As Jared’s pregnant widowed mate, Samantha Alpine had stepped into the alpha prime role in Alpine Pack when her partner was killed. Not many knew of the discussion she’d had with him prior to doing so. Nobody else knew she’d offered him the prime position. He clenched his teeth. He couldn’t accept, though. He had been Jared’s guardian prime, and Jared had died under his service. He wasn’t fit to be an alpha prime, but he sure as hell wasn’t about to leave Samantha defenseless while he avenged his alpha’s death.
“Do you think a squad is enough?” Zane asked, his brow furrowing.
Matthias grinned. “Sometimes you need a better weapon than sheer brawn,” he said, and glanced over his shoulder at Trinity, now playing a game in the dirt with the pup.
Zane sighed. “Fine. So we have the Woodland tracker—what if we use her as a bargaining chip? Exchange the tracker for the alpha prime?”
Matthias had to clamp down on his instinctive refusal. It was reflexive and purely selfish. He wanted to spend more time with the tracker, although Zane’s proposition had merit. If Woodland’s alpha prime agreed, then it would mean limiting the risk of casualties and deaths on both sides. And it meant that the alpha prime could save face. He’d be saving one of his own, an honorable surrender.
He sighed. “Fine. Send a message through to Woodland proposing the exchange. In the meantime, let’s get those extra guardians down here.” He glanced at Nate, who nodded.
“How are we going to get the squad through Summercliffe? That’s Nightwing territory. I know Marchetta’s granted us access, but don’t you think she’ll balk at the number of wolves going through her zone?”
“I’ve already negotiated with Vivianne,” he stated, and didn’t hide his distaste. The woman was a shrewd bloodsucker, as powerful as she was coldly beautiful, but his skin had crawled at having to do business with the vamp. “She’ll let you through.”
Nate grimaced. “What’s the deal?”
“Nightwing are allowing us safe access, on the condition that none of their vamps are harmed by any werewolf. In return they get one percent of the iron mine’s royalties for the next one hundred years.”
Zane shook his head. “I’d prefer to just bite them.”
Matthias smiled grimly. “Well, I did offer that, too. We don’t have the manpower to wage a war against Woodland and the vamps. Let’s keep it friendly with our neighbors for as long as we can.”
“One percent, huh?” Nate shook his head. “I hate doing business with the bloodsuckers, but even I can see that’s pretty reasonable for them to allow us through—considering all we’d have to do is bite them and it’s lights-out for the vampires. What’s the catch?”
Matthias shook his head. “There’s no catch. That dentist and his lawyer were snatched by Woodland guardians from Nightwing territory. Either Marchetta is slipping and her borders are getting lax, or she gave them access so they could try and cover up Jared’s murder. Either way, she owes us.”
Zane chuckled. “I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when you told her that.”
Matthias shuddered. “Ugh, no. Trust me. Marchetta is definitely a cold-blooded bitch. Fortunately, not all of the Nightwing vamps are so difficult to deal with. Vassi Verity was part of the negotiations.”
“Verity? Isn’t she that vamp lawyer who defended the dentist?” Nate asked, frowning.
Matthias nodded. “Yeah, she and Ryder Galen uncovered Rafe’s part in Jared’s murder. She works for Marchetta now.”
Zane shook his head. “Pity. I thought she was half-decent. Now she’s one of the devil’s minions.”
Matthias shook his head. He’d met Vassi in her efforts to clear her client’s name. She might be a vamp, but she was a decent one. “Vassi is fair. She’ll do her best to keep the devil honest.”
“Didn’t she and the dentist end up together?” Nate asked, rubbing his chin.
Matthias nodded. “Yep. She reminded me that his offer to assist us still stands. I think we can manage, though.”
He jerked his chin back to the map. “We need to find the den. The best way to stop this war before it starts in earnest is to take Rafe Woodland.”
“Then the legendary Woodland tracker will most definitely come in handy,” Zane commented.
Matthias nodded as he rolled up the map. “Tomorrow, we’ll get her to show us the way.”
* * *
When a shadow fell over the track she’d drawn in the dirt, Trinity used her boot to scuff the markings she’d drawn for Jax before looking up.
Oh. It was him.
She should have known. Her heart was pounding, and she tried to convince herself that it was probably fear and wariness. She would not accept that she was feeling any kind of sexual attraction that was making her senses go on full alert.
“Come with me,” he told her brusquely, holding out his hand. He’d cleaned himself up, his chest bearing some slight grazes, and his scar that slashed across his abdomen shone silver against his golden skin. The chain he wore glinted with each movement, drawing her gaze to his chest. Darn it. For once a bare-chested lycan caused her to feel self-conscious—and incredibly conscious of said lycan. She rose to her feet, brushing the dust off her jeans and ignoring the outstretched hand. He’d returned her belt as soon as they’d reached camp, and hadn’t come close to her since, a fact that she’d noted with something that bordered on disappointment. She folded her arms. No. She couldn’t be disappointed, shouldn’t be disappointed. She knew she’d offended him with her remark, but she’d been taken by surprise. Lycans liked to get physical. Touching, stroking, wrestling...but she hadn’t been touched, stroked or wrestled with by another adult lycan in what seemed like an age.
His contact, and her reaction, had stunned her. Her lips pressed together tightly. She hadn’t realized how long it had been since she’d shared contact with her pack, or how desperate and vulnerable their not-so-subtle shunning had made her. But she was stronger than most thought, and she wasn’t about to let the guardian prime of an enemy pack turn her head. Nope.
“Where are we going?” she asked, trying to match his brusque tone. She wasn’t about to leave Jax alone. She had no doubt that he was physically safe, and the kid was treating this somewhat like an unplanned adventure. But she wasn’t about to surrender him to Alpine. She would protect him until she could get him home to his mom.
Matthias indicated one of the makeshift tents that had been set up a distance from the fire. “The boy is tired. It’s time he retired for the night.”
She glanced down at Jax, who shook his head. “I’m not tir—” he was interrupted by a large yawn “—tired.”
Matthias’s lips lifted in a smile, and she was surprised by the gentle humor she saw in his expression.
“You’ve had a big day, pup, and tomorrow will be even bigger when your tracker shows us the way to your home,” he stated, his green eyes flicking up to her with grim intent before his gaze returned to the young boy. “You’re going to need some rest.”
Trinity dropped her gaze. She was expected to save the boy by betraying her pack. Like that was going to happen. The guardian prime didn’t need to know he’d chosen the wrong she-wolf to abandon her family. She knew what her pack mates thought, but despite everything, she would not break trust with Woodland. She had a lot to make up for.
Matthias led them over to the tent and lifted the flap, gesturing inside. She eyed him. “Where are you sleeping?” If he thought he could pull some more of that alpha woo-hoo on her and have her panting for him, he had another think coming. There were always alphas in a pack, mostly serving the alpha prime as a guardian, and she’d dealt with