A roar echoed down the main corridor, and instinctively she ducked behind a stone column as her alpha prime, Rafe Woodland, stalked into the long stone cavern. She’d learned that disappearing was always the best option in her dealings with the lycan.
“What do you mean, you can’t?” he shouted, arms out.
Dion, the recently appointed Woodland Guardian Prime, strode alongside him. “The supplies have been stopped beyond Summercliffe—Alpine have made a blockade.”
Rafe took a deep breath as he clenched and unclenched his fingers, and Trinity drew deeper into the shadows. Some of the others in the hall paused. Everyone knew the warning signs.
“We need those supplies,” he grated, his teeth visible.
“We can’t get them.”
Rafe picked up a cup and hurled it at the wall, and Trinity flinched as the ceramic shattered into small pieces.
Those close enough in the hall to witness the display rose to their feet, and Trinity watched as some of the men exchanged wary looks. A child huddling under one of the tables closest to Rafe caught Trinity’s eye, and she sighed. Jax. The pup looked scared, and Trinity glanced around for his mom. The woman was nowhere to be seen; she was probably back in her den staring at a dirt wall as she pined for her dead mate.
Meanwhile, their alpha was having a temper tantrum, and the pack was keeping its distance. Like she should. Jax’s anxious gaze met hers, and her breath escaped in a frustrated gust. She knew what it was like to be the lost kid hiding under the table. Damn it. She should mind her own business. Pretend she didn’t hear or see anything. One more look at the kid cowering beneath the table and she pursed her lips. Ah, hell.
She stepped out from behind the pillar, trying to do it slowly, without calling attention to herself.
“You had one job—get the supplies and come back.” Rafe backhanded his guardian, sending him crashing against the table under which Jax cowered, and Trinity frowned. Dion reared up, his fists clenched, but forced himself to lower his gaze beneath the angry glare of his alpha prime. Dion’s predecessor had died at the hands of the vampire lawyer in the woods, and Dion was still trying to prove himself to the pack leader. It wasn’t Dion’s fault the border was closed. He didn’t deserve that kind of treatment. He was a guardian prime now, too, and should be treated with the respect due his station, especially in front of the rest of the pack.
“What did you expect, Rafe?” Trinity asked coolly as she stepped farther into the hall, wending her way through the small cluster of people, all attempts at blending into the background set aside. She tried to hide the tension in her fists by clutching onto the straps of her backpack. He was being unfair to her pack mate—and she hated unfair. “We’ve antagonized them.” She was still trying to understand the strategic benefit of killing the Alpine Alpha Prime, and she knew other pack members struggled with Rafe’s rationale. If she’d known Rafe’s intention of killing another pack’s alpha prime, she would have tried to stop him. Which was probably why she hadn’t known until Rafe had sent guardians into Nightwing, the neighboring vampire territory, to abduct a half-blood vampire and the human accused of the Alpine pack leader’s murder in an effort to bury the truth with them. No wonder Alpine were blocking them. They’d killed an alpha prime.
Rafe turned to face her, and his eyes narrowed when he recognized her.
“Trinity. This doesn’t concern you.”
Despite the knot in her stomach, she raised her eyebrows. “Well, if we can’t get anything into Woodland, it concerns me. It concerns the whole pack.” Nightwing was their most direct route from Irondell, the capital city of Metriz. After the time of Resolution, and during Reformation, each breed was assigned territory, and there were strict rules for governance, travel and trade that had to be observed. Irondell was the engine for it all, home to a blending of all breeds, including humans, and the seat for the Reform Council.
While they had other options like going through the River, Glen and Alpine territories, as well as the Plains, each alternative presented its own issues. They were already low on some of the medical supplies, and they needed to restock their food before the first snows of winter.
Rafe put his hands on his hips as he strolled toward her. His movements were casual, but his posture was intimidating. The ring on his finger glinted in the torchlight from the wall sconces. It bore the Woodland crest, and was only worn by the Woodland Alpha Prime. The sight of that ring would normally make a pack member bow their head in submission.
She lifted her chin. She was a former Scion. She wouldn’t allow herself to be intimidated. As he stepped closer, she recognized the ire in his green eyes, such a bright contrast against the fall of dark, scruffy hair, the tanned skin and dark shadow of a beard, and she locked her knees into place. Nope. Not intimidated. He was tall and broad-shouldered, his size as imposing as the mountain they lived within, but she knew him well enough to see past the darkly handsome looks to the even darker personality within. They’d lived as pack mates all her life, yet she could honestly say she didn’t know this lycan. He’d been normal, once. Hell, they’d been friends. Then over the course of one winter he’d visited his father in another pack and returned a born-again douche. She barely recognized this angry, bitter stranger. The man who’d taken over her father’s position. Her grip tightened on the straps of her backpack.
“Don’t push it,” he said, his voice low in warning.
“Rafe—we’ve just received a request,” a voice called out, and Trinity turned, as did Rafe. Channing, the head of tech, jogged into the hall.
Rafe frowned, visibly annoyed by the interruption. “For what? From whom?”
Channing came to a stop in front of his alpha, his expression earnest. “Alpine Pack request parley.”
Trinity’s eyes widened, and she could sense the growing trepidation from her pack mates behind her, yet she felt a relief at the distraction, no longer under the steely regard of her alpha prime.
“Oh, do they just?” Rafe murmured.
“‘Matthias, Alpine Guardian Prime, formally requests parley with Rafe, Alpha Prime of Woodland Pack,’” Channing quoted, then dropped his gaze.
Dion swore softly, and the guardians who were in the hall rose to their feet. Trinity stepped closer, and her movement drew Rafe’s attention.
“This doesn’t concern you, either.” His tone was implacable.
Parley from Alpine didn’t concern her? Didn’t concern pack? Woodland had killed the Alpine Alpha Prime. Alpine were coordinating blockages to supplies and services, and now wanted to discuss a resolution under truce. This concerned all of Woodland Pack. She opened her mouth to tell him so, but Rafe put a finger to his lips.
“Remember, you’re no longer part of the Family Prime.” He cocked his head to the side, and flashed his teeth in a smile. Trinity eyed his incisors. Those darn teeth. Even now, he lengthened them for effect, for intimidation. This whole debacle had started when he’d visited the Armstrong shadow breed medical clinic in Irondell for a fang enhancement. Now he didn’t need to shift in order to use his fangs. Those new fangs also came with an aggressive attitude and a thirst for power. Arthur Armstrong had a lot to answer for. “Unless you’d like to discuss your position?”
He leaned against the table and folded his arms, waiting for her response. Jax paled, and looked about frantically for an escape route.
She maintained eye contact as she stepped closer and leaned down to reach under the table. “No, I’m good, thanks,” she said, and felt a small hand slide into her own.
She tugged, and the little boy crawled out, his eyes wide as he glanced up at his fearsome alpha. She pulled him behind her as she started to back away from Rafe. He watched her, his gaze shifting between her and the boy.
“Are you sure?” he asked silkily. “You seem to have an opinion on everything.” She shook her head. “Then stay out of my busi
ness,” he said, his voice louder as he straightened from his position. He glanced around the crowd in the hall. “I’m calling a guardian meeting. Everyone else, clear the hall.” He glanced back at Trinity. “I’ll deal with you later.”
Trinity swallowed as everyone except the Woodland guardians cleared the hall, the low hush of conversation gradually quieting. She nudged Jax in the direction of one of the corridors. She didn’t want to be “dealt with” later, particularly not by Rafe. She should have just kept her mouth shut and disappeared into the background.
“Go back to your den. Help out your mother. I’ll see you tomorrow for class.”
Jax nodded, all too pleased to escape the tension of the great hall.
Trinity hurried from the cavern. She didn’t look back, but she could feel the heavy weight of Rafe’s stare as she left. Next time, she really would keep her mouth shut.
She knew what he was asking. Hell, pretty much everyone within earshot knew what he was asking, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. The price was too high.
Chapter 2
“I still don’t think this is a good idea.”
Matthias spared his friend a brief glance. Zane’s brown gaze scanned the forest terrain around them. Late-afternoon sunlight filtered through the trees, casting light and shadow in dappled patterns across the forest floor.
“Relax, Zane, we’ll be fine,” Matthias said, his arms at his sides as he gazed down the trail.
“I don’t trust Rafe Woodland as far as I can throw him,” the guardian muttered, folding his arms.
Matthias’s lips twitched. “Neither do I.” He’d been surprised that Woodland had agreed to parley. Surprised and suspicious.
“We should be doing this in Nightwing. Neutral territory.”
Matthias glanced over his shoulder, looking for any giveaway movement in the underbrush. Nightwing was the home territory for a colony of vampires, spearheaded by the Marchetta family. Well, Vivianne Marchetta. There was a brother, Lucien, but he hadn’t been in the area for years as he headed up the family’s interests on the west coast. “Our deal with Marchetta is for thoroughfare only. If we held this meeting in Nightwing, we’d have a whole bunch of vampires raining down on us.”
“As opposed to a rival pack,” Zane said drily.
Matthias grinned. “You sound scared, Zane.” His grin broadened when his sergeant shot him a dark look. “Besides, I don’t trust Marchetta that much, either.” It had been annoying enough having to enter into talks with Nightwing’s vampire prime, but he didn’t want to further indebt the Alpine pack to the vampires. They could use the Nightwing territory as a shortcut between Alpine and Woodland, but they were to use it as a thoroughfare, not a stopover. He’d agreed readily enough. He didn’t know any wolf who wanted to hang around with a bunch of bats. Besides, their argument was with the Woodland Alpha Prime, not the vamps. If they gave him and his lycans a wide berth, he could do the same.
“I don’t see why we don’t just storm the den.” Zane walked for a couple of steps, then wandered back to him. “The others are ready for it. Hell, they want his blood.”
Matthias’s lips tightened, and he clasped his friend’s shoulder. “Firstly, we have no idea where their den is. Secondly, we all want his blood. Jared was my friend, Zane, as well as my alpha. I hate that he died on my watch, and I’ll do everything in my power to avenge his death. That’s a promise.” He needed the pack to know that.
Zane tilted his head. “Jared’s death wasn’t your fault, Matt. He went out on his own.”
Matthias’s arm dropped back to his side. “He was my alpha. I was his guardian, and he was murdered.” He glanced away. “I let him down.”
In his mind, there was no doubt. Yet again, someone he loved had died on his watch. This time, though, there would be payback.
Zane shook his head as he turned back to the forest. “Nobody blames you for it. Not even Samantha.”
He winced. Samantha Alpine was pregnant with Jared’s baby. That was possibly the hardest part, knowing his good friend wouldn’t be there for the birth of his son, would never hold the babe in his arms, smell his scent, nuzzle noses with him, see him take his first steps, show him how to hunt or talk to him about girls. He wasn’t sure what was worse: having some of those moments and knowing what you were missing out on, or missing out on them altogether.
“I appreciate that,” he said softly. He did, but nothing could erase his own sense of guilt at the murder of his friend. A sound in the distance alerted him, and farther down the track he heard the rustle of wings as birds were startled into flight.
“They’re here,” he murmured.
“I say we kill him now.”
Matthias shook his head. “Diplomacy first.” He shrugged. “Then we kill.”
Rafe Woodland came into view, striding along the track with his shoulders back. His expression was dark, fierce—not in the least contrite or remorseful, Matthias noted. Rafe was followed by four guardians.
“I count six in the fringe,” Zane murmured. Matthias hid his nod by looking down as he casually folded his arms.
“There will be more,” he muttered beneath his breath, before glancing up to meet Rafe’s gaze. He’d expected the alpha prime to stock the forest glade with his supporters, but was mildly impressed by the numbers. Pity. Obviously the alpha prime wasn’t that interested in a peaceful resolution.
Matthias smiled grimly. He was going to enjoy this.
“You’re trespassing,” Rafe said brusquely as he stopped in front of him.
“We’re here under parley.” The very nature of the discussion implied permission to be on the land, from time of entry, for the duration of the talks and until the time of exit.
“Then hurry up and state your terms.” Rafe glanced off into the trees behind Matthias. “What is it you want?”
“Oh, that’s simple,” Matthias answered. “We want you.”
Rafe arched an eyebrow. “Then this is a waste of time. Not happening.” He started to turn away.
Matthias placed his hands on his hips and bent a leg in a relaxed pose. He puffed his cheeks out as he exhaled. “Well, that’s a shame. For you, and for Woodland.”
Rafe paused, then glanced over his shoulder. “What do you mean?”
“You conspired with Arthur Armstrong to kill Jared Gray. Armstrong is being handled through Reform Court, but you—your ass is mine.”
Rafe turned. “What if I said I don’t remember? What if I told you I have no recollection of the events leading up to Jared Gray’s death?”
Matthias shook his head. Nothing could excuse what this lycan had done, siding with a human against another of his own kind. “I’d say you were lying to avoid facing punishment.”
Rafe chuckled. “Punishment? You’re not looking for punishment. You’re looking for blood. My blood.”
Matthias nodded. “It’s a start.”
Rafe shook his head. “Thanks, but I’ll pass.”
Matthias stepped closer to the alpha prime to look him straight in the eye. “I’m offering you a limited-time deal. You come with us. Now. We leave Woodland territory, and nobody else needs to get hurt.”
Rafe arched an eyebrow. “Or?”
“Or you hide behind your pack mates, and instigate a pack war. Who knows how many lycans will die?” He was prepared to offer the alpha prime an honorable out. But if the lycan didn’t take it, he was prepared to make the whole pack take responsibility for the tragedy wrought against the Alpine pack.
“On both sides,” Rafe pointed out.
Matthias smiled. “Ah, but you did us wrong, Woodland, and you pissed us off in the process. We will come at you from every angle, with everything we’ve got. Do you really think you’ll win? How are your stocks going? Got enough to feed your pack for the winter?” He knew they were runnin
g low. He’d managed to close a number of their borders with neighboring packs, preventing the delivery of much-needed supplies.
Rafe bared his teeth, and Matthias was surprised to see the lycan’s incisors lengthen with a vampiric grace. “You threaten me, and you threaten my pack, under the guise of parley?”
Matthias wouldn’t back down, despite the fangs gleaming in his direction. The audacity of the man angered him. Rafe stood there, and his close friend was in the ground, lifeless, because of this lycan’s selfish ambition.
“I’m telling you how it is,” Matthias rasped, the words emerging from deep within his throat. “And how it will be. Woodland will pay for murdering Jared Gray.” He put all his sincerity and determination behind the vow, leaving the alpha prime in no doubt that he meant what he said.
Rafe smiled, his eyes glittering as he removed the Woodland crest ring he wore on the third finger of his right hand, the symbol of his rank within the pack, and slipped it into his jeans pocket. “Well, I guess that’s the end of parley, then, isn’t it?”
The alpha prime sprang at him, and Matthias grabbed his shoulders, using the momentum to pull him over and hurl him into a giant redwood behind him.
Matthias’s guardians rose from their hiding places, teeth bared, and the forest rumbled with the growls of a dozen lycan warriors as they shifted into beast form and attacked.
Rafe rolled to his feet, glaring at Matthias, who grinned back. Woodland wasn’t the only one to attend parley with backup. Rafe morphed into his beast form, a wolf with jet-black fur, and Matthias did the same, surrendering to his beast, his white fur almost a beacon in the dark forest. The lycans shrugged the remnants of clothes from their bodies as they launched at each other.
Rafe caught him in the shoulder with a meaty paw. Matthias fell back. He snapped at the black wolf, catching him in the chest with a sharp nip before the Woodland Alpha Prime leaped away. Two wolves bounded into the clearing to aid the Woodland pack leader. Matthias whirled and snapped, relinquishing his control to the rage he always carried within. It started low, but rose in a red-hot wave of fury, power coursing through his muscles, through his very blood. He hunkered down, prepared to take on the three large lycans. One charged at him, and Matthias neatly sidestepped, shredding the wolf’s side with his claws as he barreled past.
Lycan Unleashed Page 2
