by Anya Byrne
"I'm guessing that ruffled a lot of fur." Finn rubbed his eyes. "Where's Dad? I should speak to him."
"He left to meet with the other Alphas. Erdi and Andreas went with him."
Finn's eyes widened. "How long has he been gone?"
"A few days," Parker replied sedately. It seemed he was very much aware of the reasons for Finn's concern.
"Shit, baby. I'm sorry about this, but I have to—"
"Meet with your pack, I know." Parker smiled at him even as he cut off Finn's apologetic words. "Saul explained. I understand."
As he watched Parker, Finn wanted nothing more than to cling to his mate and sweep him away from this place and from any dangerous situation. A pang of self-hatred rushed over him for thrusting Parker into the werewolf world, but he quickly stomped it down. Now was not the time for that. He had to keep a cool head and solve the problems Adler caused, not only for his own pack, but also for his new family.
He and Parker did have enough time to take a brief shower, and despite being more aware than ever of his responsibilities, Finn couldn't resist his mate's naked, water-slick body. Parker ended up giving him a blow job that had turned Finn's knees into jelly. He barely managed to return the favor before crumbling to the shower floor.
Unfortunately, his circumstances didn't allow him the luxury to enjoy the afterglow. Finn turned off the shower water and carried his now exhausted mate back into the bedroom. He was pulling his clothes on when a knock sounded at the door.
It was Saul. Finn knew before he even went to let his brother in. And the moment he saw Saul's face, he also knew something was very wrong.
A heartbeat later, Saul confirmed his guess. "Wendel Adler is here, and he's challenging you for the leadership of the pack."
Chapter Seven
It never ceased to surprise Parker how his life seemed to have turned into a roller coaster. He was starting to believe he and Finn might be cursed. The first time they'd made love, he and Finn had been attacked and almost killed, and now that they'd finally bonded, this happened.
During his time here, Parker had learned bits and pieces about werewolf society, and he definitely knew this was very dangerous. He stumbled out of the bed, miraculously managing to grab his shirt off the floor to maintain a modicum of decency.
"He can't do that, right?" he tried to protest as Finn let Saul into the room. "Finn's father is the Alpha."
Saul's jaw tightened. "Yes, but... It seems something might have happened at the meeting. We don't know much, but Jessie felt something was wrong with Andreas, and then Wendel showed up. I suspect the Gathering turned against Father."
Finn growled low in his throat. "Why am I not surprised? The treacherous scum always hated werewolves who mate humans."
A part of Parker's mind went to William Orwell. The human doctor was at odds with his werewolf mate, but even Parker, who didn't know either of the two that well, could tell the two men loved each other. He could understand how William must be feeling right about now, since he'd experienced it when Finn had been shot. Distantly, he wondered if William had returned from driving Gavin's family to the bus station. He almost hoped not.
But William aside, Parker's main concern was Finn. He clenched his fists, more aware than ever that Finn had just recovered from a serious injury. "Finn, this is a travesty. You just woke up from a coma. You can't fight another werewolf."
Saul sighed heavily. "He might not have a choice. Someone told Wendel Finn woke up. We have people in the pack who aren't happy with the way things are going, and the elders still have influence even after the debacle with me."
Finn's shoulders slumped. "We should have expected this. You did. That's why you left."
Saul nodded, giving his brother a grim look. "I'm sorry, Finn. I wish I could help, but I can't. I've only managed to keep a modicum of order because most people still respect my authority. But I'm not part of this pack, not anymore. In Father's absence, you're Alpha."
It was true, and selfishly, Parker hated it. He wanted Finn to belong to him alone. Besides, a lot of the people here didn't deserve Finn's efforts or concern. They definitely hadn't displayed it while Finn had been sick. But it wasn't Parker's choice to make, and he respected Finn for taking his responsibilities seriously. If only that hadn't meant going into battle with a crazed Alpha bent on revenge.
"Can you beat him?" he heard himself ask, already knowing there was no way to stop this.
He caught the flash of uncertainty on Finn's face, before it settled into steely decision. "I can. I will. I promised, remember? Trust me on this. I can do it."
Parker didn't reply. He trusted Finn, but at the same time, he wanted to know what that flicker meant. He didn't ask, though, too afraid to hear the reply. He regretted it seconds later when Saul pressed his hand to Finn's shoulder. "Finn... I know this is hard, but..."
Finn nodded in acknowledgment of the words—both the ones Saul said, and the ones he didn't. "Go, Saul. I'll be right out."
Saul went without protest. As soon as his brother was gone, Finn gripped Parker's hands and kissed them. "Look, you're too smart for me to try to hide the truth. Alpha Adler is one of the strongest ones in the United States. He's younger than Father and more experienced than me and Saul. In other words, he's at the optimum age for an Alpha. He's also furious, so he'll come at me with everything he has."
Parker gulped, but Finn wasn't finished. "I have my own advantages, and I owe him and his pack for attacking you." His lips twisted in a threatening grin. "He'll never touch you again. Ever."
He pulled Parker close, and in the tightness of the embrace, Parker found safety. When Finn held him, he could almost believe this was all a bad dream.
Sadly, Finn was the one to shatter that fantasy. "But just in case... We'll go out together now, and you'll go to Saul. Even if I win, I don't know what will happen, but if you belong to Saul's pack, you should be safe."
Parker didn't like the sound of that. "But Finn..."
Finn broke the embrace and cupped Parker's cheeks. "Please, baby, just do it. I need to know he can't touch you. Okay?"
What could Parker do? He was helpless, and he knew it. With a resigned sigh, he nodded. His agreement earned him a fleeting smile and a kiss from Finn. "Okay. Let's get this show on the road. The sooner I get rid of him, the faster I can get you back in bed again."
Parker tried to find optimism in Finn's words, and while he couldn't quite manage that, he did brace himself for whatever would follow. Finn needed him to stand by his side, not break down. Besides, he had his baby to worry about. He would be strong, for both of them.
As such, he quickly finished getting dressed, while Finn did the same. A few minutes later, they were heading out of the mansion, to confront the same man who'd planned their deaths. Parker could only hope Finn knew what he was doing, because Parker certainly didn't.
****
As expected, Wendel Adler faced Finn with angry, almost maddened eyes. He stood in front of the mansion house, several other werewolves lined up behind him. In a more frustrating development, Argent was next to him, which shocked Finn, and judging by Parker's gasp, also his mate.
Argent had always been loyal to the Simmons family, and was in fact one of the men Finn had taken along for the first intervention against the Adler pack, during the attack against Jessie and Andreas. Seeing Argent take Wendel's side was a blow Finn had not anticipated.
But Finn was a born Alpha, and he didn't let his dismay show. Instead, he headed toward his brother, who was standing a few feet away from Wendel, blocking the enemy Alpha's access to the house. Gavin and Jessie were nowhere to be seen, unsurprising given the circumstances. Finn wished he could have hidden Parker too, but he had to make it obvious Saul was Parker's Alpha.
He had no intention of losing, but if he did, Parker needed to be beyond Wendel Adler's reach. Whatever Wendel had done involved only the Simmons pack. Saul's small family was no threat, unless Saul tried to step in—which his brother would not do, because o
f Gavin and Shannon.
Parker stayed by Saul's side, like Finn had told him. With the corner of his eye, Finn caught sight of his brother wrapping an arm around Parker's shoulders. He felt a wave of power rush over him, and he knew Saul had figured out what Finn wanted and gone along with it.
Relieved, Finn faced his opponent with renewed resolve. "You're trespassing, Alpha Adler. I urge you to take your men and depart."
Wendel's angry sneer melted into something knowing, wicked. "I'm not trespassing if the pack wants me here. They see you're no longer deserving of leading them."
"And you decided to prove you're deserving by attacking us when my father is away?"
He wanted to get Adler talking, to find out as much as he could about the older werewolf's situation. He hadn't seen Jessie so far, but if Jessie had sensed something amiss with Andreas... That could be a very bad sign, much like his brother had already guessed.
"Your father isn't ever coming back, pup." Adler's mad grin reappeared, his eyes twinkling with satisfaction. "You'd better get used to that thought."
Finn clenched his fists, doing his best not to show how much the thought affected him. He probably would have failed, but a different voice suddenly asked, "What did you do to Dean?"
Finn mentally cursed and turned, just in time to watch William Orwell walk out of the house. His voice was steady, but behind the steel in his tone, Finn read something... unhinged that scared him.
"I didn't do anything," Alpha Adler replied in a mocking drawl. "Every decision was approved by the Gathering."
That didn't mean anything. Werewolves had difficulties in agreeing on a great deal of policies, but there was one thing that remained valid even now. It might not be illegal to take human mates, but some people still saw it as a threat to the Secrecy Accords. And the Accords were notoriously vague—anything could be twisted into becoming dangerous. After what had happened here, it wasn't a stretch to think the Gathering had decided to make an example out of Finn's father—especially with a few nudges from Adler.
Still, that was all just a guess, and not a real answer. None of it was enough to satisfy the human doctor. William's smile was as sharp as a razor and his demeanor almost sickeningly calm as he approached. "But you do know what happened. I am entitled to know. I'm his mate."
A ripple of something unpleasant swept over the werewolves gathered behind Wendel. Argent looked like he'd swallowed a lemon. "Mr. Orwell, I would advise you to step back. This isn't your affair."
A growl escaped Finn's throat, and the beta shut up, perhaps realizing it wasn't a good idea to stir Finn's temper further. Then again, Finn wasn't the main problem here, but the very human mate of Finn's father who might have decided to make a very big mistake.
As much as he regretted agreeing with a treasonous asshole beta, Finn stepped forward and grabbed William's arm. "William, let me handle this, okay? You can't get involved. Think of Jessie."
"I am," William replied, and he was practically vibrating in Finn's hold. "If I wasn't, Adler would already be dead with a silver bullet through the head. I have a steady aim."
Finn clenched his jaw. William knew something. He'd felt something. He and Dean didn't have a mate bond—they'd never claimed each other, but he'd still sensed something. Fuck.
For obvious reasons, Finn and William weren't close. Finn wasn't childish enough to pout that his father loved someone else other than his mother, but his heart was still with her, even decades after she'd died. Nonetheless, William was family, since well... Finn's father loved him.
If the older Alpha was dead—and moon be blessed, if the same thing had happened to Andreas—Finn had to make sure no harm came to William and Jessie.
"Go back to Jessie," he told his father's mate. "He needs you right now. I'll deal with this asshole."
"You play dirty, you know that?" William's smile was a ghost of what it had been before, but this time far more honest. "Okay, Finn. I'll stay out of this. For now."
The fist clenching around Finn's heart loosened, because in that small twitch of lips, Finn saw a spark of hope that his father might still be alive. As William stepped away, Finn directed his attention to Wendel Adler.
"Well? You haven't answered my father's mate."
"Come now, pup. You don't really consider the human a genuine mate, do you?" Wendel let out a sharp bark of laughter when Finn simply arched a brow. "Well, no wonder your leadership is in question."
"Father's leadership—and mine—is in question because werewolves seem to have a very short memory. Apparently, us sleeping with humans is more important than over fifty years of peace."
"Peace." Adler scoffed. "Peace is just intermission between wars. It is a treat for the weak. Werewolves are beyond that."
Finn smirked calmly. "I'm sure Mario would agree. That was your son's name, right? Mario? I do hope they returned the body. Even if—"
He didn't get to finish the phrase, because with an angry snarl, Wendel started to shift into his wolf form. It wasn't as smooth as the Alpha would have liked, because he tangled in his clothing, which he'd forgotten to take off. Finn wasn't about to make the same mistake. He'd been waiting for this to happen so, in seconds, he toed off his shoes and ripped off his shirt and sweat pants.
He melted in his wolf form just in time to watch Wendel finally struggle out of the remnants of his clothes, looking even more furious than before. Finn spared another look toward to his mate, then delved into the battle that he couldn't lose.
****
Finn had been right when he'd told Parker that Wendel Adler was a skilled fighter. Parker had only seen one werewolf fight thus far, and it had been very different. Really, he hadn't thought this challenge would be scarier than a fight he'd been somewhat involved in, but...it was.
Wendel's shifted form was that of a massive brown wolf. He was about the same size as Finn, which in itself was frightening. When he shot forward toward Finn, he moved far faster than a creature that big should have.
Parker clutched Saul's arm, half-thankful to Finn's brother for whatever he'd done earlier, half angry he wasn't trying to help Finn. At some level, he realized Saul couldn't intervene, but that didn't make it any easier to just stand here and watch.
Thankfully, Finn was ready for Wendel's attack. He dodged the furious lunge, moving just as quickly as the other werewolf. He leaped to the side, then in a sudden motion, raked his claws over Wendel's side. Wendel barely seemed to acknowledge the injury and turned toward Finn again, but Finn was already gone, escaping Wendel's swipe at him.
Parker didn't have to be a genius to figure out what Finn was doing, despite the fact that his very human eyes had trouble taking it all in. Wendel was angry, like a berserker in a rage not paying attention to what he was doing, following pure instinct. Finn kept biting and retreating, a chisel steadily chipping at rock. He was as fast as Wendel and always moved out of the way before Wendel could hurt him in turn, and Parker began to hope this might work after all.
Finn almost looked like he was dancing, graceful in a way Parker had never thought a fierce predator could be. In those documentaries he'd seen about big cats, he'd been struck by the sinuous sway of their motions, but Finn was different. Every step seemed choreographed—grace, strategy, intelligence, caution and instinct all wrapped up into one.
Wendel seemed to be tiring, every small wound slowing him down. It wasn't very obvious at first, but then, Parker could get a better glimpse of him, unlike before, when both Wendel and Finn had been largely a blur of fur and claws. It became easier to see everything that was going on, and satisfaction swelled inside Parker when he realized that any moment now, the challenge would be over.
He should have known things were going too well. A shot rang out, and the next thing Parker knew, pain rushed over him, emanating from his arm. He gasped and braced himself, but the bullet had only grazed him.
That turned out to be on purpose, and a promise for worse things to come. "Face the Alpha like a real wolf, not like a cowar
d," one of the wolves with Wendel said. "Or the next bullet hits your mate in the head."
"You can't do that," Saul growled. "He's part of my pack. This is against werewolf law."
"He's a human." The werewolf sneered. "We can do whatever we want. Besides, you're both here. You're involved in the challenge."
Distantly, Parker realized Argent was very pale. Perhaps he'd finally realized he'd sided with the maniacs, not that it hadn't been obvious from the beginning. Parker ignored him. He focused on his bond with Finn, trying to project waves of calm, to tell his mate he was all right.
At first, it didn't seem to work. Finn was distracted, and when Wendel came at him, he didn't dodge. It only lasted for a moment, and then everything changed. Something feral burst inside Finn. Parker felt it, reaching for him in despair even as it lashed out at Wendel. The older Alpha's anger was nothing compared to Finn's.
The end of the challenge was almost anti-climatic. Parker blinked, and then Wendel was collapsing on the ground, his throat ripped out. His body stilled in death, and the black wolf that had slain him—Finn—stepped forward, snarling at Wendel's allies.
The message was clear. Get the fuck away from my family.
Of course, this could still get ugly really fast, since the Adler pack apparently had no intention of playing by the rules. Thankfully, Parker didn't need to have that theory confirmed. A woman stepped out from behind the wall of werewolves.
"Enough," she said. "You've proven your point and won your challenge. Your mate and your family are in no danger since your debt is already paid."
Finn shifted into his human form, and the change struck Parker as fluid and sexual despite the seriousness of the circumstances. Unfortunately, the woman's arrival didn't truly diffuse the situation. "Debt?" Finn snapped. "What debt?"
She didn't reply. Instead, she just retrieved a cell phone from the pocket of her business suit and quick dialed it. From the distance, Parker couldn't hear what she said, but whatever it was, it seemed to make Finn even tenser than before.