Dax
As my mate jumped,I did the same. We landed on the dirt floor of the hollow simultaneously, a wolf and a buck both burning with rage.
My son was there, unharmed but scared. In his surprise to see us, he shifted into human form and reached for us with tiny arms. My heart threatened to break. As a human, he looked so small and so vulnerable. He didn’t deserve this.
Behind him stood the same buck I’d seen leading the charge in Morgan’s exile—Rock.
He didn’t look well, which filled me with smug satisfaction. His head hung low as he fought to catch his breath, and bloody tooth marks on his body indicated Remington had given him something to remember him by. But Rock’s antlers were also tipped with blood that belonged to my friend, which made my blood boil.
I stepped forward with all my fangs bared. “Step away from my son. Now.”
Rock skittered back against the ridge wall in initial shock. He seemed both confused and angry to see us. He lowered his antlers as a threat and put one leg in front of Ashe. “I should’ve figured. When there’s one wolf, there’s always more.” He spat. “I never thought a buck in his right mind wouldmatewith one. But you always were a freak, Morgan.”
“How did you know about us?” I demanded.
An expression halfway between anger and shame flickered across Rock’s face. “Because I spied on you. Happy?”
“Why? Don’t you have better things to do in your own herd?”
His lip curled and he spat, “I was banished from the herd, okay? There were too many bucks, and too much fighting, and…” He shook his head. “Whatever. It doesn’t matter anymore. But I got suspicious that maybe that wolf didn’t kill you after all, so I searched until I found you. And I was right.”
If Morgan was feeling smug about the ironic turn of events, it didn’t show on his face. He was deadly serious. He seemed too furious to speak, so I went on.
“What right does that give you to abduct our son?” I challenged.
Rock stomped his hoof. “I was separated from my offspring because my stupid omegas kept them in the herd. They were stolen from me! I’m—I’m only taking what should be mine! A fawn!”
I shook my head. Rock was never a good person but being banished from the herd made him lose his mind.
When Morgan finally replied, it was frighteningly calm. He didn’t blink and didn’t move. He stared at Rock and said, “If you value your wellbeing, I suggest you leave right now.”
Rock’s eye twitched. “No chance. I’m taking this—thing. Even if it’s half wolf, it still looks like a deer. This way, I’ll start my own damn herd!”
A primal snarl tore its way from my throat. “I dare you to speak about my son that way one more time!”
Rock’s ears flicked back. For a moment, it looked like he wanted to run. That would have been the smart decision. But he’d invested too much into his ridiculous plot and he stupidly stood his ground.
My glance flitted to Ashe, who had shifted back to fawn form to curl up in a ball. I didn’t care about Rock—my only priority was getting my son home safely.
The hackles rose along my back as I slowly padded closer to Rock. He reared his head up, trying to look confident and proud, but just looking like a big, pathetic bully.
“I should have ended you when I first had the chance,” I growled. Seeing the flash of unease in Rock’s eyes, I went on. “You and your conspiracy to exile Morgan from the herd led him to me, his fated mate. But that doesn’t make what you did acceptable.”
Rock swallowed visibly.
The hollow floor turned from dirt to smooth stone and my claws scraped loudly against it as I approached him. Bowing to the pressure, Rock backed up until he hit the wall again. But his long leg was still placed in front of Ashe like the bars of a cage. If I wanted to safely get Ashe out of here, Rock needed to move out of the way.
“Step aside,” I warned him.
Rock was rattled. His body trembled from fatigue, wounds and fear, yet he still refused to budge. His pride forced him to be a determined, stubborn ass no matter the cost.
My wolf’s voice was fierce as I snarled, “Move it, buck!”
Ashe bleated. I hated scaring my son but what else could I do? I didn’t want Rock to hurt him.
When Rock made no attempt to give up, my instincts kicked in. I feigned to one side, drew his attention, then darted in on the other side with my fangs bared.
He was a coward mentally, but physically, Rock was no pushover. He was an alpha buck with a solid rack of antlers, despite seeming puny in comparison to Morgan’s, and he knew how to use them.
