Lev wanted to break that bastard’s arm, but his mate would not have agreed. They were in the early days of their mating, and it would not be good to traumatize his sweet mate, so he tried to make himself clear without doing any permanent damage to the guy’s arm.
Ethan very well might need to be dealt with if he continued to be a bother. He would urge Kyle to move to the Pack house as soon as possible. Their bond was moving ahead quickly, and Kyle's regard was growing by the hour, so moving to the Pack house was the next step.
During the drive back to the forest, Lev explained how the Pack functioned and discussed the rules and hierarchy they followed. Basic stuff, but things Kyle needed to get familiar with as the Alpha Mate. Kyle listened and nodded. Lev wasn't sure if he was understanding everything, but he seemed to be getting the general picture of the Wilder Pack and what it meant to belong.
"In all the years that you have occupied the Aveline Forest, has anyone ever discovered your existence?” Kyle asked the innocent question that packed a lot of implications. He would have to be careful how he answered because he didn’t want his mate to think they were a bunch of barbarians.
“Other paranormal beings know of our existence. There have been very few humans who have found us in the centuries that we have resided in the Aveline Forest. Those humans came with bad intentions, and we protected ourselves. We will always protect ourselves." He turned and looked at Kyle directly, making his meaning clear. "Mostly, we just redirect the odd wanderer before they get too close. It has worked well for a very long time."
“Other paranormal beings?” Kyle said in astonishment, and Lev smiled. His mate’s wonderment had taken precedence over everything else he’d said. Lev told him about the fox shifters and the Fae that live further up the mountain.
"It will get easier the longer you are with us. It's a lot to take in all at once, but our bond will help you acclimate to this new reality." Lev assured, and Kyle just nodded skeptically.
“What will you do if John’s map and stories of the waterfall get into too many hands?” Kyle asked.
"If they find the falls, then they find us. If they discover the mystical aspect and power of the falls, then all paranormals are at risk." He paused and then stated. "We will do whatever we have to to protect ourselves."
They turned off the main road onto a two-track that you’d probably miss if you didn’t know it was there. The road was about five miles north of where Kyle had parked the night before. The drive was rough, but it had to be that way; everything was designed to keep people away. The two-track road fell away to a narrow path just wide enough for a vehicle.
Lev smelled them before he saw them: two humans and three jackals. Jackals were never good news. They were simple thugs, criminals, and mercenaries, never a decent one among them. They were hiding themselves up ahead. Lev slowed down, and Kyle looked over at him expectantly.
"We have company," Lev said without taking his eyes off the path ahead. "Stay behind me at all times." He stated, and Kyle did not comment, just gave a curt nod. Lev got out of the vehicle, walked to the front, looked around, then took several steps down the path. He signaled for Kyle to stay with the vehicle, and he hung back and stood beside the front fender.
Lev was pleased with the way he understood the seriousness of the situation and trusted him. The danger was ahead of them, and it wasn’t long before the three jackals made themselves known.
"Get out of our way, wolf." One of them said. He led the others who stood a step behind him, one on the left and one on the right. The two humans tried to say something, but a single look from the large Jackal had them holding their tongues.
Jackals were deadly creatures, and these three were angling for a fight. Jackals always overestimate their own abilities and these three were about to learn the dangers of overestimating.
"These men hired us to take them to the falls. I think it's high time that more people see and appreciate the wonder of those falls don't you wolf?" He taunted. He was talking just to hear himself speak and kept advancing a half step at a time.
Lev didn't respond and didn't wait, he moved forward and, without a word, shifted just as the jackals did the same. They weren't as fast, and Lev caught the one on the left in a half shift and took out its throat with a swipe of his deadly claws.
The other two started circling him in hopes of getting him off balance, but they were too clumsy. Also, Lev noticed a couple of wolves approaching from behind the jackals. He recognized Mykel and Demitri, his lead enforcer. The jackals were already dead; they just didn't know it yet.
The leader lunged at Lev, who took the hit and twisted him to the ground, holding him there as he scrambled and tried to slash him with his claws. The other one was about to leap on Lev's back when Mykel rammed into his side, sending him flying. He was no longer a concern for Lev. Mykel and Demitri finished him quick and clean. Lev then went to stand with hismate. He was still in his wolf form, but it did not bother Kyle. He stayed behind Lev, knowing Lev and his wolf were there to protect him.
The Jackal freed himself and quickly retreated before making another run at Lev. He took uncoordinated swipes at him and snapped wildly, but Lev just moved to the left a little, and the beast stumbled and landed in the dirt.
They were large and strong but piss poor fighters one-on-one unless their opponent was half their size. Lev leapt onto his back and sank his teeth into the soft flesh of his neck, locking on tightly, biting down, and shaking him violently while digging his claws into his hide.
The Jackal thrashed and howled until the life started to drain from him, and his wounds tore wider and wider. Lev released him, and when the beast lay dead at his feet. It wasn't something he wanted his mate to witness, but battles like these were a part of life in the paranormal world, and you had to be prepared to defend your land and your people.
He moved away from the Jackal and started walking to his mate, and as he did so, he shifted mid-step. His brother and Demitri also shifted, turning slightly away so as not to make his mate uncomfortable. Their nudity was natural in wolf culture, but Kyle was not yet acclimated to it.
They spoke after a brief introduction to Kyle, and then they shifted back and took off into the woods. The two humans had run off when the violence erupted, but they needed to be found. He approached his mate and noticed that Kyle had kept his gaze averted when Mykel and Demitri were there, but now his eyes were trained on Lev, and they were devouring him. His mate liked what he saw, and he wasn't shy about it.
He hoped that Kyle held that same lustful expression when looking at him for the entirety of their lives together. It energized and indescribably comforted him, and he never wanted to lose it; he never wanted to lose him. The mate bond was powerful and perfect.
Once back in the SUV, Kyle ventured a few questions; they weren't judgments, for he seemed to understand the necessity of the things that were done. They were connected now, and he could feel what Lev was feeling just as Lev was completely tuned into Kyle's thoughts and emotions. The situation was clear but still upsetting.
“Why did those beasts attack you?”
"They're a mercenary breed that will do anything for money. They have no regard for anyone or anything, so there are no limits on what they will do to get the job done. Unfortunately, they are often hired for that very reason." Lev explained without going too deep. Kyle would learn about jackals over time. They were nasty and everywhere.
“I got the impression that they wouldn’t stop until they were killed.”
"They don't stop." Lev agreed. "If they run away, it's just to get reinforcements, so don't let them run away."
