“Security would have worked in pairs,” Brady mumbled to himself, assessing the situation. “Calculated attack.”
“Do you want us to carry them back?” the wolf said.
Brady turned on him, partly angry at himself for not focusing on his patrol route, partly angry that he had to deal with an unfamiliar wolf. Everyone became suspect at this point, making life infinitely more difficult than it should be. “What pack do you belong to?” Brady snarled.
Trembling and not bothering to hide it, the wolf responded, “It wasn’t me. I swear.”
“I’m not blaming you.” He’d already taken account of the lack of blood or scent of death clinging to the frightened wolf, but the fact he did not know who this man was had him on edge. How many other wolves could have infiltrated their ranks in one day?
“Sorry. I just... First on the scene often gets―”
“Name, man.” Brady barked in frustration. “What pack?”
“We’re from Jersey. Under the Olde Town. Family name Race.”
“Thank you.” Brady sighed and allowed himself to breathe a moment before continuing. “Yes. Please bring them back to the compound and assemble your pack when you do.”
“We’re not in any trouble, are we?”
“For gods’ sake, man. We have a murderer on the loose who just took out two of my highly trained security detail. Worry about your people, not your neck,” Brady snarled.
He looked to those surrounding him. “Get to the compound. Now.”
Rachel came up next to him and rubbed up against his leg as if to say, “I’m here for you.”
“How could I have been so wrong?” He let his hand fall and petted her head gently. “The battle has already begun.”
TWENTY-ONE
“Where are they?” Brady bellowed as he entered the compound, making a beeline toward the security wing.
“We heard the emergency howl,” Aiden said, as he met him in the lobby. “The others are still in lockup, where we said we’d keep them until this whole thing blew over.” He matched Brady’s pace as they continued down the hallway. “It wasn’t them, brother.”
“Are we sure? Because I have two on my team, found dead in the woods not twenty minutes ago.” Brady rushed ahead past his brother toward the detention area with murderous intent.
Rachel remained behind with Fallon in the lobby.
He came up on the room where Mark and Louis had been locked up. A wolf stood guard outside, and the bored expression on his face confirmed nothing of interest had happened recently. Brady growled with disappointment, hoping to have reason to punch someone and work out his anger.
Guilt gnawed at him for not paying closer attention while on his shift. He should have caught a sight or a smell – something to alert him and prevent two of his men from being murdered.
Louis’s overpowering cologne nearly choked him as he approached the door, further confirmation that neither he nor Mark had left the room.
“How many wolves were sent to attack us?” Brady snarled as he opened the door to their room. “What did you tell Charles from your little reconnaissance visit?”
Mark flew to his feet, hands in the air. “We confirmed only what Charles already knew, that you had the bulk of your territory around for a gathering.” Mark put on a believable enough show of fear, but Brady’s anger still needed an outlet. He stalked toward him, fists balled, ready to strike.
“And what were Charles’s thoughts on our little party?”
Mark hesitated before speaking, as if not sure his words would incite more anger. “That it would be ill-advised to attack when you were at full strength.” His eyes darted between Brady’s angry face and his boulder-like fists. “I don’t know why he’d send anyone.”
Why would he risk sending people in while the Olde Town was at full strength? Brady thought on it for a moment, trying to put himself in Charles’s shoes.
“Selective attack.” Brady realized how stupid he’d been to not have thought of this sooner. “He’s going after my security details. Staying on the outside and picking off the fighters one by one. So when we’re no longer at full strength, we’ll be severely weakened. That’s what he’s doing.” “
“But wouldn’t that be stupid to do?” Mark asked. “I would have assumed it smarter to wait until you were―”
“How long did you tell Charles we’d be entertaining the packs?” Brady cut him off.
Mark gulped back a breath. “Just through the weekend.”
“They’ll be here much longer than that.” Brady turned to face his brother. “Send those unable to fight home, but any able bodied wolf of age should stay. We need to prepare for an attack.”
“I had hoped it would not truly come to this.” Aiden nodded. “Our last conversation went surprisingly well.”
“What terms did you agreed to?” Brady asked curiously.
Aiden stood thoughtful for a moment. “I suggested we bring our disagreements to the next Regional meeting to be decided by council.”
“And he agreed?” Mark asked the question before Brady could.
“He didn’t disagree,” Aiden replied.
“Stalling while he placed his pieces on the board.” Brady spoke his thoughts out loud.
Aiden balled up a fist and punched his hand in anger. “I’ll have Charles’s head for this.”
“I’ll gift wrap him for you, brother.” Brady held his hand out and Aiden took it.
Brothers first, their connection went further than just pack position. Some might squabble over details and lay blame for how the situation had unfolded, but not them. In that moment they were of one mind, not needing to rely on their official titles of Alpha or Enforcer. United in the protection of their people, both Whelan brothers would do whatever it took. Brady might lead the charge, but he knew without a doubt his brother would be right there next to him, and together they’d destroy their enemy.
“We will fight with you,” Mark added cautiously.
“Why?” Brady turned on him.
“Because we need a home. We’ve already said we would do whatever you asked. We wish to join the Olde Town.” Mark pulled his partner up by the scruff of his shirt.
Louis looked annoyed, but nodded. “We want a home. So, yeah...Whatever you need from us.”
“I still don’t trust you, but if you’re willing to bleed for the pack, then you’ll get the opportunity to prove it,” Aiden said. He turned to Brady. “You will need to adjust your security patrols to avoid any further surprises. Meet me and the rest of the council in five minutes. I must alert the Alphas of our plan quietly, so as not to cause a panic.”
Brady nodded and turned to walk away.
“What do we do?” Mark asked.
The door behind him was wide open.
“You want to fight? You’ll be put on patrol with my guys.” Brady replied. “Follow me.”
TWENTY-TWO
Brady rushed to the small council meeting with Mark, Louis, and Rachel in tow. “We’ll send you somewhere safe,” he said, hoping she would take him up on the offer. He’d saved her from death once, but couldn’t be sure he’d get a second chance when the battle began.
“No!” She slammed a fist into his chest. “I’m not some weak thing. When you found me, I’d been ambushed after days on the run.”
The image of her lying near death and half buried in the snow would forever be burned into his memory. And the very real possibility of it happening again scared him. He might not have voiced his thoughts of giving their relationship a chance, but the thought of it being taken off the table with her death threatened to undo him.
“I’m not running now, and I’m more than ready for a fight,” Rachel snarled at him. “I’m putting my foot down, Brady. I have just as much reason to fight as any of you.”
“As you wish.” Brady had no choice but to agree. “But for now, can you babysit these assholes while I’m in the meeting?” He shot a sideways glance at Mark and Louis.
Rachel’s sneer deepened, but she
nodded all the same. “Fine.”
“We won’t be long, I promise. Don’t kill them just yet.”
“It’s fine,” she grumbled. “As long as they are good, then I will be too. Do what you have to do.”
Louis looked as if he had something to say, but Mark took him by the hand and whispered, “Be good,” before the loudmouth wolf started a war right there in the lobby.
Brady would have stayed to see Rachel wipe the floor with him, but duty called.
“Be extra vigilant,” Brady cautioned. “Trust no one.”
“Go. I’ll be fine. Who’s going to dare attack me inside of the Alpha’s den?” Rachel reasoned.
“Famous last words.” Brady waggled an eyebrow at her. Temptress that she was, of course she’d dare fate to have a go at her.
“Right. Murphy’s Law. Sorry.” Rachel sat down and picked up a magazine, making a good show of being intrigued by the hunting tips on the cover.
He’d never felt so protective of someone before. And helpless at the same time. Was this love? Couldn’t be. No one fell that quickly for someone they hardly knew.
He bumped into Fallon as he entered the office.
“Are you staying?” Brady asked, a little shocked to see her there. All those who were not planning to fight had been instructed to head further north to their other deep woods compound.
“Of course I am.” Fallon looked as though he’d insulted her. “When have I ever run from a fight?”
“I didn’t mean it like that. I just wondered...” Brady found himself unable to finish that sentence. He’d already stuck his foot in his mouth once.
“I’m not mad.” Fallon’s expression softened. “I know you’re just trying to look out. And between you and me, I really wish Lyssa was here.”
“It would be nice to have the vamps’ support, for sure.” That was a wish he could get behind. The Olde Town was the best trained of the North American territories for battle, but only because they had been through so many. Fights with the Acta Sanctorum in recent years had caused their numbers to dwindle, and even now with the additional support from other packs within their territory, he felt as if they were running a skeleton crew. And the Peregrinus clan, small as they were, had proven themselves damned good in a fight. Especially Fallon’s best friend, Alyssa.
“You sound worried,” Fallon noted, after he’d let his thoughts run away with him.
Brady shrugged, hoping to give off a casual appearance. “More concerned than worried.”
“Same thing, idiot.” Fallon smacked him playfully, but her attempt to lighten the mood did nothing to alter his.
“What I mean is...” He wasn’t even sure how to finish that sentence. Spotting his seat open next to Aiden at the desk, he walked over slowly, giving him time to form the words he needed. “Why now? Why attack us at all? This all smacks of a setup.”
Emma and Stephen entered the room and took their seats, looking to Brady as he attempted to finish his thoughts.
“Charles was part of that whole shady deal with Giselle’s family, back in Washington. That was only a couple of months ago,” Brady said.
Fallon took her place at Aiden’s side and pulled her laptop out of her shoulder bag. “But he was weak then,” she noted thoughtfully.
“He was only weak when Misha was executed,” Aiden added. “Before that, he was just as vocal about denying Giselle’s claim to be Alpha of the Long Teeth territory.”
Jackson came in last, completing the small council, and slipped into his seat without saying a word.
Brady nodded to Jackson by way of greeting and continued the conversation. “So, do you think he has a new partner, giving him this new backbone?”
“I wouldn’t venture as far as to say new, but definitely a partner with a backbone,” Aiden replied. “The timing is too much of a coincidence. I suspect someone is trying to restructure the North American territories.”
“I’m not following your train of thought,” Brady said.
“The Loups are still unstable since Misha’s sentence was carried out. That leaves a huge chunk of land at our borders practically lawless. Good timing for the Reds to come up from the south and push us, especially if they have some allies looking to establish a new boundary. But the Reds can’t do it on their own. We know Charles isn’t that strong a leader. He would have to gain support elsewhere.”
“So who’s whispering these battle tactics into Charles’s ear? I wonder,” Brady asked.
“That’s the part we don’t know,” Fallon answered. “Who is a great big question mark.”
“Have we heard from the Silverman family? Are they being pinched as well?” Brady asked.
“Good question.” Aiden nodded thoughtfully. “If someone is destabilizing the territories, theirs is the next largest.”
“What about the Lobos?” Fallon offered.
“My read on them was good,” Brady responded. “At least when we met Tito and Yanira, they seemed genuine. And they wanted an alliance with Giselle when she was up for Alpha.”
“Maybe we aren’t dealing with an established Alpha then, but someone working their way up the chain,” Fallon said.
“That’s even scarier,” Emma added. “Anyone could be suspect.”
“I’ll put a call into the Long Teeth’s Alpha, Aeson, and see what is going on with his territory.” Aiden jotted down a few notes. “And we’ll need to reach out carefully to the interim leader of the Loups and Tito from the Lobos to feel out the temperament of their packs. But for now, we need to secure our borders. Those unable to fight are on their way to a safer location. Those who remain will be under Brady’s orders.”
Brady nodded.
“I defer to you, brother, on matters of tactics,” Aiden said. “But I want to be in the lead when we meet the fight.”
“I’d expect no less.” Brady smiled at his brother.
“You talk as if you think they’ll attack as a pack,” Jackson said, as if not completely in agreement.
“You don’t think they will?” Brady asked.
“That’s what we expect of them, yes. But they’ve already tried to pick off people one at a time,” Jackson added.
“True. Cutting down our numbers, as it were. But wolves are pack animals. The main fight will come en masse,” Aiden responded. “It will be our job to prepare for it.”
“It’s all because of that girl, isn’t it?” Stephen said, with a side-eye glare to Brady.
“She might have been a sparking element, but this fight was coming regardless,” Aiden replied, before Brady had the chance. “If my intuition is right, they botched the first attempt to weaken us. That girl, Rachel, was meant to die and cause chaos during our celebrations. We should have been fighting amongst ourselves over her murder, thus destabilizing our territory. That would have made us weak and ready for an attack.”
“Instead, it rallied us together. And they lost one of their own.” Brady finished the thought before Aiden could.
“Yes. And now they’re forced to play the hand they were dealt.” Aiden smiled confidently.
“If what you’re thinking is correct, then Rachel is no longer important to them,” Stephen added.
“She’ll remain by my side either way,” Brady said.
Aiden leaned over and whispered in Brady’s ear. “We know how to pick ’em, eh?”
A quick glance at Fallon gave Brady a reason to smile. Rachel was not his woman, but she had the same warrior spirit as his brother’s mate. “Aye, we pick the good ones.”
Brady looked to Jackson and Stephen. “All remaining wolves are to be rehoused inside the main building. I want no stragglers left out in the cold.”
Emma raised her hand. “I’m going to need extra help in the infirmary.”
“Coordinate with Jackson. Any wolves who know their way around a band-aid should report to Emma immediately.”
“Good. We’ve all got our marching orders. You to your business and me to mine. Start the rounds every half hour,” Aiden o
rdered.
The meeting broke, and Brady headed back out to retrieve his group in the lobby.
“Louis has something he wants to say.” Mark shoved his partner forward the moment Brady came around the corner.
“Sorry I’ve been such a prick,” Louis said, and for the first time the snark had been erased from his voice.
Brady shrugged in response.
“I get why you don’t trust us,” Louis said. “I wouldn’t either.” He lifted a sharpened claw, making a faux slash in the air. “We’re the enemy, for what it’s worth. But I want you to know, I have your back. Put me in the front line, and I’ll prove it.”
“Why the sudden shift in attitude?” Brady asked.
Louis blew out a breath and rolled his eyes. His demeanor all but screamed annoyed, but when he spoke, he kept his tone conversational. “In the end, me and my partner need a place to live in peace. To do that, we have to prove ourselves.”
“Obviously. But why now?” Brady asked.
“Because you’re about to be attacked. Time to dance,” Louis said.
“What he means is, now or never, we had better show our true colors,” Mark translated.
“Then you’re with me,” Brady grudgingly responded. “We’ll be on round the clock patrols.”
Rachel sighed.
“Get over it, babe,” Brady said, understanding her misgivings. But if they were willing to bleed, he’d let them. “All hands on deck, no matter how dirty those hands are.”
“She’s going to take a hell of a lot more convincing,” Mark said.
“Clearly.” Brady agreed. “Get to it.” He waved a hand, indicating they should walk toward the door.
Outside, Brady shifted and took off into the woods. He didn’t look back to see if they followed; as part of his security team, they were expected to.
TWENTY-THREE
The next day passed in relative calm, though Brady had all of his people on the tightest of schedules. The additional support of the wolves who’d stayed behind after the festivities was used to keep watch on the grounds while Brady and his security teams explored further away into the woods. The nature preserve they inhabited encompassed many miles of forest with little to no access by vehicle and a small stream that had half frozen over. With so much land to cover, they extended their shifts, searching for any sign of strangers.
Mated (Olde Town Pack Book 2) Page 12