Chapter Seven

It had been days since the attack, but Gary was still pissed. He suspected he would be for a long time.

Yes, he'd helped his village. He hadn't cowered like he had the first time around, and he'd killed two Kudlaks.

He still wasn't sure what to think of that or how to deal with it, so he'd decided to shove the feelings he had over the situation to the back of his mind and focus on something that was more important.

Protecting the village.

The wards had failed. There hadn't been that many Kudlaks attacking, yet the wards hadn't been strong enough to keep them back. They'd attacked together, and they'd managed to break through the wards. Thankfully, the alarms had warned Gary and the others of what was happening, but it wasn't enough. They needed to raise stronger wards and keep the Kudlaks out of the village permanently.

Which was why they needed more Vila.

"You know, your phone is already in bad shape after you threw it at that Kudlak's face. I wouldn't be surprised if you managed to set it on fire just by glaring at it."

Gary turned and glared at Chris instead. He was sprawled on the couch in Gary's living room, looking like he belonged there. His bare feet were on the coffee table, and he was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. He was sipping on a bottle of water, not one scratch on him after what had happened the other day.

Gary's heart raced. He wanted to climb into his mate's lap, but he had work to do first.

"My phone is fine," he said, even though the screen was cracked. He considered it a good sacrifice since it had helped him defeat a Kudlak. When Clay had offered to replace it, Gary had waved him off. He didn't need a new phone, especially not with this one being proof of how strong he was.

It felt odd to think of himself like that, but he was strong. He was also much braver than he'd ever thought he could be.

And he wasn't the only one. When he'd left Ronnie at Chris's house, he'd expected the human to hide. He was pretty sure Ronnie had expected himself to do the same, but instead, he'd gone after Gary. He'd told Gary he was afraid of something happening to him and that he didn't want Chris to have to go through that, but Gary wasn't sure that was the truth. Maybe Ronnie had been too scared to stay at the house alone, or maybe he'd panicked and had tried sticking with Gary.

Whatever the case, the result had been that Ronnie had been out during the fight, and he'd seen Gary kill two Kudlaks. When he'd noticed Haley hiding by the porch, he'd pulled her into his arms to protect her. He'd made sure she didn't look at the fight and had shielded her from the blood and death. Gary was relieved she hadn't seen that, and he knew Melissa was, too. She'd been thanking Gary and Ronnie profusely every time she saw them around the village.

By some miracle, they hadn't lost anyone. The hunters had returned from their raid just as the Whitedell pride had burst onto the scene. There hadn't been much for any of them to do. From the last count, only eight Kudlaks had been found dead around the village. Gary had killed two of them, and he'd heard that Dermot, Tamlin, and Chris had killed another two. Gary wasn't sure about the last four, but something told him there had been more than eight. Eight Kudlaks were a lot to fight, but the wards shouldn't have broken down so easily.

The other Kudlaks had probably run when the hunters and the pride had arrived. It was a relief, but it still didn't allow Gary to stop worrying about what would happen the next time they attacked. They knew how weak the wards were now. Even though they also knew that the village was protected, they'd done enough damage as it was. They'd only needed a few minutes in the village to hurt people.

But no one had died. Gary wasn't the only one who'd fought. Even though everyone had been terrified, they'd stood up to the Kudlaks and defended their new home. They'd do so again if necessary, but Gary wanted to make sure they wouldn't have to.

Which meant it was time to call the numbers he'd memorized.

He couldn't be sure these people would still have the same phone number or even if they'd still be alive, but it was worth a try.

"Come here," Chris said as he straightened on the couch.

Gary was too nervous to sit next to him, but like always, he couldn't resist. When his mate wanted something, Gary gave it to him, if it was in his power.

This was.

Gary dropped onto the couch next to Chris. He was still clutching his phone, and while he knew he didn't have to do this now, he wanted to. He was nervous because he didn't want to find out that people who'd been on the run with him and that he'd briefly considered friends were gone or had been hurt, but the village needed them. They might also need the village. If they wanted a place where they could be safe and to stop running, the clan would welcome them. Being nervous wasn't a good enough excuse not to give them this opportunity.

His fingers shook a bit as he dialed the first number on his phone. Chris wrapped an arm around his shoulders but didn't pull him close, allowing him to move as he wanted. No matter how much he wished to snuggle against his mate, he needed to get through this first.

"Yes?" a woman answered, sounding suspicious.

Gary cleared his throat. "Larra?"

"Who's asking?"

"It's Gary."

It took Larra a moment, but eventually, she remembered Gary. "Of course. I didn't expect to ever hear from you when I gave you my phone number. You didn't have a phone back then."

"I wouldn't have one now if it weren't for my new clan."

Larra was silent for a moment. "You're part of that new clan everyone's been talking about?"

"Yes."

"Sounds nice. Why are you calling me?"

"I'm going to be honest. The clan is still small, and we have a village to protect. I don't know if you're still on the move or if you found a place to call home, but if you haven't, you're welcome to come here."

"You need more of us to protect the village."

"We do." Gary might as well be honest. He doubted Larra would want to come if he lied to her. He didn't have a reason to. Even if she said no, she could still pass on the message that the clan was looking for more people.

"Tell me about the clan."

Larra's request wasn't a surprise. After all, if she was going to move here and settle down here, she'd want to know what to expect.

Gary stayed honest as he explained about the village, the Whitedell pride, and clan members. Vila were used to living with Krsniks, but that wouldn't be the case here, at least not entirely. There were many more human hunters than Krsniks in the clan at the moment, and it would take some time getting used to. Gary didn't have a problem with it, but other people might, including Larra.

She listened to everything Gary had to say without interrupting him. He didn't hide the fact that the village had been recently attacked because there was no reason for him to. Larra could find out if she knew who to ask, and Gary had no doubt she did. She'd probably look into the village and every single member of the clan before making her decision.

Gary couldn't blame her for that. He'd do the same if he were in her place. When he, Dermot, and the others had found out about the clan, they'd looked into it before deciding to try to reach them. They hadn't known if it would be a good fit for them, but they'd been willing to try because what else could they do? They couldn't stay out there, being hunted by Krsniks for the rest of their lives.

The same went for Larra and every other Vila who was still on the run. They all deserved to be safe and not have to run ever again, and that was what the village offered.

Hopefully, she and everyone else they contacted would take that chance. The village needed them and had a lot to offer.