Thirty minutes later, we are in position. Four SUV's block the road and it'll be impossible for the hostile trucks to pass unless they want to drive straight into a ravine. Close to thirty wolves lie in wait with my brother Zyron and his fighters just a few minutes out. No way in hell will those trucks make it through my barricade.

An unfamiliar unrest still settles in my bones. What if they kill Raelyn before we can get to her? Or worse. She could be dead already and they are only transporting her corpse to put it on display for the other Maine packs. A sudden thirst for revenge releases adrenaline into my blood stream. We should've started to advance down the Eastern seaboard this past summer instead of focusing on the Western territories. Cedar might've been young, but he was ready. Another mistake I'll need to rectify.

Oncoming headlights cut through the shadows of the night. The trucks' engines hum evenly as they sway down the unpaved lane. Those fuckers aren't suspecting a thing. Like bees attracted to honey, we are drawing them straight into our trap. By the time their lights catch the SUVs, it's too late to whip the trucks around.

I step into the path of the headlights with my fist raised toward the sky. "Surrender and you'll get to live."

They cut the engines. Night engulfs me; the howling wind is the only sound. Blades of moonlight slice through a few broken clouds, but it's too dark to see with skins. Shifting, my wolf's eyes immediately adjust. Snapping and cracking of bones from my fighters shatter around me.

The driver's side of one of the trucks opens. A dark figure jumps out. I take in the scent of the Alpha born. His tall stance can't hide the fear emitting from his pores.

"Stand back or we'll kill the female." The words tremble with terror. But there's more.

Guilt.

Remorse.

Even a hint of worry.

He cares for Raelyn more than a wolf should care for his brother's mate.

Another male gets out of the second truck. Even though he smells strong, like a future Beta should, he's young—still a pup like Dante and his brother. Another clever move by the Scopan Lake Alpha. If they are caught, he can simply deny that he had any knowledge of their plan and blame it on the recklessness of the youth. Such unsanctioned behavior would not rise to a level constituting a declaration of war. It's spineless but brilliant.

My brother Zyron steps next to me, still in his skins. A whiff of smoke sticks to him; he must still be inhaling those damn cigarettes. "Give it up, guys. You are surrounded. This does not have to end in a bloodbath."

In response, the Alpha born and his friend shift. With a roar, the latter jumps into the bed of the truck. More wolves spill from the passenger cabins and from the back. As they take position next to the Alpha born, their sharp fangs glisten in the moonlight.

My howl gives the signal to attack. With a few long jumps, I reach the enemy. I go for the Alpha born while Nicollo leaps after the future Beta who's still on the back of the truck. My ears pick up a distressed groan and I take in the scent of deadly panic. A plastic bag is rolled off the truck. It jerks and twitches; someone is trying to break free.

Raelyn!

She's suffocating right under my nose.

The teeth of the Alpha born tear into my flank. I shake off the pain and ram my snout into his side. He's tossed off balance. As Raelyn struggles with death, my focus only diverts to the plastic bag for a breath, but it's enough for the bastard to come at me again. His teeth scrape the sensitive area around my left eye. Fed up with him, I grab him by the scruff of the neck. Jaw locked, I shake him and toss him against a nearby tree. He yelps, his body going still.

One long dive and I'm next to the bag with Raelyn. She has stilled. With my teeth, I tear into the plastic, careful not to nick her skin. Growls and snapping teeth around me confirm that my fighters have everything else under control. After I rip a glaring hole into the bag, I stretch back into my skins. My hands work feverishly to free her head. When I finally manage to peel the plastic away from her face, her lips are blue. She isn't breathing. The fuckheads placed a silver choker around her neck to stop her from shifting. I open the clasp and toss it aside.

What the hell am I supposed to do?

The silly first aid course I took when I got my human driver's license is the only thing that pops into mind. Nicollo and I were doubtful that this mouth-to-mouth stuff would actually work on a wolf, but it's worth a try. I bend her head back and lower my lips to hers. Her skin is freezing cold. As my breath enters her body, I press down on her chest bone like the instructor showed me before repeating the sequence.

C'mon on, Raelyn, help me out here.

Just as I get into a rhythm, claws slice along my spine. With a howl, I rear up in pain. My wolf rips through my skin. I crouch low to face the enemy. The Alpha born is back, snapping his teeth as if this would impress me. It's time to end him. We both rise on our hindlegs, our bodies crashing into each other, but he's no match for my powerful frame. I pin him between my two front paws. He yelps in deadly fear. With my torso holding him in place, the tips of my fangs graze his vein of life. His blood pulses against my muzzle. One bite will end him.

He trembles in mortal fear in my grip. His tail is curled between his legs, a pitiful whimper escaping his throat. Since his friend killed Raelyn, I enjoy toying with his life. I will devour the sight of him bleeding out. Slowly. He'll suffer the way she suffered.

Just as I tense to go for the kill bite, a hand grabs my front leg. I turn my head. Raelyn's teary gray eyes sparkle like the moon. She's breathing—the Goddess has sent her back from the realm. My heart does a triple skip.

She shakes her head. When I don't immediately let go of the Alpha born's throat, a few tears roll down her cheeks. Why she shows mercy to this wolf is beyond me, but I will respect her wishes. Getting up, I snarl to warn him not to move a muscle. He remains on his back with his tail curled between his hindlegs. A pathetic sight.

Stretching into my skins, I scoot over to Raelyn and wrap her into my arms. She buries her face against my shoulder. Her body shivers so hard that I tighten my grip in protection.

"Shh, it's okay. You're safe."

Still pressed against me, she turns her head when Nicollo tosses the future Beta of the Scopan Lake pack off the bed of the truck. His neck is broken and half of his throat is torn out. One of his paws reeks of Arabella's blood; my number two showed no mercy to the one who hurt his true mate.

I glare around the battlefield. Except for the Alpha born I spared, I don't see any hostile survivors. My fighters did a thorough job the way they were taught.

With Raelyn curled in my arms, I stand. "Casualties?"

"On our side, none," Zyron says.

"Then load the dead onto their trucks and get Dante."

Cedar fetches the little weasel from the back of the SVU and removes the silver bindings around his wrists.

I push him to the ground next to his brother. "You two will get to live, so you can remove this junk from my territory." I jut my chin at the trucks that hold now a pile of dead wolves. "But that we are clear—if you ever return, I will view this as a declaration of war. Tell your father that the female Raelyn is under my pack's protection. If he wants her back, he can send his troops, but they should be prepared to die."

"What about Alexander?" Dante dares to ask.

"For now, he'll stay here with his mother. I'll send them both home when I see fit."

"Allo is only a small pup. As his father, I'm entitled to him. Those are the rules of the treaty."

Seriously? He's bringing up an old pact that wolves have disregarded for decades. I flash my teeth at him. "By invading my territory, you and your friends have violated plenty of the ancient laws. Go now or be prepared to die."

Muttering something under his breath, he helps his brother off the ground and they head for the trucks. Before he gets behind the wheel, he turns around. "This isn't over."

I don't waste my breath to respond. He's right, this is just the beginning. This feud between our packs will only end if the life essence of one of us soaks into the ground.

And by the watchful eye of the Moon Goddess, I'd be damned if I'd let him win.

~~~~

© Sally Mason 2018

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