Their grandmother walked around the room, sniffing like she did often, and then toward the window. She pulled the curtains apart slowly and glanced around, then paused and closed them. “What did he say before he took off?”
“Uhm, he said I should go stay on the ranch with you guys. That he would get in touch with me when he could, and I shouldn’t tell anyone about the baby being his. I guess he was embarrassed.”
“Embarrassed? Hmm, not the case at all. Someone must know you’re pregnant with the cub and want to hurt you.”
“The cub?” Alex asked.
“You, too? He referred to the baby as a cub constantly. I thought it was a joke but kind of cute in a way.”
Grandma grabbed her shoulders. “Let’s pack some things up. I’ll send someone for the rest at a later date. We need to go now. It isn’t safe around here.”
“Grandma, I don’t understand any of this.”
“He should have warned you. Told you who he really is. Especially if you’re his mate.”
“Mate?” Alex asked.
“What the hell is that? Some sort of old-school name for boyfriend and girlfriend?” Alyssa asked.
“Move it now and I’ll explain. Hopefully we can get back home without any problems,” Grandma said and stared at the two of them.
“You both are so very important. I suppose it wasn’t fair to keep such secrets. I never would have expected either of you to wind up in a situation like this. Spells are for good reason, so something is coming. The time may be approaching sooner than I thought. Come on.”
“Pregnant? I know you’re probably disappointed, Grandma, and that you wanted me to finish college, too. I can do it. Galvan will be supportive. He loves me, and I love him.”
“If he can stay alive. But if he gets you and that baby killed, who is currently the only heir to the Keuric family, then trouble is only just beginning, child. Hurry up, while I think of a plan.”
* * * *
Alex was holding the steering wheel tight as Alyssa cried, and Grandma rambled on about strange things like wolves, wolf packs, other realms and magical creatures. A whole other world that they only knew about through fairy tale stories Grandma told them as she raised them. Alexandra had always enjoyed the stories and she asked questions about how things worked and how wolves lived among humans, but it was all a fantasy, or so she thought. Their mother and father disappeared when they were babies, and grandma raised them. Neither parent returned, and Grandma had taught them so much. Specifically, to be strong and empowered, intelligent, and to seek their dreams. She felt terribly for Alyssa right now as Grandma was explaining about the baby or babies that were in Alyssa’s womb, and about them being shifters.
“I don’t understand any of this. It can’t be real. It just can’t be real,” Alyssa said.
“It is real, and you need to remember those stories I read to you two when you were children. They are all true. They weren’t fantasies, fantasy lands or ideas and places. There are packs everywhere. Some are wolves, some are bears, some can multi-shift into whatever, or whomever, they want to.”
Alex listened, and questions began to form in her mind. Things she often wondered about as a child. Sensations she had, especially while fighting, and learning so many forms of self-defense training.
“I can’t explain it all. You won’t absorb it right now, but when we get to the ranch, we prepare as necessary. I’ll need to contact Galvin’s family.”
“His family?” Alyssa asked her grandma.
“Yes,” Grandma said, and then looked across the seat at Alex. Alex looked at her, then back to the road and swallowed hard. “Our focus must be protecting you and that baby. I don’t know who might be playing interference.”
“I don’t understand any of this. How would you know Galvin’s family? I never even met them,” Alyssa said to her.
“He should have told you of his position. Maybe it has to do with his brothers, and their wildness. They are separated all over the world. A lot of the families are now, and living amongst the humans to blend in. Especially as someone continues the takeover. Their pack isn’t immune to the evil. Packs are suffering, dying, collapsing from within. There are rogue wolf packs, soldiers loyal to enemies of the packs. It’s a lot of information, I know, but that will be explained in time. Right now, protecting you and the baby is our priority,” Grandma said, and then reached over and tapped Alex’s thigh.
“With everything we have. Listen to your gut. Fight to live no matter what. It’s coming. Time is drawing near,” Grandma said.
Alex saw the headlights, bright, blinding, appear behind them on the long empty road. “Oh God, another vehicle.”
“Step on the gas. Don’t let them close enough!” Grandma yelled, and then pulled out a silver blade from under the seat. In front of Alex another vehicle appeared with bright lights, blocking their path. She hit the brakes, preparing to attempt to crash by it on the side. But then the vehicle, a large truck, slammed into the back of them. The women all screamed.
“Come, Cable’t!” Grandma yelled, and the car crashed into the ravine.
Alyssa screamed. Alex hit her head. Dazed and confused, the fumes of smoke and fuel filled her nostrils. She heard what sounded like a roar, and snapped out of her dazed state despite the blood that dripped by her eye. Alex went to see if they were okay, her head bleeding, her mind fuzzy. The glass in the backseat window crashed open, and some sort of half wolf, half man, with long sharp teeth and nasty green glowing eyes growled loudly as he reached for Alyssa.
“No!” Grandma and Alex screamed.
Alex followed her gut and slammed at the monster’s head. He yanked Alyssa out onto the ground as her sister covered her belly. Alex fought. She struck and kicked, and then heard the animal howl as Grandma stabbed him with the silver knife. The wildest, loudest, scariest wolf howl filled the evening sky, and he wacked Grandma, sending her against the dashboard. Alex gripped the knife and shoved it deeper. The wolf howled. She saw others coming— two, three— she wasn’t sure, and didn’t know what to do.
“The silver knife. Use the silver knife, child,” Grandma said to her, and she yanked it from the one dead wolf’s chest, and then turned just as another wolf attacked. She slashed at his throat with vigor, conviction, and as if she were a warrior. The next one howled and charged at her; he slashed her arm with his long, sharp claws and she screamed out, her adrenaline rushing forward as Grandma continued to cry out some sort of name. She struck this one in the chest and he howled. Blood dripped from his mouth and he fell to the ground.
“Alexandra!” Alyssa screamed.
As she turned, another wolf was reaching for Alyssa. He ripped her top and went for her belly. Alexandra struck him in the back with the silver blade, and he fell to the ground, but it was too late when she heard the additional roar, turned, and struck the wolf in the chest with the sword as he slammed his arm against her head and neck. She fell to the ground, and could barely move. She felt the life leaving her body, then heard what sounded like cries and pleas of help to someone by her grandmother.
Alex’s mind hummed, flashbacks of her childhood went through her mind. A man and woman looking human and then like wolves. They were glowing, sparkling with what she could only describe as a magic light around them. They both looked fierce, like warriors standing side by side. She felt pride, power, a magic within her. A deep voice whispered around her as all other sounds went silent.
“Help her, Cable’t. You must help her.”
“There are repercussions to this, Margarete. Ties that can never be broken. Life cycles never ending. She’ll be part of me and me part of her. I could kill her trying.”
“Do it. She needs to live. The gods want her to live, and I believe you are meant to save her life.”
“I could kill her by trying.”
“Look at her. She is already dying. Do it. I know it’s meant to be, and so do you, so do it now!”
Just as darkness overtook her vision, and her blood fe
lt as if it was seeping from her body, weakening her, turning her into nothing, a rush of something shot through her system. The blood circulated as quick as light, her muscles ached, her heart pounded and felt as if it grew, her entire being came to life giving her strength, capability, and a cockiness she never had before. She blinked her eyes open, and locked gazes with the most handsome man she had ever seen.
Dark black eyes, slicked back black hair, dressed all in black, some sort of suit, while blood dripped from his lips and the largest white, sharp fangs she had ever seen. He looked at her wide-eyed like he was shocked at her response, and perhaps he liked what he saw, as well. She felt an instant, deep connection and held onto him, to the feeling. Then there was darkness once again.
Chapter One
“It seems like the gods are against us. Everywhere we turn, every mission we send our sons and the troops on, come up with hardly anything new. I’d hate to believe the people, the packs, are giving up,” Comton Saint said to one of his brothers, Lytes.
“They are not giving up. They’re scared. Whoever is responsible for the attacks knows exactly what they are doing. We’ve seen it going on for the past few years now. One by one, pack by pack, and now moving closer to ours and our families’ packs. We need to call the others back home,” Lytes stated.
Frame, their other brother and also an Alpha of the family, spoke up. “I don’t think we need to call for all of them. Right now, surrounding packs are preparing as we are, setting up security at higher levels, and educating the soldiers on what to look for and to be ready. The problem is, we all have so many humans mixed into these towns, the villages and even the cities, that it’s difficult to differentiate who is around and why.”
“That is because we all have gotten comfortable with living amongst the humans, and trying to just live normal lives, raise our families, and not expand, or connect with other packs. Each pack is so close-knit that they keep to themselves. However, with all these attacks and fear running rampant across the realms, more species, more shifters of all kinds, are congregating together out of fear,” Comton said to them.
“The arranged marriages in order to expand territory could help to keep the power where it belongs and to expand, so there are more of us then there are of them,” Lytes said.
“That’s because it never worked out in the end. Look at all the lives destroyed, the unnecessary deaths as true mates would come across their women, and kill the men they were with because they didn’t belong together. There was so much bloodshed. Never mind the marriages forced by those evil doers. It was a messy time and we don’t need to revisit it,” Frame added.
“There are still many packs pushing this and ignoring the chances of failure, never mind the increase in rogue wolves they’re dealing with. You can’t force wolves, bears, dragons, whatever shifters, to mate with someone they were not meant to mate with. Taking control of that natural power of the gods more often than not ends badly,” Lytes said.
“Tell that to Voltek pack, Shay, Luddow, and Polta packs, and the many others who have fallen into that idea of mixing breeds, or forcing a connection with packs not meant to be combined. It’s chaos and ultimately they self-destruct,” Comton stated.
“Have you heard from Selania’s alphas, and the situation they thought they had this morning?” Lytes asked.
“Briefly. She was very concerned over the news that several enforcers were ambushed down south. She got in touch with her sons, but turns out they are out of the country,” Comton said.
Their wife Elaina walked into the room. “How about our sons?”
Comton looked her over with love and admiration. She was a gorgeous woman, even more stunning in her wolf form. They had their share of close calls over the years, especially several years back when the trouble seemed to get started. Lytes pulled her into his arms and kissed her tenderly. Frame followed suit, running his hand along her ass in the slim fitting blue dress she wore. She would be heading into town to help out with the orphanage the families and packs set up to help reconnect families. The outbreaks of invasions, and the murder of wolves forced a loss amongst the packs and these types of shelters, or orphanages, to begin to pop up everywhere.
“Where is Stamos?” Comton asked, but he knew he was right outside the doorway waiting on their mate to accompany her into town.
“You know where he is. What’s wrong?” she asked, pressing her palms to his chest and rubbing them up and down his pectoral muscles.
He inhaled, and her touch relaxed him. He covered her hands with his and held her gaze, staring down into her blue eyes. She was a good foot shorter than him and his brothers.
“I want you safe, and considering the danger mere miles from here, as your alphas, we don’t want to take any chances.”
“Then come with me,” she said, tilting her chin up toward him.
Comton cupped her chin, the woman was defiant and sexy, and the perfect mate to three alpha males. “I wish I could, but you know we are working on increasing security, upgrading the credentials to allow access into our developments in order to protect the elders, and the members who are most important. It’s a process, my love.” He stroked her jaw.
“Well, I’m busy trying to find families that will take in these poor cubs. It’s upsetting. I’m hoping our fieldtrip today will bring about some opportunities and hope for the children.”
“The city trip? I nearly forgot. Stamos will need additional guards with him.”
“Already covered,” Lytes said as Stamos walked into the room with two other guards.
“Excellent,” Comton said as his mate turned and smiled at the men.
She glanced at her watch. “We need to go,” she said, and the men nodded and watched her leave.
“When do you think we’ll hear from our sons?” Lytes asked.
“I was going to ask the same thing. Our mate is worried about them. They’ve been gone for so long,” Frame said to Comton.
“I know, but they have been protecting us from afar, along with their cousins. I’m sure Selania is just as concerned over Jordan, Korkak, and Lucca, as Elaina is concerned over our sons, Preston, Heracio, and Saunder. They are all good men, alphas to the packs, and eventually our replacements. Hopefully they are all coming closer to finding out who is responsible for all the destruction and the breaking down of werepacks throughout the United States. All we can do is focus on protecting our loved ones here within the perimeters of our land. That’s what the meeting today is about. Security, and enforcing the rules that were established by the elders to protect each and every one of us.”
“Tell that to the rogues trying to destroy those rules,” Frame said sarcastically.
“I think the last thing any of us would do if we got our claws on those rouges responsible for the deaths and destruction, would be talking,” Comton said, and his brothers chuckled.
Comton didn’t like the feelings he was having lately. Things were changing even amongst the members of this community. Wolves weren’t trusting one another. Enemies were finagling their way into packs and destroying from within. He was feeling more than concerned. He was on edge, and hoped that soon some of these enemies, and rogue wolves would be revealed, and hopefully lead them closer to the ones responsible.
* * * *
Alexandra held the camera, and zoomed in on the flowing waterfalls cascading into the manmade koi pond. It was one of the many sites that helped identify the city of Dallas. Some large buildings, the M-Line trolley, took her into the art district. She was working for a private company and currently hired as a freelance photographer. Today she was taking pictures of the downtown area and the art district, and hopefully would catch some live action on the streets. She swallowed hard, and felt a little bit of pain in her head. The injuries she had sustained in the car accident four years ago caused her problems here and there. She wasn’t complaining, because she could have died and no one, not even the doctors, could explain why she lived. However, whenever pain began to form in her head
, she would get this sensation like she was over concentrating, or feeling on edge. It would last a few minutes tops, and then it would begin to ease, while simultaneously feeling warmth, and a connection to something she could only describe as part of her. It was strange, but she wanted for it now and it took longer than usual to feel it. Perhaps she only imagined it? Either way, it helped her to deal with the pain.
She heard some laughter, and then turned to see a bus unloading children to enter one of the art galleries she was heading toward. It was a large place that also had an outdoor garden area with all types of sculptures and unique pieces from local artists. As she walked closer, she zeroed in on certain people. These were all shifters. No humans among them, except for people who were already walking into the gallery. She swallowed hard. It had been information overload for many years. To learn of her parents’ disappearance, or death, no one was sure, and to learn of their place, hers, Alyssa’s and baby Brock, who was turning five shortly. Their grandmother thought it better to keep Alyssa and the baby hidden, and not even inform Galvan’s family of the heir. She felt that was wrong, but a higher power was at hand and they had to obey the gods.
She couldn’t help but smile to herself as she looked at the children. They were so happy and innocent. Some of these children were around Brock’s age. Brock had quite the personality and Alyssa was doing well raising him on her own. Her sadness, not having seen Galvin or knowing if he was dead or alive, ate at her every day.
“Let’s stay in two lines so we don’t cause any trouble,” one woman said, and tapped some of the kids’ shoulders, directing them to which line to stand on. That woman stood out in her designer blue dress, low heels, and gorgeous face. She was stunning, but she was of the wolf and that made Alexandra pretty uneasy. Her and wolves didn’t mix well. In fact, she avoided them as much as possible, even good looking ones she met at bars with her friends. It was like some sort of inner warning signal went off each time she met a man. She always got the not good enough, or not right sensation, and wondered how she knew, and what if she were wrong? What if her fears, her realization that she was more than human, meant for more than this life was standing in her way of letting anyone close to her?
Hunters of the Gods_Power of Their Mate Page 2
