Chapter 20

Gavin

Oslo's announcement hit me like a sledgehammer. The end of the alliance meant one thing: war was coming to Grandbay.

I took the letter from my Beta, barely able to take in the few short lines of David's script over the page.

I didn't regret what had happened between my pack and the Dalesbloomers. How could I when any other alternative would mean that the beautiful woman standing next to me, who I wished I was still kissing, would be their prisoner?

But that aside, this was still a blow. Despite what had happened in the clearing the night I'd claimed Billie as part of Grandbay, I'd hoped that David wouldn't be so quick to officially terminate our alliance.

Of course, it was what my gut had been telling me. It's what I had been dreading ever since the forensic evidence confirmed that Catrina had taken Joseph's life, which pointed toward the fact that she was going for Muriel's horn. An official termination of the alliance with Dalesbloom was inevitable.

I looked at my Beta's stalwart expression. His brown eyes were the same shade as his daughter, Aislin's, but tended toward seriousness. His trimmed dark-brown beard was scattered with the first grays, just like his hair.

Quashing down my despondency, I pulled myself together and said, "Oslo, get two sentinels on the borders of Pine Creek. I want you to schedule it so that we have two wolves patrolling the border at all times. We've got to be forewarned of any attack."

"Yes, Alpha," he said, heading out and shutting the door behind him.

My chest constricted. I swept my hands through my hair, turning around to put the offending letter down on the table.

Billie's emerald-green eyes were filled with uncertainty. But I drank in their color like spring shoots, shining after the rain. As I stood there, having just received the news that my pack's position was perilous, I marveled that her gaze alone gave relief.

I couldn't help admiring little things that I'd failed to notice at first, like the fact that her nose was a little upturned at the end. The petite elfin quality gave her even more of a fae air. I had been touched again earlier by the way her features had been edged with concern when she'd looked at me. But her words had been decisive. "I came to see you, Gavin, not get information." The sense that she wanted me and not my position sank in. She didn't seek my wealth or even my resources to find the truth about what had happened to her parents. She'd said she'd come to see me. Disbelief and confusion whirred through me.

Yet, I knew I had to put my pack before whatever was happening between me and Billie. So, once again, I put my feelings on the back burner.

"Is there anything I can do?" she asked with concern. Her bright eyes awash with compassion.

My frenzied mind snagged on her mouth. I noticed that her top lip was a perfect cupid's bow. The longer she was around, the more tempted I was to ride that wave of euphoria that her lips, tongue, and soft skin had brought. So, I kept distance between us, schooling my expression into solemn lines. "I need you to keep close to Aislin. Don't go off alone," I said.

A flush stole over her cheeks. "Of course," she agreed.

Resolve steeled my features as I realized that Billie was a vulnerability that I had to be aware of.

"I need to take care of a few things," I said.

A sense of déjà vu tripped through me as she left, our moment of intimacy curtailed by the way our world was crumbling around us.

I went for a shower and got dressed for the day, mulling over the problems in front of me. Our smaller territory meant that we didn't have as much wealth as Dalesbloom, who were able to sustain themselves on the game from their meadows and woods. They also profited from their lumber-rich forests. But Vana had blessed us with abundant waters, and while the smaller forest size meant that we couldn't be sustained by the game in our woods alone, our river was rich in fish. Oslo and Gretel would ensure that there was a watch around the clock. While we were at war with Dalesbloom, we wouldn't be able to leave our lands. But we could entrench, I told myself. My pack was loyal and would do whatever they needed to protect our lands.

Yet, I knew that the wisest thing to do would be to fortify Grandbay's position. If David and Catrina were hell-bent on seizing the unicorn horn so that she could attain her Lycan form, they would look for any weakness or opportunity to attack. The best thing we could do was to get more wolves for Grandbay to watch its perimeters and lessen the strain on my pack.

In jeans and a clean shirt, I felt ready to confront what else the day might bring. I knew my predicament meant that outside help was necessary.

My stomach dipped at the thought of having to ask for help. My shoulders knotted with tension as I contemplated that the only option ahead of me seemed to be reaching out to form an alliance with the Eastpeak Pack.

I knew from all that I'd had to do with Everett and his pack that he liked to keep himself removed from the other two packs here in Gunnison. Cracking my knuckles, I reminded myself that he'd told me to call him, though, if Grandbay or Muriel needed more protection. That was the sensible option. I needed to do this.

Finally, psyching myself up, I pulled out my mobile. I didn't want to inconvenience Everett by calling him down from the mountain again, but neither could I risk traveling away from my pack lands while things were so precarious with Dalesbloom. It would be tactical for David to attack if I left my pack vulnerable, so for the foreseeable I would be staying put.

Telephone it is.

At least, talking to Everett this way meant that Aislin wouldn't pounce on him and bug him with questions about Mythguard.

Tension swirled through me, my shoulders feeling tight as I paced across the space of the living room as the phone rang.

As he picked up, he asked, "Gavin, everything okay?" A presentiment that the mountain man already knew about the state of affairs between Grandbay and Dalesbloom whipped through me, as if he could see all from high up on his peak.

"Not really," I confided. "David terminated the alliance between Grandbay and Dalesbloom."

Sure enough, my inkling was proved correct as Everett's gruff tone said, "I heard on the grapevine that you took his ward." Of course, it was every Alpha's duty to keep apprised of what was happening in his area. I wasn't surprised that Everett knew the circumstances that had led to the breakdown of the alliance between the packs.

But I had to ensure that he knew all of those circumstances if Grandbay were to stand a chance of forming an alliance with the Eastpeakers. Everett was distant, but everything I'd heard about him was that he was fair.

Determined to appeal to his sense of justice, I leveled with the Eastpeak Alpha about the injustice the Dalesbloom wolves had committed. "David had been keeping Billie, his ward and adoptive daughter, locked up against her will. We also discovered that Billie's actually Elizabeth Rathbone, the daughter of the old Grandbay Betas who disappeared from here fifteen years ago," I explained. "How David came to have Billie in his custody and what happened to her real parents is something the Dalesbloom Alpha hasn't answered for yet. But I'm determined he'll answer for his crimes soon."

"I understand," Everett said, his voice mellowing. "If Billie belongs to Grandbay, it was right for you to take her back."

Something eased in my chest at Everett's allowance.

Determined to paint the full picture of just how dangerous the Dalesbloom Pack was, I continued, "David's daughter, Catrina, is just as much a threat as her father. When my pack and I rescued Billie, Catrina was going in for the kill. If it hadn't been for our intervening, she'd have killed her adoptive sister.

"And it's not just attempted murder she's guilty of. Her packmate, Joseph, was found dead last week. I used one of my contacts from Denver, a forensic scientist, Douglas Ferris, to verify that she was the killer. He confirmed it was her DNA on the man, who just so happened to be her fated mate."

For the first time, Everett's voice rang with surprise. "She killed her mate?"

I gripped the phone harder and growled out, "Yes. She confessed to me that she wanted to before the event. She wanted to be awarded a different mate by Vana." I paused before adding, "Although since she executed him herself, I think her ambitions have changed direction."

I let my statement hang in the air, wondering whether Everett would get where I was going. The shrewd Alpha's voice rumbled, "You think Catrina aspires to get her Lycan form?"

"I have no doubt that's exactly what she's set her sights on," I said.

There was silence on the other end for a while, and I knew it was a lot to digest, so I gave Everett time. Finally, he said, "I'd like to offer Eastpeak's protection in keeping Muriel safe. I could come and collect her later today."

My lungs seemed to shrink as that was the only offer of help he put out. "I had hoped," I said, "given the threat that the Dalesbloom Pack presents, you and Eastpeak might consider allying with Grandbay to pool our resources and help us defend our home." I paused, adding, "You told me to contact you if Grandbay or Muriel needed more protection from Mythguard." I couldn't help calling him out on what he'd said, feeling as if what he'd offered wasn't enough by a long shot.

"As you know, Gavin," he said. "I have responsibilities outside of my pack, and I can't afford to put my pack in a position that could lead to war with Dalesbloom." The decisive, clipped edge of each of his words left me in no doubt that he wouldn't be aiding Grandbay.

He'd gauged that war was likely between Grandbay and Dalesbloom. He wasn't going to interfere. And far from his position with Mythguard being a strength, he implied that it took away his time and resources from his own pack.

Frustration prickled through me. His decision sank in, and nausea churned through my gut.

"I'm sorry I can't help more," Everett said, "but like I said, I can pick up Muriel later to—"

"Muriel will stay here. If we can take care of our own, we can take care of her, too. Thank you for your time, Everett," I said, ending the call.

Anger fired through me. I suddenly felt as if the Alpha I'd reached out to had it in for my pack. I realized that the protectiveness I felt toward Muriel was exactly as if she were one of us Grandbay members. She'd become a valued part of our community in the time she'd stayed with us. She was so good with the pups, always ready with a story for them. I knew she and Billie had become close friends, too. The thought of assigning her to Everett and Mythguard's care didn't sit right with me. But my reflections were quickly forgotten, though, as something like beating drums reached my ear: wingbeats.

Panic flared through me, and in a moment, I'd pulled off my shirt and unbuckled my jeans, shedding them along with my human form as I burst out of the cabin door. My paws hit the dirt, thudding against the ground as if they were trying to outstrip the wingbeats resounding through the air.

My lupine eyes caught sight of three huge dragons orbiting over the woods. As I ran, Oslo and Gretel's wolves, one dark brown like me, the other reddish-brown, flanked me. Oslo and Gretel's howls summoned the rest of the pack, and the sound of our brothers and sisters' paws vibrated through the earth as they rallied behind us.

For a moment, I wondered at the timing of it. Why were dragons attacking the same day Dalesbloom had dissolved their alliance with our pack? Another part of me, as I took in the lilac-pink of one dragon and the green scales of another, flooded with anticipation. Were these Inkscales the same dragons seen fleeing Grandbay the night my parents died? The desire for answers surged through me. But then I smothered down all wonderings as I knew I had to ready myself for these dragons.

But … their wings carried them to the other side of the river, where they landed on the top of the cliff.

The three dragons settled at some distance, and it gradually sank in that this wasn't an attack. But it was some sort of message … or threat. The distance made it clear that it wasn't an attack. My Betas, clearly, came to the same conclusion because Oslo's brown wolf turned around, and with a few rumbles and howls, he stilled the rallying pack coming toward us, telling them to remain where they were some way behind us.

My Betas and I alone stepped toward the riverbank of the Gunnison. My gaze wandered over the two males and one female perching atop the rock.

Finally, the male with the barbed tail and glittering obsidian scales lifted into the air, his huge form circling until he landed on the bank on our side of the river.

Then, he shifted.

In front of us stood a tall, bronze-skinned man.

I shifted into my human form, too, as did my Betas.

We watched this six-foot-five dragon shifter approach us, who grew taller and taller as he neared. He was as tall as Everett. He definitely looked like he could take any of the mountain men of the Eastpeak pack. Adding to his menace was the way his dark brown eyes glittered like onyx. His jet-black hair fell in waves over his high forehead.

He halted ten feet from us. His voice rippled with quiet authority. "I thought it was time to drop by and introduce myself. I am Lothair, Alpha of the Inkscale dragon clan."

My gaze narrowed as I thought that this was the bastard hunting Muriel. He was also the leader of the two dragons on the rock, who matched the description of the two seen the night my parents died. A fact that infused my words with even more aggression as I said, "You're not welcome here."

He smiled and said, "Perhaps it's just as well, then, that I've officially formed an alliance with Dalesbloom."

So, this was what the bastard was doing here. He'd "dropped by" to rub it in my face that they'd allied with the Dalesbloom, and the number of our enemies had officially grown.

"Get out of my territory, or my wolves will rip you to pieces," I threatened, clenching my fists and half hoping that he wouldn't retreat. If we could push him to attack without the Dalesbloom wolves, we'd be taking out our enemies before they could band together as he was threatening.

He chuckled. "Understood, we'll be on our way." He turned around and then threw back as if offhandedly, "It does feel good to be back in the area."

My stare brushed his powerful back and shoulders as he strode away. My mind latched onto the word "back." It was confirmation that his clan had been in the area before.

Fury seared through my veins as knowing ate me up, as I dared him to confirm what I knew deep down already.

My eyes clapped onto the other two dragons on the point. The female's lilac and pink scales caught the sunlight, glinting like a beacon on the clifftop. The green-scaled beast on the cliff had also been detailed in the eyewitness account from the night of my parents' deaths.

Lothair turned around to deliver the final blow. "I think you remember the little bonfire that we had on Pine Creek four years ago."

Blinding rage seared through me. The need for vengeance clawed through my chest. My wolf wanted blood now. But Oslo and Gretel's vice-like grip restrained me as I went to launch myself at the Inkscales Alpha.

As I seethed with fury, my mind raced with memories of Pine Creek engulfed in flames. Every punch of my heart reminded me of the way my paws had hit the ground, racing toward the inferno where I'd known my parents had been. Then, the taste of smoke and ash lay in my mouth, conjuring the memory of the cold dawn light when I'd identified my parents' scorched lupine bodies between the charred trees.

I struggled against the hold of my Betas, wanting nothing more than to rip the dragon shifter limb from limb, but unable to launch myself at him, I screamed, "Why?"

Lothair's onyx eyes brushed over me, and glittering eyes and smug face told me he knew exactly what I was asking him. "Because when your parents found us in their territory, instead of welcoming us as their natural allies, as we dragons and wolves are meant to be, they told us to leave."

His words pierced me. His nonchalant tone sent waves of cold shock pounding through me. He was telling me he'd simply murdered my parents because they, as Grandbay Alphas, had been mistrustful of him and his clan. Something they'd been right to be, given how indifferently he'd resorted to violence, as well as their unsavory behavior in hunting Muriel now. As my resentful stare roved over the shifter, I felt how right my parents had been to be distrustful of Lothair and his clan.

Yet, the fact that they'd been rewarded for defending their lands and pack from Lothair and his clan's vile presence with their deaths, once again, had the cloying taste of ash sitting in my mouth.

Lothair's smile was smug as he stepped away from us. With his message delivered, he retreated behind his obsidian scales like the oversized snake he was. His vast leathery wings stretched out, carrying him up into the air currents and to the rest of his murderous clan, who took to the sky like vultures ready to pick us apart.