N. Walters - Alexandra's Legacy

“You are.” She yanked her hand out of his and took a step back. “Men!” She threw up her hands and turned away, but he caught her and hauled her back into his arms.

Ignoring the fact they had an audience, he leaned down, letting his long hair drape over his face to muffle the words he whispered in her ear. “If I’m smiling it’s because you make me happy, Alex.” She stilled and sighed. He knew she didn’t truly understand, but now was not the time to explain.

He released Alex and faced the rest of the group. “I go in first. If you’re determined to come, watch out for one another.” They knew he meant for them to watch out for Alex, but he wasn’t stupid enough to make that kind of mistake twice and say it out loud. All the men nodded. They understood.

“Here, take this.” James reached around to the small of his back and withdrew a handgun, handing it to his daughter. “There are six silver bullets.” Alex nodded as she took the weapon and checked it before stuffing it into the waistband of her jeans.

Joshua felt better knowing Alex wasn’t completely unarmed, even though he had no intention of letting her anywhere near the fighting. His brothers and her father would protect her while he met the challengers.

Putting all thoughts from his mind except those of the coming confrontation, he strode down the path, following the familiar trail toward home. This time he didn’t notice the trees or hear the songs of the birds. All his senses were trained on the gate in front of him. He could already smell two men just inside and knew there were more. Their fear tainted the air and burned his nostrils.

They should be afraid after what they’d done. They’d murdered the alpha of the pack and his mate. Treason. The only possible fate for them was death. He was their court, their judge and their executioner, and he’d come to pass sentence on them.

He strode through the gates like he owned the place, which he did. This was his home and they had dared to invade it. One of the young men hurtled himself at Joshua, but he met only thin air. Joshua whirled with blinding speed, caught the man around the neck and twisted. A sickening snap filled the silence. Joshua let the body drop and moved on.

“Luther and his brothers are dead.” Stopping, he turned in a circle, sighting or smelling five other werewolves. “The hunters are dead as well. Come forward and face your punishment like men or I will hunt you down like the dogs you are.” It was the ultimate insult to call a werewolf a dog and Joshua knew he’d get some reaction. These men had already proved themselves to be hotheads.

Sure enough, two more of them surged forward, both of them shifting into wolves on the run. Joshua stood with his arms folded across his chest, his legs spread wide and waited. He waited until the last possible second and then moved. Catching one of the wolves in midair, he flung it into the other one. They tumbled to the ground, quickly regained their feet and began to growl.

Three shots rang out in quick succession. Everyone froze as a cry tore through the air. The wolves in front of him turned tail and ran. Werewolves did not use manmade weapons during a fight. It was considered dishonorable. They met a challenger with their bare hands or in their wolf form.

Stupid! These werewolves had already shown they were without honor. He had been too angry to think properly. That was an error in judgment that might cost him his life. But more importantly, he’d put Alex’s safety at risk.

“That’s one who won’t give you any more trouble,” Alex said.

He should have known. Turning, he faced Alex, who stood with her legs braced apart and the gun her father had given her at her side. She’d already proved to be more than capable of defending herself and him.

“We don’t use manmade weapons on one another during a challenge.” If she was going to be his mate he had to teach her their laws.

She snorted. “Tell that to the guy with the rifle on the roof.”

His gaze shot to the rooflines of the house and sure enough on the top of Ian’s home a man was slumped over, his body hanging half off the roof, a rifle dangling from his fingers. “My apologizes.”

“Accepted,” she snapped. “Can we just finish this?”

“With pleasure.” He stalked forward with his brothers by his side, sensing that the rest of the betrayers were making a break for the back gate. Joshua broke into a run. There was no way he could let them escape.

Frightened howls and vicious growls ripped through the air. Joshua and his brothers came to a screeching halt and watched the carnage unfold in front of them. Donovan Brody and the rest of his clan had arrived and they were making short work of their kinsmen. They showed no mercy. It was over in mere minutes.

Bodies of men and wolves alike littered the ground, their blood seeping into the dirt. Joshua tilted back his head and roared at the sheer sickening loss of it. He’d never understand what could cause a man to turn his back on his own kind, on his family, and betray their trust. But just because he didn’t understand it, didn’t mean he didn’t feel the sorrow at their passing. They were all much too young to die.

Donovan shifted from wolf to human and strode toward him, seemingly totally unconcerned by his nudity or by the bloody gashes on his chest. He stopped when he was in front of Joshua. His pale blue eyes, so unusual for a werewolf, were as cold as ice. “My clan offers an apology to the Wolf Creek pack. We understand if you do not wish us to remain among you.”

It was the ultimate shame for a clan to be banished from its pack and Joshua knew just what it had cost his friend to utter those words. He shook his head. “That I cannot do.”

Donovan’s head jerked as if he’d been hit and Joshua knew his friend had misinterpreted his words to mean that he would not accept the apology.

He held out his hand. “There is no need for an apology. I hold the Brody family in no way responsible for the act of a few angry young men. The loyalty of the Brody clan is never in doubt and the Wolf Creek pack counts itself lucky to have you.” The words were formal but necessary to mend the breach between them. With Ian dead, Joshua, in his position as Striker, was acting head of the pack until a competition could be held to select the new alpha.

Donovan took Joshua’s hand, smearing it with the blood of his slain family members. Joshua yanked the other man into his arms and gave his friend a quick, hard hug. The two of them separated and stepped back. Emotions were running high and the scent of blood, sweat and anger wafted in the air around them.

“We need to call a meeting of the pack. Here. Now.” There had been too much discord. They needed a leader and the matter of Alex had to be settled. Her scent was growing stronger by the minute. Several of the Brody men were staring at her. The heat and change were almost upon her. There wasn’t time to waste.

Donovan’s eyes flicked to Alex and then back to Joshua. “I will send out runners.”

Nodding, he turned his back on his friend, gathered Alex to his side and led her away. He snapped out orders to his brothers as he went, secure in the knowledge that all would be done as he asked. All of this would be over in a matter of hours and then he could finally be alone with Alex.

Alex stood just beyond Joshua’s front porch. Five other homes and various other buildings circled around a fifty-foot clearing. She assumed the large log home belonged to the alpha of the pack. The rest of the homes were compact but cozy and blended in with the surrounding landscape.

She was feeling slightly better, but longed for about twelve hours of uninterrupted sleep. God, she was tired. But at least she was clean. After watching the brutal deaths in the yard, she’d been only too ready to follow Joshua as he’d led her away. The other men were all watching her in a way that made her both uncomfortable and aroused.