Chapter 28
Kieran sat on Logan’s dragon, waiting for the signal to take flight while Ian and Colton stood in the shadows of the trees.
After taking care of the wolves advancing from the south, Kieran urged Logan to fly faster so they’d arrive before the other group.
Setting down in the middle of the Scottish Wolf village, Ian slid off first, taking charge, assigning Slate and Dakota to protect the women and children, then ordering the attack according to the plan Angus had laid out.
With everyone in place, Kieran caressed his dragon’s neck. Macushla, can you see what’s happening?
Stretching his head, Logan saw David heading toward the boulders.
Yeah…time to go! Hang on! Unfolding his wings, he began to flap them slowly, then more quickly, finally lifting off and soaring into the night sky.
Circling the battlefield, he spied his targets and began to dive. Hang on, babe, here we go!
As Michael’s wolf rounded the boulder David had ducked behind, he was challenged by a huge, white wolf at the head of a band of kneeling men in kilts, brandishing broadswords.
Counting on the wolves behind him to take care of the men who hadn’t shifted, Michael’s wolf charged at the white wolf, knowing instinctively he was David’s mate.
Baring his teeth, Michael leapt into the air, landing on…
nothing. Scrambling upright, snarling as he looked around for his prey, he saw only his wolves attacking the sword-wielding men.
Michael dove into the fray, biting an arm with an upraised sword.
Suddenly, the air was knocked from his lungs as a wolf landed on his back, pushing him to the ground, sinking its teeth into his neck.
Twisting to free himself, he glimpsed the white wolf on his back.
Rolling over, Michael freed himself, springing to his paws, ready to attack but the white wolf was gone again.
Anger filled Michael as he realized he was being toyed with. Turning, he spied a big, red-headed man shouting as his broadsword pierced the heart of one of his wolves. Howling in fury, Michael’s wolf attacked the kilted man, his claws slicing through his chest.
Zane watched in horror as Michael’s wolf pinned Angus, injuring him badly.
Leaping from the top of the boulder and landing alongside Michael, Zane dug his claws into Michael’s side, raking them across his belly.
Blood spurted over him, staining his white fur red as Michael’s wolf howled in pain.
Zane retracted his claws letting Michael fall to the ground, then shifting, he lifted Angus, sprinting across the battlefield with him, dodging men, swords and wolves.
Reaching the edge of the woods, Zane placed Angus on the ground in front of Ian and Colton.
“Help him!” he shouted before shifting and running back to the fight.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone running away but ignored it as he entered the battle once more, taking down another wolf before tackling the next.
Kieran saw Angus’ men finally get the upper hand as they now out-numbered the wolves. Macushla, now!
Circling the battlefield, Logan roared, laying down a ring of fire to prevent the wolves from escaping. Swooping lower on another pass, he intensified the flames, making them higher.
Perfecto macushla! Oh look, the wolves are shifting and surrendering.
Looking down, Logan spied Zane’s red-spotted white fur, hoping his brother was okay. As Angus’s men surrounded Michael’s men, pushing them into a tight circle with their broadswords, Logan saw his brother shift and was relieved to see he wasn’t wounded.
Macushla, quick! Back to Ian! Angus is dying!
Following his mate’s order, Logan landed near Ian and Colton, shifting as soon as Kieran jumped off. Hurrying over to where Angus lay on the ground—pale and still—Logan was sure they’d lost him. Then he saw his brother reach out his fingers and touch Angus’ chest.
Colton held his breath, calling on Archangel Raphael to help him. Feeling the power surging through him, it exited through his fingertips into Angus’ body. A blinding green light flash filled the air. Removing his fingers, Colton waited.
~/~/~/~/~
Michael pushed against his stomach, trying to stem the flow of blood as he stumbled through the woods, searching for his backpack, needing his phone to call for help.
Each step he took became harder than the last; he was growing weaker and weaker.
He needed to shift, but the pain was too much for his body, making it impossible even though he knew it might help him.
The only thing keeping him going was his anger at walking into a trap; he tried to concentrate on how it happened, hoping it would keep his pain at bay.
As the sounds of the battle faded, he inched along, forced to stop often to gain enough strength to put one foot in front of the other.
Refusing to quit, he concentrated on a new plan for capturing David.
Thinking back to his fight with the white wolf, Michael groaned when he realized it was David’s mate he attacked.
Dammit, that motherfucker has the same ability to vanish and reappear whenever and wherever. But I have a way to handle that.
Cursing his slow progress, Michael pushed himself harder, though blood was still dripping from his gut, eager to put his scheme into action.
First, though, he had to find out more about David’s mate—he now had an alternate, someone who’d be just as useful as David.
Finally seeing his backpack, Michael reached up to grab it but a sharp pain forced him to drop his outstretched arm and tuck it tight against his body.
Panting due to the pain and effort he’d exerted, Michael fell to his knees, trying to catch his breath and quiet his body.
After resting a few moments, he looked up, wondering what ever made him put the fucking backpack up so high.
Shaking his head at his stupidity, his eyes searched for a stick, long and strong enough to hook the bag off the branch.
Finally, seeing one, he grabbed hold of the tree trunk to pull himself up and then stumbled over to get it.
Before he made it there, a scent filled his nose, causing him to turn and peer into the forest. “Tyson,” he called. “Come here, I need your help.” Silence. Then a man stepped out of the shadows.
“You hurt?” Tyson asked, sniffing the coppery scent of blood.
Grateful that at least one of his men had escaped, Michael said, “Yeah…can you reach my backpack? I need my phone.”
Taking a careful step forward, Tyson asked, “Are you calling Brenda?”
Alarm bells sounded in Michael’s head when he heard the question, but he quickly rejected them, racking it up to his injury. “Of course, but first I need to call a doctor so he can treat my wound and help it close. Hand me my phone once you got my backpack down.”
“Why don’t you shift?” Tyson asked, stepping closer.
“Because I can’t, the wound’s too deep. What’s with the twenty questions, Tyson? I’m your boss. Do as I say. Now get me my fucking phone!”
Staring at his panting boss before retrieving the backpack, Tyson removed the phone, then dropping the backpack, walked up to Michael. Handing him the phone, he looked around, making sure they were alone. Satisfied, he moved behind Michael and put him in a headlock.
Grabbing Tyson’s arm, Michael feebly tugged at it but was too weak to break the hold. As the grip tightened around his neck, slowly cutting off his air supply, he rasped, “Why…why?”
“You fucking asshole! Hiring someone to kill Brenda! Guess what? She’s not dead! You know why? Because she’s smarter than you’ll ever be. She knew your greed was gonna drive you to kill her. Fucking stupid asshole! Did you ever think about the men she fucked at that whorehouse?”
Loosening his grip on Michael’s neck just enough to keep him from passing out until he’d finished, Tyson went on.
“Are you finally putting the pieces together, asshole? That’s right, one of her customers was the one you hired to kill her.
You dumbshit! While you were acting high and mighty, she was trading her services for information.
You know how I know this?” Tyson snarled.
“Because Brenda’s my fucking sister!” Tyson smirked, before ripping out Michael’s throat and throwing his lifeless body down. Then he picked up the phone and backpack and headed into the forest to call his sister and let her know the job was done.
~/~/~/~/~
Angus felt the power surge infuse his body, saw the green flash of light, and then felt his organs, muscles, and skin begin to heal while he lay on the ground. Scenting his king, the consort, Logan and Kieran surrounding him, Angus remained still, stunned at the power the consort had.
Colton watched Raphael’s power at work, smiling as he saw Angus’ mortal wounds heal, leaving thin pink lines. “Angus, how do you feel?” he asked.
“I’m feelin’ braw, what aboot you?” Angus exclaimed, trying to sit up, only to feel a hand pushing him down.
“Wait, Angus,” Ian said, “I have to check you over to make sure you’re really fine.”
Colton sat back on his heels, letting his mate examine Angus; he had no doubt the only thing Ian would discover was a very antsy man, eager to see what had happened to his men.
~/~/~/~/~
Zane looked around, looking for the wolf he’d sliced open but none of the men in front of him met that criterion, leading him to believe Michael had escaped.
But where did he go? Sniffing, he tried to find his trail but there were too many scents on the battlefield for him to single out the one he wanted.
As he stood there, sorting out the imagery of the fighting, he remembered the figure he saw leaving.
After making sure Michael’s men were guarded, Zane shifted, then trotted to the cottage where they’d stayed the night.
He had to make sure David was safe before tracking the missing wolf.
As he approached, the door was thrown open and David stood there waiting, with his arms wide.
Shifting quickly, Zane ran the rest of the way, right into his mate’s arms, grabbing David’s ass in both hands, lifting him up and walking inside.
Kicking the door closed, Zane smothered his mate with kisses as he ground his hard cock against David’s.
He relished his mate’s giggles when Zane’s tongue found David’s ticklish spots behind his ears and, wanting to hear more of those delightful musical sounds, Zane continued on his search, mentally recording each one for future reference.
Finally, when David begged him to stop, Zane pulled back his head, smiling at the flushed face staring at him.
“Did you get Michael?” David asked breathlessly.
It’d been hard to leave his mate but he’d done as Zane asked and had come back to the cottage, alternately pacing and looking out the window.
It was a useless action as the battle was far from him, but he couldn’t stop and it was worth it when he saw his mate racing toward him.
Now, surrounded by Zane’s scent, more powerful because of the adrenaline still pumping through his mate’s body, David wanted to be taken as warriors’ mates had been in times of old, when their tribes had been victorious in battle.
Panting as his cock leaked pre-cum, it took everything he had to ask about his enemy.
Pausing before answering David’s question, Zane’s face momentarily showed his frustration but he quickly schooled it and answered, “No babe, he escaped, but I saw where he went and before I follow him, I needed to make sure you were okay.” Gently setting David on the floor, Zane looked out the window then back to his mate.
“I better get going because I don’t want to lose the trail.
He won’t have gone far with the damage I did.
In the meantime, stay here until my brothers come for you.
” Kissing his mate one more time, Zane stepped back, cupping David’s chin, whispering, “I love you, tesoro mio.”
When David at last understood what his mate was going to do, his anger rose.
“Stop! If you go, I’m going also. This man has stalked and hunted me for the last time.
I did what you asked even though it nearly killed me to stay here while you were fighting.
Now I want to see justice done and the Four Gods have granted me the chance. ”
Stunned at David’s reaction, Zane realized he’d messed up again by ordering his mate to stay put.
Shaking his head, he closed his eyes, chastising himself for ignoring David’s feelings.
Zane opened his eyes, intent on making it right, saying, “You’re right babe…
and I’m sorry once again. I should have talked this over with you first instead of deciding for you. ”
Seeing his mate spoke the truth, David’s anger faded away.
“I accept your apology,” he said, “but I still have to go with you. I can help and, if Michael is hurt as bad as you say, then I won’t be in much danger.
I know you’re worried about my safety so I promise to obey you during our search for him.
Please, Zane, it will help me so much to see the man who has haunted my life…
to see him dead and unable to ever hurt me again. Please don’t take that away from me.”
Zane found it impossible to deny his mate.
Nodding in agreement, he said, “I’m going to shift, then climb on and I’ll head to the place I saw him enter the woods.
Try to pick up his scent since you know it better than I do and expect to smell blood.
My wolf sliced open his gut. Once we’re close to him, I want you to get off and stay behind me.
If Michael attacks, I want you to poof back here. Okay?”
“Yes, I promise!”
“I love you,” Zane said, shifting and lowering himself.
“I love you, too,” said David, as he climbed on.
Once he felt David’s arms around his neck, Zane headed toward the woods, his mate’s declaration of love ringing in his ears.