31. Caden
31
CADEN
As much as I’ve wanted to face my cousin from the minute I found Avery injured at the cottage, I wait a few days after he went for her before calling him out in front of the pack before a run. His arrogant swagger when I watch him around the packlands grates on me. My wolf views everything about him as an act of insubordination.
He won’t ever touch my mate again.
I’m knocking him down as low as he can get in the pack without me kicking his ass out in exile at the mercy of Wanderer’s Canyon or killing him.
No one messes with what’s mine.
The commons are festive tonight. The fire is going and the tables are laden with food. Avery and Beatrix are dancing to the fiddle players’ tune. I watch, drinking beer with Liam and Gabe.
Taryn and Callie sidle up to me. Taryn tries to goad Liam into giving her his beer. Callie has a poorly hidden smile. She elbows me, nodding to the female I haven’t taken my gaze off all evening.
The corner of my mouth lifts. “Are you talking to me again?”
“Well, you’re not an idiot with your head so far up your ass you can sniff your own balls anymore. I can’t believe you’ d be so stupid to reject your own fated mate.” She smacks my arm. “What’s wrong with you?”
Gabe snorts, covering it with a cough. Liam smirks, whispering to him. He chokes on a sip of beer and Ford jogs over from the other side of the clearing. My heart stirs with understanding, constantly moored to Avery no matter which direction she’s in.
I squeeze my nape, pushing off the stab to my gut. “You said it yourself, Cal. I was an idiot.”
“Good, I’m glad we cleared that up.”
She grins, tugging me to the dancers and Beatrix swaps seamlessly with me, holding my beer. I gladly pull Avery into my arms, basking in her beaming smile. Her joy is everything. I’ve missed it, a hole carved from my heart of my own making.
“Hi.”
I pull her against me, touching my nose to hers. “Hi. Ready for tonight?”
She pretends to mull it over. “That depends. Are you planning on repeating last month’s bonfire?” She squints at me. “Reject your mate? Still piss in a circle around her to mark your territory?”
I growl, gathering her in my embrace. “Fuck no. None of that. I’m going to shift with my beautiful, stubborn mate who has my entire heart, and we’re going to run with our pack.”
Her brilliant smile returns, lighting me up. I kiss her, grinning into it when our nearby packmates cheer. The song ends and I lead her back to our group at the edge of the bonfire, our fingers entwined.
“You’re also learning to hunt tonight,” I add.
“Am I?” Her brows jump. “I can hunt.”
“Tell that to your wolf. She’s too eager. Gives herself away with no strategy.” My face dips, mouth at her ear. “I’m going to teach you.”
She shivers, leaning into me. “I can’t read your mind. How are you going to teach me?”
“I can feel what you’re thinking,” I remind her in a smoky tone. “Our wolves communicate well. She’ll understand by watching my wolf.”
“You shouldn’t let him teach you,” Liam cuts in. “Callie and I are better at guiding the shifters that come of age to navigate it.”
I rumble. Avery pats my chest. When she gives him her attention, I wind an arm around her waist.
“I’m teaching her.”
She drives her elbow into my abs. “What if I want to hear Liam’s advice?”
“His advice is shit.”
Liam grins. “Yeah, that’s why you made it one of my duties. If you don’t like the alpha teaching you, come see me or Callie. You’ve got other packmates who have your back.”
“Like me,” Taryn chimes in. “Don’t listen to him either. I know the best hunting spots.”
Liam sighs. “Doubt it.”
“Try me.” She sticks her tongue out at him. “But for real, Avery. If you need pointers, let me know.”
“Great. Thanks,” Avery says.
“Not great,” I mutter.
She laughs and presses on tip toe to tuck her nose against the crook of my neck. “Relax. You get to teach me first.”
I crush her into my arms, quelling my mild irritation with her scent in my lungs. I have bigger problems to handle tonight than my beta baiting me into jealousy as a joke.
Beatrix hands me my beer and surveys the lively bonfire. “I can’t wait to join the runs as my own wolf. I’m going to be so fast, I know it.”
Avery chuckles at the sparkle in her sister’s eyes and strokes her hair affectionately. “You’ll be magnificent.”
“And we’ll run together.” Beatrix hugs Avery, then loops an arm around Lena to pull her in.
Callie joins in from behind Beatrix. “All of us. When you’re older, Lena.”
“What if I don’t have a wolf?” Lena points out .
Avery’s eyes shimmer. I put my hand on Lena’s back. Her health has seemed better in the last few weeks compared to when I first saw her the night I followed Avery back to the old settler’s cabin. She has color in her cheeks and her eyes are bright.
“Then we’ll get you a dirt bike or a quad. Something to make it easy for you to get around the mountain.”
“I get to drive? You’ll teach me?”
Lena lights up and the three sisters laugh. Avery shoots me a grateful look and traces the edge of the claiming mark I left on her.
“Can we paint dragons on it?” Lena claps, bouncing in place.
This pack never should’ve held so tightly to the old views that being Wolfless is a sign of weakness. I should’ve put an end to it long ago. Shifters are strong no matter what, and Lena’s strength is in the kindhearted peacefulness she exudes.
It’s almost time to start. I search the crowd, locking on Lorne holding his own court behind the picnic tables. My lip curls.
“I’m going after Lorne tonight,” I tell Avery. “Before the run begins.”
She pulls me away from the bonfire, lowering her voice. “Caden, just drop it. If you do this, it’ll make things worse. What if he comes after my sisters next?”
“I’d never let that happen,” I vow fiercely. “I protect what’s mine, and you are mine. That includes your family.”
She licks her lips, swaying into me. I want to whisk her out of here, toss her over my shoulder and take her back to the lodge. Spread her on my bed where she belongs, waking me at all hours as hungry as she was for me when I finally claimed her as mine.
I can’t believe I once thought I didn’t need a mate by my side. I was beyond wrong. My life was nothing without her in it.
“If I do nothing, he gets away with yet another liberty and he’s taken far too fucking many. He wants to challenge me for Alpha, but he’s a fucking snake about it.”
“What do you mean? If he wants to challenge you, he needs to face you. He can’t take the pack without beating you first. It’s the law.”
“He’s been undermining me. Swaying people to think he’s got better ideas to run the pack. That incident I left you to handle the other day? He’s behind it, and it isn’t the only one lately. He wants to ensure he’s got the pack fractured before he faces me. It’s one of the reasons I’ve made so many rules over the years trying to keep their scheming in check.”
“If you know they’re behind it, why not exile them?”
“They’re being smart about it. I can’t exile them without proof they’re doing all this to cause a revolt. They know it. I know it. They stick to getting under people’s skin to cause minor acts of defiance, just enough to make me feel the pressure of them clawing at my back. None of the people involved in these incidents give up their names. Until they make a move openly, I’d be viewed as too extreme, acting for my own gain instead of the good of the pack. It’s written into the accords to prevent alphas from becoming power-hungry like they were in the Original Pack.”
“That’s ridiculous. If you know they’re causing trouble and it’s putting the pack at risk, they need to answer for it,” she huffs.
“I look forward to the day I can put an end to it.” I exhale roughly, caressing her cheek with my knuckles. “But tonight, after I’ve announced our mating to the pack, he’ll know he’s gone too far. He fucked up by daring to touch you. I’ll strip his rank back to nothing for that.”
My wolf paces restlessly, ready to unleash his rage on my cousin.
Liam stands at attention when I nod. He herds the pack into order, gathering them for me. I kiss Avery, then stride to the front of the group. My gaze sweeps over them as they quiet. The majority show deference quickly. I don’t like how many take longer to do the same.
“Before tonight’s full moon run, there are two important matters to bring before the pack.” My booming announcement washes over the commons. “Avery.”
I hold my hand to her in invitation. She hesitates before joining me, taking her rightful place and slipping her fingers into my waiting palm. Several murmurs spread through the crowd. She wears my mating bite proudly, eroding any question that she’s mine.
“Avery Morgan is my mate. I claim her before you as mine.”
Reverence carries in my words. A fervent glow fills me from our bond, her happiness echoing with my own.
The pack breaks out in applause and happy cheers.
Tobin cups his hands around his mouth. “Congratulations, Alpha!”
She laughs airily, leaning into my side when I draw her into my embrace. I drop a kiss on the top of her head.
“Thank you,” I say.
Avery returns to stand with her sisters, accepting a hug from Alisha and more well-wishes from Alma. She tucks Lena against her front. Beatrix and Callie are at her side. Taryn on the other. Gabe and Ford position themselves near them, guarding them.
“Liam.”
He makes his way through the pack with Hodge and Tobin, the three of them bringing the five culprits before me. The two on the end shift their weight nervously, glancing at Lorne. He’s unbothered, amused by my stony expression.
“ Kneel .”
Two collapse to the floor immediately. Dane goes next, fighting the Alpha command with a grimace. A thundering growl builds in my throat.
“Why have I called you five before me?”
Lorne bares his teeth, fighting my power pinning down his will, demanding his submission. His legs shake. My chest vibrates, anger pricking my patience. His knees give out and he falls to the grass with a miffed grunt.
“Alpha Blackburn asked you a question.” Liam clamps Lorne’s nape, forcing his head to bow until it’s shoved into the grass for his brazen display of disrespect. “Answer him.”
“We messed with Avery. She’s a traitor,” the weakest of the group blurts .
My scowl swings to him. “My mate is no traitor. Watch your fucking tongue.”
He cowers, emitting a terrified whine. A pittling sound drums the ground, followed by the stink of piss. He’s from one of the smaller family lines. A Dunlop. His family transferred from Crescent Valley Pack seeking better opportunities after they lost everything they had.
“Fighting five against one isn’t messing with someone, is it?” I bite out. He doesn’t answer. “ Is it ?”
“No, Alpha,” he shrieks.
I turn to Avery at the front of the crowd. “Did he hurt you?”
She shakes her head. “He tried to. My wolf took a chunk out of his thigh before he ran off with those two right behind him.”
That’s my girl. I stroke the bond with praise and she ducks her face to hide a blush.
“She attacked first,” one of the ones who keeps looking at Lorne says.
“Unprovoked?” I press harshly.
He opens his mouth. Closes it. Glances at the male beside him for help. The other one shakes his head.
“Take these three to the patrol cabin,” I order. “They’ll be put on probational work rotation.”
Tobin and Hodge cart them off. I study the remaining two Blackburn brothers with distaste. I feel no connection to my cousins whatsoever. My uncle made sure of that when he raised them to be just like him.
“Dane. Didn’t you learn from the last lesson I gave you? I’ll beat you again if it didn’t stick in that thick head of yours.”
He nods, then shakes his head.
“Which is it?”
“Yes, Alpha. I knew better.”
“And you still thought going after a female—my mate—was a good idea.” I glance at Avery, silently asking if he caused her pain. She shakes her head. “Ford. Solitary for two weeks, then assign him to maintenance crew until I think the lesson’s really sunk in. ”
Dane’s eyes bug out as he’s dragged away. That leaves Lorne. There’s no point in dragging this out.
Signaling Liam to stand down, I drop to a knee, wrenching Lorne to me by a punishing grip on his hair.
“Apologize to her,” I growl. “Or I’ll kill you the way my wolf is begging me to.”
He huffs with a smirk. “You expect me to lick your boots, too? It’s a disgrace to see you losing yourself over that little traitor.”
I bare my teeth and deck him. He goes down hard, catching himself on his palms. He spits blood.
“I expect you to do as your alpha commands.” At the mutinous scrunch of his features, I serve him a hard look. “You challenge your alpha, then?”
Lorne’s gaze darts to his father watching this unfold from a seat at one of the picnic tables. Fury dances in his eyes. Lorne backs down, shaking his head.
“No, Alpha. I don’t,” he grits out.
Without a formal challenge, he holds no power to defy me. I’m taking his chances at claiming this pack for himself out of his reach. He loves waving the name of our bloodline around. I’m taking it from him because it’s the thing he values the most—his rank.
“You’ve been dropped from your rank. I revoke your name by birthright. You’re not recognized as a Blackburn anymore.”
Lorne jerks at the ancient shifter magic passed from Alpha to Alpha infused in my decree, fingers lengthening to claws that dig into the ground. Liam holds him for me.
“You’re nothing. You’re at the bottom of this pack and your job will reflect it. You’re forbidden from full moon runs with the pack beginning immediately. You’re to move out of your current quarters and will be assigned a spot in the dormitories with the other unmated males. Your place in this pack will remain on probation until you’ve proved your loyalty.”
My uncle slams his fist on the picnic table with a gnashing growl. I stare him down, hoping he’ll lose his composure so I can nail them both at once.
“Would you like to join him in his stripped rank, Uncle?”
He stills, waiting me out for a long stretch. At last, he shakes his head. My jaw works. I nod to Liam, watching him escort Lorne from the commons to pack up his shit in my uncle’s compound.
Avery comes back over of her own accord, not needing to wait for my permission or summons. Pride expands in my chest when she lifts her head, my regal Alpha female.
“Anyone who attacks my mate is an attack on me,” I declare with an underlying oath of vengeance for anyone who defies me. “Anyone who attacks their packmate is challenging me. This isn’t how we do things in Silver Falls Pack.”
Assent sounds through the clearing. Avery squeezes my hand.
“Good. Now let’s put this behind us and enjoy tonight’s run.” I wave an arm to the tree line in invitation.
Taryn whoops, the first to peel out of her clothes and go to fur. Callie’s right behind her and others join in until the crowd dwindles, packmates taking to the woods as their wolves. Avery returns to her sisters, giving them each a hug.
“Will you two be okay here?”
“Of course. We get to eat as much as we want,” Beatrix says.
They aren’t the only ones remaining at the bonfire. Some of our oldest shifters barely make the transformation, content to sit around the bonfire and smoke pipes. Some dams have stayed behind to chat while their pups toddle in the grass. Others not of age yet tuck into another plate of meat.
“I’ll hang back with the girls,” Alma offers. “My knee’s acting up. Not feeling a run tonight.”
“Thanks. Is it bad? You should’ve told me. I’ll make you some compresses soaked in ginger and willow bark to help. Maybe some arnica, too.”
“I’m alright for now. Go let your wolf out. Beatrix, help me prop my leg up by the fire and I’ll be good.”
“You’ve got it, Miss Alma. ”
I draw Avery to the trees. “Ready to run with the pack?”
She smiles and I want to bottle the electric feeling in my heart.
We leave our clothes on a fencepost by the road and let our wolves free. Her stunning red wolf climbs a partially downed tree, taking in the scents and sounds of the forest. Paws thump the ground and yipping barks filter through the trees.
She howls, bounding off to join our pack. I’m right on her heels, marveling at her.
A group of brown and gray wolves link up with us. We explore a hollow in an oak and weave through elderberry thickets. She pounces on the small gray one and one of the other wolves joins the fun. My wolf sits, content standing guard.
Two from the group split off when they scent the groundhog burrow nearby, then we cross paths with a bigger group. I recognize Taryn trotting along with my sister. They run with us.
Avery’s wolf releases a series of joyous vocals.
This is how her first shift should’ve gone. A celebration of camaraderie with packmates.
We reach Silver Falls. Several people have shifted back in favor of swimming or climbing the rocky overhang to plunge into the wide pool. Laughter echoes above the rush of the falls. I wrestle for a bit with Callie’s wolf, our sibling bond restored. Then Taryn and Callie drink at the water’s edge before flopping to the mossy bank in a dogpile.
Despite the tense start to the evening, everyone looks like they’re enjoying themselves, my mate included. I nudge Avery and we go off on our own. Time for a hunting lesson.
I keep my ears pricked, searching for easy prey to get her started on. There’s a hawk circling overhead. A couple of wild boars roaming the hillside moving south away from the pack. Fish splashing upstream where a beaver dam interrupts the brook.
When we’re far enough from Silver Falls, secluded deep in the wilds of the territory, I crouch low in the cover of ferns, listening. She mirrors me, ears swiveling to me. I rumble until she focuses, then send praise along our bond .
Wait . Listen and wait .
The boars crisscross near our hiding spot. They get her excited, but she remains with her belly to the ground. Good. Progress.
I show her how it’s done, tracking a gopher I hear leaving its burrow. I’m completely still, breathing shallowly.
Waiting until the gopher is close enough to be an effortless catch, yet far enough that it doesn’t sense the predators stalking it, I make my move, swiftly leaping from the ferns to snatch the gopher before it has time to escape.
I drop the offering at her feet, chest puffed. She tears into it and my wolf purrs. She allows it when he takes a bite for himself, basking in her attention when she licks his jaw. I nudge her back into position for her turn to try.
She scents a prairie dog and dismisses it for the hare that stops to munch on the weeds. Her instincts are sharpening.
I paw at her to signal her when to go. She darts forward in a bolt of red fur, focus locked on the hare. It evades her in a ditch, but she anticipates the opening, jumping to cut it off. It squeals, but it’s no use. She’s on the creature, teeth snapping its neck as they clamp down.
If I wasn’t in my fur, I’d be cheering for her. I race to her, circling her and lifting to my hind legs with a rush of energy. She jerks her prey with a shake of her head.
My wolf is all about providing for his mate. I am, too. But pride fills me to see Avery coming into her own with her wolf. I want to teach her skills to fend for herself because I like seeing her strong.
I’ll always fight for her. Protect and treasure her. Never again will she fight on her own, not with me as her mate.