From what Dominic could make out of the other voicemails he listened to on the way there, Kimberly had called Gage, who then tried to call Dominic and settled for consulting with Hank. The beta then called everyone he knew who could be counted on in Dominic’s absence, including Cole.
Cole stood close by, a hand on his holstered gun that must have been loaded with the silver bullets he kept on hand for situations like this. If things got out of control and neither alpha nor beta could defuse the situation, shots would be fired that could actually inflict some damage. Silver was the only thing to slow down a wolf shifter.
Others of Cole’s pack, Jaime and Lincoln, were there unnecessarily as backup for Hank in their wolf forms, while Dominic spotted Rick, Burt, and Levi from his own pack trying to defuse the harsh words exchanged between Declan and Wyatt’s men.
The presence of Kimberly, Tracy, and Nora only added to the madness. The women didn’t need to see this fight, especiallyKimberly. It was to her that Dominic rushed first. The Prime Alpha’s presence in the clearing was noticed immediately, but it did little to stop the fight.
“Are you all right?” he asked, voice low and soothing.
Wide-eyed and reeking of fear, she nodded. “He didn’t… He tried…” The woman could barely form the words. The youngest of Gage’s pack and something like a little sister to both the men, it was easy to get protective over Kimberly. She, too, could turn into a wolf, but possessed absolutely no dominance with which to defend herself. Sweet, gentle, and as delicate as the flowers she arranged at the flower shop, it wasn’t surprising that Nathan would choose her as a target. Attacking her was an offense to not only Gage’s pack but everyone in Tolstone who had endeared themselves to her.
“You’re all right now,” he assured her. “We’re going to take care of this.”
Dominic had to stay objective until all of this could be sorted out. He gave his nod to the other two women of his own pack who must have been charged with keeping her safe during the challenge, and then hurried to Cole’s side.
He didn’t even have to ask before the sheriff started his explanation. The two wolves continued to tear into one another. Snarls, yips, barks, and growls erupted in the clearing, but Dominic was determined to focus on Cole for the moment. Hank, as the second, would step in if things got too rough.
Dominic could feel his wolf already champing at the bit to resolve this conflict himself, but he forced himself to stay calm, even while Nathan’s fangs tore into Gage’s meaty shoulders.
“Did anyone see it happen?” he asked.
“Kimberly was home alone.”
“What about Kaelyn of Wyatt’s pack? She lives in the same apartment building. Did she report anything?”
Cole shook his head. “We can’t find her, and Kimberly confirmed that she must not have been home when it happened.”
“She lives by Levi and Nora. Did they hear anything?”
Cole looked to Levi, a tough old shifter who had served in a war or two, who ardently defended Kimberly’s claims with Declan in his Brooklyn drawl. “Nora’s a light sleeper, and she woke up when they started shouting at each other.”
“Shouting?” Dominic started. “Kimberly?”
The sheriff gave him a look. “She’s got her feisty moments. I tried touching some sunflowers once and she nearly bit my head off.”
“Did Levi go to help her?”
“Yeah. When he showed up, Nathan took off, and Kimberly was roughed up pretty bad. Wyatt says that Nathan was with him the whole night. Xavier says he was too, but the man can’t lie worth a damn and he was definitely lying when he said Nathan was with them. I smelled it on him. We’ve already had three men confirm Nathan’s scent at Kimberly’s place, but Wyatt’s sticking by him.”
Dominic watched the battle, how each man fought so viciously for what they believed was right.
He pulled off his shirt to start the shift. “I’ve got to stop this before they kill each other.”
Cole grabbed his shoulder. “No,” he insisted. “This is a good learning experience for Gage.”
Dominic glared at the man he thought he could trust. “You, Hank, and half the pack are blowing up my phone to get me to come take care of this, and now you’re telling me to go home?”
The sheriff looked him over, his gaze a mix of emotions that he couldn’t begin to name. Did he smell Erica on his clothes? The signature balm of sex must have still been on him, but would Cole mention it?
“Don’t leave, but…” Cole’s voice trailed off as he looked at the group. Even the other wolves who weren’t in combat looked to be ready to lunge across the distance and start their own fight with Wyatt, Brady, and Lucas, who supported Nathan. “I feel like something’s about to snap any moment now. If Gage can’t come out on top, Hank will have to step in, and I can tell Wyatt’s eager to make this into an unfair match.”
Dominic eyed the white-furred alpha, who now glared at him with such incensed, unabashed hatred in his wolf eyes. He returned it as he remembered that Wyatt had practically given away his secret to Erica before she was ready to hear it. He shouldn’t have done that. Not only did he defend a criminal, but he had also broken a crucial rule of Tolstone. If a human didn’t need to know about shifters, they wouldn’t be told.
“I should have answered the calls earlier,” Dominic grumbled. “I could have prevented this somehow.”
Cole shook his head. “This would have been Kimberly’s fight if she had taken it.”
“This involves two packs who have sought my protection, and now they’re turning against each other. I can’t just ignore that.”
