Bailey Bradford - Southwestern Shifters 07 - Revolution (16 page)

Would the guards meet them at the gates? Or would they try another ambush from the many dense clumps of foliage lining the drive?
“Maybe they’ll all hide in the house,” Jamie said. “Circling the wagons and all that.”
“What?” Luuk almost stopped as he frowned, but Jamie supplied him an image of horse-drawn wagons pulling around in a circle to form a barrier against attackers. “Maybe. That’d be easier for us.”
“Are the gates locked?” Adam asked. “That’s a dumb question. Of course you’d have had locks and probably one of those—”
“Guards,” Luuk said as he pointed at the brick structure that had—when he was AA, at least—a pair of armed guards in it around the clock. “But it’s empty now.” He sniffed as did everyone else. “Although I’m thinking they were here until a few minutes ago.” Then something occurred to him and he turned to Jamie. “Call Maarten. I wouldn’t put it past Luther to send someone for him, to use him as a bargaining chip.” His previous reason for not notifying his brother was no longer valid.
“I’ll call him,” Nathan chirped, sounding excited. “Go on with the gate-opening bit.”
Luuk looked at the gates. Like the fence it was high, but a shifter could scale it. Well, so could a human. Alarms would go off all over the residence, but since he was certain they’d been spotted, what difference did it make?
“The gate-opening bit would be scaling them,” Luuk said, winking at Jamie as they both suited action to words.
“Ugh. I told Maarten to get to a safe spot with people he trusted. Didn’t explain more, but he probably will figure it out.” Nathan was up beside them in a flash, grinning wickedly. “Gymnastics. Almost makes me like Spider-Man. Minus the outfit, yuck.”
Marcus chuckled and the whole of the front fence rattled as he added his considerable mass to the scaling. Luuk felt surprisingly happy when he worried that he should be worried more. But being on his beloved home soil—he landed on his feet and had to fight the instinct to throw his head back and howl—was an incredible experience.
Even if Luther was here somewhere.
Jamie landed beside him, dropping down the side of the gate. Todd, Adam, Marcus and Nathan stretched out to his and Jamie’s sides.
“Too much opportunity for ambushing you,” Marcus said, scowling at the foliage. “You might want to dig all of this up when you move back in.”
“No, it’s been this way for a very long time.” Luuk loved the grounds.
Jamie hummed and they began walking. “I bet it gives coverage for when you want to run as a wolf, too.”
“It does.” Some of Luuk’s joy at being on home turf began to fade as they walked. While they didn’t rush, unwilling to appear afraid, they didn’t exactly stroll either. “I don’t sense anyone out here.”
Marcus sent out a swell of power, setting every hair on Luuk’s body on end. “Me either. Reckon they’re holed up inside.”
“That would be the smart thing to do.” Todd leaned to the side and sniffed. “I hope they don’t have guns.”
“They do, but perhaps we can hope for some honour among his guards, if nothing else.” Luuk wouldn’t keep his fingers crossed, and he tried to manoeuvre in front of Jamie, but Jamie grabbed him by the belt loop and pulled him back.
“I don’t think so, buster.”
Luuk stopped then and turned to Jamie. He smiled and kissed him, lingering over the soft lips when Jamie parted for him. It wasn’t a goodbye kiss, Luuk told himself. He was feeling more confident each minute.
It was a welcome home kiss.
He lifted his head and took the hem of Jamie’s shirt in his hands. “Time to shift, I think.”
“Yeah.” Jamie wasn’t the only one agreeing, but his was the only voice that Luuk really registered.
He pulled Jamie’s shirt up, baring his pale skin to the sun. Luuk touched the spot he’d marked so often, then he dropped Jamie’s shirt and tugged his own off. Around him, he was aware of the others stripping, but he only had eyes for his mate. They unfastened their pants in unison, and shortly thereafter were nude. Luuk took one moment to hold Jamie to him, to kiss him again and feel his body pressed to his from chest to knees.
Then he stepped back and squatted, Jamie mirroring his move. He watched as long as he could, but his vision blurred as his facial bones shifted. He tipped his head back as he’d wanted to do, and he howled. It was the last warning Luther would get.
Five other howls joined his, and again the wave of power from Marcus set Luuk’s teeth on edge. His wolf knew when it was out-alpha’d, but he also knew who was a friend and who wasn’t.
Luuk rubbed his furry cheek against Jamie’s and took off, loping towards the front door. Somehow he knew it’d be opened for him, whether to spew out guards or Luther himself.
Sure enough, the door was cracked open by someone and the sounds of fighting, wolves snarling and attacking, slipped from the crack along with the smell of blood and fear.
Fear hit Luuk then, not of failure, but of someone else doing what he must do. He bounded up the steps in one leap and nosed the door open. Wolves were fighting one another, with Luther, his coat thick and grey with white tips, backed into a corner by three of his guards.
Luuk howled again, then growled and snarled. This was his battle, no one else’s. The other wolves that were fighting one another turned and ran, except for one. Luuk was guessing he’d be the one wanting Luuk back in power.
Luther was still being held in place by other wolves, though, and Luuk wasn’t going to have that. He ran and nipped the heel of one, a warning of worse to come. The wolf yelped and gave him a wounded look to which Luuk only snarled. He wanted the guards out of his way, whether they were on his side—now—or not.
Marcus knocked the other two aside with a bone-jarring tackle that sent howls of pain ringing through the air. Luuk lowered his head and kept his gaze locked with Luther’s hatefilled one.
Had he expected any different? Luuk guessed in some hidden part of himself, he’d hoped for something different. He didn’t believe it would be, though.
He lowered his head more and laid his ears back. Luther growled and feinted but Luuk held his ground. He bared his teeth and felt the saliva stringing from his muzzle. Let Luther see that there was no mercy in him, not anymore. Luuk only had to think of Jamie, or of the many dead, and fury pounded in his veins. He wouldn’t kill Luther in a fit, however. He wouldn’t lose himself like that.
Luther feinted again, and Luuk surged at him, wanting this over quickly. He wouldn’t toy with Luther, or torment him. Luuk wasn’t cruel.
But Luther skittered back until he hit the wall, then he shifted, the rotten bastard. He glared at Luuk through eyes such a pure blue only an angel should have such a colour. “Shift, you stupid fucking asshole!”
Luuk considered killing Luther then and there. Luther knew what Luuk had to do, and turning back into his human form wouldn’t spare him.
Yet Luuk shifted, because he wanted to know. “Why?” he asked as soon as he could form the word. He hated that the question came out in the first place.
Luther sneered then quaked as Marcus moved in behind Luuk. “Who the fuck is that? You think you can’t take me without some—”
“He’s a friend,” Luuk answered, and it felt so good to be able to say that. “These are some of my friends, but you mean Marcus Criswell.”
No other explanation was necessary, because Luther turned white instead of his normal tan, and his eyes bugged.
Power rolled off Marcus in menacing ripples, but he stayed back and didn’t speak. “His mate, Nathan, and our other friends, Todd and Adam. I’m sure you remember my mate, Jamie.” Luuk held his hand to his side and Jamie took it.
“He looks a lot worse than he did when you landed three years ago,” Luther said, raking his gaze over Jamie first then Luuk. “And you look like shit, too.”
Luuk grinned as he tipped his chin down, his wolf demanding the pose. “And yet, you’ve done your best to kill us. You’ve been cowardly and brutal, you’ve abused the pack and murdered indiscriminately—and here I am, back in my home, retaking my position that was stolen from me in the most pathetic of coups. You couldn’t even face me properly for a challenge.”
Luther’s lip curled up on one edge and he curled his hands into fists. “I’ve always hated you. That’s why, and you know it. You were the favourite, never could do anything wrong.”
“I never wanted to do wrong, Luther.
That
is the difference between you and me.”
“What do you call killing your own brother?” Luther asked, sneering as if Luuk were the lowest life form on the planet. “A good thing?”
“No, it’s not a good thing to kill, ever, but…” Luuk let go of Jamie’s hand and nudged him gently. “It’s a necessary thing after all the lives you took, and you know it.”
“If Maarten had given himself to me, I’d have stepped down. I bet he didn’t tell you that.”
If Luther thought that was something to feel triumphant about, he was more deluded than Luuk had thought. “I’m glad he didn’t make such a wretched sacrifice for me.”
“Fuck you!” Luther shifted and leapt at him. Luuk leapt aside and Luther came up against a huge, snarling white wolf. Marcus was almost like something from a horror movie, as huge as he was. Luther skidded.
Luuk pointed to the door. “Outside. There’ll be no more blood spilled in my home.”
Luther tried to dig in his heels, but between them, he was shepherded outside. Luuk remained in his human form until Luther was surrounded. “Shift back, Jamie, friends. This will be a fair fight, now that Luther has no way to cheat.”
Luther pawed the ground and came at him as Luuk began shifting. He rolled and came up on four paws with a wolf slamming into him. Luther caught his forearm and Luuk bit back a yelp. He wouldn’t cry out for this wolf. He snapped and got a mouthful of fur, which he did his best to pull out, but he didn’t come into this for a hair-pulling fest.
Luuk wasn’t as thickly muscled as he had been, as Luther was, but he was not going to fail. He swung his head around and smacked Luther’s shoulder. Luther stumbled and came at him again, spit and blood dripping from his maw. Luuk’s forearm throbbed but he didn’t let it show, charging at Luther and taking him down. He tried to get at Luther’s neck, wanting this over with quickly.
Luther raked Luuk’s underside with his back claws and Luuk howled before he could stop himself. Pain and anger fired him as he went after Luther, driving the other wolf back several feet until he butted against Todd’s legs. Todd shot him a questioning look but didn’t move.
Luther turned his head and tried to bite Todd, and Adam reached out and rapped his knuckles on the top of Luther’s skull. “Cut that shit out!”
Luther snapped at him, too, and Luuk jumped the distance and bit Luther’s flank. He could have killed him, possibly, but it wouldn’t have been an honest kill.
Luuk quickly scampered to his left as Luther turned on him. Luther’s eyes flashed a warning and Luuk met it with one of his own. He wasn’t drawing this out. He reared up and met Luther again, their front claws tearing at each other.
Luuk threw his weight against Luther and had him on the ground again, his belly up. Now was his chance to bring this to a close, if he’d just open his muzzle. Luuk told himself to do it, to put an end to Luther’s reign, but the second of hesitation cost him. Luther rolled and sank his teeth into Luuk’s shoulder, barely missing his neck.
Rapid hot streaks of agony tore through him as Luther tried to shake his head. Luuk knew he wouldn’t be able to take much more of it. He whipped his head around and caught the back of Luther’s neck, clamping down hard and tasting the warmth of his half-brother’s blood. He wanted to gag, his stomach heaving, but Luuk hung on.
Luther let go of him and howled as he fought to free himself. Luuk was weak already from the latest wound. His fur felt drenched in blood, and his vision was blurring, but Luther wasn’t close to being dead.
Until he turned and leapt at Jamie. Luuk’s heart like to burst from his chest. He sprang with a power he’d not thought he’d had, knowing Luther’s intent was to hurt Luuk as much as possible. It wasn’t even about Jamie, just about Luther’s hatred of Luuk.
Luuk caught Luther’s left heel. He bit hard, bones crunching and jabbing at his gums. Luuk flung his head, jerking Luther back and tossing him aside. Jamie’s frightened expression would be seared into Luuk’s brain forever, and any hesitation Luuk had felt before was now decimated as he attacked, fury and the need to protect his mate spurring his wolf on just as it did the man inside.
Luther turned and tried to launch a counterattack, but Luuk was on him, shoving Luther down and finding the vulnerable flesh of his neck through his thick coat.
Luuk wished… It didn’t matter what he wished, and he knew it. He growled low, a warning of what was to come, perhaps thinking that now in the face of death, Luther would be repentant.
But Luther’s answering snarl was filled with hate, and he bit at Luuk, clawed at him, tearing at his wound. Luuk wasn’t going to be able to hold his position and there was no reason to try. He bit, his mouth flooding with blood. It wasn’t the first time he’d killed, but it was possibly the hardest, clenching his teeth and shaking his head to finish it—to finish Luther.
When the blood stopped pumping into his mouth, and Luther’s snarls ceased, his body stilling, Luuk released the torn throat and stepped back, stumbling, whimpering as his wounds ached with a fiery pain.
“Luuk, shift, shift.” Jamie was on his knees beside him, pulling at his fur to drag Luuk’s head up. “Damn it, shift!”
What could Luuk do, with Jamie streaming tears as he grabbed at him? Luuk shifted, and agony slammed into him harder than Luther had when he’d attacked. He prayed for unconsciousness to take him, but what he got instead was his brother Maarten kneeling beside Jamie, grinning from ear to ear.

“He doesn’t look so happy to see me,” Maarten said, sounding entirely too upbeat to be offended.
Jameson rolled his eyes at him and elbowed Maarten aside. He bent closer and peered into Luuk’s eyes and had to bite back a sob of relief. “It’s finally over,” he rasped, then embarrassed himself by loosing the sob he’d tried to keep in. “God, I’m sorry.” Jameson helped Luuk sit up, noting the pained expression that accompanied a slight hiss by Luuk. Jameson forgot about his own ego and whether or not crying made him a total wuss as he began checking Luuk’s wounds.
“I’ll be okay,” Luuk said in a voice Jameson thought was entirely too soothing, all things considered. He touched the jagged edge of one deep gash and Luuk hissed again.
Jameson left off the prodding and instead put an arm around Luuk’s shoulders. He hugged Luuk as tight as he dared. “I’m sorry you’re hurt. I wish I could have fought him for you, just to spare you the pain.”
“Then you’d have become the Alpha Anax,” Maarten chimed in, and Jameson cut him an annoyed look.
“Don’t you have something else to do, Maarten, like go talk to Marcus or Gabe—?” Jameson began before Maarten cut him off with a frantic shake of his head.
“Gabe’s here?” Maarten craned his neck then made a strangled sound that, Jameson thought, was mainly one of sheer terror. “Oh fuck, he’s going to give me hell!” Maarten turned his attention back to Jameson and Luuk. The smile he gave Luuk was so tender it made Jameson’s heart ache. “I am truly glad you are back, Luuk, and that you survived, of course. If you would like something to help speed your healing…”
“I doubt he wants to ingest a dead guy,” said Gabe, coming up quietly behind Maarten, who squeaked and fell from his squatting position onto his ass. Gabe smirked at him and flapped a hand in the air. “Darling, I do seem to make men drop with my hotness.”
Jameson groaned, and he wasn’t the only one. Mika joined them and slapped Gabe hard enough on the ass that Gabe rose up on his toes as he cursed.
“What?” Mika said when Gabe turned on him. How Mika kept such an innocent look on his face was beyond Jameson. “It was a sweet little love pat, and you know it.” Then that innocent look turned into something molten hot and Gabe whimpered. Mike arched a brow and put an arm around Gabe’s waist, pulling him close. “We’ll meet up with y’all in a bit.”
Jameson watched them wander off. Adam and Todd were talking with Marcus and Nathan. Jameson’s head spun with the sudden fullness of his life. He had friends, and his best friend, Adam. They were both shifters, happily mated, and they’d never lose touch again. Added to that, Luuk had defeated Luther, and the need to run for their lives had been demolished along with Luther’s reign.
And he had Luuk, who was watching him with so much love Jameson could feel it like a warm, soft touch cradling his heart.
“You’ll be okay,” Jameson murmured, knowing Luuk wasn’t badly injured but needing the reassurance.
Luuk darted a glance at Maarten then pointed at him. “Quiet, Maarten. Not a word.”
Whatever Maarten did in reply must have satisfied Luuk because he seemed to tune Maarten out immediately. Luuk cupped Jameson’s chin and tugged, bringing their lips together for a sweet, chaste kiss. “Yes, love, I will be okay, but if it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer to heal the natural way.”
Jameson remembered what Gabe had said and shuddered. “Yes, as long as you let me take care of you.”
Luuk grinned and winked at him. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Ugh, talk about whipped,” Maarten snarked.
Jameson came out of his nice, warm cocoon of love and need long enough to swing an elbow into Maarten’s chest. It hurt his elbow like a mother—Maarten’s chest had to have been made of steel, the asshole, but Maarten’s shriek and the fact that he went over onto his back, landing with a thud, did Jameson’s heart good.
Luuk’s grin faltered but he laughed then cursed as he pressed a hand to his side. “Ow. Nothing more than a chuckle for a couple of days.”
Jameson nodded. “Yeah, that’d be best, but if I’d known me knocking Maarten over was going to make you that happy, I’d have done it right off the bat.”
Luuk snickered—cautiously—then touched Jameson’s elbow. “Well, it’s funny when it’s Maarten on the receiving end of this weapon, but I’m thinking maybe you’ve paid too much attention to Gabe’s…methods.”
Jameson snorted and began to rise, helping Luuk to his feet. “No, that was just instinct. I’ll think of my own personal way to nail you.” He beamed at Luuk as his mate frowned. Jameson leaned until his lips were right against Luuk’s ear. “Don’t worry, you’ll love it.”
Luuk’s arousal flowed over him and Jameson stepped back just enough to shake his head. “Uh uh, you need to have these wounds taken care of.”
Luuk groaned and Jameson couldn’t hide a smile. As if he’d deny Luuk anything. He looped one arm around Luuk’s hips. “So, I get to doctor you first, then I’ll see to your other needs.”
Luuk stumbled slightly and growled, but it was a needy sound that rolled from his tongue. “I’m going to hold you to that.”
“I’d hope so,” Jameson countered, desire coiling in his groin. “As long as you’re up for it.”
Luuk’s growl this time was sexier, rougher. “I’ll always be
up for it
where you’re concerned. Don’t ever doubt it.”
Jameson tingled from his ass to the tip of his cock and everywhere in between.