Chapter 30
Koe raced alongside Daemon to the northernmost part of their territory.
In true Biter fashion, the enemies had come in from the opposite direction from where their Biter territory resided in the southern part of the state.
So fucking predictable. Daemon broke away and raced off toward the East, while Koe angled toward the West. They’d flank the Biters where Koe’s Enforcers had them help up.
It’d also ensure that there weren’t any Biters lying in wait in those areas.
Koe and his pack had come up with plans for a myriad of scenarios.
There were, after all, only a limited number of ways for a pack of enemies to come into their territory.
Even with Bragga’s greater numbers, Koe wasn’t worried.
Not in the least. Hell, he was confident a pissed-off Demon could take them all.
But Demon wouldn’t get that luxury, because Koe wanted his pound of flesh from these Biters.
Because it hadn’t been just Bragga torturing Jury.
It had been every single male in the pack allowing it.
Thinking about it now, thinking on the damage done to Jury’s slight body had rage bubbling up.
Koe had to be careful, though. He couldn’t go into this with too much emotion because that’s how mistakes were made.
No, he’d leave the blind rage to Demon. He’d have to be level-headed if he wanted this done in one fell swoop.
Approaching the border to his territory, his wolf picked up the acrid scent of outsiders…
enemies. They stunk. And their presence sans permission was such an affront that it had his wolf’s hackles up.
Koe could see them now, a line of shifters facing off against his pack, but no one was fighting.
Yet. The area they’d chosen was smart. The Allegiance pack was out in the prairie with nothing behind them but empty fields.
Easy marks. While the Biters were just on the tree line of a stand of pines that led up the mountain.
They had cover and the advantage, or so they thought.
Koe hadn’t comprised his pack of just any shifters.
He’d made a place for a specific group of men.
His wolves were mercenaries, ex-soldiers, former spec ops.
Each of them had at one point been a trained killer and then had later taken their skills to the private sector, where Koe had hunted them down and recruited them.
The Allegiance pack wasn’t just another pack of wolves.
They were designed by the great North American pack Alpha, Dell Blackbird.
A weapon formed by the great Council to be commissioned as needed to enforce the unenforceable.
It was almost laughable what was happening today.
It was tantamount to a street gang strolling into Navy SEAL headquarters and picking a fight.
Koe held back and watched. The numbers were off.
The Biters weren’t all present, which meant Bragga was up to something, and Koe couldn’t afford to get baited into anything, even for how badly he wanted to be part of what he knew was coming.
If the Biters knew the Allegiance pack numbers, they’d see that all of his men weren’t present either.
Even now, there was a sniper in the field behind him with his sights leveled on whichever one of the Biters appeared to be the greatest threat.
In the shifter world, guns were taboo, but fuck it.
So was abusing females and entering territory unannounced and uninvited.
Besides, Koe had no doubt that Bragga had something nefarious planned, and like a good Boy Scout, Koe was prepared.
A crack of lightning streaked across the sky, and Koe glanced up.
The sky was darkening quickly. Another storm was coming, and that wasn’t good.
The wind and threatening rain would rob their sense of smell and dim their sight and hearing.
None of which was good, but none of it wasn’t something his wolves didn’t have extensive experience with.
In fact, it’d work in their favor. His men knew the territory like the back of their hands, and even though there were what looked to be sixteen Biters squared off against eight of his Allegiants.
Six of those Biters were females, and Jury had warned that they would be forced to fight without any desire to actually do so.
Which, in Koe’s estimation, made them hostages.
So realistically, it was ten Biters to eight of his wolves, one of those wolves would be Demon. This shouldn’t last long at all.
Out of the corner of his eye, Koe saw a large black shadow slinking across the field and felt a punch of jealousy slam into his gut.
Demon had just arrived, and he was about to engage in some fun that Koe would only get to hear about later because, from what Koe could see, the Biter Alpha, Bragga, wasn’t here.
Which meant Koe would have to leave this mess for Demon to deal with while he went on the hunt for Bragga.
***
Demon shifted, reluctantly giving his skin back to Daemon as they approached the stand-off, only doing so because Daemon needed to get them one piece of information.
The Allegiance pack parted as he arrived, giving him access to the Biter shifter standing front and center, chest puffed up with a scowl marring his face. Cracking the knuckles on one hand as he approached, Daemon spat on the ground, then demanded, “Which one of you fucks is Lionel?”
Front and center chuffed with a grin, “He ain’t here.”
Mother fucker!
“Then you’ll have to do.” Without another word, Daemon stalked forward.
Both packs were silent, tension high as Daemon walked right up to front and center and punched him so hard the Biter flew backward, his hands whipping out and trying to catch on the Enforcers beside him but failing.
The women with the Biters gasped. Then it was on!
Some of the Biters shifted, and some of the Allegiance pack did too. But Daemon was throttling his man in human form. He wanted to have some fun before Demon took over and refused to give his skin back.
The Biter Daemon was pounding shifted to wolf form, but Daemon didn’t care.
Wolf form, human form, this guy was dying tonight.
Behind Daemon, he could hear his pack tearing Enforcers apart.
The Allegiance pack was going to make quick work of the Biters.
Absently, Daemon wondered where the rest of the Biters were and when Bragga was going to make an appearance.
For the first time, a sense of unease settled over him.
Pummeling the Biter, Daemon had a minute to do some adding, and the math wasn’t mathing.
Narae had said that, including the pack females, the Biters were twenty in total.
And while there were females here now, there weren’t twenty Biters. The Alpha was absent too.
Where the fuck is Bragga?
Realizing he was punching a limp body, Daemon stopped and tossed the Biter’s body aside, gaze searching the battle for Bragga.
He caught sight of a Biter Enforcer, standing immobile in front of the Biter females.
At first, Daemon thought he was protecting the women.
He should have known better. Hiro stepped up beside Daemon.
Behind them, the Allegiant Enforcers were finishing off the last of the Biters who’d stepped into the fray.
The Biter Enforcer Daemon and Hiro were glaring at roughly grabbed one of the women, shoving her toward them as he bellowed, “Attack them! All of you useless bitches! Do your duty!”
The female stumbled forward and crashed into Hiro’s chest. Stunned, Hiro looked from the woman to the Biter, then back down to where she was staring up at him in absolute horror.
“H-hi,” Hiro stammered, then offered her a smile. “Uhhhh, do…do you wanna join our pack?”
The woman simply blinked up at Hiro without responding.
Hiro shrugged and smiled. “Ok.” Then he bent down and bit the woman on the neck, marking her as his.
Behind Daemon, Cyrus thundered, “Jesus fucking Christ! Again?”
Daemon barked out a laugh and tossed Hiro a thumbs-up.
“Atta boy!” Then his gaze sliced to the other five females, his expression turning sheepish.
“Sorry. He glanced at Hiro. It’s not always like that.
But he means that mark and he will honor it.
And if any of you want to join our pack, you’re welcome.
Jury and Narae are already with us. They want to be here.
They had the choice, and they chose us. And we’re grateful for them. ”
The women looked at each other in shock and indecision.
One female stepped forward, but the Biter Enforcer grabbed her arm and jerked her backward so hard she fell on her ass. That pissed Daemon off, his expression morphing into fury as he rolled his neck on his shoulders. “Enough of you. Let’s go, fucker.”
A moment of reluctance flashed on the Biter Enforcer’s face before he rushed Daemon.
A stupid mistake. With a quick side-step, Daemon caught the charging Enforcer and hooked his neck in the crook of his arm before spinning and jerking hard, breaking his neck.
Daemon dropped the limp body and then turned back to the females.
“Again, it’s your choice. You’re free to walk now or come with us.
We’ll protect you. We can take care of you. ”
One of the women stepped forward and glanced from Daemon to Hiro. “D-do we have to mate with one of your men to join?”
Daemon shook his head. “Absolutely not. You won’t be forced to do anything against your will.”
The same woman looked at Hiro, who was still holding the female he’d marked.
Daemon followed her gaze, his face flushing with the reminder that he’d done the exact same thing to Narae. “I know how that looks.”
Hiro had the decency to look repentant before admitting low on a sheepish tone, “My wolf thought it was the best way to protect her.”
Unsure how to explain it away, Daemon offered, “There are worse things than being mated to a faithful and protective male who’d go to the ends of the Earth to ensure her happiness.”
The woman who’d stepped forward acquiesced. “If Jury and Narae feel safe here, that’s good enough for me. I’d like to stay.”
Behind her, the other four females stepped forward one by one. “Me too.” “And me.”
“Great.” But Daemon didn’t look like he was happy in the least. He looked tense and preoccupied. “Ladies, do any of you know where we can find Bragga and the rest of his Biters?”
The woman in the front spoke first. “I heard them say that this was a distraction.” She motioned toward the lifeless Biter bodies on the ground.
“Though I don’t think he expected it to be over so quickly.
” She looked up and held Daemon’s gaze. “Bragga knew your Alpha wouldn’t allow Narae or Jury to be near the battle. He’s looking for them.”
Daemon spun and glared in the direction of the manor. It took all of one second for Demon to explode from him, and then he was on the move.