by J. L. Wilder
"It's perfect," said Mace. "That clan was yours for the taking, and then that prick Thorne did what he did."
"That prick who's currently the alpha," said Cutter.
"Not if you take him out," said Mace. "Make the clan your own and lead them into battle."
Cutter shook his head.
"No way," said Cutter. "Not a chance."
"You're the only one with a clan," said Mace.
"Yeah," said Jack. "Mine's dead and gone, and Mace's went off to God-knows-where in Wyoming. But the Saw Tooth clan's right there for the taking."
"Think about it," said Mace. "You go back to the Saw Tooth clan, take the alpha position, and then the rest of the other clans who are on the fence about fighting the Hearteaters will jump in at our side."
Cutter let out a barking laugh.
"You're making it sound so fucking easy," he said. "Like all I need to do is fucking waltz up there and ask to be the alpha. I'd have to kill for the position."
"Yeah," said Jack. "You'd be killing Thorne—the man who I know you've been dreaming about ripping apart for a long, long time."
An intense expression formed on Cutter's face, and Mace knew without having to ask what was on his mind.
"And then what?" asked Cutter. "Assuming I go there, assuming I challenge Thorne and beat him, and assuming I take the clan for myself and we beat the Hearteaters, then what?"
"Then you figure out what to do from there," said Jack. "But you know damn well that your story with them isn't finished yet. Not like me and Mace with our clans. You can end this once and for all."
Without saying another word, Cutter stepped over to the bar, poured himself a shot of whiskey, and threw it back.
Mace watched him, knowing that Cutter had to be thinking about how right they were.
"It wouldn't be easy," said Cutter. "It'd be a fight to the death."
"But think about it this way," said Mace. "If the Hearteaters figure out that we're the one with their girl, they're going to find out about your history with the Saw Tooth clan. And you bet your ass they'll use that history against you."
"Yeah," said Jack. "The last thing we need right now is for another clan to have it out for us. Better to solve this now and get them on our side."
Cutter poured himself another drink and came over to sit down with Mace and Jack.
"Fucking hell," he said, shaking his head.
"How would you get in touch with them?" asked Jack.
"I still have a contact in the clan," he said. "They'll let me know where they're currently living. Then I can just...show up and demand to have the alpha trial."
"And you'll win," said Jack. "I don't doubt it for a fucking second."
"We're both there for you, Cut," said Mace. "Like we've always been."
But mace knew that words were easy. What would come next would take everything they had.
CHAPTER 19
ECHO
Days later...
Echo stood on the balcony of her room, her eyes on the tree stretching out into the distance. Fear gripped her as she considered how, somewhere out there, Stone and the rest of the Hearteaters were looking for her, determined to do whatever it would take to bring her back into the fold.
She couldn't only imagine what Stone would do. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that he'd make good on his threats to be physical with her. He'd beat her until she broke, literally and figuratively. And he wouldn't let up until she became the docile omega that he wanted, nothing more than a baby machine to make his clan stronger.
And that's without even thinking about how the women of the clan would treat her. They'd welcome her back with a beating—of this, Echo had no doubt. They'd make sure she knew that, despite her position as the alpha's omega, she was still garbage to them, deserving of nothing but their scorn.
There was no way she'd allow it. Echo vowed that she'd do whatever it would take to never be forced to submit to Stone. Like the men she lived with, she'd left her clan behind for good, never to look back.
A knock sounded at her bedroom door. Echo jumped in place before turning on her heels.
"Who is it?" she asked.
"Cutter," came the low voice from outside through the door.
"Come...come in," she said.
The door opened slowly, and Cutter stepped through. Just as was the case with Mace and Jack, Cutter was so good looking that it was almost too hard to gaze at him directly.
Whereas Mace and Jack appeared no older than their early thirties, Cutter looked to be at least forty. But that didn't mean he was any less gorgeous. His hair was straight and thick, shoulder-length and tucked behind his ears, the color a jet black with slight streaks of silver. He was tall and muscular, dressed in a black T-shirt and a pair of matching jeans and brown boots.
His eyes were a subtle amber, and always narrowed slightly, as if he was thinking carefully of the next words to come out of his mouth. Silver stubble dusted his chiseled face.
"Evening," he said, stepping inside. "What're you up to?"
"Just looking out into the woods," she said. "It's actually peaceful when you're not living with a clan that drinks and parties every night."
"Glad we could provide that for you," he said. "It's part of the reason why we're here, too—some shifters just need their space."
"Yeah," said Echo. "I know what you mean."
Silence hung between them, and Echo realized that the same tension that she'd felt between her and Jack and her and Mace was there, too. It was almost too much for her to take.
What the hell is wrong with me? she asked herself as she stood near the window, one arm crossed over her body. Am I going insane with hormones or something? Or is there something about these men?
"Listen," said Cutter. "There's something I need to talk to you about. Something important."
"What is it?" she asked.
He gestured to the bed.
"Have a seat."
She nodded and complied, sitting down on the edge of the large bed where she'd been sleeping. Cutter took a seat next to her. As soon as they were near one another all Echo could think about was how much she wanted Cutter to kiss her, to pull her back onto the bed and fuck her hard.
Fucking hell, she thought. Something important's going on. Focus, Echo.
"You're aware of the plan we have," said Cutter. "Right?
"Just the broad idea of it," said Echo. "You three are trying to make alliances with some of the other clans in the area, see if you can get them to fight against the Hearteaters."
"That's it," he said. "And we're at something of an impasse. I and the rest of the guys have been going out, meeting with some of the other clans. They're all eager to take a piece out of the Hearteaters, but none of them wants to officially commit unless they know they odds are decent."
"Okay," said Echo, unsure where he was going with this.
"Long story short is that I've got a clan that I used to be affiliated with—the Saw Tooth clan. I'm thinking if I can meet with them and...convince them to commit, then that might be what we need to get the rest of the clans to fall into place."
"Sounds like it might work," said Echo.
"But here's the thing—I spoke with my contact in the clan and told him about our situation. And he wants to see you."
"Me?" she asked, surprised. "Why?"
"Because he wants to know what all the fucking fuss is about, why we're willing to go to war over a woman."
"Truth be told," said Echo. "I don't know why you're all going to such lengths on my behalf either."
Cutter looked down, as if trying to think of the right words.
"Because you can't hide from the world forever. Me and Jack and Mace—we've tried. But I knew in the pit of my gut that it couldn't last. Even you hadn't shown up the Hearteaters eventually would. And they'd take one look at this place and decide that it'd be a perfect piece of land to add to their territory. We'd be in this one way or another. Might as well do it on our own terms while we've got a chanc
e to fight back."
He took a breath, then went on.
"And...there's something about you, Echo," he said. "Something I can't ignore. Something that makes me want to move heaven and earth to keep you safe."
A tingling spread out from Echo's chest, a smile on her face.
"Thanks, Cutter," she said.
"So, that's the heart of the matter. My contact with the clan wants to meet with me tomorrow, and he won't do it if you're not there."
"Then I need to come with you," she said.
"That's right. I can't promise it'll be safe, but I can promise that I'll do everything I can to make sure no harm comes to you."
A tinge of fear ran through Echo's belly. But she knew that there was no getting around it. More than that, the men had already risked so much—the least she could do was put some skin in the game.
"When do we leave?" she asked.
"First thing in the morning," said Cutter. "We'll be driving to Riviere-Rouge up north. Meet him there, let him see you, and then if all's good, we go on up north to Kiamika Park. And then..."
He trailed off.
"And then we'll see what happens," he said. "But for now, get some sleep. I'll be waking you up first thing and we'll head out."
"Got it," she said.
Cutter got up and cast one last look in her direction. Echo wondered if he felt the same way, if he was feeling the same intense sexual attraction for her that she was for him.
There's one way you could get me up in the morning, thought Echo. Stay in bed with me tonight.
Her eyes went wide as she was shocked by her own thoughts.
"You okay?" asked Cutter.
"Yeah," said Echo. "Just...thinking about things."
He put his hand on the doorknob and turned.
"Goodnight, Echo," he said. "See you in the morning."
He stepped out and shut the door behind him.
Echo sighed, the sexual tension fading. But as she lay back and rested her head on the pillow, she knew, a smile on her face, what she wanted to dream of that night.
CHAPTER 20
ECHO
She awoke the next morning without needing the alarm, the soft beams of light from the sun rising outside her window enough to pull her out of her dreams.
And they'd been good ones, too.
Echo dreamed she was lost in the woods, no signs of civilization around her. But instead of being fearful, she was calm. She walked slowly through the forest, taking in the peace of nature all around her. As she went on, the men emerged from the trees one by one. First Jack, then Mace, then Cutter.
She felt safe and secure upon seeing them, knowing that she had nothing to fear. The men approached her, forming a circle around Echo where she stood. And as they formed their group in the woods, animals began to come out of the tree line, bears and wolves.
These are mine, she thought to herself.
"No," said Mace. "Ours."
And that's when she woke up.
Echo had a smile on her face, the dream still fresh in her mind. She wanted to stay in bed and play it over and over again, but a knock at the door brought her fully into the waking world.
"Echo?" spoke Cutter. "You up?"
"Yeah," she said, sitting up in bed.
"Good," he said. "Shower and get dressed and meet me downstairs."
Echo didn't waste any time. She hopped out of bed and got ready. When she came down to the first floor, she spotted Cutter at the kitchen bar, a cup of coffee in front of him. He was dressed in dark jeans and a red-and-white flannel shirt, looking to Echo like some kind cross between a ridiculously handsome male model and a lumberjack.
She loved it.
The stubble on his face had grown in thicker since last night, making him look even more rugged than he already did. Echo had to put it all out of her head and focus on the task at hand.
"Morning," he said, setting down his cup. "My contact just let me know he's on the way to the town. I don't want to keep him waiting."
"Then let's get moving," said Echo.
"Grab something quick to eat and let's go," said Cutter. "I'll be waiting for you in the garage."
He took one last sip of his coffee before getting up and starting off. Echo grabbed an apple and ate it quickly as she followed after him.
Cutter stood before a motorcycle in the garage, his eyes narrowed as if making sure it was street worthy.
"Drive's not too far to the meeting place," he said. "But we'll have to walk from there."
"Got it," she said, tossing her apple core into a nearby trash can.
He nodded towards the bike before hopping onto it and gunning the engine. Echo climbed onto the back and wrapped her arms around Cutter, his body just as solid and strong as Jack and Mace's. And his scent was...incredible, just as attractive as the other men's, but with a muskiness that was irresistible to her.
It was pure sex.
They started off on the bike and were soon headed north, the trail giving way to a paved road that took them to Riviere-Rouge. The town was small and quaint, like something from another time—a total contrast to the sprawling metropolis of Montreal.
Cutter drove down onto the main drag of town, coming to a stop in front of a small diner. He killed the engine after they parked and hopped off.
"Come on," he said. "He's waiting for us."
Echo felt nervous at the meeting. She had no idea what to expect, or any idea what the man was hoping to find out from meeting her.
The two of them stepped into the small diner, Cutter scanning the place as they did.
"There," said Cutter, nodding towards a booth in one of the far back corners. "There he is."
Echo spotted the man seated at the booth, a slim but built man with tattoos up and down his arms and hands and neck. A wicked scar was on his cheek, one that looked like it'd healed badly. His eyes narrowed and his mouth twisted up into a knowing smile as the two of them approached.
"Well, well," he said, standing up. "Been waiting for you both."
"Marx," said Cutter, extending his hand. "Good to see you."
Marx's eyes flicked over to Echo, moving up and down her body in a way that made her instantly uncomfortable.
"And this is her," he said. "The girl that's brought this fair province of ours to the brink of war."
He stuck out his tattooed hand.
"Name's Marx," he said. "Pleasure."
"Echo," she said, hesitantly taking his hand and shaking it.
He gestured to the booth and the three of them sat down.
"Now," he said. "I don't know how hungry you all are, but I took the liberty of ordering us some pancakes. They do ‘em American-style, nice and thick with all the syrup and butter you can handle."
"I'd prefer to get on with it," said Cutter.
"Now, now," said Marx. "You've both got a heck of a hike in front of you—load up on calories. You'll need them."
Cutter poured a cup of coffee for him and Echo. She wrapped her hands around the mug, not sure what to say or do.
"So," said Cutter. "She what you were expecting?"
Marx sat back and draped his arms over the top of the booth.
"That's what I'm here to find out," he said. "See, when I heard that the Hearteater clan had been tearing up their neck of the woods trying to find some runaway omega, I knew there had to be something special about her. Then when you tell me that she's in your possession, I had to find out what the big fucking deal was."
"They're tearing up the woods?" asked Echo.
"Well, figure of speech," said Marx. "But Stone and the rest of them are fucking pissed. Heard that he vowed to wipe any clan off the face of the earth if he heard they were the ones hiding her. So, naturally, you can understand why I'm a little hesitant to bring you to our territory."
"I get it," said Cutter. "I do. But we don't have any time to waste. I need to get to the clan and claim leadership and—"
"After all these years," said Marx, shaking his head. "You've had every
opportunity to come back to us and claim the tribe. But no, you were content to live on your own, to hang out in some mansion with those other Ronin. And now you want to hurry it up and get back right his fucking second? Tell me—why this girl? She...remind you of someone?"
Cutter's expression turned hard.
"It's not about that," he said. "It's about a kill-or-be-killed situation. If we don't take out the Hearteaters now, they'll crush every clan."
"Maybe," said Marx. "But you could always send her packing and flee again—that's what you do best, after all. Doubt they'd care enough to track you down if you, say, went overseas or something."
"Tired of running," said Cutter. "Time to take what's mine."
"Fine, fine," he said. "I get it—you were in competition for the alpha position, and you still are. You've got our blood in your veins and it's your right to come back and challenge Thorne. But we sure as shit could've used you earlier."
"What?" asked Cutter. "Why?"
"Because Thorne's been running the Saw Tooth clan less like a family and more like his own personal fiefdom. The women are all his for the taking, the men are as good as slaves, and he spends the entire day holed up in his mansion drinking and fucking and barking orders."
"Sounds familiar," said Echo.
"I bet," said Marx. "But Thorne doesn't have the...ambition that Stone has. He's more of a glutton. But that doesn't mean that he hasn't been running the Saw Tooth into the fucking ground. If Stone's moving the Hearteaters for war like I've heard he is, then we're going to be the first to wiped out. Low-hanging fruit, you know?"
"Then why haven't you done anything?" asked Cutter. "You were in the running to be the clan's alpha—the ceremony picked all three of us."
"Never really thought of myself as a leader," he said. "When I flicked my blood into the flames and the color came up ‘alpha,' I thought there had to have been some kind of mistake. But the fire doesn't make mistakes."
"Then I can make things right," said Cutter. "I can take out Thorne and make the clan mine. And then fight Stone. And then..."
He trailed off.
"Yeah," said Marx. "'And then.' I know you, Cutter. You're a smart-as-fuck guy, but when you get single-minded about something you don't think about anything past that. You kill Thorne, then Stone, then what? You'll have a clan of men and women in need of guidance. And you don't exactly have the best reputation when it comes to sticking around and leading."