But pledging anything to Kent was the farthest thing from my mind.
“There are too many of them…” I still stared at my room, but what I saw was the line of cars. The dozens of men Malone—officially, Kent Pierce—had brought. “We can’t take them.”
“We couldn’t even if we were evenly matched,” Jace said, half-seated on the end of the bed. “They’re armed. Ten of them, anyway.”
“They’re kicking us out.” I said it. I understood it. But I couldn’t believe it.
“The rest of us, yes.” Marc’s face was so flushed I was afraid his eyes would pop out of his skull from the pressure. “They’re trying to keep you and the doc. The most valuable resources.”
“They’d have to kill me first.”
My mother huffed, and I was relieved to see anger winning out over her tears. “They very nearly did. But I have to say, this whole maneuver seems pointless. They have to know you’re not going to stay here with Kent. How long can he possibly expect to hold on to a territory with no tabby?”
“He probably doesn’t realize he’s actually lost Manx and Kaci yet,” I said, sparing a moment to be grateful that they’d gotten away. “Once they figure that out, they’ll probably make a move for one or both of them.” And we weren’t ready for that yet. I shook my head and my shoulder ached worse. “We can’t wait for their next move. We’ll regroup, and come back on our own terms. I have a plan.” Everyone tried to talk at once, but I spoke over them. “Let’s go.”
My mother frowned. “Don’t you want to rest first?”
“I can rest in the car. For now, I want to get out of here so I don’t have to see that bastard sitting in Dad’s chair. Everybody pack up quickly. Mom, can you take some more stuff for Kaci and Manx?” They hadn’t had time to take much.
“Of course.” She stood and helped me up, when the room threatened to slide right out from under me.
I glanced from Marc to Jace and back. “You two pack for yourselves and for the other guys. Put Vic and Brian on watch at the front door, and Parker by the back door, where he won’t have to see his father or brother.”
They both nodded, already heading out with my mom.
While the others carried out their tasks, I packed slowly and carefully, with Dr. Carver’s help, desperately wishing for the use of both eyes. I hurt all over, but refused to take anything stronger than Tylenol until we were on the road. Carver’s pills wore off quickly—damned Shifter metabolism—but, while they were in effect, tended to render me less than coherent. Or conscious.
I packed everything I could fit into the two suitcases in my closet, taking special care to empty my underwear drawer. Otherwise, I’d have nightmares about strangers riffling through my stuff while I wasn’t around to defend it.
Fifteen minutes later, the guys were back, carrying three suitcases each. Jace went to help my mom with Kaci’s stuff, and Marc sent the doc to pack some food and drinks. Then he closed my bedroom door and we were alone for the first time since my father had died.
I closed my eyes, suddenly nervous for no reason I could have named. “So…I guess I’m gonna look like Rocky for a while.” I’d intentionally avoided more than a brief glimpse of my face while I packed, but that one glance was enough. My nose was puffy and discolored. Both of my eyes were black, one swollen almost shut. My lower lip was split and bloody. And my left cheek was purple. I wouldn’t even have been able to recognize myself, if it weren’t for the pain—that was getting to be pretty familiar.
“You know that doesn’t matter to me.”
“Good. Because if today’s any indication, this may be how I spend the majority of my tenure as Alpha.”
“I thought he was going to kill you,” Marc whispered, leaning against the door.“Sounds like he tried.” I shoved my spare work boots into the second suitcase and forced the zipper around a tight corner, one hand pressed to my throbbing cracked rib. “Thank you for stopping it.”
“Promise me you won’t do this again.”
“Hell, I didn’t mean to do it this time. The plan was to win.”
Marc crossed the room in an instant and pulled me up by my good arm. I winced, and he loosened his grip, but didn’t let go. “I’m serious, Faythe. You can’t win against Dean. Not even in a fair fight. This isn’t what your dad had in mind when he named you. Being Alpha isn’t just about fighting. Hell, most of them are too old for that, anyway. And I can’t watch him kill you.”
“You won’t have to.” I stood on my toes to kiss him, half-afraid he wouldn’t kiss me back. That he’d be too mad, or…repulsed by my raw-meat face.
He kissed me like we might not for touch again for years. Like he thought he’d lost me.
I rested my forehead on his chin, glad I could breathe through my nose again, so I could inhale his scent. I hurt so badly, and I just wanted to be held. But that wasn’t an option for an Alpha. Especially a disgraced Alpha.
“Are you ready?” His arms slipped around me slowly, careful of my many deep bruises.
“Yeah. Let’s get out of here.” I stopped in the office to grab the Pride call tree, then we met everyone else in the hallway, all seven of the guys loaded down with suitcases. My mom pulled her own wheeled bag and held a cardboard box loaded with my father’s plaques, awards, and personal papers.
“Three cars,” I said, when I was sure I had everyone’s attention, struggling to focus through encompassing pain. “Marc and I will go with Jace. Vic, you take Owen and my mom. Protect her with your life.”
Vic almost looked insulted. “As if it were in doubt.”
I nodded, pleased. “Parker, take Brian and the doc. We stay together on the road, stay in touch via cell, and don’t stop until we get to the free zone border. Understood?”
Everyone nodded, and I took a deep breath, then met my mother’s gaze. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, but I swear I will fix this. We will fix this.”
“Yes.” She nodded firmly. “We will.”
By then, the usurpers knew we were leaving, and they were buzzing with vicious excitement, eager to descend on the spoils of Kent and Dean’s war. When I opened the front door, dozens of eyes watched me.
I ignored them all. I limped across the porch and down the steps staring straight ahead, pretending I didn’t hear them. I was almost to Marc’s car when Kenton Pierce stepped into my path.
“You know you don’t have to go.”
I tried to ignore him, but he wouldn’t move, and I wasn’t going to walk around him. “I’m not broken,” I growled through jaws clenched shut. “I can and will drop you like bad cell service.” Even if it nearly killed me.
Kent frowned. “I’m just saying you’d be safe here. I swear no one will touch you.”
“If I thought you actually had the power to guarantee that, I might… No, I wouldn’t.” I could hear disgust dripping from my voice. “Enjoy it while it lasts.”
“Fine, if that’s the way you want it.” His face flushed—I’d embarrassed him. “But you know that if you won’t stay and eventually accept me, we’ll have to go get either Manx or Kaci. You’re not leaving us much of a choice.” Because without a dam, there could be no permanent Alpha.
“We won’t let you take them.” In fact, we’d die defending them.
Kent nodded stiffly, then glanced at Malone, and his next words sounded rehearsed. “If you, Marc Ramos, or Jace Hammond set foot in this territory without permission again, you’ll be rearrested and tried on the outstanding charges.”
I ignored the threat and walked on, tensing the closer we drew to Dean. Marc stiffened on my left, and I knew he wanted to put himself between me and Dean. But he didn’t, and I had enormous respect for his self-control.
Dean crowded us on purpose, standing as close to the car as he could without actually touching it. When I opened the door, he leaned close. “I’m ready to finish the job whenever you are…” he whispered.
I dropped my suitcase and he lurched away from my right fist—and directly into the path of my left.
Dean stumbled back, one hand over his jaw. But he came up laughing, while I struggled not to show how much the blow had hurt my ribs and my shoulder.
The guys loaded the luggage, and as Vic held the door open for my mother, Malone approached her with his hand out, like he’d shake hers. Like they were sharing an amiable parting. “I’m sorry about the trouble, Karen,” he said, loud and clear, so everyone could hear how reasonable he was being.
She scowled up at him, eyes narrowed. Her arm flew almost faster than I could see. The smack of flesh against flesh was loud in the silence, and a small red handprint stood out starkly on his left cheek. “You have no idea how sorry you’re going to be.”
Twenty-four
I lay across Jace’s backseat in the rapidly descending darkness, my head on a pillow, but they wouldn’t let me sleep for long, because I’d lost consciousness—twice—and my pupils were dilated. Or not dilated. Whichever is bad after a head injury. Marc kept his window open at the top so the cold air would help keep me awake, and he kept checking on me. Talking to me.