CHAPTER 41

GRIFFIN

There were more rogues than we thought this time. And considering the amount of people at this carnival, not to mention how close the wolves were lingering, that was not reassuring.

We needed to keep them contained. Prevent them from getting any closer to the flock of innocent people minding their own business like sitting ducks. The shifters were one thing. But the rogues? Those bastards had no humanity.

It was just me and the Alpha in this part of the woods now.

And the poor unconscious human that currently had rogue fangs deep in the flesh of her leg.

Female. So not one of their initial targets then.

They must have gotten creative when they sensed the presence of the Saint Claire pack here. Or when they saw how many options they had at their disposal.

Maybe they didn't want to take any chances of leaving tonight without at least one new member to join their ranks. If I was in their boat, I'd do the same.

But their work was reckless, and the timing of their attack meant it likely wouldn't even result in a transformation. They'd gotten carried away and pounced too early.

It was just sloppy on their part really. Like they'd gone … well … rogue.

I had to internally laugh at my own joke, since no one else here was going to.

I fucking hoped that the other three male targets that came in with Amelia were being tracked already. We'd lost sight of the first two, but I was betting that Car and Zan had already caught up to the one that had left with the raven-haired female shifter.

We glanced at each other, the Alpha and I, an understanding transpiring before we sped towards the two feasting rogues in sync.

I tried not to grimace at the fact that I had a silent conversation with a wolf—I was in sync with a fucking wolf—and instead focused on the damage we were able to cause.

And I had to admit, I kind of loved the bloodshed that we dealt out.

My whole world was turned upside down these last months. First the girl, and now this.

I needed to stab some things; regain some control.

Thankfully, I had the perfect target.

I didn't have my sword on me. It's not like I could casually bring it to a small-town family event. But my kunai did the job just fine. Plus, I got the added fun of getting up close and personal with the furred fuck, making the feeling of my blade sinking into its chest all the more satisfying.

Warm liquid dribbled down my hand.

Done with my mark and taking in the damage, I noticed Blaze had caught up and was already tending to the wounded female. I had no idea when the fiery-haired wolf had arrived. She was near silent and had this uncanny ability to sneak up on even me. It made me more than a little uncomfortable. But she was a great asset to have on our side.

I swung my head towards my unlikely partner and was pleased, as well as pleasantly surprised, to see chunks of flesh missing from River's target. From what I could tell, he'd done way more damage than the rogues had even managed to do to the human.

Who knew the softie had it in him.

I had to give him more credit. He took that rogue down in seconds.

We made a decent team. A thought that disturbed me. But I knew my girl would be proud of my incredible self-growth.

He didn't need to know that though …

"I still don't like you," I deadpanned with a teasing glint in my eye.

To be honest, the Alpha was growing on me. I didn't hate him. Which was progress. Although, if Venus had picked him instead, I didn't know if I would still be willing to say that.

Highly unlikely.

"Likewise," River threw back. But with my trained eyesight, I caught the smile on his lips. Fucker liked me. I knew he did.

The Alpha's eyes glazed over and I patiently waited for the update from his pack.

"Raven and Celeste have followed another two shifters that led a target out to the woods," he said, worry distorting his features. "We're closest to them."

"I'll take care of the girl and get her transported to Sage," Blaze offered, attention still wholly on the bleeding female. "You guys go."

I nodded. "Lead the way."

A quick check of my phone told me that most of the others had found rogues to trail and had their hands full too.

How many of these fuckers were actually here today?

There had to be at least ten. But likely more.

With River in his wolf form, and me doing a pretty damn good job at matching his pace, it only took us minutes to get to Venus's younger sister and the icy wolf that had befriended her. They were in a woodsy area like the one we had been in, just outside the perimeter of the festival, the lights of the event close enough to dimly illuminate the few surrounding trees before the brush got denser.

Raven's dark grey wolf was fiercely holding back two tattered-looking brown ones, scarcely keeping them away from Celeste and the human guy she was protectively hovering above. The male was clutching his bleeding arm with wide, terrified eyes.

The younger Stone sister had the pure silver retractable staff I'd given her aimed at the growling beasts, ready to strike should one get past Raven's defences.

She flinched when she saw Riv's wolf approaching, clearly not recognising him in her current state, but then looked utterly relieved at the sight of me, putting two and two together and visibly calming.

Not wasting a moment, I gave River a nod towards Cel before I sprinted to Raven's side and tackled one of the rogues down, blindsiding it with the ambush.

We went rolling and I lodged my kunai sideways into the snapping jaw of the wild animal, halting its attempt at chomping down on whatever body part of mine it could get close enough to.

The creature whined in pain and I smirked.

"Bad dog." The jeer rolled off my tongue.

I risked a glance in the direction of River and Celeste, and my heart dropped when I saw three more rogues circling them. Even with the training I'd given Cel, she wouldn"t last long if one got past the Alpha. She wouldn't have even heard them coming—she didn't have any hunter senses like the rest of us … at least not yet. But her staff was still poised to strike should they step any closer.

River bared his teeth at them, growling as he stood in front of Celeste in a domineering, protective stance.

Fuck. I couldn't help until I got rid of this one.

Using its shock at the fact that its strongest advantage was immobilised, I quickly reached into the pocket of my cargos and pulled out a silver dagger while the beast was occupied. It was still snapping frantically, attempting to get my kunai out of its mouth. With the wolf basically still on top of me, I made the most of my unassuming yet advantageous position and plunged the blade straight into its heart.

The stillness was immediate.

Throwing its limp body off me, I flipped over, ready to run to their aid with my dagger in hand.

But River had done it. At least most of it.

The Alpha wolf was covered in blood, the substance even pouring from his maw. Two lifeless rogue bodies were scattered around him, again all missing parts of their flesh. A few dismembered limbs lay about too.

He looked menacing as fuck, his amber eyes slitted and his head swivelling in warning. When the third one ran at him, he shifted back into his human form and I baulked.

What the actual fuck was he doing?

But when the final wolf got close and leapt up at him, I saw the Alpha"s hand grow claws and he sunk them into the creature, pulling its heart straight out of its chest cavity. The body fell to the floor with a thud and River stood there completely naked, letting the bloody heart drop out of his half-shifted hand and to the floor.

His body heaved from the exertion—the primal rage and need to kill that had taken over.

Impressive.

My brows were high as I looked at him with amused surprise. "Not bad. Not bad at all, Wolf," I muttered with a slow, dramatic clap.

Celeste's mouth was hanging open, but realising the Alpha was butt naked before her, she quickly averted her eyes to the human that seemed to have fainted beside her.

We were all quiet a moment. Then, to lighten the situation, but also because gross, I said, "Can you put some clothes on? Cover that up. Immediately."

"Already linked one of the others, they're heading over now with spares."

"Thank fuck for that."

He shook his head.

Lowering myself to the animal I'd killed, I yanked my kunai out of its mouth and cringed at the saliva covering the weapon.

"Disgusting," I muttered, my nose scrunched up as I flicked the revolting substance off my hand and wiped the blade on the grass. Then I removed my silver dagger from its chest, doing the same before repocketing it.Blood I was used to, but wolf saliva was not okay with me.

Scenting another wolf heading our way, my head snapped up to the tree line.

"Incoming," I warned my allies, flipping my kunai so it was ready to launch at the first sight of the beast.

Before even entering the clearing, the animal whined. A whimpering, almost scared sound.

"It's not a rogue. It's a shifter," River informed us, taking a whiff of the air to confirm his suspicions. "We don't attack until we confirm they're a danger." His tone was strong and domineering and it irked me, but I nodded my agreement anyway. Raven, still in wolf form, was already by my side and even Celeste slowly stood, cautious and on edge, but ready for whatever came our way. She was brave like her sister; I'd give her that. Especially after what she'd just witnessed.

A moment later, the smaller wolf trotted warily through the trees, head down in submission.

In an instant, they had turned into their human form.

The petite female fell to her knees, cowering.

"Please don't hurt me," she cried softly. "I don't want to do this anymore. Help me. Please," she begged. "I can't do this anymore." Her voice cracked and she threw her face in her hands, sobbing.

Her smaller frame, light brown skin and the long blanket of dark brown hair covering her face reminded me of my girl, causing my body language to instantly soften. What if Venus had never gotten out of this town. Never found us and became a Knight. Could she have ended up like this? A pawn in the rogue war.

I gripped my dagger tighter, anger coursing through me at the thought.

I'd have to hope the Alpha would have protected her enough to never have let that happen. Plus, that wasn't how fate turned out, so there was no point working myself up about it.

I looked to River, letting him have the final say here. This was his pack and he'd be the one responsible for her if he decided to show mercy.

His eyes locked on mine and flashed amber before he walked past us towards the female. Noticing he was still unclothed, I made a face, but focused my attention on the girl instead.

Towering over her he asked, "What's your name?"

His voice was calm but firm, that Alpha aura seeping into his words.

"Selena."

"You're with the rogues?" He questioned.

"I didn't have a choice. I never asked for this. To be a wolf. They made me stalk the targets. Lure them here. But I didn't want to see what happened next. I ran. I couldn't watch," she sputtered. "Please, Alpha. Save me. I'll do whatever you want. Just pretend you killed me so the rogues don't look for me. Please don't make me go back."

To her credit, Selena didn't even pause to stare at his junk as she lifted her pleading eyes to his.

"You'd have to sever your bond to the rogue Alpha immediately and pledge yourself to me instead. I can't risk the safety of my pack if you're still in contact or some sort of spy. It will be like you're dead to him."

Her doe eyes were hopeful. "Yes. Of course. Whatever you want, Alpha. Just tell me how."

River nodded, kneeled before her and started coaching her through it.

Seeing he had it handled, I turned to Celeste. Raven's wolf had moved closer to her, seemingly offering comfort.

"Are you okay, Cel? No injuries?" I looked her over but couldn't see anything or smell any blood—at least not hers.

"I'm okay. Unharmed." She blew out a shaky breath. "What are we going to do with him though?" She gestured to the guy who had likely been one of the predetermined victims. I knew there had been more shifters with the targets when they first entered the festival, but the ones we had killed just now had all been rogues, based on their characteristics and that distinctive scent. Meaning the shifters in their ranks were likely still at the event—minus the terrified one pledging allegiance to River now.

The guy had lost a lot of blood and was still out cold. I crouched beside him, feeling his neck for a pulse.

It was there. He was still alive.

"We'll take him back to the pack house and get Sage to look after his injuries. When he's awake, the Omitter can take care of the rest before we let him go," I said as I ripped the bottom part of my shirt, tying the material above the wound on his arm to slow down the bleeding. "He'll likely think he got black out drunk at the carnival and fell or something."

Looking back up at Cel, I laughed at the way she was still clutching the staff. "How'd you go with that thing?" I nodded at the weapon in her hand.

"I hit a wolf in the nose with it."

"Amazing."

I heard movement again.

Axel and his mate, Aubrey, jogged towards us from a gap in the tents.

"Delivery," the Delta said as he held up some spare clothes.

"Thank fuck," I said again as I took them from him and headed towards the Alpha who was finishing up with Selena.

I threw the items at him. "Here. Cover up."

He glared at me but put the clothes on anyway. Shoving his hand through the t-shirt he muttered a "Thanks".

I couldn't help my huff of amusement at the design of the tee. It was a white festival merch shirt that said, ‘I love the Harvest Moon Festival'.

Creative.

"Well, that's ironic," I said, nodding at the print.

The Alpha examined it and despite everything that had just gone down, he laughed, his mouth tilting into a full-blown grin. I matched it with a smirk—that's all he would get from me.

Quietly, so the girl wouldn't hear, I said to River, "You'll have to keep an eye on her. Make sure someone watches her at all times so she can't fuck us over. At least until we're sure she's trustworthy."

"I know." His face was serious again. He understood the risk this posed to our whole operation.

"Let's find the others," I suggested, already picking up the unconscious male and throwing him over my shoulder.

I headed around the event towards the car park. I'd deposit him in one of the cars—not mine because I didn't want blood on the seats—and get Cel to stay with him in case he woke up. Then they could drive him back, with whoever else might need to have their memory wiped. But we needed to assess the damage and figure out how many more needed to be taken down or stopped before we altered the game plan accordingly.

Venus and Kitana met up with us near the entrance when we were heading back in. And I knew I could really get addicted to the way her face lit up when she saw me.

My girl was still clutching the little toys we'd won. I'd treasure that lion she'd given me forever, so I was relieved to see it in one piece. It was something so utterly normal for people, but I'd never once been given something like that from anyone. Nor given one to someone.

Noting my now cropped shirt exposing my lower stomach, Venus quirked her brow at me.

"That's a fashion statement."

I grinned at her. "Just trying something new. Consider it proven: everything looks good on me."

Chuckling, she rolled her eyes. "Always so cocky."

I winked at her.

Kit added, "Have you considered black nail polish? Seems like it would totally fit the vibe. And suit the whole tormented thing you have going on."

I ignored the dig. "Only if Cosmo does it for me."

"I'll get my nail kit as soon as we're home." She shook her head at my nonchalance but all I could focus on was the way her eyes crinkled in amusement and seemed to glitter in the low light. She looked breathtaking in the colourful lights of the carnival, painting her skin and hair in streaks of blue and purple that matched that incredible hunter power of hers.

"Come here." I grabbed her hips and pulled her into me, claiming her with a kiss and not giving a single fuck that her ex was still with us. I'd tone it down here and there for my girl's sake, but right now I was just happy to see she was okay.

Already having discussed somewhat of a plan in our group chat on our walk over, Venus had volunteered to go back to the pack house with the injured and whoever we could spare. The rest of us would stay, keeping to the perimeters to make sure no rogues returned.

Zander and Car had saved one of the other targeted victims, but the shifter had escaped as a result. Axel and Aubrey had informed us that they'd been forced to take down another shifter who had been attempting to attack the final male we'd been on the hunt for. He was uninjured so they'd left him with Bleu and Tom who'd be making sure he conveniently forgot about his encounter tonight.

Dalton and Bear had taken on another group of rogues that they followed further into the forest, and Billie and Santiago were heading back towards us to reconvene after they'd lost a different one that they were tracking to a territory-splitting river.

Amelia had left Venus and Kitana so she could appear like she was helping the shifters after she had informed the girls of the army's ludicrous plan—which we'd discuss in depth later. Blaze had seen her head towards the woods while she was moving the female victim to a car to drive back to the pack house, but no one else had seen Amelia since. We could only assume she'd linked back up with the one that had escaped—and attacked—Zander.

The Beta had stupidly let himself be stabbed with a version of the Deviators, or something similar, that the rogues somehow had at their disposal—an error he would not hear the end of from me once we were back and this night was over.

We'd have to keep this place and the surrounding areas on watch until the moon set and the sun rose.

It was going to be a long fucking night.