by Tara Quan
Hairs standing on his neck, he turned his head, dropped, and shifted, careful not to bare his teeth while his claws sank into the soft sandy soil. Showing them might set Eli off into another of his frenzies. Though his beta, he wasn’t immune to the alpha’s anger, but he’d borne more than his fair share of the beatings this past year. Sparing the rest of the pack was one thing, deliberately pissing off the alpha only asked for trouble.
Eli’s wolf came to a stop four feet from him, his white fur peppered with gray moving softly in the breeze. His delta, Petrina, and two fighters took up position at his flanks. A veritable army come to visit.
Shit. What’s wrong? Are we under attack?
He watched Eli shift to human; his alpha’s silent demand he change tingled under his skin, entreating his own wolf to follow.
Nik shifted slowly, hesitant to give up his fighting form but Eli could force the shift if he desired, an even less-favorable outcome. A few seconds later, they stood man-to-man, alpha to beta. He kept his head slightly bowed but swept the area with his senses. No other wolves were around, but in the alpha’s choice of greeting party, and in his stance, he smelled trouble.
“Nikko,” Eli soothed, using his favorite diminutive for him—a name he hated. “We need to talk, and I thought it best we do so out here.”
None of the other wolves sat. All remained at attention. The hairs on his neck didn’t just stand, they marched. Every nerve he possessed readied for a fight. His wolf clamored to get out. He kept his eyes low, his speech careful. “What’s up? Is the pack in trouble?”
“Trouble?” Eli threw his head backward and his massive chest out and laughed. “There’s no trouble. In fact everything’s perfect.” He motioned toward the smaller, red-coated wolf beside him. “Petrina’s pregnant.”
The only sound he heard was his own long inhale. None of the other wolves moved or twitched. Why was it a big secret? “Congratulations. I’m happy for you.”
Eli nodded and smiled as he closed the distance between them. “And it’s time for you to go.”
“Go? Go where?”
“You’re done, Nikko. I don’t need you anymore.”
He flinched at the hand clapped on his shoulder. Though they’d been close as brothers while the alpha’s first mate was alive, things had deteriorated steadily since her death. This was probably the first time he had simply touched him and not hit him in over two years. It struck him as weirdly unreal.
“You’re out of the pack. Get your things and go.”
His brain went into freefall. This makes no sense. “But…I’m your beta.”
“Were. I don’t need a second anymore, Nikko. Petrina’s child will be my successor. He will rule by my side.”
A pack without a beta? Who had heard of such a thing? Or did Eli fear he’d one day try and take control, if things got bad enough with the Eli and Petrina circus? Oh hell, that’s it. He’s worried about maintaining his power. He knew in his heart the alpha was right. If he had the balls, he’d challenge the alpha and get it done and over with. An even more insane Eli was the biggest threat the pack faced. They’d unravel bit by bit from the inside, not be done in by an attack from a neighboring pack. Still, he found himself shaking his head, his loyalty as a beta too ingrained to simply let go, his allegiance to the pack too solid to let him up and walk away. Besides, he was a born follower, not a leader. He had no ambition to run the pack himself. Eli had to listen to reason. “He’s not even born yet. Without a full-grown second, the pack will be vulnerable, unstable. You need me—now more than ever.”
“Untrue. Petrina has assured me we will be safe, and these men have already sworn allegiance to my son. I’ve got it covered, bro.”
A slippery feeling crept up his spine as he risked a glance at her malachite wolf eyes. The change in their leader had started when he’d mated her two years ago, bringing her into the pack suddenly and unannounced. An outsider, no one knew of her or the pack she claimed to hail from. Though her unknown origins weren’t a serious problem, her demeanor had always made him wary. He trusted her about as much as a knife at his throat. But his allegiance continued unbroken, for better or for worse. “Look, if you want me to swear a pledge as well…?”
“Not necessary. You’re gone, Nikko. Time for you to get on your way.” The wolves padded forward silently to hover at the alpha’s side.
He wasn’t scared by the obvious act of showmanship. He’d faced off against most of these wolves before, knew their strengths and weaknesses. But the fact his own Alpha thought he needed them here caught his attention. Eli was the biggest wolf in the pack. He didn’t require the other wolves’ protection. Therefore, they were there to convince him to go peacefully. Why?
Nik sniffed the air and caught a hint of scent, one he’d kill to protect. Caroline. From the faraway quality of her smell, Caroline was currently at the compound. With her father acting strangely, was she safe there any longer? Worry skittered through him. If Eli was crazy enough to make his as-yet-unborn child beta, what would he do to his daughter by his former mate? He raised his eyes to his alpha, his protective instincts for Caroline surging to the surface so fast and hard he could barely contain them. He’d touched her, damn near held her in his arms and kissed her, a few hours ago. The memory burned through him with a new intensity that wrenched his heart.
Eli’s nostrils flared, his pupils glinting with the golden hue of his wolf’s rising ire. He wasn’t one to stand for even an iota of defiance.
He gritted his teeth and all but thrust the unspoken claim to her resting in his heart into the open. “What about Caroline?”
A flash of cold, dark ice went through Eli’s eyes and Nik’s concern for her welfare ratcheted to stark fear. He instantly knew her fate would be death. The alpha would kill his unborn son’s only rival to ensure his complete, everlasting rule. His stomach twisted into a knot as a strong hit of adrenaline flushed him hot.
“She won’t be needed either.”
The second the words left Eli’s lips, Nik’s body began the shift without thought, without hesitation. He lowered as he transformed, and then, using his hind legs, sprang up and forward with claws out, teeth bared in full attack. His goal: rip Eli’s throat out. The reason: daring to threaten Caroline.
At the exact same instant, the alpha used his superior power and shifted from standing, matching him claw for claw, fang for fang. The scrape of tooth on tooth echoed through the forest, but drawing blood was the only thing Nik cared about. In his lust to hurt the man who’d threatened Caroline, he lunged, fangs extended and reaching for Eli’s throat.
The alpha rebuffed his attack with a powerful bone-shattering head butt, sending him crashing to the earth, ears ringing.
Snarling, he rose to his paws and hurled himself toward the gray wolf in front of him. Blind to anything but his own rage, he snapped his jaw shut but was too late to sink his bite into Eli’s neck. He snagged only a mouthful of fur. Before he could move away, needle-sharp fangs clamped onto Nik’s shoulder. When the alpha shook his massive head, the skin tore and the joint instantly dislocated. Wracked with pain, no longer able to stand on all fours, Nik sank once more onto the dirt, his breath ragged.
Above him, Eli growled and pranced in a circle, asserting his superiority in a gloating show that only made Nik more livid. Blood ringed the alpha’s snout, but any injuries he’d sustained were already healing.
For reasons he could not explain, Nik’s weren’t. His wolf howled in frustration but, even after several more seconds had passed, his pain didn’t lessen. Anxiety crept in. Stopping the fight wasn’t an option. If he turned tail now, a wolf seeking the beta position might see his retreat as weakness and attack, eager to attain new standing in the pack over his dead body. More dazed than he cared to let on, he lay still and let his weight sink into the dirt, conserving his resources for one more assault. Then, when Eli was several yards away, he leapt, using his three good legs, and made one last attempt for the alpha’s jugular.
Eli
must have anticipated his move. He spun and dove, hitting him full force in the side with his big blocky head.
Nik grunted from the impact and spun, nipping at Eli’s neck, hoping to do damage, searching for a way to make him feel pain. But the other wolf moved faster than his fangs could connect. Frustrated, he pounced onto his alpha’s back, the impact taking both of them to the ground. They thrashed their claws as they rolled, each of them seeking to attain dominance. Dirt and leaves flew around them. The other wolves had to scoot farther away to give them room, but all knew better than to interfere. When Eli at last emerged on top, Nik sank his teeth into the alpha’s foreleg and tried to drag him back down. But his hold wasn’t deep enough. Eli shook him off and danced away. Frustrated, Nik came to all fours and snarled, his curling lip exposing his fangs.
Eli met him muzzle to muzzle and growled a warning so low and deep it would have made every wolf’s hackles rise. This particular sound the alpha used only when about to kill an enemy. The forest went completely still. None of the other wolves breathed. All signs of life ceased.
Nik shook his head, amazed. His original battle plans had turned into a fight to the death. Wounded, half-blind with pain, he did the only thing he could do to live another day and protect Caroline. He lowered his gaze and his snout toward the ground and stood there panting, hoping the alpha would accept his surrender. After all, he was still technically his beta. He’d served him well for years. Killing him had to be out of the question. Or was it? Eli had threatened to kill his only daughter. The thought sickened Nik’s stomach and his loyalty strained. His desire to pummel the alpha rose again. The battle wouldn’t truly be over until she was out of danger.
Eli shifted to human form. When he waved his arm, Nik felt the pull. His body obeyed, shifting to human without his permission. Eli grinned, raised his fist and punched him in the face. He forced himself not to retaliate. It was all he could do not to let his clamoring wolf take control. But Eli’s power was too solid, his force too brutal to overcome. He could not win. And if he wanted Eli to accept his surrender, he dared not retaliate.
His alpha’s next blow broke Nik’s jaw in two. Before he could recover, Eli jumped him and pinned him to the ground on his belly. Fists pummeled his back, breaking ribs, smashing his head into the dirt. All the while he laughed, sounding inhuman, insane. Finally, he rolled Nik over and rose.
He tried to stand but his shins were broken, their healing slowed to a crawl by some weird, unnatural force. In his blurry daze, he saw Petrina lingering a little ways from the rest of the group, her eerie green eyes trained directly on him. Malice laced her gaze, tinged with a kind of evil he couldn’t name. It only stopped when her mate went to stand next to her, petting her ruff.
“If you didn’t get the message, Nikko, my associates will be glad to deliver another.” The other three wolves closed around them, forming a circle that promised more pain. With Petrina at his side, the alpha turned and walked away, never looking back.
Nik watched him go but didn’t move a muscle, though each breath caused considerable pain and he wanted nothing more than to writhe in agony and whimper. The slightest sign of motion or disagreement and he’d have to fight three more wolves while injured and unhealed. His former packmates snarled and nudged him with their snouts, trying to get enough of a response out of him to justify an assault. He didn’t give them one, not because he didn’t want to, but because, in his current condition, he couldn’t afford to. Eventually, when the moon took residence above, they lost interest and sauntered off, heading home to the compound without him. He longed to follow them but could not stand.
Alone and helpless as a lame duck, he kept his ears pricked, listening for any sounds of battle coming from the compound. But he heard nothing. Perhaps Caroline was safe for the night. But what about tomorrow? I shouldn’t have attacked Eli tonight. I shouldn’t have lost my temper.
Now he was lying in the forest beaten and wounded, easy prey for any wandering predator. It would be just his luck to have to fight a hungry cougar. His wounds hadn’t even begun to heal. He still didn’t know the reason, but Petrina’s evil gaze gnawed his guts. She was behind this. She had to be. Why else would Eli threaten to kill his own child and keep hers? Lying in the bed of soft pine needles, he snarled softly. He wouldn’t let harm come to Caroline, even if he had to fight an army and die in the process to keep her safe. He only hoped he could heal first, and to do so, he needed a safe place to hole up and more time.
Swallowing the burn in his throat, he pushed himself up on a semi-healed arm. Every joint and limb ached in protest but he wasn’t dead. Eli had tried to rip him to pieces, but he hadn’t succeeded. Maybe, deep in his heart, he wanted his daughter to live and knew Nik would save her.
Nik had always cared for the golden-haired wolf. All through her younger years, they’d been close confidants. She’d relied on him for comfort and support, and he’d relished providing it. Then, as she got older, growing into a fine young woman, they’d become even closer. Their attraction palpable. He’d assumed one day they’d become lovers—if not true mates. But her puberty and first shift had come and gone. Though his feelings for her hadn’t changed, his wolf had not been aroused to claim her. Confused by the mixed signals, he’d eased off his advances. Caroline hadn’t. Eli had frowned upon their continuing closeness but not directly interfered. Until now. Gritting his teeth, he knew he had to do the impossible. Even if they were only friends, best friends didn’t let each other get killed.
Hand over hand, he pulled himself along the dense pine needle carpet blanketing the forest floor toward the nearest defensible, sheltered position then wrapped his arms around himself and slept fitfully—his wolf always on alert—until dawn.
Contents
Title page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Epilogue
~About the Author~
