Page 52 of Emerald Flame
Fergus interjected. “You know he killed them then?”
Ralph nodded his head slowly. “I hear all the rumors, but this time, Susie got a call from her cousin, a wolf who lives in the eastern sector not far from the Bridge. He was there the night Julio took over the second pack. Her cousin witnessed the battle. He was just far enough away that the subduing wave missed him. He said a wizard showed up, moved behind Julio and it seemed to this wolf, the wizard took possession of Julio.
“At first, I wasn’t sure I could believe him. That wolf is on so much emerald flame he has flame points up to his eyeballs. He’s a complete flame freak. Plus, he drinks like a fish. But the more he talked, I knew he was telling the truth. I mean maybe the drugs and the booze kept the wave from taking him down.”
“What wave?” Both alphas spoke at the same time.
“The wave. That’s how Julio and this wizard do what they do. Some kind of wave comes out of Julio and anyone in the vicinity is knocked unconscious with no memory of what happened. But Jim, Susie’s cousin, said he thought maybe he’d been outside the wave’s reach. He recalls feeling a weird vibration then the pack wolves passed out cold.”
Ralph compressed his lips before continuing, “He saw Julio make a phone call and his army descended on the battlefield, though it wasn’t really a battle, just a K.O. in the first round. Some of his men hauled the alpha in Jim’s direction.
“Jim hid, but he saw it all. They dragged the alpha into the forest and took off his head. What happened next was worse. They boxed up the head and that’s when the wizard showed up. He took the box then directed the wolves to take the body straight to the Savage morgue. He had a man there ready to give the alpha to the incinerator.”
Warren slid his hand off Kiara’s knee. She almost reached for him, but Warren had stopped eating. He turned in his chair and leaned forward resting his forearms on his legs.
Kiara felt his ire boiling, a sensation that felt like pinpricks all over her skin. She knew he was working hard to control his temper. She wanted to say something to diffuse the moment.
But it was Fergus who gave the subject the right turn and addressed how the pack was taken over. “So, a wizard somehow uses Julio to create a disorienting wave of power.”
Kiara glanced at him. She realized there was a huge difference between the alphas right now. Warren was almost beside himself with rage, while Fergus actually leaned back in his chair. He’d crossed a booted foot over his thigh and plucked at the buckles.
Ralph’s eyes were wide as he stared at Fergus. “That’s right.”
She felt it then. Fergus was communicating telepathically with someone. The recipient felt female. Of course. Fergus was talking to Mary, his alpha female. Kiara could also sense her influence.
She’d known Fergus before and after his bond to the veterinarian from Revel Territory. He was a changed man and all for the better. He seemed bigger to her now, somehow. More in command of himself.
Warren, his voice edged with accusation, asked, “Which wizard?”
Ralph squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. When he opened them, he swallowed hard. “Glissane. Your enemy here is Wizard Glissane.”
Both Fergus and Warren released a few choice words.
Fergus said, “Well, at least we know what we’re up against.”
“Why didn’t you say something before?” Warren asked. “Don’t you trust me?”
Kiara drew in an uneasy breath, her gaze fixed to Ralph. She hoped like anything he had a good explanation, or this would not go well.
“I couldn’t. Julio and his men came into the club every night always with threats. They said they knew I was friendly with you and if I knew what was good for myself, my club and my wolves, I’d stay out of his business on every front and that included avoiding the leader of the Caldion Pack.
“I knew Julio would be targeting your pack soon. I’m sorry, Alpha Warren, but I didn’t know what to do.”
Warren leaned back in his chair. “Then why did he come after your club if you’d kept silent?”
Ralph shrugged but glanced at Kiara. “I don’t know, but I think it has something to do with Kiara. It’s possible Glissane has an interest in her.” He shifted his gaze back to Warren. “Maybe Julio learned I was helping her rescue wolves out of some of the clubs he owns. That’s my best guess.”
Warren turned his head to look at Kiara. “Do you think either Julio or Glissane knows you have a refuge here?”
She shook her head. “I have no idea. I’ve tried to be discreet. Both Ralph and I have taken pains to avoid discovery. He would keep rescue wolves hidden in the safe room, sometimes for days, until we could sneak them out.”
“Do you think Julio knew you were involved, though? Is it possible this attack was about you?”
She shook her head. “I doubt it. Even if Julio suspected I was saving wolves, why would he care?”
“Well, for one thing, if some of those women came out of his clubs, he wouldn’t like it.”
She shrugged. “It seems like a long shot. I don’t see why Julio would care one way or another about me.”
