by A. Vers
“What?”
“I left it with Caine.”
She pulls her phone from the center console and dials my number before putting it on speaker. The line clicks.
“Caine?” I bark.
“Cat? What’s wrong?”
“Nisha and I are being tailed by an asshole in an SUV.”
Silence then, “Where?”
“Almost to Silver Rock.”
“Why are you going there? Come here.”
“Not enough room,” I say fast. “Get to pack land. I need the back-up.”
“What about Ruin and Lilah?”
“They still at the hospital?”
“They were relieving Horan.”
“Gage with you?”
“Yes.”
“Then bring him too,” I say.
“Give me five, cat.” The line clicks.
I don’t bother with a directional as I slip off the old road and out onto the dirt expanse before Silver Rock. The SUV speeds up, a single figure in the front seat grows to a dark outline in the mirror. But even with my enhanced sight that’s all I can make out.
At the old posts, I whip the wheel right and barrel down the drive.
The noise alone will be enough to draw out any of the pack that may be around. And I know someone will be.
Sliding in sideways feet inside the entrance, I slam on the brakes and urge Nisha out of the car. She slips from the seat and I clamor over the center console after her. Grabbing her hand, I haul her over the lot toward the rec hall.
The SUV bumps up the drive and plows right into the driver’s side door, pushing it across the loose stone with a scream of metal on metal.
I grab Nisha and turn, shielding her body with mine as metal crunches and glass sprays.
Silence descends past the roaring in my ears. My head whips over.
The cars smoke but there is no other movement.
In the distance, I am vaguely aware of several shapes pouring from the rec hall and the cabins. There is a familiar shock of dark hair among them.
Callus runs up the drive, his eyes gold and his teeth long. “What the fuck happened?” he demands.
“The fucker tried to take us off the road,” I say back. “I needed room to get us out.”
His arms cord, but he nods. “Pack.”
The shifters span out, circling the vehicle and boxing whoever is inside in place. I start to pull away from Nisha, to ask her to stay. But her hands grip my arm, holding fast.
My eyes track over her pale face. I hold my free hand out to her and we walk slowly toward the cars, fingers interlocked.
Callus is tight on my other side, his claws already out and his expression feral. At the side of the car, the pack waits in a guarding formation Anything tries to run and they will be on them.
Ebony and her thetas are among those present, and with a glance from me, she grips the driver’s side door. I nod.
The whole gods-damn panel comes off in her hand and she slings it across the lot.
A dark haired man is slumped over the steering wheel, his forehead bleeding and his eyes closed.
“Eb?”
She leans down and inhales. “It’s the fucking human from the woods.”
That sense of unease in my gut grows. “Get him out.”
Her thetas reach in and haul the man out onto the stone. He comes to, his eyes opening and his body jerking.
The dark abyss of his gaze is creepy. Frozen. He snarls and twists in their hold.
Ebony’s hand flies out like an extension of my body, wrapping those long, dark fingers around his windpipe and squeezing. I want it to be my hand around his fucking throat, but hers works too.
I urge Nisha next to Callus and stalk to the human male. “Who the fuck are you?”
His teeth bare. “Go to hell, cat.”
Hellfire fills my nose and a burst of red light flashes behind the cars. “That is my line.” Caine’s voice rips through the air as he and Gage walk toward us.
The demon crowds my spine, eyeing the human in disgust. “You?”
Another snarl is his only answer.
“Alpha, do you have somewhere for us to work?” Gage asks from my other side.
“I’m sure we can make a place,” Callus calls, his voice hard. Deadly.
The man looks angrily between us.
I smile and know it is all tooth. “Good.”
The thetas tighten their hold on the man and Ebony slips behind him, her long black claws resting over the pale column of his throat as we march him bodily down the drive.
Chapter 48
Nisha
Callus offers me a cup of hot tea. I take the coffee mug in my hands and blow on the scalding liquid before taking a small sip. Warmth and sweet peppermint flows to me, easing some of the shaking. “Thanks.”
He nods and leans back against his desk. “I’d offer T one …” He falls silent and glances at me.
My insides ripple. “It’s okay.”
And it is. I know Tanner is doing whatever he has to in order to get answers.
There was something so damn deadly in him earlier. He wanted the man’s throat, I could see it. Practically feel it. The violence of it should scare me. But the man tried to hurt him. Tried to hurt me. Caine. Daisy.
As savage as it is, I’m good with whatever Tanner has to do.
The Alpha’s mouth tightens perceptively but he doesn’t speak for several long moments. “You shifted.”
I peer at him in surprise. “How can you tell?”
“Most new shifters smell more strongly of their beast after the first few changes,” he says mildly. “Cat?”
“Jaguar.”
His head inclines. “Strong animal. Fierce.”
My face heats. “Thanks.”
“He took you.”
My eyes raise and I stare into Callus’ golden irises. No need to ask who. Tanner’s scent is still all over me. “Yes,” I say simply.
Another brief nod. “Regardless, Silver Rock is still open to you. If you ever want to join.”
For the longest time, I can only stare at him. “Can Tanner be my plus one?”
Callus snorts. “Tanner will always have guest status simply for helping Daisy.” His expression turns almost soft. Gentle. “I can never repay him for that. Though I will never tell him.”
My lips curve. “We may take you up on that,” I say and am surprised by how much I mean it.
Tanner is my pack. As odd as that sounds, there is a rightness to the thought. A truth to it. But Silver Rock is special to me too. And I will never say no to running here.
There is a soft knock on the door. As though we summoned him, Tanner opens the panel and peers inside. His face is grim, his eyes dark. “Callus.”
The Alpha rises slowly from his perch on the side of his desk. “Problem?”
Tanner glances at me and steps into the room before carefully closing the door. Trepidation builds in my stomach until even the smell of the tea makes me nauseous.
“The human was working with a member of the pack.”
Callus goes rigid. “What?”
“They were undercutting your authority. Wanted to weaken your hold on Silver Rock.”
I glance between them. Both men are silent for so long, I am sure my heartbeat is the only thing that fills the quiet.
“Who?” Callus finally asks and there is such desolation in that one word. Such grief.
Tanner’s face twists and the sick feeling grows.
***
The room is quiet, and Tanner’s hand in mine is hot. Burning with his anger. His pain.
Across from us, Caine, Gage, and Callus stand in silence. But my eyes keep going to the Alpha. To the hard set of his shoulders and the tight line of his jaw.
There is no way to make this better. To make this easier on any of them.
I lean my head on Tanner’s shoulder and squeeze his hand. Anything to let him know I am still here. That I’m not going anywhere. Even with all of this.
The panel opens.
Daisy shuffles inside, Ruin, Lilah, and Horan at her back.
“You have no idea how fucking glad I am to be out of the damn hospital,” she says, peering around.
Ruin and Horan step into the doorway behind her, effectively blocking it as Lilah shifts over next to Caine in front of the window.
Daisy’s bright smile begins to fade. “Everything okay?”
Callus presses from the wall, his face tight.
Tanner releases me and grips his arm. The Alpha goes rigid but doesn’t pull away. T looks at her. “Where did you get the Brightex, D?”
Daisy’s lips part. “What?” she demands. “What are you—”
Callus rips from Tanner’s hold and grabs her by the throat. He snarls and there is nothing human left in his face. “You endangered the fucking pack by bringing that shit here. Where did you fucking get it?”
Silence descends, long and palpable.
Slowly, so slowly, the expression of disbelief on Daisy’s face morphs into a sneer. “Go fuck yourself, Alpha.”
My jaw drops.
Tanner lays a hand on his arm. Callus’ fingers tighten, and then he drops her to her feet and steps back. “Why, Daisy? Why would you fucking do this?” Every word seems ripped from him.
She snarls. “Because of you, you prick.” Her emerald eyes flash and she glares at Tanner. “And because of him.”
T takes a step back. “What? I haven’t even been around.”
Her face twists further. “Fucking exactly,” she snaps. “You fucking left and the pack got him.” She points at Callus. “Within two years, he ran everyone out that was loyal to you. That was strong enough to challenge his place as Alpha.”
Callus stiffens. “I never ran them off. They fucking left. Of their own free will.”
“The Twins, Callus? Mark? Raymond? They all leave on their own?” Her teeth gnash. “One full moon they were here, the next they were gone.”
“You ran off every fucking body in the pack with your new laws. Your new rules,” she spits. “You turned the fucking pack into a damn human sideshow act. We grew weaker. Hell, among other fucking packs we are almost human. And I know because I’ve gone to other packs and looked.”
Her agitation grows. “We were meant for more than this. But once you got a taste of that damn power, you started hoarding it for yourself. Now the pack gets scraps when you please. The only way we get more is if we fuck you and garner your favor.”
Callus’ face turns red, but Tanner slams his arm across his chest, stopping the Alpha’s retort or his rapid forward momentum.
Tanner leans closer to Daisy. “Where did you get the Brightex?”
Her lips twist. “You going to hurt me to find out, T?” His eyes flash silver and she gives him a saucy grin. Anger roils through me. “Come on, T. Do it. I bet you can’t.” His hand flexes. “You fucking ran away too, you fucking coward. You fucking left us because you’re a weak ass piece of shit.” She lunges.
His entire face closes off and my vision goes red.
Dark mist encompasses my form and there is no stopping the beast.
I leap across the room and bowl into Daisy, taking her to the ground as a steady growl trickles from my lips. She curls inward. I lunge and sink my teeth into the skin between her neck and shoulder. She screams.
Her hot blood rolls over my tongue and my growl intensifies.
“Nisha.” Tanner’s voice is threaded with that familiar echo. It rolls through me. “Kitten. Don’t.”
My teeth tighten. Daisy cries out.
Strong hands run through my fur, the touch gentle but firm. “Kitten. I know. But let her go.” Tanner’s voice is closer now, vibrating through me as he eases his hands up closer to my head. Every damn touch soothes the beast.
Tempers it. Just a little.
We arch and the growl fades to a deep purr.
“Let her go,” he rumbles. His fingers slip along my mouth and his flavor coats my tongue over Daisy’s blood. The combination makes me jolt back. I release Daisy fast.
Padding backward slowly, I leave Daisy huddled on the floor as my head tucks low. Waiting for an admonishment. Ebony and shockingly Rosa haul Daisy to her feet as Callus slips thick shackles over her wrists with a final click.
But my eyes are all for the man before me.
Tanner tracks me with his gaze. Crouched down, he still towers over me. So strong. So powerful. I shiver.
“Come here.” The command rips through me.
I step forward, alighting one paw in front of the other.
He waits until I am inches in front of him before his massive body curls around me. Even outside of beast form his heat is unbelievable. It washes through me until my body shakes and my eyes flutter. His strong hands grip my face.
“Change back.”
The mist swirls around me and with his hold on my skin, its hard to focus on the pain as my bones snap and shift. Within seconds, I am nude and pressed to his front.
He shrugs off his shirt and pulls it over my head before crushing me back to him. I wait for the sharp words. The anger.
But there is a fine tremble to his body that I have never felt. “You are the strongest, sexiest fucking creature I have ever met,” he breathes into my ear. He pulls back, his silver eyes luminous and stark. “But if you ever scare me like that again, I will chain you to my fucking bed and keep you there.”
My lips curve.
Holding me tight to his frame, he climbs to his feet, tugging me up with him.
“Let me go,” Daisy rails, pulling uselessly at her cuffs.
Ebony leans into her face and the woman is all midnight menace. “Shut the fuck up, traitor,” she snaps, her teeth long and deadly. “You’ll have your chance to talk when I’m through with you. But I’m in no rush.”
Daisy pales. Caine, Lilah, and Ruin crowd our back as Ebony and Rosa haul her down the hall.
The demon’s hand alights on my back, his touch warm and familiar. Kind. “I knew there was something off about her from the beginning.”
My eyes roll.
Tanner snorts and claps the demon on the back. “Sure you did, Caine,” he mutters. “Sure you did.”
Chapter 49
Tanner
I end the call and let the breeze pull at my clothes. The field of Silver Rock is quiet now. Empty. Most of the pack won’t be here until the weekend, and by then, my team will be long gone.
After Daisy broke under Ebony’s not so tender care, a lot of shit came out. Including the location of her Brightex dealer on the Gulf. Though it isn’t in our territory, Ruin plans on paying a respectful visit to the coven house there on the way home.
But under all her scheming to destroy Callus’ position as Alpha, was her anger toward me. I was a deserter in her eyes. In the pack’s eyes. And I own that shit.
I left because my own head was fucked up, and I knew I couldn’t lead them. I couldn’t be the Alpha they needed and the job fell to Callus.
Being back here is hard. But I don’t regret it. Not for a fucking minute. But I also know that it’s well past time for me to move on. From all of it.
Soft steps shuffle the gravel and a familiar broad frame stops next to the picnic table. There is no urge to speak. Whatever problems were between the Alpha and myself are no more.
Something about uniting for the pack has healed a hurt that should have never existed.
Callus was my best fucking friend long ago. Too many years have passed to ever get that back in a matter of days. But maybe … One day.
“You guys heading out soon?” he asks mildly.
I wave my phone. “Yeah. Nisha is grabbing a few things from her apartment, and then we’ll hit the road.”
His head bobs and silence swirls around us. “I’m giving my resignation this weekend,” he mutters aft
er a time.
I look at him. “Why?”
He shrugs. “Seems like the right thing to do,” he tells me. “I’ve been Alpha for seven years. I never realized the pack was getting weaker. It never occurred to me that it was possible.” His eyes pulse. “I should’ve felt it. Should’ve realized that something was wrong.”
His head turns and he glances at me. “You felt it though.”
Callus, despite his strength, did not come from Silver Rock. His ties aren’t as strong here. As deep. And the pack needs someone that can truly use the land—the ciorcal—to better the people.
He could be that Alpha.
If he still wanted it bad enough. But Daisy’s betrayal did more than hurt the pack. It caused a rift.
Just like she fucking wanted.
“Silver Rock is still a part of me,” I finally say. “And it always will be. But it’s not my home anymore. It’s not my pack.”
His hazel eyes darken. “I know. But if you wanted it, I would give it to you.”
I climb to my feet and walk to him. He watches me, a touch of the old Callus filling his features with his familiar arrogance. I grip his shoulder. “And if you tried, I would kick your fucking ass.” His lips quirk, and I let my hand fall. “Look. I’m not saying he would, but there is someone who might be willing to come scope everything out. Who might be able to give you some insight and some guidance.”
Callus peers at me in confusion. “Oh yeah? Who?”
I smile. “Give me your phone.”
***
I stop outside Nisha’s apartment. She is already on the front steps, a duffel and a bulging backpack at her side as she reclines back on her hands. In the sunlight, she damn near glows, her tawny skin flawless and smooth. And so fucking perfect it makes it hard for me to breathe.
I climb out of the truck and walk up to her. My shadow blocks out the sun over her, darkening her complexion and her thick, sexy hair. “Hey, kitty. Need a lift?”
Her eyes open and her lips curve. She sits forward, licking her lips as her eyes trail from my head down. “I don’t know. What do I have to do for a ride?”
My body responds instantly and I groan. “Just get in the damn truck and you can ride me wherever you want to go.”
