Prophesy (The King & Alpha Series Book 1)

by A. E. Via

  “He moves in silence. But he has a strong presence. I like that. The fact he’s here without his court or guards speaks volumes to me. That he trusts us.” One of the other alphas nodded towards Wick. “I’m Roz Patel. On behalf of the Sequoia pack, welcome, Alpha mate. I came to tell you personally that you have our full support.”

  Wick stood and addressed the pack with the regality, finesse and the strength of any good leader. He made Justice proud and he let his mate know it. When all the pleasantries and congratulations were done, they immediately got to work. They had two species to protect.

  Justice was grateful for his pack. They’d been preparing for this meeting. Gathering intel about the research facility and where they were getting their funding. Alek had already sent scouts to the Ruby Dome to gather surveillance on the rogue pack. The consensus was that they needed to band together – shifter and vampire – and not only eliminate the rebel shifters, but also rescue anyone that may be currently undergoing experimentation. They couldn’t have anyone trying to replicate their DNA. If hybrids were somehow created, they would only be another enemy.

  They took a break for lunch. A few of the ladies prepared bountiful sandwiches and crudité platters for them to enjoy. No one showed any interest when Justice took his mate upstairs so he could take care of him as well, since the meeting looked like it would extend well into the evening. Wick’s feeding was too intimate to be done in the open.

  As the meeting began to wind down, Justice was confident with the plan Taleb came up with. It was nothing short of genius, but he expected nothing less from his intellect. It wasn’t hard to convince the other alphas and get them on board. They all understood and accepted what Wick and Justice had proof of, that a privately funded group of scientists were paying shifters and vampires to be headhunters.

  “Wick. Your men were not here for this meeting,” Mikel noted. “We’ve basically laid out a plan for them to follow and gave them no input. Taleb’s plan will put your men in grave danger. You will not be there to protect them. It’s impossible for you not to fight by your true mate.”

  That was right on every level. Justice and Wick were meant to fight together.

  “I appreciate your concern, alphas. It may take some time to understand all our cultural differences, especially during a time like this. But my court is here to do what I need of them, and if that happens to be leveling a building in Eureka while shifters storm the rebels’ compound, then they’ll do it. My court’s job is to help me protect, police, and regulate our kind. My third will oversee the mission. A fierce leader in his own right. Taking out those scientists will be considered a gift and the highest honor to my newly appointed captain.”

  “That’s true. I’ve been around this man during conflict. He’s loyal and dedicated to not only his own species, but ours as well. He’ll protect us all with his life,” Justice agreed with his mate.

  “Sounds great,” Alek agreed. “So, when do we get to meet this league of extraordinary gentlemen?”

  Wick laughed musically, the room and everyone in it falling victim to his charm. “They’ll be here this evening. Obviously, my men couldn’t join us for this session. I’ve instructed those already here with me to come join us after dusk. My entire court is in mid-flight as we speak and will arrive later this evening.”

  They were past the skepticism and questioning of allegiance. With their plan in place, and Justice’s wolf feeling more assured that the pack was going to be okay, they began to turn their attention to the only vampire in the room. His mate was as remarkable as knew he would be. He answered all their questions with ease and grace, and was honest and forthcoming about vampiric practices. Even feeding.

  Farica leaped and clapped her hands together. “Oh, we should have a celebration!”

  All the men turned and faced her enthusiasm with their own.

  “Farica, what kind of wild hair just crawled up your butt?” Mac groaned, dodging his little sister’s fast strike.

  “You hush. This will be a party to honor my brother’s new mate. Celebrate our distinguished alphas here, and of course officially welcome Wick’s court. We want to show them we’re thrilled to have them, right?” Farica nodded, trying to get everyone to agree.

  “Farica, my lovely.” Wick took one of her animated hands in his and adorably kissed the back of it. “You are too kind. My men won’t know what to do with you, pretty lady. But don’t put yourselves out. My men aren’t used to welcome wagons, nor are they expecting one.”

  “Well that can change. Isn’t this supposed to all be about change… good change? Oh! They’ll be so surprised,” Farica gushed, already darting from the room.

  “Just let her go, Wick.” Mac laughed. “There’s no stopping her now.”

  “I gotta get to the market. Ross!” Farica yelled. Her voice carried back to them as she made her way to the front of the house. “No worries, Wick. I don’t even have to buy food for you guys… so, no trouble at all.”

  “Alpha mate, your—”

  “You can call me, Wick, Ross. You’ve been so helpful today. Thank you again for picking up my suit. What can I do for you?” Wick touched the young shifter on his shoulder, making him duck his head shyly.

  “Yes, Wick. Farica told me to come tell you that your captain is arriving.” Ross smiled politely, then hurried back downstairs when Farica bellowed for him to run another errand.

  “That boy needs two more hands.” Wick laughed, closing the door.

  “Or legs.” Justice held Wick from behind while he fixed his hair in the bathroom mirror. “Farica runs him to death. But Mikel is grooming him to be an enforcer, so he’s paying his dues.”

  “I haven’t encountered many children, but I like him.” Wick smiled, leaning back against Justice’s firm chest. “He’s a good kid.”

  “Yeah, he is. Most of the pups are. It’s why we have to protect them. Shield them from those assholes.”

  “We will. Together.” Wick let Justice kiss his mark before he pulled away.

  They’d wrapped up the meeting by four and everyone had dispersed to get ready for the evening’s festivities. They were still at Alpha Mikel’s home, using one of his bedrooms to get ready. Wick had changed suits to another dark one, but he lost the tie and instead, opened the top two buttons. Justice was still comfortable in his jeans, but he chose a collared shirt and rustic cowboy boots. Damn, he was too fine.

  Wick didn’t try to hide his interest… not anymore. It was okay for him to feel happiness, joy, and elation. They were all going to be together tonight. Vampires and shifters, eating and drinking together. Banding together with one common goal. He hoped the Mother was proud of them so far. Wick felt a comforting reassurance that wasn’t from Justice.

  Justice sniffed the air. “Your captain is here. You should come down and introduce them to the others.”

  “Sure.” Wick held Justice’s hand on their way downstairs.

  Farica was just opening the door and squealing in the captain’s face when they got to the bottom. She clamped her arms around Ramon and squeezed him good. It was comical to watch because Ramon’s classically handsome and typically unresponsive face looked stunned. He stooped awkwardly from her pull, his arms out to his sides, looking for assistance from anyone close by. Wick laughed loudly, watching the exchange. Poor Ramon. He had no clue what to do with all that energy surrounding him. Farica introduced herself proudly, stepping aside so she could usher the four vampires with him inside.

  “We’re going to be starting at seven. You guys are a bit early, but that’s okay. I find promptness to be an admirable quality. We’re just about done setting up.” Farica pointed out the large window in the front room. “The decorations are amazing, right?”

  Ramon gently patted Farica’s hand that still clamped his and pulled him through the house. “Señorita, forgive us. I didn’t realize you were having a function. We’ll excuse ourselves.”

  “Oh, no,” Farica gushed at Ramon’s Hispanic accent, his chivalry an
d politeness. “The party is for y’all.”

  “Perdón?” Ramon blinked owlishly.

  Wick finally stepped forward and saved his court leader. “Captain Ramon Vega, you’ve already met Justice’s sister, Farica, one of the loveliest shifters you’ll ever encounter. Let me take you over to meet some of Justice’s pack. The visiting alphas should be coming back soon.”

  Wick extricated his captain from Farica’s piercing blue eyes and kung fu grip. “They’ll be around mingling for you to dote on later, lovely.”

  Farica appeared all right with the brush off… momentarily. Wick and his mindful mate watched just how long it took for Farica to walk away from the big captain.

  “I think you may have an admirer.” Wick smirked at Ramon.

  Ramon’s eyes widened even more. He wiped at imaginary sweat on his forehead. “I would never, Justice. I swear it.”

  Justice smiled, shaking his head. “My sister is a grown woman. An alpha. If there’s something she wants, there’s not a soul on this earth that can stop her. She recognizes strength when she sees it.” Justice clamped Ramon on his shoulder. “You’re a good man. I wouldn’t have a problem with it.”

  “But—”

  “No need to go too deep into that right now, Ramon. Come. I want to fill you in on my meeting earlier before the remaining court arrives.” Wick took his men over to where Mikel was gathered with Justice’s brothers and a few more of his pack members. Stances were friendly and Wick found himself praying to the Mother it would stay that way.

  “Who came up with this plan? I couldn’t have devised a better one myself.” Ramon agreed with their course of action as soon as Wick finished detailing it.

  Justice confidently pointed at his little brother, who wasn’t so little at all. He stood about an inch shorter than Justice and was slightly less built than the others, but his aura and power was no less evident. He was quiet, observant, cautious. Wick knew men with those kinds of assets. The deadliest of them all.

  His captain shook Taleb’s hand again, getting a few more details from the smart man while the others began to move around with some of the other pack. Wick was glad they weren’t staying hidden. No, his team was getting involved, asking intelligent questions and making valuable contributions. Hell, even Henry had Taleb intrigued with his inquiries. Really intrigued.

  “Okay, the guests are arriving!” Farica called out. Damn, where did a sweet lady get lungs like those? When she spoke, people listened, then they moved. “Let’s go outside and enjoy!”

  Business had been conducted and it was time to unwind. The party was in full swing by nine o’clock. Wick had to admit, shifters sure knew how to throw a celebration. The huge field was now covered with not only pack and local visitors, but also picnic tables, balloons, and strings of lights. It was damn near daylight, Farica had so many torches lit.

  The food flowed in abundance, and boy could they eat. Meat and smoke from the massive grills, operated by five men, could probably be smelled for miles. Wick was sitting on Justice’s lap after he’d finished his steak, ribs, coleslaw, mac-n-cheese, and… Wick had lost track of what else. He watched in amazement as they all ate, so did his team. However, it wasn’t long before they were teasing each other about eating habits, his own men getting in a few good rib jokes of their own.

  Wick hadn’t smiled this long in… well, never. There wasn’t a reason for any of them to throw a celebration. Sure, there were city vampires that enjoyed clubs and shindigs, but they were in the minority. Some music was turned up louder and couples began to make their way to a large patch of grass that was well worn. The music changed from fast, upbeat tempos to slow ballads. When Wick saw Henry being led to the dance area by Taleb, he slowly sat forward in wonder. Everyone parted and let them through, watching carefully. Had any of them ever seen a vampire dance? Not likely. Wick sure hadn’t. So he was very interested.

  “Wow.” Justice pulled Wick back against him. “Everyone’s making friends, huh?”

  “I’ll say.” Wick blinked.

  The song was slow, very few lyrics over a peaceful instrumental. Taleb and Henry didn’t remove their eyes from each other. They were doing that thing again, where the world disappeared around them. Taleb was a few inches taller than Henry, but somehow, he folded in perfectly against Taleb’s chest, resting his head there like he did it all the time. Henry’s arms were around Taleb’s neck while Taleb whispered something against his ear. It was low enough for only them to hear. What a sight to see. It was inspirational.

  But, like all good things….

  The piercing alarm sounded right as the slow song came to an end. Everyone froze for a split-second right before Mikel’s powerful voice carried across the field. “Women and children inside now! Women and children!” Then there was pandemonium as the guards and enforcers made sure to get them to safety.

  “Who’s coming?” Mikel asked after he made sure the vulnerable members of his pack were secured.

  Four wolves came charging up – they were the ones that sounded the alarm – one shifted in mid-skid, stopping directly in front of Mikel. “This hit right next to my head on the tower. I sounded the alarm, jumped down and we ran. I’m so sorry, Alpha, but I didn’t know what this was.”

  Justice took the dart from the young man’s hand while his alpha commended him for his fast action. It was identical to the one the Mother had showed him. It was beginning.

  Wick scented the air. Turning around. “It’s a lot of them. Shifters… not humans.”

  “How can you tell? I don’t smell them… they must be downwind, or shielding their scents,” The Sequoia alpha asked, all of them looking at Wick and Justice for answers.

  “There’s no time for us to explain, but we will later. For now, let us do what we’re supposed to do,” Justice commanded. The other alphas nodded and let Wick instruct his two guards to scour the perimeter for any lurking threats. He ordered Captain Ramon to stay with him and Henry. Fact of the matter was they were five vampires alone in a forest full of shifters. Wick had to protect his men, too.

  Justice and Wick looked at each other, both of them turning their heads in the opposite direction when almost fifty shifters burst through the trees, running full speed across the land. Justice shook his head at the disrespect. How dare they? During his and his mate’s celebration. Their defiance needed to end now. Justice hurried out of his clothes, telling his brothers and sister not to follow suit… yet. He didn’t want this war to be on Mikel’s land. He’d worked too hard to get it this beautiful.

  Justice communicated to his mate, then turned and let his big animal tear free. Justice trotted forward to keep his pack behind him and growled at the oncoming mob, pushing enough power at them to shake the ground they ran on. Many of them lost their stamina, falling to the ground in a mess of whimpers and snarls. He hated to hurt them, but they choose their fates by turning against him. Justice bared his large teeth at the ones still coming.

  “Again.” He felt his mate.

  Justice took in a deep breath and released another bone-chilling growl, halting more of them. The alpha and his mate were in the front, leading the group. They were no longer running, instead they walked to within ten yards of Justice and stopped. The energy he’d pushed at them had been enough to deter any plans they had of ripping through his pack. They were winded and hurting, fighting through Justice’s strength.

  The Ruby Dome alpha shifted. His voice was strong despite his labored breaths. “That was some display of power, Alpha.”

  “Alpha Zenith, motherfucker!” Alek thundered, his own power mixing with Justice’s. It was a force strong enough to make half of the traitor’s pack roll over and present their bellies in submission.

  The alpha turned and growled menacingly at his pack but they couldn’t help it. They were too weak, their auras devoid of the Mother’s presence. Brainwashed, and now outcasts because of their deceitful alpha and their horrible greed.

  Justice shifted too, glaring down the few members st
ill standing.

  “If you submit now, I will not harm any of you. However, I cannot overlook your rebellion.” Justice stepped closer, his dark brows cast down and his lips tight from controlling his anger. “Submit. And you will be confined to a shifter facility for no less than eighteen months. After, you can petition to join an approved pack again.”

  About a quarter of the remainders got down and surrendered. One of Mikel’s lead enforcers quickly rounded them up.

  “I will not give you a second chance,” Justice barked at them. A couple more scurried away but there were still some that were staying loyal to their alpha.

  “Leave my pack alone. I’m here to make a few demands.” The alpha glared at Justice. His voice was stern and steady despite the mental beating he’d just taken. He was about three inches taller than Justice, with wide shoulders and even wider thighs. A massive man that had an impressive animal. Too bad he was an ass. “I declare my pack free and clear of your rule. I’m only here to recruit… not steal. I’m here to release any who want to go from your oppressive laws and offer them something better. Something they deserve. Freedom.”

  “Money,” Justice growled, correcting him. He stepped forward, surprised the alpha was holding his position and the eye contact… so was his fuckin’ wench of a mate. Ultimate disrespect. “No one here will join you, and if you think for one second you’re just gonna turn around and walk out of here, then you’ve lost your damn mind.”

  The alpha snarled again then turned with his arms open wide, yelling across the large property so all men could hear him. He ignored Justice’s threat and homed in on what he thought was his trump card. “Yes, and money.” His bass-filled voice carried. “Better living. Better resources. We’ll take back our forest and our streets from the damn vamps, while your AZ makes you consort with them. Forces you to. I don’t want to rule you. You can rule your own home. Every man is an alpha at the Ruby Dome!”