Tempest’s smile sharpened. “You’re right. We’re all here because you need something from me and my club.” Wraith’s grin faded, and Howler’s jaw flexed.
“How bad is it?” Tempest asked.
Howler exhaled, his breath fogging in the cold air. “The D.C. club is making a move on the Silverfang Brotherhood.”
Tempest’s brows lifted. “That’s not news. D.C. is always breathing down your neck.”
“This is different,” Howler said. “They’re not just pushing territory. They’re pushing authority—my authority.” Tempest’s wolf stilled. Even she knew that the D.C. club challenging Howler’s club wasn’t going to end well for any of the packs in the area.
Howler’s pale eyes locked onto hers. “They’ve got the city on a leash.”
Tempest’s gaze narrowed. “Explain.” She hated the thought of anyone trying to control her club besides her. If Howler needed her help, she’d find a way to give it.
Wraith stepped forward, voice rough. “Your mayor—she’s not just against you because you’re new. She’s against you because someone’s paying her to be.”
Tempest felt as though her heart might beat out of her chest. She’d suspected corruption—Baltimore practically ran on it, but she hadn’t pinned the source. And she certainly didn’t think that they’d be coming for her and her pack.
“How do you know?” she asked.
Howler didn’t flinch, giving his answer. “Because I watched a Silverfang brother get arrested last week with no cause and nowarrant. Cops rolled in like they’d been waiting for an excuse to arrest him.” His voice went cold. “And because two nights ago, a D.C. rider showed up on my street and told me, in very polite words, that if I wanted my people left alone, I’d fall in line.”
Tempest’s fingers curled at her sides. “Fall in line behind what?”
Howler’s smile was mean. “Behind their Alpha.” His words hit the air like a slap in the face. Tempest’s wolf lunged inside her, furious at the implication that her pack would also need to fall in line with the D.C. pack. Wolves had alphas. Packs had hierarchy. MCs had presidents and vice presidents, and when you started mixing that all up, things tended to become a bit skewed.
“You’re telling me a biker club is calling their Prez an Alpha?” Tempest asked, disbelief laced with disgust.
Wraith rolled his eyes. “Not their Prez. Their wolf Prez.” Tempest went still.
“Howler,” she said, voice low and dangerous, “why are you coming to me with this?”
Howler held her gaze. “Because they want Baltimore. And they want it cleaned up—sanitized under one banner. They’re threatening anyone who won’t bend the knee. That includes Silverfang Brotherhood.” His eyes dipped again to her patch. “And it definitely includes Dark Chaos.”
Tempest let the silence stretch between them, not sure what to say next. In that quiet, she could hear the distant hum of traffic outside and, faintly, the creak of the building settling like it was listening to their conversation too.
“So,” she said at last, “you need allies.”
Howler nodded once. “I need a united front.”
Wraith snorted. “Or there will be war.”
Tempest turned her head slightly, just enough to look Wraith in the eye. “Careful, you don’t know what kind of war you’re asking for. Dark Chaos can give you a fight too.”
Wraith’s lips pressed together, but he didn’t back down. “I know what kind of war they’re bringing. And I know that none of us will survive it alone.”
Tempest’s wolf paced inside of her. Her club was still so new. They weren’t fragile, but they were still planting roots. A full-scale conflict with a D.C. charter, especially one with city officials in their pocket, could bury Dark Chaos before it truly started. But if she refused, they would have to stand alone, and that might not end well for any of them.
If she turned Howler away and let D.C. roll over Silverfang Brotherhood, Dark Chaos would be next. And then she’d be facing them alone, with no warning, no allies, and no time to get a new plan in place.
She glanced toward the shadowed rafters, the broken windows, the dark corners that could hide a dozen enemies if she’d misread this meeting. “How do I know this isn’t a trap?” she asked. “How do I know Silverfang Brotherhood isn’t trying to use my club as a shield?”
Howler’s gaze didn’t waver. “You don’t. I guess you’ll just have to give us a little trust.”
Tempest’s mouth curved. “At least you’re honest.” Howler reached into his cut slowly, deliberately, making it clear he wasn’t going for a weapon. He pulled out a folded piece of paper and held it out to her.
Tempest didn’t take it right away. “What is that?”
“Proof that this is on the up and up,” he said.
