Alpha Prime: Shiftily Ever After(38)

“You realize that means you can never turn to my pack for protection again. And you are banned to the eastern territory now. You can’t come into the town center ever again. If you want to enjoy the benefits of civilization, you have to be willing to defend it.”

Dakota had heard enough. She headed back to the cabin with Naomi following her, and they shifted back into human form and got dressed.

Naomi was trying teaching Dakota how to make a cheese omelet that didn’t taste like boiled rubber, when they heard a knock on the door.

Dakota could sense Miles before he even walked in. He stood there, his expression serious.

“So you two were eavesdropping.”

“Of course not,” Naomi said quickly, ducking her head and gulping.

“Hell, yes.” Dakota walked out of the cabin and shut the door behind her. “These kids are in my care, Miles. Who wants Sarah now?”

Miles frowned. “Her grandfather apparently sold her again, and your pack sent word that if we don’t put her on the next bus home, they’re coming up here to declare pack war. They were kind enough to say we can keep the other ones until Mary’s old enough to sell. When she’s thirteen. Don’t worry, I told him to shove his hairy head up his ass.”

“They must be bluffing,” she protested. “I mean, they sent me up here as a death challenger. Obviously they don’t want a real fight.”

He shrugged. “Looks like both sides of the pack might reunite and come up here to join with Fargo and the other troublemakers in the east.” At her look of alarm, he said firmly “Which would be good, because we’d take them out for good.”

“How many packs are leaving your alliance?”

“Just the one. We’re fine. I’m going to be posting extra security at the schoolhouse.”

She wanted more information, but Miles just turned and abruptly walked away. She felt a twinge of hurt at that. They’d just spent an incredibly intimate evening together, and this was how he treated her now? It felt like rejection, but she knew how Miles was. He took all the responsibility on his shoulders, and believed that sharing it would be a sign of weakness.

* * * * *

Monday morning, Miles had scheduled an emergency meeting in town with all pack and pride and clan members, to be held at the meeting house. Anders and Baldwin piled into the truck to take Dakota and the cubs to school. They were going to the meeting right afterwards.

There were four wolves sitting out front for security. They were from the Clearwater Pack, who were allies of Miles.

It was half an hour until school was due to open, and as usual the cubs were grumbling about it, but less than they had the week before. Now it just seemed like normal cub whining rather than outright mutiny.

As they walked through the doorway, Anthea greeted them with a huge, bright smile. “Jamie, so good to see you!” She beamed at the children. “And the precious little angels. It brightens my day just to have them here. Come on, come on, let’s get to class!” She opened her eyes really wide.

John took a step back, staring at her suspiciously.

Dakota felt alarm ripple through her. Anthea had either gone off the deep end or she was sending them a message.

She stood still in the entryway for just a moment and sniffed at the air. She scented several unfamiliar males in the back room, along with a group of cubs – and the scent of fear. The men must be back there listening, she realized.

“Oh, darn it, kids, we forgot your lunches!” Dakota sang out. She shot Sarah a fierce look. “All of you guys go back out to the car and get them. Now.” She glanced at the front door. “Those guards must have betrayed us,” she whispered to Sarah. “Run past them and get Miles.”

Sarah quickly shepherded the children back out the door and they ran after Miles, who was pulling out of the parking lot. She heard the screech of tires as Miles slammed on the brakes.

“How many of them?” Dakota whispered to Anthea.

“Four. Armed with knives. Holding half a dozen kids hostage,” Anthea whispered back. She inclined her head towards the door. “Too many of them for me to take on alone.”

“Well, let’s go kill them, shall we?” Dakota kept her voice low.

Anthea smiled and her fangs descended. She shot up in height and exploded out of her clothing as she shifted into bear form, towering seven feet tall. Her eyes blazed with fury, and cruel black claws curved from her paws like three-inch-long daggers.

Dakota dropped to all fours, bones shifting and cracking, and she and Anthea burst through the door to Anthea’s classroom.

Two of the scumbags holding the children hostage were in wolf form. They paced back and forth in front of half a dozen shifter children, who were lined up against the back wall underneath an incongruously cheerful frieze of happy ducklings.