Brothers of the Fang

by Sharon Joss

  “What was the fight about,” asked Tanner.

  “Vince wouldn’t say. We were all tippy-toeing around each other, and Cobb and Ambrose were trying to get Vince to choose sides. With the park closed, there wasn’t much to do. Everybody was pretty shook up. I thought about leaving, and I wasn’t the only one. Even Rafe talked about it.

  “One afternoon I noticed Gordon taking deliveries over at the Bloody Fang. But he’s the farm manager, right? I couldn’t figure out what he was doing at the restaurant. I kept an eye on him and after he left, I snooped around. The shipping cartons were full of chains and padlocks. Thick, heavy chains. I got to thinking that the only reason anyone would need that many big chains would be to lock the vampires into their crypts. When I told Vince about it, he came after me with that damn stun baton of his. Next thing I knew, Ozzie was lighting me up with couple of live wires and a battery.”

  From the outer edge of the firelight, Tom gave a warning growl. Two wolves stood just outside the wards, sniffing curiously. It was Striper Dave and Chaney. I sent Silas out in wolf form to greet them, and after a bit of hesitation, the two of them joined us inside the warded camp.

  They panicked a little when they saw me, but we all sent out reassuring pheromones. I think they recognized my voice when I told them it was safe for them to shift inside the camp.

  Dave was talking almost before he finished his transformation. “What the hell happened to you, Mikey?” he demanded.

  I gave him a grim smile. This was only the beginning. I’d never look human again, so I’d better get used to it. On the plus side, I’d never have to hide again. My biggest, baddest secret was out in the open now. The monkey was off my back.

  As I explained, I flexed my guns to show off my new markings and showed them how I could extend and retract my claws. “I’ve still got the jaguar, but the priest is gone. I’m pretty sure this is permanent.”

  Dave looked doubtful, then cracked a wide smile. “Guess you won’t have to worry about fending off Yolanda Rivas any more. I think I’ve got a real shot now.”

  “Shut up,” I said. “What are you guys doing out here, anyway?”

  “Who’s Yolanda,” asked Wynn.

  “Quiet,” Tanner said. “I want to hear about what what’s going on at the park.”

  “Ambrose is out, Cobb is in.” Chaney explained. “He brought in a pack of mercenaries.”

  “Yeah, we saw them come through the bestiary,” I said, and explained about Ozzie and the dungeon and what had happened to us.

  Both men looked stunned.

  “Vince told us Ambrose was planning to get rid of him, and that Cobb made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. Then he put us to work in the vault, chaining coffins.”

  “Whose coffins,” Wynn asked. “And how many?”

  Dave shrugged. “They just pointed us at the ones they wanted chained. Eight, I think. Cobb is in charge now.”

  There was general muttering as we chewed on the news. I’d never been close to Cobb, but it sure seemed to me that Ambrose had given him every advantage. It didn’t seem right.

  “The nest is split. If Cobb’s in charge, that means he must have Willem, Lyrissa, and Tryffin in his court,” Wynn said. “Who is the fifth? Rafe?”

  I shook my head. “No way. Rafe would never align himself with Cobb. And it’s probably not Santino either.”

  “I agree,” Wynn said. “And it’s not Orcas. If they took out Ambrose, they’d take out his woman too. And Gawl and Roosa are loyal to Ambrose; they won’t be split up, they’re brother and sister. So that leaves Tryffin.”

  “Makes sense,” Tanner nodded. “He’s a frickin’ mechanical genius. He runs the rides; maintains the equipment. He’s always been neutral, and Cobb can’t run Mythica without him.”

  My stomach churned. In a sick way, it did make sense. If Cobb had power of attorney for Ambrose; the transfer of the estate into his hands would be easy.

  “But why take over Mythica at all,” Silas asked. “Ambrose was setting him up with his own territory. It doesn’t make sense.”

  “Yeah it does,” Wynn answered. “Cobb has always been ambitious, and he’s always been jealous of Ambrose. When Cobb finally decided to leave and start his own nest, Ambrose kept making promises to get him to stay, but never delivered. There was always something else that was more important. Ambrose made a big mistake when he put Cobb in charge of his legal affairs. If you ask me, I think Cobb got tired of waiting.”

  “Maybe he made a deal with Phelan too,” Dave said. “He acted like he knew what was going on all along. I’m not sure about Steve-oh or Yolanda.”

  “Yolanda wasn’t in on it,” I said.

  “Well, we didn’t stick around to find out,” Dave said. “As soon as we finished chaining the coffins, Chaney and I told Vince we were going over to the clubhouse to shower. Instead, we shifted and ran like hell out onto the Tor. We ran across Silas’s trail, and followed it here. What’s the plan?”

  Tanner immediately took charge. “We take out Vince; that’s the plan. We go in hard and fast. Once Vince is dead, we take back the park and negotiate for the best deal between Cobb and Ambrose.”

  Tanner was right. Vince had to go; but getting Sarah and the rest of the Fae hostages out of there was more important.

  “No can do, Tanner,” I said. “Ozzie’s got Sarah. If she’s still at Mythica, I’m going after her and the other Fae hostages. We can’t go against Vince or the vamps until they’re safely out of there. If she’s not there, I’m going to find her, wherever she is.”

  Tanner rose, his pheromones rolling off him like waves. “Back off, kitty-cat. I’m in charge here. We’re going to play this thing my way.” He gave each of us a measured look. “We do this right, we could all end up rich.”

  “Ease off, Tanner. You guys want to go after Vince, fine. You and I aren’t pack.” I turned to Dave and Chaney. “Ozzie took Sarah with him when they left. Have either of you seen them?”

  Chaney shook his head.

  “I didn’t see her, but I saw Ozzie,” Dave said.

  My hopes soared. “If Ozzie’s there, so is Sarah.” I clenched my fists. “We all know what he’s doing to her. We’ve got to get her out of there.”

  I heard a sound behind me and turned to see a lone figure cross the wards and step up into the firelight beside me. “I’m with Mike on this,” Tom clasped my shoulder.

  I grabbed him into a bear hug. Neither of us spoke. His were-man form was broader, heavier, and more muscular than before.

  Tom looked good; lucid and alert, if a little tired around his now-golden eyes. “I’d follow you to hell and back, Mike, as long as we go after Sarah first.” His voice was hoarse as he addressed the group, his faced hardened into an expression I’d never seen before. “I may be new to this wolf-man business, but Mike and Sarah saved our lives. Mine, at any rate. Now we’re out of that hell-hole and that ass-wipe Ozzie has still got his hands on her. We’ve got to bring the sheriff in on this.”

  “You’re still just a pup, so you don’t know what you’re saying,” Lenny said. “Let me tell you how lycan execution warrants are carried out. First they force the lycan to shift into beast form, usually by using a Taser on him. Once the victim is no longer recognizable as human, they fire a silver bullet into his skull at a point-blank range.”

  Tanner nodded. “He’s right. One of the first things a lycan has to learn is to avoid the scrutiny of law enforcement. If Sarah is reported missing, they’ll go after her. If we get involved, it will only go badly for us.”

  Tom paled and took a step back.

  “Easy Pops.” I put my hand on Tom’s shoulder. “We’re going after Sarah, don’t worry. The Van Cleves are respected members of the community. We know what we’re up against, but when it comes to going against the Van Cleves, Dixon’s hands are tied. We don’t have the same constraint. I’m sorry I got you into this, but there are no second chances for lycans. If we’re going to get her back, we’ll have to do it without the sher
iff.”

  Tom made a face, but nodded. “I never thought I’d hear you say that.”

  Lenny reached out and shook my hand. “I appreciate what you did to get me out of there, but I’m not sticking around.” With that, he hunched himself over and shifted into wolf. A few minutes later, he slipped away from the camp and disappeared into the darkness.

  “So what’s the plan, Mike?” Rizzo asked.

  “It’s not going to be easy,” I began.

  “Wait a minute,” Tanner interrupted. “I’m not saying anything against going after the woman, I’m just saying that we need to take back the park first. Of course we’ll force them to release the hostages as part of our negotiations with the vamps.”

  “I’ve got a better idea,” I said. “I can set up a couple of warded areas where we can observe the activity on the estate and park without being seen. There are a couple of places just outside the park that will give us a good vantage point. If they’ve got her, we’ll know where they’re holding her in a day or two at most. Then Tanner can go in there and challenge Vince as a distraction while Tom and I get her out of there.”

  “I can’t let you do that, Bane. By my count Vince has more than a dozen wolves on the Mythica payroll, at least half of which are hired professionals. Counting you and Tom, we’ve only got eleven. We’ll need every man here to bring Vince to heel.” He nodded at Farley. “Even that damn mutt of yours.”

  No way. I didn’t like Tanner much, and I liked him less every time he opened his mouth. I told myself it wasn’t personal, but I just couldn’t bring myself to agree with anything he said. I fact, I wanted nothing to do with him. I was probably going to regret this, but I couldn’t bring myself to go along with him. “You guys go ahead without us. We’re not part of the pack anyway.”

  “Like hell you aren’t,” Silas stepped forward. “I swore an oath to you, Mike. I’m not part of the Mythica pack anymore, but I’ll follow you. You’re my Alpha now.”

  My heart warmed with Silas’ vote of confidence. Forget Tanner. I trusted Silas.

  “Wait a second,” Tanner stepped forward, his cheeks flushed. “I’m the only Alpha here. Get back over here Silas. Nobody is going anywhere without my permission.” A heavy blanket of pheromones spread over us. “Everyone, to me. Now.” The twins, Corbin and Conrad, obediently stepped up behind the big man. “You don’t want to play, fine. You’re free to go, kitty-cat.”

  “Watch your mouth,” Rizzo warned. “Bane breathed life into you, same as me. You owe him your loyalty, not the other way around.” Rizzo came over to stand beside me. “I don’t know any of you guys. All I know is that Mike got me out of there. We’ve hunted together.” He tapped his chest. “He’s part of me now. In here. I owe him.”

  “He’s right,” Chaney agreed. “Mike’s our guy. Whatever you decide, I’m with you, Mike.”

  Silas and Chaney joined Tom and Rizzo beside me. If we were going to be choosing up sides like some damn game of baseball, I was glad to have them with me.

  “Get your ass over here, Chaney,” Tanner ordered. “You too, Silas. Bane here is no wolf. I’m the only Alpha here. It’s not that I’m ungrateful, Bane. I appreciate everything you did for me and all, but I will never follow a kitty cat.”

  I shrugged. “You’re not the first lycan to say that.”

  “Listen to him, men. He knows he’s not fit to command. I’m going in there and teach Vince and those mercs a lesson. Then I’m going to personally put Ozzie into a bath of acid and watch him die. This is what you want. This is what we all want. So who’s with me?”

  No one moved, except the lone wolf Wynn. “If Mike is good enough for Silas and Chaney, he’s good enough for me. You always were an asshole, Tanner.”

  All eyes turned toward Kevin and Striper Dave. The tension in the air thickened.

  Dave grinned. “Don’t look at me, I’m with worm-breath.” He punched me playfully in the chest.

  “Thanks, man,” I said.

  Kevin moved toward Tanner. “Tanner gave me job and made a place for me in the pack. I won’t desert him.”

  As badly as I needed them behind me, I wouldn’t make any false promises. “Kevin is right, guys. If you want your jobs back, you would be a darn sight better off with Tanner. I’m going in to get Sarah and the rest of the Fae out. If they’ve chained up Rafe, I’ll get him too, but I don’t plan on hanging around afterward.” Maybe Tom and I would have better chance of sneaking onto the grounds if it was just the two of us.

  Tanner went rigid with fury. “You just don’t get it, Bane. This is not some fifth-grade pee-wee league where we choose up sides. You have provoked the anger of your Alpha. Submit to me now or feel my rage.” His beast was already there. Quicker than anyone could react, Tanner’s wolf came for my throat.

  Just as quickly, I was waiting for him. I side-swiped him with a solid cuff to the side of the head and sent him sprawling. He was on his feet in an instant, hackles raised, darting quickly for my legs. He struck, snapping for my belly with lightning speed.

  I whipped around and felt the whisper of his teeth against my bare skin. I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and dug my claws into him so the he could not squirm loose. I shook him like a rag doll. If he hadn’t been so weak and thin, I probably wouldn’t have managed it, but I heard his teeth clack together as I threw him to the ground.

  Before he could recover, I pounced and grabbed the wolf by the throat. As he writhed and squirmed, desperate to protect himself, I felt a moment of panic as my blood thirst rose. I would not drink wolf blood. I shifted; calling on the cat’s greater weight to pin the wolf, but the fight was over before it ever really started.

  He cried and whined as he scrabbled with his claws, scratching ineffectually at the cat’s thick fur for a moment before he submitted. When I growled, Tanner’s wolf went utterly limp. With his neck and belly exposed, he urinated on himself. I couldn’t bring myself to accept his apology. He wasn’t worth the effort.

  I released him and rolled the cat up; more easily than I’d ever done before.

  “Get up, Tanner,” I told him. “And get out.” Behind me, I felt the excitement and blood lust pheromones welling in the guys. I countered it with a blanket of my own, and stayed near Tanner as the humbled wolf panted at my feet. “Nobody touches him. Anyone who wants to leave is welcome to go now. No one will come after you. You have my word.”

  Only Kevin and the twins shifted to join Tanner’s wolf. Then all four of them trotted out of the camp and onto the Tor.

  Rizzo spoke first. “Good riddance.”

  “So what do you say, Mike,” asked Chaney. “Will you be our Alpha?”

  “That’s right,” Dave agreed. “We don’t need those guys.”

  “It’s not a pack until you say the words,” Wynn said.

  I considered the question. I hadn’t asked for this. The wolves’ yearning for the bond was undeniable; it was a need I felt as well. I wanted it.

  “Don’t expect me to hunt with you,” I warned.

  “What does that mean?” Wynn asked.

  “Oh that jaguar of his is a total waste of space,” Silas explained. “Unless you herd the prey right to him.”

  “Yeah, and don’t even think about trying to share that cat’s kill. Especially if it’s turtle,” Chaney grinned. “He’ll try to rip your head off.”

  “None of that matters.” Dave tapped his temple. “What really matters is in here. I can feel him in my head, even from the other side of the Tor. I know he’s got my back. Not even Vince could do that.”

  Silas raised his voice in a victorious howl. The rest of the guys added to the chorus until even Tom and I joined in. When Wynn gave me the words, I was ready.

  “I stake my claim as the sole and legitimate Alpha of the High Tor Pack. I will protect my bothers as I would my own life. Any who dare to oppose us will feel my teeth their throat.”

  A cold blue flame rolled off my naked skin, sending a tsunami of Alpha pheromones over our new pack. To say i
t felt weird was an understatement. One by one, each of the men shifted into wolf form, rolled at my feet, and bared their neck to me. I bit into the vulnerable skin of each of their throats and gave each a vigorous shake. With each shake, I pushed my new Alpha will into them, and each wolf responded by scrabbling closer and trying to thrust their neck further into my mouth. Their thoughts came to me as if they’d been spoken aloud; each identical and fervent:

  I submit to you, for you are my Alpha.

  I will follow you and run beside you and help you defend my brothers for as long as you will have me; as long as we are pack we are invincible.

  By the First Wolf, my life is yours, for we are brothers of the fang.

  CHAPTER 41: INTO THE TOR

  The new pack bond came with a new sense purpose. It wasn’t just me; the seven of us had become a unit with a single purpose: to rescue Sarah and the others; be they human, Fae, or vampire. The sense of connectedness that I felt to the wolves was like nothing I’d never experienced. It was like actually being bigger, stronger, and more knowing. We couldn’t speak to each other telepathically, but we could sense each other’s presence, and the sum of our strengths was magnified to a greater whole.

  The rescue wouldn’t be without risk; we’d be going into an armed camp where our common enemy was a multi-headed monster. Slaking our thirst for revenge on Ozzie wouldn’t be enough. Taking down Vince wouldn’t change anything. Ambrose and Cobb were cut from the same cloth. At its core, Mythica was rotten as road kill.

  They had to be holding Sarah either in the vault beneath the Odditorium or in the main house where the blood stewards lived. If she was in the vault, there was no way to tell without actually going down there. But getting her out of the house might be even more difficult. We’d be going against Felix and the rest of the blood stewards. In spite of what we’d all heard Ozzie say, no one really believed that Felix was dead.

  “I got to know Felix pretty well,” Rizzo said. “Did quite a few jobs for him over the years. We got to talking one day and he told me the place is riddled with escape routes. He’d be able to get out and no one would ever know. I wouldn’t count him out.”