Then, they jumped into the forest clearing where Hann told them all to meet. They left the dense forest and entered hell.
There was no other way to describe the scene that played out in front of them. All of the shifters in Finn’s group stopped momentarily to survey the area. The damage. Finn refused to look at the dead wolves on the ground, afraid that if he saw someone he knew, he would lose it.
He had to keep it together until this whole thing was over.
Finn surveyed the forest clearing until he saw his pack. Tatiana was fighting a rogue with Lorelei, and both of them took the rogue down in a matter of seconds. Desmond was rolling on the ground with a rogue, both of them thrashing and clawing at each other with such ferocity. Finn nodded over in that section to his group, and they all picked themselves up and ran to help.
By the time Finn and his makeshift group joined his pack mates on the other side of the clearing, Desmond had already taken out the rogue that had punctured his shoulder. His three friends seemed to nod at everyone when they joined, but that was all they could do before another onslaught of rogues came spewing at them from behind the black, dense forest that surrounded them.
The group acted, as did all the rogues around them. No matter how many rogues they took down, more and more kept on coming.
But something was . . . off. These rogues . . . they were easy to take down. Easier than expected. While it was a challenge, it wasn’t as hard as Finn thought that it would be. He thought it would be longer battles with each rogue that came up to him, but it wasn’t. It was a few seconds before Finn had taken down the rogue trying to kill him, and one look around him at the other shifters showed that they weren’t having any issue dispatching the rogues, either.
Something wasn’t right. Finn refused to believe that this was just a result of the practice that everyone was doing. He was sure the practice had worked wonders, and he knew that everyone had improved in their fighting skills greatly. But it should’ve been harder than this.
And then, almost as he began to question when the rogue outpour would stop, everything went quiet. Finn looked back to see that Lea and everyone in his group were fine. The only people who were even bleeding was Desmond, though it was mostly dried blood by now, and Owen, who had a nasty gash on his face that Finn knew would heal in a few minutes.
The group of shifters, all heaving and exhausted from the attack, all looked to their leader, Hann. Michael, in his wolf form, stood beside him. His pure-white fur was coated with blood, though Finn could see that none of it was his. Dead rogue bodies littered the clearing floor, and Finn slowly made sure that no one from any pack was dead. He didn’t think that there was.
Which was weird. That number of rogues in a surprise attack? With no casualties on the Moonlight Pack side? Something didn’t seem right.
And one look at how Hann and Michael were staring at each other, deep in communication, proved that Finn’s questioning was correct.
Something was off.
Chapter 19
Lea and every single shifter in Maine were crowded into the gym, the only place that could hold everyone in one area. It had been two hours since the rogues attacked, and about an hour since Hann and Michael ushered everyone in, tending to the wounded and making sure that everyone was accounted for. When they realized that everyone was fine, or as fine as they could be, they went to their office with Ethan, Kato, Britta, and Ross, and closed the door. Even Annie, Hann’s daughter, was left out of the meeting, and Lea could see her pacing back and forth while her mate Lukas tried to keep her calm.
Lea was with Finn, who she was leaning against in exhaustion on the floor of the gym. Her brothers were laying, stretched out on the floor in front of her. Owen was the only one of the three that had gotten hurt, though his injury was small and had healed by the time they got to the gym.
Every shifter was in the gym’s standard clothing, the majority of it baggy on most. No one quite knew what was going on, though one thing was clear: something was wrong. Those rogues were so . . . untrained. They lashed out and had no techniques, whatsoever. It was like taking down sheep, and while some shifters were wounded, no one died.
And that just wasn’t right.
Lea remembered when Kaiser and his group of rogues came to Maine weeks and weeks ago. It seemed like another lifetime back then. She was so inexperienced in fighting, compared to how she was now, and she had just relied on her shifter instincts which got her through the whole ordeal. But some people were lost during that battle because those rogues had skill. They had killed before, and they knew what they were doing. It was like the rogues from the battle tonight had no idea what, exactly, they were supposed to be doing.
Hazel was sitting right next to Lea, and Lea couldn’t help but notice that she was looking around, anxious for Ethan to come out of the meeting. His father and Hann had known each other well, and Hann and Michael recommended that Ethan come out here with some of his pack to learn more. He gratefully accepted, and Lea knew that he was just trying to do the best for his pack on a job that was pushed onto him. Lea couldn’t help but feel for Hazel. She knew what it was like to keep her feelings to herself so much it hurt, and as she looked at her best friend, she realized that she was in pain from uncertainty on Ethan’s part.
The rest of Finn’s pack were also near them, and Lea found it amusing when she realized that Desmond had fallen asleep, his head resting in Tatiana’s lap. Lorelei was wide-eyed and searching around the room, waiting for news on what happened. Lea felt bad for the girl. She had been through a lot in the last few days, and Lea knew that she was barely holding it together.
Lea realized that she, herself, had been through a lot in the last few days, too. A rogue had almost attacked and murdered her when no one else was around. She had been in an emotional state of mind with everything regarding Finn. It was almost like the last few days had happened so long ago. Lea felt like she was thinking about the distant past, not the near past. The battle had drained her, and she began to think of her life in separate ways. Her life before the attack, and her life after the attack.
The need to hear what the alphas were talking about was almost too much for the room. The anticipation, fear, and confusion were evident in the air, as well as on everyone’s faces. Some people talked, but most just sat there in silence, some of them sleeping because of the exhaustion that they felt from the battle. Even though those rogues weren’t trained or good fighters, there were so many of them that everyone felt like they fought them off for a solid hour. And maybe they had.
Lea sure felt like she had.
“What do you think they’re talking about?” Lea whispered to Finn. She rested her head on his shoulder, and when she felt his arm pull her to his side, the butterflies in her stomach started acting up again.
Lea saw her brothers notice this and shift slightly before turning away. She was thankful that they weren’t going to say anything. She didn’t think she could handle it if one of them said something about her and Finn after all that everyone had been through tonight. She realized that they understood this. But that didn’t mean they wouldn’t question her over it later. And they’d probably get to Finn and question what his motives and intentions were before the week was over.
Lea was already dreading it.
“I don’t know,” Finn told her, sighing as he closed his eyes and tried to rest. “They’re probably trying to figure out what the hell just happened. That whole thing was just so weird. Everyone knows it, and I’m sure Hann and Michael are trying to get some intel about it. Because things just don’t add up, do they?”
“No, they don’t,” Lea admitted, though she was glad the rogues were taken care of. She couldn’t even imagine the damage those rogues could’ve done if they were actually trained or good fighters. There would’ve been so many casualties in her pack, and she dreaded thinking about it. “I’m glad you’re safe.”
Finn turned his head and gently kissed her forehead, squeezing her arm and comforting h
er more than anyone else could. She was so lucky she had him by her side during this whole thing. She was so lucky she had him at all, period.
“I’m glad you’re okay.” He looked like he wanted to say more, but right as he opened his mouth, Hann and Michael, with their group of higher-ups, filed out of the room.
Everyone in the gym was now on alert. Lorelei gently hit Desmond to wake him up, hushing him when he started to complain about the bruise he was going to have. Lea’s three brothers all sat up from where they were stretched out on the floor, giving Hann and Michael all of their attention.
The room was so quiet, with everyone holding their breath and not moving a muscle, that one could hear a pin drop.
“Let me first start by saying, again, that I am so thankful none of us were lost in this horrible attack by evil, deranged members of our society,” Hann began, that easy-going smile gone from his face. Lea found herself missing it. “Let me remind you all that those rogues were a part of our society once upon a time. And they still are, regardless of how we ignore them or act like their activities don’t concern us. I think we’ve all learned today that everything they do concerns us now.”
“I am aware that you all have questions as to the unusual circumstances of this attack,” Michael took over when Hann paused. The two leaders seemed to be in sync in ways that Lea found amazing. She’d never seen an Elder be so close to a shifter, even if that shifter was an alpha. She didn’t think it was possible. But then again, Michael was the friendliest shifter anyone had ever encountered, though she knew the Elder could be deadly to anyone that wronged him. “I have a lot of questions, too. And I’m afraid we don’t have all the answers yet, but we are searching for them with every second we have. We do know some things, though, and we are going to share them with you.
This attack was a distraction.”
Gasps and concerned voices spread throughout the gym, only quieting when Michael gently raised his hand. Lea couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“I know this is all very surprising,” he told them, and Lea felt like he was trying to calm them all down, which was crazy because his entire face and body were covered with a black hood and robe, kind of like the grim reaper. “But this is the truth. While we were busy fighting those rogues, Gabriel was meeting with leaders of his rogue community in Utah. They were able to collaborate in ways that we have no knowledge of. This was the first time Gabriel has been back in the States–that we know of–and we have sent our people there immediately to obtain him. Of course, he wasn’t there, and there was no sight or clue as to where he would’ve gone.
We were also not the only pack hit. Packs around the world, mainly the packs that are working in intel to find Gabriel and these rogue leaders, as well as to find the cure for the magical poison that Gabriel has made. Therefore, Gabriel was clear to invite everyone to his place and meet with these rogues, without anyone knowing because we were all too busy fighting off the trap he sent us.
Sadly, the other packs were not as lucky as us here in Maine. There have been some casualties, though it’s safe to say it’s a much lower number than it could have been. We do not know what Gabriel is planning, and we have no time frame as to when the next wave of attacks will come. If they’ll come. We all now just need to be alert, as we always have been, and ready to fight.”
The room was quiet, as everyone took in what Michael had just told them. Lea sighed and shook her head. It seemed like Gabriel had won this round, and she hated that. He had gotten rid of so much rogue life, though–was that all worth it? What was his main plan, if he didn’t mind all of those rogue deaths?
“I know that this isn’t good news,” Hann took over, that easygoing smile on his face again as he tried to calm the shifters in the gym. “And I know that it will only get worse from here. I think we all know that. But if we stick together, and if we unite regardless of what pack we’re from, then we can defeat those evil enough to wish all of our friends and children dead. We are better than them But we need to unite. We need to become a family. And I’m proud to call you all my friends after tonight. The way you all looked after one another, regardless of what pack you were in, is why we will defeat Gabriel and all of those that defy us. Because we are stronger when we are united.”
A deafening noise of clapping and shouts rose from the shifters, everyone united in that moment as they looked to their leader for courage and strength. Regardless of what pack they were from, everyone in that gym considered Hann their leader. Lea could see it in everyone’s eyes. She could see it in Finn and his pack members’ eyes.
Lea instantly felt like everything would get better–eventually. It would be hard, and it would take a lot of blood and fighting, but they would beat this. They would beat those rogues and Gabriel.
They had to.
Chapter 20
Gabriel was back in Europe, but he wasn’t in a rundown castle like that hellhole in Ukraine. No, he was back to some nice digs in France, and he was beyond happy.
The castle was nothing like Ukraine. It was classy. It was elegant. It was a saved part of history, a lesson of the past that had been kept up and adored throughout the years. And to humans, it was worth millions and millions of dollars.
Gabriel scoffed at the thought.
He remembered this very castle. This very house. Back when it was first built, in the 1600’s, it was one of a kind. Back then, the nobility of France all kept on building up castles and houses to show off their wealth. They all wanted to be adored, and what better way to be adored than to have people envy you in every single way? Gabriel adored the house back then, and he adored the house now, even if the humans had updated it with a new kitchen and technology advancements.
He just ignored those, of course.
“Gabriel,” an Elder said, standing in the garden behind him. Gabriel turned slightly and waved him forward, his pale skull shining in the sunlight among the roses and daffodils. Gabriel sighed as the Elder joined him. He sure loved this garden.
“Yes, my friend?” Gabriel smiled at him, knowing it was a ghastly sight. Even Elders seemed to be put off by an Elder’s appearance, which Gabriel had always found sad. He liked to embrace the skin he now lived in, though it was a completely different life and appearance that he had now versus when he was first born all those years ago. He was incredibly old. The only person older than him in the Elders branches was Michael. Though Michael kept his face and appearance hidden from all, even from other Elders, Gabriel was sure he looked as old as he did.
“I’m to inform you that Michael and Hann know that we were in Utah, as well as what went on in the cabin,” the Elder told him. Gabriel nodded. He knew they would figure it out–he planned on it. He wanted them to know that they had been duped. That was all part of the plan, too. “They are now searching for the rogue leaders, as well as your new habitat.”
“Keep me updated on whether they get any of the rogues,” Gabriel told him before waving him away as if he was a little pestering bug that he wanted gone.
And, in a way, he was.
Everyone was to Gabriel. They all thought that they had so much to say and tell him, but he was always annoyed and looking for someone else to talk to. He especially hated it when rogues came to talk to him, after requesting an audience, and they thought that they had some great insight or plans for him to listen to. They always turned out to be beyond idiotic, and it took everything within Gabriel to not kill the dumb rogues when they showed up. When they spoke, he had to leave the room in a fit of rage.
Whatever happened to intelligent rogues? Were they now nonexistent?
That was one of the reasons Gabriel didn’t care that all the rogues died in his message to Maine and the world. He knew that the majority of them would. They were young, old, or useless shifters that had become rogues from fits of rage. They weren’t skilled, and they sure as hell weren’t trained.
Gabriel didn’t need them. Until he needed them, of course. And what a great distraction they were. Michae
l and Hann were so busy protecting their shifters–that family of theirs–that they didn’t even notice that Gabriel was in Utah until he was gone. Gabriel was out of the state and on his way to France when they found out.
Winning this little battle felt good to him. Finally, things were looking up for the Elder. Finally, victory was right around the corner. He just had to instill that patience that he so hated. He just had to hope that the rogue leaders did what he told them to.
And he had to hope that no one tattled to the wrong person. The last thing he needed was Michael and Hann to get a tip from someone about what Gabriel and his rogues were planning. That would not be good for Gabriel, and just thinking about the possibility made his veins begin to boil with rage.
Gabriel began to walk deeper into the garden to try to calm himself, leaving the huge seventeenth-century castle behind him. Flowers danced at his feet as his hand softly caressed the rose bushes. He didn’t even wince when a thorn pressed against his thumb from his careless movements. He didn’t even bleed.
Gabriel sighed as he neared the middle of the vast garden. He finally felt better. He finally felt like himself. No more decrepit castles in Ukraine and no more bowing to Michael and Hann.
This time, he would do what he wanted to do.
Training went back to normal the next day, though Finn could tell there was an added urgency to everyone’s moves in the gym. Everyone wanted to be stronger. Faster. More in control. While they had won that battle, they knew that the worst was to come.
And they needed to be prepared for that final day . . . whenever it would come.
Moonlight Wolves Box Set Page 47