Page 33 of Their Marked Mate

“What the fuck for?” Caden snapped. “It was clearly a waste of time. They still have our women.”

Alex ignored the provocation and focused on Rhys. “Gabriel instigated the meeting.”

Rhys pushed his hands into the pockets of his coat and asked, “What did he want?”

“To assure me that his brother attacked the mountain stronghold without his permission. Gabriel would never have⁠—”

“I don’t give a shit who instigated the attack,” Caden interrupted. “They took something that belonged to us and it’s time to get it back!”

“Despite the obnoxious way he stated it, Caden has a point,” Rhys reinforced. “The females belong to us. The birds had no right to take them.”

“We stole them from the cats,” Alex reminded. “Zion could say the same thing.”

Rhys crossed his arms over his chest and his expression hardened. “Is Caden right? Are you afraid?”

Alex was trapped. Lashing out now made him look weak, yet doing nothing would be even worse. He glared at Caden then wiped any hint of emotion off his face and turned back to Rhys. “If you’re determined to spill blood, go gather your soldiers. Let’s go pick a fight with the birds.”

An excited whoop went up from the alphas then they ran off toward separate sections of the village.

“You shouldn’t have given in. Caden will be emboldened by his victory.”

Alex turned and found Drake standing a few steps back from him. “I gave in to Rhys, not Caden.”

“Caden is the driving force behind this nonsense,” Drake stressed.

“I know.” Alex sighed and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “What I don’t understand is why he’s doing it. Has he said anything to you?”

Drake paused, clearly debating what to say. The three cousins were close, but Drake and Caden were more like brothers. Alex’s biggest fear had always been that Drake and Caden would team up against him. Caden’s belligerence had been the first hint that the alliance was in trouble. Luckily for Alex, Drake’s allegiance appeared to be intact. If that ever changed, it would put Alex’s position as village alpha in jeopardy.

“I think her name was Alyssa or Elisa, something like that.” Drake finally spoke, his tone low and rough. “He talked about her nonstop while we were down in the tunnels.”

“And this female ended up in Eagle Village?” He should have figured it was something like this. Only a female could make someone crazy this fast.

Drake just nodded.

“Was the attraction mutual?” Then an even more concerning possibility occurred to Alex. “Did she trigger bonding fever?”

Drake’s shoulders lifted then dropped. “You’ll have to ask Caden. All I know is he wouldn’t shut up about her and then he just shut down, wouldn’t talk to me at all. Hayes told me that Caden found out that she’d been claimed by one of the birds and that’s when Caden started sneaking around.”

“What about Evelyn?” Alex objected. “I thought they were well on their way to claiming her.”

“I think they are. Hayes is more than ready to claim her, but Caden is still looking for a fight.”

Alex shook his head. If Caden had told him about the female, this entire situation could have been avoided. They would have demanded the female be returned long before the birds had time to court her. Alex released a sigh of frustration. The situation might have been resolved for Caden, but what about the other alphas? The cats and birds were conspiring to keep the females away from the wolves. There was no longer any doubt about their alliance. It was unfair, and it was Alex’s responsibility to do something about it. He’d been so distracted by Luna that he’d lost focus. He had to do a better job of balancing his responsibilities.

An hour later Alex stood in the woods beyond the lupine village with a hundred of his strongest fighters. “Spread out and surround Eagle Village,” he called out and sent the order telepathically to the other alphas making sure every hybrid understood the plan. He infused the order with alpha energy, ensuring the focus and obedience of the other alphas. Any beta not within the sound of his voice would be briefed by their pack alpha. “Approach quietly. I’ll order the big reveal once we’re all in position.”

The betas surrounding Alex quickly undressed and shifted. Nate’s animal self was larger than most, a grizzled timber wolf. Alex picked up the pack lying at his feet and secured the straps around Nate’s torso. Quickly folding Nate’s clothes, he loaded them into the pack and then undressed. When his clothing was tucked into the pack along with their weapons, Alex closed the flap and secured the ties, ensuring that everything would remain inside as they ran through the forest.

Alex straightened and paused, drawing energy into his body. Shifting was always painful, but years of practice had shortened the duration of the agony. He reached inward and released his wolf, then braced for the searing pain doubtlessly to follow. Joints popped and bones cracked as one form gave way to another. Alex screamed, but the sound reverberated through his mind rather than echoing through the forest. Reality blurred and then refocused, his perspective dramatically altered. Scents exploded in his nose and his hearing intensified. His eyes focused, seeing farther and in greater detail despite the absence of light.

Move out! he ordered then launched into motion. It had been days since he shifted and his wolf was thrilled to be free. His legs pumped powerfully, eating up the ground. He zigzagged between trees and agilely leapt over fallen logs as the trail gradually steepened. Eight miles separated the two villages, but the terrain was challenging so it took nearly an hour to reach the destination.

Encircle the village, but wait for my signal before you allow the birds to know you’re there. He sent the telepathic reminder across the alpha link. The alphas would ensure that their packmates obeyed.

Next, Alex looked at Nate. The beta, still in wolf form, sat patiently at Alex’s side. Alex released his shift and unbuckled the straps from around Nate’s torso. The wolf tossed his head as Nate released his shift. Alex pulled on his pants then handed the beta his pants. Shifters frequently saw each other naked. It was an unavoidable part of hybrid life. They dressed quickly, strapped on their weapons, then moved through the trees until they came to the front of the village.

Steeling himself for a confrontation he felt unnecessary, Alex started to signal his men then decided to wait until he saw how the birds reacted. Instead, he moved into the moonlight and called out to the guards. They stood in waist-high towers flanking the main gate. “Send for your leader,” he ordered. “I have business with Gabriel.”