Alpha’s Strength(74)

Cyrus wanted to look up and see his mate, but he didn’t dare. If he looked away from Beaux, the other wolf would wreck him.

“Oh my gosh.” Lake choked on her words as she saw his injured pack. “You all need some help. Here, let me. John, help me.”

He was glad she’d see to them. Perhaps Lake could be counted on again.

Beaux yelped and jumped back as though Cyrus had struck him. Only he hadn’t. For at least thirty seconds, neither of them had moved. What the hell had happened?

In the blink of an eye, Beaux had transformed back into his human form. He now sat, open-mouthed, staring at Lake.

Cyrus couldn’t attack another werewolf in wolf form if the other wolf wasn’t covered in fur too. It didn’t seem a fair fight, and his animal instincts didn’t like it. With a real threat, he couldn’t justify the assault.

He concentrated on shifting back until he, too, had regained his human physique. “What’s the matter, Beaux? Never seen a Healer before? Can’t your so-called pack manage to bring one in?”

His sister stood facing away from him, her back stiff as she checked on several members of his pack. She jolted when he spoke but didn’t turn around while she got to work on someone’s torn leg. What was wrong with her?

“This is your Healer?” Beaux’s voice sounded strained, edgier than it had earlier. Cyrus hadn’t swiped at him that hard. What the hell is going on?

“Yes.” Cyrus stood up. “And my sister, as it happens. Beaux, this is Lake. Lake, this is Beaux. Apparently he’s Alpha here, but that’s still up for debate.”

Cyrus had no intention of letting that chestnut go. Not for a while at least.

“Hi.” Lake didn’t turn around, which was horribly rude. But maybe she was really involved in who she was helping? How badly injured were his pack mates? Cyrus stared at Betsy, and she shook her head. Either she didn’t know, or she wasn’t going to talk about it right then.

Betsy took in the room. “Listen, I think this is something we should be working with the Montana wolves on. Don’t you, my Alpha? This is their territory. They may want to help.”

Now he was my Alpha? He groaned. Now she chose to act respectful and obedient? After she’d not stayed protected and stormed into the room in the middle of an Alpha fight?

“Are you okay?” He tugged her against him. They’d deal with the particulars of the whole thing after he’d assured himself of her welfare. “You hit the ground hard before you finally ran. What were you thinking?”

Betsy shrugged and bit down on her lip. “I hate to tell you this, but I had another blackout. I have no memory of any of it. I came to on the side of the road with absolutely no idea of how I got there or what had happened.”

She must have been terrified. He inhaled the scent from her hair. Lake had fixed her. He smelled the familiar warm scent of pack magic on her. If his sister was back in her game, there wouldn’t be permanent damage to his mate, and for that he could be grateful.

“What information did you think you could share with this pack?” It burned him to even use the word. There were legitimate ways to form a pack, and if Beaux, the rule follower, had done any of them, they wouldn’t be in this situation now. Of course, maybe that was the problem. The other werewolf had never believed the rules Lucian put in place to be true werewolf law.

The whole thing made Cyrus’ head hurt.

“How should I address, uh, Beaux? Is there protocol?”

Cyrus shook his head. “Not for him, no.”

Beaux growled, and Lake made a strangled sound in her throat. What the hell was going on with his sister?

“Well, okay.” Betsy scratched her head. “My parents and some others have been involved for some time in stealing werewolf babies. They did so with me.”

The wounded pack remained quiet and turned around to look at her. She continued speaking. “I’m not entirely certain what they’re doing with the babies, as a rule. But they kept me and raised me as if I were human. I’m not sure why they did that. I have a lot of questions. But I think we need to take down the whole lot of them, and, having come from their compound, you’re going to have to trust me. We need as many hands on deck to do that as possible.”

Cyrus listened to her words, trying not to howl at the moon from the pain he heard percolating beneath them.

Beaux spoke before he could. “Did you say you came from somewhere where they are stealing werewolf babies?”

Betsy nodded, taking Cyrus’ hand. Her fingers felt small trapped within his. She was so tiny everywhere. How on earth would he ever keep her safe in this world where all the precautions he’d taken over the years had been blown to shit?