It’s a fun ride back to Anubis’s estate and I’m almost sad when I park. I was enjoying vibing to the list of songs that I’d have to catch up on. Jaxson is waiting for us on the sidewalk without a shirt on, the chill in the air not affecting his werewolf body chemistry. I smile at him when I shut the driver’s side door. He nods at Zara and she strides to the back of the house, pulling her black hood on her head. The street is once again filled with cars and I’m sure that they’re all in place and waiting on us.
Jaxson confirms it as he escorts me to the back and into a clearing with his hand on my lower back. We round a corner and there are three wolves in Zara’s face, growling, still in human form. When Jaxson steps in front of me, they give him a look, and then back off. Zara snorts and leans against a tree. They obviously have no idea who she is. Maybe they weren’t at the house yesterday.
“Is everyone present?” The old wolf from the other day steps into the middle of the circle and everyone turns to face him.
I look around. The group is slightly bigger than I’ve seen so far and as I breathe deeply, I absorb all the tension. Even with a slight breeze and the openness of this makeshift arena, it isn’t hard to pick up the rage coming off of Christopher. It is painfully obvious that he blames not only Jaxson, but me and Zara for the events of late. He’ll channel all of that to take out on Jaxson.
I pull Jaxson to the side quickly. “You may be stronger, but he’s pissed. Be careful.”
“Oh, you have no idea the rage in my own heart. I’m just much better at hiding it,” Jaxson counters before stepping to join Christopher and the elder wolf in the middle.
“Everyone is accounted for,” Jaxson tells him loudly.
“I think so too,” Christopher adds. His voice is deep and rich, filled with confidence and excitement.
Zara puts a hand on my shoulder and I shiver. This is going to get bloody, I say to her through our mind-link.
Definitely, she responds.
Will you be able to handle it? I ask, suddenly remembering how she was when we found Taryn and the other bodies, the dead children we had worked so hard to rescue. She’d almost lost it. There’d been so much blood. I never asked her about her friend on the force, if he’d taken care of the bodies, Anubis’s too.
There were a number of reasons why I reacted that way last time. I was already angry and let my guard down. I wasn’t prepared for it. This time, I’ll be fine, she promises.
I shut down the bond and turn my focus to the werewolves now spreading out, widening the circle. She and I do the same until we all are about thirty feet away from the middle of the makeshift ring. The older wolf nods and lifts his hands, acknowledging all of us.
“Very well then. This is a formal battle for Alpha. Our leader is to be decided tonight. Are there any other competitors here tonight?” he asks. A few moments pass by and no one speaks up. He continues, “Jaxson and Christopher will fight until there is a clear loser. One may either submit, be knocked unconscious, or be killed. All are justified. The victor will then decide if the loser shall be pardoned, exiled, or killed. This is pack law.” His voice carries to each and every one of us. I let his words sink in.
“This is just,” every pack member responds in unison causing me to jump. Creepy. Just plain creepy how they all seem to speak so robotically in unison. With that, the elder wolf steps back and finds his place within the circle.
Finally, all the werewolves begin to strip out of all of their clothes. There is no modesty here. Their naked bodies are beautiful. All are fit, some are scarred, telling their own stories of fights they’ve had to endure, and they all stand proud to be with their pack. It is a bond that I’ll never understand. Even this close, I still feel apart.
Finally, the grunts of the change take over. I study carefully and can almost see the aura of each wolf alter along with them, the unseen wolf magic bathing them like a blanket of gentle ocean waves. Jaxson and Christopher change the fastest and I can tell which of the group are the strongest by the speed of which they shift. Sometimes, younger, weaker weres can take ten minutes or more to transform before they master their nature. Tonight, among pack, the slowest wolf only takes three minutes to change. It is an amazing scene to watch.
The wolves shake off the pain of the change and I look at Zara, suddenly extremely glad that she’s with me. Every wolf stands to at least my navel with variations in between. Sage had defeated a whole pack of wolves alone? Wow. What do you have to do to become that powerful? How intelligent do you have to be to understand the nature of battle so precisely to be able to defeat that many enemies? Zara picks up my thoughts and smiles. I shake my head at the thought of ever having to do that. Not alone.
My tattoo begins to glow, warming me as it responds to the power of the wolves. I touch my chest above my heart where it was burned into my flesh by Diana with her blood and magic. Then, my attention is brought to Christopher and Jaxson as they begin to growl at each other. They size each other up, hackles rising as they close the distance between each other, fangs gleaming in the moonlight. Before I can blink, the fight begins.
Chapter Six
Christopher strikes at Jaxson first, a blur of silver and white fur as he attempts to catch Jaxson off guard. Jaxson is nearly knocked off his feet when Christopher collides with him. They snarl and attack each other, snapping and striking with fangs and claws. Jaxson’s strikes are harder, more precise, and because of his larger size, seems to do more damage. The other wolves look on, low growls in the backs of their throats. I hold my breath as I watch it all unfold.
Chris uses his superior speed to jump on Jaxson’s back, biting his ear and shoulders, but Jaxson quickly bucks him off before launching an attack of his own. They crash into each other and roll in a pile of fangs, fur, and claws until they hit a wall of wolves that make the circle’s barrier. The wolves snarl and snap at them until they move their fight away. Jaxson anticipates his opponent’s next few moves and easily leaps over him, turning, and slicing out with his humongous paws.
His attack is met with a whine. They break apart and then Jaxson strikes again, obviously confident that he’s going to gain the upper hand. He lands well placed bites that coat his opponent’s fur in dark blood. Jaxson feints and then knocks Christopher down, but allows him to get back up, in no hurry to end the fight. Honestly, I think that he just wanted to feel out Chris’s power or let his wolf decide what he should do once he wins. I don’t think he’ll be much of a threat.
Chris seems to realize that he’s not in a position to win the fight and explodes. Desperation is evident in his behavior as he moves in a frenzy. He strikes and zips away. Then, he feints, slipping past Jaxson’s next attack and manages to clamp down on his throat, shaking viciously and drawing blood. Yet, Jaxson uses his superior weight and falls on top of the smaller wolf, pinning him.
Chris struggles to get from under Jaxson, kicking and growling. Jaxson too growls in anger as Chris manages to slip from under him. But, Jaxson refuses to relent and catches the silver and white wolf’s hind leg. Bones crunch and Christopher howls in anger. Jaxson flings him across the ground. He tries to pop up and get away, but Jaxson lands on top of him, and bites down with fury, ripping fur and drawing blood in numerous places.
My fists clench as I steal a glance at Zara. She’s standing with her arms crossed, watching the fight with a cool glare. There is no hint of bloodlust in her eyes and satisfied, I turn back to the fight as it reaches its conclusion. Jaxson was just giving him a chance to show himself as a capable fighter to the pack, but Chris doesn’t have what it takes. In terms of intelligence, I’m sure that he’d be a great leader, but this is a battle of strength and you need both to be a leader of a pack like this.
The rest of the pack seems to be coming to the same conclusion. They begin to step in closer, closing the battleground in for the final strike. I catch sight of one wolf as she whines quietly. Her eyes become desperate as she strides forward covered in beautiful black fur. She’s obviously a suppor
ter of Christopher’s.
Jaxson has Chris between his front paws, neck exposed. One powerful paw slams down on his throat and Chris barks out a cough as his windpipe is compressed. A hush falls over the entire group, leaving only the sound of the wind through the trees as Jaxson brings his face close to Chris’s. Removing his paw, he places his teeth on Christopher’s neck, biting hard enough that even more blood coats his fur.
But, Jaxson releases him before he kills him once Chris makes no attempt to fight back. A sign of submission. Then, Jaxson steps backwards and changes back to human, panting from the exertion. The naked, new alpha stares at every single one of his pack as they all lay on their bellies with their tails tucked. Jaxson looks at me last, eyes still yellow from the change, blood dripping from his body, a series of cuts coating his light brown skin from Christopher’s attack, before he tilts his head back in an inhuman howl. The rest of the pack sit back up and howl with him.
Oh, what will the neighbor’s think?
“It is done.” Jaxson points to Christopher still lying on the ground in defeat. “Come, recognize your new alpha,” he demands to the group. They all step up to show their respect. Jaxson touches each wolf’s shoulder. Chris is last. He limps before Jaxson, leg really injured. Since he’s in werewolf form, his advanced healing has luckily already kicked in.
“I let him live because our numbers have dropped and we need a strong pack in order to stay ahead. Christopher Hughes may have been defeated this night, but he is still an asset to our pack, our family. My wolf judged him and saw him fit to live. It is done. Colin,” Jaxson addresses the elder wolf.
With the strength of the pack behind him, Colin changes back into human quickly as well. “We recognize you, brother,” he states, voice raspy, to Jaxson.
“Tonight, we will run in celebration. But first, I will name my second, my enforcer, my right hand,” Jaxson shifts his left paw slowly back into a wolf’s paw. He turns to Christopher, still in wolf form just like the rest of the pack and gives him a look until he shrinks back into the rest of the crowd. I think we all assumed it would be him in an attempt to solidify the pack. Well, you know what they say about assuming.
“I name Rayne Whitmore as my second,” Jaxson’s voice booms through the crowd.
I have to pick up my jaw as his words sink in. Among the werewolves are growls and whines of protest. To my left, I hear Zara snickering. At least someone thinks that Jaxson basically giving a middle finger to all of his pack and choosing me, a human that killed their alpha, to be his second is hilarious. I give her a side glance and she shuts up.
“Uh,” I manage to say before Jaxson raises his hand to silence the group.
“She is my second. There is no debate,” he says with finality and a threat of violence to anyone who dares to try him. His eyes shine an even brighter yellow. The alpha magic quickly embraces and recognizes Jaxson as worthy. It’s like the magic agreed that he fill Anubis’s shoes.
Colin speaks up, “This is the most absurd thing that I’ve ever heard in my time. Yet, it’s absolutely brilliant. There is no pack law against it. I second that it stands. As an elder of this pack and with the respect that this title has given me, I recognize you, Rayne Whitmore. I recognize you, sister.” He chuckles at Jaxson’s move.
With his words, I feel a rush of pack magic reaching out to touch me. It’s nothing like Selene’s magic, it is wild and carefree. Wolf-like. It’s almost as if it’s playfully nudging me as it tries to figure out who I am. Jaxson beckons me forward and with one more glance at Zara, I step into the middle of the circle. The wolves are all silent, unsure of what to do.
Jaxson takes his clawed left hand and slices his right hand until it bleeds. Before I can protest, he does the same to my hand. Then, he shakes my bloodied palm and our blood mingles. Both of our cuts then disappear. Incredible. I look into his eyes in question.
“Pack,” is all the answer I get.
He steps in front of me; chest puffed out in pride and once again addresses his pack. “There is a new dawn approaching. We shall continue on with the legacy that Anubis left us, but we shall also strive to become even stronger than before. Because of this, we must eliminate a vicious enemy known as Namen Young. No more shall we cower in the shadows. We are werewolves and we will fight this threat as pack. United. Strong.”
His words coat my heart and I smile at my friend that may have done something that divided the pack even more. He did this for me and for Anubis. Jaxson is a strong man, caring on a level that I have yet to completely understand. Still, I can feel it in my heart that he will be loyal beyond measure.
“Now,” Jaxson begins. “Let us take to the forest and run in celebration.”
A growl from behind us turns our attention. The black female wolf from before leaps at me, fangs dripping; a promise of death looms in her glowing eyes.
Chapter Seven
I feel her before I see her; she’s already reacted before I can make a move. A wall of magic bats the wolf away causing her to topple over and onto the ground. I’m too dumbfounded at the quickness of Selene’s reaction to move. My hand is ready to clutch my sword. Her footsteps echo through the night as she steps forward, into the circle. All of the other wolves look between her, Jaxson, and me. Zara slides back into the shadows for cover, prepared to strike if need be. I remove my hand from the blade, satisfied that there is no longer a threat.
One arm outstretched, hair flowing in a non-existent wind, Selene keeps the wolf pinned to the ground with her power. She stays focused on the black werewolf, even as she comes to stand before me. Her green eyes glow in rage and her mouth is a thin line. I notice that she’s biting down on her teeth. Oh, she’s angry alright and I don’t think it’s all toward that wolf.
“Good thing I asked you to come. Let her up,” Jaxson tells Selene.
She doesn’t contest it, but flicks her hand and the wolf slides further across the ground before Selene releases her. Jaxson gives her an amused look, arms crossed. She shrugs and then looks at me, head tilted slightly. “No one touches what is mine,” Selene warns.
I look away and at Jaxson, not knowing what exactly is the best course of action right now.
Jaxson demands in his Alpha voice, “Change. Every single one of you.”
Colin shakes his head at the female wolf that tried to attack me as the rest of the pack slips back into their human form, breathing as if they’ve run a marathon. The scent of fear from the pack assaults my nose and I wonder if they know what’s coming next. Jaxson steps to the female wolf as she tries to cover her naked body with her long black hair and arms. He snatches her by the arm, his huge frame dwarfing her own. Then, he drags her to the center of the circle, even as she is still trying to catch her breath from the change. Her yellow wolf eyes meet mine defiantly, but then she quickly turns away before Jaxson can catch it.
Her attitude angers me and sensing it, Jaxson pushes her to her knees at my feet.
“Please Jaxson,” Christopher begs from his spot in the circle. Most of his body is coated in drying blood. There are ugly puncture wounds marring his skin. His hair is matted down and he can’t hold any weight on his leg yet. “She’s my mate.”
Jaxson turns back to me. “Rebecca, Rayne is pack. She is my second and she outranks you. What you did was a betrayal and it was cowardly. That is not the way we do things. I give you to Rayne in retribution. You will not purposely attempt to harm one of mine without consequences. Before Rayne chooses how to deal with you, you may speak so that I can understand why you would test me so.” Jaxson’s voice is calm and quiet though I’m sure none of the wolves have any problem hearing him.
“I, she, was given a place in the pack when she’s done nothing to earn it,” Rebecca cries.
Christopher begins to step forward and Selene’s magic chills the air in warning. He stops immediately, but stares at me in anger, knowing her life is now mine to claim. If he intervenes, Jaxson will kill him.
“Chris has worked harder than anyon
e to keep the pack together and you just spit in his face by not allowing him to be your second. How could you, Jaxson? After all that he’s done for us, how could you overlook him?” Sobbing, Rebecca looks at the ground, eyes closed, fists clenched.
I see her point, but Chris is not a fighter. He doesn’t have what it takes to do that job. Each pack member has a role and his place is not number two, not yet at least. She loves him and her pride and affection is clouding her judgment.
Jaxson pretty much sums up what I’m thinking, saying, “Christopher is a tremendous asset to this pack. He is family, no doubt. Still, Chris has other talents that cannot be matched by anyone else. That is where I need him the most. He can’t be my enforcer if he is running out of town on pack business all the time. I need someone who will be here.
“I’ve fought beside Rayne and also sparred with her. I know what she is capable of and believe me; she will not let any of us down. Rayne believes in family, she understands how deep that bond runs. She can do this. When I find one of you that I’m sure can be what she is now, then I will choose a new second. Until then, you can either wait, or you can choose to fight her now for that right. Prove me wrong, show me that you can do this.”
I hold my breath for fifteen seconds as my tattoo begins to glow in anticipation of a possible fight. I eye each wolf, trying to make out a potential threat. This is not what I signed up for, but there’s no way that I’ll leave Jaxson hanging and looking like a fool. If he wants to name me his enforcer, so be it. I think that I owe him that much.
No one steps forward and satisfied, Jaxson states, “Now, Rayne, she is yours to do as you see fit. No one will interfere.” His voice is deep, deadly, and daring someone to test him.
Killer Rayne Page 4
