Page 82 of Forgotten Arcane

Of course, after this is over, then the wolves that aren’t loyal to Derek could decide to fill Ahren in on what happened here, thinking that they’re doing a good thing by getting River some recognition for helping.

We could just ask them not to say anything, and we probably will ask them, but there are no guarantees that no one will say anything.

It’s just going to have to be a risk that we’re willing to take because there is no way that any of us are going to walk away while there are children and women in trouble. Hell, we wouldn’t walk away if it were a single person in trouble. It doesn’t really matter who it is that needs help. If we can help them, then we will.

As we break through the trees to the main part of the compound, River lets go of my hand.

“Stay close, Neith,” he tells me.

I nod. “Always.”

Catching Coen’s gaze, his smile is huge, and when I look around at the others, they all have the same expression. Big smiles and knowing looks in their eyes. It wouldn’t be so strange if it wasn’t for the very deadly situation that we find ourselves in. I am definitely going to have to ask them all about this later.

As we continue to walk and make it to the large space in front of the Alpha’s home, we quickly find ourselves surrounded by wolves.

Angry, snarling, wolves.

“They’re here to help us,” Logan tries to explain.

“How the fuck can these supes help?” one of the wolves who has stayed in human form yells.

The longer that we stand here, the more wolves that surround us, and I tense. It’s not a good idea to show fear around creatures like this. They’re predators, and they will attack.

I’m surprised that they aren’t attacking us already.

Before we can answer and show that we are more than capable of helping them, there’s a growl that splits the air, and the wolves immediately part, lowering their heads, but with looks of anger and hatred in their eyes.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that these wolves, at least the majority of them, don’t have any respect for their Alpha.

“What the fuck do you think you’re playing at?” he growls from the steps of his house, set in the very middle of the pack cabins, and quite frankly, looking like it needs to be torn down, it’s in such disrepair.

I vaguely remember coming here when I was younger, when the old alpha and his true mate were in control, and the house was absolutely beautiful, and extremely well maintained.

“Do you realize how much fucking money I’ve just lost! He’s cut all fucking ties,” his eyes glow with his wolf's.

My eyebrows rise, the blue fucker has cut ties? Why isn’t he showing up here? How did he know that they hadn’t managed to capture us? All questions that are going to have to wait.

Derek looks around at the wolves surrounding us. Spittle flies from his mouth as he screams, “What the fuck are you doing! Attack them. I want their heads.”

The wolves around us growl and prepare to attack.

“Stand down,” River says calmly, not needing to raise his voice, even over the sounds of the growls. The command is so strong that they all immediately stop.

As I look around at the now calm wolves, most of them have shifted back into their human forms. I see heartbreaking hope fill their eyes as they realize that we might actually be able to help them.

Derek’s eyes widen in shock, and he screams again, “Fucking end them!”

His alpha voice is so weak compared to River’s that it’s laughable.

None of the wolves move.

River’s alpha command easily overrides Derek’s.

Before Derek can react, River calls out another order.

“All of those who are loyal to Derek, step forward,” the order snaps out over the crowd of wolves.

Several of them step forward, and my eyebrows rise in shock as some that were clearly hiding in the surrounding trees, all walk forward so that we can see them. There is betrayal and disbelief on some of the other wolves' faces, and I would be willing to bet that some of these wolves who are loyal to Derek have been playing some of the other wolves to get information out of them.

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