CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

DEMON

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I rose from the bed, my sudden movement alarming both of my mates. They sat up, looking worried. And I felt guilty as hell for causing that look. But if Greek’s captors had found him here, he had to have a tracker in him. He was a catalyst. He was valuable to them. They wouldn’t risk him getting away without a means to track him down. Shit . Why hadn’t I considered this sooner?

“What’s wrong?” Sofia asked, her arm wrapping around Greek’s waist, holding him close. He placed his hand over hers, staring up at me with a nervous glint in his stormy eyes.

“I need to perform a check on Greek,” I told Sofia.

Her brow arched. “What kind of check?”

I swiped my hand over my face. There was no easy way of saying this. “He may have a tracker on him.”

Greek’s gasp tore through my heart and soul.

“Have they found me?” he whispered.

“It’s just a check, love,” Sofia assured him. “We just need to be sure. I’ll hold you while our alpha checks your body, okay?”

Greek nodded, eyes on me. “I’m ready, alpha.”

I checked his head first, massaging his scalp, feeling for any tiny wounds.

“Do you know what you’re looking for?” Sofia asked.

“I do. My father once had a tracker put in me after knocking me out cold.” My words made them both gasp. “I found it and cut it out,” I continued.

“Did it hurt?” Greek asked.

“It...” I didn’t want to lie to him. “Yeah. A little.”

His whimper made me want to hunt down Natalie and Nathan and rip them limb for limb.

“But I healed fast,” I told him, my words calming him a little.

“Your father,” Sofia started. “Do you still talk to him?”

“I can’t. He’s dead. I killed him,” I confessed. “Then I escaped his pack. A pack that hadn’t wanted me anyway,” I said as I checked Greek’s neck and arms. “My father had abused my mother, and nine months later, she had me. As I got older, she hated my face, screaming that I looked like him. Until one day, she could no longer take it, and she dropped me off at his home, leaving me there.”

I checked Greek’s chest and abs, looking for any tiny cuts that would be home to a tracker. I continued talking, trying to distract them from what was going on. As I checked his thighs and legs, I told them about what my life had been like with my father’s pack. Sofia cursed under her breath a few times, and Greek’s eyes swam with tears.

“The alpha who kills a pack alpha becomes the next pack alpha. But I didn’t want that. Plus, I’d killed my father to escape him and his pack. I thought my brother would pretend I was dead and step in to take over the pack. But the pack decided they wanted my head as proof before he could take over. He’s been hunting me ever since. There’s a good chance that the alpha lurking near here is one of his scouts. I’ve killed his scouts before. I’ll do it again.”

I glanced at Greek’s ankle, where the faintest scar caught my eye. It was barely noticeable, but I’d seen enough in my years to recognize something that didn’t belong. The scar was faint, small, and too symmetrical to occur naturally. I ran my thumb over it.

“It’s here,” I said, my voice a growl.

“That?” Greek said. “I bumped my leg on something during one of my heats. At least,” he paused and sighed. “That’s what Nathan told me. That liar!”

“They put it in when you were most vulnerable,” Sofia whispered. “They’re evil. Pure evil. They deserve what’s coming if they step onto our property.”

“They’ll never touch you again,” I promised. “But I need to take this out and destroy it.”

After a pause, Greek nodded. I stepped back and left the room to gather the things I needed. I returned and sat down on the bed beside them, placing a towel under Greek’s ankle.

“Hold him,” I told Sofia, and then I went to work. I moved quickly, getting it out as fast as I could.

“Got it,” I muttered, holding up the tiny device.

“Oh,” Greek said. “That wasn’t bad. I’ve felt worse.”

“And I hate that for you,” I told him as I crushed the tracker under my boot, grinding it into the floorboards.

Sofia held him close.

“Demon...” Greek’s voice was a whisper, fragile and raw. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know—”

I cut him off with a kiss on his forehead, my hand cradling the back of his neck. “You’ve got nothing to be sorry for. This wasn’t your fault.”

Sofia met my gaze over Greek’s shoulder, her eyes blazing with determination. “What’s next?”

“Reinforcements,” I said. “I’m doubling the traps, spraying more blockers. They’ll come. We just need to be ready. Sofia, you bandage Greek’s ankle. I’m going to check how many bear traps I have. I’ll set them out in the morning.” As I moved toward the door, Greek’s voice stopped me.

“Demon?”

I turned back, my chest tightening at the vulnerability in his eyes. “Yeah?”

“Thank you. For everything.”

“You’re welcome. Rest, both of you. I’ll be up for a while.”

I left the room, leaving them staring after me. I needed to put some distance between us. I didn’t want them to see how truly angry I was. I wanted Natalie and Nathan to come. I wanted to gift my omega with their heads to show him he no longer had anything to fear.

***

My rifle rested across my lap as I stared out into the night. I couldn’t sleep. Finding that tracker in my omega had made it impossible for me to rest. And my mates couldn’t either. They were inside, in the nest, but I knew they were wide awake. I wanted to join them. But my alpha wanted me here, sitting, watching, waiting.

Before coming out, I’d had another short talk with them, telling them what we’d do if anyone attacked. I wanted them in the basement, locked in, while I handled things. I didn’t want them to come out until I came for them. They’d promised to do as I said. The basement door would hold. It was strong enough to keep me in case my cuffs didn’t hold me during a rut.

The porch creaked beneath me as I shifted my position, my eyes scanning the tree line beyond the cabin. The moon cast faint silver threads through the trees, weaving shadows that moved with each gentle breeze and sway of the branches. And then I saw it. A flicker of motion too imperfect to be the shadows of the swaying branches.

Shadows were creeping through the brush, moving in tight formation. My jaw clenched. They were here. I stood slowly, the rifle steady in my grip. Turning toward the cabin, I slipped inside and shut the door silently behind me. Sofia was curled around Greek in the nest, their voices hushed as they talked. They looked up when they saw me.

“What’s wrong?” she whispered, already pulling herself free from the blanket.

“Movement in the tree line. Four of them. At least one alpha.”

Greek’s voice trembled, his hands clutching the blanket like it was the only thing tethering him to safety.

I knelt in front of him, my rifle propped against my thigh. “You’re going to the basement with Sofia. She’ll keep you safe.”

“And you?” His voice cracked, his fear spilling into the room.

“I’ll handle them.”

“No!” Greek shot to his knees, grabbing my arm with surprising force. “You can’t go alone. Please, Demon. Don’t leave us.”

I cupped his face, my thumbs brushing over his cheeks. “I have to. They’re here for you, and I’ll be damned if they get anywhere near you or Sofia.”

He shook his head, tears pooling in his silver eyes. “You might not come back.”

“I will,” I said firmly, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “I swear it.”

Sofia knelt beside us, her hand resting on Greek’s shoulder. “Greek, we’ll be okay,” she murmured, her voice steady and soothing. “But we have to listen to our alpha. He won’t be able to focus unless he knows we’re safe. You and I will hold the fort down here. Demon’s got this.”

I met Sofia’s eyes, floored by her trust in me. I would not disappoint my Little Fox. “You take care of him. Keep him safe.”

“Always,” she answered, her hand brushing mine briefly before she turned to grab the weapons we’d prepared. She handed Greek a knife, tucking another into her waistband.

I kissed Greek’s forehead again and then his bond mark, his tears streaking my skin, as I squeezed Sofia’s hand. “Get to the basement. Don’t come out until I come for you.”

Sofia nodded, her fiery determination burning bright in her gaze. “We’ll be waiting.”

I hesitated. “I love you both. I never knew love until the two of you stumbled into my life.”

Greek threw himself against me, wrapping his arms around me, holding me close.

“I love you too, alpha. And I’ll be brave. I promise.”

I kissed his forehead. He scooted aside, making room for Sofia to hug me.

Hugging me hard, she whispered in my ear, “Bring us their heads, alpha.”

“I will, Little Fox,” I promised. “I love you, my heart.”

“I love you too. Now go. Greek and I will head downstairs and lock ourselves in the basement.”

“Kill anyone you see who isn’t me. I don’t care who the fuck they are,” I whispered.

“I will, alpha,” she vowed.

“Head to the basement.”

I waited until they’d gathered their things, and I followed them to the basement, closing the door behind them and remaining there until I heard the lock click. It took strength I didn’t know I had to walk away from the two most important people in the world. I stepped out into the night, the door clicking shut behind me.

My heart pounded, each beat a war drum driving me forward. The shadows in the tree line had crept closer, their movements in sync, probably thinking I couldn’t see them. This was my time of night. I saw better than anyone when the moon was high in the sky. I moved silently, weaving through the trees, my senses honed.

The stench of an unfamiliar alpha hit me – rotten, like eggs. Nathan . But his scent wasn’t the only one I smelled. I spotted them just ahead, four figures huddled together, their voices low. I crouched behind a tree, my rifle raised, taking aim. One of them stepped into the moonlight, his face twisted in a cruel smirk. Nathan .

He looked just how Greek described him. The sight of him ignited a fire in my veins, my rage bubbling to the surface. This was the bastard who had hurt Greek, who had broken him. I wouldn’t kill him just yet. I’d make him suffer first. Aiming at the man standing slightly behind him, I fired a single shot.

One of the alphas dropped, a neat hole between his eyes. Chaos erupted. The others scattered, barking orders and trying to pinpoint my location. Nathan’s voice rose above the rest, furious and snarling.

“Show yourself, you coward!” he roared. “You took something of mine, and I want it back.”

I grinned darkly, stepping out from behind the tree. “Careful what you wish for.”

They lunged at me as one, their movements synchronized, but I was faster. I fired again, hitting another alpha in the chest. He fell with a grunt, blood pooling beneath him. The remaining two charged with Nathan leading the way.

I swung the butt of my rifle, catching the third alpha across the jaw. Bone crunched, and he crumpled to the ground. I fired a round into his chest, ending him. Nathan was on me before I could recover, his fists slamming into my ribs.

Pain exploded in my side. The fucker was wearing brass knuckles. It hurt like hell, but I didn’t falter. I dropped the rifle and grabbed him by the throat, slamming him against a tree. His claws raked my arms, drawing blood, but I didn’t let go.

“You hurt him,” I growled, my voice a dangerous rasp as I slammed his head into the tree again. “You fucking hurt him.”

Nathan’s eyes bulged, his lips curling into a sneer. “I own him. He’s mine, you bastard. He belongs to me.”

“Not anymore.”

With a roar, I slammed my fist into his face, over and over, until his sneer was nothing but a bloody mess. He fought back, his punches wild and desperate, but I didn’t stop. The world narrowed to this one moment, this one man. The bastard who had dared to touch what was mine. I tightened my grip on his throat, his struggles growing weaker.

“He’s.... just.... an... omega,” Nathan wheezed.

“He’s not just anything. And he’s my everything. This is for Greek,” I snarled, snapping his neck with a vicious twist.

The forest fell silent as his body slumped to the ground. Blood dripped from my knuckles, my breaths coming in ragged gasps. I glanced around me, looking at the other bodies, making sure they weren’t breathing. I checked the perimeter, searching for other alphas. They were there, but I couldn’t see them.

And their scents were faint. They were coming, not yet close enough for me to scent them properly. I had time to collect my prize and regroup. I pulled my hunting knife out. It was time to collect my gift for my omega: Nathan’s head.