Dawn of a New Age: A Sons of Satrina Novel (21 page)

Chapter Seventeen

It had been a bloodthirsty night. The Mortuorum had been out in force and the Sons had a blast cutting them down to size. Kelton couldn’t wait to get back to the academy to wash the stench of evil from his skin.

It had also been one of the most productive nights they’d had in a very long time. The information with regards to the nest had been spot on the money. The warriors had not had quite so many bodies to dispose of in a long time. The rescue mission to get Aisline back had been an out of the ordinary event, but this bloodbath tonight had come close in regards to death toll. All the warriors that had been out with Kelton were on a high as they sped back to the academy in a convoy.

This was what it was all about. This was the life of a warrior. Sure, Kelton loved training the recruits almost as much as he loved being out in the field, but this was what he had been born for. Seeing those young minds and bodies develop into the strength and determination of a warrior was a wondrous thing to behold, but nothing beat actually going out there and taking down the enemy, making a difference in their world. That was what it was all about. Ridding the world of the enemy and making it a safer place for all to live.

Dawn was already peeking over the horizon as they wound their way along the country lanes outside Mason. Training would have already wrapped up long ago, giving the students some time to wind down before lights out. At least that meant that Kelton would be able to head straight to his suite of rooms that he shared with Kayleigh. The report that he’d have to write up about the nights events could wait until the morning.

As he headed up the convoy of cars that headed up the long tree covered driveway, Kelton frowned. There was some kind of light and activity centred at the front of the mansion. He sped the car up. He couldn’t tell from this distance what was going on up there, but he had a gut feeling that it wasn’t going to be anything good. So much for getting a shower and an early night.

Slamming the car to a halt, Kelton jumped out of the car, hearing the screeching of squealing tires behind him. The last thing he had expected was to be confronted by a group of angry bikers on their return. The anger that emanated off of them was like a solid red mist.

“What’s going on here?” Kelton asked in an official tone, looking around at the shifters. He couldn’t see Patrick among them.

“What’s going on?” One of the shifters closest to him sneered. “Keeping our boys hostage, that’s what’s going on, fanger.”

Kelton glared at him. Patrick’s pack was one of the largest in the country, if not the world. He knew many of the pack members, but unfortunately, he didn’t recognise anyone in this crowd. That didn’t bode well.

The guy in front of him, who was clearly acting as a spokesperson for the rest of the group, nearly matched him in height and frame. Nearly, but not quite. Not that it would have mattered, anyway. Kelton refused to be intimidated by anyone. Hell, he was standing there in front of the group and he was still covered in his enemy’s blood. He’d already had a hell of a night and this was not how he had expected it to end. This shifter in front of him may look all badass in his leathers and his Harley, but Kelton looked lethal.

“Holding who hostage?”

“Our boys.”

“Are you being serious?”

“Yeah, asshole. I’m deadly serious.” The shifter stepped forward. “When you don’t let them have any contact with their own kind and force them to stay here with you bloodsuckers against their will, then that is a hostage situation. You get me?”

Kelton had to bite back a very inappropriate burst of laughter. “No one is stopping any of the boys at this academy from contacting their family. Caleb and Rees can contact their families and pack members any time they choose. Only tonight I was discussing with your Alpha about arranging the opportunity for them to return home for a visit. But, they are here to train and learn, just like the rest of them.”

“Bullshit.”

“They have received the mark of the warrior. This is the only way that they can fulfil the urges that it generates. It was their choice to come here. They and your pack master made the decision.”

The shifter mumbled something unintelligible. Warrior Kelton wondered for a moment if Patrick was worried about dissension in the ranks of his pack. He hadn’t mentioned anything earlier in the evening. This little outburst wasn’t something he would have sanctioned and he was sure to be pretty damned unimpressed about so many members of his pack going behind his back like this.

“Well, we’re here to see them.” The shifter demanded.

Kelton stood his ground. “As I said, they are not being held hostage here at the academy. But, they do have to abide by the same rules as the rest of them. We have specific visiting time. And now is not the time.”

“We are here to see Caleb and Rees and you ain’t gonna stop us.” The shifter growled.

“I won’t stop you, if you come back at a more appropriate time. They have just had a full day of training and they are sure to be exhausted. Now is not the time for this.”

“We’re seeing them now.”

Kelton rolled his eyes before they darkened threateningly. “I don’t think you’re listening to me, pal.”

“Oh, I can hear you just fine. And I am not your pal. You’re a blood sucking vampire. You’re not one of us.”

“I should watch what you’re saying. You’re here on my turf and we outnumber you by about seven to one. Think about those odds before you keep on throwing insults around.”

“I don’t give a shit about any of that. The boys shouldn’t be here. They should be with their pack. This isn’t right.”

“Well, your pack master and I have deemed this a necessary move.”

“I don’t give a flying fuck what our goddamn pack master thinks! He’s wrong!” the shifter roared. “We’re here to take our boys back and you can’t stop us.”

“Like hell I can’t. This is private property and you can get your ass off it now before I personally kick you off it.”

“Are you threatening me, fanger?”

Kelton bellowed out a sarcastic laugh. “You’re the one who has come here all heavy handed, throwing insults and looking for a fight. And, you’re asking me if I’m threatening you?” he bit off the laughter suddenly and stepped forward, looking the shifter directly in the eye. “You take yourself and the rest of your members out of here right now and this won’t have to go any further. You brought the fight to the wrong person. Back off.” Kelton radiated lethal intent and he could see the shifter starting to see reason, but he was clearly too stubborn and stupid to back down, especially in front of his friends.

“We’re here to see Caleb and Rees. None of you dead-ass vamps are going to stop us.”

“Oh we’ll see about that.”

There was a violent glint in Kelton’s eyes. The night out on the streets had pumped him full of energy and this shifter getting all up in his face was making it resurface once again. No one, and he meant no one, ever came to him, especially when he was on his own property, and threatened him or any members of his academy.

Well, they came looking for a fight and Kelton was more than happy to oblige. He wouldn’t want to disappoint them…

From a political point of view, the last thing Kelton wanted or needed was to start a fight with the shifters, but they were the ones who had come looking for trouble and he wouldn’t lie down and roll over like some obedient pet. Kelton was trying to do his best by the shifter boys, treating the trainees in his care just the same, regardless of whether they were Lamia of shifter. They were all working towards the same goal. The warrior mark had started them on this path and Kelton was the one that made sure that they successfully followed that path. He looked out for each and every one of them. He would protect them all until his last breath. He would fight to the death for them. Even against their own kind.

Sure, he knew that this situation wasn’t nearly that extreme, no one was going to die here, and the shifters would just get a beating. There’d merely be a few bruises, but that wasn’t the point. These shifters had come to the academy without their pack masters express consent and permission and were hell bent on destroying the peace that Kelton had built here. He wouldn’t stand for that. Caleb and Rees were going nowhere tonight and they would be seeing no one. This wasn’t the time or the place for this kind of thing.

Kelton had to hold back a grin. This group of shifters weren’t the smartest bunch. It was clear in their eyes that they thought they would only have to get past Kelton to get to their boys. How wrong they were. Even though he had warned them that they were outnumbered several times over, the moment the Harley’s had been spotted rolling up outside the academy, Master Warrior Verynai had put the rest of the warriors on alert and had already sent word to Patrick. Kelton didn’t have to hear the words to know that this had already happened. He knew. Verynai was in charge of the place while he was out on the streets and he knew what to do. As second-in-command, Kelton had complete faith in him. If those shifters thought that the fight was on now, he couldn’t wait to see their faces when the rest of the warriors piled out of the door, let alone when their Alpha turned up.

After a moment of tense silence, Kelton felt the energy in the air rank up a notch. He saw the shifter move to take a swing at him and easily blocked the anticipated move. Kelton didn’t last lash out himself, he simply evaded the attack. This was a bad situation that didn’t need to be made worse by him pulverising the pack. Yes, he knew that he was still hyped up from the night out on the streets and was itching for a fight, but he knew better. He was better than that. There was no way he wanted to burn his bridges with Patrick and the rest of the pack over this fool. He was smarter than that.

Blocking kick after punch after kick, Kelton started to get bored. The rest of the pack seemed to be waiting for some kind of single to join in the fray, but the shifter in front of Kelton was too busy trying to prove was a big man he was, and failing miserably.

The rest of the pack soon enough got restless and surged forward, planning on a fight with the wall of warriors behind Kelton to try and get to their shifter boys. It was easy enough to see that this attack wasn’t very well planned or thought out. They didn’t have the sense or the man power to rival the expertise of the warriors. Even the trainees in this place would take on these ragtag shifters with ease. They were obviously hoping that brute force would get them through.

Kelton heard the sound of splintering wood from behind him. Surprisingly, one of the shifter had actually managed to get through the line of warriors and had tried kicking his way through the front doors of the mansion. Kelton was keeping half an eye on the shifter that was still attempting to inflict injury on him, to no avail, while making sure the shifters didn’t actually get into the academy. The shifter was breathing heavily and was already starting to run out of steam whereas Kelton hadn’t even started yet. 

Shouts and battle cries rose up in the crowd, but Kelton didn’t need to bother to turn and check what was going on. He didn’t need to look to know what was happening. The aggressive yelling was already dialling down to a dull roar after only a few minutes. The plan was working. Let the shifters wear themselves out.

Having had enough of the guy in front of him, Kelton suddenly launched forward and grabbed the shifter in a choke hold. It took a couple of seconds of restraint for him to calm down and go limp in Kelton’s arms. The shifter gave up quicker than he thought he would, but it was clear that he was exhausted. Kelton slowly released the hold on his neck, moving to grasp his arm in such a position that if the shifter moved too suddenly, he would have a shattered arm to worry about.

Moving slowly up the front stone steps of the mansion to the destroyed doors, Kelton glanced over at the warrior standing in the open doorway. Master Warrior Verynai nodded over at him and Kelton knew that everything was under control. He moved closer to the top of the stairs with the shifter still in a tight hold.

The entryway was dangerously quiet. Unfortunately, several shifters had managed to breach the entrance, but each that had were standing with a sharp blade pointed at their throats. Kelton didn’t want this situation to get this far, but the shifters had left them little choice.

The only sound to be heard was the low rumbling growling coming from the shifter in Kelton’s uncomfortable grip. It was obvious that he was he royally pissed off that he and his men had been bested by the vampires.

“As I said before,” Kelton said in a loud voice that could be heard by all, “The boys are not being held hostage here. They are here of their own free will and with the express permission and encouragement of your pack leader.” Kelton glared around to make sure that all those who had entered their walls uninvited and those still outside had heard him.

It was partly true what he’d said. He was probably stretching the whole ‘free-will’ thing, but the sentiment was the same.

“Get your goddamn hands off me.” The shifter growled.

“Why should I? You came in here, to our home, bringing us trouble.”

“Get off me!” the shifter tried to struggle, the embarrassment of being overpowered by Kelton getting to him, but he only succeeded in hurting himself more.

“WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?”

Kelton turned his head slightly to see Patrick standing at the bottom of the steps, silhouetted by the moonlit sky. He looked several steps past furious.