Betrayed that she’d snuck out to follow Tayte like he was doing something wrong. Betrayed that she’d run from us the first chance she got. Betrayed that she’d believed such an obvious and stupid lie.
After everything we’d said and done for her, that one lie was what she’d believed? So much so, that she’d endangered her own life and that of our daughter.
I focused back on Dane as the screech and rumble of the pack’s trucks pulled up and caught my attention.
“First thing’s first. We have to save our Alpha before he becomes bear meat.”
The procession of cars and trucks filled up the whole street.
The pack was here.
Dex jogged straight to me. “What’s the situation?”
“Tayte’s offered himself in exchange for Celeste, so the bears have him and intend to kill him. They may have already done so.”
I didn’t think they’d be so quick about it, but what did I know about the execution strategies of bear shifters?
Dexter groaned. “This was not meant to happen. Tayte only said that stuff about Celeste to buy us some time to work out a better strategy than all-out war.”
I glanced behind me, where dozens of young, healthy men were piling out of their cars.
“Well, it looks like the war is on.”
Dexter nodded and went over to the pack to explain what was going on.
“We need to go. Now.” Dan
e nodded at a bunch of kids who’d spotted us.
The looked like bears, somehow, and when they began to run, we went after them.
We didn’t want them alerting the adults to our presence.
“Dex! Gray!”
We ran, following the kids to a huge apartment block and straight through the front door of the place.
We could hear a ruckus in the backyard and charged down the corridor to where a horror story was unfolding before me.
Tayte was chained up against the fence, and it looked like they were taking turns beating him up. He was naked, bleeding and sliced.
“No!”
The shift came on me faster than it ever had.
I ran straight at the man with the knife, who was poised to stick it straight into Tayte’s belly.
I clamped onto his wrist and ripped flesh from bone. Blood spurted through my teeth and I growled as I tore harder.
That’s when the screaming began.
Women began to run, grabbing children, as my pack charged for the men.
Bear shifters began to shift and charge the wolves. The fight was on.
Whether we meant to begin a war, or not, it seemed we had one.
I stood in front of Tayte, growling and snapping at anyone who attempted to approach.