by V L Moon
Finally, Shaver slipped an arm under the coverlet and over the bare warm flesh of Khad’s hip. Skin to skin from chest to ankle, Shaver closed his eyes. The first real smile in days played over his lips. He was holding Khad, in his arms, in his bed. For the moment, all was right in his world. He drifted to sleep listening to the steady beat of Khad’s heart.
~*~*~*~
Chapter Twenty-Four
~*~*~*~
Despondent and aggravated, Damian stayed silent even though his darkening mood and the way he held himself screamed frustration. There was nothing, absolutely nothing, he could do. As the day broke down and the sun sank slowly below the horizon throwing the sky above them into a rainbow of oranges, yellows and reds, Damian felt sure his heart sank along with it. Even Alexa, with all of her fiery passion and power seemed to slump into herself. As the day grew longer and their shadows stretched out before them, they entwined around each other with each weary step they took on their journey home.
The pack members they'd visited on their rounds left Damian an overwhelming sense of desolation. The feeling of helplessness was a burden too heavy on both of their shoulders. By the time Damian got back to Alexa's cabin, his anger at the weakened state of what should be a proud and strong pack prickled the fur of his inner beast. Their plight had Alexa so strung out it would take hours before either of them could wind down enough to sleep.
Damian wasn't wrong. Stepping over the threshold of the warm and homey cabin, Damian hoped some of the tension would ease. If anything, as he stood in the doorway next to Alexa, he felt worse. Home was safe, a sanctuary. He glanced around and noticed how their boys, most likely Shaver, had tidied up, readied the kindling in the fireplace and laid out a bottle of bourbon and two glasses. They were lucky to have each other.
As if Alexa read his mind, she sighed in defeat and walked, head lowered and shoulders hunched into the small but adequate kitchen. Damian followed. He'd known Alexa since the day of his birth. They had run together as wolves from the first day of their shifting and had been inseparable ever since. Devoted to each other, they held each other’s secrets, their darkest fears and deepest desires. Damian knew all of the signs, when to push and when to leave her alone. Now, it was one of the hands off times.
Damian noted the subtle change in Alexa's eyes and the way she frowned, creasing the small ridge of her nose which indicated she was deep in thought. Standing alongside her in the kitchen, they put together the makings of a meal neither one of them wanted. But, they had to eat. Their wolf DNA demanded the regular consumption of food with a higher than normal intake of fresh meat. If ignored, their hunger brought forward the aggression that could only be sated by the hunt and the blood of a fresh kill.
While the food cooked, Damian pondered. Usually, Alexa would have spoken to him, given a hint that there would be a topic of conversation during their meal. But, nothing came. The deafening silence made Damian worry even more. Alexa was never one to stay quiet for long.
Lighting the small twigs and leaves, Damian fed a small amount of logs into the open fire. It would ward off the chill that carried inland from the lake. Damian had the strongest sense of foreboding; not for Shaver or Khad. He knew they were fine, probably still out running or getting into all sorts of mischief. No, it was something else. Only one thing upset Alexa to the point she didn’t talk to him; or one person. Trenton Stamos, their treacherous alpha.
The silence persisted, hovering over Damian and hogging Alexa's attention. Even as they ate their meal of venison with lightly steamed asparagus and herbed potatoes, the mood between them refused to lift. Damian knew with utter certainty it all boiled down to their useless motherfucking alpha. Trenton was a prize ass. He suffocated the wolves in his pack and kept them half starved for just a taste of pack energy. The deprivation of their alpha’s sustenance ensured their loyalty to him. They simply weren’t strong enough to search out a new pack. None of them shone with pack pride or strength.
The bastard was a bully, dribbling slivers of his power like a carrot on a stick. He made sure they offered their allegiance in the hopes of being fed. Damian's head was ready to explode. How in the hell had things gotten so bad without any of the older males taking the bastard down? And, why hadn’t the Summus stepped in, surely he could feel the desperation of his wolves. It was beyond Damian's understanding.
But, after doing the rounds with Alexa, he knew things had to change. They made sure the pack families had enough money to pay Trenton's dues and afford a few simple necessities such as food and clothes. But, he'd seen firsthand how weak and demoralized the island wolves had become. All the while, their fat cat bastard of an alpha took the cream from the top and left the pack with barley enough to get by. How did others not see it?
He knew. They all did. It was because of the island. Trenton's power, the very same power he was supposed to share with his pack, kept the island safe. He cloaked it with a security blanket that every one of them needed. It hid them from the humans, but it also limited their movements. In the winter, Lake Superior was far too cold to swim and in the summer, they were simply too weak to try. The magic around the island shunted the humans away with a sense of dread and danger. The pack was trapped in a vicious circle.
“DAMN IT TO HELL!” Scraping back his chair and scaring Alexa almost out of her skin, Damian took his and Alexa's half eaten meal and threw it plates and all into the kitchen sink with enough force the crockery shattered against the stoneware sink. Black shadows crossed his eyes; Damian's wolf snarled, stretching out inside his skin to make room for an oncoming change. His skin bristled, trembling with the pent up anger that needed to bite, rip and tear something…anything…into pieces until his anger was vanquished and his wolf lay calm.
Arms spread apart to support his weight, Damian braced himself against the counter and lowered his head. When the strong scent of bourbon with its bitter warming bite scented the air, Damian knew Alexa had poured them both a large snifter of the amber liquor. Damian worked to calm his breathing and wished just for once that the consumption of the fiery liquid would work. Yeah, a drunken stupor would be real good. Not!
Crackling logs spat in the hearth. Angry flames licked around them with fiery kisses that split and blistered the blazing lumps of wood. The sparkle of the flames glistened against the offered bourbon.
“Thanks. You know I'm sorry about the dishes. I'll buy you a new set when we go back to the mainland. I just…”
Blowing out an exasperated breath, Damian lowered himself onto the only big piece of furniture in the cabin. The couch easily seated six people with its extra-long “L” shape. Damian stretched his long muscular frame along the deep comfortable cushions and tried to relax. He stared into the warming amber filled glass and watched the reflection of the fire against its mellow hue. When Alexa shifted from her position on the rug in front of the fire, Damian held out his hand and motioned with his head for her to join him.
The damp clasp of her hand in his was a dead giveaway of her nerves. The sensation jarred him. Alexa was never one to be shy or nervous. Damian couldn't help but feel apprehensive. Whatever weighed on Alexa’s mind must have been hefty, or was she unsure of his reaction to her thoughts? Pulling Alexa gently into the long line of his stretched out form, Damian made room for her.
She slid into place slipping one leg between his heavily muscled thighs. She lay still with her head resting against the broad expanse of his chest. The proximity of his fiery red she wolf tingled against his skin. Damian's wolf growled low within him, asserting its approval by unfurling its long black coat just beneath the skin.
Damian's heart pounded against the cage of his chest. The heavy thud brought a small smile to Alexa's face. He knew she could sense his wolf; there was no point in trying to hide it. He hoped she would dismiss his reaction as the tactile nature of their beasts who loved to touch and be touched. Damian fought against his own mind’s demand for more. He rode roughshod over his body’s rising need and hoped to hell his wolf did
n't compromise his position by awakening the parts of Damian's body Alexa was sure to notice.
Clearing his throat and tilting Alexa's chin up to face him, Damian failed to hide the deepening pitch of his voice. “You ready to tell me what's playing on your mind? I know who and why, but what I don't understand is why it’s shaken us both so bad this time. You want to fill me in on what's going on up here?”
Gently, Damian tapped a finger against Alexa’s temple, and then allowed his hand to roam and come to rest in the mane of her hair. Freed from his iron control, his fingers stroked and wound the lustrous locks in and around his fingers while he waited for the she wolf’s reply.
~*~*~
Cradled against Damian’s chest, Alexa gave the dancing fire as much notice as the uneaten meal they had shoved around their plates. Lost in her thoughts, she trailed her fingers up and down Damian’s bare chest as she struggled with the haunting images she’d witnessed on their tour of the island. The day spent among the pack disheartened her and weighed heavy on her spirit. Every wolf on the island from the oldest to the youngest suffered from Trenton’s neglect.
The money she and the boys managed to funnel from Iniquity to the families provided needed assistance, but the succor they should have received from their alpha escaped them. Instead of uplifting them, he crushed them.
For centuries, the Gichigami Pack had made the island their home. Secluded and protected by the lake and their alphas, the pack flourished. They only visited the mainland for supplies and technology. The tranquility disappeared when Trenton rose to power. Alexa hadn’t been born until many years after his ascension, but whispered stories of his atrocities circulated freely. They served as a warning to all who dared challenge him. Although Alexa treasured visiting her home and her friends, the oppression of her people infuriated her.
Throughout the day, she and Damian had secretly delivered lifesaving cash to the needy. Proud by nature, her pack mates cringed at taking what they offered; yet, they had no choice. Not if they wanted to survive. In return, she took what they offered her; beautiful handmade rugs, clothing and pottery, fresh fruit and vegetables, and on occasion chickens and other livestock.
The latter was either returned surreptitiously to the owners or given to other needy families before she and her boys left the island. The former was sold at a nice profit and the money funneled back to the families, under the table of course. If Trenton knew, the families would be required to pay even higher dues.
Alexa’s wolf raged just beneath her skin. Something had to be done. The pack needed a champion. Someone had to challenge Trenton and defeat him. It was the only way to save them. In another five years, the pack would be decimated. But who? Trenton took great care to ship off any male pup with a flicker of alpha potential. All except one…the thought slammed into Alexa’s brain just as a lean finger lifted her chin and Damian’s deep voice broke through her thoughts.
“It’s you. Oh my, God. The answer has been here all along.”
“Excuse me?”
Energized, Alexa sat up and then pushed off of the sofa to pace. “I don’t know why I didn’t see it before. We’ve got to plan, see who in the pack will support us.” Her breath left her in a whoosh when she ran headfirst into Damian’s chest. He caught her hips in his large palms to steady her.
“Lexi, baby, what are you rambling about?”
“You. It’s you, Damian.” At his confused look, she raised her hands to frame his strong jaw. Her eyes roved his familiar features with new clarity. How had Trenton missed him? Why had he been allowed to stay when all the others were sent away? Alexa knew the answer. It was because of her; but his mistake was going to cost him.
Spinning free of Damian’s grip, she strode to the stereo and turned the volume to an ear splitting level. Though it was her cabin, she didn’t trust Trenton not to have it bugged. Satisfied the noise would cover their conversation, she hurried back to Damian’s side. Winding her arms around his neck, she smiled up at him her excitement nearly making her dizzy.
“Do you love our pack, Damian? Are you committed to them?”
“What kind of question is that, Lexi? Of course I’m committed. They’re our family.”
Alexa regarded him seriously. The next question was vital. “How committed are you, Dame?” The male wolf she’s known all of her life, trusted with her most intimate secrets glared down at her in exasperation.
“Lexi, you know I would give my life for this pack, the same as you would. What’s with the asinine questions?”
Alexa nodded once and then grinned slyly. “You are going to be alpha, Damian. Before the end of this year, you will take Trenton’s place.”
Complete and utter shock washed over Damian’s face. She rushed on before he could respond. “It’s obvious Jorn Chamberlain isn’t bothered with us. He left our pack for the Appalachians. Since he’s become the Summus, he hasn’t been back. He ignores us. We can’t depend on him.”
“Alexa, you’ve lost your mind.”
“No I haven’t, Dame. I’m finally thinking clearly. We’ve only been muddling through. We can’t keep hoping things will get better. If Chamberlain was going to save us, he would have already. We have to do this ourselves. You have the ability, Damian. I’ve seen the latent power within you. We just have to plan.” She stopped when his fingers settled over her lips.
“Alexa, you’re dreaming. I know you’re upset about the day’s events, but the two of us can’t take on Trenton.” Damian glared at her. “Stop looking at me like that. I’m all for taking him down the right way. Maybe; we can contact the vampire king. With the new alliance in place, we could petition him for emergency help. The vampires would be immune to Trenton’s power.”
“And, who would take his place? A vampire? You know he has to be challenged by another wolf. Alpha status passes to the victor.”
Damian sighed. “Stop being stubborn, female. Even if the vampires did help us, you know I’m not born of an alpha bloodline. I could never defeat Trenton, especially not here on his island.”
Alexa nodded her head emphatically. “Yes, you can, Damian, and we can’t depend on the vampires. You’ve heard the reports. The vampires have their hands full with the Nephilim war. A demon was summoned into the royal enclave and Denali himself was injured. How much priority is he going to give a wolf pack on the other side of the world? It’s us, Damian. The same as it’s always been. We can do this as partners. Me and you, just like with Iniquity. Shaver and Khad will help us, eventually. I don’t want them trying to take on Trenton.”
When Damian shook his head, Alexa palmed his cheeks again. “We have to try, Damian. The Pack is dying.” Tears pooled in Alexa’s eyes, and she dashed them away angrily. She hated crying. She opened her mouth to speak, but a lump the size of a baseball seemed to be lodged in her throat. Turning away from the male who could read her like a book, she stumbled toward the fireplace. Strong arms slid around her waist and pulled her back against a broad chest.
“Lexi, baby, please don’t cry.” Damian’s voice rumbled in her ear. Imitating their wolf selves, he rubbed his nose up and down the column of her throat. Slowly, the choking emotions settled and Alexa marveled at Damian’s ability to soothe her with his touch. They stood in silence gazing into the flames. The minutes stretched as she waited. His arms tightened briefly, and he buried his face in the curve of her neck, kissing the flesh there almost reverently.
“Whatever you need me to do, I’m ready, Lexi. Let’s save our pack.”
~*~*~
The words left his mouth before his brain processed what the plan entailed. Damian exhaled a long, slow labored breath. Keeping his mouth gently pressed against Alexa's throat, he closed his eyes and just held her. Time alone was a rarity for them, and Damian used it to its full degree. The hot thrum of Alexa's pulse beat across the fullness of his lips. It drew a low growl of pacification from Damian's wolf.
His wild nature howled inside of him with the yearning to fight. Its strength and aggressive
need to keep others safe glowed in the blaring green flame of his eyes. The wolf wanted in on the plan. It settled just below the surface of Damian's skin with a lingering brush of fur against flesh. The action, both simple and familiar, instantly cleared the funk in Damian’s head.
Whispering gently against Alexa's neck, Damian held the line of her body as close to his own as he possibly could and wished like hell he could come up with something useful to say. “The boys are going to go apeshit about this. Maybe, we keep this just between us until we've got some sort of plan in place. Shit, Lexi, this is huge.”
Damian broke the seal of their bodies to pace. For the first time ever, the size of the room felt restrictive. He wanted to run, but he knew Alexa was right. Trenton had to be defeated, taken down as alpha so the pack could once again be strong and unwavering in its standing.
He ploughed his hands through his thick shoulder length black hair. His mind whirled with hows and maybes. He didn't sense Alexa move until she was framed right in front of him like some fiery goddess. Her eyes blazed from the supremacy of her wolf. Like an erupting volcano, Alexa radiated an inferno of command that scorched a blazing trail of heat across Damian's skin and sent his mind screaming for more. Alexa was addictive as was her strength.
Placing his huge hands on either of her hips, Damian drew on her strength. He bathed in the sea of scorching power pouring up and out of Alexa's body like a wave of incinerating flame. It washed over him seeping into every pore of his skin, feeding, fueling and satiating his wolf's hunger and thirst. The impact left Damian breathless and as hard as a brass tack. And boy, he and his wolf wanted more.
He tried to control his reaction, but it was too great. He usually ran off such an overwhelming power surge. But, with the moon nearly full and so many things going around in his head, Damian couldn't chance going out for a run. If Trenton homed in on his thoughts, their plan would be dead in the water before they'd even had chance to talk it through.