As they reached the tree line, the sentry howled and fell with an arrow sticking out from his side. Grant swung his head in the direction it had come from. It was clear he was dealing with more than one enemy. His wolf jumped over a small gulley and landed in the forest. He paused to sniff and listen. However, it was if whatever was attacking them was invisible. He glanced back toward the house and was relieved that there didn’t appear to be anything or anyone in the open.
Grant began to walk slowly through the forest. His approach was silent, his dark fur helped him blend in with his surroundings. The bullets had stopped, and he didn’t see any more arrows coming at him. Either the enemy was biding their time, or they were running. Before he could move much further, he heard a commotion from the woods on his right. He glanced and saw Charlie running out of the woods with Sparky slung over his shoulder.
“I said put me down you big Neanderthal!” Sparky was pounding on Charlie’s back, but the hybrid wolf paid no attention. “I mean it! I’m going to be sick all over you if you don’t put me down!” the mechanic’s voice held a note of discomfort.
However, a moment later, there was growling and the sound of a fight off to his left. The alpha wolf turned and headed for the fight. It was clear they were under attack. Maybe now he’d find out what or who was attacking them. Then he’d make them pay.
Chapter 20
Jake glanced around trying to find the source of the attack. Charlie had explained whoever was shooting the arrows got away. They had been heading back toward the compound when they heard gunfire. No words were needed as Charlie picked up speed with a groaning Sparky over his shoulder while he ran toward the compound. Meanwhile Jake followed Shadow who was heading toward the new enemy.
They both stopped as the sound of the shots seemed to be coming from directly in front of them. Jake swept left while Shadow moved to the right. He slowly approached the area where the attack seemed to come from. The shifter kept to the shadows on silent paws. The gun sounded once more only this time it was from overhead. Jake glanced up but couldn’t see anything but the large oak tree in front of him.
He looked around and smiled when he saw his mate on the other side of the tree. He looked as confused as Jake felt. Both wolves lifted their faces to try to scent the intruder but again it was as if nothing was there. Jake was about to continue further when a slight movement caught his gaze. For less than a second, he swore he saw a man with flowing white hair sitting on a branch with a long rifle just before the sound of a gun discharge filled the woods.
Evidently, Shadow also saw it because the wolf growled and charged at the tree. Jake waited and watched as once again the figure appeared. Only this time the man was standing on the ground beneath the tree with the gun aimed at his mate. Without thinking, Jake launched himself at the spot just as the gun fired. He heard a soft grunt as his jaws clamped around the invisible being’s gun arm. The gun flew from the man’s grasp as his foe finally became visible.
Luckily the shot missed Shadow. Jake clamped down tighter and began to shake the being beneath him. The man was unlike anything he’d seen before. He wore green leathers with brown leather boots. His long white hair swirled around his head as he thrashed to gain purchase. Jake growled and put more weight on the man when he saw him reaching for the sword attached to his belt. A scream of pain followed the sound of bone-crunching between his jaws.
The man tried to roll, but he wasn’t going to give him the chance. Jake released the man’s arm and placed his mouth around the struggling being’s throat. His low growl was clear. If the being didn’t submit, he’d tear his throat out. He stared down into the dead eyes that were dark as night. The man continued to try to fight by placing his already injured arm in Jake’s mouth while trying to roll out from under him.
Before Jake could deliver the killing blow, an arrow hit the earth right beside him. He grunted as a large body slammed into him and knocked him away. The arrow landed too close for comfort. Jake knew it was his mate who had saved him. Unfortunately, the being he’d been fighting disappeared again.
Jake swung his head at the sound of another arrow. He managed to duck behind a tree just in time to avoid being hit. Whoever was shooting was an excellent shot. He noticed Shadow was behind a tree a few feet next to him. It was times like this that he wished Shadow and he were semme’ mates because then they could talk telepathically to each other. Yet he would never regret taking Shadow as his mate.
A shimmer to his right signaled his mate was shifting. Jake joined him so they could talk. “Who the hell are they?” Jake whispered.
Shadow grimaced. “Dark elves. Damn, I thought they disappeared after the end of the Great War.” The warrior ducked back behind the tree as another arrow hit the trunk. “Whatever you do, don’t let one of those arrows hit you.”
“Why?” Jake asked as he watched closely to where the last arrow had come from. He swore for a moment he saw a female with fiery red hair. She wore similar clothing to the man he’d attacked. Before Jake could make a move, another arrow flew from a different direction. It lodged next to the shifter’s head. “Holy crap! Just how many are there?” Jake quickly moved lower to the ground to make himself a smaller target.
“Two, they always work in pairs. We need to keep moving because they will keep repositioning. We won’t be able to see them to attack them.” Shadow paused and pulled an arrow from the tree to look at it. He sniffed it and frowned, “Just as I thought, it’s an elf bolt.”
The shifter broke it in half and threw it away before he continued, “They covered the tip with wolfsbane. The poison won’t kill a shifter but will be weakened by it. If it stays in long enough, it can make you pretty sick. They use them to keep our wolves from emerging, which is why Sparky couldn’t shift after they hit him.”
“Damn, how do we fight them?” Jake kept low and followed his mate as they moved into deeper cover.
Before Shadow could respond, a loud howl filled the woods followed by the sound of something large moving toward them. Jake knew that sound and sighed with relief. Alpha Grant was close, which hopefully meant he brought reinforcements with him.
A moment later, a large black wolf with streaks of silver running through his fur entered the clearing. Jake still couldn’t get over how big the alpha was in comparison to other wolves. In fact, he couldn’t remember seeing one bigger. He glanced around and noticed that the alpha had come alone.
Without thinking both Jake and Shadow shifted back to their wolf form and stood on either side of the alpha. For a moment they all scanned the area looking for their attackers. However, the clearing had suddenly become quiet. Shadow shifted. “Alpha Grant, we need to be cautious. We’re dealing with dark elves.”
The alpha shifted, but Jake decided to stay in his wolf form just in case. He watched as Alpha Grant walked toward the area where Jake and the elf had fought. He knelt and placed a finger in the dark pool of blood. He brought it to his nose before wiping his hand on the tree trunk. The alpha growled, “So, they still exist.”
“Apparently so, Alpha. They are a male and female pair. Jake managed to injure the male pretty badly,” Shadow glanced over at Jake with pride in his eyes. It had been a long time since Jake had felt like he made a difference. Even when he’d been an enforcer, there had always been a part of him who felt he didn’t deserve to be one.
The sound of hurried footsteps caused Shadow and Alpha Grant to glance behind them. In the few seconds that they were distracted, Jake noticed a strange shimmer in the distance before the female elf appeared. He saw the evil smile on her face before she released the arrow aimed at his alpha’s back.
Without thinking about what would happen, Jake leaped toward the arrow and caught it between his teeth. As he landed, he noticed Shadow had managed to shove the alpha aside and had positioned himself in front of the fallen man. Jake dropped the arrow and took off toward the last place he’d seen the elf, but when he arrived, there was no sign of her or her partner.
“Forg
et it they’re gone,” Artemus called out as he entered the clearing. Jake took one final look around before returning to his alpha. Artemus closed his eyes and chanted a few words in the strange language used by the magi. Jake didn’t know what was said, but he could feel the magic around him as if it was a living thing.
“Well, it’s obvious we aren’t just dealing with Alpha Douchebag and his magi sidekick,” Shadow remarked as he stood and dusted the dirt off his clothes.
“Dark elves have never aligned themselves with any shifter pack in the past. They believe we all are beneath them. In fact, they view many paranormals as an enemy,” Artemus said thoughtfully. The magi continued to scan the area as if it could provide the answers he sought.
“So, who do you think they work for?” Jake couldn’t help but ask. He hadn’t fought during the Great War and never heard of dark elves. He was still trying to get past the whole invisibility cloak thing they had going on. How would they fight something they couldn’t see?
Shadow shrugged, “During the Great War they could be found on both sides actually. No one has figured out why for sure, but I’m guessing it had to do with either money or power.”
“Actually, they were part of the PPS. They had members infiltrated within both sides. I always thought it was because they wanted both sides to kill each other,” Artemus added but before he could continue Jake shook his head in disgust. Being so secluded within his former pack was beginning to become a liability. He needed to learn more about the world outside of the Willow Creek pack lands, starting with these dark elves.
“PPS?” Jake asked.
“The Paranormal Purist Society. It’s a group that believes in a certain hierarchy to paranormal society as well as being against interspecies matings or contact,” Artemus continued. “The group simply kills or imprisons any who do not believe as they do or who they believe are beneath them.”
“I thought the PPS was destroyed?” Shadow remarked.
“Apparently a few managed to survive,” Alpha Grant growled as he also continued to scan the area around them.
Jake followed his alpha’s gaze for a moment before he continued to question the magi. “But how do the dark elves fit into their organization? Did they lead it?”
Artemus shrugged. “Who knows for sure. The dark elves have always been an insular society. We know little about how they live or where for that matter.”
Jake watched as Alpha Grant scanned the area for a few more moments. He lifted his head and began to scent the area, a worried frown on his face. Jake could understand his concern. From the sounds of it, their enemy list may have just expanded.
“They’re gone, Alpha,” Artemus said as he placed a hand on the alpha’s shoulder. “We should get back to the compound to make sure the injured are recovering. I have some herbs that will help with the wolfsbane sickness.”
“How do you know they are gone? We lost many good warriors during the Great War because we misjudged when an area was actually safe,” Alpha Grant asked as he continued to search the area using all his senses. Jake wondered the same thing.
“They can cloak their physical appearance to blend with their surroundings, including their scent. But they can’t cloak their aura. Their evil shines bright to those who have the ability to see them,” Artemus answered. “Besides, I’ve used a spell that would block their magic and make them visible if they were still in the area. Unfortunately, the spell will only linger for a brief time so we should leave while we can.”
Jake jumped when he felt the alpha place his hand on his shoulder,” You have proven yourself to be a courageous warrior. Thank you for stopping the arrow.” The young wolf shifter felt himself blush beneath his fur. “As of this moment, you are reinstated to your enforcer status,” Alpha Grant said gravely.
Shadow grinned, his eyes were bright with pride as he came to stand on Jake’s other side. “I’ve known he was special even before we mated.” Jake just huffed and started to take the lead back toward the compound. Of course, he couldn’t stop the wolfy grin on his face.
As they entered the compound, Jake saw some of the sentries helping the downed warriors to their feet. Doc Houston was yelling out orders to help the wounded as he knelt beside an unconscious figure. Alpha Grant stopped. “How badly are they injured?”
The doctor worked for a few more seconds before he pulled out a bullet from a fallen wolf. He motioned for one of the sentries to come forward. “Take him back to the barracks. I’ll have someone deliver the potion Charlie made to help with the sickness.” Doc Houston stood and faced the alpha, “There weren’t any fatalities, but they coated the bullets with wolfsbane. Until we remove the bullet, they can’t shift to heal, and even then, we’re dealing with the sickness that follows. But they should recover with time.”
“So, they figured out a way to improve the elf bolt then,” Shadow said as he glanced down at the bullet in the doctor’s hand.
Jake shifted back to his human form so he could ask the question he’d had since he discovered there were dark elves. “But just like garlic being toxic to vampires isn’t true, wolfsbane was just a myth made up by humans. At least that’s what we were taught.”
Alpha Grant grimaced as he reached for the bullet. He turned it around in his hand for a moment before he responded, “It’s not toxic unless you have extended exposure to it and it would require a larger dose than what is on a bullet or arrow. During the Great War, it was used more as a deterrent. It caused enough problems when they only found it on the elf bolt. But now…”
“We should take the bullet to Falcon to see if he can figure out how they’re making them,” Shadow suggested. “If they can stop us from shifting from a further distance, we’re going to have big problems.”
Alpha Grant nodded. “I agree. The sooner we can figure out how they are doing it, the easier it will be to come up with a defense. The bastard took out the enforcers who were with me before I could even get close to him.” He glanced around and sighed, “As well as a few of the sentries I left to guard the compound.”
“Well, at least no one was killed, and a dose of my herbs will get most of them back to fighting shape within a day or two,” Artemus replied as he walked with them back to the house. He turned to the doctor, “Was anyone seriously injured?”
The doc sighed. “’Fraid so. Sammy is still unconscious with a bullet lodged so close to her spine that we can’t remove it without risking permanent injury. Now that we know it has wolfsbane on it, that will complicate her recovery.”
Jake stopped and gripped the doctor’s arm. “My sister was hurt?” Shadow moved closer and placed his arm around his mate’s shoulders.
“She was the first one that was shot, from what we can tell,” Alpha Grant answered. “She was shot through the upstairs window. Don’t worry, Jake, we will do all that we can to help her recover.”
“That low life, sniveling coward of an alpha!” Jake growled. The fur on his arms began to grow while his fangs dropped, “The dark elves may not have worked for shifters in the past, but I’d bet my last dollar they are now. Who else would target my sister?” He growled as he felt his wolf trying harder to emerge, “I’m going to kill the bastard!”
Alpha Grant stepped in front of the partially shifted wolf and placed a hand on the back of his neck. Jake could feel the calming influence of his alpha as it flowed through him. He took a deep breath and allowed himself to revert to his human form. “I understand your need for retribution, but we cannot rush in without a plan,” Alpha Grant stated quietly.
Jake took a few more deep breaths. He knew the alpha was right. However, it didn’t help the feeling that once again, he let his sister down. He could have fought harder against his old alpha. Hell, he should have gotten rid of the bastard years ago, but he’d been too afraid of what would happen to his sister if he lost. He was just a big a coward as his former alpha.
A sharp slap on the back of his head jerked him from his thoughts. He glanced up and saw Shadow shaking his head at
him. “I don’t know what crap you’re thinking but cut it out. We all need to keep our heads in the game. Now let’s go check on your sister and make sure the twins are doing okay. Then we can plan on a way to bring the bastard down.”
“We will all meet in the war room at first light. Until then, we need to tend to our wounded and get some rest while we can,” the alpha ordered.
Jake didn’t respond as he turned to head to his sister’s room. One way or another, he would make sure Alpha Clifton paid or die trying.
Chapter 21
Charlie sat beside the bed and watched as his mate slept fitfully. They had removed the arrow, but even with a shift and a dose of the potion to treat wolfsbane poisoning, Sparky still ran a fever. In fact, he seemed to be getting worse instead of better. It didn’t make any sense.
Somehow, he didn’t think this was the type of Valentine’s day celebration his mate had yearned for. Of course, he’d never thought much of the Hallmark holiday in the past. Surely his mate could tell through the mate bond how he felt about him. Why did he need a holiday to reinforce it? If he hadn’t given in, his mate wouldn’t be lying here injured.
A soft groan brought the hybrid from his thoughts. “What happened?” Sparky groaned as he opened his eyes. Charlie didn’t like the sheen of sweat that covered his mate’s body. The wound had healed to be nothing more than a pink scar after Sparky’s shift. Soon there would be no reminder of the attack. Yet it was clear his mate still suffered.
“You were shot,” Charlie replied simply.
Sparky rolled his eyes, “Thanks, Captain Obvious. Personally, your bedside manner needs a little work. Marcus Welby, you are not.”
“Who?”
Out of the Shadows Page 16