As he pulled away, he wiped at his eye and returned to the table. I wanted to tell him everything, the life Jacob had lived, how good of a friend he'd been, but there would be better opportunities later to get to know each other. To share what we knew about the man common to our lives.
"So, what do you have in mind?" he asked after clearing his throat. I neared the table to get a peek and found several colored lines on the map representing the borders between the bears' camp and the pack's territory.
I shared my experiences of taking on the bear shifters in the past, the plans that had proved to be fruitful and those that hadn't. The people in the room listened quietly and nodded, looking somewhat appreciative of what I had to share.
"We need a sturdy set of fighters to get our way through their lines. I'm thinking... if we can create a distraction here with enough of us, that will draw them this way, making it easy for a smaller number of us to get in, find the cubs, and get out without them being the wiser." I demonstrated my plan on the map with some symbols in red ink. "That could minimize our losses. We just need to draw them away."
"And if they catch us?" Zack asked, having recovered from his earlier state of worry.
"Fight to the death. We all know the risks here. But I'm not going to let them touch one hair on those cubs' heads if it means laying down my life for them."
The room looked at each other in surprise, which was understandable. I wasn't one of their own, so I had no reason to shed blood for a pack that wasn't mine. But if this plan proved to be successful, it was unlikely that any of these bear shifters would try to kidnap anyone's cubs ever again.
"It would be best if we brought at least ten of your best fighters to go with us, so that we're not outnumbered and that everyone has someone watching their back."
Nikolai nodded and excused himself, likely to go get the best ten of his pack.
"We can sort out the children here once they're safe and notify their families. With luck, we'll have gotten them all."
The others in the room discussed the plan in hushed whispers. I felt a touch on my shoulder and found Jack there; he nodded towards a far corner, likely to get in a private conversation before we headed out.
"That was a rousing speech back there," he said, thumbing at the crowd of people. "You really know how to throw your weight around."
"Excuse me?" I gave him a look despite knowing he didn't mean anything by it.
"What?"
"Throw my weight around? I'm fat? Do you not get...?" I facepalmed and shook my head. Was he really this oblivious?
"You know that's not what I meant, Mia. Why would I insult your weight that way?" Jack looked a little offended and steered the conversation back in the right direction. "People listen to you when you talk. That's not something that's easily attainable in a pack this size."
"I didn't get to where I am by being a pushover. Your pack may be a lot larger than mine, but the heart remains the same. Give it a purpose, a direction, and you can make it achieve anything."
His expression was completely unreadable, his mouth hanging open. I couldn't tell if he was surprised, taken aback, or simply had nothing to say. Jack was the most mysterious of the bunch, and I could never tell what he was thinking at any given moment. It was that mystery and allure that kept me needling for more, hoping to peel back his layers until I found the real him underneath. That would take time, I could tell. Time I would have to consider once this was all over.
"So, how do I figure out what my brothers want?"
"I don't know, have you tried talking to them?"
"Every day. Doesn't seem to help." He looked away to spy Henry across the room, who was busy socializing with the others.
"I don't mean ordering them around. I mean actually talking to them. Getting their input."
He side-eyed me for a split second and went quiet. I'd hit the nail on the head apparently and had given him something to chew on regarding his methods. He might have been the oldest, but if they were going to live together as a pack, just the three of them, then he was going to have to give some ground and value their input more often. Not just bully them around and expect them to fall in line.
The room fell into a hush when Nikolai returned, with nine other men behind him. My guess was that he was electing himself to be the tenth man, putting his life on the line with the rest of them. I had no room to suggest differently, nor did I think he would welcome the opinion of an outsider. But in the back of my mind, I didn't want him to go. I didn't want him to be taken so soon after Jacob, not when I had just learned he had family. Family he could have gone back to anytime he wanted and escaped the verbal abuse from the rest of our pack. He could have found true happiness here, where he wouldn't have been treated like an outsider or an orphan.
He looked... happy.
Nikolai's words said otherwise, however. How could he have been happy after everything he had been through? I wanted to run up to him and tell him he was mistaken, that his brother had experienced nothing but misery at the hands of our pack, and that I had been the only one to stand up for him.
And slowly it dawned on me that maybe Nikolai had been talking about me. Jacob always seemed the most comfortable around me, especially when we were away from the others. It had been in those rare moments he opened up to me, just a little before he resumed his duties. It had been in those moments, I realized, he was at his happiest.
"Mia."
Henry shook me out of my daydream and I blinked the daze away. I must have missed something important because he was looking at me with great concern.
"We're heading out. You ready?"
I peered over his shoulder and saw that the room was already emptying, with Nate at the back of the line of soldiers. I wanted to confront him with everything and try and convince him not to go. That, for his brother's legacy, he should stay behind and live to see another day. That just his nine would be enough to serve the plan's purpose.
"You... don't look too good."
My eyes met Henry's, and I swallowed the huge lump in my throat.
"He's Jacob's brother," I whispered. "We have to make him stay."
Henry looked back and forth between me and Nikolai's retreating back.
"Mia, we can't make him do anything. Just like we couldn't make you stay at the cabin. He's an adult. He can make his own choices."
I knew he was going to say that, but that didn't make the bad feeling in my stomach go away. I didn't want to tempt fate and end up losing my best friend and his brother before the week was even over.
"There's no way you can expect him to back down after what you said. He's dedicated now." Even the compliment made me feel worse, but I had to admit that Henry was right. There was no backing out.
I was just about to join the procession when Henry grabbed me by the arm, his brothers soon crowding around me. My first thought was that they would try to get me to stay behind, that I had come far enough and they no longer needed my help. Instead, they pulled me into a group hug.
"Thanks so much for doing this, Mia. We don't have any words as to how much this means to us," Zack whispered, and pressed a kiss just under my ear.
"You have our respect as well as our eyes. We'll watch your back out there." Jack patted my back and kissed my forehead.
"I'll keep an eye on Nick, too. Stop worrying that pretty little head of yours." Henry smirked down at me and his lips met mine for a brief moment. Their words brought me such comfort that I felt completely at ease with where we were headed. All of my worries dissipated, and I touched each of their faces in turn to whisper a word of gratitude for their encouragement.
I squared back my shoulders and followed behind the procession, with Jack, Henry, and Zack taking up the rear. Fourteen of us in all, which was more than my own camp could ever spare for such an ordeal. The rest of the settlement had gotten word as to what was going on and had gathered to watch us go. Many of them bade the men before me good luck and well wishes of returning. Others could only watch with misty eyes as th
ey considered they may be the last time they saw any of us alive. None of this was comforting, which was something of a blessing. I didn't need any false self-confidence that everything was going to be all right. I dug into the fear that unsettled my stomach and used that to fuel my desires. The fear of death, the fear of not finding the cubs alive... Fear alone would be what ensured that I tore down every bear shifter before me until there was none of them left or I died trying.
Each man stopped by the entrance of the settlement to drop their clothes, then folded them neatly and placed them to one side. A token of who they were for the rest of their pack to remember them by, should they not return. I paused as it came to my turn; these clothes were not my own, the shirt and shorts that had been spared for my state of modesty from the brothers at my back. If I didn't make it, the clothes would be returned to them and I couldn't be sure they would even keep them. Serving as a memory of an outsider who had been dropped into their lives and turned them upside down. That thought touched something within me, and I felt my throat tighten with emotion. I had never felt this way before a fight, and I couldn't tell whether it was for myself or for the hospitality I had been shown these past few days.
I was about to pull my shirt over my head when I felt a touch to my shoulder. It was Terry. She was definitely looking a lot better than when we had met yesterday. The color to her cheeks had returned, her eyes a little brighter, but there was still the look of fear lining her face.
"You know you don't have to do this," she whispered and glanced back at the brothers behind me.
"I know, but I'm not going to let someone else rescue my pack's cub on my behalf." I reached out and took her hand. "I'll be fine. I'll make sure they come back alive." I nodded to the three, and smirked.
"You care for them, don't you?"
I was taken aback by her question, unsure as to her motive. What I couldn't do was deny it, because that would be lying.
"They helped me out of a bad spot and it's only fair I return the favor," I replied. She didn't need to know my reasoning beyond that. It wasn't any of her business. Besides, I hadn't really come to terms with what exactly I was feeling for them yet.
That seemed to be enough for her as she stepped back into the crowd.
I pulled the shirt over my head and dropped the boxers to my ankles. I bit my tongue to fight off the overwhelming emotions, folded the clothes, and placed them beside the rest. I felt all eyes on me as I began to change; dropping to my hands and knees in a display of tearing and shifting muscle. A feral howl escaped me mid-change; I had lost control of my grip and the bittersweet nature of the situation got to me. I tried to pretend it was nothing as I shook myself loose of the last remnants of my humanity and pawed at my face to wipe away the lingering moisture at the corner of my eyes. A quick sneeze got rid of the rest, and I turned to watch the brothers take their turns.
The sun was high at this point, and the wind through my fur highlighted the flecks of gold within it. As I licked my nose, I found the rest of the settlement staring at me instead, seemingly fascinated by the sight of me. I couldn't blame them; my appearance and coloration were unique and even amongst their own higher-ranking pack members, there wasn't a single one with similar glittering streaks.
Even the three brothers were dumbfounded at the sight of me, their lolling tongues hanging out of their panting mouths, save for Jack. He was busy scratching at his ear but could see his golden-yellow eyes were slanted at me as if he were trying to sneak a peek without me noticing. When he caught sight of me staring back, he ran his tongue across his lips and yawned, acting like there was nothing out of the ordinary. He nosed and pawed at Henry's side, who was busy rolling around in the snow on his back. Zack trotted up to me, buried his muzzle in the fur at my neck before joining the other soldiers.
After a few hurried barks from Jack and I, Henry was on his feet, shaking the small chunks of ice from his fur. He gave us both an annoyed look, let out a soft whining bark, and then we were all on our way.
I didn't want to glance back over my shoulder to see the settlement grow smaller. I didn't want to see the people we were leaving behind that some of these men might not ever see again. That would let doubt creep into my mind, and I wanted to be strong for this pack and prove to them that my skills and expertise would bring them through to the end.
Most of all, I wanted to prove to these brothers what I could really do, now that my wounds were completely healed. I wanted to prove to them that I hadn't lost three men under my watch from sheer carelessness or recklessness. I took what words they had given me before our departure and internalized them until they became true. They trusted me. They respected me. They cared about me. And yet I wanted so much more from them.
But I didn't have time to dwell on it. We had a fight to win and cubs to rescue.
10
The trek through the snow was long and hard. I was inspired by the others to maintain my pace; watching them work together and taking turns leading the run, I knew I was surrounded by some good people who just wanted their family back. Nikolai was in the middle of them, and though I wanted to be at his side, I couldn't let my emotions cloud my determination to see this done and over with.
It was mid-evening by the time we slowed, all of us panting and trotting along. A few slowed down and nudged against my shoulders, a kind gesture of greeting which I gladly returned. That was the only interaction I received from them as they resumed their places near the front.
Zack, Henry, and Jack drew closer and slowed to a walk, gathering around me in a protective circle. In turn, they each pressed their noses to mine, and Henry dared to lick behind my ear. They knew that the others still saw me as an outsider despite what I was doing for them, and they wanted to dispel whatever ill feelings their treatment caused. I understood the pack's hesitation and it didn't bother me, but it was nice to know the brothers were thinking of me and cared enough to ensure I was okay.
A short yelp from the front of the group gathered our attention, and we hurried to join the rest. The other ten were hunkered down on their haunches, atop a hill that sloped down into a small valley. There sat a ring of large cabins, a few gigantic logs to one side, and our targets.
Six men, no shorter than six feet tall, were heading towards the log pile. A seventh was still in bear form with several large logs in its mouth, much too big for any of the others to carry in their current form. They were tall and broad and covered with thick body hair that likely helped to keep the chill away from their skin. They were talking in hushed tones to each other until one of the bears wheeled its head in our direction.
Afraid that we were caught, we flattened ourselves even further and retreated a few inches from the crest of the hill. Our plan would be in ruin if they caught wind of us, and who knew what they would do with the cubs before we could attempt a rescue.
"Have you fed and of 'em today?" one asked in a gruff voice, and the others chortled in feigned amusement. There was a grunt and the laughing stopped; the voice was more serious this time.
"I'm not kidding around. We let any of those kids die and we've lost our advantage. They're not gonna hold back if they find us."
"You don't sound very hopeful that we'd win..."
"All I'm saying is we got a good thing going, and we don't need to make things any more difficult for us. Why not ride this out instead of fighting them all the time and losing numbers?"
The others grumbled in agreement, their voices trailing off as they got further away from us.
We waited several minutes until silence fell before those at the front raised their heads again to chance a peek; the bear shifters continued their journey, likely convincing themselves that it was nothing more than a lost deer or rabbit. Glad that our plan was still in motion, Nikolai raised his head to look at two others, who took off in a sprint.
The idea was to lure them away from their site towards the rest of the pack in an ambush, while I went in to rescue the cubs. Once they were safe, I would join the res
t of them in taking down our enemy.
Once they were out of sight, the others sounded a few high-pitched yelps to signal the beginning of a plan. I sprinted down the hill as fast and as quietly as my legs would take me. I kept my nose trained carefully on the air, in case any of them caught wind of the plan and turned around to defend their territory. But the wind was still fresh of their scent, leaving me in the clear. A quick glance over my shoulder revealed the rest of the pack taking off towards the wolves serving as bait, save for Henry who remained on the hill. I skidded to a halt, worried that there was something amiss, but he only gave me a nod before joining the others. I would have to ask him about that later.
The cabins were large and spread apart, but it was easy to sniff out which one contained the cubs. There were also smaller footsteps that made it easy to pick out, and my nose twitched at the doorway to see if anyone else was inside. There were many smells there, too many for me to risk heading in through this door, so I took my chances around the back. There were fewer smells here, and none of them fresh. The simple screen door was unlocked, and it was easy to nudge open until I squeezed my entire body inside.
The interior reeked of various scents, but the most comforting was the lack of blood. Meals, cigar smoke, and beer. But no blood. The smells were strong enough to mask the traces of who I found around the next corner.
My heart stopped on seeing the pups shoved into tiny cages, seven at a time. They barely had any space to move around or lie down, and their large watery eyes were all focused on me. Where there had been small whimpers and huffs had suddenly gone silent when they caught sight of me. They were probably afraid one of the bear shifters had returned and were not looking forward to continued mistreatment.
Once they realized I wasn't one of their captors, the room exploded in tiny barks and yelps; their tiny feet scratching and rattling the cage doors to be let out. Afraid their noise would draw the bears back, I gave a short warning bark to silence them, my ears pinned back to show I meant business. A few more yelps erupted before the room was dead quiet.
Mated to the Alpha Wolves Page 9