Shattering glass had her jerking awake, Ryker bolted awake beside her. Her wolf she was now very in tune with snarled and her senses told her whatever shattered the glass wasn’t friendly and there was more than one. She hopped out of bed and through her clothes on as Ryker pulled a pair of pants on and ran from the room. She skipped taking the time to throw on her shoes and ran out after him now dressed. Snarling and growls filled the air. Trinity ran from Jackson’s room as she passed it. She would definitely be getting the details on that little moment.
As she was halfway down the stairs a pair of wolves tumbled into the foyer and were locked with teeth in one another. The house was chaos. It was a flat out attack and whoever was behind it was bold to come directly to Rykers home. She finished coming down the stairs and almost immediately a vampire came at her. She dodged it and got ready to deal with it. Trinity ran to help a struggling lycan named Pam, defend herself. She took the vampire out with ease using her wolf strength and her training to her advantage.
She was about to run and help wherever she could when the whole front of the house seemed to blow in with flames. She took a hit to her shoulder from the front window blowing in. Flames seemed to start eating anything in their path. She ran looking for Trinity who ran towards her. ‘Pam’s dead!” Her friend yelled. She grabbed her and they ran towards the patio doors at the back of the house.
She counted four of their own lying lifeless on the floor but no one was around anymore. “Red?!” She heard Ryker yelling for her from outside. They ran through the doors and he visibly relaxed. “Look out!” She yelled to him just in time as a large brown wolf launched itself at him. He didn’t even shift he grabbed the big animal by its neck and killed it with his bare hands. He came to her using his speed. “We need to move out, we have a rendezvous point.” Jackson was in the front of the house as they rounded the corner. “They ran like cowards.” He growled out coming to Trinity. “We need to move, count our numbers and figure this out.” Jackson nodded and they all loaded into a large SUV. Ryker gripped her hand tightly as the rode in silence. The rest of the pack had left for the same destination.
About an hour later he turned the truck onto a moss covered road and eased down it. Rows of cabins came into view as did his pack milling around and rows of trucks. He parked and all quickly got out. He immediately started barking orders out. “Get me the number injured!” He yelled to Frankie. “Find the status of our other pack mates!” This was said to a lycan girl she didn’t know but nodded and took off to do as instructed. “How many are here?” He asked Alice as he approached her.
“Thirty.” He nodded his mouth in a tight line. The number injured was eight, the attacks had been spread out and there were other members on their way to them but wouldn’t arrive until tomorrow throughout the day. “Oh, I was so worried!” She heard a voice yell as Janice threw her arms around Ryker and squeezed him. He untangled himself from her. “You need to stop Janice, I’m with Red.” She opened her mouth to say something but he cut her off. “Enough! Go, help where you can.” His voice was firm. She nodded and sped off.
He looked at her and then took her hand again and led her to a cabin with Trinity and Jackson with them. The cabin he went to was slightly larger than the others and was warm and cozy it had two bedrooms on either side of a bathroom, a living room and a kitchen all open spaced. “You two wait here and well be back in a little.” Ryker gave her a quick kiss and left with Jackson who kissed Trinity.
“When did that happen?” She asked her friend.
“Last night.” She smiled shyly. “About time Trin, geez.” Her friend grinned at her. “Who do you think the attack was from?” Trinity asked as they sat on the couch in the living room. “Bristow, who else would attack Ryker?” Her friend nodded silently. “You know what this means?” She said just letting it sink in herself. “It means were doing this a lot sooner than we thought.” She nodded at her friend. Were they ready for this? There was no way Ryker wouldn’t retaliate. They had to, if they didn’t it would be the same as tucking their tails between their legs and going belly up. They had no choice to be ready, they had a lot of work ahead of them.
Chapter Eight
She was in bed when Ryker came back. He climbed in and covered her body with his. He moved quickly almost urgently. She didn’t stop him. She tangled her fingers in his hair and softly moaned as he kissed down her body. When they were both fully unclothed he wasted no time moving up and gently sliding inside of her. She never tired of this, they were so perfect together. He placed his mouth on hers to muffle her moans.
As they lay there afterwards he held her close. “The whole time I was worried about you.” He mumbled softly to her. She held him closer. “Me too, what happens now?” She traced a pattern with her fingers on his abs. “We get those ready that are willing and that do fight, and we sit down see what Bristow says and if he doesn’t say a reasonable response we take him out.” She nodded her head and stared at the wall. She wondered what the guild was doing randomly; she knew they hadn’t even bothered to send anyone to search for them. That just further proved she and Trinity were nothing but weapons for them.
The next morning after showering she went to the kitchen. Ryker and Jackson had left already and told them to meet them outside. She drank a glass of orange juice and after rinsing the glass went outside to see what the day was going to bring. Trinity stood by Jackson’s side dressed as she was in their signature black outfits and combat boots.
A group had gathered, a large sized group and there was already more lycans and hybrids here than had been when they arrived. Her wolf was very alert as was she as she made her way to Ryker. He stopped what he was saying and kissed her cheek before going to speaking. “We need all of you to be ready for what we are about to do. We meet in two weeks, no longer no less. Trinity will be in charge of one group, Jackson obviously as well and Red. You will respect her as your alpha and Trinity as your Beta, we do not have time for any animosity we have lost many from other pack holds.” Everyone silently nodded their understanding and with Ryker obviously taking his own team he began to split them up.
She had no idea he was putting her or Trinity in charge of their own groups. She had lead her own guild parties but this was completely different. She couldn’t even shift yet. Her vampire wouldn’t even wake up. They each ended up with a hefty amount of lycans and hybrids, as the groups headed down a trail to start training and getting ready she got to talk to Ryker. “Ryker, I can’t even shift.” He stopped walking. “Yeah, what are we supposed to do?” Trinity asked. “You don’t need to, you two can handle yourselves as you are and not only that we found out Bristow is working with your old guild.”
Her guild was working with Bristow? “Why would they do that?” She more asked herself than anyone else. “They know Bristow is strong, probably believing he wouldn’t hurt them if he won.” Jackson answered. “There complete idiots then.” Trinity ground out and she had to agree. He would kill them like the roaches they were when he and his brothers were through with them. Win or lose.
Ryker led her to where a large number of lycans and hybrids stood waiting seemingly for her. They all seemed friendly enough. Her wolf reared her head in her alpha position. She quickly took notice of Alice who smiled at her as she approached and took a stand beside her. “Alice will be your personal beta, you can trust her, get them used to working with you and vice versa.” He kissed her lightly before heading off to his own group a little further away.
She stared at all the faces staring at her. “Have you guys done this before?” She asked. Some said yes some nodded no. She wanted to ask Alice for help but she needed to do this. If she and Ryker were truly going to be together then she needed to know how to lead and be a good alpha to the rest of the oack without help and guaidance from him or anyone else. She nodded silently to herself an let her wolf start to guide her and knew she made the right choice when it knew exactly what to do and seemed to be guiding her on its own from within. Maybe this wou
ld help her be able to shift she was dying to really know what it was like to be in her other form. She squared her shoulders and set about doing what she needed to.
Her wolf helped her get the large group in a formation type of set up. Her strongest were at the front down the side and making up the back why the not as strong and weaker were in the center ready to follow up and help the strong if and when they would need it. She made sure everyone had a partner for if this thing really happened they had someone to have their back and help them. They were happy with that little idea. She had them start basic training with their partners so they their fighting styles, what they could do and each other.
That was the extent of the next few days then they started runs together staying inside of the perimeter that Ryker had told her about. She was on her way back to the cabin when Ryker approached her. “You’re doing amazing with them Red, I’m proud of you.” She could hear the pride in his voice and smiled at him. “When this is over, I want us to go away for a little, just me and you.” He took her hand. “I would like that.” She would love that. They hadn’t really spent anytime just enjoying each other since they met, just their downtime after a long day and when they ate meals together.
“What do you thinks going to happen at the meeting?” He had told her they would be heading out two days before the meeting to get everyone in place and ready for if things went downhill. “Honestly? I think he’ll play a little game, deny it at first and then refuse to take responsibility for what has happened.” She was ready to fight if they had to. She could handle hybrids now as well as she could lycans and vampires. She just wished it wouldn’t come to them fighting.
She had gotten to know and won over the ones she didn’t really know as alpha of their pack. Samantha even came around now and showed her respect to her and Trinity. This was her family now and she was proud of it. They had never brought up what she had done in the past. How she had hunted their very kind. It still bothered her though, it always would. In fact, she was almost looking to that part of battle if it happened she wanted them to pay for what they had done and how they raised her to hate what she and Trinity really were and how they killed their parents for the same reason.
The day before they were set to leave Janice, who was in Ryker’s group knocked on the cabin door, it was just her and Trinity there at the moment. Ryker and Jackson were tying up some loose ends and making sure everyone was ready to leave tomorrow. Trinity answered the door and then glanced back and made a face at her before letting Janice inside. They all just looked at one another. “Can I sit?” Janice gestured to the couch. “Uh sure, what is it?” She sat on the opposite couch.
“I just felt like you should know something, both of you actually. I don’t have a problem with you Red, or you Trinity. You guys are great and your great additions to the pack but Ryker hasn’t been upfront with you neither has Jackson.” She and Trinity glanced at each other wondering where she was going with this. Instead of talking she turned and lifted her shirt in the back. Her eyes immediately landed on a large tribal like mark on the girls hip very similar to Ryker’s.
Her heart dropped as she realized what it was, a mate mark. “Wait, he said Red was his mate, queen, whatever.” Trinity stated staring at the mark. “She is, were hybrids not like lycans who have one singular mate. Ryker has two, so does Jackson. I’m only his lycan mate, you’re his vampire one and you’re an alpha so it works, you can be the mate to his alpha to but, you have to shift in order for that door to open and well, you can’t.” She didn’t know what to say or do with this. Well, she wanted to kick Ryker in the balls and Jackson. How could not have told them this? They had very close relations with these chicks to the point of marking them.
“I hope this won’t affect you two.” Janice gave a sad face. She realized that’s exactly what she wanted. “I know what you’re doing.” She got in her face. “I knew when I saw you at the door you were up to no good.” Trinity snapped. “I’m just letting you know what he hasn’t.” She replied innocently. “He’s not yours Janice, he will never be yours again and if you have a problem with that and with us with them you can go stag or suck it up and deal with it.” Her face paled and she stepped back. Being forced to go stag was like a death sentence for a lycan, they had no protection or home base without a pack. Janice stammered out an apology and ran from the cabin slamming passed Ryker and Jackson.
Chapter Nine
“Why didn’t you tell us?!” She yelled at the brothers. Ryker’s face went from one of confusion to quickly understanding what she was talking about. “We were going to tell you guys, just not now things started spiraling out of control it’s not the right time.” Jackson tried to explain to them. She agreed to the point now wasn’t the time to focus on this with a potential war between the packs on the horizon but there had been plenty of opportunities before now for the truth to come out.
Trinity shook her head at them. “That is such bullshit and you know it!” her friend yelled at them. “Why can’t I shift?” She looked at Ryker knowing he knew the real reason the whole time and let her think something was wrong with her. “Your wolf doesn’t recognize me as its true mate anymore, she did. I don’t know what changed.” Ryker looked at the ceiling. He was lying again. “Ryker.” She said the annoyance clear in her voice.
“A few days after we messed around she came onto me and I kissed her. It was stupid but we weren’t together yet. I think your wolf knew.”
She just stared at him. She didn’t even know what to say to that. How could he keep something this huge from her? Janice wasn’t just an ex or some random fling, that would have been bad enough already. No, Janice was technically his actual mate. That made so much sense why his pack had challenged her alpha. She wasn’t his official “mate” by lycan terms until she had the mark that Janice did.
If he wouldn’t have done this her wolf wouldn’t have a problem shifting, it wouldn’t be so restless like it was missing something and she wouldn’t have to worry about who was capable of letting her free and waking her vampire side. This was way too much for her right now. “I can’t deal with this right now.” He called her name but she went to the room and slammed the door. She sat on the bed drawing her knees to her chest. Trinity came in a second later and sat next to her.
Why did everyone she trusted and let get close to her lie to her or keep things so huge from her, and why was she such an idiot and kept being so trusting when she knew better? “Well be okay Red, we always are.” Trinity put her head on her shoulder and they sat in silence together. This was the one person who always stood by her and vice versa. She had no idea what she would do without Trinity if anything ever happened to her. It just made the waging battle seem so much riskier.
The next morning as she packed a small duffel bag with absolute essentials and got ready to head out, her mind was a mess. She was so angry at so many things. She had been so proud of her achievements and her skill only to be used by the guild to do their dirty work with Trinity and wasn’t that the real reason they were taken by Ryker’s pack to begin with? So they could be used in this fight and to help Ryker and Jackson become stronger? She shook her head as if to clear it and left the bedroom.
She walked outside and flung her duffel into the hatch of the truck on top of the others already inside. She knew the drive was said to take a few hours. She wasn’t looking forward to this ride right now but she sucked it up. This wasn’t about her and Ryker or Trinity and Jackson. This was about all of the other beings and humans not falling under the control of the Bristow pack leaders. A selfish person may have made a big deal and refused to ride with him.
All the lycans and hybrids that were heading out with them were loading up their own rides and there were a big number of them and even more already stationed around in Piermont where the meeting was taking place. It was a neutral state that served as the no territory divider between the packs. She climbed into the back of the truck letting Jackson have shotgun and ignored Ryker’s gaze in the mirr
or. He hadn’t said a word to her and she hadn’t said one either. Trinity and Jackson had argued earlier but now they were mute also. This was going to be a long ride.
It had been exactly one hour into the ride and the silence was bugging her. She stretched and readjusted and lay down on the seat as comfy as she could. Trinity was in the third row seat asleep. “Are we really not going to talk Red?” Ryker asked quietly his eyes on the road. “I don’t know what to say Ryker.” She sat back up. “It was just a.” She waved her hand in the air. “I don’t give a shit about the kiss Ryker. You don’t tell me things, important things.” He nodded his head.
“Will, sorry make you feel better?” When she shrugged he continued. “It won’t, I know you pretty good already Red, I know it’s going to take a lot for me to fix what I did, what I’ve done.” She nodded now. He was right. It was going to take him some time or her some time. She didn’t want him to mark her just to make her feel better and her wolf wasn’t as joyous as she should be about this idea anyways thanks to him and Janice. This seriously sucked; she had really fallen for him.
He turned on the radio after another mile or so and she was glad for that. He stopped for gas twice and they stopped to eat around six. The finally arrived at their destination around nine, another secluded cabin area like they had just been at.
King Of Me (Pernicious Red Book 1) Page 5