“I’ve made my decision,” Malaki stepped forward. “I will never follow you and I’ll be damned if you think I’ll let you run this pack!” He pushed his way through, sending people sprawling to the ground.
“No one can challenge the alpha until five days have passed!” an older man said, stepping forward.
“I don’t give a shit about rules, old man!” Malaki spat.
“Kat, go!” Bass hissed, pushing her away. Niko vanished into the crowd.
“No, he’ll kill you.”
“Oh, don’t worry, little girl. I’m going to kill you first and make him watch.”
His legs tensed to spring. Standing her ground, her arms remained wrapped around Bass. If she was dying, she’d die beside Bass.
Only Malaki never made the leap. The tip of a sword protruded from his chest. A gargled gasp escaped his mouth as the sword pulled back out, and he dropped to the floor ground, dead.
“Anyone else have something to say?” Nico asked, wiping the blade of his sword over his leg.
“I do,” the older man said, stepping into the center of the circle. “I’ve been an enforcer for this pack a long time, long enough to remember what it used to be like before Alistair went mad with grief. He destroyed the very fabric of what it means to be a shifter in his bitter quest for vengeance. Packs are meant to be a family, a safe place where you trust your alpha to do what’s best for you. It shouldn’t be a dictatorship. You shouldn’t quiver at the mere sight of your alpha. I know Sebastian is young, but I’ve known him his whole life, and I stand by him.”
He turned and stood in front of Bass. Lowering his head, he said, “I accept you as my alpha.” Then his eyes focused on Katalina before dropping again. “I accept you as my alpha’s mate.”
Bass reached out and squeezed the man’s shoulder. “Thank you, Bill.”
“Right then, scatter the lot of you. Our new alpha needs a doctor,” Nico yelled. The crowd froze, silence hovering around them as they wondered whether to follow Nico’s order. “Didn’t you hear me? Scatter!” They scattered like little ants; scurrying here and there until only four men remained, Dark Shadow enforcers.
“Go get fixed up. The politics can wait. We’ll patrol and make sure no one starts any trouble.”
“I need one of you to go to River Run and let them know what has happened. If any of them would like to come see their alpha they are to be allowed onto our lands, and treated with the same respect as our own. Understood?”
“Yes,” the enforcers murmured in unison.
“Come on,” Katalina said. He’d been leaning heavier against her with every passing minute. “Little help, Nico.”
*****
Katalina sat alone on the deck of the doctor’s cabin. The snow had stopped falling a while ago and the sun had come out in wake of the clouds. Bass and Jackson were both asleep after being injected with a sedative so that they would rest and heal. William and Graham had come back with the Dark Shadow enforcers. They’d treated the Dark Shadows with respect, but Katalina could see the doubt in their eyes. They refused to leave their alpha’s side, Graham, standing at the bottom of his bed as a guard, with William on a chair, his braced leg, propped up.
Exhausted, Katalina didn’t have the brainpower to think about all that had happened.
“You might as well come sit with me instead of lurking behind corners, Nico.”
Nico flopped down beside her. “There go my killer spy skills.”
Katalina smiled. “Do you ever get tired?” she asked.
“Not really, so how’d you spot me?” he asked.
A frown appeared between her eyes. “Not sure, just sensed you there I guess.”
“Didn’t think you’d have wolf senses yet, with only just changing.”
“Bass tell you everything?”
“Not always, but he seemed to think you needed to be looked after.”
“I’m getting stronger every day. Though I haven’t the energy to get up, let alone defend myself.”
“Well, that’s why you have me! Bodyguard extraordinaire.”
Katalina covered her mouth as she yawned.
“Why don’t you go to sleep?” Nico asked.
“I’ve not really got a bed.”
“Go and curl up with Bass. No one will stop you.”
“All right.” Katalina dragged her sore, tired body up. She paused before walking into the cabin. “Hey, Nico, you’ll stick around, right?”
“Bodyguard extraordinaire, remember.” Nico laughed.
Katalina lay gently on the bed, as close to Bass as she could get without touching him. As she closed her eyes, she smiled, thinking that maybe, just maybe, they could carve out a world they both belonged to.