I needed to take him out first, and then his mate. Once they were down, his pack would cease fighting when the link was broken. Two of his wolves charged at me in their half-beast form, their claws extended, ready to rip me to shreds. I stood up and took a deep breath and blew out a huge burst of fire, engulfing them in flames they couldn’t escape. They whirled around, screaming in agony as my flames consumed them. Yes, that was what dragon fire felt like. I transformed into my beast form, I had to in order to give myself some protection from the bullets and silver weapons. My armor didn’t cover my entire body, but some protection was better than none at all.
I saw Deacon in his half-beast form going toe-to-toe with one of my wolves. He had gotten the upper hand, ripping out the throat of Baily, not one of my hybrids. He then plunged his clawed hand through his chest, ripping out his heart. I advanced on him, wanting to catch him with his back to me. I charged, quickly shoving past several of Deacon’s pack to get to him. I reared my hand back, ready to punch a hole in his chest the way he had done to my pack member. I was ready to kill him when I sensed something powerful. It hit me like a Mack truck. Something greatly connected to me. I stopped in my tracks and looked around, catching the eye of a huge wolf in his half-beast form staring back at me.
He then ran toward Deacon and the two spoke. I could understand every growl and grunt. How could this be? I knew what I felt was something only wolves could sense. A calling of sorts that could and would only happen once. I howled, demanding my army cease its attack, less I risked losing this opportunity. It was once in a lifetime. It was more important than gaining land at this point. My army pulled back, stopping their attack in mid-blow in some cases. The fire that had been roaring petered out, leaving charred husks of fallen wolves smoldering. So many lay dead, but at this point, neither side was attacking.
I turned to see Deacon holding up his right hand, fist balled as his signal to cease fighting. I changed back into my human form and he did the same. Well, he was handsome in a conventional way. If I didn’t want to kill him, I’d fuck him. But right now, we were having a truce.
“It seems we have a problem,” I said.
Deacon shrugged. “I don’t see it as a problem, more like an opportunity.”
“I came here to kill you, take over your pack. I’m pretty sure I can still do that and take my mate at the same time,” I claimed.
That was when the big wolf standing next to him growled and drew closer to Deacon. I snorted. “Surely, he knows that I’m his mate?”
Deacon nodded. “He knows. He’s the one who told me. Of course, he’s not happy about it. He doesn’t like that you tried to take what was mine away. So, I would suggest you hold off on the threats.”
“Does he speak for himself?” I asked as I looked my mate over. He was towering over us for now, his muscular body covered in fur, his thick cock sheathed and swinging between his powerful thighs. His head was huge, ears pointed, and his long muzzle was filled with razor-sharp teeth ready to rip and tear. He was truly a sight to behold and I was looking forward to seeing him in his human form. Just what did fate have in store for me?
“Of course,” Deacon said. “But this is a negotiation between Alphas.”
“What the fuck is going on over here?” I heard Monroe’s agitation at having to cease kicking ass. He was in the zone, slashing and slicing his way through Deacon’s pack with vicious precision and drag queen sass.
Deacon’s gaze shifted to Monroe, then back to me. An Alpha with his eyes on the prize, no doubt. “Ask your Alpha,” he said.
“I am. Surely, you didn’t think I was talking to you, bitch,” Monroe snapped.
“This one is my mate,” I said, pointing to the hairy beast who was still in attack-at-the-ready mode.
Monroe checked him out, eyes scanning from top to bottom, then back up top. “Him?” he asked with as much scorn in his tone as possible to let me know he was unimpressed.
I nodded, ignoring his attitude. “And I’m not leaving here without him.”
“Oh shit,” Monroe said, throwing his arms up. “Of all fucking cities and territories in this world, you find your mate in this one.”
“It’s fitting… this is the territory I’ve been eyeing for some time. Makes sense I’d find the greatest treasure here.” I reached up to stroke the chin of my mate and he lashed out at me, clawing open my wrist. “Argh, fuck!” I yanked my hand back, covering the bleeding wound until it healed.
“Need to put a muzzle on his ass,” Monroe said.
“So, he’s spirited. I can work with that,” I said, then checked to make sure my wound was healed.
“Are we going to negotiate or what?” Deacon asked. “Because you’re not getting your mate if you still plan on taking me out.”
“He can’t deny our connection,” I argued.
Deacon smiled. “If you think that, you really don’t know him like I do. In fact, you owe me a great deal, because I’m the one who saved him. He would have died at the gallows a long time ago had I not saw his potential.”
That was when my mate changed back into his human form… and what a human form! I cocked an eyebrow, because he was not what I would have expected. As a matter of fact, I didn’t even think he was my type, but I couldn’t deny the link. It was there and it wasn’t lying to me. It was fucking with me though, because this big ass, hairy motherfucker wasn’t the kind of man I normally fucked. Still, a part of me wanted to claim him so hard. My cock stirred, rising to attention to check out the new prospect. I was butt-ass naked and couldn’t hide the reaction I was having toward him even if I wanted to.
Lucky for me, his cock was also rising to the occasion, but if he had any thoughts of topping me, he could forget about it. Damn, I didn’t even know his name, but I wanted him. God, I needed him. This was the link… this was what it felt like when wolves found their mates. If it was as strong for him as it was for me, perhaps, I could convince him to ditch Deacon and join me. Together, we would command the largest pack in the Colony.
“I can see the gears turning in your head. Can’t say I don’t blame you for thinking you still have a chance of taking me out and getting your mate,” Deacon said.
I turned to him. “You’re no threat to me. Had I not sensed him, you’d already be dead. Then I was going after your mate.”
Deacon growled and my mate placed a large, meaty hand on his shoulder like he was about to tag in, so to speak. “Listen here, motherfucker. Yeah, I feel it… that connection, but it won’t mean shit to me if you kill any more wolves here. You got that?”
My mate spoke to me in a voice as deep and gravely as any of my other alpha males in my pack. “You don’t need him—”
“I am loyal to Deacon, forever and always. You kill him, you might as well kill me, because I’m not going to stop trying to kill you,” he said.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, just kill them all. Chain him up, fucking Claim him on the full moon, then lock him away until he’s willing to play nice,” Monroe suggested.
My mate lunged at Monroe, but I caught his arm before he could strike. He was strong indeed, and with us fully mated, I couldn’t even imagine what it would mean for my army. When a wolf was mated, his entire pack shared in the increase in power. I could not give up this opportunity, but there was more to it. Once mated, I’d heard stories of mates sharing everything and enjoying great pleasure. Could I even resort to locking him away… would the link between us even allow such separation? This was uncharted territory for me, but one I was ready to travel. Only problem was Deacon and his pack, which my mate was a loyal member of.
I looked around and saw both of our packs watching our transaction in silence, waiting for the next shoe to drop, I guessed. I looked at Deacon, then my mate. “What is your name?”
“Elliot,” he said.
“Got a last name?”
“Depends, are we still fighting?”
I sighed. This little venture was not turning out the way I wanted. I didn’t know if it was
better or worse… well, I’d found my mate, so it was better, just very inconvenient. “So, what you’re telling me is if I pursue taking over this territory, you will what?”
“Kill you or die trying, motherfucker,” he said with such confidence, I didn’t doubt it.
“I can’t even remember the last time you let a piece of shit talk to you this way and live. Just take him already and be done with them,” Monroe urged as he snarled at Elliot.
“Hey, buttercup, shut the fuck up before I slap you with my dick,” Elliot snapped.
Monroe checked out the cock in question and gave it a slight nod of approval, then he locked eyes with Elliot. “Motherfucker, please… you better be careful who you slap with your dick. Might not get it back.”
“I eat pups like you and shit them out before lunch.”
I watched as Monroe’s head rolled on his neck and his pointer finger went into action. “I will fuck you up, you hear me, bitch? I don’t give a shit how big your ass is or who you are.”
“Kian!” I snapped, using his first name, so he knew I meant business. It was time I put a stop to their exchange. It wasn’t helpful in the least. What seemed like a pissing contest between our respective right-hands was anything but.
He looked at me sharply, his pointer finger going back into its holster. “What?”
“When we mate, he will become your Alpha. Show him his due respect,” I said. As the Alpha of my army, there would be no way I could simply lock him away. I would lose the respect of my pack, my entire army, if I couldn’t even tame my mate or come to some sort of resolution where we could live and control the army together. I had to play this carefully. I looked at Deacon and that smug son of a bitch must have already known what I was thinking. He was smirking as if waiting for me to concede. Shit, did I really have a choice?
I looked at my mate. “If I cease my attack, you will join me?”
“You need to form an alliance with my Alpha, one that will make you his ally and not his enemy just sitting back waiting for your chance to attack him. Nothing else happens to Deacon, Elijah, or the rest of my pack. By me joining you, you get my Alpha’s pack in the deal. That is the only arrangement that will work for me,” Elliot said.
“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” Deacon chimed in.
I looked at him. “Welcome back to the conversation I thought was between Alphas. You checked out for a minute.”
Deacon smirked. “Well, I call it showing you some respect while you attempt to work things out with your mate.” His blue eyes were literally dancing with excitement at the prospect of what was inevitable. His pack was safe and if I couldn’t get my mate to see things my way, it would forever be safe with a powerful ally to keep it that way.
God, this wasn’t what I had wanted. But I couldn’t pass it up. What would happen to my pack when I was fully mated? What about my dragons? Would I be able to make more Knights? Would the Knights I already had become stronger or even hybrid themselves? Nothing like this had ever happened, not as far as I knew. But I was willing to take the plunge, even if it meant becoming allies with one devious-ass, son of a bitch. I would have to constantly keep an eye out on this one.
I sighed. “You have a deal.”
“You sure?” Monroe asked.
I nodded. “It is what it is, Monroe.”
“That means my territory remains mine, both Forrest Grove and Rose Garden.”
Again, I sighed. I wanted it all! Damn it. “I will not seek to take your territory from you, but you will gain no more. Once I take out Josef and the dragons, then the vampires, that will all be mine,” I warned.
Deacon chortled as he looked at me with a mixture of shock and admiration. “Ohh, shit… you may want to think twice about fucking with Théoden and Josef.”
“Why?”
“Well, surely you know that Théoden is no regular vampire, right?”
“I’ve heard rumors.”
“Not rumors. Facts. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Sunlight doesn’t bother him or his sons. They are immune to dragon venom and have their own. They can kill your wolves who aren’t immune with one bite.”
That was true. I wondered if after I’d mated, would my wolves who weren’t immune become immune? That was my hope, anyway. “What else should I be concerned about?”
“Well…” Deacon pursed his lips.
“We have an alliance with Théoden,” said a very handsome man who was also naked and well endowed. His thick cock swung between his legs, slapping his thighs as he came closer and took his place on Deacon’s right. I didn’t need anyone to fill in the blanks for me as to exactly who he was.
“You must be Elijah, Deacon’s mate,” I said.
He nodded. “I am.”
“I’m loyal to him as well, so don’t think you can kill them,” Elliot said.
I rolled my eyes. “I’ve ready agreed to your fucking stipulations. Calm your bark down.”
Elliot stepped up to me. “Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to?” he growled.
He was tall as hell, at least four inches taller than I was, which made him about six-foot-eight and he would be intimidating to anyone else except me. I’d brought down giants before. I placed my hand on his chest and shoved him back. “Don’t think you’re running things here, mate.”
“Don’t think you’ll be running me after it’s all said and done, mate,” he retorted.
“Well, isn’t this just the loveliest of romantic starts,” Monroe said, and his words were literally dripping with his classic sarcasm.
“Who the fuck are you besides his flaming cheerleader?” Elliot asked Monroe.
“I am his right-hand and my loyalty is to him, if you must know,” Monroe said.
“Why don’t you go powder your nose and let the adults talk since you ain’t got shit to offer,” Elliot snapped.
I could see the bristles rise on Monroe’s nape and knew he was ready to cut a bitch, as he liked to say. That, or snatch a wig. Best I interject. “Monroe, pull the army back and tend to them, please.”
“Oooooh, your monkey ass is lucky. Big dumb bastard,” Monroe sneered as he turned around with a snap of his neck and fingers to carry out my orders.
“I hope you can control your right-hand man not to speak to your mate like that. I’d never let any of my wolves insult my mate that way,” Deacon said. I could sense the insult to my character and control in his sneaky comment.
“When we’re mated, I’d hope my mate could respect his new pack,” I said, looking directly at Elliot.
Elliot shook his head. “I can’t believe this shit is even happening.”
“It is, or I wouldn’t be having this conversation. Instead, I’d be celebrating gaining two territories with one kill.” I looked back at Deacon then. “And since you decided to question my control of my people, let’s consider the fact that your pack was going to be destroyed by mine, even with you sinking to the lowest of resources in guns and silver bullets. I think we can agree that I have full command,” I replied with a wink.
He shrugged as if my insult to his character hadn’t affected him. Perhaps it hadn’t, which meant he had thick skin and a sure acceptance and knowledge of who he was and his own shortcomings. “Yeah, I used guns and bullets. I play to win, or at least, I try my best.”
“So, you’re not beyond cheating?” I scoffed, then looked at Elliot. “And you want me to form an alliance with him?”
“We do what we must to survive. I roll like he does,” Elliot said.
“And when does integrity come into question?” I asked.
“When I’m looking over the corpses of those who threatened me, I’ll give them a proper burial,” Deacon said.
“Oh, darling, that wasn’t going to be today’s outcome.”
He waved his hand dismissively. “Yes, yes, as you’ve stated ad nauseam. I was mere seconds from death.”
“You were,” I stated.
“And yet, I live.”
“By the grace of fat
e.”
“I’ll take a win any way I can get it,” he said with another shrug.
I rolled my eyes. “So, getting back to Théoden and Josef… what else can you tell me?”
“That if you want to take them on, know that Josef is newly mated. And I think his wolves are immune to dragon venom and fire… so your two biggest weapons won’t have any effect on them,” Deacon said.
“That he also has one of the largest packs out there and with the sun gone, you can best believe Théoden’s vampires are awake and waiting for your attack,” Elijah said.
“He’ll probably have his sons there and I can honestly say, having been in battle with just one of them by my side, they are tough. That’s a compliment I don’t give lightly, especially to vampires,” Elliot said.
“So, can I trust you not to warn them that they are on my list?” I asked Deacon.
Deacon snorted. “He already knows about you and is prepared. I don’t have to do shit. But if you think I’m going to send my pack to join you in battle, think again.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “You fear him?”
“Well, thanks to you, I’ve lost a lot of my pack, my family. If you think I’m going to put them through more danger just so you can have more territory, you must think I’m the dumbest son of a bitch alive,” Deacon said. “It’s got nothing to do with fear. Then again, if Théoden and Josef kill you… well, my alliance with him stays in place.”
This crafty motherfucker right here! “So, it’s more territory that you want?”
You Will Bow Down Page 11
