Chapter 2
Victor
I was hoping it would be a nice, peaceful night.
Instead, I’m running on four paws beneath a full moon, surrounded by my pack and following a trail we picked up before sunset. It should lead us straight to whatever hole they crawled out of.
“The scent is getting stronger,” Saul transmits across our mental link. “They have to be close.”
“Lots of warehouses around this area,” Ryker transmits. “I’ll scout ahead.”
“I’ll come with you,” Seb transmits.
We call ourselves Silver Pack because most of us are old wolves. Divorcees, widowers, and wolves like me who never found mates. Some say I joined prematurely, but I’ll turn thirty-five later this year. It’s pretty clear that Mother Fate has no plan for me.
Ryker and Seb pull ahead first. They’re best friends and always stick together.
Ryker tracks, Seb watches his back, and Saul keeps the center.
He’s the oldest and we all listen to him, even though he’s not an Alpha.
Austin, Donovan, and I hang back. We’re the muscle, and we’re not needed until things get violent.
“Found them,” Ryker transmits. “Everyone to my location.”
“Finally,” Austin transmits. “We can put an end to this once and for all.”
“And send a message to anyone else foolish enough to fuck around in our territory,” Donovan transmits.
“After tonight, the message will be loud and clear,” I add.
We rush to Ryker’s side and he fills us in. There are a dozen members of the Devastators MC inside the warehouse. They have hostages, but we wouldn’t have been able to track them so easily if they didn’t. They hurt one of the girls they snatched tonight, and we’ve been following her blood scent.
“Protect the women at all costs,” Saul transmits.
“Yeah, we’ve done this before,” Ryker agrees.
We could smash in the front door and tear into them, but that could put the women at risk, so stealth is our best option tonight. There’s a broken window several floors up. Thankfully, it’s a big window, and we should fit, so we carefully move up the fire escape.
In wolf form, I’m nearly seven hundred pounds of pure power, but I’m as light on my feet as a kitten when I need to be.
Once we make it to the third floor, we crawl through the window and take our positions. The members of the Devastators MC are focused on the front door, and it looks like they’ve got itchy trigger fingers.
They know what we are because we’ve had encounters with them in the past. It won’t help them. They may manage to get some shots off, but they won’t see us coming until it’s too late.
“Now,” Saul transmits, then he leaps over the railing.
The rest of us follow him over the side and we tear into the bastards before we hit the ground. There’s shouting, screaming, and a hail of bullets, but as long as they’re aiming at us, the women are safe.
I catch one of the MC members by the back of his neck, ripping out his spine as I land. I immediately launch myself at another, feeling several bullets bounce off my hide. They hurt, but they can’t penetrate my skin. I’m more afraid of something with a sharp edge than a bullet.
“Run! There’s too many of them!” one of the MC members shouts.
The one in front of me doesn’t live long enough to hear it.
I sink my fangs into his throat, jerk my head, and taste his blood in my mouth.
Ryker chases the one who gave the order to run, clipping his leg before finishing him off.
I look around and see the rest of the pack delivering killing blows except for Austin.
He likes to play with his prey before going for the kill.
“Stop fucking around, Austin,” Saul transmits.
“Just making sure he regrets what he did before he pays for it in blood,” Austin replies.
“The women are fine,” Donovan transmits. “Scared, but fine.”
The women are all bound and gagged in the back of the warehouse.
I can see them, but I don’t approach, because we’ll scare them more than the bikers.
We’ve done our job. The cops can clean up the mess.
We don’t work with them, but they understand that we’re on their side, even if they don’t fully understand what we are or agree with our methods.
After the last member of the MC is dead, we exit the warehouse and rush back to the rendezvous spot where we met up before we started following the trail. We shift into human form, gather our things, and circle back to the warehouse district once we have our phones. Saul uses his to call the cops.
“Hey, Lieutenant Peterson,” he growls. “I’m sending you a location. You’ll find what’s left of the Devastators MC and some women in need of medical attention.”
A few of the women have been hurt. I could tell that without getting close to them. I wish we had gotten here sooner, but things could have been a lot worse. The women who are trafficked by the Devastators MC usually get auctioned to the highest bidder. Then they’re never seen or heard from again.
We climb to the top of a warehouse that overlooks the area where we fought the Devastators MC. There’s no real need for us to stick around, but we need to ensure the women are safe before we leave.
Once the police and paramedics arrive, we slip into the darkness and disappear. We’re not needed anymore. With any luck, this will be the last fight for a while. We might actually be able to get some rest.
“Let’s head back to the bunker,” Saul says.
“Good idea,” I say.
“The bunker? Nah, let’s go to our penthouse in New Salem,” Ryker growls. “Cigars, whiskey, and maybe we could invite some women to join us. Been way too long since we’ve had a party.”
“I like the sound of that,” Seb says. “We deserve it after tonight.”
“Yeah, come on, Saul,” Donovan chuckles. “I bet that college girl would love to see you again. We all heard her calling you Daddy the last time you had her over.”
“That’s none of your business,” Saul growls. “But fine. I suppose we could use a break before we return to the bunker.”
“I’ll make a few calls so that we’re not lonely for very long once we get there,” Austin says, pulling out his phone.
We cut left toward New Salem. We’d be faster if we called our wolves, but we’re pretty fast on our feet too. Our wolves give us increased strength, speed, and endurance, even when we’re in human form.
It’s been a while since I’ve gotten my dick wet, but I’m not really one for parties.
I was looking forward to a quiet night at the bunker.
Silver Pack is clearly in the mood to party and we stick together, so I’ll go with them.
If I see a woman I like, the other side of my bed won’t be cold tonight.
Sometimes, it does get kind of lonely waking up alone every morning.
We’re almost to our penthouse when I pick up a strange scent.
At first, it’s just smoke, like a candle has been extinguished nearby.
Then I pick up hints of sage, rosemary, salt, and honey.
My nose is twitching and searching for the origin when I detect a coppery tang beneath the other scents, along with something bitter I can’t really identify.
It’s definitely blood, but not like the blood from the warehouse. This isn’t spilled with malice. This blood has been offered.
“Ryker? Seb? You guys picking up any scents?” I ask.
Ryker stops and looks around. “No, nothing. Just oil, grease, and exhaust. Same as it always is in New Salem.”
“Same here,” Seb agrees. “Cars and smog.”
“Ryker’s got a better nose than any of us,” Saul growls. “You picking up some other scent, Victor? More Devastators?”
“No, it’s not that…” I reply, words trailing off.
Suddenly, I feel something snap inside me, like every muscle has been ripped from the bone. I howl with pain and go to my knees, barely able to catch myself on my palms so that my face doesn’t slam into the pavement.
“Oh shit!” Donovan says, rushing to my side. “Victor!”
Agony twists everything inside me like my body is trying to shift, but my wolf can’t get free. My limbs jerk as the wolf tries to push through. I growl and grunt, snapping at Donovan when he tries to put a hand on my shoulder.
“Relax, Victor,” Saul says knowingly, walking closer to me. “You know what this is. You just need to get control of it. Stay calm.”
“What’s happening?” Donovan asks with alarm, glancing at Saul.
“Mother Fate,” Ryker says. “Victor feels her calling to him.”
“No, that can’t be it,” I grunt, trying to push myself up as my body continues to revolt. “It’s too late for me.”
“The ways of Mother Fate are a mystery,” Saul says. “If you relax, it’ll pass. For now.”
“Most of us have felt this pull before, Victor,” Seb growls. “Looks like Mother Fate hasn’t forgotten about you after all.”
I want to tell him he’s wrong. I want to tell all of them they’re wrong.
But I’ve heard the stories from other wolves.
I saw something similar happen to my brother, right before Mother Fate led him to his mate.
And every wolf surrounding me has felt it too, except for Donovan. There’s no denying what this is.
I close my eyes, grit my teeth, and try to silence my wolf.
It wants to take control and give in to the instincts clawing their way to the surface.
No wonder very few wolves fight this. I always thought it was more of a choice.
That’s what my brother described. This doesn’t feel like a choice.
This feels unavoidable, like I’ve been captured by Mother Fate.
Finally, I feel the tension inside me release. The scent lingers, but it’s no longer maddening. I gasp a few times and try to push myself up, but my legs are weak. Saul offers a hand and I take it, letting him haul me to my feet.
“You know what this means, don’t you?” Saul asks.
“Yeah,” I sigh. “It means I have to go.”
“You have to find your mate,” Ryker says. “She’s out there somewhere. Waiting for you.”
“Just when I was getting used to having another wolf around who never found his mate,” Donovan sighs. “Guess I’m back to being the only one Mother Fate forgot.”
“Finding your mate doesn’t mean it’ll work out,” Seb mutters. “Mine fucking hates me.”