Bailey POV
The sound of our bedroom door bursting wide open had both Riley and me sitting upright in haste, clutching the bedcovers hastily to our chests in a futile attempt to cover our nudity as Damien stood there panting, his chest heaving, his eyes quickly sliding away as he blushed and looked resolutely towards the ground. I gave a low growl, wondering what had caused him to come bursting into the room like that, thinking it had better be some kind of emergency, while Riley blushed and looked at me in confusion. I glanced at her and then back at Damien, feeling somewhat peeved.
"Damien, I trust you have a good reason for interrupting our sleep and almost giving us a damn heart attack" I snarled.
He had the good sense to look slightly ashamed. "Sorry about that" he said sheepishly, running a hand through his hair as I glowered at him, "but I thought you should know, the elders are on the way, they've been spotted a few miles out from the territory and well" he paused looking grim "there's a large number of them. It looks like they've brought their whole pack, and it's clear they've come looking for a fight."
I shot to my feet. "We suspected it wouldn't be long until the elders arrived demanding to know where the prisoners were" I murmured as Damien turned his back and I began to hastily grab some clothes.
"It might not be that" Riley said, also climbing out of bed with a wary glance at her brother before grabbing some clothes from her dresser "I destroyed their research lab, remember" she reminded me, "no doubt news of that has reached them as well. They are angry because we've taken something away from them that they've hidden for so many years."
"Either way, this isn't going to be a negotiation" I told her, putting my shoes on and waiting for her to finish dressing. "If they are here, it's because they want something, or it's to fight us."
"Idiots" Damien snorted with his back turned, "as if they have a hope of hell in winning with sirens on your side."
"They might be arrogant enough to think they still stand a chance or that we might stand down because of their positions" I told him as Damien turned around, both Riley and me now fully dressed. "You have to remember that they haven't been challenged before, not by anyone. This is all new territory for them, and they don't like to be questioned about their authority."
"Should have thought about that before holding other races hostage and performing sick experiments on them," Damien said bluntly "I have no sympathy for them. In fact, I hope they all die horrible deaths," he added.
"Where are Thomas and the other men, Callum and Cody?" I asked, heading towards the doorway.
Damien smirked. "Who do you think spotted them? Thomas was the one to sound the alert and contact Callum, who then contacted Cody and then Cody told me who...." he trailed off.
I glared "None of them thought to mind-link instead of having you burst into the room while I was naked?" I demanded frostily.
"Oh yeah" Damien rubbed his chin "that would have been far easier. Thomas was too far away to reach you, but I guess maybe Cody could have" he said unhelpfully as I shook my head in disgust, heading out of the room and down the stairs.
"Never mind" I muttered, resigned.
Sometimes shifters have a tendency to forget about the mind-link and think like humans. I can't become engrossed in something that is irrelevant now. For heaven's sake, they could have used their cellphones as well! Morons.
"What are we going to do?" Riley asked, as I turned to her.
"Riley start getting pack members to safety, women and children into the packhouse" I instructed her as she nodded, "even Tiana. I know she can help, but I would rather she stayed behind in case she's needed."
"Of course. I'll make sure the elderly are also safely in the pack house and double the security around the prisoners," Riley suggested as I nodded at her, grateful for her clear head and wiseness.
"Damien" he turned to me as Riley began to rush off, no doubt getting Marigold and some of the other women to help her with her role. "I want you to gather some of the warriors and have them surround the perimeter. Keep out of sight. I don't want anybody making a move unless I instruct you to. I know we can't mind-link" I sighed, a frustration that I couldn't quite keep buried, "but you'll know what the signal is because it will be blatantly obvious."
"I'll make sure that the territory is completely ensconsed by warriors" Damien said.
"Good, ensure that Callum and Cody make their way back here. I'm going to need them and several sirens. I'm hoping to avoid a fight all together but..." I trailed off, the implications clear.
I had a feeling that the fight was inevitable.
"You think they'll be too proud to stand down," Damien guessed.
"It's not in their nature to stand down" I told him softly, "Not when their pride is at stake. They know that this is about to create war, but I doubt they realize the extent of our power and they've already underestimated our abilities. If they don't submit, which no sifter likes to do, because it creates conflict within their wolves, then the other alternative is to fight to the death."
"But you'll use the sirens in order to stop them before they can attack" Damien said quietly, glancing at me sharply "won't you?"
"If it becomes necessary, but I don't like using sirens as a weapon. They weren't created as a way to bring down other races and I would rather bring the elders down on my own."
"Riley won't let you" Damien said, looking down his nose at me "and neither would I. While we might not have been born to take out other packs, we know the value of our voices and our powers. To ask us to stand back, when something nefarious like this is going on, is to clip our wings when we would fly. Our loyalty is to you, King Bailey," he told me solemnly, as he began to walk away. "But don't forget that we are able to think for ourselves as well. We aren't puppets that are under your control."
I exhaled as he took off running. I knew that was a warning. I grimaced and headed towards the center of the grounds, watching as pack members, those that were vulnerable, were shepherded into the pack house by Riley and several other women, the children clutching tightly to their mother's hands or held tightly to their breasts. Callum and Cody sprinted towards me, looking quite frantic.
"They're almost here, there's not much time" Cody shouted at the top of his voice.
I waved my arms at the pack members "Move, run" I yelled, watching as the last few stragglers burst into the pack house, Marigold, Riley and two other sirens quickly heading back towards me, standing behind me with frosty expressions on their faces.
"How long?" I began to ask before the question was answered for me, by the sound of furious snarling and growling, wolves leaping out of the shadows and loping towards us with narrowed eyes.
I didn't need Callum and Cody to respond. It was obvious. The elders were here. They formed a half circle, at least several hundred of them, frothing at the mouths, dark expressions on their faces. I refused to be intimidated. A few warriors stood beside Callum and Cody, their bodies tensed for the confrontation. I put my arm out, preventing any of my men from moving forward. So far, the elders had failed to attack and were merely showing their displeasure and the vast number of them that there were.
"Shift" I said loudly, "if you wish to talk, before this becomes a bloodbath."
Perhaps they could still be reasoned with. It was worth a try before there became causalities.
It was the only warning they would get. One wolf glanced at the others and then moved away a few paces, their bones cracking and adjusting, before an elder man stood in front of me, his face contorted into an expression of fury. I knew who he was. Dominic Mathias, the leader of the elder's pack and in charge of them.
"King Bailey" he sneered, as I stood there motionless, "we have come to strip you of your title. It has come to our attention that you have behaved in a manner unbecoming of a man who leads the shifters. You have several of our comrades in your dungeon and I hereby order you to free them now" he added, drawing himself up. Furthermore," he added, looking pointedly at Riley who merely blinked at him, unimpressed by all of his haughtiness, "your mate is responsible for the destruction of valuable elder property and will be put on trial for the massacre of innocent men and vital information that was collected over the course of several years that now remains lost to us forever thanks to her."
The wolves all growled in unison, indicating their agreement. I heard Callum and Cody snort behind me. I wondered if Damien could hear this ridiculous speech from wherever he was standing.
"As of now, your title is no more," Elder Dominic continued, as though I was agreeable, "and you too will be put on trial to await the decision of us elders for the inexcusible crimes you have committed. I suggest that you comply and submit to us peacefully, before we are forced to take drastic measures against you all."
It was almost laughable at how he expected us to simply bow down and submit to them without so much as a word of protest.
Drastic measures? Was he referring to the large group of sifter wolves who continued to snarl and growl at us while Dominic stood there smug, waiting for a reply? Or was there something else that he had up his sleeve? I looked at him, seeing the small smile on his lips, and instinctively knew that this was not going to be as simple as I had imagined. Something was off. Dominic was too smug to be simply overestimating his abilities. He looked as though he knew something we didn't. I glanced at Riley and saw a frown on her face as she carefully studied the man as well. Callum and Cody were silent, their eyes watchful. My men stood motionless waiting for me to answer. Nobody dared to speak a word, the tension in the air so thick you could almost cut it with a knife. Whatever Dominic had up his sleeve, I thought calmly, did not amount to having a siren on his side and could not possibly defeat us. But my instincts were screaming that something was up as I looked at the man who raised a brow, patiently waiting for the surrender that he thought was coming his way.
"Make your decision, King Bailey" he said coldly. "Surrender now, while you are still able to, or die by the hand of the elders who have come here to ensure you never rule as leader of the sifters again."