No Quarter (10 page)

The following morning during her normal workout routine, Nala had reached her favorite tree with her favorite branch. It was a typical Tennessee morning, sunny and humid. Rays of light pierced through the canopy of trees, licking the forest floor. She pulled herself up, inhaling as she did so. The smell of the earth, damp forest floor and the lush greenery surrounding her, danced in her nostrils. Blowing the air out as she extended her arms, she could still smell the moss and dirt. She inhaled again as she lifted her chin above the branch. This time, another smell…something foreign…something living.

She dropped to the dirt below her and scanned the area, testing the air again. The familiar pinching between her blades made her stomach leap. A Lycan was near, and it wasn’t a pack member. Sniffing again, she made a mental note of the smell…but couldn’t identify it. It was musty, like an old basement.

Crack!
The sound of a breaking twig caused her to snap her head the left, just in time to see the wolf, crouching low in the stalking position. Its dark grey fur failed to shine in the sunlight. There were two more behind him, one brown, and one sandy in color.

Security Breach!
She screamed out in her head to her mate, praying their connection would reach him. With a deep cleansing breath, she fought to remain calm. Footsteps to her right pulled her attention to Stephany Kincade strolling toward her, a large male wolf trailing behind.

“Hello there.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Come for a workout, Stephany?” Her heart thundered. She was now outnumbered five to one. She might be tough, but those were unfavorable odds.

“You disrespected me,” she snapped.

“You disrespected
and
attacked a pack member. My response was measured and warranted.” She lifted her chin, asserting herself as an Alpha. “It’s my duty to protect my pack.”

“Where are you?”
Colin’s panicked voice came through, reassuring her.

My workout trail, by the tree. Hurry!

“That Alpha shit might work with your pack. But to me, you’re nothing more than another bitch in my way. I’ve brought some of my friends to teach you a lesson in respect.”

The three wolves started approaching from the left as Stephany and her companion approached from the right. She had two choices, fight or run. She couldn’t survive an attack of four wolves and a scorned female. Running was the safest option, but she didn’t want to give Stephany the satisfaction.

Taking a few steps back, she shifted her eyes back and forth. “I figured you for a coward. It gives me great solace knowing I was right.”

Howls and screams from the left startled Nala until she saw that five Gnomes were going crazy, vibrating like Mary had, on the three wolves there. They clawed and stabbed at the wolves eyes.

Two Lycans…two she could handle.

Stephany charged her.

Nala swung her open hand, connecting with Stephany’s cheek, slapping her in the face to add insult to injury. “Down girl!” She growled at her.

The wolf behind Stephany lunged at Nala but was stopped in midair by a Centaur hoof. To Nala’s shock and amazement, Prometheus had joined the rescue squad. The wolf shifted to heal what was certainly an injured rump.

“Jackson!” Stephany squealed as she ran over to her mate.

“What is the meaning of this ambush?” Nala’s screamed at the top of her lungs. All commotion stopped.

Jackson stood from the ground and limped toward her. “You disrespected my mate! You have to pay for that!”

Turning slightly away from him so as to brace herself for a fight, she growled. “This is not the proper means to settle a dispute and you
know
that. There are customs. There are laws! This was a cowardly attack. Five to one? Are you all such sniveling, cowardly weaklings?”

Prometheus stepped between them. “I’m reporting your actions to FOSE. For now, you are trespassing and must leave.” He looked down on the Lycan. “Unless of course you’d like to continue? I’m certain you won’t since you lost your significant advantage.”

“I issue a challenge!” Spittle flew from his mouth as he screamed. Veins bulged in his neck.

Nala’s heart stopped.

“One week from today,” he spat. “Scottsboro land.”

Shaking her head, she refused. “I won’t step foot on Scottsboro ground. If you want a challenge, you’ll do it here, on the land you’re trying to confiscate. You’ll do it by the book. That means no more trespassing, no more ambushes by you, your people, or any proxy.” She stuck out her hand. “Order it now and it’s done. You
are
the pack’s Beta, are you not?”

His low growl and scowl didn’t scare her. He finally took her hand and shook it, but only for a split second.

“I order you all to stand down. No one is to come to Belfast until a week from today by my order.” His announcement made Stephany seethe.

She stormed over pointing her finger at Nala. “Make your funeral arrangements now. You’re one dead were-bitch!”

Colin ran up behind Nala. When she turned to look at him, she was shocked to see him so disheveled. His shirt was torn and he had blood dripping from his nose.

“I have a message for you from your brother.” He looked at Stephany, his smile wide. “He abjures you.”

It might have been the only time Nala would witness emotion in the eyes of her nemesis. The words had wounded her as evidenced by the large tears gathering in her eyes.

“Get off my land,” Nala barked at them before turning on her heel. “What happened to you?”

“Jake. Jake wanted me to let you handle this without me. We fought.” He threw his arms around her and pulled her in tight. “Damn I was so worried.”

“I’ll escort them to the property line,” Prometheus offered with a slight bow of his head toward her.

Having a Centaur warrior escort them made a clear statement. “Thank you.”

“You look like hell. Did you two really fight?”

He laughed as his head bobbed. “He’s strong as a bear, I tell you. You don’t have to ever worry about him losing a battle. He’d rip his own arm off to beat you with it if he had to. My brother is crazy.”

As they made their way back toward the house, he described their fight in detail. It was less of a fight and more like Jake restraining Colin, insisting that Nala had to prove herself as Alpha. “He said that if I came to your rescue it would undermine you as Alpha.”

“It would, except it was an ambush.”

“That’s what I tried to tell him. But the others were on their way already and…let’s just say that we disagreed…strongly.”

She spoke in a low voice so the others following could not hear. “I’ve never heard of abjure. What does that mean?”

He turned his head to look her in the eye. The look was sad. “It’s how you disown your family permanently. It’s a very old tradition not used much anymore but it’s as formal as it comes—and permanent.”

“Did he really do that? When? Were you on the phone with him?” When they reached the house, Nala took a seat on the patio, pulling her mate next to her as she examined his nose.

“When you called out to me, Roman and Grace heard you. He sent the message telepathically.” He waved her hand away from his face. “My nose is fine. I healed already.”

“I don’t understand,” she said as she leaned back against the table, “why didn’t he tell me?”

His hand was wrapped around hers in an instant. “We sort of all talked about this when you became Alpha. We knew you’d face adversity and that your strength, both inner strength and perceived strength would come from your dealing with that adversity. We don’t want the others thinking you need our rescue to be Alpha, just as when I was Alpha.” He rubbed his face. “Since I was the Alpha of this pack, it is very important it doesn’t appear I’m a defacto-alpha. You earned your spot. It’s not a façade.”

As she fought to digest what he said, anger welled up inside. How was it that everyone was privy to this discussion except the woman in question?

“Because, it’s more effective when you’re allowed to act and make decisions without the outside influence of that knowledge.” His unexpected wink chilled the fire flowing through her veins. How could she continually forget he could now hear her thoughts?

“I see.”

“You just faced your first challenge head-on, without fear or hesitance. You did that because I wasn’t lurking. Jake was right to hold me back.” Large heavy arms wrapped around her as he pulled her in for another hug. “Bastards. Five-on-one? Who does that?”

With a deep cleansing breath, she leaned back against the stone table. She closed her eyes for a moment, forcing herself to calm. “I saw this coming. I knew when I protected a Gnome and restrained her she’d get revenge. It isn’t hard to see her moral compass does exactly point due North.”

Colin shook his head. “She’s always been different. Stephany never fit in here, which is why she migrated to Chicago. She wanted to be by the big city, not among the
dirty
forest. Roman suspects they have different fathers, though never had any real reason to think his mother was unfaithful.”

“What?” She shook her head. “Weren’t his parents bonded?”

He shrugged, his lips sagged into a frown. “It was an arranged marriage. They never went through with the bond.”

“So why was the Centaur here?” She posed the question to give her mind time to catch up. Stephany might have a different father than Roman…and she never really fit in. Now she’s money and power hungry. It could explain her motivations.

“Because I get to see you in a dress.” His laugh was quiet as his brow wagged at her.

“Excuse me?”

“Well, he came with wedding invitations. So I get to see you in a dress again.”

Her heart fell in her shoes. She didn’t have a dress, nor was she comfortable wearing dress shoes now that she had to watch her back even more. “I see. Who is getting married?”

“Hey!” He nudged her. “I felt that. Why so glum? It just gives us another excuse to take a trip into town.”

When his hand reached her thigh, the soothing warmth of his palm eased her off her internal ledge. “You still haven’t told me who is getting married.”

“Ah, yes. Wendy’s little Gnome friend, Mary. The Gnomes are so excited they wanted to invite nearly everyone. You are among the most wanted because you were the first Lycan Alpha to invite them to integrate. We have special seats and everything.”

Oh good, easy targets.

“Hey,” he whispered in her ear, “you’re really shaken up by this. I get that, but you’ll be surrounded by dozens of warriors. Relax. It’s a party.” His gentle kiss pressed against her temple momentarily and once again, she felt her nerves ease up.

“But I have been challenged, Colin. How am I supposed to celebrate when I’m so worried?” She scrubbed her face with her hand. “I can’t even exercise without fear of another ambush. Don’t think for one second I took that mutt for his word.”

The clacking of hooves approached. Prometheus wore a serious scowl that did little to keep Nala calm. “The heathens are gone, Nala. But I must warn you, they’re concocting some plan. I overheard the thoughts of the female. She clamped up before I caught it. But I heard her think something about a surprise for us all.”

She stood and brushed her hands on her pants. “We’re already on high alert here. We know who we’re dealing with.”

The air shimmered briefly as he shifted to human form. “If I may…give you some advice?”

“Advice? Sure.”

“Your aura reads of self-doubt. You must believe in yourself, Lycan warrior. You are a true Alpha. If you go into battle assuming he’s stronger and more skilled, you
will
lose. You must cleanse yourself.”

“That’s reassuring.”

“Nala, just listen to him,” Colin begged.

Prometheus continued. “If you can remove the doubt, your will be clear headed and have a full advantage. You’ve fought and won. You have taken on three Lycans…and won. You defeated a brutal ruler while in a weakened state. This Jackson fellow will be a challenge, but you
will
win. You
must
believe that. In two hundred years I’ve not met a female of your caliber. Also in that two hundred years, I’ve never met a Lycan more determined, more concerned that you, ma’am. That’s two centuries of experience I have to offer.” He cleared his throat. “Now, to a more tender subject…I’d like to offer a few of our men for extra security.”

“Absolutely not! You leave them at that school to protect those kids!” Her voice boomed through the air, startling Colin and Prometheus.

“As you wish.” His lips spread wide, his teeth gleaming as he smiled. “Pure of heart as well. Yes, a true warrior. You’ll walk through the heathen if you believe in yourself.”

“Training starts now!” A voice came from behind her as large hands pushed hard on her back and a foot looped around her ankles. She hit the dirt, face first.

“What the hell?” Colin screamed.

“Stay back if you love your mate,” Prometheus ordered with a finger pointed at Colin.

Tom, head of security, jumped on her back, pulling at her wrist. Nala bucked, knocking him off her back as she scrambled to her feet. She shifted to wolf at growled. Tom wasted no time shifting and lunged at her once again, grabbing her by the back of the neck and flipping her in the air. Twisting, she managed to land on her feet running as she charged him.