“Excuse for what?”
“To eradicate them.”
That statement had hope blossoming in her chest.Narae!
Oliver’s expression turned serious. “What they’ve done to you is a bad look for all wolf shifters. We can’t have our reputation soiled by such disgusting acts. Wolf shifters are only now earning the respect we deserve. Bragga’s depravity is going to fuck that up for all of us.” He shrugged, “Koe can’t tolerate that. He won’t. Plus, it doesn’t help that he feels a way about you.”
Jury’s belly dropped. “Feels a way about me? What does that mean?”
Oliver stopped disinfecting the med bed to look at her. “You snapped his control just now, Jury. An impossible feat.Something I’ve never seen anyone—man or woman, shifter or human—do to Koe before. I don’t know if it’s pity or something more, but I sure as shit am going to be telling the pack to give you a wide berth.”
“Wide berth?” Jury whispered.
Standing to his full height, Oliver motioned toward the room. “I don’t want to spend the entire summer in here! Summers in Montana are short enough as it is, and if the males in this pack don’t stay away from you, I’m sure Koe will be sending them my way for medical treatment. He’s protective and possessive of you. Two things that mean the males here need to stay the fuck away from you. No offense. But you’re off limits now.”
Good, Jury thought. Males giving her a wide berth sounded divine. Especially after how the males in Bragga’s pack hounded and tortured her.
Oliver’s next words had Jury dragging her attention back to him. “You’d be wise to hear exactly what it is I’m telling you, Jury. Koe had to restrain himself from marking you today just to see if it’d heal your scars. So far as I know, he’s never attemptedor even had the desire to mark any female. Be careful,” he implored. “Or you might just find yourself mated to the Alpha.”
Chapter 9
Koe paced along the river’s edge. Jaw clenched, hands fisted, the three-mile run he’d just taken in wolf form had done zero to quash the rage still ripping through him. Every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was Jury standing on this very riverbank with her mutilated flesh on display. And it was mutilated. Growl ripping its way up his throat, he tossed his head back and loosed a long feral howl. It was a blast of anguish and rage that had to be displaced. Undoubtedly, it’d call the pack to him, so he had to think of an excuse and fast, but even that seemed daunting. He wanted to act. No, not act. He wanted to hunt. Nah, wrong again. What he wanted was to kill. Ripping the cell phone from his back pocket, he snarled when there was still no message from Thrall. It’d have to be from Thrall because Daemon didn’t do cell phones or communication.
The second he’d walked out of the med bay, he’d sent Thrall and Daemon to Biter territory for recon. He knew now that Jury wasn’t lying about her sister, and that gutted him. He should have believed her sooner, but he’d make it up to her. As soon ashe got some intel, he was laying down a challenge to Bragga, a challenge he couldn’t ignore.
The sound of rapidly approaching paws had Koe shoving his phone back into his pocket and lifting his head. Dragging in a calming breath, he debated on what he wanted to tell the rest of his pack. As his wolves sped onto the rocky riverbank, he opted for the truth.
Several of the wolves who arrived already had their hackles up. They were ready for battle, undoubtedly confused at finding Koe alone. The call he’d just made was a battle bay, a war cry. But there wasn’t anyone here to fight.
As the last few wolves gathered on the riverbank, eyes scanning for threat, Koe filled his words with the weight of his authority. He wanted his pack to understand how abso-fucking-lutely serious he was.
“Bragga and his Back Biters are officially enemies.” His announcement had ears pricking up and attention narrowing on him. It made sense. There were very few packs that Koe’s Allegiance pack considered actual enemies. Yeah, there werepacks they didn’t like or simply avoided because they were annoying, but to be considered an actual enemy to the Allegiance was a huge announcement. Becoming an enemy meant there was a personal slight or an offense so grand that it forced Koe into action. He considered what had been done to Jury as both. She was now a member of his pack. He was claiming her as one of his, and, as such, anyone who had insulted or injured her would pay. And what Bragga had done to her was… Well, it demanded retribution.
“Daemon and Thrall are hunting as we speak. Be on alert. Stay ready. Be prepared for war,” he snarled, unable to keep the growl of excitement from his tone. It had his wolves pawing, nipping, and dancing eagerly.
Many believed that Koe and his Allegiance pack were averse to pack war because they didn’t participate in many. Truth was, they didn’t participate because they didn’t have to. Koe was comfortable letting the lower packs war against themselves. It kept the shifters in check and weeded out the unworthy packs. He didn’t interfere unless necessary. He didn’t go to war unless hehad to. But when he did, it was total annihilation. Just like it was going to be with Bragga and his Biters. What they’d done to Jury wouldn’t go unpunished.
Thinking about Jury had him in a state he hadn’t been in often, and that state was confused. He wanted to tell his pack what had been done to Jury so they could be as enraged as he, Thrall, and Daemon were. But he also wanted to respect Jury’s privacy. No, it wasn’t her privacy he was trying to protect. It was her. He wanted to protect the woman who was clearly ashamed of what had been done to her. She’d worn that long-sleeved turtle neck and had kept the long fall of her hair down this whole time to hide what had been done to her. She didn’t want anyone to know, so Koe would be damned if he spilled her secret. Good thing he was
Alpha. He didn’t need to tell his pack what had been done to her. His wolves respected him and his directives. They’d gone to war with him for less, and they’d done so enthusiastically. Granted, Bragga and his Biters wouldn’t be as easy to take out as most packs were, but Koe had zero worries where that fuck and his brood were concerned. Real wolves didn’t hurt females, and yetthe Biters had, which meant they weren’t real wolves. That meant Koe had no concerns about losing to them and even less about wiping them out. On the contrary, he was looking forward to it.
Eyeing his pack, Koe made one last announcement. “If Thrall and Daemon don’t bring the war to us, then we go to them!” Turning his head, he eyed a massive gray wolf. “Hiro, you’re acting Beta until Daemon and Thrall return. Set up perimeter watches, exchanged every six hours until I hear something. Cyrus, prepare the compound and personal armaments, just in case. Assume nothing is beneath Bragga, even the use of weapons. I also want a full-time guard on Jury.” Turning to his pack, he thundered, “Jury is now considered a member of this pack and is under my personal protection!”
A few of the wolves before him exchanged looks. He knew they were wondering if he was claiming her. He wasn’t, but he still wanted her fully protected.
“She is not to be touched,” he continued, “only guarded.Protected! Do you fucking understand?”
In unison, heads begin to nod.
“Good!” he barked. “When I hear from Daemon or Thrall, you’ll hear from me. Now, get to it!”
Chapter 10
Daemon growled disapprovingly as Thrall shot him a dark look and hissed, “Jesus, man! Keep it down, or they’ll hear us!”
Rolling his eyes, Daemon hoped they did. Honestly, if Koe had given him permission, he’d have snuck into Biter pack territory at night and annihilated the entirety of them while they slept. They were a stupid pack and functioned more like a frat of drunk college kids than lethal shifters. Even now, spying on them from the cover of the forest, Daemon was insulted that they couldn’t sense his and Thrall’s presence. Hell, he and Thrall were within hearing distance of their damn communal fire pit, and the seven shifters gathered there still didn’t sense him and Thrall.
Fucking amateurs!
