Leaning against the front of the building housing his office, Tristan scanned the clearing, searching for the first sign of Rudy. It had been quiet until Reeve reported that Rudy and his men had chosen the trail that ran between his land and Jackson’s old pack land. Then, one by one the squad leaders confirmed that it was the only access point being used, Tristan issued orders to Heath to move his men to the woods surrounding the clearing. A few minutes later, he received another report.
“Groose, here: Rudy’s men are now following behind him in a tight formation on the path since the brush and undergrowth are too dense for them to walk through. My men have fallen back to avoid detection.”
“Reeve, where are you?” asked Tristan.
“Reeve, here: I’m with some of Groose’s men and we’re guarding the northern flank just in case Rudy changes direction.”
“Heath, are any of the squads guarding the southern area?”
“Heath, here: Five of our squads are concealed on the side with a clear view of where the trail ends at the clearing. The rest are spread out in the woods on the east side of where you are.”
“Okay…keep sharp,” Tristan warned. “Be prepared for anything, but do not move in until I give the word.” After all units had acknowledged his orders, Tristan stood up, but kept his body relaxed and loose. It was time to set the trap.
Rudy knew nothing about Tristan other than he was Josiah’s first born son and thought he was a weakling. After all, if the Alpha had rejected him, he was probably going to be a pushover. And besides, he’d always regarded himself as invincible, a miscalculation that many like him throughout history had made, much to their chagrin.
But Tristan had learned early on in childhood that every bully had an Achillis heel, a vulnerable part of them that, if exploited cleverly by an enemy, could bring them down. It was usually their belief of superiority over others and they maintained that illusion by always picking on the smallest and weakest around them. A bully to the core, Rudy had used his power to extort money from weak and frightened pack members.
Pulling back his Alpha Power so only the smallest amount could be detected, Tristan was counting on Rudy to size him up as a weak Alpha—someone easy to overcome. Hunching over, keeping his body as small as possible, he’d chosen to stand in deep shadows, which gave the appearance that he was afraid. Then, like a spider, Tristan stood motionless, waiting for the fly to become entangled in his web.
~/~/~/~/~
Cloaked by Sawyer, Mystia stood with Oracle on the far side of the clearing, watching Tristan. Chuckling, she murmured, “I can’t imagine anyone would be tricked by Tristan’s efforts to make himself look small and weak. His Alpha Power is too strong.”
“You would be surprised by how many would be fooled by it,” Oracle replied. “The mind can easily override the other senses, making one ignore what they are telling you.”
“I guess,” Mystia replied, turning her attention to the very faint noises to her right. “Are you sure the one we are looking for is with Rudy?”
“Yes…the Fates have assured me.
“Does Remy know about our mission?” asked Mystia.
“Not yet, but I promise to tell him once this is over.”
Nodding, Mystia remained silent. She doubted Remy would object, but there was always the chance he’d view their actions as an effort to step on his toes.
Laying her hand on Mystia’s forearm, Oracle smiled at her. “Trust me, Remy will understand the necessity of our actions tonight.”
“I know…but…”
“Speaking of the Ruler, can you tell if his spells are working?”
“I feel the magic, so I’m sure they are,” Mystia murmured.
Nudging her friend, Oracle exclaimed, “There he is!”
Looking in the direction Oracle was pointing to, Mystia sucked in a breath when she felt the evil swirling around the one known as Pocus. “He has killed many.”
Grasping Mystia’s hand, Oracle asked, “Ready?”
“Yes,” Mystia whispered as she raised her wand and, with a wave, transported them, plus the demon who was using a magic-user’s body, to the Fates.
~/~/~/~/~
Emerging from the trees, Rudy checked out the clearing, finding it empty except for a small man standing in front of the Silver Point Pack’s administration building. Carefully studying him, heconcluded it had to be the bastard son, confirming his opinion as to why Josiah had ignored his first-born. The man was small and had far less Alpha Power than Kahn. Two sons—both failures as far as Alphas went. It just reenforced his belief that he was meant to be Alpha of the Silver Point Pack. Too bad Josiah never saw it.
Shrugging off those thoughts, Rudy sniffed the air, but the only scent he could discern was coming from the weakling in front of him. Lowering the gun that had been pointed at Tristan since he’d emerged from the woods, Rudy called out, “Do you know who I am?”
Shrugging, Tristan replied, “Sure…a murderer and an escaped prisoner.”
