Judah (The Strong Pack Book 3) Read online

  Tyne felt an ease of the worry that had worked on him since he had found out about the force Kirk was building to use against the Strong Pack. Tyne was an alpha and it was in the nature of most alphas to protect at all cost those that were innocent, weaker than him, but especially those he cared about. Once he met Ariel, getting to know her, he had pledged to himself he would join her fight to see white wolves weren’t taken advantage of or abused.

  Never had Tyne expected the white wolves would become such amazing allies against the dark forces he came up against in his line of work. He had come to respect the strength most of them had as warriors plus the amazing gifts they had been granted by the goddess. It was Mal’s gift that had uncovered the heinous plans that Kirk had. Once she alerted them to the army he was building, the investigation brought out all kinds of useful information and the message received from their undercover man then made sense. They’d had a wolf undercover with Kirk for some time but hadn’t really paid attention to his warnings. That had been a mistake. They’d mainly used their agent to inform on the purists that Kirk had contact with. They had never seen Kirk as a threat until now.

  He showed the two wolves helping them how to set up the small explosives then where to put them. Every area of easy access that wasn’t a main entrance would be wired. Ari left to talk to his people and spread the word so they would use only the main entrances to come and go. Since there was limited devices and the effects painful, he didn’t want pack members to set them off. There was still a risk someone would do just that accidently but it was a risk they had to take.

  Tyne and his helpers finished up, now it was a waiting game. Ari had doubled the guards including those watching the cameras. The pack had always had video monitoring, being a progressive modern pack, but now they had increased them to fully cover the perimeter and the most likely targets of any attack. He was impressed which didn’t happen often. Looking around carefully, he couldn’t find any suggestions to make. Things appeared to be well in hand. That shouldn’t surprise him since Ari was a capable alpha.

  “Did you get done or do you need more help?” Ari was back.

  “We’re done and I feel good about it.”

  “I hate waiting and yet this is something I hope never happens.”

  “Believe me, I’m right there with you, but judging by what we know about this male, it’s inevitable. At least we’re prepared. He won’t be expecting it so it will give us an advantage. We also are protecting those we love, while he is just trying to steal what is not his.”

  “Exactly. We will be victorious because we must be.”

  “For now we’d best rest up while we can.”

  “I’m sure you’ve had a long day.” Ari called a young girl over. “Can you show my friend where the blue guest room is?”

  “Yes, Alpha.” The young girl smiled up at Ari with absolute trust and love.

  She turned to Tyne. “I’m Jilly.”

  “I’m Tyne. Thank you for helping me.”

  She turned red then giggled as she led the way upstairs. Tyne would have to return for his suitcases but that was alright. His room was the second one on the right at the top of the stairs. The door was open and as had always been the case, the key was on a nail just inside the door. Jilly immediately left to do whatever teen girls did. He examined the room, surprised to find his luggage on top of the dresser. Bless Ari for his thoughtfulness.

  Tyne’s room had a private bathroom. Nothing big or fancy but perfect for him under the circumstances. All that he had on his mind was to wash up before getting prepared for bed. Quickly and efficiently he did just that. Sleep claimed him as soon as his head hit the pillow. He couldn’t say if it was moments or hours later but he woke suddenly. It was still dark outside and his guess would be around midnight. There was no clock but it didn’t really matter what time it was. What did matter was that something was wrong and he was dressed in seconds.

  Down the stairs to the office assigned to him, he rushed. Dressing in his gear before grabbing weapons, he rushed outside into the night. Pop! He heard one of his devices go off. That gave him a direction to head to. Pop! Pop! Many devices were set off all around the perimeter. Tyne could hear the sounds of wolves moving around inside the pack house just before his fist connected with a mangy rogue.

  No, they didn’t really have the mange, they were just underfed and had no interest in personal hygiene, giving them an appearance similar to the mange. At least they weren’t contagious like mange was. His fist met another and another. They were being overrun so he pulled out a dart gun. The darts were loaded with a sedative. He shot six wolves fast then reloaded. It was an equalizer but not enough of one. Tyne saw T.J. kicking ass with Mal and Sherona nearby. Some of the rogues tried to run away but the girls weren’t allowing it. The tide was turning.

  Jericho, Jude, and Ari were there too and his top males were fighting without any signs of tiring. The pack guards and security males were impressive. Rogues were beginning to desert a few at a time. As others noticed the drop in numbers, more and more left. The few that waited too long to leave were taken into custody. Just past the perimeter, surrounded by a protective wall of his best males, was Kirk staring at them with eyes full of loathing. Was that supposed to scare them or something? The coward was a leader, good leaders never led from behind.

  Tyne roared sounding more like a lion than the wolf he was. Kirk grinned at him as if he had won the battle then turned running away. Anger and frustration mixed to make him feel like shit, even though they had just stopped an attack on the pack. He oversaw the young guards restraining the prisoners of which there were at least a dozen. He was sure they would know nothing, but he and Ari would interrogate them anyway.

  “What do you think?” Ari asked as he approached him.

  “We surprised him, but the losses didn’t affect him. He still feels his position is superior. Maybe his purpose was only to test us.”

  “We have over a dozen prisoners and he has several wounded. This was not his victory, the male is nuts if he sees it that way.”

  “That we agree on. The male is nuts.”

  “Go back to bed if you can. You still look tired.”

  “You too. Let your mate calm you.” Tyne sniggered.

  Ari just laughed, heading for his mate. They made a handsome couple. Tyne headed back to the pack house. The young guards on duty would handle the prisoners until in the morning, when Ari and he would deal with them. Bed was calling and he thought there was even a chance he might manage to get back to sleep.

  Tyne finished his night’s sleep, woke, and prepared for his day. Thoughts of the night before made his blood pump. There was little an alpha like more than to prove his worth in battle. Even though he hadn’t like the fact that innocents were put in danger, the fight had got him going. It was probably the case for all those in the battle. The incredible thing had been they’d lost no one and had only minor injuries. His little incendiary devices had given them the advantage. Fighting a disoriented enemy was much easier than fighting a balanced capable one.

  Moving to the private dining room, he found Ari and Sherona reigning over a full court. Both of his sons and T.J. and Mal were there. It looked like a family gathering. Tyne could see that Judah was completely taken by Mal. She was fighting it, but she clearly felt a pull too. That meant it was only a matter of time, at least that was what Tyne’s past experience had taught him. Fated mates had no way out.

  “Good morning, Tyne.” Ari said first then everyone echoed his sentiments. “How are you doing this morning?”

  “I’m doing fine.” Tyne said with a wink.

  “Good to hear it. We have some work to do this morning.”

  “Tell me more.”

  “Put in your order and I’ll give you a report while you eat.”

  “Sounds like a deal.” Tyne said as he put in a large order. Another server brought him coffee and OJ which suited him just fine. He’d gotten in the habit of drinking coffee during his army years.
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  After eating a huge breakfast, hey he was a wolf after all, he and the others got down to details. Ari had told him the attack had been directed at the small guest house that Brantley had been staying in with his family. Due to Mal’s information, they had been moved out of the house but others were there instead. Sixteen enemies had been captured but they were just rogues. They were untrained and uninformed.

  “Have you come up with a plan?” Ari asked.

  “First of all we keep the location of Brantley and his family under wraps. We leave the guards in the house he was in for now, to fake them out. Someone needs to get me some supplies to make more devices. I’ll make some we can throw too. You also need a witch, make sure she’s a good one. Should we interrogate the prisoners?”

  “What you gonna do? Turn them into frogs?” Jude asked smirking.

  “That spell takes too much magic to do on a group. She might do it to you though if you make comments like that around her.”

  “So only females are witches?”

  “No, but most of them are female. The few male witches tend to be reclusive with a few exceptions like Zorth.”

  “I’ve heard of him. He’s on the council and he’s part demon, right?” Jude asked.

  “Something like that.”

  “I already checked out the prisoners. None of them know anything worthwhile. What do you want the witch for?” Ari asked.

  “I think we need an alarm spell and a few protection spells. You have people living outside the perimeter. It’s the only way to ensure their safety without making them move here.”

  “You’re right. It never occurred to me Kirk would go after them. They are not key people in the pack and only loosely associated with us.”

  “It’s a good thing you do, Ari. Otherwise they’d be rogue and vulnerable to people like Kirk.”

  “You know about them? Does anyone else?” Ari wondered.

  “Damon knows. In his opinion it falls within the rules and he’ll fight for them if need be.”

  “I thought we were so sneaky.” Ari said with a shake of his head.

  “You were. Damon won’t speak of it to anyone. He just told me to see to the safety of those people as well. It’s easy to forget people outside the perimeter of pack lands.”

  “Apparently he was right. I didn’t even consider them.”

  “That’s because you don’t deal with them regularly. You’ve given them the freedom they wanted.”

  “Maybe so but I’m going to send some guards around to make sure they are all alright.” He motioned to two guards standing by the door giving them directions as soon as they came over.

  “Yes, Alpha.” They said in unison.

  “What’s next?” Ari asked looking at Tyne.

  “I need the materials to make my toys.” Tyne said with a boyish grin. Those rogues would find a few surprises waiting for them soon.

  Chapter 4

  Battle On

  Jude was thinking about last night. Not the fight that had fired his blood or watching his female fight, the one he would claim eventually, no matter how hard she fought, but earlier in the night. He’d gone to the regular dining room to eat not wanting to be alone. It was always rowdy in there, full of laughter, life, and love. Families and friends gathered to talk, eat, and share the company of others. It was the embodiment of pack life.

  The hum of the conversations with an occasional peal of laughter thrown in made him feel pretty good until he saw his female sitting with another male wolf. It was Sam, one of Jericho’s best friends. There was a time he wouldn’t have felt threatened by Sam’s presence but that time was past. Sam had gone through a change losing his innocent demeanor and becoming the biggest dog in the pack. Not an easy accomplishment either. It was the fact that they didn’t seem to be interacting at all and he didn’t pick up on any sexual interest that calmed Jude’s wolf. It also saved Sam from an ass kicking.

  Jude got his plate filling it before sitting down at the table between Sam and Mal. Both looked up, Sam grunted while Mal nodded. Sam’s response was alright but he hated to think he had no effect on his future mate. She went right back to eating as if no one of importance had sat down. Mal was hard on a male’s pride that was for sure.

  Jude decided just to eat since he was hungry anyway. Once they were both done he would decide what to do next. He had decided backing off wasn’t working. This was a strong female and he needed to take decisive action. Once they were through, at the same time because he planned it that way, he turned to her.

  “How about taking a walk with me?” He asked shooting her a smile that had melted hearts around the world.

  “Maybe next time. I’m tired and need some sleep.”

  “I’ll walk you to your room. There’s some things we need to discuss.” Sam looked away as he finished his food. Jude figured Sam hated to see a male shot down so brutally.

  “I guess.” Couldn’t she at least pretend to want to be around him? Apparently not. The female always had to push his buttons.

  “See you around, Sam.” He said and Mal parroted his sentiments. She took the lead with him following but the second they were in the hallway outside the dining room he pulled her back to him. “Female, something needs to happen between us and I believe you are aware of the fact.”

  Her eyes were so big, deep blue, and he could just get lost in them. “Maybe.” She whispered and he felt like he had been granted a victory. Even though she hadn’t admitted it, what she had said showed she was aware of what was between them but refused to give in fully.

  Jude would storm her gates claiming her for his own before she realized the battle had been waged. His inner wolf agreed, there was no more holding back, it was time to go forward, and claim a victory. He stroked her cheek lightly feeling her shiver. “We were meant to be together, now we need to figure out if it is for a night, a week, or forever.” Grabbing her hand he pulled her along.

  He’d known where her room was since he had met her, making it his business to know. There were advantages of being the pack alpha’s son, one of which was no one would withhold any information from him. The feel of her hand in his was heavenly so he gripped it tight enough it would be a struggle to remove it. Mal wasn’t the type to unnecessarily make a scene. That was something he could use against her in this fight he fully intended to win.

  They made it to her room before he knew it. “I know better than to ask you in.” Mal said. “What do you want to discuss?”

  “Are you sure you want to do this in the hallway?” She blushed aware of what he was implying.

  “No, but I’m sure I don’t want you in my room. I’m aware of what you want and I prefer to withhold those favors.”

  “Who talks that way these days? I think you read too many historical romances.” He’d pissed her off but at least he’d gotten a reaction out of her. Bracing himself for a tongue lashing, he didn’t have long to wait.

  Mal snorted. “At least I read, Caveman.”

  “Not caveman, wolf. We are more primitive since we are part animal. You are wolf now too, best you never forget you are a primal animal.” He pushed her against the wall claiming her soft lips in a hard kiss. Her heart began to pound in her chest as her breathing sped up. Jude felt her temperature rise as her body released a flood of moisture between her legs in preparation for possession by an alpha wolf, him. Smelling her need made him growl which made her whimper. His knees grew weak, it turned him on that he could reduce such a strong and defiant female to one overcome with desire. His cock grew hard as a rock, desire making it ache.

  It was unfortunate that his plan had been to show her how much she wanted him then back off. Maybe it was pride, but he needed her to admit out loud that she wanted him, needed him to take her. This was a battle of wills that the alpha in him needed to win. But she smelled so sweet as well as felt so damn good he had to push the boundaries of what a couple should do in a public hallway. If they were caught it was all on him because he knew it was wrong but hell, he w
anted to do it anyway.

  Jude continued kissing her as his hands moved over her silken skin. Sliding under her shirt he loosened her bra so he could squeeze and fondle her breasts. Plucking at her nipples, she jerked in his embrace. Goddess, she was so sensitive to his touch, he almost forgot his plan. His wolf howled with need urging him to forget everything but the willing female in his arms. Almost too tempting, but he forced himself under control. He was an alpha which meant he could resist anything even this gorgeous she-wolf.

  While one hand continued to fondle her breasts, the other hand snaked down into her pants. She was pressed against the wall by his body, unable to move. but she was past being concerned with escape. Everything he was doing was designed for her sensual pleasure and eventual release. Her soft sounds drove him wild as his touch did the same to her. His fingers slid between her soaked folds. He rejoiced at the proof of her desire for him. One finger sank into her channel causing him to acknowledge how tight she was. Jerking in response, it took a moment to calm his breath as he brought his body back under control. For a moment he wondered if it was worth it to torture himself this way.

  Never had he tasted lips so sweet or felt a body so perfect for him. A slight bolt of apprehension made itself known. What if instead of wanting him more, this made her more set against him? That just wasn’t the way an alpha should think. This would work cementing her need for him alone. His thumb moved to her clit circling lightly at first. He needed to build things slowly so her release would be monumental. Her body arched toward him, yes, this was what he had envisioned. She would be putty in his hands when he was done. Pressing harder on her clit he was also rougher on her breasts.

  His female responded to the firmer hand he gave her. He bit her lip just enough to taste her blood. Goddess, it almost made him cum. Control was lost as he coaxed her toward an orgasm. Desperately he wanted to give her what she needed, even though he intended to take nothing for himself. It caught him off guard when she jerked and thrust against him. Her channel squeezed his finger like a vise, what would it do to his cock? Nectar flowed from her soaking his hand. She screamed into his mouth but he couldn’t tell what she meant because his mouth muffled it.