too.”
“And Mitchell said the Centrals, as well,” Parker put in as he knelt down beside the two of them. “I think Gideon is going to be hearing from more Alphas soon. This can’t just be the three Packs near here.”
Avery cupped Brandon’s face, aware that the others were speaking around her about what their next step should be, but didn’t really hear any of it, she needed to make sure her mate was okay.
“Brandon? Talk to me.” She wiped the blood that had dribbled to his chin and blinked back tears.
“I’m okay,” he said after a moment, clearing his throat. “It only hurt for that moment, but it was awful. Walker and Kameron are probably going through the same thing.”
She looked over at Blake. “Did you feel anything when the wards fell?” she asked, wondering about something.
He nodded. “But it was just a soft whoosh. Not anything like what Parker felt.” He winced. “Sorry if I wasn’t supposed to say anything about that.”
Avery pressed her lips together. The boy might be a man and about her age, but he still felt so much younger to her. She didn’t want him in whatever fight was to come, but she had a feeling there might not be a choice.
“I think you two must have taken some of the pain from me,” Brandon said as he stood on shaky legs. “Walker and Kameron don’t have mates, so they took the full brunt of it.”
“But you still feel them, right?” Parker asked, and Brandon nodded. “Then they’re alive and will be on their feet soon. We need to be out there to protect the den.”
Gideon ran to them at that moment, his wolf glowing in his eyes. “Brie and the submissives are hunkering down in the bunker.” He turned to Avery. “The maternal dominants are either with them or are going out into the field with us. It’s up to you which you want to do, but you’re fighting stronger these days and you do better when you’re with your mates.” He looked at his family, and Avery lowered her gaze, his presence so Alpha at that moment that she could barely breathe. Others gathered around them, and she gripped her mates’ hands. Blake stood behind her and put his hand on her shoulder as if he knew she needed to know all of her new family was there and okay. At least, for now.
Gideon looked around the crowd, and Avery let out a breath, not knowing how she’d come to be here, how she’d fallen for these people so quickly. Yet she knew this had been her fate. This day had been the one from her dreams, the event in her visions. She’d known this day would come where they would fight for their families and Packs, not knowing what would come after.
She’d seen the horror.
Now she had to live it.
“We know what to do,” Gideon said. “We’ve trained. Our people are strong. We are more than our claws, more than our wolves, we are everything. Fight alongside your sisters and brothers and mates and show the world that we protect what is ours. If this is the end, then we fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. Our Pack is in danger, our den threatened, and those we love need us to show those who would kill us that we are tougher, far stronger than they imagine. Fight with me, Talons. Fight for your Pack. Fight for your people. Fight for yourselves.”
Avery threw her head back at her Alpha’s words and howled, not knowing how she knew to do that with the others, but going on instinct. She wasn’t a human any longer, she was one of the Pack.
And she would fight.
As the others mobilized, their training showing, Parker cupped her face and kissed her, hard. Avery leaned into him, taking everything she could from the kiss. She loved this man, loved the other man by their side. She didn’t want to die for them, but if fate called, she would do so.
Brandon pulled her away from Parker to kiss her before kissing Parker, as well—the three of them standing in a circle as she tried to come to terms with what was happening. Less than a minute had passed, and yet everything had changed.
“Fate brought me to you,” she said suddenly. “And damn fate if she thinks she’s going to take you away from me.”
Parker kissed her hard again before moving back to grip Blake’s shoulder. “Then let’s make sure our people are safe. Fate isn’t taking any of you away from me anytime soon.”
Brandon nodded, his eyes wolf.
“Damn straight,” Blake added as Tatiana ran to their group. She’d come to speak with Gideon about something. Whatever it was wasn’t Avery’s business and, frankly, Avery was happy to see Tatiana in fighting leathers with a gun strapped to her thigh.
“I don’t have a team to fight alongside,” Tatiana said, her wolf in her eyes. It seemed this woman had a far stronger wolf than Avery had thought. “May I fight alongside you?”
“Of course.” It was Avery who answered. “Let’s do this.”
Max joined them, and the six of them gathered their weapons as they ran to where the majority of the fighting had started. Though Avery wasn’t as good as the others, her mates were, and she could be the one reloading for them if she found herself in the way. But she was a damn good shot now, and she’d protect what was hers no matter what.
When they made it to the clearing, Avery’s mouth dropped.
“There’s so many,” Tatiana whispered. “So many who hate our kind.” Blake squeezed her shoulder, and Avery gripped the other woman’s arm, feeling a solidarity that only came when one was facing death head-on.
“There are others who do not,” Brandon said softly. “But they are not here to fight by our side, so we will do what we do best and be wolves.”
Some had already shifted around them; their fighting techniques better in wolf form than human. Others were strapped with knives and guns—the idea they only needed to fight with tooth and claw long since passed in this new age of war.
Avery took in what was happening and knew not everyone would make it out alive. She knew. But she couldn’t say anything, not when that would only make it inevitable. Her visions might be of the future, but that didn’t mean they were the only future out there.
Her family could surprise her, but she needed to fight for them. So she took the safety off her gun and let out a slow breath.
“We fight.”
“We fight.”
“We fight.”
Another scream echoed off in the distance as one of the fully black-garbed unit members went down under Max’s hold. Avery fought by the man’s side, taking out the splinter cell members from far away since she was a better distance fighter than closer to the carnage.
Blake, Brandon, and Parker were only twenty feet away, going hand-to-hand with more than twice their numbers, winning, but bloodily. So many wolves fought near her against even more humans. She couldn’t qui
te believe that it had come to this.
She’d known it had to, but it still didn’t feel real.
Around them, the witches of their den used their magic to push the humans back, and the humans of their Pack either fought alongside them or were back with the children, keeping them safe. No member stood by and watched. Every single person with the Pack bonds permeating their body fought in some fashion to end the battle.
“That fucker McMaster is here,” Max said with a grunt. He punched the guy coming at Avery in the face and growled. “Always knew he was shady, but it seems he’s officially taken Montag’s place.” Max whirled around and faced Avery. “Shit. I forgot.”
Avery shot the man coming at Max’s back. “Forget it. My father was a sadistic bastard that killed anyone in his way. I’m glad he’s dead.” She shot another person coming at her before having to reload. “And McMaster isn’t any better. He’s staying out of sight of the cameras that are inevitably watching, but he won’t be hidden for long.”
Tatiana yelled as she took out another mercenary and came to Avery’s side for more ammo. “He is a fekking loser who only uses his power for evil. The world will see him for who he is.”
Avery laughed at the woman’s surprising words then screamed as Tatiana’s eyes widened. A circle of blood appeared on the other woman’s chest, and blood sprayed over Avery’s face as Tatiana fell to her knees.
“Fuck!” Max fell beside her and tried to stop the bleeding, but it was no use. A wolf could survive many things but a bullet wound directly to the heart was fatal no matter the strength of the person.
Tatiana was dead. The woman who had left the safety of her den to fight for others had died at the hands of a coward with a long-range rifle.
“Sniper!” Avery choked out. “Get down!”
There hadn’t been a sniper yet as it had been hard for the humans to find a position, but, apparently, they’d finally found one. Now, no one would be safe. There might not be a tank like last time, but her people were falling faster and faster.
Fractured Silence (Talon Pack Book 5) Page 18
