Savage Urges (20 page)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

T
wo days. Makenna experienced two blessed days of peace. A peace that ended as she and Ryan pulled up outside the shelter, only to find Remy waiting with some of his wolves. Just the sight of him was enough to cause a deep, dark rage to unfurl in her stomach and make her wolf leap to her feet with a snarl.

Hearing a low growl build in Ryan’s chest, she put a hand on his arm. “Whatever happens, whatever he says, stay calm. The council meeting is tomorrow. We’ve been smart up until now. Let’s not fuck it up by losing our shit at the last hurdle.”

Ryan grunted. “I could say the same to you.” Her calm exterior wasn’t fooling him for a second. Not just because he knew her well but because he could
feel
her fury like it was his own. It practically sizzled in his veins. There was only one explanation for that. “The mating bond is operating on some level.” It was still psychically out of his reach, but it was somehow working.

“Or imprinting has started.”

That made more sense, since a mating bond couldn’t fully function unless it had snapped into place. And yet, Ryan’s instincts told him this was more than imprinting. His wolf agreed.

She exhaled heavily. “Come on, let’s get this over with.” They both hopped out of the Chevy, and Ryan then moved to stand beside Makenna as he lifted a questioning brow at Trick. The enforcer was guarding the door with Dominic.

“He just arrived,” Trick told them, arms folded.

“And he doesn’t seem inclined to tell us why he’s here,” said Dominic, glaring at Remy.

Ignoring them, Remy pushed away from his vehicle and came toward Makenna and Ryan, exuding superiority and arrogance. “Makenna,” he drawled with none of his usual charm. His gaze flicked briefly to the distinctive bite on her throat. “I heard you wore a claiming mark.” Most likely from his spies. “I was doubtful about it. I hadn’t actually believed someone would claim a loner.”

Remy’s enforcers snickered. It would seem that Remy had decided to drop
all
pretense of being a nice guy.

His eyes shifted to Ryan. “I see you’re wearing a mark too. I’m curious, are you true mates or have you imprinted?”

“Why are you here?” asked Makenna, voice bland.

“I thought I’d give Dawn one final chance to join my pack before the council meeting tomorrow.”

Makenna snorted. “If you wanted to speak to Dawn, you wouldn’t have been waiting by your car. You’re here to see us. Why?”

Remy returned his focus to Ryan. “I appreciate that you’re protective of your mate and, by extension, the shelter. It’s only natural.” His expression hardened as he added, “But Makenna’s mate or not, you need to stay out of this, Conner. This matter does not concern you or your pack. Are we clear?”

Ryan grunted. It was a sound that Makenna translated to “Fuck you.”

“It would be wise of you to do as I say, Conner. After all, it’s not only your mate you have to think about. That cousin of yours—young Zac—also depends on you to keep him safe. I’ll bet he was a pretty child.” An arrogant smirk slowly spread across Remy’s face. “We wouldn’t want his old pack to learn his whereabouts, would we?”

A black, bottomless rage slammed into Makenna, churning her stomach and almost causing her knees to buckle. She quickly realized the emotion belonged to Ryan, who was as stoic and unreadable as always. He’d never show any vulnerability to this sick bastard. “You’re a big fan of blackmail, aren’t you, Remy?” A little of her own anger leaked into her tone. “That’s how you got some of Dawn’s sponsors to withdraw their funding.”

Remy’s chin jutted out. “Blackmail is a quick and efficient way of getting things done.”

“Especially since your little plan to sic the cougars on the shelter didn’t work so well, huh?” The morning after Riley and the children had been moved to Phoenix Pack territory, several cougars had arrived at the shelter asking whether a young viper was staying there. Trick had replied no, had told them about Remy’s hopes to get his hands on the territory that the shelter sits on.

Face tightening, Remy clenched his teeth. “I know you’re hiding the viper.”

“Viper?”

“Play dumb if you wish, but I’ve seen your records.”

“When you hacked into Dawn’s computer, you mean? Yeah, we know all about that.” Makenna smiled sweetly. “Say, how’s your mom?”

His nostrils flared, his lips flattened into a harsh line, and his fists clenched. She actually thought he’d hit her. Instead, he took a long breath and turned to Ryan. “Don’t ignore my warning, Conner. For young Zac’s sake.”

Ryan’s wolf bared his teeth, releasing a primal growl that held both hatred and challenge. The animal wanted to leap on the sick male who would do Zac harm; he had no care for the politics surrounding the situation. But Ryan’s practicality won out, keeping him still and silent as he watched the Alpha return to his car and drive away. It was one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do.

Ryan turned to his seething mate, striving to control his anger so that he didn’t overwhelm her with it. If the strain on her face was anything to go by, it was too late for that. He cupped her nape and drew her to him, pressing an apologetic kiss to her temple. “You okay?”

“I wanted to slit his throat.” She shuddered. “He makes my skin crawl.”

“His time is almost up, Kenna.” Soon, Remy Deacon would die. Ryan urged his mate up the path and into the shelter. Trick and Dominic followed them inside.

Dawn was in the reception area with Madisyn and Colton, rubbing her arms. “What did Remy want?”

“To warn Ryan and his pack not to come with us tomorrow,” said Makenna.

Dominic leaned against the wall. “I noticed he didn’t bother acting innocent when Makenna flung accusations at him.”

“Probably because he’s lost his patience at this point,” said Madisyn. “Most of his plans have come to nothing.”

Ryan nodded, looking at Dawn. “He wants you to feel backed into a corner so that you give in to him.”

Makenna draped an arm around Dawn’s shoulders. “But you didn’t; you fought for these people. You may have lost some of your sponsors, but you were able to attract new ones. He thought that having residents fired would keep the place full, stopping others from seeking refuge here. Instead, you were able to get them new jobs working for people who didn’t care they were shifters.

“He probably also thought that getting me out of his way would not only leave you understaffed and without someone to rehome the loners, but that it would mean the Phoenix wolves would no longer care what happened here. He didn’t realize that they class you, Madisyn, and the shelter as under their protection.”

“
You’re
a Phoenix wolf now,” Ryan growled at his mate.

Makenna smiled before turning back to Dawn. “He most likely sent the cougars here in the hope that you’d feel so threatened and scared that you’d ask him for help, but all he’s done is earn himself an enemy by pissing off the cougars.”

“You’ve done everyone here proud, Dawn,” said Madisyn.

Forcing a smile, Dawn patted Makenna’s hand. “I wouldn’t have been able to do all that without the help of
your
pack.”

Ryan’s pleased grunt made Makenna’s smile widen.

“Still, his meddling worked in some ways.” Dawn sighed. “The shelter is almost full, which means more expenses—money and supplies I just don’t have. The new sponsors don’t give as much funding as the sponsors that we lost. Worse, Riley, Dexter, and Savannah were forced to leave because of his actions. This place should be a sanctuary.”

“It is,” Colton insisted. “The residents still think of it that way or they would have left by now.”

Madisyn nodded. “You heard what Riley said: she’d stay with the Phoenix Pack until the Remy situation blows over. They plan to come back.”

“I’m just so worried that the council will give him what he wants.” Dawn rubbed her cheek. “Loners aren’t seen as people who have the same rights as other shifters. Remy’s word will have more weight than mine for that reason alone. Plus, he could blackmail them or bribe them.”

“It doesn’t matter what he does, Dawn, or what the council decides,” said Makenna. “Remy Deacon will not get his hands on the shelter. It. Will. Not. Happen.”

Ryan grunted his agreement.

“I mean it, Dawn, I’ll kill him before I’ll let him have it.”

Dawn squeezed her hand. “We can’t go to war with them, honey.”

“No,” agreed Ryan, “but my pack can. Makenna’s one of us now.”

“That means Makenna’s fights are our fights too,” Trick stated, his tone one of total resolve.

Again, Ryan grunted his agreement. He’d always be at his mate’s side.

Dawn smiled at each of the males. “You’re all too good to be true.”

Makenna gave Dawn’s shoulder a squeeze. “Let’s go to your office. We need to discuss how to proceed tomorrow.”

Madisyn nodded. “Remy’s going to present a damn good case. It’s important we do the same.”

“If he doesn’t get what he wants,” Dawn said, “what do you think he’ll do?”

Ryan had said it before, and he’d say it again: “Dead men can’t do anything.”

H
aving finished his final perimeter check of the day, Ryan was just about to return to the caves when he heard, “Ryyyyyaaaannnn!” Turning, he saw the Alpha pair and the Beta pair relaxing at the patio with Tao, Riley, and Kye.

Waving frantically, Kye hurried to Ryan and then climbed him like he was a fence post. Not much amused his wolf, but the pup sure did. Gripping him by the back of his shirt, Ryan detached a laughing Kye with a grunt. The pup grunted back with a wide smile. Ryan headed for the other wolves, frowning as he picked up the scents of snake and cheetah. It was only as he neared that he noticed Savannah was dangling from a tree branch upside down and Dexter was smacking the tree with his shoe.

Dexter gave him a somber, studious look that told Ryan he was being sized up. Then he dug his hand into his pocket and offered Ryan half a cookie.

Taryn laughed. “Where is he getting this food?”

“He’s a hoarder,” said Riley. “I think it was because he was surviving mostly on scraps until he arrived at the shelter.”

Ryan took the cookie to be polite. It was no surprise that Kye snatched it and ran off. Dexter gave chase. That kid was fast, even for a cheetah.

Threading his fingers through Jaime’s hair, Dante tipped his chin at Ryan. “I see you changed your shifts around.”

“I’m glad,” said Trey. “It’s about time you saw yourself as more than an enforcer.”

Smiling, Jaime nodded. “Makenna’s good for you.”

Of course she was. She was his mate.

“I gotta say, I wouldn’t have pictured you with someone like her.” Taryn snuggled closer to Trey. “Fate seems to enjoy surprising us.”

“On another note, Trick told me that Remy turned up at the shelter earlier,” said Trey, face hard. “I’m not surprised he threatened to reveal Zac’s whereabouts if you’re present at the meeting tomorrow. Part of the case he’s making to the council is that the shelter has no protection. But if some of our pack appear, it will cancel out that side of his argument.”

“Do you think he really would contact Zac’s old pack?” asked Riley, her eyes on Savannah.

“I think he’ll do it whether we go tomorrow or not,” replied Ryan.

Dante nodded his agreement. “We’ve helped Dawn and the shelter. We’ve screwed up his plans in a major way. He’ll want revenge.”

Jaime’s hand fisted so hard her knuckles turned white. “We can’t let Zac’s old pack get their hands on him. And we can’t let Remy get his hands on that shelter.”

“Neither of those things will happen,” growled Ryan. His wolf echoed his growl.

“Something tells me that if they did,” began Tao, “Makenna would be first in line to kill them. There’s a wildness in her.”

Riley smiled. “There is. I like it.”

Trey looked at Ryan. “You’re positive she’s your true mate?”

This again? “I already had this conversation with the females and Marcus.”

Dante smiled. “Yeah, he told me about the female intervention.” Jaime and Taryn had the grace to blush. “Let me give you some advice. I’d known Jaime since we were kids, but we hadn’t once guessed that we were mates. It wasn’t until Kye was born, in that one unguarded moment while she held him and both our defenses fell, that we both realized the truth.”

Jaime linked their fingers. “It hit us like a two-by-four.”

Ryan scowled. “Makenna doesn’t have any defenses up now.”

“There has to be something or you’d feel the bond,” said Tao.

Not necessarily, given recent developments. “It’s operating.”

Dante arched a brow. “Operating how?”

“I feel what she feels. I think our scents are starting to mix.” It was only a slight change, but Ryan could swear it was there.

Trey pursed his lips. “That could be the start of imprinting.”

Ryan shook his head. He sensed it was more.

“I don’t see how the bond could have snapped into place without you feeling it,” said Dante.

Taryn held a hand up. “Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that it had. That would mean the frequency isn’t jammed, that the bond is up and working just fine. Something is stopping you and Makenna from psychically sensing it.” Taryn’s shoulders sagged. “Honestly, I don’t see how anything could possibly do that.”