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“I turned them over to Kiara and she placed them in safe houses in Revel.” Kiara was Alpha Warren’s bonded mate. She had refuges in each of the five territories of their alter prison as well as a network of safe houses.
Technically, Five Bridges was a nation unto itself, with its own governance and a Border Patrol. But thousands of feet of barbed wire and tall concrete walls, that in turn kept each of the five alter species from escaping to the U.S. proper, meant it was a prison. At least, that’s how Grant saw it.
Grant narrowed his gaze at Ryan. “Revel didn’t mind taking the wolves?”
Ryan shrugged. “I don’t know. Kiara said it wouldn’t be a problem. Because it’s been three years since the Fae-Wolf wars, she says times have changed.” The wars had been a blight on both territories and had lasted for two long months three years ago. He’d played his own unfortunate part. Ryan continued, “She called Kryder a scourge.”
The word was too mild. “He is at least that.”
In the pit below, nine female wolves, in full-fur, were running a coordinated drill, leaping over each other, circling back, rolling to leap once more. He’d taught them at least thirty drills and the women of his pack, in rotation, ran them. He wanted the females to be able to elude pursuing males of rogue packs or even Kryder and his men. Savage Territory lived up to its name.
He also ran drills with the males of the pack. One day, he’d beat Kryder in a dominance fight. But Kryder wouldn’t give up the pack without a war. Grant had been preparing the Meldorin wolves for that day. He just wished like hell it would arrive sooner than later, but he was in no way ready to challenge Kryder in the sandpit. Kryder was still the stronger, more powerful wolf.
A dominance battle would have to wait.
Grant moved to stand at the top of the small arena behind the uppermost row of seats some forty feet above the pit. He wanted to see the women in action from the higher vantage. Ryan followed him.
The women were spectacular which gave him hope.
As he watched their moves, he thought yet again how different his life had been before the alter transformation. Prior to becoming a wolf, he’d been a high school science teacher built along the lines of Ryan, six-foot and lean. He’d loved teaching, bringing the bored students around to his fascinated view of the world, of science, and especially astronomy.
Before Five Bridges, he’d always been looking up. The stars were his world. Now it was the earth, sand, and the view of the pine forest path as he raced on four paws. Or like now, as he stared down into a battle-focused sandpit.
After a moment, it occurred to him that Ryan had fallen silent. His wolf instincts began rumbling. He sensed his friend was holding back.
He turned once more and met Ryan’s dark eyes, they were nearly black as coal, like his hair. “Tell me.”
Ryan lifted his chin. “You’ll find out anyway, but dammit, Grant, don’t let this get to you. Please. Because it’s bad.”
“Just say it.”
Ryan lowered his voice. “Kryder got to the youngest female before we could. She was torn up as all hell when we bundled her into the van. He’d raped her viciously and used his claws to hold her in place. He’d bit her several times, ripping muscle and flesh from both shoulders.”
Grant’s thigh muscles twitched, and his rage came to life like an engine that had been idling until a foot suddenly slammed down on the accelerator.
He was looking down. For six long, battle-filled years, he’d been looking down.
Down at the dead and dying when he was on patrol.
Down at the sand where he tried to give the women skills to survive.
Down at the earth as he levitated and moved across Savage Territory looking for rogue wolves intent on killing.
Down into his burrow where he lived his secluded life below the earth’s surface, where there were no windows to see the stars when night fell.
The part of him that was still, and would always be human, hated this view.
He’d stared down at his wife’s brutalized body when she’d been mauled in the Graveyard. He’d held her as she died. She’d told him to be strong and to watch his temper, that the women of the pack would need his vigilance, his protection and for him to stay alive.
But it was all low and brutal.
The young woman Kryder had just raped was only eighteen, a month into her alter transformation which she’d barely survived.
Ryan gripped Grant’s arm and squeezed hard. “She’ll have a chance now. She’s safe. Let it go.”
He’d seen Kryder working his wiles on the three women, but he thought he’d been in time.
“He’s provoking you.” Ryan said, his steely fingers digging in hard. “You know he is. He did this to get you to react, but if you do, you’ll die.”
