Wolf's Strength (4 page)

The impromptu Caedmon Council meeting turned out to be an all-nighter. It had taken some time to round up the Council members on such short notice. All six of them were eager to come to a consensus and to try and understand what had happened to instigate the club fight.

Devin’s chair scraped across the floor as he pulled it out. He took his seat at the end of the table. “What happened out there in the streets? Rumors are flying through the village like a disease.”

“Dawson helped me secure a deal in the area and then we decided to come back to the village. We were in Caedmon territory but when we heard the woman scream that was all it took to veer off into unmarked regions.” Blake paused, waiting for the Alpha to reprimand them for delving into territories that didn’t belong to them. When Devin nodded without fuss, Blake continued, “We raced up the alleyway and saw the woman in distress. The man was murdered before we arrived. It was Richard Westcott, one of the few doctors who worked outside of our village. Oddly enough, his office is within five hundred yards of where he was killed. It sounded as if he came to aid the woman who was also Caedmon.”

“Damn it.” Devin slammed his fist on the table. “And you’re certain the killers were from the
Other
clan?”

“They had a strange aura to them, Brother,” Dawson said. “But the powers they flaunted were similar to those the
Others
possessed.”

“Has Westcott’s next of kin been notified?” the Alpha asked, looking from Blake to Dawson.

“Yes.” Blake swallowed. His chest became heavy as he recalled telling Mrs. Westcott she was a widow. “It was one of the hardest messages I’ve had to relay.”

“I imagine there have been more killings that have been swept under the rug and placed on the human records as the normal drive-by shootings and gang-related killings,” Devin replied.

“It makes sense,” Blake said. “We hear about them, but our pact to remain hidden from humans doesn’t always allow us to pursue a full-fledged investigation. There’s no doubt. The
Others
use this type of disadvantage against us so they can get away with the crime. Max and his team are all we’ve got as far as a police force with loyal human connections goes.”

“And this pact is partly the reason why Keira’s in-laws botched the murder investigation of her ex-husband,” said Blake’s adopted brother, Aiden. “Keira was almost certain a wolf-shifter like us was involved, but they pinned the crime on a human. And Jamison Ellis’s death is still an unsolved mystery.”

“We’ll have this solved sooner or later,” Dawson replied. “Everything is connected somehow. Maybe there’s one bastard behind this whole thing.”

“One or many,” Devin ground his teeth, “We’ll stop them. And as I promised Keira, we will have answers and the wrongdoers will be dealt with.”

“What led you to the Dockhouse Bar anyway?” Aiden asked Blake. “Isn’t that bar in unmarked territory too?”

“That territory was unmarked, but Max was working that area,” Dawson replied.

“We got the call from Max as we were leaving the Westcott house,” Blake said. “He had our mess cleaned up but had some other questions for us. He asked us to meet him at the dock. When we got there, Max called again. He was going to be late. Dawson and I went to the bar for drinks, and you can guess what happened after that.”

“Who started the brawl at the club?” Devin asked. His displeased expression matched his irritated tone of voice.

Blake and Dawson glimpsed at each other, and Blake said, “There were other Caedmon in the building, so we parted in the bar to mingle. That’s where my answers stop.”

“It started with a drink. I bought a girl one and she accepted,” Dawson replied. “She looked lonely and no one was nearby. She said her name was Ruby. We got to talking, and by the time I figured out she was Arnou, it was too late. I knew she was wolf-shifter, but something felt off. I made the mistake of thinking maybe her shifter blood had been diluted one too many times before. I’ll never make that mistake again.”

“So how did this start the fight?” Devin pressed.

“We moved from the bar to the back of the club where she said she would feel more comfortable. We shared more drinks. We weren’t sitting there ten minutes when a guy identified clearly as
Other
told me to get the fuck out of his seat or else. He used a few other choice words.”

“And let me guess; you were offended and acted accordingly,” Aiden concluded from the other end of the long table.

Dawson grunted. “He shoved me first.
Other
or not, he deserved a broken nose for not minding his business.”

“Do we know for sure this guy was
Other
?” Nick, the Alpha’s second-in-command, asked. “Could you and the group of Elites have been fighting with a few humans looking for some trouble?”

Blake shook his head. “They might have smelled funny, but there was no mistaking they were affiliated with the
Others.
At one point we were the only ones on the first floor of the club. When the lights went out, none of us could hide our true nature. Not with that much aggression and power circulating throughout the room.”

“How did Arnou get involved, then?” Nick continued his inquiry.

“Someone from their group jumped in when the girl screamed,” Dawson offered. “All hell broke loose after that.”

“We fended off both groups,” Blake said. “Many of us were injured. There would’ve been casualties if the cops hadn’t show up. I believe the
Other
clan were out for blood last night.”

“It’s been less than a month since we claimed the lost Caedmon relics and I delegated the powers,” Devin said. “Physical opposition has started. What’s done cannot be reversed according to Roman. The opposing leaders are bound to lash out.”

“Now we know who our rivals are,” Blake concluded. “The group of Arnou wouldn’t back down. They didn’t trust us or the
Others.
It was every clan for itself in that club.”

“When was the last time you connected with anyone from Arnou?” Devin directed his question to Blake.

“If you want to know when I was last with Naomi, the answer is not too long ago.”

“When?” Devin demanded.

“A few weeks ago,” Blake replied. “We’re always discreet.”

“Does she talk about Arnou and his plans at all?” Devin continued.

“Pack business never finds its way in the bed with us. There’s simply no time for it. When we meet, we have a mutual understanding. We talk about us. It’s all about us and nothing more. When we’re together nothing else matters,” Blake replied curtly.

“Do you think she would be able to help us?” Dawson asked.

Blake shifted in his seat. “Naomi’s allegiance lies with her Pack.”

“If she knew your life was on the line, she would help,” Dawson insisted.

“What you suggest would be a betrayal of both the Pack she pledged allegiance to and her family.” Blake shook his head. “It’s a choice I couldn’t make for her years ago.”

“The times are different,” Devin assured him.

“They are,” Blake agreed. “They most certainly are…”

The only reason he was content after all this time was because Naomi was safer with her brother and father. But there was unrest between rivals and no clear lines drawn between allies and enemies. He rethought his promise and pondered his need to have her as close as possible and out of harm’s way.

“I wonder if the relics are the only things that enticed the
Others
to instigate these fights,” Nick said after a long moment of silence. “How long have they known how much power these things contain?”

On cue everyone turned their attention to Jayson, who’d been the quietest at the table. That was unusual, since Jayson was normally the most talkative.

Jayson glanced up slowly but, surprisingly, he seemed as clueless as they were. “I don’t have those answers and neither does Arianna. I spoke with her before coming here and she said her father and the Ellis family were never on good speaking terms.”

Arianna was Jayson’s mate and once a respected member of the
Other
community. She used to be one. If anyone knew who led the
Others
in their protests, it should have been her. But sometimes the obvious could fool a person.

“After the challenge to win Arianna from Ivan and save her from an arranged pairing, we made amends with her father. Ultimately, Mr. Klein chose to move across country, distancing himself from everyone. He’s no longer a member of the
Other
and denounced the Caedmon Spirit long ago,” Jayson offered.

“What about the family Arianna’s father tried to sell her into?” Dawson inquired.

“The Zeldanos?” Jayson asked. “They have connections high and low. And reason to lash out as their family name was tarnished after Jayson stripped Ivan of his manhood and long-term investments in a fight for Arianna.”

“Our people are being attacked in shoddy ways and it mirrors the actions of a coward,” Nick replied.

“A coward like Ivan Zeldano?” Dawson asked.

“We’re assuming many things, but let’s not forget there are other opponents to consider.” Devin sat back in his chair. “As we said earlier, someone murdered Keira’s ex-husband and we found the relics hidden behind a wall in her home. The Ellises are well known in their communities because of their business in real estate. The family is very prominent, so what else would they want to achieve by acting out? And since the Zeldanos have been stripped and Arianna Klein’s father has moved, who else could be perpetrating this?”

“I might add that based on what happened at the Dockhouse Bar, it doesn’t seem Arnou and
Other
are on peachy terms either,” Blake replied.

“Whomever it is, they’ve chosen to remain anonymous, picking small battles that led to nothing. I know they’ve gained more followers as a result of my unexpected rise to Alpha, a change which brought our enemies out of the closet.” Devin stood, gripping the edges of the table. “The attacks are becoming personal and affect our everyday lives. They’ve crossed territorial lines left and right, disrespecting the written laws of our society. Our people are being slain in the streets. I won’t stand for it any longer. I want to face him man to man, whomever he is. I’ll drag him from his hiding hole and wring his neck until his eyeballs pop from the sockets. It won’t be the first time I’ve rendered a man helpless.”

One by one the rest of the Council members stood, showing allegiance and support to their Alpha.

“When do we warn our people a possible uprising is on the horizon?” Nick asked.

“Our immediate borders are being protected. I’ll make a public announcement about our initiatives at sunrise.”

***

As soon as Naomi exited the communal showers, she sensed something was amiss. Over the hum of the vents, the residents protested loudly down the hallways of the dorm-like quarters. This was odd. She didn’t expect many to be up at this hour. It was barely 6 a.m.

Naomi moved past a row of freshly laundered towels and grabbed her jeans and top. It took her less than one minute to shrug the garments on. She pulled her hair into a ponytail at the nape, exited the shower stall, and turned the corner.

She almost ran head on into one of Tristan’s Enforcers. But that wasn’t the thing that caught her attention. Three Enforcers surrounded her brother. The bright gold trimming on their Belts designated that ranking. Everyone called them E1s for short. They kept Elites, otherwise known as E2s, in line.

The Enforcer was talking to her but she ignored his words. Nathan’s hands were tied behind his back, and his clothing was in disarray as though he’d been fighting one of them. As far as she could see, he’d lost this battle. Even from a distance, she noticed blood smeared around his nose. She didn’t care what the Enforcers were trying to enforce at this point. Her brother was in trouble. Without further hesitation she ran over to help him.

Her path was blocked by the Enforcer who had run into her. He grabbed the metal part of her Belt and swung her around. He smashed the front of her body against the wall.

“What the fuck are you doing?” she snarled.  If she hadn’t turned her face, the impact would’ve crushed her chin bone.

He tugged on the back of her belt loop, pulling it away from her skin to view the tattoo of the number thirty-eight above her tailbone. “Crew thirty-eight member, you’re to appear before the Alpha immediately.”

“What for?” Naomi jerked away from the wall and faced him. What was wrong with him? He’d handled her like a criminal. Her blood ran hot through her veins. The stress had taken its toll on her. Her head whirled in anxiety from the incident last night and the excitement of seeing Blake after weeks of separation.

“I don’t answer to you.” He shoved her forward. “You’ll know once you see him.”

She and Nathan weren’t the only Elites apprehended. All eleven members of Crew 38 were hauled outside of the sleeping quarters. Some of them hadn’t been given the luxury of suiting up beforehand. Two of her Elite brothers were wearing nothing but their boxer briefs. A few members of other crews peeked out of their rooms. The idea of a rival crew being taken to the Alpha in a rowdy fashion entertained some, but most seemed disturbed because they were woken up at such an early hour.