“Oh… either way, I'm sorry to bother, but I have news,” Jill explains. “There was an attack here, and the alpha of that pack has been terribly injured.”
“What's the alpha's name?”
“Tom Callaway.”
The temperature in the room drops. I watch all the blood leave Leena's face as she reacts to the news that her former alpha has been injured.
“Please let Grant know,” Jill remarks before ending the call. As the line goes dead, I see a look on Leena that I haven't seen before—one of pure hate.
Chapter 16
LEENA
The sort of rage that builds up in me isn't the type I'm used to. I look around desperately for something to let out my anger.
The only thing that's in my vicinity is the desk, so I smash my fist against it. Thankfully, the sturdy wood doesn't get obliterated by the force. This almost makes me want to smash my fist into the desk again.
“They're pure evil,” I growl. I feel terrible because it seems like I'm angry now that I've been personally affected.
“If they're close enough to Tom, they're close enough to us,” Grant says, keeping his eyes on the desk. “We need to do something.”
“Let's find them and rip their throats out.”
He lifts an eyebrow. “What about murder?”
“I've always seen people as people,” I reply, “but these hunters, they're not even people anymore. Three calls in such a short time because they don't want to leave our kind alone. Tom showed me the sort of kindness I can't repay, and they attacked him?”
Grant gives me a soft look. “I'm sorry,” he says. “Tom should not have been in harm's way. No one should be, and I'm going to do something about it.”
He gets up and picks up the phone, quickly typing on it. I hear the sound of his fingers on the screen and wait for some sort of info.
Once he's done with the message, he sends it and places the text in front of me.
“You want to have a meeting?” I inquire. “Who did you send this to?”
“There are some shifters I let live on this land,” Grant explains. I vaguely remember him talking about some other shifters around. “They need to know that hunters are very close, and we'll need to form some sort of strategy.”
I slowly nod. “Okay. When is the meeting going to happen?”
“Tonight.”
I've been angry all day, and this night is really no different. As Grant's car pulls up to the meeting spot, I stare at the numerous people waiting for us.
In total, there are seven shifters—three guys and four girls. They all stand close to a couple of vehicles with their lights on.
It feels like we're in the middle of nowhere, but Grant and I only drove about twenty minutes from the pack house. “Is this a good idea?” I ask, almost wearily.
“What do you mean?”
“Meeting these people like this,” I respond. “Isn't it dangerous? It's just the two of us, and there's seven of them.”
“We're on the same side,” he explains. “Besides, if they wanted to take us on, they're still a couple of men short.”
The alpha's words give me the reassurance I need to step out of the vehicle, while he does the same thing. Grant moves slowly and with purpose, so I match his steps.
The shifters get up as well, walking to meet us. This feels like an old Western where we're supposed to confront a bunch of outlaws.
“Thank you for coming, Luther,” Grant says when we're close enough. He offers a hand, and the man takes it without hesitancy.
