King Bailey POV
Kill them. Kill them all. Leave their bodies littered on the ground and let their blood stain the forest floor, my Lycan roared inside my mind as we fought, the battle becoming intense. The elders might have been older, but that didn't mean that they weren't skilled or experienced at fighting. In fact, they were more agile and more skillful than we had given them credit for and as they lunged and clawed, snarled and snapped their jaws at us, we kept our heads, focussing on protecting each other's backs, the elder's doing the same as they kept their formation and ensured it didn't break. We were all injured. I could see the blood staining all of our fur. Thomas was injured, his front paw limping slightly as he dodged and weaved between them, his snout tinged with crimson red blood that wasn't his.
Already the fight had gone on longer than anticipated. None of us were prepared to give an inch. I dodged a sideswipe from one of the elders just in time, my Lycan counteracting with a swipe of his own that sent the elder's wolf flying backwards with a small howl of pain that filled my Lycan with satisfaction. Another one leaped on the back of me and I bucked, sending it flying into the nearest tree trunk. Its small yelp indicating the amount of pain it was feeling. Callum and Cody were keeping in time with each other, in sync, as they attacked and dodged numerous attacks, while Damien used his power to keep us safe as best he could while trying to keep his own body safe from becoming a chew toy for the shifters.
The sound of my mate's voice had never sounded so bittersweet as it rang across the ground, filled with anger, venom and rage.
"Stop this fight at once."
Mate? Mate is here my Lycan was pleased, hesitating slightly. An elder took advantage of that, swiping its claws across as my Lycan jumped out of the way just in time. We glanced towards our mate, to see that she was standing there, her eyes blazing, the orange tint around the blue of her eyes more intense than I had ever seen it, water beginning to swirl like a mini tornado around her as she was ignored by everyone else. Tiana and Marigold stood behind her, their mouths gaped wide open in shock. This was not what they had been expecting when they had come back to the pack. Riley shot her hands out, sending water flying everywhere, causing a stream to go between us and the elders, effectively halting the fight.
"Stop" she shouted "and shift back now" she growled menacingly.
My Lycan reluctantly gave me back control of my mind, reassured our mate was safe. As I shifted into human form, my men did the same, our bones cracking and adjusting rapidly, until the five of us stood there naked, glancing at each other warily, while the water continued to stream. We saw the elders do the same, grimaces and scowls on their faces. Riley let the wall of water down, causing everybody to look at her. Elder James looked shocked. "How did you..." he spluttered, and a vicious smile came over Riley's face.
"How did I escape that compound you put me and the others in?" she looked deliberately back at Tiana and Marigold, who looked peeved. "I think maybe you should be more worried about what I'm going to do to you, Elder James" she whispered, a strange looking collar in her hand as he gulped and looked desperately towards the forest.
"Run and give me a reason", Riley prompted, as I looked at my mate in amazement. "Give me a reason to kill you right now," she threatened.
"You're bluffing. It's against pack laws to kill an elder" another one dared to say.
Riley's eyes still blazed as she walked deliberately towards us all, her eyes focussed on the elders, her lower lip curling in disgust. The elder's trembled at the expression on her face. Her hand reached out and gripped Elder James around the throat as he gasped and clawed at her. She put the collar around his neck and clicked it closed. A malicious smile came over her face.
"Riley" I said quietly as she turned to me, "what does that do?" I had a sense it wasn't anything good.
"It installs obedience" Riley said dismissively, her hand digging into her pocket, the scrubs she was wearing loosely clinging to her body, a remote appearing in her hand.
Elder James's eyes bulged open. "Don't you even think about it" he threatened.
Riley pressed the button. He made a strangled sound and sank to his knees in front of the others, wincing in pain.
"You see" Riley continued while the other elders went silent, "the elders here had a research facility that had all sorts of interesting data on creatures such as vampires, sirens, bear shifters, you name it" she said, narrowing her eyes and glaring at Elder James with hatred. "It appears they've been conducting research on different species for quite some time. Even killing them," she added, as Callum and Cody shot each other glances and Damien's own expression turned chilling."
"That collar was on you" my voice was hoarse as I put the clues together "he made you wear it."
I lunged towards the elder, Damien and Thomas, moving to haul me back. "Don't Bailey. He and the others used Alpha Jaxon's knowledge to create these new collars to make sirens obey their every command. It shoots electricity through you if you try to sing" she said, pressing the button again as Elder James wheezed in pain, "and you can control it via a remote to make it even more painful."
"Bastards" I roared, "you want to lecture us on rules and protocol, and you're breaking every rule that I can possibly imagine?"
"It's imperative that we discover what each species is capable of and form a defense against them" one of the elders sniffed, looking unapologetic, "since when is ensuring the survival of the smartest and superior species seen as a bad thing?"
"Marigold" Riley smiled pleasantly at the woman who had made the comment, "put the collar on the elder please, so that they may feel the effects for themselves."
Marigold moved swiftly, putting the collar on the woman who tried to put up a fight only to stop as she saw Riley's eyes begin to darken.
Riley pressed the button down and held it, causing the woman to shriek in pain before she folded, collapsing to her knees on the grass and sobbing.
"Does it hurt?" Riley's voice was cold "because that was nothing in comparison to what you've doled out to others in the name of gathering research, I'm sure" she added with sarcasm.
The woman flattened her lips and refused to speak. Riley pressed the button, aiming it at the woman. Her eyes widened as she screamed, clawing desperately at the collar, Riley refusing to let go, while the woman's screams grew louder and louder.
"Stop" another elder begged.
Riley slowly and deliberately let go of the button. I stepped beside her, feeling mutinous. Just seeing what the collars were capable of, of what Riley might have had to endure while she was missing, was enough to make me break.
"Take the collar off" Elder James said, "you've made your point", he added.
"No" Riley's voice was soft as she glared down at the elder, "you left me at the mercy of a man who tried to rape me and had no compunctions about it" she growled.
"Who?" I asked, turning to her "he left you with Alpha Jaxon, did he...." I couldn't bear to finish the sentence.
She shook her head. "I killed him before he got the chance."
I moved so fast that even Thomas and Damien couldn't stop me this time, grabbing Elder James by the neck and twisting his head so that his neck broke. I dropped his dead body to the ground, while the other Elder's gasped.
"Do you know what you've done?" one cried, sinking to his knees and looking at Elder James with sorrow.
"Do you?" I snarled. "It's clear as I stand here that your very existence is a joke, one that needs to be seriously disbanded and all of you should be placed on trial for what you have done. "
"I agree" Riley said, as Marigold and Tiana nodded, "it's not enough that we trial them with just shifters either, but we should invite every creature or race's leader to stand witness against them."
"Would you start a war? Take us prisoner for doing what we believed was right?"
"I know that this is but a small portion of you", Riley's voice was even "some of you died in the research facility when I crunpled it to the ground and there are others in the place you call a pack. But what you've done cannot be undone. The trauma you have others experience at your hands is unthinkable and more difficult to imagine than anyone could believe. The difference between right and wrong is clear, and you ignore that to further your own agendas. You are selfish, disgusting and repulsive". Riley's voice was dark.
"Do you think it will be a simple matter of overturning the elder's? We are sure to put up a fight" the woman whispered from the ground. "How much support do you think you'll have from the other packs when you start killing us?"
"You overestimate your influence. I guarantee that not only will I have the support from other packs, but there will be plenty in the crowd who want to see you dead for what you've done" Riley's voice was icy cold as she looked over at Thomas, Callum, Cody and Damien. "Take them into the dungeon and restrain them with silver. Treat them like any other prisoner. They have no status or power here. If they resist" her voice went low, "kill them."
She strode over and took the collar off Elder James, looking at the crowd of elders who looked as though they were debating whether to shift and run.
"Anybody who tries and runs will be killed by my siren song, and it won't be a pretty death, it will be excrutiating and painful", Riley warned.
"Siren bitch, you'll get yours" the woman wearing the collar sneered.
Riley's eyes flashed, and she let out a long shriek, the woman's eyes widened as blood trickled from her nose and her mouth, before her head exploded, sending brain remnants everywhere. Several elders screamed in panic.
"Anybody else want to try me?" Riley growled.
The elders went quietly after that. I saw Marigold turn to Tiana so she didn't look at it and then subtly begin to drag her off while I rushed to hold Riley in my arms, embracing her tightly.
"I missed you" Riley breathed, sniffing my scent "I was so afraid I wouldn't see you again" she admitted lowly.
"So was I, to the point I was going to kill them all if they didn't divulge your whereabouts" I mumbled into her hair as I lightly stroked it.
"We have a lot to discuss" she said quietly as I closed my eyes, relishing the moment with her.
"Yes, starting with where you have been all this time and how you managed to make your way back here."