by Fel Fern
“Vengeance is never the answer, human, especially when it’s at the cost of your own life.”
“What the fuck do you care?” the man demanded.
“Have you always been this angry? I feel it inside you, eating you up until there’s nothing left. Weren’t you different before? Whole?”
The man faltered, his hand shaking. Logan realized she was trying to rattle him so there would be an opening for either Billy or Blake to act.
The suicide bomber shook his head and studied her closely now. “That blonde hair and the fact you can sense my emotions…you’re the Darkfall Mountain pack Gamma, aren’t you? The Order sent two of my brothers. One turned traitor. Kelias fucked and mated your brother instead. The other tried killing you but failed. I heard he left behind pretty nasty scars though.”
The man started to laugh. “You’re so tiny. I thought you’d be bigger. Oh well, my Order will reward me for finishing the job my dead brother failed.”
“You have a partner, don’t you? What’s he up to while you take all of us?” she asked.
It took Logan a second to realize what she was asking about. “Where’s Bran?” he demanded. He flinched when the man turned hard, iron-gray eyes on him.
“Let me guess. You’re the little Omega runt Edward has a hard-on for. Where’s your protector, Omega? Gone? Don’t worry. Your little friend’s with Edward, but he won’t touch him unless he has the entire collection.”
Logan’s stomach dropped at those words. Did this man mean the others? Was his partner in town, too, intent of snatching away Davis, Martin, and the others right underneath their noses?
“Fuck you,” Logan whispered.
“Fuck you? That’s the best you can do?” the man laughed. “The Blue Mountain wolves are all weaklings. No wonder Ed and his pals had such an easy time slaughtering your old Alpha and his crew.”
Seeing red, Logan lunged at him, but Billy caught the scruff of his shirt, holding him back.
“Good job on holding that Omega back, animal. Otherwise, you all would have really gone to wherever place soulless animals end up with,” the man said, chuckling.
Realizing he almost killed all of them, Logan stumbled back near Michella. Was there any way out of this?
“Other pack members are coming, asshole,” Billy said, voice uncontrolled. “I can feel them through the pack bonds, and they’re all ready to shed blood.”
Logan warily looked at Billy. Sweat coated his back. Was antagonizing this man the best decision? He heard wheels coming to a screeching halt outside.
“Call off your wolves using the pack bonds, Gamma, unless they want to get blown up to tiny pieces, too.” The man sneered.
“Done,” Michella said.
Logan saw two cars outside and Darkfall werewolves getting out, even the Beta Alessio was there, but they didn’t take a single step toward the bakery.
“You won’t succeed, hunter,” Mrs. Hall finally spoke, eyes still milky. “One victory doesn’t mean you’ll win the war.”
“Fuck you, old woman. We’ll see about that.”
The man from the Order fingered the button on the timer. Unfair. Only three minutes had passed. Logan wanted his two minutes. Maybe in those last 120 seconds Raul would somehow find his way back to him. Logan and the others might be beyond saving, but at least he could look Raul one last time in the eye and mouth the words.
I love you.
Time froze.
To Logan’s shame, it wasn’t the others he thought of, but Raul. What would Raul do if he found out his mate and his Gamma were dead?
This wasn’t supposed to happen. Logan didn’t travel all the way here, didn’t pull the plug on his mate and risk it all to bring the tattered remains of Ray’s pack to sanctuary for it to end like this. Darkfall Mountain was supposed to be the safest place on earth, untouchable, an impregnable fortress guarded by the most vicious pack in the country.
Damn it all. He didn’t expect to be head over heels with Raul, to get a second chance when he thought his entire life was over. It was too cruel of fate to offer him a glimpse of happiness and abruptly take it away. The next thing he knew, Logan felt slender arms around him. Michella hugged him, pulling him close.
“Sorry, this is yours now.” Her skin burned hot. Logan felt something warm traveling up his arms, going right into his chest. It hurt to breathe, like a phantom hand squeezed at his heart and lungs.
“He wants me,” she whispered against his ear. Michella shoved him aside so violently, Logan’s ass hit the floor.
Realizing what she was about to do, Logan opened his mouth, “Billy, Blake!”
It was like being in the middle of a slow motion horror show. Logan’s head whipped back to the man from the Order, who was smiling, finger on the button. Michella threw herself at him, tackling him to the floor.
A pair of strong arms dragged Logan behind the cashier.
White light exploded. Bread and splinters flew everywhere. The impact threw Logan, sending him flying. His back hit the wall. Stars danced in his eyes, and he saw nothing more.
Chapter Fifteen
“Turn back, Raul. Something’s not right,” Dino whispered.
Raul frowned. They were halfway to Northfield now. A growl tore out of Dino’s throat. It took Raul a second to realize it was a howl of agony, so raw and painful it clawed at his own insides. Wheels screeched on gravel. He righted the car and headed back home, to Darkfall.
“Dino, talk to me.”
“Something’s happened to Michella, something bad.”
Uncertain and pained, Dino didn’t sound like his usual self. While Raul knew Dino and Michella had never been officially mated, he knew Dino’s connection to her had been stronger than his. To lighten the mood, he began to make a joke when the metaphysical blow hit him right in the gut. Raul almost lost control of the wheel, but he grabbed it again, breathing hard.
The invisible bonds that connected every wolf in the Darkfall pack always felt strong. According to Logan, he’d never sensed anything like it. For those few seconds, a shock tore through the bonds, making it hard to think or focus. Raul always saw the metaphysical energy of each wolf like a thread. All of them were connected to each other. At the top of those threads were the leaders of the pack. The last thread linked them all to their Alpha.
He felt Sergio now, the Alpha’s raw howl of fury, ripping through the bonds. A second followed it, Alessio echoing his brother’s pain. Knowing he would end up crashing the car and injuring them both, Raul killed the engine by the side of the road. He was unable to breathe.
Still in suspended disbelief, Raul reached for the other thread, the one that mattered. Where Michella’s wolf should have been, he felt nothing. Sergio was the head, their leader, but Michella had always been the heart of the pack, and without the heart…
Dino practically tore off the car door from its hinges. His best friend finished shifting halfway when he called to him, “Dino, we’ll take my car. It’s faster.”
Growling, Dino looked between the open car door and the road. Finally, Dino shifted back and returned to his seat, looking no less calm. Raul hit the accelerator. Dino’s phone vibrated and Raul glimpsed his friend steeling himself for the worst news.
“I see, we’re heading over there now,” Dino said to the speaker on the other line. He closed his phone and said, in a hollow voice, “Raul, head to Mrs. Hill’s bakery.”
They didn’t speak the rest of the way. Grief hovered in the background, but Raul couldn’t let anguish cloud him. Seeing Dino on the verge of losing control, Raul knew he had to step up. He worried for Michella, too, but most of all, for Logan. Had their enemies somehow set a trap without them knowing? Who would dare go against the pack?
When they arrived, the street where Mrs. Hall’s bakery had been was emptied out, silent with the exception of familiar cars and faces, members of the pack. Killing the engine, Raul got out. Dino followed. Other pack members gave them glances before guiltily looking away, confirming the inco
nceivable. A fierce, rumbling howl woke Raul’s senses. Logan’s scent hit him then, full of fear.
“Raul, wait,” Dino began.
Raul couldn’t stand around. He rushed into the bakery, the hinges of the door blasted off. An explosion went off? Inside, the reek of blood and skin assaulted his senses. Sergio was there. So was Alessio. The Alpha shoved Logan against the wall, hand wrapped around Logan’s neck.
“You, what the fuck made you so special that she would save you?” Sergio hissed, control slipping. Through the pack bonds, Raul felt his fury. Logan didn’t kick, didn’t fight Sergio. Tears coursed down his Omega’s cheeks.
“Let him go.” The words tumbled out of Raul’s mouth, the sound more animal than human.
“Raul, stay out of this,” Alessio warned.
From the corner of his eye, Raul saw Blake and Billy, injured but alive, tending to Mrs. Hill. Neither man would meet Raul’s gaze.
“Don’t make me repeat what I said,” Raul hissed.
Alessio snarled at him. “Does this Omega mean more to you than her?”
“I loved Michella like a little sister. Don’t twist my fucking words, but that’s my mate. Sergio is choking to death. My mate, whom Michella wanted to save,” Raul retorted.
Alessio considered him for a few moments before letting him pass. Getting to the Alpha would be another problem, but he didn’t care if he lost. Raul gripped Sergio’s shoulder, yanking him away from Logan, or rather, distracting Sergio enough to let Logan go. Hitting Sergio felt like hitting a bag of bricks.
“Are you going to interfere, Raul? Did you forget who is Alpha here?” Sergio said in that deep and quiet voice of his everyone in the pack knew was a warning.
“I didn’t forget, but I can’t let you kill my mate,” Raul stated.
“Did you see, Raul? There is nothing left of my sister to bury.” Sergio’s attention was solely on him now. Sergio fisted his shirt, his face inches from Raul. “Where the fuck were Dino and you? Didn’t you two assholes swear to guard her with your last breath?”
Grief and guilt rammed into them then. If Dino didn’t come with him, would that change things?
“Alpha, the hunter came inside the bakery without warning, with explosives strapped to his chest. He caught us all by surprise,” Billy explained.
“I don’t want to hear your useless excuses, wolf,” Sergio snapped.
Raul broke eye contact with Sergio when a low and painful moan came from the figure slumped against the wall. Logan. He rushed to his mate, kneeling in front of Logan, who buried his face in his hands.
“Baby, it’s all over now,” Raul said in a soothing voice. He pulled Logan into an embrace, wondering if he was still in shock over what happened. Logan clutched at his shirt and looked up at him with tear-filled eyes.
“Hurts,” Logan whispered.
“Are you injured?” Raul checked him for injuries, but aside from scrapes and bruises, it didn’t look like Logan sustained anything serious.
“The world she felt, it’s awful,” Logan murmured. “I can feel everyone here. The Alpha’s so angry, so is the Beta. Underneath that though, is sorrow. Don’t get angry at them, Raul. God, I can sense what everyone is feeling, even you.”
Logan scrubbed at his face. “Don’t keep your emotions locked away, Raul.”
Raul’s mouth went dry. He pressed Logan’s face into his chest. “She passed you her gift?”
“Why?” Sergio demanded, gaze on them.
Raul bared his canines at his Alpha, a warning that if Sergio hurt Logan again, there would be consequences. He was aware how ridiculous that sounded. As Alpha, Sergio was faster, stronger than the average werewolf, but he would die protecting his mate.
“She said the hunter only wanted her,” Logan murmured.
Alessio choked back a laugh. “Sounds just like her.”
Raul peeled his gaze from them to see Dino walking in, pale as a ghost.
“Go to him, I’ll be fine,” Logan told him.
“The pup’s right, Raul,” Alessio said.
“I don’t believe for a second you two would change your mind so quickly,” Raul retorted.
“She gave him her ability, made him her successor. What more is there to say?” Sergio said in a hollow voice. “I might not like him, or approve of Michella’s actions before she died, but I can’t kill the Omega now.”
Raul didn’t tell Sergio and Alessio that they weren’t there when David passed his gift to Michella, how she initially saw it as a curse. He met Billy’s gaze and nodded before walking over to Dino. On his knees, Dino touched the splatters of drying blood on the floor. When Raul touched his shoulder, Dino looked at him, hate burning in his eyes, but thankfully all that anger wasn’t directed at him.
“We’ll get the fuckers,” Dino said, tone vehement.
“We will,” Raul assured him. “I’m taking Logan home.”
Dino nodded. “I want to stay here a little longer.”
Raul was reluctant to leave him, but decided he needed some space. Going back to Logan, he offered the Omega a hand up. Logan gave his fingers a squeeze, still looking spooked.
“According to Billy, the hunter from the Order had been working with Alpine Industries,” Alessio told him quietly.
“The hunter mentioned he had a partner. That asshole has my other pack members, along with Bran,” Logan told Raul.
The Omega shot him a pleading look. He still couldn’t believe Michella was gone. Raul wanted to tell Logan now wasn’t the time, although he had every intention of making these killers pay for their sins.
“Take as many men as you need, Raul. Kill off every last enemy lingering near our borders,” Sergio said, surprising him.
The Alpha plucked something from the floor, a syringe containing a transparent liquid. A chill went down Raul’s spine at the realization of what that syringe contained. Weeks before, Dino and Michella helped one of their pack members, A.J., claim back his stolen mate.
According to Michella, A.J. went up against a mercenary who injected himself with the formula, turning him deadly, almost on par with shifters. Had Alpine Industries finally perfected their solution? Worse, Raul didn’t like the fact they seemed to be working alongside the Order of the Knife. The pack had dealings with the Order in the past, but one fact remained constant. The fanatics in the Order liked to work alone, up until now anyway.
Did they finally shed away their pride to take down one common enemy?
“I need to ask, Sergio. Why the change of heart?” Raul asked.
“These humans finally started the war we all knew was coming. My sister was the first casualty.” Sergio shook his head. “Take your Omega home, Raul.”
With a nod, Raul grabbed Logan’s hand and led him outside. He could feel the stares all the way to the car, but he no longer gave a damn. Once Logan was safely inside, he drove them back to the apartment. Dino would eventually find his way home.
He noticed Logan was shivering the entire time. Guiding him gently inside the unit, Raul helped him shower to wash off the dirt from the explosion and tucked him in bed.
“Raul, will I really get my friends back? Can we avenge Michella? I didn’t know her long, but she became a friend,” Logan whispered in the dark.
“Tomorrow,” Raul promised. “Everything will right itself once the sun rises.”
“You’re lying,” Logan whispered, reaching out to press a hand against his heart.
Raul wore a sad smile. Reaching out for Logan’s hands, he gave each finger a kiss. “We’ll get those bastards. We can do that at least.”
“But you’ll let me come with you?”
“Yeah.” Raul decided it was better to have Logan by his side, as opposed to not being able to keep an eye on him. Besides, Raul had a feeling if he denied Logan the chance, Logan would disobey him anyway.
Logan nestled close against him, linking their hands together. They’d both lost so much, his former mate and Michella. Knowing what loss felt like, how it ate him inside out
, Raul wondered how Logan summoned the courage to bring his pack over to Darkfall. He hugged Logan close to him like a favorite pillow, refusing to let go.
Certain Logan fell asleep, Raul untangled himself from Logan and padded out. Despite knowing it would do him more harm than good, Raul made a circuit of their home. He started at the living room, looking over the framed photos Michella loved putting up.
To preserve memories, she had said. Dino and he always teased her for being sentimental. When she told them she intended to invite Logan’s pack to Darkfall, they’d second-guessed her decision. If she never stuck to her guns, Raul would have never found his mate.
Some featured David and a younger Michella. Other photos showed Dino, Michella, and him. It hurt to breathe. Back in the bakery, he couldn’t afford to show weakness. Rescuing Logan from Sergio’s wrath had been his number one priority, but Sergio’s words cut right to the heart.
The painful truth finally sunk in. One of them should have stayed with Michella. They failed her. Raul didn’t know how long he stood there, looking over the photos in the darkness. He wasn’t even aware of Dino opening the front door to stand beside him.
Raul gave his best friend an once-over. “You look like shit.”
Dino let out a harsh laugh. “Look who’s talking.”
Raul didn’t need to be an empath to know sorrow of a different kind haunted Dino.
“I don’t know what the fuck I’ll do now that she’s gone.”
Alarmed by Dino’s admission, Raul gripped his arm. “Don’t say stupid things like that. Michella wouldn’t want you to die. She’d berate you for not wanting to live.”
Dino let out another laugh. “You’re right. I’m focusing on taking one day at a time. I’ve gathered a hunting party. Tomorrow, we kill these mercenaries, avenge Michella, and retrieve Logan’s pack members.”
Raul lingered long after Dino excused himself. Tonight, he lost someone who’d been his best friend, his little sister, the heart of their pack. He couldn’t afford to lose Logan, too. Before sliding back to bed, Raul opened the door to Dino’s bedroom to steal a peek. His heart nearly gave out at the sight of Dino. He’d taken out a couple of Michella’s clothes, scattering them around, probably to remember her scent.
