Jesse growled. “You’re not getting a story from Harley.”
“But we can give you another story,” Nick said. “A story I think you’ll find just as interesting; one I’m sure hasn’t been told before.”
A smile on her lips, Gabrielle turned to the Alpha. “I’m listening.”
That was when, shocking the shit out of Harley, Nick told Gabrielle all about Hector; the guy’s love of acquiring shifter territories, his habit of blackmailing shifters who refuse to sell, that he’d killed a lone kestrel shifter, and that terrible accusations had once been made against him.
“I ask that you don’t mention our pack in your article,” said Nick. “You can easily check how many of his properties are situated on land that once belonged to shifters. Talk about ‘sources,’ but don’t mention my name.”
“You don’t want the attention,” guessed Gabrielle. “Fair enough.”
Shaya lifted a single brow. “You’re agreeing that easily?”
“As a shifter, I can sympathize,” said Gabrielle. “As a woman, I feel for Jenny. I will write this article if for no other reason than Hector Flynt should be exposed for the bastard he is.”
As Zander escorted Gabrielle back to her car, Eli stuffed his hands in his pockets. “You sure that was the right idea, Nick?”
The Alpha sighed. “No, but I don’t see what else we can really do but damage control. When we refuse to leave, he’s going to release the testimonies. Gabrielle’s article will clearly state that he gathers ‘false material,’ which means we’ve discredited him before he even releases our story.”
“This won’t really hit him where it hurts, though,” said Harley. “He’s not going to care much about the article, although I do think it was better to get out our story before he releases the testimonies. Hector’s weak spot is his success. We can’t destroy his career, but we can destroy symbols of his success.”
Jesse’s lips pursed. “I heard the guy has a lot of homes.”
Eli nodded. “It would be a shame if they started exploding, one by one. The properties are no doubt filled with antique furnishings, expensive rugs, genuine art, and safes—maybe even blackmail materials. Hector would lose his shit if they were all destroyed. Then he’d know what it felt like to have someone threaten his home.”
“You have the contacts to make that happen, Nick,” said Derren. “I think they’d happily do it once they hear what the bastard’s done.”
Nick was quiet for a moment. “I admit, I like the idea. But he might take it as a declaration of war.”
“Like Eli said, we can’t really avoid one unless we give up our territory,” Derren pointed out. “I don’t want war any more than you do, but I don’t want to be anybody’s prey either. That’s what he’s made us.”
Nick inhaled deeply as a hard fierceness gathered behind his eyes. “Then let’s change that.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Leaning against the doorjamb of the living area, Jesse watched as Ally tried to placate her sociopathic foster brother. And no, “sociopathic” wasn’t an exaggeration. Cain Holt might have gotten out of shifter juvie alive, but he hadn’t come out of it whole. He’d lost his moral compass, but Jesse didn’t think of the wolf as cruel. In fact, Cain was one of the shifters who posed as a leader within The Movement so that the true leaders wouldn’t be watched by law enforcement. It also protected their families from the extremists.
The wolf had arrived an hour ago, having read Gabrielle’s article about Hector. The reporter hadn’t mentioned the Mercury Pack, but Cain knew Hector had purchased the land neighboring their territory and came to check that Hector hadn’t been giving them any problems. Sitting on the sofa with Shaya, Nick had explained everything to Cain. That was when the wolf rounded on his foster sister. There were few people in the world who truly mattered to Cain, and Ally was one of them. The Alphas, Derren, Eli, Caleb, and Kent then joined Jesse in watching silently as the two wolves worked it out.
“How could you not come to me with this?” Cain demanded, neck corded.
Ally blew out a noisy breath. “Because that would be dragging you into my problems.”
“I could have helped you!”
“Yes, but I didn’t want to bring The Movement into this. The group formed to fight extremists, not half shifters. The minute The Movement turns on our kind, you all become assassins instead of defenders. That was partly why you didn’t send your people after my old pack when they betrayed me—that’s not what The Movement is about.”
Cain opened his mouth to respond, but then he sighed. Ally was right, and everyone in the room knew it. Being part of The Movement meant that Cain had a lot of manpower and resources, but no one wanted him to misuse them.
“You still should have told me, Ally.” Cain pointed a finger at her mate. “And you should have made her tell me. She’s my family.”
“Yes, she is,” agreed Derren. “Which was why you would have done something that could have made things worse and turned The Movement into something it wasn’t. None of us wanted that.”
“So, instead, you arranged to have each of his homes demolished?”
Eli grinned. “You saw it on the news, huh?”
The Head Enforcer’s voice rang with the same satisfaction that was coursing through Jesse. In the space of fourteen hours, all seven of Hector’s million-dollar homes had been reduced to rubble. It was times like this when Jesse was glad that his Alpha had contacts—however unsavory some of them may be—all over the globe.
Some reporters, due to the article, speculated that it was shifters taking his homes just as he’d taken theirs. After all, it was simple to confirm just how many of his hotels and spas were built on what was previously shifter land. Other reporters, however, believed it was the extremists trying to implicate shifters; after all, the humans would loathe Hector for his half-shifter blood. But Hector would know it was Nick.
“He’ll retaliate,” added Cain. “We need to be ready for that.”
“‘We?’” Ally gave a fast shake of the head. “No, Cain. You stay out of this.”
Jesse turned as the front door swung open. Cassidy skipped inside, followed by Kathy, who had Willow perched on her hip. Behind them was the female he’d been waiting for. His wolf relaxed at the sight of Harley. He hadn’t seen much of her since he’d left their lodge this morning as the pack had been vigilantly guarding the perimeter. Shaya had spent most of the day sitting on her balcony with binoculars and her shotgun, to Nick’s dismay.
Harley had been shocked when the Alphas asked her to aid Kathy in keeping an eye on the pups because they trusted her ability to protect them. Jesse hadn’t been so surprised. He’d always known that the pack would grow to adore and trust her. Plus, shifters liked their children to be guarded by someone fierce and protective. That made Harley a wise choice.
Jesse stepped aside to let Kathy and the pups pass, giving Cassidy a quick wink that made her giggle. He then slipped an arm around his mate and kissed her temple. “You okay, baby?” he asked quietly, nuzzling her and inhaling her scent—a scent he wanted mixed with his.
Melting into him, Harley puffed out a breath. “Spending a full day with two kids was more exhausting than I thought it would be, even with Kathy’s help.” They just seemed to have an endless abundance of energy. Willow always found a way to get dirty, no matter what they were doing or where they were doing it. Cassidy chatted nonstop, talking about even the most inconsequential of things. They’d loved petting and playing with her cat.
Smiling, Jesse gave her a quick kiss. “I’d have to agree.” He turned back to the scene in the living area, only to frown as Cassidy skidded to a halt in front of Cain.
Then the little girl gave the wolf a bright smile. “You’re here.” Like she’d been expecting him.
Cain’s brow creased. “I’m . . . here.”
“You’re early,” the pup added.
Looking lost, Cain said, “I am?”
“Yep. You’re gonna help me take off my
jacket.”
Harley exchanged a confused look with Jesse, who just shrugged. The pup wasn’t even wearing a jacket.
Ally quickly stepped forward. “Cain, meet our little Seer, Cassidy.”
Understanding dawned on his features. “A Seer, huh?” He’d know all about them, having grown up with Ally.
“Nick and Shaya foster me,” Cassidy told him, swinging her arms. “I was staying at the shelter because the human family who adopted me gave me up. They weren’t very nice people and they worked a lot. I like it better here.”
Before Cassidy could tell him her life story, Jesse asked, “Does this mean you’ve finished playing with my mate? Because I kind of want her back.”
Cassidy gave him an odd look. “Dude, she’s right there.”
“Stop saying ‘dude’; you’re four.” Shaya chuckled, gladly taking her daughter from Kathy. “Hello, angel.”
Cain looked at Willow. “Wow, you’re a lot bigger than the last time I saw you.”
Shaya gently squeezed her daughter’s hand. “Aren’t you going to say ‘hi’ to Cain?”
Pulling her thumb out of her mouth, Willow whispered, “I see dead people.”
Shaya gasped and glanced around. “Who let her watch The Sixth Sense?”
Shoulders shaking, Jesse joined the others in shrugging, looking stumped.
“That was creepy,” Cain said to Willow. “Cute but creepy.” When a sociopath found something creepy, it had to be.
With a forced smile, Shaya put Willow on the ground and then turned to Kent and Caleb. “Maybe you should take the girls outside while we finish our conversation.”
Nodding, Caleb stood. “Who wants to hit the play area?” The girls jumped up and down excitedly. Harley stepped aside so that the two males and the pups could exit the living area. That was when Cain got a good look at Harley and froze.
“Cain, this is Jesse’s mate, Harley Vincent,” Ally told him. “Harley, this is my foster brother, Cain Holt.”
“Harley Vincent,” Cain repeated, eyes narrowed.
Chin up, Harley nodded. “That’s right.” She didn’t like the way the male was looking at her. Assessing her. Sizing her up. Her cat’s tail twitched as they engaged in a stare-out.
“Why didn’t you tell your father about all the trouble with Hector?” he asked her.
Harley cocked her head. “What makes you think I didn’t?” The wolf didn’t respond, making her once again wonder if Clive was a player within The Movement after all. She’d still prefer not to know for sure.
“Back to the subject of Hector,” said Ally, frowning at Cain. “Promise me you won’t get involved.”
“I can’t do that,” he told her firmly.
Ally rubbed at her temples. “The Movement has a true purpose. Assassinating assholes isn’t part of it.”
“I never said I’d involve The Movement. But I’m not going to go on my merry way while you’re in danger. Don’t try to downplay this, Ally. There’s no way he won’t suspect your pack is responsible for blowing up his homes. He’s not going to let that go.”
“We know that,” said Eli from the sofa. “But what choice did we have, Cain? He would have sent mercenaries after us when we refused to hand over our territory. Do you think we should have waited around until that happened? Waited for him to bring the fight to us?” Eli shook his head. “The first rule of every fight is to strike first and strike hard; that was what we did. I don’t regret that.”
Neither did Jesse. “This guy blackmailed us. He wants to take our home away. Well, now we’ve taken his.”
After a long moment, Cain sighed and his shoulders slumped as he muttered, “Sometimes vengeance is the only thing we can seek.”
Jesse frowned, pretty positive he’d heard Clive say the same thing once.
“The Phoenix Pack has been alerted that we may need to call on them soon,” said Nick, rolling back his shoulders. “They’re ready for that.”
Cain didn’t look appeased. “What if he hires people to bomb the land?”
Derren pursed his lips. “I don’t think he will. Hector seems to like the up-close-and-personal approach. He likes to witness his victims’ pain too much for him to stay out of it.”
Arching a challenging brow, Cain said, “And if you’re wrong?”
“If we’re forced to retreat, we can hide in the underground storm shelter that we had built a few months ago,” said Jesse. “The trapdoor isn’t easy to find unless you know where to look. We’d be safe there until the Phoenix wolves came to free us.”
“You’d also be trapped until they came for you,” Cain impatiently pointed out.
Nick nodded. “Which is why the pups, Caleb, Kent, Kathy, and—”
“Do not say my name,” snapped Shaya, eyes shooting fire.
“Which is why some members of the pack will be staying with the Phoenix Pack until this is over,” Nick rephrased, casting his mate an annoyed look. “After dinner, Roni and Marcus will drive them there. It’s not ideal, but it’s for the best.”
“The pups don’t mind so much because they can play with the Phoenix children,” said Ally. “To them, it’s a little adventure and—” She abruptly froze and her eyes turned white.
Harley’s stomach plummeted. “Fuck, a vision.” What now? Her cat began to pace, tail twitching.
Derren rushed to his mate’s left while Cain stood at her right, both looking equally concerned. They whispered comforting words, even as they knew she couldn’t hear them. The longer the vision went on, the tauter the air became with tension.
Finally, Ally snapped out of her trance and glanced around, eyes back to normal and now wide with panic. “No, no, no!” Then she was tearing out of the lodge like her life depended on it . . . or like someone else’s life depended on it.
Everyone ran after her, charging across the open field. Derren shouted his mate’s name over and over, but she didn’t respond. Jesse stayed close to Harley, ready to defend her from whatever threat was sending the Seer into a blind panic. Adrenaline and dread shot through him as dozens of scenarios zoomed through his mind.
Hot on her heels now, Derren shouted, “Ally, dammit, what is it?”
She didn’t pause or even glimpse over her shoulder. “The pups! They’re going after the pups!”
Who the fuck was “they”? Jesse glanced around, but there was no one. Not a—
“Oh fuck!” snapped Harley.
Tracking his mate’s gaze, Jesse almost gaped. They were huge. Fast. And all ten of them were flying toward the play area. His heart leaped into his throat. Cursing, he put on a burst of speed.
“Caleb! Kent!” Ally screamed. “Grab the girls!”
The two males turned, looking confused. They were possibly finding it hard to hear her over all the full-blooded birds going crazy, scattering, as the eagle shifters came their way.
“Grab the girls!”
One of the eagles swooped down, taking aim at Willow.
“No!” Shaya’s agonized cry split the air.
Just as the harpy eagle neared the pup, Caleb dived on her and pinned her small body to the ground. Enraged at being thwarted, the eagle—so much bigger than an average harpy that it could only be a shifter—landed on his back. Caleb cried out through gritted teeth as curved, five-inch talons pitilessly raked his flesh.
“Bastard!” Ally picked up Cassidy’s scooter and threw it at the eagle. The distinctive dark-gray raptor dodged it. Wailing at them, it fanned out its broad, slotted wings. It stood at over four feet tall and had at least a six-foot wingspan. Jesse wondered if that hooked, razor-sharp beak could puncture his skull. He wasn’t eager to find out.
The feathers atop its head fanned out into a bold crest as it made a strange mewing sound. As Ally, Jesse, and Harley made a mad dash for the bird, it tried to take flight. Derren came up behind it, grabbed its neck, and—snap.
Looking up, Jesse saw the other eagles high in the air, circling. “Get the pups inside the fort and guard it!” he ordered Kent
and Caleb. Nodding, the two males urged the wide-eyed pups into the small building at the center of the play area.
Just then, Roni, Marcus, Bracken, and Zander came sprinting toward them from different directions, looking just as shocked as Jesse felt. It had all happened so damn fast with no real room for thought. His limbs were buzzing with adrenaline, his heart was pounding, and his breathing sped up.
The pack formed a protective circle around the play area—some in wolf form, some in human form—as the eagles soared above them.
“Hector sure does like to hire bird shifters.” Jesse knew this species could be brutal in their attack. He’d fought an eagle shifter once before, and it hadn’t been pretty. He’d won, but the bird had inflicted a lot of damage. These eagles were much larger. Harpy eagles. Fierce shifters.
His wolf bared his teeth, wanting freedom so that he could rip out the throats of the invaders. But Jesse chose not to shift so that he could maintain verbal contact with Harley. He planted his feet and stood at the ready. “Stay close to me. And don’t shift.” Her cat was small and would be easy for them to carry off.
Heart hammering in her chest, Harley tried to steady her breathing as she said, “We need to get them on the ground.” Their bones were hollow and fragile. Her hissing cat was looking forward to hearing them break.
Limbering up his neck and shoulders, Jesse warned, “Don’t let them come up behind you. One powerful strike to the back of your skull would be fatal.” Just the thought made him lose his breath. She was integral to him. Part of him. She was . . . everything. A knot of panic formed in his throat, making it hard to swallow.
He wished he could send her into the fort with the pups, even considered using the excuse that she didn’t have the same training as him and the others. She’d just snort at him. She had the same fierce protective streak that ran through him; she could no more retreat from a fight than he could. As such, all he could say was . . . “Stay safe for me.”
She nodded, jaw hard. “You do the same for me.” Anticipation tingled through her as they waited in silence. All that could be heard was the rustle of grass and leaves, as if the wildlife stood still. Goose bumps rose on Harley’s arms. Whether they were caused by the cool, light evening breeze or the rage thickening the air, she wasn’t sure. The breeze carried the earthy scents of pine needles and greenery, but those comforting smells did nothing to calm Harley or her cat as they continued to wait.
Force of Temptation (Mercury Pack Book 2) Page 27
