“What is the point?” Celestia asked, irked at the obvious aversion to peace.
“Asking for peace talks and truces at this moment in time will tax our protectors. We’re already at full capacity trying to get rid of the blood brokers. You know damn good and well that your nest and your pack are not going to go quietly into this deal,” Francesco hissed.
Most of the others agreed with him.
“Then we will have to take policing our troublemakers into our own hands.” Celestia offered as a solution. “Or at least the overflow.”
And there was the hidden agenda. Rebecca tossed an annoyed look her way. So she was going to use this truce as an excuse to clean out the ranks of her nest. More guilt piled into her mind.
‘I warned you not to make a deal with the devil.’ Siren used her I-told-you-so voice.
‘Shut up!’ Sometimes Siren could really get under her skin. And her patience over this entire debacle was running thin.
“You want to invoke marshal law on your own species using your own enforcers?” Josephine asked incredulously.
“Pretty much.” Celestia shrugged.
“You really should have consulted one of us, Rebecca.” Josephine looked down her nose at Becca.
Rebecca bolted out of her chair. Her patience was at her breaking point. “Like you consulted me on placing an alpha in my pack?” The look Josephine gave was enough to prove to Rebecca that she knew Devon’s secret. “I will do whatever I think is in the best interest of my pack. Peace is the best move while I work on rebuilding my ranks.” She looked at Francesco and Josephine. “If the vampires were involved in the massacre of my pack, then a truce is smart. If you had done your job and found the mastermind behind the attempted genocide, then I would not have to go to extremes to keep my new pack safe.”
‘I’m ready whenever you are, Gabe.’
“To be honest, the fact that you are so opposed to this move is rather shocking and slightly suspicious.” Celestia narrowed her eyes on the two leaders.
“Enough! This is not the forum to cast doubt on each other.” Catherine interrupted. “If the protectors are overtaxed and the idea of policing each other outside of the authority is undesirable the witches can become acting police force. We’re meant as backup regardless since we don’t choose sides.”
“I have no issue with that,” Rebecca responded. “And thank you for your help.”
“Like there wouldn’t be favoritism there.” Celestia almost snorted over the idea.
“I can’t help who I am related to.” Rebecca pointed out with stormy blue eyes.
“No, it would be very helpful. Celestia, your heir was born a Winters as was Rebecca. It seems to me that the playing field is equal.” Josephine advised. “The Protectors would be honored for the extra help.” She directed her thanks to Catherine who smiled and nodded her head in response.
Rebecca narrowed her eyes on Josephine. She needed to understand why Lucky’s mother would plant an alpha in her pack but knew this was not the right place to press the matter. She would get to the bottom of this and prayed it wasn’t done out of malice. While Josephine pulled no punches in showing her obvious dislike of Rebecca she didn’t want to increase the unease between them by making her an enemy.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Rebecca
Rebecca was exhausted as Gabriel drove her up to the compound. Never had she ever imagined the idea of peace would spark so much hatred, distrust, and anger. She would’ve thought this change in the political landscape would’ve been viewed as exciting and innovative.
‘There is power and money in war.’ Siren added her two cents to the matter. She was tired too. Rebecca could feel her curled up in the corner of her mind.
‘Greed is going to be the end to humans and supernaturals.’ Rebecca’s perspective about the world had changed ever since she met Becky and heard the horror story of her universe. Siren yawned and snuggled in for the night.
Rebecca found herself snuggling closer to Gabriel as he navigated the mountainous terrain on his bike. It was late and dark, the only light they had was from the silver moon. It made the terrain look almost wicked, dangerous. This was one of those moments that wolf-night vision came in handy at the moment.
Her mind couldn’t help but focus on Gabriel as his scent of peppermint and pine circled around her and created an intoxicating mix. She felt his lean muscles work under his skin as he maneuvered around obstacles like holes and cacti. He really was her rock. Steadfast, trustworthy, and sexy as hell. A wave of desire ran through her body and she felt the heat from his back magnify. The only time she felt safe and protected anymore was when he was at her side. Lucky was wonderful but Gabe was perfect. And she planned to show him how perfect he was for her tonight when they got home. He was her mate and she was going to make sure he knew how happy she was about their bond.
All the lights in the compound were lit up like a Christmas tree, which was odd given the late hour of the night. Even more peculiar was the crowd of wolves in front of the compound who looked to be engaged in a violent argument.
Great, more drama! She thought bitterly. It looked like her plans with Gabriel tonight were going to have to wait. But then they had the rest of their long lives to show their feelings. She had work to do.
Siren became alert, watchful for any danger that could be awaiting them. ‘I don’t like this.’
‘No, neither do I, but how bad can it be? Tempers are heated since the truce was signed. We’d be foolish not to think it wouldn’t cause friction in the pack.’ Rebecca hopped off the bike the moment Gabriel dropped the kickstand and started heading with a purposeful stride toward the angry mob.
He caught up to her quickly and spun her around. “This doesn’t look good. Why don’t you let me try and calm them down first?”
Rebecca offered a dazzling smile as she placed her hand on his cheek. The bristle of a day’s worth of growth tickled her hand. She noticed the dark half-moon circles under his gorgeous green eyes and the stress lines around his eyes and mouth. My mate! Always the protector. In that moment her heart exploded with overwhelming warmth and…love. He was her other half and he’d been through enough. If she could face down an angry vampire sister, an insane alternate version of herself in another broken dimension, a bitter and loca vampire queen out for vengeance, and an angry supernatural council she could handle calming down her anxious and irritated pack members. “They need to hear from their alpha.” She stepped on her tip toes and gave him a gentle, tender kiss on the lips.
He pulled her against him hard and deepened the kiss, wrapping a hand on her lower back and the other in her blonde hair. A pent up growl escaped both their lips as they surrendered themselves into the kiss and the passion that erupted between them. ‘Mine.’ His voice echoed in her mind.
She allowed a laugh to tickle his mind as his tongue explored her mouth. ‘I’m yours and you’re mine.’ She felt his desire double, even triple in that moment. If they were alone, he would’ve taken all of her in that moment and she would’ve given him all he wanted. They both had to settle for an intimate kiss that ignited fireworks in their minds and bodies and a promise for what would come later. When the kiss ended they were both breathless, trying to gather air for their lungs in short breaths.
He didn’t release his hold on her. Instead, he pulled her closer, if that was possible. Worry slid behind his green eyes as he looked at the crowd which had quit arguing and were watching them with furious glares.
“Gabe you have to let me do my job.” She offered a weak smile as she pushed against him.
He still didn’t release her. ‘I don’t like this.’
“Gabriel.” Her voice held warning and desire. “The sooner you let me take care of this, the sooner we can pick up where we left off.”
He turned his eyes back to her and studied her face for what seemed like forever but was only a few seconds. Finally, reluctantly, he released his hold on her.
When she turned and faced her
pack she saw why he was so concerned. Most of her wolves were standing, arms crossed over their chests, staring at them with anger burning in their eyes. She could feel the bitterness and disgust hit her like a punch to the gut. She suddenly wished she could shut off the emotional link she had to her wolves. In the center of them all was Devon, fueling their frustrations.
“Rebecca, thank the gods you’re finally here.” Jackson rushed out of the compound with Sundae, Georgie, Willow, Persephone, Hunter, and River. They flanked Rebecca and Gabriel on either side.
They were completely outnumbered. “Sundae, get the kids to the stables,” Rebecca commanded.
Sundae attempted to pull the youngsters toward the barns, but they refused to move. “We aren’t going anywhere. We stand by our alpha.” River puffed up his chest.
Rebecca fought the lump forming in her throat at the loyalty the young wolf had for her. She felt Gabriel burst with pride. Swallowing hard against the lump she took a few steps toward her traitorous pack. “Devon what’s happening here?”
“We want answers, vampire supporter.” Devon spit the word vampire with disgust.
“Because I want peace that makes me a vampire supporter? Aren’t you all tired of fighting?” Rebecca looked around at her pack and finally took a breath when she saw some faces soften. “Seriously? We’ve been at war for so long we don’t even know what we’re fighting over.”
Some of her pack nodded and released their arms from across their chest.
“Peace is not an option we have. They massacred our pack.” Devon fueled the hatred again. She felt it rise up and crash over her like a wave. “You signed peace with the same creatures that murdered our brothers and sisters.”
She closed her eyes against the onslaught of pain. Took a deep breath and looked as many of them in the eye as she could. “Allegedly killed members of our pack. IF, and that is a big IF, they are responsible the Authority has the mastermind in custody. Nothing has been proven or disproven for that matter. But there are enough on both sides that agree peace is something to consider. And that is all we are doing, considering peace.”
“You’re a fool, alpha,” Devon growled and turned to leave the mob.
“And you’re wearing out your welcome,” Rebecca snapped.
He turned deadly eyes on her. Tilted his head as an evil smile stretched across his face. “I challenge you.”
The three words Rebecca prayed she would never hear were spoken from another alpha’s lips. She might’ve been able to hold her own against her betas but not another alpha. An alpha who was once an enforcer who killed his own alpha. The likelihood of survival in that challenge was one percent, and those were high odds.
“Anyone who challenges Rebecca must go through me first.” Gabriel stepped in front of her and bared his fangs.
“Gabriel this is my—” Persephone slipped her hand over Rebecca’s mouth before she could continue. She pulled Rebecca back and placed a finger over her lips to silence any further words.
Rebecca felt an urge to attack her beta wolf, but Georgie commanded her to stand down. She was frozen against her will. “Georgie, release me!” Rebecca insisted. She was immobilized as she watched in horror at the impending fight that was going to happen in front of them.
“Fine, I will kill you and her. The two of you can spend eternity in the afterlife together.” Devon readied himself for battle. The rest of the pack chose sides. The larger number fell in behind Rebecca, which was something.
Gabriel ripped his shirt off and took up a familiar fighting stance. “This doesn’t have to happen, Devon.”
Instead of speaking his answer, Devon attacked first, slashing ribbons across Gabe’s chest. It was all her enforcer, her mate, needed to slip into battle mode. Facial hair, fangs and claws grew instantly and with a roar he attacked.
“Georgie, Devon is an alpha, he’ll kill Gabe.” Rebecca felt a tear fall down her frozen cheek. “Please, release me.”
“The battle has begun, there is no interfering now,” Persephone told Georgie with sadness in her tone.
“I release you. I’m sorr—” Georgie didn’t get to finish her word because Rebecca marched up to her and punched her in the face. Georgie fell to the ground, blood coloring her dark skin.
“You will be sorry if Gabe gets killed,” she promised and to emphasize her warning she looked each and every one of them in the eye and dared them to challenge her. Most simply lowered their heads.
Gabe let out a painful groan which pulled Rebecca back to the fight. Her heart beat fast as she saw Devon take a bite out of Gabe’s arm which made him release the alpha wolf from the choke hold he had him in. Panic seized her heart as Devon’s claws sunk into Gabe’s shoulder and chest. The two males were covered in blood. She didn’t need Georgie to paralyze her, she was frozen in her fear of losing Gabriel.
The crowd on Devon’s side roared their appreciation for the slash. Rebecca’s side stood silent, fearful of what she would do if Gabriel lost.
She watched both of them as the fight continued, examining every move. She and her wolf were one, ready to attack, waiting for their chance to put down the alpha that threatened her pack. Her nails and teeth had grown, hair covering most of her body. There was very little left of the teen witch who became the alpha.
Wait, witch? Air witch! She dug deep into herself, ignoring the blood lust her alpha felt. She needed to find her magic. The magic that lay just below the surface, only ever rising up to protect her. Suddenly the wind picked up around them. And there it was a teen witch alpha wolf. She defied the rules. There was no reason she couldn’t use both of her supernatural identities to help her fix this mess. The wind picked up. Dust circled around them, whipping their hair, cutting their skin. The beta wolves began to cower on both sides. Rebecca was proud of her mate. He was winning, but she would make sure he had all the help her magic would give.
Hunter placed a tentative hand in her own clawed one. Her strength multiplied and small objects like saddles, whipping crops, bike helmets, tree branches began to fly around the area. People were dunking their heads to avoid being hit. Sundae took her other hand and more power flooded her.
Gabriel had Devon in another choke hold, he snapped his teeth toward Devon’s neck. He missed and took the man’s ear instead. The close proximity gave Devon the chance to sink his claws into Gabe’s side. Gabe let out a pained and angered roar as he fell backward.
Rebecca’s power was more focused as she flung a bike toward Devon who was zeroing in on the kill shot. It gave Gabriel a moment to recover. He took a run and tackled the alpha to the ground, but that was Gabe’s mistake. The alpha slashed blindly and cut into Gabriel’s neck.
“No!” Rebecca cried in agony. The fight was over, it was her turn. She stepped forward and Persephone, Hunter, and Sundae attempted to hold her back. She flung them off her, and they went flying in different directions. She didn’t care. Her focus was Devon. He was a dead alpha. Her powers flooded her and multiplied with her own adrenaline. She felt unleashed. Her wolf and magic combined, the three of them were one. The others took cover wherever they could as Rebecca flung large items at Devon’s head. Anything that wasn’t fastened down barreled toward his head. He turned, unwilling to back down as he dodged the items that came his way and charged toward her. Rebecca slammed up her protection barrier and he slammed into an invisible wall that sent him flying backward. The only thing that stopped him was the SUV that was parked in the driveway. He got up and another bike hurled toward him. This one hit its mark and pinned him to the ground. The air barrier disappeared and Rebecca tossed the bike from the male alpha’s broken body, climbed on top of him and began punching him, over and over and over again until his eyes started rolling back in his head.
‘Kill him now!’ Siren commanded.
Rebecca, fueled by adrenaline, raised her claws in the air and zeroed in on the kill shot—his heart. She would rip his heart out of his chest the way he just took hers. She didn’t care about the turmoil she created
around them. She couldn’t hear her pack urging her to stop. All she could feel was the pain of her heart being ripped out of her chest and all she could see was Gabriel’s bloodied neck and body and she watched in her mind as he reached for his open neck, his eyes connected with hers, as his body crumbled to the ground. She lowered her hand momentarily.
‘Kill him now before he recovers enough strength.’
Rebecca felt the tears streaming down her face. It was too much! First Savannah and now Gabe. She raised her claws again ready to strike. Her teeth grew in her mouth, she could feel the wolf trying to escape, desiring to clamp his neck in her jaws.
‘Rebecca, don’t…’ It was Gabe. He was alive! She turned toward him. He was crawling toward her, holding his neck. The half-conscious alpha beneath her was forgotten. She only wanted Gabe. She began to rise from the man that challenged her. Devon grabbed her and tossed her to the ground. She felt her shoulder crack at the impact. At the very least it was dislocated. She didn’t care, the adrenaline and her wolf made the pain bearable as she jumped up from the ground and charged her attacker. She only meant to throw him down and make him stay down but she underestimated her strength and power. He flew backward and slammed into a tree, impaled by a branch that aimed for his heart. “Stay down!” she snapped in her commanding alpha voice.
‘Finish him and you won’t have to worry about another challenge again.’
Rebecca shook her head. She had no desire to kill him. The only thing she wanted to do was make sure Gabriel was okay. She ran to him and noticed the wounds were already healing. She wrapped him in her arms and kissed him all over, tears streaming down her face. “Gabe, I saw you fall and I lost it.”
“I’ll be okay. Just need a little healing time.” He offered a weak grin and tenderly touched her cheek, not caring that his blood covered her.
“I know,” she cried. “I just thought you were dead. I couldn’t believe you would die on me before I could tell you I loved you too.”
Vampire Princess Rising Page 21