Chapter 11

“Here’s good.” Deacon didn’t wait for the vehicle to come to a complete stop before he opened the door and checked the street before hopping out. “Stay close.” He put his earpiece in and looked back at the two women in the van. Shaelan was already moving to open a case and was hanging up an IV bag. Turning his hat around backward, he looked around. Creed was in his bird form and sitting on the end of the fence, the streetlight shining down on him. “If you see that bird,” he motioned to him with his hand as he made eye contact with Giana, “swoop down in front of the van, get out of here, it means someone is coming.” He made sure she acknowledged and then closed the door quickly.

Deacon didn’t look back to watch the van leave, he just moved fast into the shadows of the buildings. He spotted Calum crouched down beside a garden shed near the fence that separated the properties. Bear was a few feet from him, trying to keep his large body out of the illumination of the streetlights.

He knew York was somewhere nearby but didn’t pause to pinpoint his location. That went for Nox as well. He may be an overbearing jerk to his sister, but he was good at his job.

Calum looked over at him and nodded his head. Deacon felt a flush of pride move through him. To have Calum, of all people telling him to lead on something like this when he was involved, was pure gratification. Calum had always had faith in him, even when he had none in himself.

He touched his earpiece, “moving to disable the cars and breach garage.” He turned the mic back off.

“At the back door.” Jesse’s whisper came over the comm.

“We’ll give you the go once we’re in.” Calum’s calm voice came through the earpiece.

Deacon stayed low and moved along the fence until he reached the edge of the driveway. He felt someone move up beside him. Inhaling their scent, he identified it to be Bear. When this was over, he really needed to make inquiries as to what clan Bear was from, because he knew it wasn’t any of the bear clans.

He pointed to the closest truck in the drive and felt Bear move away from him. With the tranq gun in his hand now, he kept it aimed toward the door of the house.

Someone tapped him on the shoulder twice, telling him either Nox or York would take this position and allow him to move to a closer vantage point.

Deacon moved along the fence and stayed low as he went past the garage door. Once he reached the steps to the front door, he hunkered down and kept his eyes on the part of the door where the frame and actual door connected.

He heard movement behind him but didn’t so much as blink. He would only have a split second to react if that door moved and that left no time to look away. Inhaling, he pegged Calum as he moved silently by him. In the year’s Deacon had known him, he’d aspired to learn how to move without sound as his large friend and mentor did. He’d managed it eventually, and was almost invisible and unheard, but could never get as good as Calum. Deacon had to wonder if it was because of Calum’s cat he was able to do it. Deacon’s animal was not sleek and graceful in any way.

“Vehicles disabled.” Nox reported.

Nodding to no one in particular, Deacon moved to the bottom step and went up them with a swift movement. Calum came up beside him. The other two from his team, Deacon knew would be at the garage door.

“Breaching in three.” York’s steady voice came through the earpiece.

“Two.”

Deacon straightened and aligned his body with the side of the door the handle was on.

“One. Now.”

Sucking in a breath, Deacon used all his strength and kicked the door right above the handle. Wood cracked under the force and Calum moved to brace the door open as Deacon raised the gun again. With a nod, he told Calum to go in. He followed right behind him, looking in whatever direction Calum wasn’t.

As Calum checked, then moved past an open doorway, Deacon moved up to replace him. A movement out of the corner of his eye was the only warning he had before he turned and blocked someone swinging something at his head from around the corner. Grasping the crutch from the man’s hand, he jerked it from the other man’s hand and shot him in the chest with a dart.

The only thing the guy had time to do was look down at the dart sticking out of his chest, then he slumped to the floor unconscious. How the hell strong were these darts Illias gave them?

Squatting down, Deacon checked his pulse, while keeping his eyes and gun pointed back into the entranceway. Bear came into the room. Deacon stood up. “Carry him out to Shaelan,” he motioned to his leg wrapped in bandages, “stay with him and tranq him again if he comes to.”

Bear nodded and moved behind him, making sure not to obstruct Deacon’s line of sight.

He waited until the large man moved back to the door. Bear moved with fluid steps, making it look like he was carrying a tiny child instead of the dead weight of a knocked-out man.

“Leg injury coming out, Shaelan.” He said quietly into the mic, then moved into the room the man had been in. Moving just his eyes, he cleared the room and went toward the open door on the other side.

“Basement cleared,” York announced.

Movement from behind him had him spin toward it. It was Blair and Kobie. He lowered the gun. Kobie was armed with her dart gun, Blair had no weapon and only wore a pair of black track pants.

Deacon caught his eye and jerked his chin toward the door he was going to go in. There was a loud thud and then a crash from the space above the room, but he was trained to not be distracted from his task unless someone called it over the radio.

Blair kept his body between the door and Kobie as Deacon reached it and leaned to slowly check one side, and then the other. A man was standing, leaning against the kitchen counter with a beer bottle in his hand. Deacon didn’t need to pause to figure out who he was. A little shorter and several years older than Blair, but there was no mistaking the resemblance. His hair was just as light as Blair’s but longer and pulled back into a ponytail behind his head.

Lindon Eldon grinned slowly, “Hello, brother. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”

Deacon heard a low feral growl from behind him.

“And you’ve brought your lovely mate.” Lindon tilted his head to the side, “you did well, keeping her from me.”

Deacon had to wonder if this idiot was aware that he was signing his death sentence or if he was that cocky, that he thought he was going to get out of this alive.

Kobie moved past Deacon and stepped in front of him. She raised a real gun and pressed it against the side of Lindon’s face. “Outside.”

Raising his hands, grin still on his face, Lindon turned toward the back door.

“Moving Lindon out back.” Deacon announced to the others.

“We’ll bring his five friends out.” Calum’s calm voice told him.

“Evanna,” Jesse’s voice was quiet and calm, “Minn, and Leah cannot watch this.”

“I need a hand here,” Shaelan’s voice was easily recognized. “This leg is an infected mess and Gia needs to stay at the wheel.”

Deacon kept his eyes on Lindon, despite Kobie keeping the gun tip pressed against his shoulder as they went out the door.

“I’ll go help Shaelan.” Deacon was relieved to hear Evanna say. He had no idea who Minn was, but he was starting to understand who Leah was and he had to agree with her mate. Leah seemed like a gentle soul and what was about to happen, she should not witness.

Deacon moved out around Lindon, putting himself between him and the fence. He didn’t know how fast he could shift or move, and he wasn’t taking any chances. His hand itched to pull out his lethal gun and shoot Lindon. He knew the damage he’d done to his own kind; he couldn’t imagine what Blair felt, what his mate, Kobie, was feeling.

Nox came out the door and stood to the side of it as Jesse and Calum brought five other men out, two of them stumbled down the steps, but no one moved to help them.

Nox moved back to allow the others to line up the men. York went toward the back fence and positioned himself so no one could make a move toward it.

Deacon watched Calum walk around behind Blair, he expected him to intercede, but his mentor’s eyes were locked on Lindon. He kept going until he was standing on the other side of Deacon, where he stopped and crossed his arms over his chest.

Kobie lowered the gun and carefully switched it out for the tranq gun again.

The air was filled with tension, Deacon could taste it. Lindon’s men looked confused, to say the least as they peered from their leader to Blair.

“Stay out of it,” Lindon said quietly, no longer smiling.

One of his men started to move toward him, obviously not caring about the armed people standing around him. Deacon lifted his hand and landed a dart in his chest. “He said to stay out of it.” The man dropped to the ground. Deacon glanced at Calum, who was shaking his head, a half-smirk on his face. Deacon shrugged.

Creed swooped down and circled the group, then flew up and landed on the roof. “All clear,” Jesse said in a hushed tone.

Deacon looked to Blair; he hadn’t moved a muscle since coming outside. His chest rose and fell in a slow rhythm as he stood there looking at his brother.

“You killed our family, our clan,” Blair’s voice was more animal than man, “my mates’ clan.”

Lindon stepped a few feet back, no one moved to stop him. “Our father wouldn’t listen...”

“He was the Alpha.” Blair’s voice trembled with rage.

“He was going to pass me over and hand the clan over to his infant son.” Lindon grabbed his shirt and ripped it over his head. He glanced at the four men watching, “you would have been led by a child.”

Deacon looked away long enough to note the surprise on the men that had followed the wrong brother for so many years.

“The penalty for unlawful attack on an Alpha, more than one,” Calum said in a steady voice, loud enough that the shifters present would hear, “is death.” He finished and looked at Blair, “to be carried out by a true Alpha.”

One of the men Jesse was holding a gun on dropped to his knees and lowered his head. Deacon almost felt sorry for him, he was asking for forgiveness he would never receive.

Kobie moved quickly and went over to him, grabbing his hair she jerked his head up. She leaned down and made a point of letting everyone know she was inhaling his scent. Releasing his head, she shot him with a dart and then stepped back to look at her mate.

Lindon turned from her to Blair. “Your mate is glorious, brother.”

“You are not my brother. You belong to no family, no clan.” Blair still hadn’t moved.

Lindon’s expression darkened, “If I best you, they’re just going to shoot me.” He lifted his hands out from his body.

“No one will interfere.” Blair turned his head and looked at Calum. “If you live through this, you will be put to trial in front of the Alliance.

Calum didn’t hesitate or speak, just motioned to the traitor standing before them.

Lindon stripped quickly as if suddenly realizing the dire situation he was in.

Blair made no move at all.

When Lindon stepped back and shifted fast, Blair stood there looking at the large white tiger in front of him. His coat wasn’t smooth and there were a lot of scars. The evidence of the fights he’d been in while taking his own kind and turning them over to Tomas couldn’t have been clearer.

Lindon hunched down like he was going to lunge for Blair, Deacon’s hand went to his regular gun. Calum reached over and clamped his hand over it, preventing him from drawing.

Deacon looked over at him, Calum shook his head and moved his hand.

The animal jumped at Blair and Deacon almost swallowed his tongue when Blair was able to take the brunt of the hit and stay standing. Lindon hit the ground and landed on his side when Blair shoved him back.

Blair’s track pants were gone, and a large sleek white tiger stood where he had. He stalked toward his brother with slow steps.

When Lindon stood up, Blair’s cat had almost a foot in length and a lot more weight on him. His older brother looked like a second-rate wannabe next to Blair.

From that point on everything was a white blur. After five attempts Lindon still hadn’t landed a single blow on Blair, but his white coat was spotted with red streaks.

Lindon flipped and got out from beneath Blair and reared on his back legs, hoping to land a hit on his younger brother. Blair lashed out with sharp claws and got him right along the underbelly, at the same moment he clamped his teeth into his throat.

Deacon held his breath, as Blair with a strength that shocked him, flipped the other cat over him onto the ground—without breaking his hold on his neck. Lindon was trying to spin out of his grip, swatting with his paws and hitting thin air. He’d seen some fights in his life, but not like this and never between two cats of that size. It was a silent, meticulous battle and Lindon was not coming out of it alive.

The cat beneath Blair managed to get his back legs under him and was trying to pull himself free now, only ensuring that his younger siblings’ teeth were sinking deeper. Deacon could smell the blood, and there was a lot of it.

Lindon dropped the length of his body to the ground, his sides were heaving in slow deep breaths, like he was struggling to get air.

Blair released him and stood over him, staring down at him. He stepped back, never taking his eyes off him, and then shifted back to skin and went over to his brother’s cat laying there on the ground, he was barely breathing now. As he dropped down to one knee, Lindon lashed out with a large paw and slashed Blair’s chest.

Grabbing the paw, Blair pinned it to the ground. Leaning down, he said something close to the dying cat’s face. Lindon shifted back to the body of a man. Blood from his injuries covered him. With a lightning-fast move, Blair grabbed his head and twisted it. The sound of his neck snapping echoed in the silence.

Getting to his feet slowly, Blair turned around and walked with steady steps to where there other four men stood. “Surrender or run.” Blair growled, his chest rising and falling fast, “I love the chase.” He added with a tone that sent a chill down Deacon’s spine.

The four men looked at Blair for a moment, taking in the blood running down his chest from the claw marks. One by one they raised their hands slowly.

Stepping back, Blair took the pants that Kobie held out to him. She moved to check his bloodied chest, “Leave it.” He told her with a gentle tone.

Deacon snapped his head around, remembering they had to get out of here. “Coming out through the garage.” He told the others waiting. “Bring the other vans closer.” Moving over, he opened the door leading through the garage.

“Send the clean-up here, Devin, and get them to go through everything, and find the rest of this clan.” Calum’s voice came over the system.

“Body bag?” Devin asked.

“One,” Calum said as he motioned for Nox to bring the men through.

“There won’t be a trace of them by daylight.” Devin’s low tone told all those on the comms.