Deacon

I flash a wary look at the Doc in the corner, who turns a paler shade, his brow furrowing, etching his features into that of worry, and he casts an evasive look back at me. He darts a glance at Colton then back again to me, suddenly sheepish.

"It can't be Deacon, right? It's too early!” I point out while asking him to confirm, to calm my own sudden whirlwind of nerves, hating the apprehension I can feel from him, but he swallows loudly.

"I may have over exaggerated our head start rather somewhat, a teens little bit. I didn't want to alarm you and give you reason to doubt coming with me, dear girl. If you knew they were hot on our heels, so to speak, you would have queried the plan and I had faith the fates would intervene if we just got out. I had to keep the sedation low, so I didn't kill my human staff in the process, and sadly that meant the wolves recovered quickly." He's apprehensive about admitting to a lie, recoiling slightly and I give him a deflated smile, translating that it's okay and it doesn't really make much difference now, because it is what it is.

“Damn right, it's Deacon. Meadow and the pack are tracing them down the north road in, following them. They'll be here in a couple of minutes." Colton growls and sweeps past me, determination oozing from him, and that growing hostility coming off him like a dense smoke. He's moving into battle mode in his head and I can't do much except follow him out of the infirmary. Knowing no matter what, I should be out there for this entourage arriving. After all, it's because of me and Sierra they are even coming. "You should stay here." Colton flashes me back a moody look, fierce, overbearing protectiveness shining through, and gets my 'hell no' glare of warning flashed right back.

I'm not about to be sat in the corner and cotton wrapped because Colton thinks he needs to take care of a feeble little femmes. This femmes took down a bear, and she isn't about to be intimidated by that idiot Deacon.

'That son of a bitch darted me in the back. I'm not missing him crawling up and realizing this is a Santo domain! I want to experience that epiphany and watch him grovel.' It's through gritted teeth as my own aggression peeks, thinking about that smug assholes face, and the longing to kick him in the balls when I was in the facility. That little simmer of rage ignites and my skin tingles in anticipation, revving up my anger for that slimy weasel.

"You stay on my ass then. Stay close where I can intervene should I need to." Colton drops that overbearing, no nonsense command, and turns away, obviously picking up on my stubborn tone and knowing arguing with me is futile. Still has to be in charge of my safety though.

He leads the way immediately, straight out into the hallway, through the foyer, and out the still open main door at hyper speed. Other wolves either getting out of the way, or turning and following their leader, as I assume, he pack links and issues orders.

He's eager to get out front and await our guests. His wolf starting to peek in the glowing of his eyes and that snarl in his tone, but he keeps it in check and stays mostly human, rolling his shoulders and leaning forward lightly, so that stance of psycho comes through prominently when we come to a halt at the gravel driveway that spans the whole front width of the homestead.

Wolves tend to hunch forward and look at you from a tilted down chin. It's usually because as wolves we prefer to go to all fours even though we can walk upright, and Colton seems caught between the two. Stance and lowered head as his eyes glow viciously and his words take on that dominant growl in the undertones. He isn't planning on turning, but he is planning on intimidating the shit out of Deacon. I can sense his actions and read him way better than I used to be able to. I wonder if our wolves are lynching a little because of the closeness of how we got in the infirmary, or maybe I'm just getting better at dissecting the mood and picking out who's belongs to who.

He leads us out across the new, cleared sweeping gravel drive, all the vehicles are gone, and I can see how huge the forefront of the homestead's entry is. Without the wolves flanking and taking us in without seeing it, I can appreciate the wide vast space, tree lined with dense forest, and only one narrow opening coming in north bound. Colton was right about this being smaller than the manor at the mountain, but it's still pretty impressive.

The headlights flash in the far distance through that gap in the trees and I realize it's because the road is straight, and long, and standing here, we can see it for a couple of miles. Being dark means we can see the flickering lights moving in on us. Like incoming orbs bouncing around on uneven gravel terrain.

"Two trucks… Radar can pick out heat signatures of twelve wolves between the two." Colton murmurs it at me, as if Radar being able to do that isn't a surprise, and now his name makes perfect sense. He can see body heat through objects, infrared sight.

Something slight catches my eye distracting me from this wonder, just past him as I look his way. Adjusting my nocturnal vision, I realize Santo wolves are moving in from the tree line stealthily and standing spread out around us in the shadows. Watching, waiting, prepping to be there should their alpha need them, and I again hate that I'm not linked in and hearing the communications between them all. It's obvious by the silent way they get in position and nod at one another that there's a line of chatter getting them where needed. They're preparing for battle because they don't know how things are going to play out.

“Doc said there were nineteen wolves at the facility, so I'm guessing he left a few behind to keep the humans in check." I add in afterthought, sticking close to him as a few warm bodies close up behind us, wolves I don't know well but we're being flanked by more than a dozen anyway, and I wonder where the sub pack are.

Colton starts pacing, side to side, adrenalin, and hostile levels are so high he's even affecting me, and my body starts to lightly vibrate. Watching the oncoming truck, bristling with fierceness, and all I can do is watch, and wait, with held breath. Nervousness hitching up because I don't know how this is going to go, and even though we outnumber them, I'm still not a wolf that's ever had to battle another wolf like this. Colton doesn't count that one time he triggered me, and I can't even remember it happening. I feel nauseous even while still crazily angry at Deacon and start wringing my hands together to calm my stupid nerves.

Colton walks six feet to the left, turns and walks it back again, like a caged animal, and I can taste his impatience in wanting to deal with this. He's stiff, and solid looking, ready to pounce, and I can taste the nearness of his wolf as he verges on turning. It's like a high-level energy feeding mine, and my own wolf starts to internally wriggle around with a need to show face.

He's in full blown aggression mode, his alpha scent getting so heady that my own wolf starts to snarl in response, and I have to deep breath and count to ten to keep her tamed. He's riling the pack, and the murmur of restless snarls around me tell me they're all poised and ready to fight, feeding from their leader's need to attack. The psychic bond of a pack, so that when their alpha hits a battle, they all rev up and flock to him, ready to die for the good of the pack. It's becoming unbearable, and invasive, as it shrouds like a dark smog around us and I can hardly breathe with the impending pressure.

I touch him on the shoulder as a way to break his intent focus on the incoming, as he paces past me for the tenth time and he pauses, spinning his head to me away from the road. It's like I jolted him with a taser, such is his reaction, because he was caught up in his instincts and senses.

“Deacon's a coward and no match for us. Be still. You're making the pack restless and blood thirsty." I try and soothe him with a small squeeze. Colton inhales slowly but reaches out and runs his thumb over my bottom lip gently, igniting a crazy number of butterflies in my stomach with the simplest of touches, as he focuses those glowing eyes on mine.

"He laid his hands on you. Kept my mom prisoner. I don't care if he refuses to fight, or runs… I'll take him down regardless." It's the vicious, lethal, protective coming out and I can only give Colton a soft look. I can't argue when he's fueled by instinct, I can only let him be, and let him handle this how he needs to.

"Many of these wolves have never known battle. Think of the vulnerable among us. We want them to feel safe here, not traumatized by a war on the doorstep. Be a leader. Put vengeance aside for the good of those. There are children here." I remind him gently, and it has the same effect as a calming wave washing over him. It's enough to level down the rage, and he exhales heavily to release some of his tension, knowing I'm right. He nods, releasing me and turning away to watch the road once more, but I can already tell he's reeled in so much of his testosterone already. My words having an effect.

The wolf hierarchy is not that complex, and wolves have certain traits you just have to accept. One being that a male is deathly aggressive, possessive, and protective of his mate, even if she isn't technically his, and they maybe imprinted. The need is the same. Contraltos an alpha which means his protective instincts are enhanced naturally, at about five hundred percent higher than most, to be honest. The whole good of the pack, putting his people above all, is a born alpha trait, and it's crazily hitched up to about a thousand times more intense once a dominant takes on his role as leader. So, Colton is fueled by that. I can see it in him, making him antsy, interwoven with turmoil, and rage. I'm not just his fated mate, in his head I'm part of his pack too, and Deacon disrespected me. He disrespected the Luna also. Contraltos loyalty to his mom is as strong as his love for her, for me. As Alpha he wants to reset the balance, to deal with the insult and offence dealt this way.

The headlights pull my eyes from Colton to them as they flash violently, swinging around into the car par as they trundle in and catch us all standing here waiting. The low humming of two big green military trucks that I recognize from the bay. Both have tented backs and seem so much bigger out here in the dark.

The first truck veers left and skids to a halt, obviously not expecting the welcome party out front and maneuvers an emergency divert, and the second slams on the breaks immediately, sliding on the gravel an extra few feet dramatically, stops dead in the entrance, blocking it off in a mist of scrambled dust.

There's a moment of pause as no one moves, and the sound of the humming trucks is the only noise ringing heavily through the eerie quiet. The distant whoop, whoop, of wolves coming from behind alert the presence of our own sub pack returning behind them, and they seem to be in joyful spirits at trapping these bugs in their web, from all sides. It's as though everyone holds their breath, and waits for someone else to make the first move, and Colton becomes stealthily still, completely trained on the first truck as he hones in on the driver seat through the side mirror, his low growl vibrates through my stomach.

It's Deacon, I can smell him. He surprises me with the low husky hostility of his link between us and I blink, stomach turning itself in knots as I realize what he just said. Trying to ignore the tone of killer in his undercurrent because I know Colton is a seasoned warrior, and I'm about to see it for myself for a second time.

How do you know what Deacon smells like? I blanch, looking from Colton to the truck and trying to figure out how we would know that unless he knew him. He couldn't have gotten scent from my projecting memories. I mean, Deacon is a Santo, but if he's been at the facility for years then I assumed Colton would have been a boy and not really known him. Deacon is older, by maybe ten years, and I don't recall pulling him from any of his memories, but then again, I haven't looked.

That asshole and his pack slunk off into god knows where after his father died, but I know him. He tried to take me down in front of his pack when I was a kid, to exert his dominance, and humiliate me, and I handed him his ass. I hate that mother fucker with a passion. Knowing that it's his pack that held my mom, and now comes after you both, I swear, I'm going to rip him limb from limb.

I swallow hard, eyes widening and gulp back a little tremor of 'oh shit' now that I realize this is more than Colton being pissed on behalf of me and his mother, and Colton thinking about diffusing things. It's also about already hating the idiot who followed us here. The rev up again of his rage as it waves through me and I know I need to settle him once more.

We have young here, we have pregnant women, and elderly wolves. We have families, and this space is faced by a hundred windows. We need to shield them from the horrors and instill that this place is a sanctuary. I have to help calm Colton and push this fight outside our boundaries, away from watching eyes. I don't want him to rile the extended pack and rip a dozen wolves to shreds out here like this. Even if it is Deacon.

Someone opens the truck door and slides out, all dressed in dark clothes like Colton is, and I recognize the tall, cocky swagger, right away. That air of asshole he wears so well. Deacon looks around, noting all the wolves scattered in a circle surrounding him and then locks eyes on Colton as he seeks out whom he should interact with, and seems to visibly sag. He obviously remembers Colton well.

It's all in his body language and the death of confidence. He hesitates, then walks towards us with his hands raised up as a sign of submission, and Colton stands taller, lifting his head and seems to grow a few inches as he locks him with a penetrating glare. Colton moves in front of me instinctively, side stepping and pushing me back with a hand slid across my abdomen firmly. I can tell it's a protective movement, instinctual, and can't be mad about it when it's purely automatic response to an incoming threat.

Deacon's own pack slide out of the two trucks, taking in all around them and stand back in the circle surrounding their own vehicles. I can see the hesitant and questioning looks they throw between one another, as they recognize certain members, and it's obvious this is news to them that they followed my tracks to a Santo lair. They stay put and look towards Deacon for direction, showing zero signs of hostility now they see us.

"I'm only doing what I'm told, Colton. I didn't come here to fight, or even knew you'd broken off and had a Santo sect here. I just need to take my patient, and my prisoner, back. Your father was very clear about that." Deacon isn't so smug now, in fact, I can taste his nervousness, and smell his fear in the air as he closes the gap and comes within four feet. Sure the second It dawned on him he was rolling into a Santo space he shit his pants and had a moment of 'what the fuck is going on?’. I move around Colton a tad, to be able to lock a nasty glare at Deacon's smug head and catch the eye flicker as he notices me and looks back to my Alpha.

Colton snorts in response to what he said. His body bristling with a pulsing desire to rip at Deacon and I impulsively lay a hand flat on his back, to remind him to stay calm. I can feel it oozing my way, his emotions riling mine, and that insane desire to turn and bite the asshole in the face. I have to inhale heavily, breathe deeply, and count to ten to make it pass, willing Colton to draw from me some of this settling energy.

"Prisoner? Patient? …. Do you mean my mom and my femmes? Pretty sure you can't be talking about walking on in here uninvited, thinking I'm going to stand back and let you touch either of them." Colton steps to him and closes the gap completely, humanly straight, and tall, aggression pulsating, and pushes nose to nose with Deacon. He's standing taller than him by only an inch, but he seems so much more dominant as Deacon hesitates but stays his ground. He is a pack leader after all, and his own are watching him closely, so he needs to curb the weakness to keep face. Colton is growling, so low it's reverberating through me and my wolf is getting all kinds of excited. I try extra hard to pat her down and tell her off.

It's the weirdest thing, but seeing and feeling him this way, makes me crazy hot in an inappropriate way, and I curse my damn hormones and that damned haze moving in on me. My wolf wants to play, with him, in all kinds of dirty ways, she's just torn between ripping Deacons head off or stripping Colton naked for his show of fierce, and I have to work twice as hard to curb those urges. She's all swooning and needy in a time when she just needs to shut up and be still.

"Your father won't care. I'm just doing what I'm told… like I'm meant to. He won't like this one bit. Just take it up with him when we leave and deal with him yourself." Deacon doesn't really seem to be getting the memo, and it dawns on me that much like I didn't know, he won't either, that Colton is his rightful alpha and just by questioning him, he's breaking all kinds of rules and respect.

He's oblivious to the pack split, and to him, this is Colton setting off on his own to start a separate sect while still under his father's order. It happens when males who are next in line become impatient for dominance, and they are then allowed to set up camp somewhere else with any willing to follow. Big packs like the Santos dominate entire regions because of previous generations splitting and setting up across the land, to make sure challenges and disputes don't arise when young males get too big for their own boots. There's always only one head alpha though, and Deacon assumes it's still Juan.

"My father is not the alpha anymore! I am! Now back the fuck up and listen to me, because this is how I say this is going to go." Colton snaps at him, making Deacon flinch with the intense crazy that came through with that response and he does seem to shrivel slightly. Colton was right. Deacon is a coward, and when he doesn't have a dart gun and a facility keeping wolf gifts at bay, or thick fiberglass prisons, he's just a weak ass omega who is the lowest of our pack.

"Juan is my Alpha, I don't know what makes you think otherwise, and for all I know, you could be lying." Deacon truly is an idiot of epic proportions and much to my surprise, Colton doesn't punch him in the face, but laughs instead. A deranged yet somehow boyish noise, and he raises his head and looks at the trucks behind Deacon's head.

“Do you hear that, Beds? I must be lying!” Contraltos eyes are on the vehicles and I squint to see where he can see her. I can't. I can smell the sub pack on the wind, blowing gently this way, but there's nothing but shadows and darkness beyond the lit area we're standing in.

"I guess we witnessed a mirage then, huh?” Meadow appears kinkily on the roof of the first truck, coming out of the shadows and strutting across the thick solid canvas of the covering like a supermodel. Hand on her hip as she glares this way and the sub pack seem to emerge creepily too. Some around the sides of the trucks, pouring in like beetles, and scaring Deacons pack half to death with the sudden appearance. Cesar appears behind Meadow, up top, while Matteo appears on the roof of the other one. Ninja stealth and almost magical appearances. They know how to spread out and look like there's more of them. They have a force that's hard to miss.

"Let me have this one, he's cute, and I want to play with him!” Jesus slides up behind one of the men who are slightly further out from the rest, and he jumps a mile high, growls Jesus' way and then back runs to his pack to get away from the taunting smirk and kissing motions. The twins chuckle as they round on them, making more of those sexy wink and kiss motions, cooing the males naughtily. They're humiliating them while standing casually, languishing like they're hanging out in a field waiting for a sports tournament to begin. No hint of fear, wariness, or even rage. Just taunting confidence of a pack that know as a unit, they're fierce.

"I don't think you're his type. He likes the soft submissive femmes, so he can feel all man about it." Radar pokes fun at the member trying to cower behind his pack, and Colton grins at the hilarity of his very intimidating fellows. It's obvious he's used to this kind of response when they encounter an enemy, and he doesn't seem phased by it at all. It now makes sense who was whooping and making noise upon arriving as though heading to a party. They're comical in a terrifying psychotic way, and you can tell every one of them has tasted blood on a battlefield. You only get that kind of bold scary from experience.

The jokes and presence of his subs do seem to have calmed Colton down considerably, and already I can sense the waves of fury ebbing out as he realizes this pack isn't worth it. Not one of them are trying to enforce any kind of fight, and Deacon, despite his eyes faintly glowing, seems to be trying to diffuse rather than entice. They're what I thought when I met them, Omega cowards, and it's not even honorable enough to fight them.

"You don't want to battle, that's fine by me. My people don't need bloodshed on their own doorstep. We have children here, but you're not leaving with either of these women without going through me, so maybe you should turn around, tuck your tail back up your ass where it belongs, and go tell my daddy I said to go fuck himself. That I know everything. He'll know what you mean. Maybe on the drive back to the mountain, you and your crew should evaluate which side of the Santo pack you're going to run with from here on in, because the future doesn't look pretty if it's his." Snarling in his face, returning to a shot of intimidation, and no hint of any kind of hesitation, or nervousness. Colton is about an inch away from pissing on Deacon and marking his territory, such is his overwhelming hostility as the other wolf crumbles.

Colton doesn't sound like Colton. He sounds like a man, not a boy. A confident leader, who is extremely accomplished in handling people like Deacon, and it's like seeing him in a new light. I've never had to come head-to-head with fierce Colton or seen him in real aggression mode beyond the orphanage, and I wonder what exactly him taking his father down looked like. There's no lie, my inner wolf likes it, and I'm almost salivating over him in this moment, my insides all kinds of churned up and I have to step back and take a few deep breaths to calm the raging hormones once more. The fates definitely picked the right kind of male to match me too. I couldn't want him more in this moment. Turned on by his dominance.

"I... hmm. He'll kill us if we don't take …. hmm. I don't know what went down, but I have to see for myself what Juan says about this." Deacon is at a loss for words and I can feel every ounce of his bravado slipping away. Deacon visibly swallows a look of confusion running over his face, as he realizes, he just questioned his possible leader, and I swear, he almost sits on the ground such is the way his legs seem to momentarily twitch.

“I'll kill you if you touch her. So, there's that." Colton reiterates with a head nod and shrug, and I shake my head at Deacon, disgusted in the weakness I see before me and smothered in confidence as my own temper riles.

"Not so tough when you don't have me disabled and stuck alone in a glass room, are you?” I snarl, moving out fully from behind Colton, half expecting him to hush me and send me back, but he doesn't. He turns a slight way to me, catches my eyes with his glowing amber ones and then slides aside slightly to encourage me to come closer. I guess because he knows Deacon is no real threat to me, he relaxes a little, and much like a wild wolf would encourage his mate to participate in a hunt, or teach her, he urges me to him. I mean, he just let his subs berate theirs, so I guess it's my turn. My wolf ignites at the invitation, eyes burning in my skull, and I know I must be glowing as red as Contraltos are amber with the tension in the air around us.

"What the fuck." Deacon almost trips backwards as he scrambles a step away and locks an alarmed gawping set of normal human eyes on mine. Shocked at what he sees.

"Miss those pretties, huh. I guess probably because you were busy shooting her in the back!” Colton teases cruelly, pulling me with a hand on my upper arm and slides me near, in front so I'm between Deacon and him. Getting me close even though he wants me to stand up to this Natasha, but he needs to know he's also keeping me safe.

"What the hell is wrong with her eyes?” Deacon can't conceal his fear, and this time he does trip trying to get away and lands on his ass. Scrambling as he thuds with a soft noise and tries to reel backwards away from me.

"Nothing… I think their sexy. However, it does mean you had a lucky escape and had my Incessant here not been more concerned about getting the fuck away from you, could have taken down your entire team with minimal effort. Maybe I should let her balance the scales if you think you can take her." Colton slides his hand up my back and comes to beside me properly so his hip touches mine, lazily lassoing his arm around my shoulders so it hangs about me casually, and adopts that teen boy lounge of a guy taking the piss out of someone he deems inferior. Deacon hesitates, I can see the questions forming in his head as he looks from Colton to me, and back, and scrambles to his feet, backing away. It's obvious he's rattled, and he keeps gawping at me and then back at his pack as though they're linking. I see the unease as they too, all start to look to one another and shrink closer to the vehicles, our own sub pack moving in and not giving them an inch.

“Why don't we make it fun? If he can take you, his pack gets to leave. If he can't, well…. we kill them." Colton turns to me with a dark expression, a wry smile, his words making the blood in my veins runs cold, but his mind link kicks in immediately.

I won't ever let anyone hurt you, it's obvious he'll not take that offer, so relax. He's about ready to run. I'm not really going to kill anyone…. Just messing with him, baby. Because it's fun.

Colton is doing what a mate is meant to do. Teach, guide, instill confidence in his femmes, and I can feel him nudging me on to take back my power from Deacon and it ignites a fire in me that pulses through my bones, and muscles, and nerve endings, and I can almost taste that thin veil coming at me without trying. Maybe it's the inner rage I felt from the second this asshole pulled up, or maybe it's having Colton by my side coaxing me, encouraging softly, being what I need, yet my knowing it can never be that turns me up and empowers me insanely.

"I'm not in the mood for shredding my clothes so how about…. if he can get to his truck before I get to him, I forget all about it. He can go, and we're done." I raise a brow, sarcasm oozing from every pore and Colton smiles fully, looking to our prey. He knows I'm going to make Deacon run back to his truck like a coward and humiliate him in front of everyone without even attempting to follow. I start to understand why his subs like teasing and tormenting, it really gives me a power kick.

"I'm not against you shooting him in the back, baby. An eye for an eye." He leans in and kisses me on the temple, lingering a moment as Deacon continues glancing from him to me, and back again. Deacon pales out visibly and starts to stammer and stutter. Raising his hands and looks about poised to go running away, tripping over his own feet and falling apically to his knees in front of everyone. Colton breaks into a laugh and completely ruins it. That proper hearty break of mood, as he lets out that youthful, entertained, sweet melody of husky beauty.

“I'm sorry I can't… it's too funny. Fuck off, Deacon, none of you are welcome back here. This is where my mom and my femmes stay, and if we see you here again, I'll happily rip your throat out. Take that as a friendly warning and tell my father whatever the fuck you want. Just leave!” Colton doesn't waste time for an answer, but slides his arm from me and turns, instead pushing his hand into mine to get me to follow him back to the manor and leave this idiot to get chased out by the subs. Colton is doing what I asked, and making sure the vulnerable are not exposed to gruesome violence. He's leaving before he does something stupid to these idiots.

I'm slower to turn, catching Deacons eyes ignite from the corner of my eye and his left hand claws up with sharp knife-like talons as he lets that one part of him turn, before he lurches to his feet, extending his hand and aims right for the back of Contraltos skull. With enough force, right at a wolf's skull, it's a death stroke, and I impulsively yell out.

I throw my hand out to somehow stop him, forward aiming right for that son of a bitch in impulsive reaction, with my palm stretched towards him. To shield my love, to save him from harm. Pure instinct taking over with the way my heart leaps into my mouth and my whole body pauses in shock and disbelief, my veins running cold.

I need to protect my fated mate against all costs, and I don't think, or hesitate. My own instincts come in to play. Colton is my soul mate and half of me, and I won't let that piece of shit Deacon take a stab at the back and end him in such a cowardly way.

Much like watching a wet baseball being thrown hard, losing its water content as it hurls at speed, spewing traces in the air behind the spinning whizzing thing, I somehow send something that looks much like a transparent orb at him, from my splayed hand. It travels fast, straight, and true, slowing down time and space so I see it happening with almost timeless ease, and get him right in the chest, with so much force it makes an echoing thud that reverberates around the clearing. It has a similar effect to that of the bear, only with less velocity and rage behind it, more shock, more focus of a smaller area, reaction more than anything. Deacon goes from jumping towards Colton with intent, to rammed harshly in the chest by my 'orb' and thrown the few feet behind him into the side of the vehicle, with such force he body slams it to a shuddering halt and dents it like I just canon balled it with a steel boulder.

He completely stops dead, groaning in pain, the air silencing crazily around us as he slides down the side of the truck clumsily, winded, gasping for air, and in utter shock as his own pack cower around, watching this show of force. The air sizzles around us as everyone who just witnessed it, stares in utter disbelief. Shocked.

"Well that's a gift." Meadow's voice floats my way, breaking the silence, and the tension, as I inhale and look around to see most eyes are on me. It's only now I realize she's only seven feet away to my left, as she must have leaped to come to the defense of Colton too, and her eyes are glowing amber, ready to take down that son of a bitch had he in fact struck her alpha.

Deacons pack waste no time in running, dragging Deacon with them, back into the two trucks and speedily getting off the ground. Soon as they do, the trucks rev into life and back out at speed, gravel spraying all around us in dramatic fashion at their fast and furious exit while Colton turns to me and catches me off guard.

He picks me up in a wave of over enthusiasm, hauling me up in a sweep of weightlessness, grinning at me proudly, and hoists my legs around my waist as he does so, pulling me down and kissing me right on the lips as he yanks my body into his. I have no time to react, pulled in, held tight as his warm lips press to mine and take my breath away completely. I hate that his kiss is still familiar, ignites feelings inside, inviting, like finding the way home, and I have to stop myself from leaning in and letting him continue.

"That's my girl. Warrior queen protecting her man. Thank you, baby." He moves his face back so we're no longer close enough to do it again, causing a little wave of disappointment within me that I chastise myself for, my cheeks flushing with heat and embarrassment that he kissed me in front of everyone. So breathless from his unexpected attention and aware every wolf out here is looking at us. I shouldn't untangle and get him to put me down while his pack watch us, it'll make it uncomfortable for him. It's crazy disrespectful to humiliate the alpha and instead I slide my hands around his neck to steady myself in this pretty weird position I find myself in, aware this is inappropriate for a marked wolf, but yet allow him to carry my like this. Aware I still don't see any sign of Carmen, and I'm sure I would have heard her if she saw this. No way she wouldn't be screeching me to deafness if she's around. His hands now under my ass to keep me lifted as he turns me around to the approaching sub pack, like this is perfectly natural for him to carry me this way. They swarm in around us.

“What was that exactly?” It's Cesar who comes out first as Colton bounces me a little and smiles boyishly. He's overcome with a weird joyful energy, and a strong sense of pride that's almost suffocating me as his emotions drown out mine.

"That was Lorey and part of what she is capable of doing…. Telekinesis possibly. I think she might be an empath too. Jesus, that was impressive as fuck." He spins me and I get a little jiggle before he slides me down to the ground on my own feet, and tugged in against him, lassoed by that arm once more and held lazily. I don't know how to feel about what I did, as everything rushed me at once and it was impulsive. The reaction, seeing what I managed to do again, and then this. I have to stop for a moment and let my brain catch up to his words.

"What?” I turn to him and gawp, eyes widening at him. So many questions about where he just pulled that from, and I have no idea what to think.

"The Shaman knows a lot about this shit and…. it's common in vampires apparently. Absorption is her wolf… this, it's the other half. Alora is a hybrid of the two. And I am too, only, my mom's a witch." Contraltos voice drops as he says it and I swear, the entire area drops deathly silent, unbearably so, as the entire sub pack, and those beyond, who heard him, Blanche, and stare at us with open mouths of disbelief. He just outed us for the entire pack to hear and those who didn't will know soon enough as gossip spreads through the link. Colton clearly doesn't want secrets the way his father did for years.

"Like us?” Emir finally butts in, breaking the tension and I stand stock still, my heart beating through my chest at the fact he's going to tell them everything, now, and I was so not prepared for this. My body turns icy cold as fear overtakes me, my lungs almost shrivel up, and I sag a little, to cower in his arms as they all move in on us, a sea of faces, endless questioning looks. Colton seems completely serious in the moment and I can feel his own hesitation in what he's doing. That ingrained fear his own family bonded pack will reject us and send us into exile, or worse. A pack has a right to kill intruders, or any they deem a threat, and I guess I'm definitely in that category.

“Kind of…. I think you all need to let me bond project so you can see what Alora and I know." Colton looks around them and I inhale quickly. Waiting, poised, but none of the sub pack seem to have any kind of dramatic reaction. There's confusion, a couple of questioning glances between them, but overall, they just nod. I didn't know packs could project to one another in a group, but I guess it makes sense. If you made a chain and passed memory to memory. I just thought it was something only imprinted or mated could do.

Meadow turns and stares out at the wolves in the clearing, I can tell she's linking. Within seconds they all turn tail and head back to wherever they came from, clearing the area and giving us space and quiet. They heard, and I don't doubt they will be given answers after the sub pack get them. Our secrets, who we are, Juan's whole lie in life, is about to become public knowledge and I couldn't be any more terrified. No more secrets within this pack, no more hiding what I am. What we are.

Meadow steps up first and lifts Contraltos hand to her temple, adding mine to the other side of her face and smiles encouragingly, so much faith and love in that one little nod.

"We're your pack, show us the truth. It won't change a thing about what we are to you."