It all happened so fast, yet it felt like slow motion.
Justice stepped off with his right foot and bounded a good eight feet in the air, shifting in mid-leap and landing on four large paws. Justice shook out his animal’s thick white and gray fur, his wolf beyond anxious to be let out in the presence of its mate. Justice turned his large head to the darkening sky and howled to the pack and all neighboring packs within miles. The rest of the Humboldt pack emerged from their cabins and the perimeter of dense trees. Some were in wolf form and some human. Whichever their form, they were all staring at the vampires, not the defiant wolves that were currently being kept in a tight line by Alek and Mac, while the impressive Alpha Zenith made his entrance.
Justice finished stretching his massive body – his wolf having been confined for two days – then turned his icy blue eyes on his mate. Justice stood tall and dominant, his tail high in the air. Wick didn’t try to hide his excitement or shield his arousal at seeing his wolf. Justice’s sense of smell was already sensitive but in this form the smell of his mate was driving him crazy. It was so amazing and distinct from anything else around him. His wolf ached to go to Wick and push his body against him so he at least carried his scent. His animal already struggled with his mate not wearing his mark.
“You’re beautiful, Beloved.”
His mate approved and Justice’s wolf howled again. He was torn which way to go. He had a huge job to do as the AZ, but he also had work to put in with his mate. The pull was twice as strong now. Something inside of Wick was beckoning Justice, and it wasn’t only Wick’s soul, but far beyond it.
Another quiet snarl then a sharp bark jerked Justice’s attention away from his mate and back to the young wolf blocked by Alek’s large body, but still pacing, trying to get around him. This wasn’t typical of a wolf so young. He behaved recklessly and against his nature, and it had Justice reacting. No one threatened his mate.
Justice was across the yard in seconds, his speed faster than a cheetah’s, and that was on a slow day. He clamped his huge jaws around the disobedient shifter’s throat and gave him a vicious shake, growling and snarling his disapproval. Justice easily shook the tawny wolf like he was nothing but a stuffed animal. The wolf lay limp, the pungent smell of fear and urine assaulted Justice’s senses. He released the crying animal and just refrained from dragging the pup to his mate’s feet and making him apologize. Instead, Justice pulled back enough to let the wolf roll over and bare his stomach to his Alpha.
“You’ve disgraced yourself, your pack… and me.” Justice sent to the pitiful creature trembling beneath him.
“Alpha. It’s the damn vamps. They’re the disgrace.”
Justice growled ferociously, sending the wolf scampering back with his tail tucked firmly. “Where are you getting this information?”
The wolf looked back at the others, still being disciplined by Justice’s brothers. Handling seven shifters was a walk in the park for his betas. Alpha Mikel had shifted into his big, black wolf and was sniffing around the cad wolves, along their flanks, muzzles, and genitals, trying to gather as much information as he could. When one would bark their annoyance, Alek’s reprimand was swift and harsh. Usually a head-butt or sharp nip at their hip to get them back in line.
“Don’t look to them! Answer me!”
The wolf whimpered, then released a sad howl. “My new pack.”
Justice hadn’t approved of any new packs. This shifter uprising wasn’t just against vampires – but him as well! Justice reached out with his mind, looking for voids and holes where shifters should be. If there was a rebellion, they were more than likely getting help to block their locations.
“Where is the pack...? WHERE?!” Justice bristled, his black-rimmed ears up and forward as he pushed enough power out to force the wolf to answer, enough strength to hurt.
“At the base of the Ruby Dome.” The wolf barely formed the sentence, he was whining so loud.
The other wolves tried to deny having any association with the rogue pack, but again, Justice’s brothers shut them up fast.
This needed a lot more investigating and doing it out here wouldn’t get him the answers he needed. If there was a new pack forming, one which was hell bent on starting a species war, then Justice needed to eliminate it. A determined feeling washed over him, making him look back at his mate.
“I can help you.”
“I... I don’t know.”
Wick stared at Justice for a long time. No one spoke, no one moved, not even the chastised pups still belly up on the ground. Wick’s body started to vibrate and his eyes flashed back and forth from blown, jet-black pupils to narrow slits.