by Jana Leigh
Darien watched as the leaders of the Rogues sent reinforcements to find out what was happening, it made the number that they were going to have to face cut in half, which suited him fine. Nodding to his men, they ran full out towards the remaining wolves.
Only half of them shifted, the others ran for the weapons that were apparently in the small shelter they had erected.
He went for those Rogues with weapons first knowing he was risking the leaders getting away, but the alternative was worse. Darien got to the first wolf and without hesitation ripped out his throat. He could hear the battle raging around him. And knew they only had a few more minutes before they called the rest of their Pack to help. Once that happened they would be outnumbered. Darien prayed that Quin and Jaden had arrived.
He had killed three wolves when he felt Darry come and begin fighting next to him.
Soon all the Enforcers he had brought were fighting with him, and he silently thanked the Gods that they had not been killed. He could smell blood from his Pack members and knew they had been hurt. The leaders still stood back, watching the battle in front of them like the arrogant bastards they were. The Rogue reinforcements arrived and they were sorely outnumbered.
Darien snapped the neck of the wolf he had been fighting and ran toward the shelter.
The tall blond that Darry had pointed out laughed and pulled a knife from his waist and motioned for him to come and get him. Darien slowly circled the man, stalking him, as he swung the knife through the air, and waiting for the right time to pounce. When he heard his brothers" howl in the distance, he knew the Pack was here, but they may be too late. Before their support could get there, he saw Todd go down; a Rogue had gotten the drop on him. Then another one and Darien left the leader to help his Enforcers. He fought to get to the center of the battle where the rest were fending off the onslaught of wolves that threatened to overtake them.
Out of the corner of his eye, Darien saw the first wolf come out of the trees. It paused for a moment and he knew it was his brother taking measure of what was in front of him. It only took that moment for Quin to see that Darien and his Enforcers were losing the battle and he howled, readying for battle.
The rest of the Denver Pack followed through the trees and he turned back to his fight, knowing his Pack was going to help. He felt the first sting of the knife as it hit his shoulder. The leader had followed him.
Ignoring the fights that were erupting around him, he focused on the blond. Darien struggled to get up, forced himself to push the pain down. He lunged and snapped at the man who backed off a little but then swung the knife again. Darien bit into the man"s arm, dislodging the knife, and then the Rogue shifted. And just like that, they were on even footing. He took note of the fact the wolf was the same size as him, though not injured. Darien pounced, grabbed the wolf by his neck, and bit down hard, whipping his head so he would tear at the skin.
The other wolf clawed and fought until Darien had no choice but to release him. The wolf staggered back and Darien paused feeling a little dizzy, damnit, someone tipped the knife with silver. He fell to the side and growled as the large wolf chuffed, like he was laughing and then crouched as if he was going to attack. The last thing he saw was a black wolf jumping on the Rogue"s back and clamping her teeth on his neck.
Chapter 7
Cloe dug her paws in racing behind her father and the other Alphas. To her side ran Teagan and two other large wolves that she assumed were the Denver Pack"s Betas.
They had brought about fifty wolves with them. She hoped it was enough. When they reached the far end of the clearing before her cabin and paused behind the Alphas who had stopped. She pushed to the side so she could see and take note of what was going on. Cloe heard the largest wolf howl his battle cry and followed suit when she honed in on her mate in the middle of the battle. So many wolves surrounded him; she was surprised he was still standing. She knew instinctively who the Rogues were because they had a mangy look about them, something no quite right, she thought briefly.
Teagan howled and took off running for where their mate stood. They saw a large blond man weave into the fight, and they were too far to help when she saw him strike Darien between the shoulders with the knife.
Digging her paws into the ground she increased her speed, hoping to reach them before the man could strike again. Then she saw the man shift and she changed her course.
She flanked right while Teagan flanked left, both of them racing to their mate. She knew whoever got there first was going to kill the Rogue. She did, judging the distance she launched with her strong back legs onto the back of the Rogue, just as her mate fell and passed out. She could feel his heartbeat through their connection, though it was weak.
Cloe ripped her teeth in the Rogues neck and held on as the wolf tried to shake her off.
Teagan arrived and tore into his back hip, and together they took the Rogue down.
Teagan paused long enough to lick his mate"s snout, before turning and picking another wolf to attack. As the battle raged around them, Cloe shifted and leaned over her mate.
She looked at the wound and grimaced when she saw it was not healing. That could only mean one thing; the knife had been laced with silver.
She screamed for help, as she drug her mate out of the fight. Pulling the heavy wolf used all of her strength. More men came out of the tree line carrying the small first aid kits that she had put together. She needed something to flush the silver out of the wound, Cloe called for the closest wolf to bring her a kit.
The noises around her ceased to be as loud and she glanced up to see the Rogues were retreating. One man stood and stared at her intently in the back by a shelter they had erected. She frowned and stood, not breaking eye contact. The man smirked and tipped his head admitting that they had won this round. The air shimmered around him; he shifted into a wolf and howled for his Pack to follow.
None of the Denver Pack or her Pack followed. They howled in victory and then shifted quickly finding the wounded and began carrying them toward town. Teagan came to her side as she bent back over Darien and used the bottle of saline she had in her hand to flush the wound. She could tell it helped a little, but the knife had gone in too deep.
Darien was going to have to fight the silver poisoning.
“You dumb shit.” She whispered into the wolf"s ear.
Teagan called for help as he lifted Darien"s head. Cloe stood to the side when Quin and Jaden both came to help. They looked at their brother and growled before lifting him with Teagan. They made it as quick as they could back to the Pack house.
Her father stayed behind barking orders to the wolves, they were gathering all the information the Rogues left behind. Hopefully, there would be something in there that they could use to find Reggie, but more important, they hoped to discover who was leading these Rogues. A new Pack could not be this organized.
Cloe raced ahead to the triage room to get everything she needed ready. All the beds were full of other wounded members of the Pack. She grimaced a little when she saw the blood on the floor. So much blood had been spilled and for what? To get to her?
Why was she so special? Cloe shook her thoughts away and gathered her supplies and pulled a table in the corner, she would have to use this for Darien. She threw a clean sheet over it just as Teagan burst through the doorway looking a little wild.
“Cloe, they are right in back of me, I am going to wash up.” He said briskly and went to clean his bloodied hands.
Placing the tools she would need on the small table she had set out, Quin and Jaden came through the doors with Darien. They brought him to her table and laid him down gently before stepping back and allowing her to work.
“Teagan, need an extra set of hands.” She said briskly and set about to clean the wound again. Teagan rushed to her side and together they worked to patch up their mate. He had still not shifted back into his human form, and he needed to in order to help the healing process. “We need him to shift.” She said quietly.
For once, she was at a loss for what to do. Looking up and staring at the people who had come to wait with Quin and Jaden, she did not know what to do. “Dad?” She whispered, looking at her father helplessly.
Bryan nodded and stepped forward and put his hand on Darien"s shoulder. “Darien, it is time to shift.” He said forcefully allowing his power to flow out of him and surround Darien. She could feel a twinge of reaction from Darien.
Adele stepped forward, laid her hand next to her father, and did the same thing. Once again, she felt a twinge this time a little stronger. Cloe gasped and sobbed loudly.
Teagan reached for her and pulled her into his arms as they watched Quin and Jaden follow her parents. All of the Alphas power was swirling around the table surrounding Darien and she saw the shimmer, then the wolf disappeared and Darien lay in its place.
Rushing forward she ran her hands over her mate, checking all the wounds that littered his body.
“He is running a fever.” She muttered and looked around. “It is up to him now, he has to fight it.”
Quin stepped forward and smiled at her, “If there is one thing that I am sure of, it is that my brother is a fighter. He will be up and healed in no time.” Cloe nodded and turned to Teagan, “We need to make sure the rest of the wounded are taken care of.” She said and looked around.
Teagan nodded and began going from table to table checking on the patients. The doctors had done an amazing job healing the men who had come in. Apparently, word of the retreat had spread because the Pack house was beginning to overflow with members returning from their posts. The women and children from the shelter also flooded the common area looking for their spouses. Thank the Gods that they had not lost any wolves, of the dead that had lain in the field, none of them had belonged to their Pack or the Denver Pack.
Cloe ordered the bodies of the Rogues to the morgue for testing. She still felt like there was something strange about them, but she did not want to say anything until she was sure what she was talking about. They would deal with that later, for now she needed to tend to the Pack.
***
Cloe and Teagan worked for hours stabilizing the wounded and helped the doctors and nurses monitor them once they were finished. She was exhausted and ready to just fall into her bed, but her mate still lay unconscious. They had moved him to her office, where they had a lot more room and privacy. She leaned back in the chair she had been sitting in, and looked at Teagan who was asleep on the cot next to the bed. She smiled, her mates were safe. Standing quietly she walked out of the room and went to her office.
She was surprised to find her father and mother sitting quietly talking on her couch.
How long had they been here, she wondered. Quin and Jaden had organized their Enforcers to help guard the town. They were still worried the Rogues would return with more wolves and try again.
They had introduced the men they brought with them. She had been a little surprised to find the Beta of the Council Pack, Devon, had come, as well as Gregg, Quin and Darien"s other brother. She wondered how many wolves they left behind considering how many they brought. It was crazy to think about the numbers. The Denver Pack combined with the Council Pack was going to be the largest in the United States.
“Hey baby girl.” Her father said and looked at her with a worried expression on his face.
“How is Darien?”
“Better, the fever to still there but at least he is sleeping peacefully now.” She said wiping her hand over her face. Darien had almost needed to be tied down earlier because of the tremors that had raced through his body.
Adele stood and took her daughter in her arms. Cloe sank into her mother"s embrace, savoring the feeling of comfort that she did not know she needed until just now. All the tension from the day just seeped out and she relaxed a little. Her mom kissed her forehead as she pulled back and then resumed her seat with her husband.
“We need to talk.” He said to her quietly.
“Okay, let me get changed real quick first.” Cloe said and looked down at her still bloodied clothes. She had wanted to change earlier but had not had the chance; instead, she let Teagan go get a shower intending on waiting until Darien woke up.
Her parents nodded and settled back into the couch. Cloe knew that they would wait while she cleaned up. Moving briskly, she entered the small bathroom attached to her office. She stripped off the clothes quickly and washed herself in the sink. It would have to do until she could get to a more private place. Hell, she could smell herself. Pulling her black t-shirt with a skull and crossbones on the front from the hanger, she left on the back of the door, Cloe dressed slowly. She winced a little and looked in the mirror when she felt a tug on her shoulder. Looking at the long scratch closer, she sighed and put the shirt on the counter.
Cloe cleaned her wound carefully and then pulled the shirt on. Next was her jeans, she had taken off the scrubs she had pulled on earlier and winced again when she saw all the scratches on them. Cleaning each of them with soap and water then antibiotic cream, with each pass she cussed out the Rogues. Finally done, she pulled on her jeans, then her boots and looked in the mirror. Cloe brushed her long hair that had hung in a tangled mess under the cap she had put on. Fucking A, she hated when she had to do this.
Well, she thought, looking in the mirror, at least I don"t look like a crazy woman any more. Now she just looked like an old hag with the bags under her eyes and the pinched way her mouth was set. It reminded her of the old woman who had lived under her in the apartment complex when she was in college. Teagan and Cloe had often made fun of the woman, joking that if she had sex more often, the sour expression on her face may go away.
She opened the door and walked back into her office. While she had been in the bathroom obviously, her father had decided to invite people to their discussion. Teagan was sitting behind her desk with his feet propped up, and in the two chairs that sat next to the couch held the Denver and Council Pack Alphas. Great, just what she needed.
“Dad, I thought you said you wanted to talk to me.” She said rudely looking at the Alphas.
Cloe knew that they had helped save her mate"s life, but right now, she was a little pissed. Pissed at the situation, pissed at her parents, and pissed at what she knew the outcome would be. These people had brought the fight to her doorstep by tracking her down. Why couldn"t they have left well enough alone? She knew it was irrational, she would not have met her mate and been joined with her other one had Darien not come to town to find her. That really did not matter to her though. She wondered if she could pitch a fit and kick them all out of her office until she felt like she could deal with all this shit.
“Sit,” Her father ordered and pointed to the chair next to Teagan behind her desk. Her mate had risen and was ready to back her up in any decision she made, she was certain of it. If she wanted these people gone, Teagan would order them to leave. Cloe sighed and put her head down until her chin rested on her chest.
“Fine.” She grumbled and sat next to her mate. Teagan grabbed her hand and held it tightly.
“Darien is sleeping, his fever has come down, and I think it will break soon. I checked the wound and it is mostly healed.” He whispered in her ear and she nodded and kissed his cheek for being so in tune with her.
“Let"s get down to business.” Bryan said loudly. “Cloe, do you remember everything that we told you when you were a child? About the Prophesy and your destiny?”
“Uh, yeah, sort of.” She said wiggling in her seat. “What I remember the most is that your Alpha did not support you.”
Bryan nodded and looked at Quin who sat stone-faced waiting for her father to finish talking. He explained everything that he could remember about the past and what role she was supposed to play in the future. She nodded as he spoke because things came back to her.
Teagan leaned forward and listened intently; he had heard the story before from Cloe but wanted to hear firsthand what the
future held. A confused look on his face flashed for a brief moment when her father said there was only one shifter born on the first of every month in that one year. She was going to have to ask him about it when they took a break.
“Baby girl, I want you to listen to Quin. I have talked to him and explained my issues with the past. He has assured me that things will be different. I would never force you to do anything; you can make up your own mind.” Bryan said and nodded to Quin and Jaden.
“Cloe, my name is Quin and this is one of my mates, Jaden. Cami, my other mate, is back in Denver, she is pissed that we came out here without her, but she is pregnant and would never have been able to make the trip. Though, after talking with her on the phone, I have been instructed to ask you a list of questions as soon as we are done here.” Quin laughed and Cloe smiled, he had a deep voice that just flowed over you. She would reserve her opinion until after he spoke, he deserved that much.
“Here is what we know. The Seer told the Old Council about a Prophesy of thirteen children. It was over when the Rogues kidnapped Jo. She is, in fact, very much alive and in Denver. Oliver has admitted that he handled all of this wrong. He has had to take a long, hard look at the people that he surrounded himself with at the time. People that gave him advice, because we have discovered there was someone working on the inside. Alpha Bryan, I am supposed to convey his apologies and he wants to see you as soon as things settle down. I am the Alpha of the New Council. The Old Council will turn over all their assets and control to us when we have found all the Chosen. We have a destiny. I don"t really care what has happened in the past, but I can tell you about the future.” Quin said and sat forward so she would listen to him.
Cloe nodded and listened as the Alpha explained his philosophies and idea of what the New Council was going to be like. Maybe it will not be so bad after all. The only thing holding her back was her Pack, she did not want to leave them.