SWNOVELS Chapter 26~ LOOK! A Twofer!
Damien’s POV~
Lynette did a great job planning the welcome dinner for the council members. Everyone had settled in.. and now we were all mingling and getting to know each other. Dad seems to be happy… and everyone appeared to be grateful for the opportunity.. getting along.
Colette joined us from the infirmary, walking over to us “Damien.. I need to order some supplies for the…” and she stopped. Standing stockstill looking around… then her eyes got round and she teared up.. looking back at me and Lynette she stuttered “I..I.. I gotta go” and ran out the door.. Lynette hot on her heels. Aaron was pushing through the crowd and demanded “Where is she? Where did she go?” While I like to think of myself as a pretty smart man… I shamefully admit it took me a minute or two before it dawned on me. I told him “She ran out.. Lynette is following.. Come on. Let’s find them. She’s probably thinking you’re going to reject her, too. Damn! This has been a fucking day and a half!”
We found the girls outside on the front veranda.. Colette was crying and Lyn was trying to talk her into talking to Aaron. They had both had a rough go of it.. maybe they are both due for some happiness!
Aaron stepped forward..and took Colette’s hand, he whispered “Please. Don’t give up on me! Don’t throw us away. This isn’t just about what my wolf wants! I want you. I have wanted you since the first day we met! I didn’t know what this was.. and yes.. I thought it was wrong.. I was mated. To a horrible bitch, yes.. but still mated! And I felt awful for not being able to get you out of my head! Now, I know why!”
I pulled Lynette with me.. away from them, They needed their space.. their moment! And damn! Reckon we’re keeping it all in the family! But it’s seriously starting to feel like some Jerry Springer shit! Walking back into the dining hall, Mom rushed over asking about Colette and if she is okay. Lynette was explaining what was going on.. and my mother squealed doing a little foot shuffle, clapping her hands. Like a teenage girl. And again, I feel like I walked into the twilight zone!
I was speaking with Dad about Aaron.. he had a huge grin on his face.. happy for his best friend. We see the two people we are talking about, walk in with huge smiles and holding hands.. everyone could see how happy they are! Finally! And then…alarms sounded throughout the castle and off the borders.
Lynette yelled “MOMS… everyone to the bunkers who can’t fight! Lock yourselves in! This is NOT a drill! Go now! Dianne! Make sure all the pups are safe and locked in!”
And we all stripped… running for the borders the floodlights had lit up. Lynette and I took lead with Liam and Blaze flanking us. Dad and Aaron stayed behind long enough to secure the council. Reaching the border, I paced back and forth.. Demon growling deeply. Lynette shifted back and threw on a tee shirt.. Standing beside me, holding the scruff of my neck. “I can smell you, Devereaux! Show yourself, Coward! Show me what you got! Come On.. Daddy Dearest! I don’t want this reunion to be for naught!”
And he walked out.. between two other Alphas.. she laughed! “Oh Look! It’s the smarmy Alpha Nicholas! The one who needed My True Mate to help him find ME! The chosen mate you were trying to betray Devereaux for! Does he know? No honor among thieves and all that rot? Sure hope y’all filed your last will and testament!”
Devereaux took a couple steps closer “YOU REALLY ARE THE SPAWN OF SATAN! A COMPLETE WASTE OF SPACE! You will die this night! If it is the last thing I do.. I will return the mantle to its rightful place!” And she laughed even harder… “Did you really just call yourself the devil? Fitting! Yet, I can’t help but feel Satan would be insulted. Even HE has more dignity.. more Class.. than you! Let’s stop the chatter… and begin the dance!
They attacked.. running full bore at us and she shifted back into Lacey.. side by side, we fought! Ripping throats out.. hearts out.. heads off. Lacey was fierce.. and I could see she was fighting her way through the rebels to reach Devereaux! I stayed with her.. watching her six! Knowing she needed this.. I let her go. We fought our way through… our warriors dropping the enemy before they ever reached the border. The fighting slowed and Lynette and I stopped to assess the situation.. I called through the link to each command… wanting them to sound off casualties. To our credit, we had none. To their debit… roughly estimating 400 enemy down… dead, or dying. Nicholas and Devereaux had disappeared. Running to ground, I would imagine.
We shifted and I ordered the cleanup to begin. Bodies were being stacked on top of each other and Lynette was setting fires. She looked at me.. and muttered “He’s even more of a coward than I realized! He’s going to have to be taken out! Do we go to his pack now? He declared war.. He came to ours… is it our turn? I looked at her.. then I nodded. “We leave at dawn.. with 200 elites. We only kill the ones who attack.. what’s left of his pack are most likely not fighters!”
We packed for a couple days. Dad, Aaron and the moms are staying behind with Blaze and Dianne. Lynette and Colette once again, warded the kingdom and I ordered no one in or out. We are leaving over 1000 warriors behind, just in case. I don’t expect to be met with much resistance… but, with the election for the governorships looming on the horizon, I want this shit done! I get it! I do! There will always be a small group of wolves believing they can do it better.. but this one.. is the big one.. and we have to quash it hard!
Our intel has us in the air before daybreak! Devereaux arrived back at his pack around two this morning. What an idiot.. but it plays to our benefit. Lynette has decided to make an example of him and Nicholas! And she told me “I’m not above using magic to do it!” Which always makes me laugh.. because she is fond of her brute strength!
Liam speaks up “Lynnie, you know you are the rightful Alpha to this pack.. right!? Have you given any thought to stripping Devereaux of his title? Disbanding the pack?” She gives him a sad smile “I know. But.. I have a little brother. Even though I have never met him.. and even though, I have no doubt he is being taught to hate me.. I don’t want to take the pack away from him. I don’t want to deprive him of what he believes is his birthright.. you know? Does that make sense?” He nods.. while I pull her into my lap and whisper “You are amazing!”
Landing around seven.. we deplaned and half went wolf.. the other half rode on wolves.. we thundered across the terrain.. stopping only for a quick sandwich and a bottle of water.. we arrived at the Black River border before 9:30… the pack looked deserted.. a lone wolf, scattered here and there.. we walked straight down the center of the pack. Eerie!
Reaching the pack house, Lynette marched up the steps and kicked the door off its’ hinges.. We walked in.. to find two elderly men.. five women.. two toddlers and a small boy.. maybe a year old. Lynette looked at the woman holding the year old.. noticing the blue of the boy’s eyes, she asked “You’re the Luna?” At her nod.. Lynette told her “Take your people.. get them to the safe room and lock yourselves in! Your mate dies this day!” And every one of the women cried.. saying thank you.. Giving Lynette pause. She asked “Are all these children his?” And they all nod! I watched my mate pinch the bridge of her nose.. shake her head.. and tell them “Go! You will all be safe! Do not come out until we tell you, you can!”
Once everyone was locked in and safe. I bellowed “GET YOUR ASSES OUT HERE, YOU MANWHORE! YOUR TIME OF RECKONING IS UPON YOU!” And there were thumps.. bumps and groans as men poured out of the upstairs. Seeing Devereaux at the very top, Lynette bounced.. up and over the bannister.. launching her body sideways and springing off the wall, her hands up she caught the top railing and swung up and over and landed directly in front of him. She punched him in the throat. And when he started down, she grabbed the back of his head, smashing his face with her knee. Then she heaved him up.. over the railing and threw him to the ground floor.. yelling “Catch! I don’t want him dead yet!” Liam came out of a bedroom beside her.. dragging an unconscious Nicholas.. He yells “LOOK! A Twofer!!! It’s a good day Tater!” And threw him off the landing!
Those two are a pair!!! And I love ‘em both!