by Milly Taiden
Ray stared out the windshield of his truck as a crib lizard chewed and tore open the passenger side seat cover. He didn’t care. He barely noticed. The only thing running through his mind was no more babies, no more floor monsters, no more.
His truck turned onto the same driveway it had fifteen or sixteen hours—maybe days—ago. He wasn’t keeping track of anything except no more babies, no more muff monkeys. He’d never felt so happy in his life as to get rid of the aliens that invaded his life. He should think about locating the mothership. He wouldn’t want more Martians finding him. He giggled as he put the vehicle in park.
He knocked on a familiar front door, chanting his mantra: No more hellions…
A surprised young woman, the mother, answered the door. Before she had a chance to speak, Ray shoved three wide-eyed, tongue-lolling pups into her arms, one soaking wet with a drooping diaper. “No more babies.” He giggled and stepped away. “No more babies.” Taking a side step, he slammed into the house siding, bouncing off with a smile still on his face.
“No more babies!” He tripped down the steps to the front porch, “No more babies!” then stumbled to his truck, “No more babies,” and slammed his head against the window, knocking himself out cold.
TWENTY-NINE
Caleb lay bleeding in his wolf body, listening as Ellie invoked her right to fight in place of him, her mate. What the fuck was she thinking? After he saw her lay Rocco flat on his ass, he closed his wolf eyes and focused on healing the gunshot to his shoulder.
A phone ringing caught his attention and whispers floated. He saw Nate run to his brothers. He wondered what that was about. If it was another trick from Rocco, Caleb would saw off his uncle’s balls with an emery board.
A pissed-off voice called out to someone named Filip.
Caleb’s wolf eyes opened to see Rocco shift and attack Ellie, his teeth shredding her arm on his way to her throat. Her brothers launched into the fighting circle, but they were too far away to get to her before Rocco killed her.
Before his brain could register his reaction, he’d mowed over his uncle, dragging him away from his mate. All hell broke loose around them.
When the brothers and Aria stormed onto the field, Rahound’s side took that to be a free for all. The two groups converged.
Aria saw fear cross Filip’s face, until more vampires stepped to his side. Her focus zoomed in on the gorgeous vamp. “I don’t care how you escaped the fire, cockhead. But now, I will end you.”
Filip straightened and tugged on his pristine white Japanese fighting top. “Why won’t you just go away? I’m so tired of dealing.”
“Well, excuse the fuck out of me, asswipe.” She swiped a clawed hand across his face. “Let me take care of your problem by killing you.”
Filip’s eyes twinkled black and he threw himself at her, mouth gaping, teeth ready to chomp. Aria met him head on, swinging an upper cut and snapping his head back hard enough to flip his body over.
From his prone position on the ground, Filip dove for her legs, taking her to the ground.
Aria rolled with her enemy, coming up straddling him. He bucked his hips, tossing her off. “I’d love to try that move naked with my dick buried inside you. I’d buck until you screamed my name, then drain you as you came around my cock.”
A shudder passed through Aria. “Sounds disgusting, Filip. No wonder you’re single. Females with any taste can’t stand to be in your presence.”
He grinned a sneer. “I assure you, women won’t be standing while in my presence, but I do care for their taste as it flows over my tongue. My vampires will bleed out every one of you until no trace of the Valderi family exists.”
Aria gave a little giggle. “You think a handful of vamps here could take out the strongest and oldest vampires in the world?”
“I will take you down on my own,” Filip bragged. “My southern empire will do the rest. These men owe Rocco a debt. They are here to make good on it. And get a little wolf blood on the side.” The vamps behind him snickered.
An empire? Aria didn’t like the sound of that. After she killed Filip, she’d need to check out what was going on in the South. “I’m sure your empire is the size of your dick. Miniscule.” The men behind Filip tittered, enraging him more. He came at her with a frontal assault.
She positioned herself as she did for the upper cut earlier. Filip adjusted to defend and throw his own punch. Aria squatted under his swing and crashed her head into his groin, her nails dragged down his thighs, digging deeply. He fell to the side, curled in a half ball. His pristine whites were not so white any longer.
Aria strode to him and knelt at his head. “Good riddance, Filip.” With a quick twist of his skull, Aria snapped his neck then ripped his head from the body.
“Let me have it, Aria. He’ll be a perfect addition.” Aria looked up. Wolves fought around her, but all the vamps were lying in puddles of their own blood. Her magnificent trinity stood by, patiently watching her.
Zane looked at Aria with the dead head in her hands. His eyes sparkled. Penelope rolled her eyes. “Zane, you’re insane.”
Julian grunted. “I’ve been saying he’s inzane for ages.” He and Zane laughed at the play on spelling. The two women groaned.
A male in human form banged into Aria from behind. She turned and slashed his back, severing his spine. Aric stood in front of her when the man fell. “Thanks, Aria.”
“How’s it looking? All the vamps are taken care of. Do you want us to step in with you? I know you wolves don’t like others interfering in your things.”
Aric sighed. “I appreciate the offer, but you’re right about wolves and others.” He looked around the scene. Even with the four’s help, they were still outnumbered by Rahound’s group. His brothers fought valiantly, but enemy numbers were simply overpowering. Many from both packs either lay on the blood-soaked grass or crawled away to recover. Aric hated this. Countless lives gone because of one man’s greed.
He searched for Rocco, but spoke to Aria. “You’re welcome to hang around. But if you help, our pack will be seen as weak and others will always be challenging. You can keep an eye on Trevan, if you like.”
Aria put her nose to the air. “Why would I want to help him? He’s a rogue, a man without a pack.”
“More like an alpha free from any strings to do whatever he wanted, with whomever he wanted.” Aric smiled. He smelled her interest in the visiting alpha. Very strong interest.
“Perhaps I will talk to him later, and make sure he’s not double-teamed here.” She quickly vanished among the melee. Aric tipped his head to the ancient three still there and headed into the brawl to salvage what he could. He glanced at his mate off to the side. She and the other women were triage for those who made it to them. They either patched them up or assisted with shifting for natural healing, then threw them back into the fight.
But the makeshift hospital was taking in more than they were shipping out. As acting alpha, it was his responsibility to decide when enough was enough and call for surrender. Again he looked around for Caleb or Rocco. Their battle results would end this mass beating his limited number pack was taking.
His mate’s voice reached his ears. “Aric, we can’t take anymore. You have to stop this now!” His eyes found Jordan’s. This pack was as much hers as his. These were her people being injured, too. He dropped his look to his feet, then nodded. It was time.
Slamming vehicle doors pulled his attention to the small parking area not far from the fight circle. Jake, Nicole, and a slew of men hurried toward them from two passenger vans.
Aric couldn’t believe it. “What the hell? How did you get here so fast?”
Jake stripped off his shirt. “We’ll talk later. Now we protect the pack.” Jake ran into the center ring, shifting within two steps. The men behind him followed suit. The last man in the group wasn’t a happy camper, but damn he was big. Aric wondered who he was. He bet it was the cousin who challenged for the alpha spot in their pack. Shit. Would thi
s guy take advantage of the situation and kill Nicole or Jake?
Nicole took Aric’s arm as he turned to join his brothers. “Aric, where are the other women?”
He turned to her. “Where did all these guys come from?”
Nicole smiled. “The Vegas pack is well off financially, or was. They own a private jet. That’s how we got here so quickly. After meeting and talking with the pack, the men wanted to help our family. They’d heard about the goodness of the Wolfe pack and wanted to fight to preserve that way of life for other packs. Alphas like their Grady Harris and Rocco Rahound, they want to eliminate.”
Aric glanced over his shoulder. Tides had already started to flow their way. “Nic, your one act of bravery of standing up to Harris may save more than you will ever know.” He nodded to the side. “The mates are nursing the injured. Please join them. Their task is overwhelming.” With that, he jumped into the ring to find Jake.
THIRTY
The Las Vegas wolves were a smooth fighting machine. Packs weren’t normally that trained in team combat. Aric wondered what they had gone through to see the need for this type of battle. Maybe the men were ex-military, or maybe their pack lifestyle required such knowledge just to stay alive. He hoped Jake knew what he was getting into there.
Aric had never witness Jake fight until they were in Vegas rescuing his mate Nicole from Grady Harris. His brother was vicious and efficient with his attack. Swiping claws and ninja wolf moves that Aric had never seen allowed Jake to take down everyone stupid enough to approach him. Damn. Aric was more than impressed.
Rogues fell like a swarm of bugs landing on a zapper. One of the mercenaries shifted in the middle of the field and walked toward Rahound’s sidelines. “Fuck this shit. I’m not being paid enough to die for that baby penis bastard. I’m outta here.” Others quickly followed. Soon the battle slowed and the Wolfe pack watched the paid fighters leave. Money can’t buy loyalty. Something Rocco had yet to learn.
Aric looked around for Rocco and found him and Caleb facing off toward the top of the circle. He headed for them as those on the field made way for him. A council member called above the noise. “Do not interfere, Alpha Wolfe. The challenge remains legal until one leaves the ring.”
“What about his mate’s fighting for him?”
The female councilor answered. “She legally invoked her right to fight in place of her mate. Wolf law recognizes that as an equal exchange. With her mate’s return, where he didn’t leave the ring, the exchange was again equal. His mate has left the ring which makes her ineligible to return.”
Aric gave a nod and headed for his side of the field. There was nothing he could do to help Caleb.
The two original competitors were bloody and beaten, but neither had backed down during the group melee. Both in human form, they slowly circled while regaining strength.
Rocco sneered. “Just give up, boy. I’m the alpha of this pack for a reason.”
“The reason being I haven’t killed you yet. No other right keeps you there. The pack despises you. They hate everything about you—from your complete biasness to allowing their children to be taken. You’ve failed and I’ll see your reign end now.” Caleb launched at Rocco, both meeting midair as wolves.
Muzzles scraped together, teeth grinding against flesh and bone. Both rolled, Caleb coming out on top, his jaws around Rocco’s neck. Caleb made note of how close they were to the top of the circle. He didn’t want to accidentally go out and lose on a technicality.
Wait! Caleb heard in his connection with Rocco.
What, Rocco? There is nothing I want to hear except you’ll leave the circle.
You’ll want to hear, more importantly see, this. Movement on the Rahound side caught Caleb’s eye, but he didn’t remove his death grip on his uncle’s neck.
The crowd parted and two big men hauled an emaciated, bedraggled third man between them. Caleb’s eyes narrowed. He was sure he wasn’t seeing what his eyes told him. Then his nose proved his sight correct. He shifted into human form without thought, eyes never moving from the third man.
“Dad?”
Gasps filled the air.
Caleb felt a jab and found himself on his back. Rocco straddled Caleb’s prone body, hands wrapped around his neck. He looked at his uncle, questions in his eyes.
Rocco snorted. “Yes, your pathetic daddy lives.”
“How? Why?”
“The bastard crawled from the wreck, refused to die. I could’ve killed him, but if your mother died, I’d have no control over you. So I kept him locked in the cells below the house. Good thing I did.”
“What cells?”
“Oh, you’d never guess what was found when they remodeled the alpha house. Seems when the house was built, a small prison was included, then somewhere along the way someone sealed up the entrance.”
Fire shot from Caleb’s eyes. “My father has been in a hole this entire time? He barely looks alive.”
“We couldn’t have him shifting and breaking free, now, could we?”
“You son of a bitch!” Caleb started to shift to attack.
His uncle raised a brow. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. I could have his arms torn off while you lay here and watch.”
“Fuck!” Caleb screamed with frustration. “Get off me, prick.” He tried to push Rocco to the side, but his uncle remained on his knees, hands locked on his throat. “I’ll leave the circle. Just let him go.”
Rocco smiled. “Not good enough. I want you dead and your father will join you thereafter. Or I could torture him for a few more years. Bastard always thought he was better than me.”
Ellie’s cry reached him. “No, Caleb. You can’t die.” Her tearful eyes looked at her brothers. “We have to help him. Do something.”
Aric shook his head. “Ellie, there’s nothing we can do to interfere with the fight or Caleb forfeits.”
A gleam sparked in her eye. “Nobody said anything about interfering with the fight.” With her supernatural speed, she disappeared then reappeared in front of the two men holding Caleb’s father. She karate chopped the two guards in the balls before they realized what was happening and was back on her side of the battle lines with her father-in-law in tow. “I’ve got this, honey,” she hollered out. Then in her best Mortal Kombat voice, she added, “Finish him.”
Caleb grinned up at his uncle who just stared between Ellie and his two enforcers. He saw Rocco’s disbelief that she took their prisoner so easily and quickly. Still kneeling over Caleb’s body, Rocco’s fingers morphed into claws, ready to slash his jugular.
Caleb tightened his eight-pack stomach and drove his knees up, slamming Rocco squarely in the ass. Rocco flew forward, releasing his death grip, and landed on his back. In a heartbeat, Caleb rolled his uncle onto his stomach, pinning him in a classic wrestling hold.
Caleb snarled, “This is it, you piece of shit. Family or not, you don’t deserve to live. The fear and torment you’ve inflicted on my pack is done.” Caleb turned Rocco’s head to stare at his father on the sidelines with the Wolfes. “Your last sight will be of a man born to guide his people. A brother you abused out of jealousy.”
Caleb transformed his fingernail into a claw and held it at Rocco’s neck. “Seems fitting that you die the way you intended for me without a thought.” With a pluck of his finger, Caleb severed the main vessel in Rocco’s neck. Blood flowed to the ground like water from a hose. “This is for my dad and mate, you piece of shit. You will die slowly, watching them remain alive. You lose, Rocco. You will never hurt my family or my pack again.”
The pumping blood slowed and Rocco’s body under Caleb relaxed then deflated. To ensure the horror was over, Caleb snapped the interim alpha’s neck. There was no fucking way he was coming back from that.
The Wolfe clan exploded into cheers. And to Caleb’s relief, so did his side of the battlefield.
Ellie ran to him and helped him off the ground. He wrapped his arms around her, giving her his weight. “It’s done, sweetheart. It’s
finally over.”
Backslaps and hugging continued among both groups. Paul Montgomery with the Vegas pack slapped Jake on the shoulder. “Well done, Alpha. You alone fight as well as our teams. We’re glad to have you.”
Jake squeezed Nicole’s hand. “We’re glad to join the pack. And I thank you for volunteering to help us out here.”
“Eh,” Paul started, “that’s what pack does for family.” He stepped toward the rental van they drove from the airport then turned. “By the way, Alpha. The challenge has been withdrawn. Guess he saw he’d lose in a fight one-on-one with you.”
Behind the group, a scratchy feminine voice said, “Thank God!” All turned to see Tristan and Barbara coming from the parking area.
“Mom. Dad. They let you out?” Aric said, a grimace on his face.
His dad harrumphed. “Don’t look so pleased, eldest son of mine.” They walked slowly as their mom leaned on their father.
Aric looked at him, hands on his hips. “You know that’s not what I meant. My concern is that both of you are healed enough to take back alpha. It was fun for a while, but I have other things to do than stress over stuff like this right now. Why didn’t you both stay overnight?”
Dad snorted. “Do you honestly think your mother would remain in bed after hearing about the shoot-out here at the corral? I don’t think so.”
She slapped him on the shoulder. “Sure, blame me. Who was in a hurry to get here?”
Aric looked around the parking lot in the direction they walked from. An ambulance sat not far from the triage area and the EMS team was patching up his pack members with real medicine. “Don’t tell me—”
His mom stood straighter. “Yes, your father borrowed an ambulance and its crew as soon as I was able to stand from the bed.” They watched as a technician wrapped gauze around the head of a pack member. “It was a good idea, anyway. I knew you wouldn’t have professional help. You alphas and your damn sense of pride will get someone killed.”