by Jessica Snow
Approaching the barn and the surrounding cleared space, Liam slowed to a stalking walk, trying to be as stealthy as possible. He knew that he was alone, and while he did not smell Jerle’s scent at the cave, that did not mean that the big outcast Alpha wasn’t somewhere nearby. Despite Liam’s skills, he knew he was no match for a dozen werewolves, especially if Crystal and Jerle were leading them.
The barnyard was mostly deserted, although he could see three wolves pacing back and forth, and he could tell by watching their movements that they were scared. He decided to change tactics, shifting back to his human form and emerging from the woods. One of the three wolves saw him, and bared his teeth, his fur rippling as he braced himself threateningly. Liam raised his hand. “Stop! I’m not here to pick a fight, I want information only. Where is Crystal Lilly? Where’s the rest of the pack?”
The wolf with the bared teeth didn’t reply, but one of the others shifted, and he recognized the man. He was a part-timer at the Greyson meatpacking plant, one of the workers who Liam had hired mostly to try and keep the other outcast wolves out of trouble. “That crazy bitch is gone. She took off about a half hour ago, along with the others.”
“How many are with her still?” Liam asked. His nose twitched, and he recoiled at the smell of fresh werewolf blood. There was far too much for just somebody who had been injured. “What the fuck is that?”
“She’s making people go cannibal,” the part-timer replied. “First it was Jerle she tore into kibbles n’ bits, then she went off on all the people who went with her on the cave attack, took two of them as examples. I was lucky, I said to hell with looking tough, I ran into the woods.”
“Is that the same for the rest of you?” Liam asked. “Change form and talk with me.”
The other two wolves glanced at each other and then started to change, and he saw why they were being so protective. They were twins, brother and sister, about twenty-two or twenty-three years old. “The Delgados.”
“Yeah. What of it?” The boy, who Liam remembered was named Jorge Delgado, said. “You got a problem with me and my sister?”
“Jorge cut the shit,” his sister said, her voice wavering. “Can’t you see he’s here because of Crystal?”
“Yeah, well what if alpha boy here decides to turn his claws on us because we had to tag along?” Jorge said. “I don’t care if he’s an alpha or not Consuela, I’m not backing down.”
“You were forced to go along?” Liam asked, and Consuela Delgado nodded her head. “How?”
“Crystal came in with a pair of silver bullet pistols, a couple of big bad hand cannons. After she shot Jerle, she made a bunch of us eat chunks of his flesh. One of the others, that crazy fucker Erick, took it on his own,” she answered. “Crystal made him the pack beta, and between her hardware and his muscle, it was too risky to say no. Like Winston over there, though, we ran as soon as we had a chance. I don’t know what brought us back.”
“Okay,” Liam replied, believing their story. “Then where did they go?”
“After the witch showed up at the cave, Crystal brought us back here. She said that she had more targets that just you and your people,” Jorge answered. “Said that she was going to take them downtown, carve out a piece of vampire territory to call their own. There were a few more comments as well, some of it didn’t make a whole lot of sense. I don’t know who all she has a beef with.”
“I do. And if I’m going to stop her, I’m going to need help. Winston, you used to work for me at the meatpacking plant. Would you be willing to follow me now?”
The older outcast thought for a moment then nodded his head. “It’s got to be better than following that crazy psycho. And I am no alpha, hell I don’t even make a good lone wolf.”
Liam nodded, turning his attention to the Delgado twins. “And you?”
“What’s in it for us?” Jorge Delgado asked. “Don’t even try changing or trying to kick my ass. I’ve been taking ass kickings since I was two years old. Taking one from you is not going to change my damn mind.”
“I don’t need to kick your ass, I don’t have the time right now,” Liam said. “How about I offer you something better? How about I offer you respect, and a position in a pack that won’t depend on you acting insane?”
“You say position. What kind of position are you looking for?” Consuela said. “Every pack has a low man on the totem pole.”
Liam had to admit, Consuela Delgado had some brains to her. Too bad she was so loyal to her brother, who had a reputation for wanting to start a fight at the slightest offense. If he calmed down or if she would cut him loose, she’d be a good asset. “And as the pack grows, sometimes those low men get brought up to high positions. I’m not giving you anything you’re not willing to earn. It’s a fair deal.”
The two twins looked at each other, then nodded to each other subtly. Jorge turned to Liam, offering his hand. “Okay, I’ll give you a shot. But if you fuck with me or my sister, you’ll find my teeth at your throat.”
Liam did not doubt that the young wolf would try it, even though it would not be a fair fight. Still, this was the time to be making bridges, not burning them. “And if you fuck with me, you won’t have to worry about where your teeth will be. Because you’ll be picking them up off the floor. You give me respect, I give you respect. Got me?”
The two shook hands before Liam turned and offered his hand to Consuela. “And in my pack, there’s none of this machismo bullshit. Hell, my mate could probably take on all three of you, and take your damn heads off.”
Consuela blushed slightly, smiling a little at the idea of being more than just a female second banana. Liam noted it and reminded himself that if there was a future for his pack, he’d have to keep Consuela in mind for more than just a low-ranking job. “Yeah, the word is you’ve got a very interesting setup for your pack.”
Liam nodded his head. “You don’t know the half of it. Okay, I want you three to all get the hell out of here. Go home, wherever that is, and I’ll be in touch. Keep your ears to the streets.”
The twins nodded and took off, while Winston stopped, turning back to him. “You know, a lot of people were wondering if Crystal was right, back then. The way they said you ran off, the way you pissed off your parents and her parents, and yeah, who they say you mated with. I guess that’s true?”
“She is who she is. And she’s the best mate in the world,” Liam replied simply, his voice low with threat. He didn’t need to say it, but Winston was treading on dangerous ground. He got the message.
“Good. I can tell you, the plant wasn’t the same after you disappeared from there before it was burned down. You always treated everyone with respect. I’m looking forward to seeing that again. And another thing. I don’t think she’s pissed at just you. She’s gone over the top, she’s enraged at everyone and everything.”
Winston turned and disappeared into the woods, leaving behind a thinking Liam, who pondered what the outcast wolf had just said.
He’d thought the whole time about protecting his mate and his pack, but if Crystal was more than just pissed at him, and more importantly, if she was insane enough to go cannibal as well, then the threat wasn’t just to him, but to all the werewolves in the area.
Many of his kind didn’t believe it, but Liam had spent a summer in his high school years doing what was called ‘deferred military training’ before electing to not continue with the military. He knew that while the average soldier wasn’t trained to deal with either a vampire or a werewolf, Liam couldn’t do jack shit against a Bradley fighting vehicle either. Many werewolves, including his father, laughed at his caution, but he knew that with even state and local police getting their hands on high-powered military equipment. If there were enough problems, if there was enough bullshit raised by Crystal, things could get very dicey for all the werewolves, whether they agreed with him or not.
He made his decision, and headed into the barn, looking for a phone. One of the drawbacks of being a werewolf was that
when you changed back from wolf form to human form, you were naked. That meant that things like cell phones, car keys, or even just regular money weren't always available. He’d seen pictures from back in the eighties and nineties when some of the wolves in the pack had tried to get around the problem with the use of fanny packs, but that was a fashion trend that had thankfully gone away, although he had to admit the appeal of the practicality. Still, he wasn’t going to get caught dead wearing a fanny pack in wolf form, which meant that now he didn’t have anything, so he had to go scrounging.
The barn had belonged to other werewolves, though, so they faced the same problems he did. It didn’t take him long before he found a cell phone in a backpack inside the barn and dialed a number he didn’t think he was going to use for a very long time. But, his father was one of the most influential pack leaders in the area, and if he could convince him about the threat that Crystal posed, then maybe it was time to set aside the anger he had towards Lance Greyson in order to get things done.
The phone rang repeatedly in Liam’s ear, and he worried that maybe Crystal had gotten to his family already, but just when he was about to hang up and try his mother’s phone, the call was picked up, and Liam heard a voice that he hadn’t heard in nearly ten months. “Hello? Who’s this?”
“It’s been a long time, Dad,” Liam said, surprised at how little anger he actually felt. For years, he’d been intimidated by his father, who was the epitome of an alpha wolf, strong and fierce and the sort of man you didn’t fuck with. Even when he’d been absolutely opposed to mating with Crystal, he’d been at least slightly intimidated by his father, especially considering some of the ass kickings that he’d gotten from him over the issue. But now, with a mate of his own, children of his own and even what you might call a pack of his own, he wasn’t intimidated at all. If there was any hostility in his voice, it was merely that of one pack alpha speaking to another that might pose a threat to him. “I’m calling to talk about a mutual threat.”
“You’re calling me?” Lance practically yelled into the phone, not so much incredulous as outraged. “Nine fucking months of you acting like a total spoiled whelp, some wet behind the ears puppy that is running away from the spanking he deserves, and now you’re calling to warn me?”
“Goddammit Dad, I’m not calling to rehash shit that ended months ago!” Liam replied, trying to keep a firm grip on his temper. Most of the biggest fights between him and his father had happened because both of them had explosive tempers with hair triggers, although fatherhood had taught Liam at least a little bit more patience. He had to depend on that patience now to get through this. “I’m calling because we are both in danger!”
“Oh, you’re in danger all right, when I find you you’re going to be in more danger than you’ve ever dreamed of!” Lance practically screamed back. Liam realized he’d made a mistake contacting his father directly, the man was obviously still so enraged over his breaking it off with Crystal, that he blamed Liam for all the shit Crystal had gotten up to since then. As if the bitch wasn’t off her fucking rocker before that. “I’m going to carve a piece so big out of your ass that you’ll never recover!”
“Then maybe you can feed that piece to Crystal Lilly because that crazy bitch is back in town,” Liam said coldly, feeling ice start to flow in his veins, something that he’d never felt before. When he had an opportunity, he promised himself he’d have to examine it, it could be useful in the future. “She’s already firebombed her parents’ house, and she’s made herself the alpha of the outcasts that Jerle used to lead.”
Lance snorted in derision. “So, what? She’s got a ragtag bunch of losers, you’d fit right in. As for her parents, they bred her, they paid the consequences.”
“Fuck you,” Liam growled, the words out before he could clamp down on his tongue fast enough. “She attacked my family, you selfish prick. Your grandchildren, and fuck you if you don’t like that. Worse, though, she’s turned cannibal. She ate a good chunk of Jerle from what I can see, she’s forcing those with her to do the same, and she’s carved up a few others. Now she’s taking her little pack of psychos downtown to carve up some vampire ass. She’s going to shatter the truce, and she’s going to get too many people interested in us.”
“That’s your problem,” Lance replied, and Liam growled.
“If the vamps make this a full-scale war, it’s going to be all our problems. I know you don’t place the same faith in the state police or the Army that I do, but packing meat is going to get mighty fucking hard if it comes out that most of your employees are goddamn werewolves. So, it’s in your best interest to get your people involved in tracking the crazy bitch down and putting her in the ground too. Got me?”
“I got you,” Lance replied, his voice dropping to the level of a silky threat. “And you understand me. I’ll keep the pack’s eyes and ears open, but whatever that rabid bitch has in mind isn’t the number one priority in my mind.”
“Yeah well, if you ever want to have that chance at my throat that I can hear in your voice, then you watch your ass. She firebombed my house, she firebombed her own parents. Don’t think that she might not find some reason to be pissed off at you, too.”
Before his father could reply, Liam hung up, tossing the phone aside. He wanted to talk to his mother, she, if anyone, had shown at least a bit of sanity when it came to the whole situation but knew that it wasn’t going to happen. Victoria had occasionally, if not agreed with what Liam’s actions, at least said she understood his thinking. And while she too had once put her hand on his throat, she was always at least reasonable at the beginning of a conversation. Still, he knew that Lance Greyson wasn’t going to let him talk to his mother, and he had more important things to do. He had to meet up with his pack and family again, and figure out how he was going to secure a hunting cabin against werewolf attack.
Stepping out into the main courtyard, he let himself change again, relishing the feeling. There were advantages to his human form, the least of which was his ability to speak. But in his wolf form, he could feel his senses sharpen, his body grow in strength and speed to the point that he felt like his human form was just a poor set of restraints, a flesh colored useless meat bag whose only advantage was opposable thumbs. As a wolf, he felt powerful and free, able to handle the challenges and the dangers that the world held for him and his pack. It was very intense stuff.
Raising his nose, he inhaled, taking in the mixed scents around him, knowing deep in his brain in a place that he could never put into words, things about the world around him. It was no wonder then why his throat opened, and he howled, his voice carrying across the surrounding countryside a song of exaltation, a promise to all those that oppose him for swift and final retribution, and a proclamation that he, Liam Greyson, was going to take on the world as he knew he could.
When the final note drifted away into the chill air, he took off for Bone Lake. Stony Point Cove was one of the most remote areas of Bone Lake, there weren’t any major roads leading up there, and Liam was looking forward to finding exactly where his mate was.
Chapter 43
Kat’s heart fluttered in her chest as she got out of the truck Ashley drove to get them as close to the Bone Lake hunting cabin as they could. “Hell of a parking area,” Ashley quipped, trying to force a little humor into the tense situation. “Your dad always pick places with such great views?”
“It’s remote, and the walk up to the cabin always felt good,” Kat replied distractedly as she got out. “You’ll enjoy it.”
“As long as Liam doesn’t feel the need to take a piss on every pine tree around the entire property to mark his territory,” Ashley half joked, half griped, still trying to distract Kat, but she didn’t hear it, moving through the darkened woods along a path that was as much ingrained in her memory as it was visible to her night vision. Ashley stood there for a moment until Zack cuffed her gently on the shoulder. “What?”
“Just because we have wolf instincts, doesn’t mean we
need to mark our territory,” Zack rebuked her. “And if you were joking, this isn’t the time.”
“Just trying my best to ease the tension,” Ashley said. “Yeah I kick ass, but that quirky, flirty side of me isn’t all camouflage, you know.”
Kat ignored them as she made her way along the almost quarter mile long trail hurriedly, pushed on by not only the scent of her babies, which she could follow like a compass at this distance, but also by something she hadn’t smelled in a long time. For most of her life, she’d thought it was just her sister’s choice of shampoo or something that made her smell the way she did, but she knew now it was as much a part of McKenzie as Liam’s scent reminded her of fire and strength. There was a new note to it, though, and she bet that if she could smell herself, she’d have a similar sort of change in her own body.
All these thoughts fled her mind though as the cabin came into sight, and the strangely homey sight of her cat, Rosie, sitting on the porch waiting for her, her tail swishing back and forth, greeted her. “Rosie?”
The cat got up, tilting its head to the side for a moment before coming over and rubbing against Kat’s legs, purring deeply before walking away and almost leading her inside. When she opened the door, it was hard not to cry as her three babies came scampering to her to jump into her arms, while McKenzie, Carly, and Elizabeth looked up from their discussion, Carly and McKenzie both unsurprised.
“Hey Kat,” McKenzie said as if they’d only been apart for a day or two instead of over nine months. She got up and came over, giving her a once over. “You’re looking good.”
“Kenzie....” Kat said, and then they were in each other’s arms, hugging and sobbing and acting like a couple of fools, clutching at each other and pounding each other on the back. “Where the hell of you been?”
