Chapter Seven
Fray and Chaz took positions a few thousand feet up, their bodies shelled to a dark gray. Between that and their black wings, they were nearly impossible to spot. Luck was with them. It was a cloudy night, and the moon was just a sliver in the sky. Fray used his cell phone, hiding the screen that lit up against his palm, and sent a signal to Kevin.
“Watch below for the locations of the teams,” he ordered Chaz.
Four areas lit up with flashing blue lights for a few seconds before stopping.
Chaz chuckled. “Got them.”
Fray put his phone back inside his pocket, hoping he wasn’t going to have to hover in the sky for hours. He was in good shape, but it was quite a workout on his wings to tread air while shelled. It used muscles he wasn’t used to depending on to carry the heavier weight.
“Point out the colony.”
Fray did as Chaz asked.
“It’s so fucking dark there. There’s no light at all.”
“It’s all fenced off because the old mining operation became dangerous. The tunnels underground tend to collapse. Humans avoid it, or they’ve died.”
“That’s where their victims are located?”
Fray understood the anger in his brother’s voice. “Yes. Those bastards don’t give a shit if those women live or die as long as they hang on long enough to birth their younglings.”
“I hate Gargoyles.”
Fray grinned. “I’m sure Dad will love to hear that.”
“Fuck you. You know what I mean. Dad’s nothing like that. He’d never steal women to rape or tolerate assholes who did. He’d rip off their fucking heads. There’s no honor in acting like that. I wonder how many of the women are pregnant? Lord Aveoth will take them in, but some of the clan won’t be happy.”
“Fuck the ones in our clan who will have a problem with it. Those younglings are going to need to be raised in a safe environment with others of their kind.”
“Who is going to donate blood to the pregnant ones?”
Fray hadn’t thought about that. Pregnant humans were fed blood to make certain the younglings were born with strong Gargoyle traits. “Let’s think of all that shit after we are able to rescue the victims. Lord Aveoth will come up with a plan. He always does.”
“True. I’d donate blood.”
That surprised Fray. “You’d be expected to take the female and youngling under your protection if you did.”
“I’m aware, but the last thing we need is younglings being raised to become assholes like the ones we’re about to kill. I don’t have a mate, and I doubt I ever will. Besides, if you do mate Lenore, that means you’ll be staying at home.”
“That doesn’t mean you’d be grounded to the cliffs. You could go on solo missions or partner up with another clan member.”
“We stick together.”
Fray felt touched. “That means a lot.”
“We’re brothers.”
Fray caught motion. “Ten o’clock.”
“I see. Counting four shapes in the air. They probably left the others to guard the women. You were right about being this high.”
Fray shrugged. “I figured the bastards would be afraid of plane traffic and being caught on radar. They don’t realize we’d get mistaken for amateur weather balloons since we’re staying in one place for this length of time.”
“Fuck. Don’t remind me. I hate those goddamn things.”
Fray chuckled. “Are you ready to fight?”
“When aren’t I? No fucking around, brother. Kill fast and swift. We’re outnumbered. They will turn on us fast once we latch onto their backs. Remember all the battle training Dad taught us.”
Blue flashing lights lit up inside three of the cars near the mines, and the Lycans started to drive with their headlines on. The dark shapes in the sky changed directions, following them. In seconds, the flashing cars separated. The enemy Gargoyles below them spread apart to give chase.
“Here we go.” Chaz tucked his wings tight to his back and dove straight down.
Fray grabbed his sword as he followed. He hated to fall. It hurt a lot to let gravity drop him like a rock and then sharply stop his descent when he opened his wings. He focused on the targets. He ended up next to his brother, fighting the wind to point out the one he planned to attack.
Chaz turned his head, meeting his gaze for a split second before they both focused on targets. Four Gargoyles were chasing the cars, probably wondering what the fuck they were and curious why three human vehicles were lit up like a dance party.
Fray tightened his grip on his sword until his hand hurt right before he opened his wings wide and tilted them at the same time. It rolled his body around in the air so he wasn’t falling headfirst anymore. He gritted his teeth, sealing his lips, as agony shot through his back. The strain on his muscles was expected, though.
He aimed his feet where they needed to be. His boots brutally slammed into the enemy Gargoyle’s right wing. The male roared in pain.
They both began to tumble in the air, but Fray recovered faster. He was able to slam into the Gargoyle’s wings again, that time hooking them with the top of his boots at the wing joints. He used his hold to bend his body enough to almost crouch on the Gargoyle’s back. Then he used his sword to slash the bastard’s left wing.
The Gargoyle screamed in agony, both of his wings damaged. It made him slip out of Fray’s hold enough to break free. The male dropped like a stone since he couldn’t fly. The male hit the ground hard, sprawled on his side, but he staggered to his feet right as Fray landed.
Fray launched himself against the injured Gargoyle again and swung his sword. It was Vaya. He hit him in the throat. The male’s head came off. Vaya’s body dropped to the ground.
Someone flew at Fray from behind. He could hear the enemy getting closer, rumbling loudly in pure rage. Fray tucked his wings against his body and dodged between trees. It would prevent the bastard from staying in the air. He heard a thud as the enemy Gargoyle landed to pursue him.
Fray gripped his sword with both hands and swung around, prepared to battle. Yiz rushed out from the trees he’d just run through, looking furious. Fray spared a glance up, searching for another enemy, but only Yiz had been able to follow him.
The male snarled curses at having tree trunks hinder his wingspan. Fray lunged at him. Yiz pulled a sword, and their blades clashed. It rang loudly in the night.
“You!”
Fray grinned, breathing heavily but not near as much as his opponent. He tucked his wings tighter against his back to keep them out of the way and was glad to give them a bit of a rest since the muscles still ached. “Hey, asshat. Ready to die like Vaya just did? It’s rude not to go where your other clansmen do. Hope you enjoy hell, you piece of shit.”
Yiz swung his sword. Fray used his own to block from being hit in the arm. He twisted his body, swinging, and nailed Yiz in the wing. The male hissed in pain and spun, trying to hit Fray with his sword again. He managed to land a blow but missed anything vital. Fray ignored the pain.
As much as Fray wanted the jerk to die a slow, agonizing death, that left two more enemy Gargoyles unaccounted for. Possibly more if the remaining two at the mines had taken to the air. His brother or the Lycans might need him if they were under attack.
Fray kicked out, his boot slamming into Yiz’s stomach hard enough to send him stumbling back. Fray jumped in his direction, using every bit of strength, and his blade hit the side of the Gargoyle’s neck. It went through bone and flesh, coming out the other side.
He paused, staring at the body without a head before he rushed out of the tightly compacted trees to a clearing. He spread his wings, launching into the sky to find Chaz. Two down. He hoped his brother had killed at least one more.
* * * * *
Len passed out more sandwiches and bottles of water to the people sitting on the basement floor. It seemed to be her and Gina’s job to feed people. Mr. Tress was there. She approached him. He operated a horse ranch located just outside of town and apparently was a shifter.
“Hello, Mr. Tress. Do you want a sandwich? Water? We have sodas, too.” She wondered how old he really was since, in human years, he appeared to be in his late eighties.
His nearly black eyes narrowed as he stared at her. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“Excuse me?”
He growled low. “You shouldn’t be here,” he said a little louder.
Gina rushed over. “Stop that. This is why you aren’t an elder, Ushi. Lenore was adopted by Moe. She’s pack.”
“Bah!” He turned away. “Ruining the pack. That’s what it is. Humans can’t be trusted.”
Gina touched Len’s arm and jerked her head toward the far wall. They walked over there. Gina sighed. “I’m sorry about him. Ushi is well over five hundred years old and set in his ways. He believes humans are only good for bringing in tourist dollars to his ranch. Don’t take it personally.”
Len knew her mouth dropped open. “You’re screwing with me. Five hundred?”
“Probably closer to six. He refuses to give his real age. Not joking.” Gina grinned. “He’s a little bitter that the pack didn’t make him an official elder.”
“Elder?”
“Think advisor and teacher to a pack. No one wants him to share his thoughts with our kids. Most of the pack over three hundred years old went to stay at the emergency shelters, but not Ushi. Kevin had to force him to come here by saying he was needed to defend our alpha house. Ushi wanted to build a big bonfire on his ranch to attract the attention of the Gargoyles and take them on himself. He’s as crazy as a loon, but he’s one of ours.”
Tina Smith approached them, her gaze locked on Gina. “Have you heard anything?”
“Not yet.”
Tina got in her face. “You’re being a shit alpha bitch. We’re all worried, and you’re telling us nothing! Kevin fucked up when he picked you.”
Gina’s expression hardened, and her eyes darkened, almost turning black. She viciously grabbed Tina by her hair. Len jumped back, stunned, getting out of the way.
“What did you say to me?” Gina snarled, her voice coming out inhumanly deep.
Tina whined. “Nothing. Sorry.”
“Are you still pissed about my mating? Get the fuck over it. I won’t have you undermining my authority right now. Lisa isn’t here to stop me from clawing the fuck out of you. Don’t forget that. She’s the nice one. Our alpha bitch likes to keep the peace. Go away before I tear open your damn face.” She shoved Tina hard.
Tina rushed to the far corner and took a seat, her head down. Gina turned, meeting Len’s gaze.
Len knew her eyebrows were arched, and a chill crept down her spine. Gina’s eyes were black, the pupil and iris the same with no distinction. Gina closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths before opening them. They appeared normal again.
“Sorry about that. We have a history. Kevin used to fuck her from time to time before meeting me. She hoped he’d settle for her. He didn’t. Instead, she mated to a scout. They weren’t true mates, and hell, they barely got along. Milton was reckless and tended to pick fights. Long story, but he got himself killed. It wasn’t a shock.”
“Okay. That was scary, yet impressive.”
“Welcome to pack life. Some of us don’t get along.”
“You mentioned my mom.”
Gina licked her lips. “Your mom is mated to our alpha. That makes her the official alpha bitch, but Lisa obviously can’t shift since she’s human. A fight wouldn’t be fair between her and a Werewolf. I am the lead enforcer’s mate, which means it became my job to smack down the women in our pack who need it when things turn physical. Your mom tries like hell to avoid violence with the women. Lisa verbally takes more shit than I do. She would have motioned for me to stand down while she lectured Tina about being rude.”
“That sounds like my mom.”
Gina smiled. “Don’t get me wrong. I love Lisa, but ones like Tina just need a good bleeding sometimes. Your mom has kind of spoiled them by sparing them some beatdowns. Does that make sense?”
“I guess. Maybe?”
“Werewolves are more violent than humans, but then again, we heal from a hell of a lot of damage that would have killed or maimed a human for life. We also learn faster from pain than from a lecture. To bring up Kevin was just to piss me off.” She sent a glare Tina’s way. “It worked.”
Gina’s phone beeped, and she grabbed it out of her shirt pocket, staring at the screen.
Len wished she could see the screen. “Did you get a text?”
She nodded and then grinned. “I put myself in the group texts the enforcers are getting. That was orders sent from Mitch to collect three Gargoyle bodies before the humans find the remains.”
That didn’t make Len happy. “Gargoyle? You’re sure?”
Gina turned the phone screen for her to read. Len took it, scrolling through the long message. Three Gargoyles were dead, and it had the locations for body pickups. She passed the phone back. What if Mitch is wrong, and one or two of them are GarLycans ? That would be Fray and his brother Chaz . Len felt sick to her stomach with worry.
Gina seemed to guess her thoughts. “Those twins are as tough as shit. Three Gargoyles are dead. They took out that many. Think about that. They were outnumbered two against six. They’ve cut that number in half. Kevin would have sent out an alert if either twin were hurt so that our men could help them. He hasn’t. The fact that Mitch has the locations to send cleanup crews means someone told him where those bodies are. That would be Chaz and Fray.”
That made sense. Len nodded. “Thanks.”
“It’s going to be fine.” Gina made a fist and flung it in the air, facing the room, and raised her voice. “Three Gargoyles have been taken out, everyone! Half the threat has been eliminated.”
The pack looked relieved overall. A few of them smiled, and hugs were exchanged. Six people came up to Gina to touch and embrace her. No one hugged Len, though. She felt a bit left out despite being told she was part of the pack. It was impossible to miss some of the curious yet uncertain stares she received.
“Why do they seem leery of me?” she whispered to Gina once everyone had left them standing alone together again.
Gina faced her. “They’re worried how you’re handling everything.”
“I’m good.”
Gina put her arm around her, led Len back to the food prep room, and closed the door. She held her gaze, releasing her. “Some humans have mental breakdowns when learning that they aren’t the only types of people who share this world. The pack is trying to keep space between you and them to help you feel safer.”
“I don’t feel frightened of anyone here. I think I’ve taken things well. My head is firmly removed from my ass now.”
Gina chuckled. “True.” All humor left her, though. “Remember that friend I told you about? The one who freaked out and locked herself in the bathroom?”
“Yes.”
“She cracked. Total meltdown. Moe had to contact Lord Aveoth to ask if they could spare a VampLycan here. He sent some Vampire they trusted to come instead since he was closer. Vampires are able to get inside human heads and erase memories. Shannon refused to come out of the bathroom or calm down for two days before he arrived. She kept trying to escape, thinking she needed to call in a swat team to kill the monsters. That would have been me and Kevin. I had to stop being her friend. Repeated exposure to me might have led her to having flashbacks and her memories returning.”
Len tried to make sense of it all. “Why did you tell her if you weren’t sure how she’d take it?”
“I didn’t. We were attacked by a rogue. Most of them are usually Werewolves who, for whatever reason, refuse to live with a pack or were kicked out for being lawbreakers. Some are just outright crazy and vicious. Killers that need to be put down. This rogue must have scented Kevin and me, thinking we would make an easy target. We live on the outskirts of the territory. Shannon happened to be visiting us when the son of a bitch busted into the house. Kevin shifted, and they fought to the death. I had to explain to Shannon that she wasn’t crazy, we exist, and I hoped she’d handle it well. She didn’t.”
“I’m so sorry.”
Gina nodded. “Me too. We had the Vampire implant that Shannon missed her hometown and sent her back to her family in Iowa. As I said, memories can return if there are enough reminders to trigger them. It was for the best if she never saw us again. That’s when Mitch moved into the other house on our property. Your dad thought we were targeted for being a mated couple alone. That rogue must have wanted to kill Kevin to get his hands on me.”
“That’s awful. Why would a rogue go after you?”
“No female Werewolf would want to mate a rogue. Hell, they don’t want to have casual sex with one, either. It’s the equivalent of dating a convict that you know is going to be executed at some point. The rogue was probably lonely and planned to kidnap me and force a mating, and that would have been hell for me.”
“I’m glad Kevin killed him and kept you safe.” A thought hit Len. “No one is going to bring in a Vampire to mess with my head, are they?”
Gina shook her head. “I don’t think Moe or Lisa would allow that. Besides, you’re doing amazingly well. I’m proud of you. You’re not batshit crazy, locked in a bathroom, screaming about how you need to be saved from evil creatures from hell.”
Len’s eyebrows arched, staring at Gina.
“Shannon did that. I felt so bad for her that I wasn’t even insulted. I’ve been called worse in my life. Most humans would think we’re monsters.”
Len reached out and took her hand. “I don’t. I’m actually kind of jealous.”
Gina squeezed her hand back. “Why?”
“You threatened to rip open Tina’s face and had her rushing to get away from you. She hit on Fray earlier. I wanted to punch her but then remembered, duh, Werewolf. She’d kick my ass, right?”
“She could, but I wouldn’t allow it. I’d be on her so fast it wouldn’t be funny.” Gina stepped closer, lowering her voice even more. “I’m going to give you some advice.”
Len tensed. “Okay.”
“You just admitted to feeling possessive over Fray. He’s not like any man you’ve ever dated before. I know you won’t be able to forget that, but your mind is going to auto-default to human thinking. When it happens, before you speak, remind yourself that the relationships you’ve had in the past don’t matter. Never compare them to what is between the two of you.”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Humans are slow to trust what they feel in here.” Gina tapped Len’s chest over her breast. “Werewolves follow their instincts and listen to their hearts. I have a feeling that GarLycans do as well. It means things can happen a hell of a lot faster. I noticed the way Fray looked at you today. He’s feeling possessive, too. It might mean you’re mates.”
“How do I find out for sure?”
“You don’t overthink things and go with your gut. Get him into bed. Open not only your body to him but your mind and heart. Don’t hold back anything. That’s how you find out.”
“Can a human feel it? Like, tell if he’s my mate?”
“Your mother knew. Lisa fought her attraction to Moe at first. Not that anyone could blame her after what she’d suffered.”
“My biological piece of shit father was abusive.”
“Yes. Lisa was severely wounded both physically and emotionally, but Moe had patience. Most alphas would have claimed his mate right away. She made him wait nearly three weeks. The pull between them couldn’t be denied, though. Lisa learned to trust Moe and allowed herself to love him.”
Len inched closer. “Can you tell me something?”
“What do you want to know?”
“He’s dead, right? Please tell me Moe killed Deacon.”
Gina’s expression hardened. “That’s something you should discuss with your parents.”
“I just want to know. I’d sleep better if it’s true.”
Gina studied her eyes. “Our secret?”
“Yes. I swear.”
“That human went after your mom one night despite being warned off. Moe was watching the guesthouse he moved you both into when he gave your mom a job working for him to get her away from her abuser. You were both sleeping at the time. That sick asshole never got close. Moe wouldn’t allow anyone to touch a hair on his future mate’s head or her baby girl’s, despite him not being able to claim Lisa yet. No one lives who threatens a male’s mate. They are too dangerous to allow to keep breathing.”
Len only felt relief. “I hope Deacon suffered. He was a horrible man.”
Gina hugged her. “Do you honestly feel better now that you know the truth?”
She didn’t hesitate to hug her back and answer. “I sometimes have nightmares that Deacon will return, so yes, I’m glad. I will sleep better now. Thank you.”
Gina released Len and smiled. “We should go back out there and start settling people down for the night. I’ve got a few storage cabinets full of sleeping bags we can pass out. Not everyone is used to staying up this late.”
“I thought Werewolves would be night creatures.” Len smiled, teasing her friend.
Gina laughed, catching on. “Some of us have become pretty domesticated.” She winked. “Don’t tell anyone.”