Chapter 48
“I’m here to see Chip Loftus!” A voice rang out through the camp. “Chip Loftus! Not here to hurt or fight. Just need Chip!”
“That’s Degan!” Chip was up and out of the tent.
Hayden and Drake were close behind him. Hayden couldn’t wait to meet Chip’s new mate.
Maybe get him initiated in the pack so Chip and Degan could mind-link.
The last week had been tough on Chip to be away from his longed for, long awaited, fated mate.
Drake held Hayden’s hand as they watched Chip run into his mate’s arms. They kissed with a passion Hayden only understood now because of Drake and Jaxom. He hoped his reunion with Jaxom would be as passionate.
“What are you doing here? I thought you had to stay with your men in the city?” Chip asked in between Degan’s kisses.
Degan had grizzled red hair that was pulled back in short braid.
The red hair highlighted piercing brown eyes that didn’t seem to miss any small detail around him.
There was fierceness about him that warned hardened warriors not to mess with him or those he loved.
“The rogues. They are on the move, sneaking into the city,” Degan kissed Chip again, holding him close. “I had to come tell you. Be ready. We think something is happening tonight.”
“Tonight?” Drake breathed out. “Nightfall is only an hour away. You’re sure?”
“Yes, my kings,” Degan said as he bowed, fist to heart to Drake and Hayden. Hayden tried not to squirm in embarrassment. Everything in his life was completely upside down. “We’ve been watching the rogues. They know something we don’t. Something in the spiritual realm.”
“Have you actually talked to the rogues?” Hayden asked.
“We’ve tried but they won’t talk to us except to say they are there to stop Renz.
And, there’s one more thing,” Degan paused as he gathered his thoughts.
“The men in the dungeon near Jaxom heard him getting tortured by an expert named Clipper. Many of us have had a run in with that asshole. The strange thing was, in the end, it was Clipper screaming in pain, not Jaxom. Clipper fled the dungeon with Jaxom yelling, ‘Death to the Maggot King’. It’s been quiet ever since.
The guards are terrified to step foot in there. ”
Hayden stepped back and dug deep into the mate-bond, listening for Jaxom beyond just the feel of him. Pain and exhaustion flooded his senses. But, under that pain was an odd sense of amusement. Despite the pain, it tickled Hayden’s heart to feel his mate in a more positive state of mind.
“‘Death to the Maggot King’,” Drake mused. A small smile played on his lips. “What’s he up to?”
“We’d all like to know that. The men in the dungeon are restless and report feeling like they are waiting.
Something is imminent. That it’s coming from my men, and not just the rogues, is more than noteworthy.
Now that something seems to be going on, my men have told me to stay out of the city.
The castle guards know who I am,” Degan said as he held Chip close to him.
“May I have the honor of joining your men to fight tonight?”
“I brought the ceremonial knife out hoping you’d say that,” Drake said. He quickly led Degan through the ceremony, pricked their palms and mingled their blood.
“Thank you,” Chip breathed out as he felt Degan join the Blood Moon Pack.
“How about we take twenty men to the east of the city. Asher can take twenty to the west. You need to stay here, Drake. Twenty men stay with you and Hayden. It’s the most direct route out of the city.
If something does happen we’ll be in place to take on Renz’ warriors.
You’ll be able to meet Jaxom if he does get out. ”
“I promise my men will protect him with their lives. We need the Lycan Kings to be together, free. We also think he’ll be rescuing a woman that was stashed in the dungeon.
” Degan shrugged as if the woman was of little importance.
“No one knows who she is. It doesn’t seem like she speaks our language.
Although, she and Jaxom have been talking. I guess you could call it talking.”
“Shit,” Drake swore as he looked at Hayden. Hayden was looking at his bracers. “Get going, Dad. You’re right. We all need to be in place. Asher?”
“I heard. I’ve already got my guys going. Alpha Thorn is sending men with both groups. He’s got a third group taking the middle with his beta. I already have twenty men going with him.”
Drake, Hayden said through the mind-link, no one will be able to see Jaxom in the dark.
Drake stopped and stared at Hayden. His eyes wide in surprise. I forgot. I forgot he’s a shadow in the dark. Once he’s out of the lights, he’ll slip right by everyone, even if he’s rescuing a woman, too.
How will you know where he is? Hayden asked.
Dig deep, Hayden-love. Feel the pull.
Hayden did as he was told. Through the mate-bond he’d always be able to feel where his mates were. Even through the wolf’s bane in Jaxom’s body and the silver on his wrists and ankles, he’d always know where Jaxom was.
We’re the only ones who’ll be able to track him, Hayden almost cheered out loud. His wounded mate needed the fall of night to get out of the city and out of eyesight. Instant protection from attack. The Moon Goddess had provided for his mate to be invisible in the shadows. Relief was a real thing.
That’s why I didn’t protest staying put until we know where he is going. I just forgot about him being a shadow, our shadow.
Drake kissed Hayden. It was the first time in two weeks Drake seemed to have any hope. Hayden clung to him, drinking in his strength and security.
I will get to him, Hayden-love. I promise. We will have our mate back tonight.
And maybe even our Luna, Hayden said softly in Drake’s mind. Maybe that’s why Jaxom is amused.
He’s amused?
Its deep under the pain but it’s there.
The sun sank down below the horizon as Drake and Hayden waited.
They didn’t know what exactly they were waiting for.
Following the lead of the rogues was frustrating.
No one was talking, saying why or, more importantly, how they knew to do what they were doing.
They waited at the edge of the camp in silence, surrounded at a distance by twenty warriors.
“Drake?” Hayden said as he took off his right bracer. “Do you feel that?”
“I do.”
“Look!” Hayden watched as the death mark transformed on his inner forearm. Marks appeared as a translation surged to the surface of his skin to complete the mark. And again, Hayden knew he couldn’t touch the mark until it was completely set. It needed time to bond to his skin.
‘THE ENEMY OF MY ENEMY IS MY FRIEND’.
Howls, wolves singing to the moon, sounded through the forest. Hayden could feel the rogues attacking as power rushed into him from Jaxom. He felt the waves washing into Drake and back again, filling him like a new birth. His very being expanded into a new type of existence.
Moonlight shown down on them as he got the bracer back on and the need to shift filled him.
Drake was watching him. The look on his face warned of shifting too early.
The good Doctor Milton said it was too early, but Hayden couldn’t stop.
He felt the power cleaning him out, strengthening him like he’d never felt before.
Fur sprouted up and down his body as bones snapped and reformed.
Hayden grimaced as the transformation ripped his body into pieces and put him back together again.
He slowly got up off the ground to look at his wolf, which wasn’t a wolf.
He was a Lycan. Black fur with an ember red undertone rippled across his body.
Strength filled Hayden in ways he’d never felt before, even after Drake and Jaxom marked him.
The power thrummed through his body. It was a reassurance that he was finally who he was meant to be.
Strong, able, and powerful. No one could hurt him again, or tell him he wasn’t allowed to stop others from getting hurt.
He felt massive as Drake shifted to stand beside him.
They were the same size, towering over the wolves standing guard around them.
Drake rubbed his head against Hayden’s. They were equals.
And once Jaxom was back, they’d be a powerful trio able to protect their Queen.
He couldn’t get enough of feeling Drake rubbing up against him.
Hayden joined his brothers and sisters in singing to the Moon Goddess. It was time to get their Luna and Jaxom back into the safety of their arms.