27. Chapter Twenty-six

Chapter Twenty-six

All eyes focused on the three men standing at the top of the hillside.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Rome stood in front of his family, protecting them. There was a small breeze that brought the scent of the intruders down. One alpha and two betas.

Malcolm pushed his mother behind him to become a second shield protecting her. Amelia grumbled that she was older and wiser but allowed her son the privilege of shielding her.

“We have come to prevent this travesty of justice,” the alpha said. He was wearing a black bespoke suit that showed off his muscular form and declared him as someone of importance.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Ian. I am part of the shifter council, the one you pay no heed to.”

“The council that believes we don’t deserve representation because we were not born shifters. Is that the council you speak of?”

“It may have been that way in the beginning, but we govern all shifters, and that includes this pack.”

“No one governs my pack. I am alpha and no one can overrule my word except a majority of my brothers.” They set that up in the beginning to keep any one of them from going rogue, due to loneliness.

“Why are you here and who brought us to your attention?” It was either Brittany or the mole within their midst who was hiding in plain sight.

“That’s classified information,” Ian said.

“Then you have no right to be here. You’re three people who stumbled onto private land.”

“You may want to hear what the council has to say before you eject us.”

“Speak, but mind your words. This is my pack and I will not have you insulting them or threatening to harm them.”

“It has come to our notice that you have an omega hiding among you, as well as a half-blood who is also seeking sanctuary. They have been condemned to death after they appear in front of the council. Turn them over and we will leave peacefully.”

“Are you referring to my alpha mate and my son?” Rome asked casually, taking in the two beta guards surrounding Ian.

“How could you take an omega as a mate?” Ian’s voice conveyed that he didn’t understand how Rome could do such a thing.

“She is my fated mate and I won’t be turning Amelia or Malcolm over to you.”

“There is no such thing.” If fated mates were real, Ian would have found his long ago.

“Maybe the goddess Luna has forsaken your pack.”

“You’re deluded, there is no goddess. Wolves are an evolutionary strain that managed to survive, much like the humans.”

“You may be right, I don’t know how you came to be. I’m only acquainted with how my brothers and I came to be. I also know how the omegas came into existence. You may leave now, without my family.”

“I don’t think I made myself clear. I will take the two prisoners with me or my security team will go through you to gain access to the prisoners.”

“Are their lives not of value to you?” Rome pegged each of the guards with a death stare.

“What?” Ian said.

Amelia stepped out in front of her son and her alpha. “You have to forgive Rome, he’s many centuries old. Too many to count.”

“You’re pregnant!” Ian gasped as if he had never seen a pregnant wolf shifter.

“Aren’t you quick on the uptake?” Amelia gave him a smile that was all teeth. “What Rome was asking is do you care for the lives of your guards?”

“They are unbeatable.” The gasp of the pack made the smile on Ian’s face grow brighter. “Alpha, it’s a shame that our acquaintance must be short. Hopefully your replacement will be more reasonable.” He nodded his head, and the two guards stalked their way down the rough-hewn stairs, each promising death.

“Rome.” Amelia kept the desperation out of her voice. He needed to know she had faith in him.

“Trust me.” He looked into her silver eyes, searching for faith. He found that and so much more. The love she had for him shone bright like a star on a moonless night.

“I trust you more than I have ever trusted anyone else in my life. If you say you can defeat them, then you can.”

“I can.”

“I’ll be on the sidelines with our son and our brothers. Remember, mate, you said you won’t die. Your pup needs you as much as we do.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, before allowing one of the other brothers to walk her and Malcolm to a place where they would be safe. Saul and Theron would monitor the fight but would not intervene.

“Concede defeat,” a guard said. Rome said nothing.

“This is a fight to the death. Winner takes all,” the other guard said.

“Agreed.” Rome watched as the two guards took off their clothes. He would not honor them by disrobing in front of them. When the guards shifted to wolves, Rome shifted with little thought.

There was a quick gasp from Ian when Rome shifted. It was heard because the pack was holding their collective breaths. The two wolves stopped, staring at Rome before they shook off the awe of watching him shift without tearing his clothes to shreds. They circled him, one positioning itself behind and the other in front. Then, they attacked as one. The first wolf lunged for his side while the other aimed for his front leg.

Rome howled, his hind legs kicking the attacking wolf to avoid the one aiming for his foreleg. He snapped at the wolf in front of him, sinking his teeth into its foreleg just as the second wolf reared up and sank its teeth into his side. Rome went down, rolling away as the two wolves repositioned, giving him a brief moment to regain his feet.

A victorious howl echoed between the two wolves, and Ian stood above the pit, his face a mask of pride. Rome could be hurt, even bleed. They believed they could kill him and take the prize.

Rome staggered back, feigning an injury. He turned, running from the wolves and watching as they separated, allowing one to come after him. Trapped at the edge of the pit, he turned to face the pursuing wolf. After taking the bite, he shifted his weight, leaning into it, forcing the wolf to follow.

The wolf howled in victory as it lunged. Rome feinted to one side, and the wolf followed. Rome shifted his position, trapping the creature with nowhere to run. Knowing he had only seconds, Rome launched at the wolf, meeting it head-on. Blood spilled—his or the wolf’s, it was hard to tell. He went straight for its throat, but the wolf managed to latch onto his shoulder, giving Rome the opening he needed.

With a twist of his head, Rome took the wolf’s throat, and with a violent shake, the wolf’s grip loosened. Rome drove him into the dirt, shaking his head harder, crushing the wolf’s throat.

The fight ended quickly. Rome didn’t linger to savor the victory. He moved away from the lifeless wolf, scanning for the second. The other wolf was standing over his fallen companion’s body, howling in vengeance.

“End this!” Ian shouted. “Vengeance for Rory and victory for you.”

Rome forced himself to straighten. The wound on his side was leaking blood. It didn’t matter, not when compared to the safety of his family.

The last wolf took one look at him and started to run towards him before he feinted to the side and decided to live to fight another day. Rome’s wolf howled before chasing him. He stumbled to a halt and looked back at his mate. Would he see disappointment on her face that he was chasing down a threat that turned tail?

Rome watched her smile and nod before pointing towards the wolf that was trying to escape. He could hear Ian screaming but ignored him, focusing on the threat to his family. He took off after the wolf. Rome was fast with the longer legs of his wolf.

When he was close enough, he went for the throat. There would be no mercy and no second chances. When a predator came for his family and his pack, he would kill without remorse. Hot blood flowed into his mouth as the sounds of the dying wolf assaulted his ears. The scent of death was surrounding him. He turned to look at Ian.

His howl reverberated through their meeting place. Every wolf howled to join him. Victory was theirs. Ian backed up slowly, not admitting defeat, but conceding the battle.

Rome wound his way through the pack, rubbing against them, reaffirming that he was their alpha before he made his way back to the pit.

He shifted, waiting for Amelia to join him. The shift made it easier for everyone to see the blood that coated his clothes. His black fur hid a lot of the damage.

Amelia walked up and pulled him down to meet her. She placed a scorching, hot kiss on his lips before looking at him with love shining in her eyes.

“It’s my turn now,” she whispered before stepping in front of him.

“Hunter pack.” Her voice echoed, reaching the back row and commanding attention. “You have whispered about me behind my back and speculated on who I am. What gives me the right to claim your alpha as my mate? Listen carefully, I hate repeating myself.” Her hand went to her belly, caressing her pup. No one could miss that action. A smile curved her lips as she sent love to her pup.

“I was Amelia Dumas; I am now Amelia Hunter, and I am an omega. The bogey man of the wolf world. I’m the thing your parents taught you to fear. They said that my sisters and I should be killed at birth and the pack should rest in peace when the killing was done. You were lied to.” She looked around, meeting as many eyes as she could. The others lowered their heads. Was it shame, fear, or anger? She didn’t know but took note of them.

“I will do whatever it takes to protect my life and the life of my pup. My protectiveness doesn’t stop there. I will protect my mate and my son. These,” she pointed to Rome’s brothers, “are my brothers and I will protect them, last but definitely not least I will protect my pack. That is who I am. Feel free to leave if you can’t live with an omega in your presence. If the thought of my cub makes you grimace or shiver, leave. I am Alpha mate, and I take that seriously. Why? Because I’m madly in love with Rome. He is my alpha and my mate. This pack has always taken care of its own. If you think you can find a better pack please leave. Understand this though, if you leave and decide to come back, there won’t be an automatic admittance. Rome may decide not to take you back. That is his prerogative. If you have questions now is the time to ask them.” She leaned back into the solid presence of Rome behind her.

She would no longer take the snide comments about her mate. Anyone she overheard would fight her after her pup was born, until then they would fight one of her protectors. There was no need to tell anyone that their life would be forfeit. If Rome hadn’t made that clear, there was nothing she could say that would enforce what happened today.

She looked around and no one moved. It felt like the pack was holding their breath. “Please call me Alpha-mate as we get to know each other that will change. Ask Sheela, Todd, Janice, and Mark.” She beamed a smile over the pack. “Hello Hunter pack from your Alpha mate.” There were loud howls. She could tell that there were a few of the pack who didn’t give her a greeting.

Turning, she placed her hand on Rome’s chest. “I concede the floor.” She gave him a wink and moved to stand beside him.

“Malcolm, do you consent to become our son?” Rome’s voice carried as he turned to face the teenager.