Riley’s Downfall(50)

As unreasonable, narrow-minded, and hate-filled as the wood elves were, Riley’s conscience wouldn’t let him sit idly by while the race of elves became extinct just because he didn’t like them.

Riley, along with Kenway and Olsen, cursed when they turned onto the long dirt path leading to the village, seeing the fighting had already started. Riley pressed the gas, getting them closer, and then jammed the gear into park.

The three shadow warriors were fighting expertly, but were terribly outnumbered. The men were tall, lean, finely muscled, and had a look on their faces that said they meant business. Riley shifted as soon as he cleared the truck, heading straight for Iam, who was losing the fight he was engaged in.

“About damn time!” Iam shouted as he blocked a hit with his arm. “There are too many to fight off.”

Riley spared a shadow of a second to be stunned as he watched Kenway shift. Never in his life had he seen a buffalo shifter, and he was amazed at the sheer size of the beast. The buffalo had to weigh at least fifteen hundred pounds and was about six foot long. His fur was black and his head was down, lethal-looking horns decorating his head.

Kenway lifted his head, scented the air, and then charged. If Riley didn’t need to help Iam, he would stand there in wonder and watch.

“Are you going to help or stare at that Bison all day?” Iam shouted as he stumbled backward, losing his footing and landing on his back.

Riley turned his attention back to Iam, charging in and leaping onto the vampire’s back. He took the rogue down in seconds, but another appeared. He felt like no matter how many he took down, more replaced the fallen.

He locked his jaw on the next vampire that appeared and stopped himself from gaping when one cheetah, and then another, took down two vampires trying to get at Riley. Maybe having the new shifters in town would benefit the community. It sure as shit benefited Riley’s ass at the moment.

Riley killed the vampire and then took off across the village when he saw Terrik running toward the woods from a vampire. Going into the woods was the worst thing that fey could do. It would cut Terrik off from the shifters, and made him easy prey.

Riley skidded to a stop when Christian and Maverick appeared right in from of him. Maverick grabbed Terrik around the waist and pulled him back as Christian wielded a sword and cut the vampire’s head clean from his shoulder.

Damn, that was gross.

“Watch him,” Maverick said as he placed Terrik on his feet in front of Riley.

What the hell?

He hadn’t come here to babysit. Riley had come here to fight. He shifted back to his human form, glancing all around him before his eyes settled on the young elven man.

“Do you know where the Lakeland ranch is?” he asked the terrified young man.

Terrik nodded his head rapidly.

“Shimmer there and you’ll find Ross. Tell my brothers Bryce and Roman that I sent you.”

Riley watched as Terrik shimmered out and then turned back to the fight. At least the young fey was safe. He just couldn’t understand why the rest of the fey weren’t shimmering out of there. They weren’t fighters. They were outnumbered. They didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of winning. Yet they fought.

The fight went on and on, seeming as though it was never ending in Riley’s mind. But eventually the rogues that had invaded the village were all dead. Riley stood there in his bear form, looking at the carnage around him, and then glanced over at the leaders. Zeus’s grey wolf was so large that he rivaled Riley’s bear size. Maverick had stayed in human form. He saw Ahm, Panahasi, Christian, and another vampire he didn’t recognize. He also saw a man who looked like he could kill with one intent gaze.

“You are looking at the Ultionem. We are now your governing council. Any who defy us, or the laws we have yet to set down, will pay the price,” Ahm said to the wood elves. “I will inform you of the new laws once they are decided. Iam, come here.”

The wood elf hurried forward, coming to a stop in front of the shadow elven. “This man is your new tribe leader. If anyone opposes, speak now,” Ahm called out to the crowd around him.

Riley glanced around, but no one said a word. A few didn’t look too happy, but they kept their opinions to themselves.

Smart men.

All six leaders stood behind Ahm, as if backing up what he was announcing. Riley was pretty damn stunned at the news. They had a council now? How would that affect his world? Would it improve the way things were or make them worse? What were the new laws going to be?

He wasn’t sure of anything right now. Riley’s only concern was keeping his mate and family safe. His world was changing so much that Riley felt displaced. The events that had been taking place in the paranormal world were changing his world, and Riley began to mourn the loss of what was once a peaceful existence.