CALIFF
“How did you know?” Zack asked as everyone tried to search for any animals or humans.
“I heard more than one heartbeat in distress.” Shadow had still her eyes closed as she tried to concentrate. She had a good hearing. Even for an Alpha like me, she excelled more than me. My heart filled with pride.
“We were attacked…” What were the last words of the wounded werewolf before he passed out? He was around my age, but I didn’t recognize him even from our allies and the one who was severely hurt on his back.
I smelled fear and distress, but nothing feral. He could be telling the truth, but he could be trained to lie and deceive us all.
“Proceed with caution,” I told them. “Preston, Sam, take the truck, load the wounded, and bring them to the infirmary. If they try to attack you, don’t hesitate.”
“Noted, Alpha. I want nothing but to end their lives quickly.” Sam began carrying the man on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Preston took the other one, a little leaner than the other.
“Kairo, shift and be the lookout.”
“Yes, Alpha.” He took his shirt off before us. The next thing was his khaki pants. He was now standing naked before my mate.
“Jeez, man. Shadow doesn’t have to see your ass.” Raiden shook his head, partly amused.
“Your ass doesn’t even look appealing.” Tor chuckled.
“It’s a strong ass, Tor. Sorry, Shadow.” He had just finished his words. He already wolfed out to his dark brown wolf, snarled, and followed Lyon and Raiden.
“Oh, no. I think I just heard a baby crying,” she said again, walking toward where she heard a cry.
“Shadow, just stay behind us. Let us do the job,” I told her, but she was as stubborn as me. She was already sprinting forward.
Tor asked as he walked behind Zack, and I followed Shadow to the trail. “What is going on, Alpha?”
“There was an attack in a neighboring pack. I hope this vicious animal won’t come to our allies because we must send help and rescue what’s left. But I should have received a message by now.”
“How did Shadow know there was someone out there? I could barely hear anything until we were close,” Tor said in amazement.
“It’s a long story.” I went along with Shadow. Zack was still on my tail.
I sensed so much fear a moment later, and the crying cub became more audible.
“Oh, my Goddess! Are you okay?”
“Shadow, wait!” Three more werewolves appeared. “Damn it!”
Zack and Tor dashed to her side before I could give an order. They were reliable in protecting Shadow.
“You crossed the border, and you are now in my territory. I could end your lives in five seconds. I suggest you talk and tell me your purpose.”
One man, older, ordered the teenage boy to kneel. “I’m Marcus from Moon Side Pack. This is my son Adrian. My mate, Clara, and my cub, she’s eight months old, Ruby. We’re seeking refuge, please?” He went on his knees.
“How do I know this is not a trap?”
“I swear to Moon Goddess. I wouldn’t risk my family by showing up at the border if I were not desperate for help. Please, I know who you are, Alpha Cal. I’ve heard about you. Just help my family. Take them to safety. I’m okay to stay here as long as I know they are safe somewhere.” It wouldn’t be hard enough for all packs in America to have heard about me, especially those who tried to challenge my allies. And I would take no reluctance to protect them, but his words did not entirely convince me.
“How did you escape?”
“We were at a picnic on the riverside, celebrating Adrian’s first shift, when one of our pack members barely escaped the attack to tell us to run. He was wounded. I could sense his smell around here, so we followed his trail.”
“So you mean your pack just gave your attacker our location? That’s enough reason for me to kill you.”
“I’m so sorry, Alpha Cal. We don’t mean that to happen. I just want to take my family to safety.”
“Califf, we can’t leave them here. They will die. And look at the baby. She’s hungry and terrified. She’s sucking her finger. We can put them in solitary, together with those two other wounded. Let your men inspect them for trackers or something.”
I looked at Shadow, and I felt her sincerity to help. She must have seen herself in that cub, seeking safety.
“I’ve heard this many times, taking refugees. In the end, they ended up killing those who had helped him. I won’t let that happen to my pack.”
“Take my life. Just promise me you keep them safe, Alpha.” He offered his neck. “Please?”
“No, Marcus. Please? We will just go somewhere else. I can’t let you do that.” Clara grabbed her mate from his shirt and cried. The cub and the teenage boy also cried along with his father.
“Do you think I will still let you go after showing yourselves in my territory?”
“Dad, it’s okay. You don’t have to do that,” the boy talked, lowering his gaze.
“Kill him,” without any remorse, I ordered Zack.
Zack looked at me. I saw a moment of hesitation before he marched forward.
“Califf, what are you doing?” Shadow gripped my arm. “That’s not right. He is defenseless and weak. That’s unfair, and you’ll kill him in front of his family? Don’t do this. You can’t be those savages who attack innocence. You should be better than them.”
Zack was about to tackle Marcus, and I had already sensed him in his killer mode. Marcus’ family wailed and begged to spare his life.
“Stop.”
“Alpha?” Zack snapped his head in my direction.
The woman and her kids went to hug Marcus and kept thanking me for mercy.
“Thank you,” Shadow said.
“Zack, take Shadow with you and the woman and her cub. Marcus and Adrian will stay until Preston and Sam are back.”
“But-”
I raised my finger at Shadow as I felt her resistance. “I want you safe.”
“I can help here.”
In my peripheral vision, my men reacted, finally realizing how important Shadow was to me.
“I know, but you are more needed there. I’ll see you soon.”
She sighed. Her expression disagreed with my order. “If you don’t come back in three hours, I’ll come and find you, rip your clothes off, and you go back walking butt naked.”
My men hid their smiles as they looked away.
“Duly noted. Now go.”
“Okay. Stay safe, Alpha.”
“Zack?”
“I will protect her with my life, Alpha. You have my word.”
“I’m capable of protecting my virtue, Alpha. Thank you very much,” she said as she walked away, helping Clara and the cub.
Once they were far enough, I faced Marcus and his son. “Tell us what happened.”
“I can’t say much more than what I told you earlier, but let me help you find Jonas and Santi.”
“The middle-aged man and the guy with back claw marks?” Lyon asked.
“Yes. Did you see them? How about Santi? That was his son, Santiago. He’s a good tracker. You can use him.”
“My men took them to get treatment.”
“Thank you so much, Alpha. I owe you my life.”
“What’s your Apha’s name?”
“Matias, Alpha Matias. We’re mainly from the south.”
“How many are you before?” Raiden asked.
“Eighteen men. Alpha Matias has a family. I and two others have family and kids. Oh, Goddess. No.” He stopped, his eyes widening.
“What?”
“My Alpha’s mate is expecting. I hope she’s okay. I wanna go back.”
“Are you crazy? You wanna get killed and leave your family alone with us, strangers?” Tor tsked.
“I trust him.” He looked at me. “I can’t live peacefully knowing I didn’t even go back and see what those savages did to the rest of the pack. What’s that leave me? A coward?”
“What is your rank, Marcus?”
“I’m on patrol. I also hunt.”
“You are going alone? You just sent yourself to death. Look at your pup. He just learned how to shift. He needs you, man. This is not the time to play hero.” Lyon looked at the still-silent boy. He just witnessed how cruel life could be.
“I will go with Dad.”
“Don’t be stupid,” Lyon said to the boy. “Let us find out first who attacked you. We might have the same enemy here. However, we haven’t figured out if your pack is our enemy. Anyhow, we will, soon enough.”
“I’m fine with that. I’ve been trying to communicate through our link, but no one responded to me, especially Alpha Matias.”
“That means they’re all dead.”
“Let’s go to the compound. And if you are lying all this time and put my entire pack in danger, I won’t hesitate to rip your family apart in front of everyone.” I narrowed my eyes at him, showing him no mercy. “Do you understand me?”
“Yes, Alpha.”
By the time we reached the clearing, Preston and Sam were back.
They climbed up the truck, and I let Preston drive us back while I stayed in the passenger’s seat.
“Did you sense something odd on the way?”
“Nothing so far. Alpha. Are we in danger?”
“There’s always a threat out there, Preston. That’s why we have night patrols to keep our territory safe.”
“We saw Shadow and Zack driving back home with another woman.”
“Yeah. His family.” I tipped my head over my shoulder. I opened the link to everyone. “Meeting in the conference hall in twenty.”
I had barely finished sending everyone a message when I saw the wrangler out of the road. “Fuck. Stop the car!” My heart hammered, and I quickly felt Shadow in distress. We hadn’t mated, but our bond was already strong, probably because we trusted each other and were one soul, after all.
I jumped out of the truck even though Preston hadn’t parked yet. “Shadow! Zack!”
My men came after me as I went to the wrangler, but it was empty, but I didn’t see blood anywhere. My stomach sank with dread.
“Clara!” Marcus called his mate, but none of them responded.
“Go find them.” I drew a deep breath and closed my eyes to connect my link with her. “Baby, talk to me. Where are you?”
“Alpha! Shadow is here!”