Chapter 29
“Kin I git up now, Your Majesty?” Angus asked, trying not to snap at his king but having a difficult time controlling his emotions. The last thing he remembered—well, the last thing before he woke up—was the pain of being gutted by some wolf.
“Yes, Angus, go ahead and let me know if you feel any dizziness,” Ian said.
Angus looked at the four faces around him until he found Colton’s.
“I canna thank ye enough for saving mae life.” Then sitting up, he shook his head several times before getting to his feet.
Looking at his stomach and seeing nothing except his rock-hard abs, with no indication of what had been done to him, he turned to Colton.
“The Fates blessed us when they picked ye to be our king’s mate. ”
“I felt the same way when I found him,” Ian said, smiling.
“Angus,” said Logan, “your men are all right and have captured Michael’s men. The next question is what are we going to do with them?”
“Ay, let’s go see who they are afore we kill ‘em,” Angus answered, striding off into the night toward the ring of fire.
~/~/~/~/~
Slate grasped Dakota’s hand and said, “C’mon babe, the fight’s over. Let’s go see what Ian wants to do next.”
The howls and snarls had faded and all Dakota could see now were the dying flames Logan’s dragon had encircled the battlefield with dancing in the wind. “I hope everyone’s safe,” he said as they headed for a group of Scottish warriors.
“Me, too,” said Slate. Skirting the flames, they saw Ian congratulating his clan for their victory, after which he and Colton walked among them treating injuries. Logan and Kieran were standing off to one side, talking very quietly. Joining them, Slate asked, “Where are Zane and David?”
“We were just discussing that. It seems they have done a runner,” Logan replied.
“You mean they’re gone again?” asked Dakota.
“Yup and I swear when I find them I’m definitely putting a tracker on both of them,” Logan said. “Enough of this shit.”
Angus walked over to the group. “The leader isn’t here,” he announced. “One of mah men said he saw him bolt into the woods after yer brother nearly ripped out his guts.”
“Fuck! Which way did he go?” asked Logan.
Angus pointed to the place where Michael and his men had emerged from the woods. “I’m sure thare wull be a blood trail. Dae you want me and a couple o’ mah men to track him down?”
“No, stay here and protect Ian,” Logan said, “we’ll go and take care of the fucker once and for all. Who’s coming with me and Kieran?”
~/~/~/~/~
Zane’s wolf picked his way through the forest, following the blood trail Michael left but it wasn’t the only scent he picked up.
Another wolf had followed their target and Zane figured it was one of Michael’s men, making him wonder if there’d be two wolves to fight instead of just a badly injured one.
He paused often, listening to make sure no one was following before resuming his hunt.
As he proceeded, the sun peeked over the horizon causing the deep shadows in the forest to lighten.
He moved carefully, avoiding low hanging branches, keeping David safe on his back as he padded forward.
Glancing down, he saw larger drops of blood which told him Michael hadn’t shifted which meant his injuries were too severe.
Following the fresh scent, it became apparent to Zane that Michael was disorientated; sometimes he’d veer off in different directions before finding the way back to his original path.
At those times, Zane picked up the scent of the other wolf who was walking a parallel path to Michael’s.
After checking out the other wolf’s path, he moved back to the one which would lead to his mate’s enemy.
Sniffing the air, David knew they were very near to his nemesis; he pulled the neck fur on his mate’s wolf to warn him. Leaning down, he whispered, “Stop. Michael is just beyond those bushes ahead.”
Lifting his snout in the air, Zane’s nose twitched as he confirmed what David told him.
Slowly backing up about 20 yards, Zane then soundlessly circled around Michael’s location, checking to see if anyone was with him, but all he found was the trail of the strange wolf moving away from them.
Now, sure that Michael was alone, Zane swung back to the start of his circle and lowered himself, allowing his mate to dismount.
David watched as Zane crept warily forward, finally disappearing into the bushes behind which Michael would be.
He waited, shivering, as worry filled his heart.
Zane might be confident that he could destroy David’s tormentor, but his mate didn’t know what he was up against. But he did—and he could feel another panic attack coming on.
Suddenly, the cracking sounds of someone shifting startled him.
“It’s all right, babe,” Zane called to him. “Come see this.”
~/~/~/~/~
Logan picked up Zane’s scent as soon as he got to the spot where Michael had entered the woods. “Fuckingbedammed! Zane went after him by himself!”
“Macushla, David went with Zane,” Kieran said.
Dakota sniffed. “Yup, I agree with Kieran. They’re together.”
“Well as least we found them,” Slate said.
“Let’s hope that’s true,” sighed Logan, before taking command.
“Okay, spread out. Keep about ten yards away from each other but always in sight of someone. I have no idea what this dude will try if he thinks he’s cornered.
” Turning to Kieran, he said, “I think Slate and I should be on the outside of Dakota and you. Is that all right?”
Kieran looked at Dakota and, after getting a small nod, he said, “Perfecto, macushla.”
Entering the forest, Logan found it easy to follow his brother’s scent allowing him to speed up.
His anger at Zane’s reckless act grew and only the fact that all the marauding wolves had been captured mitigated it somewhat.
But he was going to make sure his brother understood it was the last time he’d get away with a stunt like this and he knew Jackson would back him up.
Now scenting Zane very close by, Logan also heard sounds of crying.
Raising his hand to signal stop, he parted the bushes and walked forward, trying to make sense of what he saw.
His brother sat on a stump, holding his crying mate.
The body of a man with his throat ripped out lay at their feet.
“What the fuck happened? Are you and David okay?” he asked Zane.
Kieran rushed to Logan, followed by Dakota and Slate, all gazing at the dead body on the ground. Then stepping around it, Kieran approached Zane and, laying his hand on David’s back, asked, “Is he okay?”
“Yeah…well, no…not really,” Zane replied. “I’m not sure what happened but when David saw Michael had already been killed by someone, he broke down.”
“May I?” Kieran asked.
Zane nodded. Anything Ki could do to help David, he was all for.
“David? It’s me, Kieran. Are you upset because Michael is dead?”
David shook his head. “No, I’m glad he is dead, I think.”
“Is this the man who attacked you at Brian’s cottage?”
David nodded, his hands wiping away his tears. “He wanted to kill Zane and I didn’t know what to do, so we disappeared.”
Kieran kept his hand on David, sending love as he tried to sort out why David was unhappy about Michael’s death even though he claimed otherwise. Then it came to him. “David, do you feel guilty?”
Nodding, he looked at Kieran. “Y-y-y-essss…I know he wasn’t a good person, but I didn’t want him to die…just to leave me and Zane alone.”
“Sweetie, his death isn’t your fault. If he hurt you, I’m sure he hurt a lot of others, and whoever did this to him wasn’t as forgiving as you are.”
“Babe, is that what’s upsetting you?” asked Zane.
Nodding again, David pressed his face against his mate’s neck, mumbling, “I was so worried when you were fighting, I wished Michael would die so you’d be safe.”
Zane held his mate close to him, then asked, “David, remember what I told you about how I felt when my father was killed?”
“Y-y-y-esss,” David said, his voice breaking.
“That’s what’s happening to you right now.
You feel guilty because you wished he was dead.
Trust me, we all feel guilty sometimes, for a lot of reasons, some of which are valid.
But just because you wish for something, doesn’t make you a bad person if your wish comes true.
It was a coincidence, just like it was when my father was killed.
Whoever killed Michael has to deal with the consequences of his actions, not you,” Zane said, still caressing his mate’s back.
“Why don’t we head back and make sure everyone is okay? ”
“What are you going to do with Michael’s body? We should bury him,” David said, his voice still unsteady.
As far as Zane was concerned, the asshole could rot for all he cared, but he knew his mate would not agree so, looking at Logan, he asked, “Do you think Angus could send a couple of men to bury Michael?”
“I’m pretty sure he’ll agree, especially if Colton asks him,” Logan smiled.
“Why? Did Colton save him?” asked Zane.
“Yup. Shall we go?”
“Babe, are you ready to go back now?” asked Zane.
Drying his tears, David nodded. Getting up, he kept hold of his mate’s hand and, looking at Kieran said shyly, “Thank you again...for your help.”
“Anytime,” Kieran said, taking Logan’s hand. “C’mon macushla, lead the way.”
~/~/~/~/~
Tyson’s wolf headed to the location on the map Brenda sent him, eager to leave Scotland and return to warm and sunny Tuscany.
All his worrying about how to get Michael alone was for naught; he silently thanked the unknown assailant who’d wounded the prick, making his job that much easier.
And when Michael found out who Tyson really was, well, as far as he was concerned, it made the killing all the sweeter.
Now he finally understood why Brenda wanted him to keep his identity a secret, which wasn’t hard to do since neither looked like the other having had different fathers—two assholes who left their mother with no means of support forcing her into the only job available to a woman with no education or skills.
Growing up in a whorehouse, he and his sister became very close; they were forced to spend every night together while their mother was ‘entertaining’ customers.
While other children shunned them because of their mother’s line of work, he and Brenda hung out with the kids of other whores and picked up new skills.
By the age of nine, he was an expert pickpocket with plenty of tourists to prey on; Brenda made money giving them blowjobs.
When their mother died, Brenda went to work in the whorehouse to make sure he’d never have to live on the streets like lots of other kids he knew.
And for that, anything Brenda asked him to do, he would do.
Of course, Brenda’s promise to give him Michael’s share if he wasted him, was the icing on the cake.
~/~/~/~/~
After Logan and the rest emerged from the forest, they joined Ian, Colton and Angus, who were discussing the captives.
“I vote tae kill them. Thay attacked us wi’oot any reason ‘n’ they nearly killed me,” Angus spat.
Colton looked at Ian, knowing that solution went against everything his mate had devoted his whole life to; nevertheless, as king of the Scottish Wolves, those beliefs might have to be set aside.
He could see Ian’s uneasiness at the thought of taking a life.
His gaze shifted to Slate, silently pleading for help.
Responding, Slate said, “My concern is the other crimes these shifters have committed against other shifters. Killing them won’t give their other victims a chance of seeing justice done.”
“Ay, guid point,” Angus agreed, looking at Slate. “So, gimme yer solution ‘cause I know ye have one.”
Grinning, Slate said, “Our Alpha will file a complaint with the High Council against these men for attacking two Blackwood Pack members. My men can be here in a few hours, taking custody of them and transporting them to High Council headquarters where they’ll be placed under arrest. Then their other victims would be notified of the arrest and asked if they would like to file a formal complaint.
Trust me, none of these men will see freedom for a long time. ”
“Would that be acceptable to you, Angus?” asked Logan.
“Ay, if King Ian orders it,” Angus replied.
“Consider it an order, Angus,” Ian said, smiling.
“I have a favor to ask,” Logan said, “we found the body of the leader of these men in the woods and David would like him buried…”
“Ay, my men kin handle that,” Angus said, then looking at Zane, added, “Was it ye who killed him after ye pulled him off me?”
“No,” answered Zane. “I think the wound I inflicted would’ve killed him eventually, but someone ripped out his throat before David and I found him.”
Nodding, Angus said, “Ye saved my life when ye attacked him.”
Grinning, Zane said, “No, Colton did, I just got you there in time for him to do it.”
Slapping Zane on the back, Angus said, “Tis nae how I see it, bit I’ll let it go fur now. Bit anytime ye need somethin’, ye come tae me.”
“Okay, how about breakfast? After all that fighting, I’m starved,” Zane said.
David shoved an elbow into his mate’s side. “Hey what about me? I’m hungry too.”
Roaring with laughter, Angus said, “C’mon, everybody, let’s see how many o' ye kin eat a full Scots Wolf breakfast.” After giving his men orders not to kill the prisoners, Angus led everyone back to his house, excited that his king would be seated at his table.