by Petra Landon
“While the Alpha heals, I’m laying claim to the Pack on his behalf” he announced steadily, his eyes wandering the room to make his intentions absolutely clear. “I intend to keep the chair warm for Raoul. Anyone who wishes to mount a challenge while the Alpha recovers will have to go through me first.”
Absolute silence descended on the room while the Shifters chewed on the English Were-Alpha’s measured words. Duncan was a powerful Shifter, his physical prowess legendary within the Pack. Though he’d made his reluctance for the top job of Alpha Protector absolutely clear, the Pack knew how ruthlessly he could tamp down on any interference with his were-pack or aggression towards his Shifters. Thus, when Duncan laid down the gauntlet this openly, the Pack took it very seriously.
“My friendly advice to any comer who wishes to challenge the Alpha is to take a moment to rethink it” Duncan continued. He had his audience’s attention. It was now time to drive his message home. “First, you’ll have to get through me. Then, when he wakes up, you’ll face the Alpha. Raoul, as you know, is not the type to forgive or forget when it comes to aspersions on his authority. He’ll be back on his feet in a day or two. This city had better prepare for the Alpha’s rage once he kicks the silver out of his system.”
Having said his piece calmly and without any flourishes, Duncan walked over to the mantel by the fireplace to take a stance. The symbolism was lost on no Shifter in the room. The mantel was the Alpha’s favored position in the Pack Room. Hawk, watching his Were-Alpha from the sidelines, was left both impressed and awed. It was just like Duncan to lay out his intentions plainly without any attempt at subterfuge, and then go about his business without fuss.
This time, the silence was pregnant with undercurrents. The Shifters moved restlessly while some glanced furtively at each other. Had Duncan’s declaration put paid to the uncertainty in the absence of the powerful Alpha, they wondered. Or raised more questions. The Shifters were hesitant about this, but one thing was for sure. By declaring confidently that the Alpha would be back on his feet in a day or two, Duncan had definitely blunted any potential challengers. There was little appetite amongst the Shifters to go up against the Alpha, given that he’d recover soon. Even the most ambitious amongst them understood what a dreadful decision that would be.
Amidst the silence, Atsá, the venerable Were-Alpha held to great esteem by the Pack, stepped forward to address Duncan.
“The Avian were-pack is at the Alpha’s service, as always, Duncan. There will be no challenges to the Alpha Protector.” His voice was steady, and his back ramrod straight as he unambiguously and publicly laid down the law to his were-pack. The Shifters in the room took a collective breath. Not only was this an unequivocal vote of confidence in the young Alpha’s handling of his Pack, it was also a public declaration of Atsá’s absolute loyalty to his Alpha Protector.
Taken aback by the unambiguous and candid declaration, Hawk gaped at his grandfather. Atsá’s eyes unerringly sought Hawk to shoot his estranged grandson an enigmatic look. The glance was enough to bring Hawk to his senses. He blanched his face of all expression, and strode forward to stand beside Duncan. I’m with Duncan in this, as I’m with him on everything else, was his message to his Pack mates. Duncan, Hawk noted, didn’t seem surprised by Atsá’s public support for the Alpha. But for the first time in his life, Hawk felt a measure of respect and admiration for the uncaring grandfather he had reviled most of his life. Loyalty and straight-speaking were prized by Shifters and the lack of both from Atsá had enraged and disappointed his grandchildren. To see Atsá stand up in front of the Pack for Alph so publicly and unequivocally was a balm to Hawk. The two Shifters Hawk felt the most loyalty to were Duncan and the Alpha. Alph had, after all, gone against his own Pack to induct two young, orphaned Shifters into his newly won Pack, thus saving them from certain death. Neither Hawk nor Sara had ever forgotten that.
Maartje stepped forward. It was clear that Atsá and she had already discussed the matter. “I am with Atsá” she declared. “There will be no challenge to the Alpha from my Shifters.”
The Shifters glanced uncertainly at the other Were-Alphas in the room. Lines were being publicly drawn in the sand, as the influential Were-Alphas reiterated their loyalty by using their authority over their own were-packs to keep the larger Pack from cracking asunder while their Alpha lay injured.
Luis was the next to speak up. “My wolves stand ready to assist you in any way we can, Duncan.”
He glanced around the room. “There’s something the Pack should know. Earlier tonight, Duncan and I were able to trace the house where the Alpha was held. You’re all aware of the power in our Alpha — you’ve seen him fight. You can imagine how much silver was required to subdue him enough to place him in a cage. What you might not know is that he was put in a cage this size,” his hands indicated a box barely large enough to hold the big Shifter, let alone two people, “along with Tasia Armstrong. I’m sure you know what his captors were hoping would happen.”
For the first time, Luis hinted publicly at the dark and unpalatable truth that the Shifters had been reluctant to openly discuss. Luis’ words generated mutters amongst the Shifters. The idea of a cage reinforced with silver to imprison a Shifter enraged them, but the implications of imprisoning a silver-poisoned Shifter with another, especially a non-Shifter no match for his physical strength, incensed them.
“We were also witness to the aftermath of the imprisonment.” Luis had a captive audience as the Shifters hung on his words. “The cage we saw was a mangled mess, the bars bent and the door kicked open as it lay drunkenly on its side. He broke through the cage. With his body already rife with silver, he wrenched the bars and broke through to free both Tasia and himself.”
Luis’s voice hardened as the audience gaped at him, their expressions a mix of astonishment, outrage and anger. “I, for one, will not allow anyone involved to get away. We are Wyrs. Let us show the Chosen that there will be a price to pay for anyone who dares to treat us like this.”
The gathered Shifters murmured again. This time, it was clear that the tide was turning. There was no ambiguity or hesitation anymore. The Shifters were in agreement with Luis. Perhaps, this was the best way to unite the Pack, a collective sense of outrage against the Chosen who dared to treat their Alpha like this.
Hawk smiled to himself. He’d always liked Luis Beltran, but after tonight, he was a fan. That Luis respected Alph and was incredibly loyal to him, Hawk had known. But what he had demonstrated tonight was acumen and cunning — playing on the Shifters’ rage at the treatment of their Alpha, while subtly reminding them of what the Alpha was capable of, even debilitated by prolonged silver exposure. Hawk flashed a look at Duncan, serene and inscrutable. Had Duncan suspected that Luis would disclose what he’d witnessed at the house on Russian Hill, Hawk wondered. Is that why he’d picked Luis and not another Were-Alpha to assist with the search? Duncan was shrewd, and fiercely protective of Alph. Though always careful to let Alph forge his own path and fight his own battles, Duncan would never allow anyone to touch a hair on Raoul Merceau’s head. Not while he had breath in his body.
“Luis speaks eloquently and for us all” announced Owen O’Brien. “My Shifters will join the search for the Chosen who dared to use silver and imprison a Wyr.”
Stefan Simeonov, another Were-Alpha, drawled slowly. “You can count me in too, Duncan. It’s time to let the Chosen know that Wyrs will not take this lying down.”
He met Duncan’s eyes. “I won’t stop my Shifters from mounting a challenge, but I doubt anyone will. It’ll be a Shifter equal parts brave and foolhardy who challenges the Alpha.”
It was now down to the last Were-Alpha in the room, the redoubtable Elisabetta De Luca. Her green eyes flashed around the room, their expression shuttered. “There will be no challenge to the Alpha on my watch” she said brusquely.
Duncan exchanged a quick glance with Luis. “Thank you.” He accepted all offers of assistance gracefully. “Luis knows the address
of the house. He will lead the hunt for the perpetrators. Time is of the essence here. With every minute, the trail goes cold. I need not warn you that the Alpha will be displeased if he’s deprived of punishing the guilty.” Duncan used words the Shifters would understand. Shifter code was clear that the punishment should fit the crime and that it should be meted out by the one most affected by it.
“We’ll work together to get a name, a gift for the Alpha when he wakes up.” Luis seconded Duncan, subtly changing the focus from revenge to investigation. Revenge would come later once the Alpha was well enough to mete it out. Right now, they needed clearer heads to track down those that would assault Chosen and slip away in the dead of the night like cowards.
“One more thing” Duncan said. “Raoul told me that his guards were Wizards. I plan to call upon David Hamilton for assistance on this. Be warned that the Alpha will be displeased if there’s any blowback to the local Wizards for this. I want everyone to remember that David Hamilton’s Wizards are part of the local Chosen alliance. They’ve been co-operating with the Pack on a host of issues.”
“Are you saying that you don’t believe these were local Wizards, Duncan?” Maartje inquired.
“I’m saying that, until we find any evidence to the contrary, we should assume that the perpetrators were not local.”
Atsá nodded, a discreet signal to Duncan that he understood. They had rescued the Pack from descending into chaos for now. Next, they had to make sure that the Chosen in the city did not, either. Until the identity of the perpetrators was uncovered, their city stood on the edge of turmoil. The Shifters would need to be careful to not throw around wild accusations at other Chosen and hurt the alliances that Raoul had carefully nurtured with the other Chosen in San Francisco.
Duncan was very confident that the perpetrators were not local. Raoul had built a fearsome reputation here. None of the local Chosen would dare to lay a hand on him in his own backyard. Over time, he had also painstakingly forged relationships with every local Chosen head honcho in San Francisco, including the notoriously difficult leader of the Vampires. The Chosen leaders in the city would not jeopardize the hard-won peace. Then, there was the attack itself. The assault had been brutally unconscionable, with a total disregard for Tasia’s life and a contemptuous disregard for using a Shifter’s vulnerabilities against him. It indicated to Duncan that this had been very personal. This was not an attempt to teach the Pack, the Shifters or their Alpha a lesson. This had been an attempt to obliterate Raoul Merceau — destroy his credibility, his reputation, his sanity, eventually leading to an ignoble death for the Alpha. Duncan rather doubted that any of the local Chosen felt such animosity towards the Alpha.
Sara glanced up as the Alpha staggered out of his room. Clad in just a pair of boxers, his hair mussed and a dazed expression on his face, he looked a far cry from the self-possessed, confident, and reserved Alpha his Shifters were familiar with. For a moment, as the hallway light shone down on the tawny head, he looked young, curiously defenseless and very appealing. It served to remind Sara that he wasn’t much older than her. In Chosen years, he was a babe in the woods, of course, but even in human years, he was very young for an Alpha Protector with such power and influence in their world. It was easy to forget that sometimes, with the respect, fear and awe he commanded in his Shifters.
“Alpha” she called to him softly.
The unusual gold eyes flashed to her. “Sara” he said wonderingly. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m the designated baby-sitter.” She smiled to take the sting out of her words.
“What?” His eyebrows shot up in surprise, taking an unwary step forward.
Only to stagger back, at the simple effort.
“How do you feel?” she inquired.
“Famished” he responded with a grimace. And very weak, he added silently. No Shifter would ever admit that openly. Therein lay trouble.
“There’s food in the kitchen.” She moved towards it, knowing better than to offer assistance to a Shifter still healing. Her were-pack mates on guard duty had dropped off enormous quantities of food. He’d need plenty of protein to fuel his healing, especially if Duncan’s estimate of the volume of silver in his body was correct.
He walked unsteadily to the kitchen, where Sara heated up some of the pre-packaged food.
“What happened to me?” he winced, slumping onto the nearest chair, winded by the simple effort of making it from bedroom to kitchen.
She shot him a look. “You have silver in you, Alpha.”
His eyes widened. Silver! What the hell! And suddenly the memories came crashing back. The cage in the darkened room. Flailing around at the edge of reason and catastrophe in a familiar nightmare that took him back to his struggles in a broken-down shed in the middle of nowhere. The battle to tamp down his beast and clear his mind from the fog of confusion and pain. The small hand at his shoulder, attempting to get his attention as she whispered urgently about the camera pointed at them. The pliant girl in his arms; the mindless and searing passion, uncaring of danger; his surrender after months of fighting it. The rising panic in her as she searched frantically for a way to let him out of the cage. The silver burning his skin as he kicked down the cage door. The fear of succumbing to the silver before he could get her to safety. He must have passed out while waiting for Duncan in the alley, he realized.
“Witch … Tasia?” he asked urgently, realizing almost immediately that he could smell her.
“She’s asleep in the guestroom.”
Sara placed a plate piled high with roast beef in front of him and sat down beside him.
“There’s stew. And I can grill you steak, if you like?” she offered, watching him wolf down the meat like a starving man. She had never encountered silver, but Hawk had. Hawk said that it burned your skin, hurt like the very devil, and even a glancing touch was enough to bring you to your knees.
“This is fine, thanks.”
He ate in silence for the next ten minutes, putting away enormous quantities of food while Sara replenished his plate a few times.
“How long have I been out?” he inquired eventually, glancing up from his plate.
“Eight hours, give or take. How do you feel?”
“Not there yet” he winced. He could still feel the poisonous effects of the silver in him. His body ached as if in the grip of a strong infection. At least, that’s what he assumed infection felt like. As a Shifter, he’d never been in the grip of anything, not even a cold. He felt debilitated, barely able to stand. His body had experience with silver, he reminded himself. He would be back on his feet soon.
“I’m under strict orders to make sure that you get there, Alpha” Sara said solemnly.
“Duncan?”
Sara nodded. “He said to take as much time as you need. He’s handling things in your absence.”
The Alpha’s eyes flashed to her. “The Pack knows.” It was not a question.
“The Pack knows” she acknowledged. “My were-pack mates are downstairs, under Duncan’s orders.”
Raoul understood immediately what Sara hinted at. Duncan would keep the Pack at bay, buying him as much time as he required. And the witchling was safe too, away from the Pack and the Lair, he realized. As usual, Duncan had thought of everything.
In the blink of an eye, Sara watched him transform from a good-looking, slightly dazed and extremely weary young man, clad in a pair of boxers, wolfing down roast beef at his own kitchen table into the cold, dangerous and formidable Shifter the Pack was familiar with. He stood up, already steadier on his feet after the substantial meal he had just indulged in.
Sara watched him stride away. At the doorway, he turned to meet her eyes, his expression softened for just a moment. “I couldn’t have asked for a better baby-sitter, Sara.”
“David, this is Duncan Hawthorne of the Northern California Pack. I apologize for the hour.”
“Duncan!” David sounded bleary-eyed, and sleepy. “Has something happened?”
<
br /> “I’m afraid so. Could I trouble you to meet me at the Lair?”
“Now?”
“If you please. My apologies for not coming to you. I cannot leave the Lair right now.”
Wide awake now, David blinked. This did not sound good at all.
“Where’s Raoul?” he inquired gingerly.
“He’s indisposed.” Duncan’s voice was circumspect.
Shit, David mused silently. This was serious. “I’m on my way.”
“One of my Shifters will be waiting for you at the Lair gates, David.”
Duncan hung up and glanced at Hawk. “Hawk, David Hamilton will be here in half an hour. Escort him up to the Alpha’s Room, please.”
Hawk nodded, his young face graver than usual.
Duncan turned to the others. There had been a mass exodus from the Pack Room after his momentous announcement. Luis was running the investigation with multiple teams of Shifters on the ground feeding him information as they chased down various leads. Among the Shifters, there was a palpable sense of urgency that time was running out. Dawn was nearly upon them. Atsá and Maartje had remained behind with him, content to let Luis lead their Shifters in this effort. Duncan guessed that the two Were-Alphas’ presence here was meant to be symbolic.
“Do you believe David can help us?” Atsá inquired.
Atsá, who’d worked with the Wizard occasionally over the years, had come to respect David, but the Wizard’s ability to assist them with this was a different matter altogether.