Alpha’s Strength(54)

Cyrus squatted down next to Jensen. Her mate had yet to utter a word. Jensen was covered in blood and not all of it was Kyra’s. How long had the werewolf fought on the street? Oh no. They’d been on the street.

“Cyrus.” She could barely think, barely speak. “We have to go. The humans. I hear sirens.”

“They’re being kept back.” He didn’t look at her, his eyes on Jensen. “We have procedures, but they won’t work forever.”

Jensen’s voice hitched. “Cyrus, we can’t do this. We can’t let Kyra die here, my Alpha. Not like this. Not by the hands of the true believers. Not when it’s my fault for not getting in.”

“It’s not your fault.” The voice behind her startled her, and she whirled around. When had Alexei gotten here? Had he been with them the whole time? Like the other males in the room, he was covered in blood that wasn’t his. “The question is, what are you going to do about it, Cyrus?”

“War.” Finally, Cyrus raised his head finally and stared straight at Alexei. “I’m going to war, and God help anyone who gets in my way.”

Her mate threw his arms around Jensen. The strong warrior sobbed, large heaving gasps into his Alpha’s arms. A howl started somewhere, and it wasn’t from Jensen. She had no idea who had begun it, but before she could question it, they were all howling, even her. They’d lost someone tonight, a woman she hadn’t known long but had connected to, had belonged with even for the short time they’d been together.

This was goodbye. It was only fitting.

Someone had to tell her what she’d done.





Chapter Thirteen





There were five true believers still alive. They’d all been part of the group that attacked Jensen, and then the rest, on the street. None of them inside the bar had taken a breath again.

Cyrus stared at them in the darkness. He wasn’t certain all of them would make it to morning. Some of them would bleed out before the new day. There wasn’t a thing Cyrus was willing to do for them. They had done what no one should have been able to do, what had never happened since he’d taken over as Alpha. The humans he held captive had hurt his pack in such a way that it might never recover.

Jensen would never be the same. Cyrus couldn’t imagine how the other man would even get through the night. Cyrus had known Betsy for only two days, but if anything happened to her, he’d stop breathing. Life would be over. Jensen had lived ten years with Kyra. How could he face even a day without her?

Cyrus shook his head. Jensen had children. He’d find a way. The warrior werewolf would never leave them to suffer without both parents. Cyrus would see the kids at the goodbye ceremony. He would forever be in their memory as the werewolf who sent their mother back to the moon. Shepherd would forever live in his own memory that way.

“Two of them are goners for sure.” Alexei leaned against the wall next to him. “I know Lake is out of commission for the night. Do you want me to get my Healer here? I could put her on the plane and have her here in no time.”

“No. Thank you.” Cyrus didn’t care if they all dropped dead.

Nathan, who rocked back and forth in his cage, mumbling to himself, was all the collateral he needed at this point. “You’re going to have to keep feeding Nathan for me a few more days. Restrain yourself from killing him for a bit longer.”

The trip to Montana would have to be delayed until after they laid Kyra to rest. Then they would go.

“I will, of course.” Alexei nodded. “Because he is involved in whatever is going on with Betsy’s parents that you won’t be more detailed about.”

“Exactly.”

His negotiations with Alexei had gone well and had ended with a blood oath of non-aggression minutes before the call had come in about the problem with the women. He hadn’t asked the other man to come help them, but the other Alpha had fought beside him as if it were the most natural thing to do so.

“Are you okay?” He turned to Alexei. “Hurt?”

“I’m fine.”

“Good. Then I’m going to go home.”

“These moments… when there’s nothing more to do for anyone, but it feels like there should be something… they’re the most frustrating because of how ineffectual it makes us.” Alexei yawned. “If anyone really knew what it was to be an Alpha before they took on the challenge, no one would do it.”

Cyrus didn’t want to talk to about his feelings, not with Alexei. He wouldn’t attack the other man’s territory, and his people would be safe from Alexei’s pack. That was enough. Nathan had been given as part of the deal. That was enough.