Brandt’s powerful jaws entered the vampire’s upper thigh at the same time he took another swipe with his gigantic paw. The Moor’s hand went under Brandt’s throat, squeezing and cutting off his supply of oxygen.
“Control yourself ,wolf,” the vampire ground out in a deceptively soft voice.
Brandt continued to bite down until the pressure against his throat made his vision grow cloudy. He then felt his body go airborne as The Moor tossed him across the room with barely a flick of his wrist.
The other wolves in the room growled, but held their ground, looking to the alpha for orders. They would attack and die if he asked it and Brandt knew it. But his friend was dead, the man who never gave up on Brandt even when he was at his craziest. The pain was overwhelming, his grief all-consuming.
Emily’s voice came back into Brandt’s mind. “I’m here, my love. Samson would not want you to die because of his loss. You must control your wolf and lead your pack. It’s what Samson would expect of you. Don’t allow his death to stand for nothing. He gave his life for us.”
Her words slowly brought Brandt’s sanity back.
“I love you, mate,” he said to Emily. “I will always love you.”
He reached to the back of his head where he had hit the wall and his hand came away slick with blood. It could have been so much worse. The Moor stood watching him with no touch of amber in his eyes. Brandt had never seen a vampire with so much control. The Moor walked closer.
“I also mourn your friend, but many more will die before our fight is over. I can tell you that your second caused continued irritation to Raykon. His death will hit heavy with your forces.” The vampire’s hand came out. “I will help you heal if you would allow it.”
The chiding sound of his mate’s voice flowed inside his head again. “I can feel him, my foolish wolf; he could have killed you, but he truly wants to help. You must be strong. We will mourn our friend when this war is over.”
Brandt took the vampire’s hand and, once standing, he turned his hand and bared the veins running close to the skin of his wrist. The Moor didn’t hesitate. His eyes went amber and his teeth sank deep. Brandt closed his eyes and thought of his friend. Guilt and remorse filled his heart while Emily continued to speak in his mind and soothe his soul. How would he live without Samson?
Chapter Twenty-Two
Tyboll arrived at the southwest territory the following week and they finalized their plans. They would go as two separate forces, each led by a vampire and two alphas. Amy’s team consisted of Columbus and Brandt, while Vorlyk’s had Nicolas and Tyboll. The Moor returned to the enemy to help from the inside and Ivan went to parts unknown.
“I’ll be around. I no longer work well within a pack.” Ivan gave his sons a final hug. The three younger men would be with Amy and their brother, Columbus.
The two wolves who betrayed their clans, Jackson and Wallace, were also with Amy’s group. The teams boarded separate airplanes when the sun went down two days later. Vorlyk and his fighters flew across the border to a prearranged destination that changed the minute they left, though only a few knew of the new landing location. They couldn’t chance that Jackson and Wallace would discover their new plan.
When Amy’s plane touched down inside a military base on the U.S. side of the border, she called a meeting with her group. The military gave them a large hangar and privacy. Amy could no longer hold back her fury and the incandescent glow of her amber eyes gave away her true feelings. She nodded to Columbus and Brandt. The two wolves’ eyes showed deep anger, but also resolve.
They turned as one. “Bring Jackson and Wallace forward,” they said into the minds of their pack mates. The surrounding beastkind didn’t know what was going on, but they would not disobey their alphas.
As soon as heavy arms clamped down on Jackson’s shoulders, he began fighting to get away. “What the fuck,” he shouted as he struggled uselessly against the arms holding him.
A female wolf was in the group that grabbed Wallace. Without a word, he backhanded her and went for her throat after she fell. Her fellow pack mates pulled him off and he turned on them. It was a short fight and neither wolf had a chance of getting away.
Once they were brought forward, Amy spoke to the men holding the traitors. “Release them.” She stepped in close, her rage simmering just below the surface. “You betrayed your friends and family. Countless lives were lost because of your decision. What could the enemy offer that you do not have?”
Wallace lifted his head, anger pulsing with each beat of his heart, his eyes looking at her with contempt. “Service to no one.” Spittle ran from the corner of his mouth. “To live as men and not be ruled by women.” His hatred ran so deep he didn’t understand the insanity of his words.
Amy cringed inwardly, but it didn’t temper her own anger.
Wallace continued, “You are vampire, but weaker than your male counterpart. The female wolves and cats are also weak. Give me a fair fight against one of them and I will prove my point.”
“No, I will prove mine.” Amy flashed, appearing in her exact spot an instant later with the wolf’s head in her hands. His body fell to the cement, blood spray hitting the surrounding wolves. “I give you his brother,” she said to Brandt and Columbus as she tossed the head to the side before walking out of the hangar.
Amy stopped a few feet outside the door, the night air cool against her skin. She leaned back against the metal wall. She would have lifted her hands to her face, but they were bloody. She connected with Marcus, “Wallace is dead. I left his brother to the wolves.” The melding of Marcus’s mind with hers brought instant calm, though increased her sadness.
Her mate’s gruff voice filled her head, “He needed to die. Their poison had to be cut off.”
“I know, but that didn’t make it easier.” She heard a scream cut short and realized her hands trembled. “We must end this war; too many die.”
“We will. You will help end it and our clans will be safe.”
Amy could hear the love in his voice and knew he would change places with her in a heartbeat. She was glad it was her going after the enemy. Marcus had fought far too many battles. She was a young vampire, but was strong and could do this for her mate. “Thank you. I will contact Vorlyk and tell him we’ll be using the secondary rendezvous point tomorrow.”
“I love you.” Marcus’s voice cut off, not waiting for her to return the words.
She used her gift. “Vorlyk, the traitors are dead. They did not deny the accusations. It seems women in power are a problem.”
“Then it’s good that they are gone. Women have always been in power; it’s only stupid men who do not know this.”
Amy chuckled softly. She really liked this young vampire and had great respect for him. “Thank you, Vorlyk. May the goddess watch over you and yours.”
Amy severed her mental connection and peered back down at her bloody hands, the metallic smell making her nauseous even though she usually loved the scent. She walked back inside and immediately saw the evidence of Jackson’s death. His body and that of his brother were in bits and pieces. Low growls rumbled from the throats of several wolves who had shifted. Blood covered their muzzles.
Her anger and sadness receded and she spoke calmly, hoping to pass a feeling of tranquility to the wolves. “We will stay here for the night. These two have paid the price for their betrayal and we will never speak their names again. Remember what we fight for and what happens to those who turn against us. I do not wish to kill our own again.”
They cleaned away the evidence of the killings. Brandt and Columbus stayed up with Amy for a few hours after the others settled. They’d put out word that they would invade as two separate units and go at the cats from two sides. That was a lie for the traitors to propagate. Their North American force of beastkind and vampires were heavily outnumbered and it wouldn’t help them to split their troops. They could only hope Jackson and Wallace got word of their false plan to Raykon. But most of all, Amy wondered w
hy the two traitors didn’t understand the stupidity of their thinking. Amelia, a woman, controlled Raykon.
Amy brought long-sleeved shirts and loose baggy pants for the jungle. They would travel day and night. Their plan, given to the traitors, was that they would only travel by night. The false information would give them only a small level of surprise, if any, but if The Moor came through, they might have a chance.
The plane took off early in the morning and a little more than an hour later, they met up with the other team. They stayed close, but divided into the four units they’d designated back in the southwest clan territory. A single vampire would cover two units. Each unit had its specialty—bears, their strength; Columbus’s wolves’, demolition; Brandt’s, speed; and Nicolas’s women would help if any female cats were rescued and also fight backup because the enemy would not expect it. The women were to appear as the cooks and generally non-confrontational—the wolves of Nicolas’s clan as their guards.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The hot stickiness of the jungle surrounded them. Vorlyk hoped to never return here, but he’d agreed that the fight needed to happen in the sparsely populated region deep within South America. In his heart, he worried for Madayah and what she would do if he did not return.
He felt Nicolas’s presence in his mind.
The alpha’s voice was quiet but powerful. “You worry for those left behind.”
Vorlyk knew he needed to snap out of his bad mood. “Yes, as do you. If we don’t win, they are in danger.”
“They have always been in danger, and if we lose nothing will change.”
Nicolas’s tone held the same melancholy Vorlyk felt. “One day, we will live in our own territory, raise our children, and dream of other things besides war.”
“One day.”
Vorlyk pushed carefully, “Have you had any premonitions about what we face?”
Before Nicolas’s first clan was annihilated, he had what the clan’s called the sight. It disappeared after the death of everyone he’d loved. It frustrated Nicolas but there was nothing to be done.
“No, I no longer have that gift or any other.” Nicolas severed the connection.
Their short break ended ten minutes later. They pushed forward. Vorlyk went and checked on Tyboll’s unit, feeling a different energy from the bear clan. He’d seen them fight in the ring, but never felt the intensity they now moved with.
“Your bears are restless?”
“We do not care for the damp oppressive heat of this territory. We wish to fight our enemies head on and not feel they watch us from afar, able to pick us off one by one.”
“I feel it, too, but I think they will wait. Right now they are scrambling to locate our other unit.”
“The misinformation will not confuse them for long.”
Amy’s sudden appearance in his head startled him. “Vorlyk, meet with me.”
“I will return.” Vorlyk flashed from the midst of the bears.
“You have news?” he asked Amy, who continued walking slowly while two wolves in front of her cut a path using machetes.
“The Moor says he’s eliminated two additional vampires. Amelia was in a rage and killed a third for questioning her leadership. Raykon has disappeared with three vampires and a large group of cats. The Moor fears they head our way.”
“That is nothing to fear. Everyone on this campaign wants to fight. The waiting is harder than action.”
“Warn your troops; we will not be waiting long.”
They called a stop in a thinned section of jungle so the beastkind could rest and strategically plan for the assault they knew was coming. The vampires fed from the alphas, giving a boost to all their powers.
The female cats cooked, taking wrapped food to the different groups of men. After cleaning the cooking utensils and dowsing the fires, the women stayed close to each other without talking aloud. They hoped to remain non-threatening, though each one seethed with the need to fight. The women were warriors and knew the cats would underestimate them. They would have their chance at vengeance so they played their part well.
***
Esta hated cooking, cleaning, or anything to do with the life she escaped as one of Raykon’s females. Her inner beast pulsed just below the surface needing an outlet.
“I will give you an outlet when this is over. I will have you on your hands and knees, your ass in the air waiting for me to take you.”
A wicked smile flashed across Esta’s face when her mate’s words entered her mind. “You will be the one on your hands and knees awaiting my pleasure, wolf.”
“Care to place a bet on that, my love?”
“Hah. You’ve already lost most of your possessions to me; you’re lucky I share or you wouldn’t have a pillow at night.”
His laughter swirled in her head, traveling throughout her body and heating her flesh.
He teased her on purpose. “I am not afraid of a simple wager, but you seem to be.”
“Dementia is setting in or maybe you’re as crazy as they say.”
“I’m crazy for you, but that’s beside the point. I want a child. If I win this wager, you will stop blocking my seed from creating one.”
She shouldn’t be surprised that he knew, but she expected anger, not playfulness. “I have no wish to bring a child into a world torn by war.”
“I have no argument with that, mate, but the war will end and I wish for a baby.”
Every fiber of her being had the same desire. “What are the terms of this bet?”
“It’s far too easy for me to win this one, my love—body count.”
“You’re on.” The outcome of this bet was worth letting him win, but she had no intention of allowing him to get the greater number of kills. She’d lose another time.
As she lay on the warm ground resting before the enemy arrived, her mind was swamped with memories. Their’s had been a bloody courtship because of her pigheadedness…
***
Four months before…
Esta ran until her muscles screamed and still the stubborn damn wolf followed. When she finally turned, Aster’s gait slowed, but he kept coming until he stood a foot away. She shifted to human, her chest heaving. She decided to face this confrontation as a woman able to speak her mind and make a point.
“You embarrass yourself, wolf. I will not be with you. I do not wish a mate.”
He shifted, too, his glorious body standing close, his dark eyes filled with desire so intense she took a step back.
His voice caressed her. “Tell me why and I will change your mind.”
He would never understand her need for independence, even if her inner cat screamed that he belonged to her. “I will never change, and I will never give my soul to a man.”
“I wager I can make you eat those words and then I will feed your desire. I smell it on you and know you long for my touch.”
She laughed. He was completely crazy. “I do not wager my soul.”
His slight smile disappeared and he backed up a few feet, running his eyes possessively over her. “Then I will win your soul another way, but I fear the process will be bloody.”
She’d known that eventually he would challenge. His rightful place was beside their alpha. The month Nicolas dictated for no challenges had ended two days before. It was only a matter of time.
Aster turned and walked away, leaving her with her anger, fear, and heartache. She wouldn’t make it easy on him, but he would win. He just needed to accept that her soul wasn’t part of the bargain.
A week passed without Aster approaching or following her. She never expected to miss his irritating habit of being everywhere she went. But, she did. Her cat also gave her a hard time, so Esta trained the frustration away, or tried to. She lifted weights and sparred with anyone willing to get into the ring with her. And she waited.
Nicolas called a meeting of the pack on the seventh day. Esta knew in her heart that Aster had finally challenged. She was as ready as she would ever be.
&nb
sp; Their alpha got straight to the point. “Aster challenges for his place as one of your leaders. Per beastkind rules, if you accept, Vorlyk’s bite may only keep you from dying. Any other injuries will heal on their own. Aster, make your challenge.”
Esta straightened. Here it was. She gazed at Aster for the first time in a week. He turned away.
“Troy, I challenge for your position.”
For one moment, Troy was as stunned as Esta, but he shook it off quickly and began removing his clothes. “I accept.”
Esta fumed. What the hell? If the damn wolf challenged one at a time and managed to win, it would be weeks until he got to her.
Everyone backed up and formed a circle. Several of the wolves began making bets. A few she-cats decided to join in and the entire challenge turned into speculative, good-natured ribbing, which only irritated her more. When Aster finally challenged her, Esta decided she would remove the crazy wolf’s balls.
“I’ll match the pot and bet on myself.” Aster laughed into the crowd because he knew winning was a foregone conclusion.
Troy actually smiled. “If you expect me to match that, you’re wrong. I’ll give you a good fight, though.”
Esta silently fumed. It was a damn game to them.
When they first clashed, she wanted to look away. She didn’t doubt that Aster would win. Troy was young and strong, but Aster was known for his fighting skills. They backed away from each other, Troy the worse for wear, but he attacked again as wolf. Esta’s cat thrilled with each bloody strike while her human side cringed. Aster played with Troy to the point that the other man got angry. It was over soon after.
Aster pulled Troy up by his good arm, the other hanging loosely by his side. “We’ll hit the ring and work on your temper, pup.”
Troy grimaced and limped out of the ring.
Esta turned to walk away, relieved the night’s festivities were at an end.
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