He glanced across at Fenris and Reid, who stood with their men ranked behind them. Reid looked as if he wanted to dive into the fray – he was pacing, and every so often he made a move in the direction of the fight, only to be called back by a warning growl from Fenris. The older wolf was observing the action with grave, steady eyes that did little to reveal the workings of the mind behind them.
Fenris transferred his gaze to Knox, and he was certain that the Southeast Alpha intended to stay neutral. Reid would almost certainly follow his lead, against his own instincts.
But then Heather and Margaret emerged from the treeline, moving slowly, as Heather was taking most of the girl’s weight. Heather looked like an Alpha’s mate protecting her cub – fierce, maternal, and like if anyone threatened the child under her protection, she’d rip them to pieces, human or not. Margaret looked frail, exhausted, and achingly young. The side of her face was black and blue, one eye swollen closed. Her thin fingers were curled into the lapel of Heather’s shirt and the knees of her pants were torn from where she’d tried to crawl.
Fenris took in the sight, his gaze lingering on the beaten fourteen-year-old. There was no mistaking her for anything else. He turned and held Knox’s gaze for a moment, and inclined his head in acknowledgement. Then he barked an order to his men, and a furry tide of vengeance poured into the fight, fangs flashing, claws ripping.
Reid directed some of his people to stand guard over the wounded, watchful against any acts of revenge. Many of those chosen for the tasks were females, and they protected their charges as if they were their own cubs, snarling vicious threats that even the biggest and deadliest of fighters would have been a fool to ignore.
Fenris broke into the prowling circle made by Sasha’s family, turning snarling on her parents and allowing Clarence to deal with Sasha and Peter. Peter fell under Clarence’s assault. Sasha fled…and ran straight into Janet’s furious attack. There was no contest. A bitch who’d betrayed her pack was shown no mercy.
The reversal was swift and decisive. It was as if a tidal wave of furry fury swept over the fighting wolves, and when it washed back again, those of the Northeast Alpha’s men who hadn’t surrendered had been killed.
The fatalities were surprisingly few, though. Most of Eugene’s people were under guard, while those with life-threatening injuries were being tended to by the healers. They weren’t defiant or hostile. They’d followed their Alpha because he was the biggest and baddest. Now he was gone. Even the most belligerent amongst them could smell which way the wind was blowing.
Knox left Clarence to oversee the aftermath and went in search of Heather. He knew where she’d be – tending to the walking wounded and watching over Margaret.
Chapter Fourteen
It was a beautiful day to go dress shopping for a wedding. Heather and a group of women from the Sugar Creek Pack were sitting at the tables at a café next to Blushing Brides, waiting for a few more friends to arrive before they swarmed into the store.
“You know how to make ice cream?” Margaret said to Lark, looking amazed.
“Yep. Thirty-two flavors. And I’m going to teach you.” Lark was so excited at having a new best friend who was the same age as her that she could barely keep from dancing. The two girls were going to share a room, and they were getting bunk beds.
“Look at that little girl. Just think about the fact that they tried to force her to marry a man in his thirties,” Janet said with disgust. “I’d like to kill them.”
“We did kill them,” Heather pointed out. “All of them.”
“Well, I’d like to bring them back to life and kill them again.” Janet scowled at her coffee.
Wilfred patted her hand affectionately. “That’s my girl,” he said to Janet, beaming with pride.
They’d been married sixteen years, and they still looked at each other like newlyweds, Heather thought. She had the feeling that she and Knox would be the same. She couldn’t imagine ever tiring of gazing at his handsome face, or seeing the loving look in his eyes every time he smiled at her.
There was huge upheaval in the Northeast now, with the death of the Territorial Alpha and his son, and the news of what had almost happened to Margaret. New rules were being put in place to verify that all intended brides were of legal age, and willing. There was a scramble to replace several Alphas at once.
But here in the Southeast, things had calmed down again. It had been agreed that Margaret would live with Knox’s pack. She would be Wilfred and Janet’s foster daughter. Heather was officially claimed by Knox, and they were planning a wedding for next month.