AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The crowd instantly shut their mouths, and everyone tipped their heads to show me their necks. All except Kyle—obviously, as a human, he would not be affected—and Tori, which I found interesting. Her eyes darkened with lust as she watched me control the crowd. My wolf yipped at her reaction toward us, but I forced him to settle.
My pulse pounded in my ears as I looked each shifter in the eye. Some whimpered as others tried to fight my dominance, but the Greenthornes were not alpha in any capacity, and theycouldn’t even lift their eyes to meet my gaze. I allowed my wolf to huff at their weakness as I eased off my alpha strength.
“It was a targeted attack,” I said. “The hunters aimed to capture me, but they won’t be able to catch us off guard again. We’ve intensified our security measures and are taking steps to put them into action.”
“How can you say that when you’re letting a hunter live among us? Why is there a hunter here at one of our meetings, no less?” Christie Greenthorne spat, pointing at Kyle.
Kyle sat unperturbed by Christie’s accusation—which, to be fair, was the truth—but I could have done without the old bitch causing more upset. There were more important items on the agenda.
The shifters seated next to Kyle swiftly stood, knocking over their seats and falling as they rushed to distance themselves from “the hunter.” Never mind that they had been next to him for the entire meeting without suffering any ill effects. Clearly, now that Kyle had been labeled a hunter, they thought he was dangerous. That being in his very presence might somehow cause them harm.
Still, Kyle sat quietly, examining his nails in feigned indifference as those around him pointed fingers and asked questions he refused to even acknowledge. The more he ignored the accusations and questions, the angrier the crowd became. As much as I wanted to step in, I couldn’t. Kyle had to stand up for himself, however he decided he wanted it to play out.
Suddenly, all the angry shouting stopped as Audrey Greenthorne stood. “You all need to know the truth,” she said. “Yes, Kylewasa hunter. Note I stress the wordwas. I fought alongside Kyle when he betrayed his hunter faction to help us. He saved my life, and he didn’t have to do that.” She stopped speaking, letting everyone fully digest her words, then turned toChristie. “Mother, you need to stop this fear-mongering before you do more damage than you’ve already done.”
“Sit down and shut up,” Christie hissed at her daughter. Martin stood behind his wife, as usual, backing her as they glared at their daughter.
Audrey, who was used to her parents belittling her, stood taller. “I won’t. Not when you’re spreading lies to further your own agenda. You don’t care about this pack, only your own position and image within it.”
Audrey’s words apparently made Christie speechless. Unfortunately, her silence did not last. “I’ve had it with you, you ungrateful little bitch,” she snapped. “You’re no longer a daughter of ours.”
The shifters fixed their gazes on the Greenthornes. The stillness was broken by Christie’s cold and unyielding declaration. “I make this official declaration, in the presence of members of the Northeast Pack: we hereby disown you and don’t recognize you as our offspring. We will not provide you with any further financial support.”
Christie finished speaking, but Martin couldn’t help but add his own judgment of Audrey. “You’re such a disappointment.”
With that, they stormed away, a few other shifters following them. I made a mental note of those who trailed behind.
The air in the clearing was thick with tension. Audrey stood motionless, then blinked slowly several times. My chest tightened, and my wolf prowled within me, restless and agitated. Audrey’s downtrodden expression imprinted itself on my mind, a sharp contrast to her usual untouchable façade.
The Greenthornes had done the unimaginable—increased the intense disgust I felt toward them. I was beginning to realize I’d underestimated how much they hated me. Christie’s father had been alpha before I’d stepped into the role. He’d known shewas a weak-willed shifter, and her choice of mate had been more about increasing her bank balance than a love match.
Martin Greenthorne was no alpha, but nobody had ever told him that. He’d expected to rule the Northeast Pack when his father-in-law had retired. Instead, Christie’s father had come to me and explained he’d only taken the role because I was too young to take over when my parents died. He’d always intended to give it back to me, the rightful Blackwood heir, when I was of age and ready to lead. We had the challenge fight, as was required in shifter law, but neither of us had fought too hard.
Losing their part in the hierarchy as the daughter and son-in-law of the alpha had devastated the Greenthornes, and they still believed the alpha role was rightfully theirs. I shuddered to think what would happen to the pack in their hands. I was under no illusion that my ancestors had been perfect. They had made horrific decisions, selling out shifter families for generations to the hunters for wealth and freedom. Having Martin and Christie in charge would be equally barbaric. I’d have to be careful of them going forward. Their hate ran deeper than I’d thought.
No one said a word as Tori moved to comfort her friend, her gentle touch soothing some of the pain etched on Audrey’s face as they sat together. Strangely, it was Kyle who stepped forward, addressing the Northeast Pack with an air of authority that belied his human status.
“It’s true,” he said, his voice steady despite the sea of mistrustful shifters surrounding him. “I was raised to be a hunter, just like you were born to be shifters, but I have cut all ties with my faction.” Kyle held their gazes, unflinching. “When security measures fail—and they will—when we are attacked, you can’t just rely on your inner beasts to protect yourselves or anybody else. Hunters train relentlessly and know exactly how a typical wolf shifter responds in a fight. They’ll kill you without a second thought.”
Kyle’s alpha tendencies grated against my own instincts, but I couldn’t deny that his nerves of steel gave him an edge. Watching him stand firm in the face of such hostility impressed the hell out me.
“Hunters train all day, every day,” he continued. “When they’re injured, they’re expected to suck it up and keep training to build their pain tolerance. Hunters are infused with magic, making them just as fast and strong as any shifter, but with skills honed from their training. Hunters are dedicated to knowledge and knowing their enemy. They know every weakness and vulnerability a shifter has. They carry wolfsbane spray and syringes to weaken you. They have witch-made anesthetics to knock you out immediately for transportation. Their projectiles are silver, and their batons have a silver coating. All of this makes them a shifter’s worst nightmare.”
An icy shiver ran down my spine. The extent of the hunters’ training and knowledge was a game-changer, completely transforming my perspective.
“Training is crucial,” Kyle insisted, his words slicing through the charged atmosphere. “You need to learn how to defend yourselves because it’s not a matter ofifhunters will attack Blackwood Creek, butwhen.”
A mixture of reactions ran through my pack. Some met Kyle’s steadfast gaze with grudging respect, while others simply glared, their anger simmering. It would take a while for them to trust what Kyle had to say. Despite the distrust that lingered in the air, Kyle stood his ground, meeting the gazes of those who dared to challenge him.
Clawson, one of our fiercest fighters, stepped forward. His eyes narrowed in a challenge. “You talk a big game, hunter,” he growled. “Why not show us what you mean? I’m pretty sure we have an advantage over you.”
“Fine,” Kyle agreed without hesitation. “Let me show you how hunters are trained to take down wolves, with or without weapons.”
There was no denying a demonstration was needed. Half the crowd already seemed convinced of the need to be trained, ready to learn how to protect themselves and our pack. For the other, more skeptical half, the demonstration would serve as a stark reminder of what true hunters were actually capable of. It might just show them how critical our situation was.
The thought of a human showing us up had my wolf bristling, but I held my tongue and moved to Tori’s side, hoping to keep her calm. She always worried about her brother. Her wide eyes met mine, but where I expected to find anxiety, I discovered a glint of amusement sparkling there. She smiled at me, then turned to watch Kyle and Clawson face off in the hastily made ring in the center of the clearing.
The fight began in a blur of motion, Clawson shifting into his powerful wolf form and lunging for Kyle. But the ex-hunter moved swiftly, his heightened abilities apparent in the way he dodged body blows, bites, and claws. My heart raced as I watched them, muscles tensed. I’d intervene if necessary. It was unnerving to witness one of our own so evenly matched by a human, even one with enhanced abilities.
