Wolves of Wrath

Chapter 3-2

“Did you stop to think that Adam and Elle, both fae and able to flash, would know if they could leave the pixie realm?”

All of the wolves were quiet.

“So, in your haste to take action, you didn’t stop and consider all of the players and options?” Lucian growled.

“We just want to get our females to safety,” Nick said.

“And we wanted to help them,” said Bannan. Drayden kept quiet.

“I understand that. But what if, in the haste to execute your half-baked plan, Volcan had decided to focus his attention on you?” He motioned to Ciro, Kale, and Nick. “What good would you be to your mates if you’re carcasses were littering the ground?”

Silence again.

“I cannot let this careless, not to mention disrespectful, act go without appropriate consequences.”

Each of them bowed their heads.

Lucian walked up to Ciro and laid a hand on his head. “Ciro, Alpha of the Italy pack. You have chosen to disobey my order, and for that, you will endure until I lift this magic. You will see and not touch, you will smell and not taste, you will hear and not answer the one who is to be yours.”

Ciro’s eyes widened, and he bared his teeth at Lucian but could not hold his gaze. “This is how you will punish us?” He snarled.

“You punished yourself when you chose to act alone. All wolves must work together now. There can be no lone wolves or rogue packs. We face a danger that will consume us if we are not united. It is important to all of us that you find your mates, but not just for your sakes. Your mates are gypsy healers. They are vital to every pack member, and it is your responsibility to keep them safe. You are given that charge. You cannot do that if you let yourselves get killed. You must understand that going forward. Your hunt was unauthorized. Your mates were your prey. Therefore, they will be withheld from you until the lesson is learned. Perhaps you will think twice before acting in your own self-interest before considering the needs of your pack. We are pack and we must act as such. Without order, we will resort to chaos. Chaos will make us vulnerable to the enemy.”

One by one, Lucian stepped up to the three males and spoke the magic over them that would keep them from claiming, or even interacting with, their true mates. He turned to Drayden and Bannan. “And you two, consider yourselves lucky you don’t have mates. Let this be a lesson as to how stupid we males can act when we do finally find our mates. I would think you would’ve known better, Drayden.” The Alpha had the good sense to look ashamed. “Please try to keep these three out of trouble instead of encouraging their foolishness.”

When it was done, Lucian had three very pissed off wolves glaring at him and two that looked like guilty school children who’d just escaped a s******g from the principal by ratting out their friends. He shrugged. They could glare all they wanted, but they would obey.

As they turned to cross back into Farie, Dillon muttered, “Remind me never to get on your bad side. I always thought Peri was the twisted one. Turns out you might just rival her.”

Sorin covered his laugh with a cough.

Lucian chuckled softly. “Or she’s just rubbing off on me.”

Dalton sat on a hill that overlooked the stretch of land between the veil and Peri’s home. He saw the rogue wolves cross through, just behind his Alpha and Lucian. They looked thoroughly chastised, but even more than that, they looked enraged. He wondered what Peri’s mate had done to cause such anger. Whatever it was, it was warranted. They knew better than to disobey an Alpha, or Peri, for that matter.

He turned his head back toward the veil. He’d been staring at it for days. Every second, he hoped that he’d see his Jewel walk through it, but every second passed with disappointment. He had no idea if she was okay. He had no idea where she was or what she was doing. He didn’t even have Gustavo to ask, since his mate, Anna, was with Jewel. He just needed something, anything, to tell him she was unharmed.

Dalton hadn’t slept since the day she’d left. He’d only eaten a few times. He hadn’t bothered to phase back to his human form at all. Dillon had talked to him several times, trying to persuade him to do all three. As Dalton’s Alpha, he could have commanded him, but Dillon respected his right to pine for his mate.

Dalton didn’t know what else to do. He couldn’t hunt her because he had no idea where to begin. He had no mental bond to her, so there was nothing that could even point him in the right direction. She’d promised to come back to him, and he was trying desperately to hold onto that promise.

When she’d returned from Volcan, Jewel had been worried the darkness in Dalton would grow because of the spell the dark fae had cast over her. She didn’t understand that being away from her mate would be the thing that actually caused the darkness to increase. It was already pushing at his wolf, urging him to tear into something. He wanted to kill something. Truthfully, he wanted to kill Volcan, but that wasn’t currently an option, and there wasn’t a whole lot to kill in Farie. There was a rabbit here or there, but no large game. What he needed was a massive grizzly bear with which to wrestle. He’d even allow the bear to get a few swipes in before he killed it. The physical pain would be so much more bearable than the emotional pain that was swamping him.

Maybe he could persuade Dillon to let him go into the human realm forest to hunt. Perhaps that would help him keep the darkness at bay. Maybe. But if it didn’t, then more than grizzlies would need to worry about his teeth and claws.

He stood up and gave himself a good shake before taking off at a run toward Peri’s home. Dillon was standing outside, leaning against the house and watching him. He looked a little pre-occupied, which told Dalton he was probably communicating with Tanya, his mate who was back in Colorado. Dillon had only seen her a handful of times since all of this had begun. Peri had flashed him to Colorado to give the mated pair some time together. Now that she was mated to a werewolf, she understood the powerful link between mates and how hard it was to be apart for any length of time.

When Dalton was a few feet away, he sat on his haunches and waited. A few minutes later, Dillon straightened and looked at him.

“Everything okay, Dalton?”

Dalton huffed, annoyed that he’d have to phase in order to talk. “I want to hunt something bigger than bunnies.”

Dillon narrowed his eyes on him. “You want to go into the human realm?”

“Just to hunt something I can wrestle with before I kill it.”

“What if it kills you?”

Dalton wanted to snort. He was pretty sure there was very little that could meet his wrath and survive. His wolf was more enraged than it had ever been, even more so than when the bond had been broken. Then he’d been more scared than angry. Now he was simply seething. “I imagine the world will keep spinning even if I’m not in it.”

“What about Jewel’s world?” Dillon growled. “Do you care what would happen to her world if you weren’t in it?”

Dalton snapped his teeth together. “Yes, I care, but considering she seems able to survive just fine without me at the current moment, I think she’d eventually be okay.”

“Don’t start that pity crap,” his Alpha huffed. “It doesn’t suit you. Anyone who has seen the way she looks at you, even without the bond, can tell she adores you. She’s doing what she has to in order to survive and protect those she cares for. Do not belittle her choice by acting as though she doesn’t need you.”

Dalton was not in the mood to discuss Jewel. He just wanted to kill something, dammit. Was that too much to ask? “Are we going to hunt or stand here and talk about our feelings all day?”

Dillon phased, allowing his clothes to be shredded. Dalton phased seconds after him and found himself flat on his back with his Alpha’s teeth sinking into his neck. Not enough to break skin, but enough to remind him of his place. After several heartbeats, Dalton finally turned his head, bearing his neck and submitting. With one final jerk, Dillon released him and waited for him to roll to his feet.

His Alpha took off at a dead run, heading straight for the veil. Dalton was right behind him. He shed his worries, pain, and fear as he let the wind flow through his fur. His claws dug into the ground as each paw hit the ground, propelling him forward. Faster and faster he pushed himself.

They passed through the veil and were hit by the scents of the human realm: moist dirt, dead leaves carpeting the forest floor, and animals hiding in their holes. There was the faint smell of rain on the air, and Dalton found himself hoping they would be caught in a torrential downpour. Hunting large prey would be challenging, but it would be even more challenging if they were nearly blinded by a thunderstorm.

They’d been running less than fifteen minutes when he got his wish. His lips spread into a wolfish smile as the thunder rolled across the sky and the clouds moved in. The sun was covered, turning day into night. Periodically, the sky and forest around them would be lit by flashes of lightning. The ground would shake as the bolts made contact, and he could feel the jolt up through his legs. The rain came down in sheets as the huge drops pelted his fur. Most of the water ran off, but some penetrated the thick coat and made contact with his skin.

He reveled in the violence of the storm as it seemed to grow more volatile with his own mood. The wind picked up, and the trees danced to the violent music as their branches swayed. The leaves that rustled only added to the eerie sound, as if they were applauding nature’s rage. Dalton threw his head back and let out a loud howl as he ran, his voice joining with the display.

They ran harder, and Dalton could tell the storm was pushing his Alpha as well, almost challenging them to try and survive all that nature could throw at them. Suddenly, a bolt struck only fifty yards in front of them, and a huge tree began to fall. They picked up their pace and shifted, hopped, and ducked, as the branches closed in on them. They’d barely made it through the last branch when the tree hit the ground with a deafening crash. The giant trunk would have crushed a small house, much less two running wolves. Something inside of Dalton laughed that they’d just beaten death. He recognized it as the morbid part of him that was willing to play chicken with the grim reaper and knew he wouldn’t have been so eager had Jewel been nearby.

Dillon stuck his nose in the air and took in a deep breath. Turning his head in all directions, he continued to sniff the air until he whipped to the right and took off at a dead run. Dalton followed, picking up the scent as well—wolves, natural wolves. What was Dillon doing?

Surely, they weren’t going to attack their own cousins? He continued to follow until they came to a ridge that overlooked a valley. Dalton stopped beside Dillon. They stared down at the pack of wolves, which had recently brought down a large elk. Dalton couldn’t help but be a little jealous.

The wolves, having caught the werewolves’ scent, turned their own heads up toward the sky. One by one they each tilted their heads, showing their necks. Dillon let out a loud howl, and the pack joined in.

They sat and watched as the few pups in the pack played and the Alpha pair watched over them. It all seemed so simple. Why couldn’t their lives be that simple? Why couldn’t they just live, hunt, love, and play? It was not their lot in life. They were meant to be protectors, to help those weaker than themselves. And many times, that meant significant sacrifices on their part.