Page 42 of Forged Alliances

Sierra strode in the direction of the trees, her heart in her throat. In her haste to get inside and take care of the tavern, she’d forgotten about the blaze in the trees, one that could have spread to engulf the bar just as fast. Despite the smoke pouring into the night sky to smother the stars, the trees no longer burned, and only a couple of licks of flame ran through the clearing.

Red Rocks and Silver Springs worked seamlessly together. Those in human form had formed a bucket brigade, while wolves and mountain lions kicked dirt to snuff out some of the flames. Dax wove amid the crowd, barking commands, diving into the tasks, and overseeing the whole operation. Her mate had picked up her slack with no direction necessary, stepping back to see the big picture when she had rushed in to help her people.

Her chest loosened with the relief she needed after the events of the night. Dax caught sight of her and nodded, his mouth forming a grim line. She nodded back, not needing to say a word to communicate her gratitude. In such a short time they’d woven deeply into each other’s lives. It should’ve terrified her—closeness with anyone in the past had sent her scrambling—but no longer.

Dax was her mate, her partner in every sense of the word, and after years of shouldering the burden of leadership alone, she’d found someone she trusted enough to share the weight.

As the packs stamped out the last of the fire, Dax waved them over. She stood in front of the Beaver Tavern, beckoning the Red Rocks to her side. Sierra ran a hand through her hair, her fingers growing slick with sweat. Her breath came out sharp from her tight chest, the horrors of the night one that would live in her memory for a long time. Blood streaked the fur of too many of the approaching wolves and mountain lions, and more than a couple of those in human form limped.

“Drew and his rebels have escaped tonight,” she called out, her voice carrying across the clearing. Even as Sierra stood there facing the dozens of weary gazes, she shut off the intense boil of emotions threatening to overflow as she operated on autopilot. A couple of curses broke out, and several of her wolves moved back and forth on padded feet, searching for something to lunge into, to take a bite out of.

Sierra lifted her chin, her hands balling into fists. “That doesn’t mean he will escape justice. Red Rocks, this bastard has come here and destroyed our home, unprovoked and unwarranted. This coward doesn’t fight by our rules. Silver Springs, he has divided your people, turned against your rightful alpha, and torn friends and family apart.”

Dax watched from the back of the crowd with his arms crossed. Even from here, guilt tugged at his frown, his stance defensive. And he wasn’t the only one. The mountain lions in the crowd kept their heads bowed with their gazes skating the ground, and those of the Silver Spring in human form wouldn’t look up either. Shame coated each and every face, shame that sparked outrage in Sierra.

“I was planning on waiting with this news,” she started, meeting Dax’s gaze across the crowd. His brows lifted in surprise—of course, he anticipated where she headed with this. “However, after what we experienced here tonight, together, this is important now. Dax and I are mated.”

More than a couple of jaws dropped, and Finn shook his head with a smug half smile. The shock rolling through the crowd drew their attention, snapping the Silver Springs pack out of their self-loathing. Sierra seized on the opportunity.

“Our packs are connected in a unique way, and tonight, more than ever, you can be proud of how you banded together. Of how you helped one another against a common enemy and how we acted to protect, not destroy. Tonight we’ll lick our wounds, and we’ll start to mend what we can. However, tomorrow when Dax steps up to challenge his brother, we will stand united again, our alliance forged in the fights we shared and in the blood we shed.”

At the mention of his name, Dax wove past the others to stand by her side. He squeezed her hand, and she didn’t shy away. In this light, leaning on him didn’t make her weaker—this sort of togetherness made packs strong. The connection was how they remained whole during the tough times. The two alphas faced their packs in a show of solidarity in the wake of the tragedy Drew caused, one that wouldn’t be allowed to go unpunished any longer.

The Red Rocks lifted their heads in a howl followed by the hollers and growls of the Silver Springs, their packs uniting once again. The air reverberated with the power of the individuals standing before her, people she was proud to call her pack and allies and a man she was proud to call her mate.

As the sound began to die down, Sierra waved toward Beaver Tavern, gathering everyone’s attention. “Those injured, gather in front of the tavern. Ella, Gene, and anyone else with training in first aid, join them. To the rest of you, we’ve got to make sure the fire’s entirely stifled before we rest up for the morning. Beaver Tavern might’ve taken a beating, but we haven’t been snuffed out. She’ll rise up better than ever in no time at all.”

Seamus’s corpse lay inside, and that alone would make this a long, grueling night, but Sierra led the way to her tavern, determination settling in her veins. Time to get to work.

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