Chaz (VLG #15)

Chapter Ten

Chaz needed to take Tiono back to Folsom territory to rescue the young ones. He hated leaving Shoni behind with the female Lycan. They’d been dropped off at an all-night diner. Only humans had been inside when he’d scoped the place out. It was the safest location for her to be that late in the evening. It was public, and he’d spotted cameras inside.

Anyone wanting to do her harm wouldn’t want to take the risk of human exposure. They’d wait for her to leave before attacking. That wasn’t going to happen. He’d given her firm orders to remain where he’d left her.

The male Lycan drove his vehicle into pack territory fifteen minutes later. Tiono was nervous enough that his smell had started to annoy Chaz. He was currently asking questions about where the two younglings were being held and how many of the pack were with Noah.

“Is eight going to be a problem?”

“No,” Chaz answered honestly. “I can easily take down that many Lycans. Remember to park away from your home. I don’t want them to hear the sound of an engine. Your job is to grab your young. I’ll handle the Lycans.”

“What if Noah or one of his followers is too close to the pups? I’m not a fighter.”

That bit of information didn’t come as a surprise to Chaz. His first assessment of the couple had been correct. They were submissives. Every moment he spent with the male only verified that fact. “They won’t expect an attack. Grab your young while I take on the ones guarding them and make your way back to this car. You will wait for me here. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

It took another six minutes for Tiono to pull his vehicle off the old road they’d used to avoid the rest of the pack. As Chaz understood it, that route to travel was rarely used since it was in such bad shape. “You’re sure there are no scouts this way?”

“Noah has the ones loyal to him watching the north side in case Corlin suspects something is up. Only humans live on the south side of our territory. They built a senior-living golf course with mobile homes surrounding it. None of them have ever trespassed beyond the walls we keep there to mark our border. The humans believe we’re an animal sanctuary and armed guards patrol to keep out illegal hunters.”

“That was smart of Keith to put that rumor out to the humans. I’m shocked.” Chaz hadn’t thought much of the now-dead alpha.

“It was Cathra’s idea.” Tiono cleared his throat. “She’s one of Keith’s daughters.”

“She inherited her intelligence from her mother,” Chaz sarcastically muttered. “How many of your pack live near your home?”

“Just my family and one other. We’re the ones assigned to grow food for the pack. There is a large garden between our homes.”

“When you said you were food growers, I thought you meant dealing with livestock.”

“No. There are four clearings near our border where we grow food for our pack. My family and one other are responsible for their upkeep and harvesting. This area of our territory isn’t well used because of that. Alpha Keith didn’t want the pups or adolescents damaging our food crops.”

They both got out of the car. “Leave the keys in the car,” Chaz ordered.

“Why?”

“In case there is a fight. You don’t want to lose your keys and then not have a way to drive out of here.”

Tiono put them on the driver’s seat and softly closed the door. “What now?”

Chaz lightly shelled his skin as he pulled off the black T-shirt he’d put on before they’d left Shoni’s. “We are going to fly over your cabin, get a look at what’s going on there, and then I’m going to drop you off right before I attack. I’ll give you a more detailed plan soon.”

Tiono’s fear notched higher, his voice coming out more of a whine. “Fly? In the sky?”

Chaz wasn’t used to dealing with submissive males. The packs he’d visited in the past tended to keep them hidden away during his and Fray’s visits. He was starting to understand why. Just the idea of what a GarLycan could do seemed to be freaking out the male.

“I won’t drop you. Think of your younglings to find courage.” Chaz rolled his bare shoulders and took a deep breath. His skin had healed from releasing the last time too fast, so there wasn’t any pain when the flaps opened to allow his wings to ease out.

Another whine came from Tiono.

“I’m not your enemy,” Chaz reminded him. “I’m here to save your younglings. Again, focus on them.”

Once his wings were fully freed, Chaz approached the trembling Lycan. “Turn around and seal your lips. I won’t drop you,” he reiterated. He hardened his skin more as he wrapped his arms around the shorter male. He got a firm grip on Tiono.

“Not a sound,” Chaz warned. “I need you to direct me to your cabin. Do that by pointing. We’re going up now.” He leaped, furiously flapping his wings. They lifted off the ground and shot into the night.

The Lycan in his arms gasped but didn’t scream. Tiono grabbed hold of Chaz’s arm around his chest with both hands. It was apparent that he was terrified. Chaz flew over the treetops. It was thankfully a cloudy sky that blocked most of the moon. It would help hide their approach.

“Show me where you live,” Chaz ordered, keeping his voice soft by the male’s ear.

Tiono seemed to shake himself from his terror long enough to release one of Chaz’s arms, and he started to point, guiding their direction.

“Rig―”

“Shush. Just point.”

The Lycan went silent but continued to point. It only took maybe thirty seconds before Chaz glimpsed lights below. Two cabins could be seen. Tiono was indicating it was the one closest. The homes had been built far enough apart to give privacy, maybe two acres separating them. Chaz could make out the garden he’d heard about where food was grown for the Lycans. That area was mostly cleared of trees. The few there were probably for growing fruit since he picked up the scent of apples and oranges.

Chaz rose higher, using his wings to make them hover. He narrowed his eyes, taking in the cabin from almost directly above. Three males and one female were patrolling around the exterior of the cabin. Another two males were standing on the porch, seemingly in conversation. That left two more of Noah’s Lycans unaccounted for. Chaz didn’t like the idea of them inside the home so close to the younglings.

Regret hit that he hadn’t called Fray for backup. He just hadn’t wanted to interrupt his twin’s bonding time with Lenore. It was important for Gargoyles to spend as much time with a new mate as possible to strengthen their emotional connection.

Chaz turned in the air, gliding to the ground. He landed far enough away that the sound of his boots hitting the dirt wouldn’t be heard. A light wind rustling the trees helped muffle the sound.

Chaz leaned in, putting his mouth close to Tiono’s ear. “You stay hidden until I take out the four outside. Watch from behind a tree so they don’t spot you but you can still see the cabin. Sneak in the back once I draw all of them outside to the front of your home. Grab your pups and run to the car. Understood?”

Tiono nodded.

Chaz released him, backing up. He shot high into the sky, circled the area to give Tiono time to creep closer to the cabin, and then Chaz dove. Two of the males guarding the exterior of the cabin had stopped, softly chatting together. They didn’t see him coming.

Chaz hit them both, grabbing each with his arms and twisting in the air. His boots hit the ground, and he gave the shocked Lycan males a crushing hug. He could hear some of their bones breaking from his strength. Then, he threw them on the ground.

He kicked both in the head to knock them out as he advanced toward the cabin. The other two Lycans guarding the exterior of the cabin came running around it from both sides. They snarled as soon as they spotted him.

Chaz went for the female first, hoping the male would freeze his attack to avoid hurting her. Then again, he didn’t have much faith it would go down that way. The entire pack seemed messed up, so their possible lack of normal instincts might not work in his favor.

The female looked like an enforcer with her tall, muscled body. Her claws slid out, and she attacked as Chaz rushed at her. She went for his belly and throat with each hand. His skin was shelled too hard for her to tear open.

Chaz grabbed her, spun her in his arms, and pulled her against his chest. He was careful not to crush her bones as he pinned her there. The male yelled out a warning to the other Lycans inside the cabin, but he didn’t flee. He shifted out of his skin, his wolf form leaping at Chaz’s wings.

The shifted male hit them, and Chaz spun, slinging the Lycan into the side of the cabin wall. The attacker hit so hard that he bounced off. Chaz kicked out, slamming his boot into the male’s head. It wasn’t enough to kill, but it did cause a lot of damage. The Lycan was knocked out cold.

Chaz stormed toward the front of the cabin. The female in his arms struggled to break free, ineffectively slashing at him with her claws, and tried to use the back of her head to slam against his chin. All that did was make her grunt in pain. He rounded the home and found three males on the porch.

One was a beefy blond who fit the description he’d been given of Noah. The male snarled, his gaze darting from Chaz to the female he held. It became clear in an instant from Noah’s panicked expression that she meant something to him. Chaz surmised that it was possible she could be his mate.

“Who the fuck are you? Let Maza go,” Noah demanded.

Chaz stopped at the bottom of the porch steps, letting his wings expand outward. It was always good to show the enemy what they were facing. “I’m certain you know exactly who I am. I told your pack to leave the human alone. The mated pair you sent are dead,” Chaz lied. “They couldn’t handle being tortured and gave you up, Noah.”

The ex-lead enforcer paled. “Fight me. Let my sister go.”

Chaz coldly smiled at him. “I could kill her just by tightening my hold. It would be a terrible way to die if I crushed her chest until her lungs popped. You’ll do as I say if you want her to live. I want you and every other adult in that home to come outside right now. I better see you all. You should have learned from this morning’s meeting that I’m not someone to fuck with.”

“We’ll kill the pups,” Noah threatened.

Chaz cocked his head. “Do you want this female to survive? I didn’t see you earlier in the warehouse, but I’m sure you’ve heard the details of what went down. I don’t like to kill females, but I will. I let the other one survive even though she attacked me. I want you and all yours outside now. I’ve been watching from above for a bit and know there are eight of you. No one has died yet. That can quickly change if you refuse to do as I say.”

“This is none of your concern, GarLycan.” Noah postured, trying to appear tough.

“You made it my business when you sent two of your kind after the human under my protection. Now, where is the remaining missing packmate you came here with?” Chaz adjusted his hold on the female, purposely making her whimper in pain. He didn’t feel an ounce of remorse or pity for her. They were using younglings as leverage to force submissive Lycans to do their dirty work.

“Lance, get out here,” Noah demanded.

Another Lycan male exited the house. Chaz backed up. “Come down here where I can see you all. We’re going to have a talk about what’s acceptable and what isn’t. Keith obviously never taught any of you integrity, a sense of responsibility to protect your weaker packmates, or how fucking pathetic it is to use children in any way.”

The four on the porch slowly came down the steps. It almost amused Chaz how they fanned out in a way that indicated they planned to attack him. He closely studied their faces, only recognizing one from the warehouse. It had been a male who’d placed his back to the wall, refusing to fight for Keith.

“Were you born without a sense of pride in being a Lycan, or did your now-dead alpha teach you that?”

None of them answered Chaz’s question. He didn’t really give a damn why they were so messed up. It was a stall tactic to give Tiono time to safely get to the younglings. He raised his voice and shuffled his boots on the ground to make noise. He stretched and flexed his wings to keep the bad Lycans distracted.

“I’m asking because, as my brother would say, it takes a special kind of fucked up to do what you’ve done.” Chaz glared at Noah. “You should’ve just challenged Corlin if you want to become the new alpha. From what I heard, though, you’re afraid to take on him and his two sisters. It proves you’d make a shit leader if this is your idea of how to treat your own packmates and be an example to them.”

“You need to release my sister and leave our territory. This is none of your business,” Noah snarled.

“You already said that, and I explained this to you. You made it mine when you went after the human. Is something wrong with your hearing, or are you being purposely obtuse? I was still at her home when that mated couple came after her. You might be stupid, but I’m not. I wasn’t going to trust that she’d be safe if left alone just because I told everyone in your pack to do so.”

“Kill him,” the female Chaz held snarled. “We outnumber him!”

“Shut up,” he warned next to her ear. Chaz addressed Noah next. “Your sister sure seems willing to fight at your side. Why in the hell didn’t you challenge Corlin and bring this one along? She’s an enforcer, too, isn’t she?”

“She’s pregnant,” one of the males harshly demanded. “Release Maza now.”

Chaz instantly adjusted his hold on the female and buried his nose against her throat. He inhaled deeply, ignoring the growling coming from one of the males. The scent was faint but there. Rage poured through him as he snapped his head up and glared at Noah.

“You brought your pregnant sister into this mess? That alone is a death offense.”

“Release my mate,” the dark-haired Lycan demanded. It was the same one who’d informed him of her condition.

The situation had changed. As much as he didn’t like what they’d done, Chaz refused to kill a pregnant female. She might not survive if her mate died. He knew how some mates stopped living after that kind of loss. His own father had nearly died when his mom had been killed. The group in front of him didn’t have any morals, but he did. His gaze locked with the male’s.

“I’m going to give you one chance to survive. One,” he emphasized. “Choose between your mate and unborn child or that unfit-to-lead asshole who stands beside you. Take her and leave. You go straight home and focus on putting your family first. Otherwise, you will die here. What’s more important?”

“Don’t you move,” Noah snarled.

The male edged away from Noah. “Please release my mate. We’ll go and not get involved anymore.”

Chaz lowered the female to her feet, opened his arms, and gently shoved the female at her mate. “Take her and go now. Don’t make the mistake of thinking I won’t kill you if you’re lying. I will.”

She stumbled forward and tried to turn, probably to attack Chaz. Her mate rushed forward, grabbed her, and lifted her into his arms. He turned, running away.

Noah moved to go after them, but Chaz was faster. He blocked the asshole, giving him another cold smile.

“No. We’re not done here. I have zero respect for someone who’d do what you’ve attempted. That mated couple you sent after the human grew food for your pack. You came into their home, threatened their young with death, and sent them to kill an innocent human.” Chaz paused. “All because you’re a coward. You’re going to die for that.”

Chaz heard footsteps coming up behind him. He knew it was one of the guards from the back of the house who’d awoken and tried to sneak up on him. The stupidity of some of the Folsom pack members had him shaking his head. He didn’t even look back at the male.

The attacker jumped on one of his wings, claws trying to tear through it. Chaz just smirked at Noah as he flapped them, flinging that male away. He hit the ground with a grunt. Chaz was in motion as soon as Noah and his remaining two packmates leaped forward. They didn’t even have the decency to fight him one-on-one.

Chaz knew the younglings were safe. Tiono had plenty of time to get them out of the cabin and be far enough away that they wouldn’t hear what was about to happen. The time for just knocking the Lycans out was over. All remaining six of them were going to die.

* * * * *

Shoni used her fork to play with the apple pie slice. The half she’d eaten had been delicious, but she’d only ordered it to waste time. She’d already had a burger with fries. Her gaze darted to the clock on the wall near the kitchen of the diner. Chaz had been gone for over an hour and a half. It had felt like longer with the company she kept.

She sat at a table with a real-life Werewolf across from her. They hadn’t spoken except to place their food orders with the friendly waitress. Shoni didn’t know what to say, and her companion seemed equally at a loss.

Lycan , Shoni mentally corrected herself. That’s what Chaz calls them. Part of her was terrified Nama would suddenly attack her, but mostly, it was just uncomfortable. The other woman looked normal enough to be human. Nothing screamed dangerous or that she could turn into a shapeshifted animal.

Since she was full and couldn’t eat another bite, Shoni finally decided to risk conversation. The other woman had barely touched her food, and Shoni figured it was because she must be worried about her husband and kids. “Chaz will do anything to rescue your children.”

Nama lifted her gaze, staring at her. Her eyes were a deep brown. Again, they appeared totally human and normal. Shoni never would have guessed there was anything different about her if they’d met on the street.

“You don’t know that.”

“I do.” Shoni glanced around. Almost a dozen people were in the diner, including the three people working there. No other customers were close to them. Chaz had wanted them to sit near the back by the kitchen and far from the front windows and entryway. It would make them less visible to anyone driving by. That also meant no one could overhear their conversation.

“You probably don’t see him as a good guy because Chaz had to kill your alpha. He did it to protect a lot of people. Did you know your alpha threatened to go to war with another pack? That’s why Chaz was having a meeting with him. To stop it from happening. War is never good, and people die.”

“I don’t hold it against the GarLycan that he took out our alpha. He wasn’t a good leader to ones like me.”

“Women?”

“Bottom feeders in the pack.”

Shoni didn’t like hearing that. “What exactly does that mean? What is your definition of bottom feeders?”

“Those considered the weakest in the pack are called bottom feeders.” Nama paused. “The rest of my pack looks down on us and assigns us jobs they are too good to do. I never wanted to tend to the gardens or deliver what we grow to others in our pack. Yet that’s my job. It’s all I’m good for now that I’m mated with pups. That’s better than when I was unmated, though. Much better.”

“What did you do before that?”

“I had to cook, clean, do laundry, and do many other tedious chores for all the higher-ranking members of my pack. They worked us unmated females from dawn until late at night. The males hit us if we didn’t work fast enough or they were having a bad day.” Nama paused, her gaze lowering to the table. “Some of us are occasionally killed. No one cares because bottom feeders only exist to serve the pack.”

“That sounds terrible. I’m sorry you were treated that way.”

Nama looked up then, holding Shoni’s gaze. “Were? We are still bottom feeders and always will be. That’s why I’m having a hard time believing the GarLycan cares what happens to my pups.”

“I was there when he…” Shoni glanced around again. “Well, I was there when he had to negotiate with your alpha to avoid that war. He could have killed everyone in that warehouse, but he didn’t. Chaz only killed the ones who attacked him. He warned them all about what would happen first. He’s a good guy.”

“I was glad to hear that Alpha Keith died. It wasn’t right that he refused to take a mate and was forcing females to breed his pups. They weren’t even allowed to stay beyond the births to get to know their offspring. I can’t imagine life without mine.” Tears welled in her eyes.

Shoni wanted to comfort Nama. “Chaz will do everything in his power to get your kids safely back to you.”

“Your faith in the GarLycan is misplaced. They are more powerful than even an alpha. My pups do not concern him. He only wants revenge because we were sent to kill you. It’s his right to seek vengeance since you are under his protection. His pride demands he punish the ones who want you dead.”

That upset Shoni enough to get mad. “You’re wrong. Chaz could have told you it was your problem to solve and not gotten involved. Yet here we are, waiting for them to return with your kids. I’m sure this Noah guy has made him mad because of what he’s done. It’s a total dick move to hold children hostage to force the parents into killing someone. But I have gotten to know Chaz well enough to say he’s going to do his best to save your kids.”

Nama’s mouth twisted into a frown. She didn’t look convinced. “He’s a GarLycan. I’ve heard how cold and unfeeling they are my entire life.”

“I get that we have been raised differently since… you know. You’re you, and I’m me.” Shoni made sure once again that no one could hear them. “I grew up thinking your kind would turn into mindless killing monsters on a full moon and that you don’t even really exist. See my point? You look real enough to me, and it was broad daylight outside when I was taken to that warehouse. Yet I saw what I did. Some of those people changed body types with it not being a full moon. We learn something new every day. All I thought I knew was wrong. You’re just a worried mom and wife. Tonight, you’re going to learn that GarLycans are amazing, and they rescue kids.”

Amusement sparked in Nama’s eyes. “Body types?”

“This is all new to me. I don’t want to accidentally offend you. I’m in awe of your existence, but honestly, I don’t know much about your people.”

Nama smiled. “You’re doing well. I expected a human to piss themselves and try to run away if they knew what I was.”

“I think I may have peed a little in that warehouse, but I was in shock and terrified of dying. Plus, there was so much violence and blood.” She took another sip of her drink. “And let’s not forget the detached body parts flying around.”

“We were told the GarLycan would have your memories altered.”

“Chaz is still going to do that. We have to wait for someone to get here.”

“Why aren’t you running away and trying to hide? I would if I knew someone planned to screw with my mind. Aren’t you angry? Don’t you feel betrayed that a male you obviously admire is willing to take your memories away from you?”

Shoni glanced around again to make sure they couldn’t be overheard. “I understand why it needs to be done. Chaz explained how dangerous it would be for me if I remembered everything. He’s doing it to protect me.”

“Your eyes soften, and so does your voice when you speak of him.” Nama’s nostrils flared. “His scent is on you, too. He’s bedded you. I think you wouldn’t want to forget the GarLycan. Judging by how vigorously you defend him, you have deep feelings for him.”

Shoni folded her hands on the table in front of her. She hated that it was so apparent to a stranger. “That does suck, but it’s not like we’d work out in the long run, anyway. You’ve seen Chaz. Do I look like his type?”

Nama glanced down at her upper body before meeting her gaze again. “Unmated males tend to bed available females. Even alphas will mount the weakest members of their pack if they’re horny. I’m proof of that. Alpha Keith bedded me a few times before I was mated. It’s probably best that you do forget everything if you have feelings for the GarLycan. He’ll never mate a human.”

That depressed Shoni, having someone confirm what she’d been thinking. “Chaz is a heart-breaker for sure. I won’t mourn what I lost if I believe I never had it in the first place. Having my memories removed will do that.”

“It will be best for you that way,” Nama agreed. “I wish I could forget certain things, but my mind isn’t like a human’s. I’d quickly remember everything a Vampire tried to remove or change in my mind. I felt certain feelings for a few males who mounted me when I was younger. I didn’t matter to them. Males only mate to females who are as strong as them and are considered worthy. Tiono and I mated because no one else would have us.”

That was even more depressing to hear. Shoni’s emotions must have shown on her face.

“I love Tiono now. We’ve bonded strongly since our mating.”

Shoni saw movement heading their way. “Incoming.”

The waitress came up to their table with a smile. “Are you ready for your check?”

Shoni reached into her purse and slid a twenty-dollar bill to the waitress. “Here’s an extra tip for us taking up this table. We’re waiting for someone to pick us up. You can bring the check, though. We shouldn’t be here much longer.”

The waitress nodded, pocketing the cash, and headed toward the front register. Minutes later, Shoni paid for their food and gave the waitress an additional tip on the bill amount. They were left alone again.

“Do you think things went wrong?” Nama looked worried as she stared toward the front door. “It’s been too long.”

“I know that Chaz will do everything he can to bring your husband and kids back safe.” Shoni had faith.

“I hope you are—”

Chaz entered the diner, holding the front door open. He gave a forced smile and motioned for them to come to him. Nama almost jumped out of her seat and quickly walked toward him. Shoni grabbed her purse, remembered to call out a thank you to the waitress, and hurried to him.

“Thank you,” Nama almost sobbed at Chaz before outright running toward the parking lot.

It made Shoni breathe easier. She looked at Chaz’s face, hating to see his dark sunglasses covering his eyes. “All went well?”

“Yes.” He took her arm, leading her toward the parking lot. “I’ve asked Tiono to leave for a bit with his family.”

“You did?”

He nodded. “It will be safer for them to be away from here while the leadership of their pack is still unsettled. I don’t want any of them being blamed because of the ones I had to kill tonight. Tiono packed some clothing for his family before we left his home. I gave him a spare cash card I keep for emergencies with five grand on it. They can blend with humans in a large city by playing tourists. Corlin should be able to defeat any challengers within a week, and he shouldn’t punish them for what I did. Noah and his followers were no friends of his. Corlin will probably be relieved he’s got a few less threats to deal with.”

Shoni saw Nama hugging her husband. He cradled a toddler and a small infant in his arms. The kids looked unharmed. Pride filled her over Chaz’s actions. He really was a hero.

Her mood instantly sobered, though, realizing he’d had to kill more people. His world was very different from hers. She wasn’t feeling judgmental.

Shoni had zero sympathy for anyone who’d send someone to kill her by threatening the lives of the cute little ones she was watching Nama kiss and love on. Chaz killed bad guys who had no problem murdering innocent people. She was good with that.