by A. E. Via
“Figures you’d think that, Mac. You’ve always failed to see the bigger picture. How will anyone follow me when I’ve mated with the enemy? Mated with a person who kills his own kind unapologetically. How could I allow a man like that – with that kind of power and ability – around my shifters? We have young pups to protect, Macauley. I have to be absolutely sure of the vampire’s intentions or I’d be endangering them, and that’s something I will never, ever, do as long as I have breath,” Justice argued, that incessant pounding starting in his head again.
“AZ! AZ, I have news.” The Humboldt pack Alpha, Mikel, didn’t wait for Justice or his brothers to invite him in.
Mikel already knew what was going on with Justice. “What is it, Mikel?”
“One of my pack members works at the Henderson Executive Airport and he called and reported that he saw the Vampire King’s escort boarding their jet. The flight plan was one-way to London City Airport. He didn’t—”
“Ugggh, Alek, help,” Justice cried out, crouching on the floor. No wonder he could hardly feel Wick. The thought that his mate was so far out of his reach drove his wolf into a psychotic frenzy. Justice’s back bowed and his fists balled up hard enough to dig his nails into his palms. His mate was gone and Justice had run him off, now his wolf would torture him until he made it right.
“He’s still here, Justice.” Alpha Mikel hurried to finish his report while Justice’s brother tried to calm him down. “Seven members of the escort were missing, including Chadwick Bentley and his captain. He didn’t leave… not yet.
“My pack is afraid, Alpha. Call to your mate and ease your wolf. There may be some shifters that won’t stand behind you immediately, but you have me and one hundred fifty-two of my pack members standing with you now. That’s a damn good start. We’ll go all the way with you AZ. All the way to the council if we have to. But my pack is in complete panic and uproar. Your shifters are telling you we need you, Justice. We need our Alpha Zenith. We need you to answer. Your. Mate.”
“I just want to go on record again and say—”
“You’ve said it twice already. You don’t agree with going on pack lands unannounced.” Wick cut his captain off. His annoyance was evident in his dry tone. “But you have no choice, so stop talking about it.”
“King Bentley, I want you to know that I’m honored to be trusted to stay here and support you with your Beloved. I will fight with you.”
Wick smirked at his long-time Escort Lord. He’d been with him from the time Wick was crowned King and had never left Wick’s side since. He was fierce and loyal, a soldier. It was ingrained in him long before he became an immortal to stand and fight. Ramon Vega had been a Lieutenant in the Cuban Revolution. Fighting right alongside Raul Castro in Oriente Province, Cuba. At only thirty-two he’d lain there at the base of the Cristal Mountain dying from a gunshot wound when a sire found him and changed him. Ramon was a vampire that believed in defending his kind. That’s why he was Wick’s Lord Protector.
“I appreciate your dedication, Ramon. I always have. But we are not going to fight. I chose the five of you to stand behind me with Captain Giuliani while I earn my Beloved’s trust. Under no circumstance are you to become hostile with any shifters, now or in the future.” Wick turned in the front passenger seat to look each of his officers in the eye. A distinct hiss was added as a warning. “Even if advanced on. Do not retaliate. Anyone who harms a shifter, I will see spends an eternity in a wooden box.”
They all nodded in understanding. There wasn’t a single scent of fear or stress in the large SUV, only the purpose and focus of his men. There was no need for any of them to be afraid. The men Wick and his captain chose were the best of the best in his court, in their entire species. They’d been well briefed on the subject of his fated Beloved and without thought, each of them immediately reminded Wick of their allegiance to him and that it was unbreakable. No matter what the situation.
“Isn’t your Beloved supposed to already trust and care deeply at the first scent of you?” Another vampire asked from the last row.
Wick didn’t like anyone thinking that there was a malfunction in his link to his mate. Technically, it was true. His mate should already be craving him. Wick believed Justice was aching, because heaven knows Wick was barely able to shield his worried scent, he was in such a state. “Justice and I are not ordinary Beloved souls. He’s the Alpha Zenith. It was silly of me to expect him to fall into my arms, tilt his head and bare his throat for me.”
“You’ve never steered away from a challenge, sir,” Wick’s captain said, his shaded eyes still on the brightly-lit, well-worn path that led down to the Humboldt pack’s land. The sun was still shining but setting quickly. Behind the blacked-out windows, Wick’s vampires were safe.
As they rounded a sharp bend, cabins and log buildings came into view. There were four large shifters standing at the gated entrance, cautiously watching them approach. Wick saw the one on the end pull out his cell phone and make a quick call.
“He probably called the Alpha,” his Lord Protector said.
“I’m hoping he did,” Wick answered. “Make sure you slow down a little more and stop several feet from them.”
His captain did as Wick instructed. The shifter was asked to come around to Wick’s side so the sun wouldn’t filter in and touch Erman. “I’m here with a gift for your Alpha Zenith. He already knows I’m here.”
Two identical brown wolves ran down the side of the mountain and communicated something to the shifters at the gate, because they stepped aside and told Wick how much farther he had to go to get to the Alpha’s side of the property. As they drove over the worn, dirt road, they heard warning howls go up. Wick wouldn’t take offense. Vampires were on their land, of course they’d make sure the pack was tucked away safely.
Wick looked around at the beautiful scenery of the Humboldt’s vast land. Acres and acres. The rolling greens where they’d cleared the trees were nothing short of picturesque. Cabins were everywhere. Farms and livestock were being cared for. Wick saw at least two schools, and even a couple makeshift stores.
“They’re looking a little hostile, Captain,” Ramon noted, turning and watching all angles of their vehicle, especially Wick’s side.
“They’re just going about their jobs. It’s curiosity. Nothing more. Vampires probably don’t visit every day.”
Wick was about to agree with his captain but stopped short when he caught sight of the row of shifters standing in front of a large two-story home with sand-colored, handcrafted logs and a huge wraparound porch. Better craftsmanship than any one hundred story skyscraper Wick had ever seen. It looked to be the pack’s hierarchy. They stood in a diamond formation with his Beloved standing in the front. Another large man was to his left and Wick assumed that to be this pack’s Alpha because the man on Justice’s right was his beta and brother. Wick remembered him from the police station. Several more men spanned down the line, with a few women mixed in. All looking strong and ready for whatever was about to happen. Aside from the few men milling about, working or surveying the grounds, the land was void of any other pack members.
Even through the dark windows the shifters could see them. The sun was just at the tip of the tall redwoods behind the cabin, casting the open sky in an array of striking golds and ambers, before it disappeared for the night. This was the moment he’d waited for. Wick hadn’t tried to use his link with Justice, scared to attempt it only to find it gone. He’d felt the apprehension from his Beloved when he thought of how they could live and exist together even though they were so different. Wick wasn’t all that dissimilar from his gorgeous mate, which he was about to show him. Wick opened the door and stepped out, the bright sun hitting him in his face. He tilted his head up and smiled at the romantic sky. The warmth felt lovely on his typically cool skin. The gasps and murmurs of disbelief were easily heard… including his Beloved’s.
“You can walk in the sun?”
It took everything in Wick not to drop down
to his knees and thank the Mother right then and there that their link was still alive. “There’s a lot I can do. Maybe you’ll let me show you.” Wick sighed inside. For the first time, Wick didn’t feel Justice’s nervous feelings.
“May I address one of your packs, Justice?”
Justice stepped forward, his brother at his right only a step behind. Aleksei Volkov was a hulking alpha in his own right and could clearly defend his AZ if needed. Wick was sure his own team was counting down the seconds until the sun set and they could escape the refuge of the SUV and stand at Wick’s back like they were supposed to. His mate nodded once, still eyeing him carefully. Wick didn’t want to turn away from the look of longing and desire he could see in Justice’s miraculous eyes.
But he finally pried his coal-colored eyes away. He looked at each shifter’s unique face, committing them all to memory. They would all be an extension of him soon. In a tone as silky as satin, with a smile that was nothing short of mesmerizing, Wick addressed them all with a simple but regal, “Greetings.”
Good gracious that accent was too damn much. Even through their link, Wick’s voice was like the finest wine. His British accent made him sound noble. He was. Justice hadn’t heard anything like it. He hung on every sure word Wick spoke… or at least he tried to listen.
Justice almost snapped at his siblings but he had to keep his face and posture expressionless. All three of them were in his head while his mate addressed the Humboldt pack hierarchy with a mixture of charm and authority.
Mac: “I can’t believe he came here. And he can walk in the daylight, y’all see that? That’s pretty bad ass, Justice.”
Justice: “Shut up. I’m listening.”
Farica: “He’s so handsome, Just. Wow. Does he smell like really, really good to you?”
Alek: “At least hear him out this time, Justice.”
Mac: “I don’t smell anything, do y’all?”
Alek: “Nope, not a thing. They can shield their scents like alphas can.”
Mac: “Cool. Hmm. I wonder how sharp his fangs are.”
Justice: “Will you guys shut up and pay attention.”
Farica: “I wouldn’t mind if that one in the second row got out so I could get a better look. Yum.”
Alek: “Don’t disgust us, please.”
Justice: “Thank you. Now shush.”
Mac: “Justice, I hear older men are in, bro. Imagine all the cool shit he could tell you about.” Mac snickered. “Like what Jesus was like.”
All of them roared with laughter in his head, he even felt Taleb’s chuckle in the distance. These idiots. Justice pushed a little unwelcome power at his siblings: “I said, quiet.”
No one else spoke in Justice’s head after that.
“I’ve brought a gift of truce, not only to my Beloved Mate, but to this pack as well.” Wick heard his captain get out of the truck and come stand at the hood of the large vehicle; his posture completely open and unguarded. “I’ve sent a large part of my Escort home. The few you see here are disciplined, well-respected vampires, known throughout our species. They are the most influential. The elite. They’ve been hand chosen by myself and my captain to stay and help rectify the disorder amongst the local packs and covens.”
Wick turned and walked to the back of the SUV and beyond, to a small enclosed trailer with slated vents along the side. His dark black slacks curved around his tight ass perfectly. Justice’s chest rumbled at the sight of his mate from behind. Macauley chuckled and Justice realized the sound had escaped him. Which meant his mate heard it, too.
Justice tilted his head and scented at what his mate had brought. He couldn’t smell anything coming from the trailers. What was—?
“I shielded their scent so no one would know we had them on the way here. I simply wanted to make sure I returned them safely.” Wick opened the trailer and walked back to the front of the Tahoe.
Justice watched in awe as eight wolves leaped out and came around the side of the vehicle. They were the wolves that’d been arrested that Justice’s team was trying so hard to get released. His mate brought them to him. As a gift.
The wolves walked cautiously around the vampires of Wick’s Escort, their lips pulled back and a snarl of spittle escaping when the vampires did absolutely nothing in retaliation – like the young wolves were itching for a fight. Justice took everything in, including the bitter scents of fury and aggression. The wolves’ posturing, and their obvious misplaced hostility against the vampires, was a harsh slap of reality in Justice’s face. His own damn shifters were the cause of all this. The display the vampires were putting on clearly showed they had much more control over their behavior than his shifters. It was time for Justice to act. Everyone was waiting for him. The shifters were not from the Humboldt Pack, so Alpha Mikel would not intervene. It was all on Justice, but after the mental anguish he’d suffered the last couple days, he didn’t think he had the energy to pull on his wolf and use his authority. He was wrong. When the larger wolf in front passed Wick and let out a sharp, vicious bark at him. Issuing a clear challenge… Justice realized he’d been grossly mistaken.
It all happened so fast, yet it felt like slow motion.
Justice stepped off with his right foot and bounded a good eight feet in the air, shifting in mid-leap and landing on four large paws. Justice shook out his animal’s thick white and gray fur, his wolf beyond anxious to be let out in the presence of its mate. Justice turned his large head to the darkening sky and howled to the pack and all neighboring packs within miles. The rest of the Humboldt pack emerged from their cabins and the perimeter of dense trees. Some were in wolf form and some human. Whichever their form, they were all staring at the vampires, not the defiant wolves that were currently being kept in a tight line by Alek and Mac, while the impressive Alpha Zenith made his entrance.
Justice finished stretching his massive body – his wolf having been confined for two days – then turned his icy blue eyes on his mate. Justice stood tall and dominant, his tail high in the air. Wick didn’t try to hide his excitement or shield his arousal at seeing his wolf. Justice’s sense of smell was already sensitive but in this form the smell of his mate was driving him crazy. It was so amazing and distinct from anything else around him. His wolf ached to go to Wick and push his body against him so he at least carried his scent. His animal already struggled with his mate not wearing his mark.
“You’re beautiful, Beloved.”
His mate approved and Justice’s wolf howled again. He was torn which way to go. He had a huge job to do as the AZ, but he also had work to put in with his mate. The pull was twice as strong now. Something inside of Wick was beckoning Justice, and it wasn’t only Wick’s soul, but far beyond it.
Another quiet snarl then a sharp bark jerked Justice’s attention away from his mate and back to the young wolf blocked by Alek’s large body, but still pacing, trying to get around him. This wasn’t typical of a wolf so young. He behaved recklessly and against his nature, and it had Justice reacting. No one threatened his mate.
Justice was across the yard in seconds, his speed faster than a cheetah’s, and that was on a slow day. He clamped his huge jaws around the disobedient shifter’s throat and gave him a vicious shake, growling and snarling his disapproval. Justice easily shook the tawny wolf like he was nothing but a stuffed animal. The wolf lay limp, the pungent smell of fear and urine assaulted Justice’s senses. He released the crying animal and just refrained from dragging the pup to his mate’s feet and making him apologize. Instead, Justice pulled back enough to let the wolf roll over and bare his stomach to his Alpha.
“You’ve disgraced yourself, your pack… and me.” Justice sent to the pitiful creature trembling beneath him.
“Alpha. It’s the damn vamps. They’re the disgrace.”
Justice growled ferociously, sending the wolf scampering back with his tail tucked firmly. “Where are you getting this information?”
The wolf looked back at the others, still being disciplined by J
ustice’s brothers. Handling seven shifters was a walk in the park for his betas. Alpha Mikel had shifted into his big, black wolf and was sniffing around the cad wolves, along their flanks, muzzles, and genitals, trying to gather as much information as he could. When one would bark their annoyance, Alek’s reprimand was swift and harsh. Usually a head-butt or sharp nip at their hip to get them back in line.
“Don’t look to them! Answer me!”
The wolf whimpered, then released a sad howl. “My new pack.”
Justice hadn’t approved of any new packs. This shifter uprising wasn’t just against vampires – but him as well! Justice reached out with his mind, looking for voids and holes where shifters should be. If there was a rebellion, they were more than likely getting help to block their locations.
“Where is the pack...? WHERE?!” Justice bristled, his black-rimmed ears up and forward as he pushed enough power out to force the wolf to answer, enough strength to hurt.
“At the base of the Ruby Dome.” The wolf barely formed the sentence, he was whining so loud.
The other wolves tried to deny having any association with the rogue pack, but again, Justice’s brothers shut them up fast.
This needed a lot more investigating and doing it out here wouldn’t get him the answers he needed. If there was a new pack forming, one which was hell bent on starting a species war, then Justice needed to eliminate it. A determined feeling washed over him, making him look back at his mate.
“I can help you.”
“I... I don’t know.”
Wick stared at Justice for a long time. No one spoke, no one moved, not even the chastised pups still belly up on the ground. Wick’s body started to vibrate and his eyes flashed back and forth from blown, jet-black pupils to narrow slits.
Justice’s wolf whimpered and hurried over to his mate.
