Page 37 of Fighting Fate (Monsters of London #4)

Dax

After my morning shift at the café, I’m looking forward to having the rest of the day to myself, but instead, I find myself in Alpha Axel’s office again, only this time with Patch and all of Axel’s betas.

I’m not sure if Patch should be here, but he was with me when Axel called, so he invited himself along. I suppose Axel doesn’t mind. He didn’t say anything when we came in, at least.

Besides, we’re planning to grab lunch after this. I’m already starving.

“Do you think we could run something similar within our pack?” Sage asks.

They want to talk about the classes again . I honestly don’t know why Axel can’t just ask to come and watch one of them—or send Freddie or Sage if his presence is too much. Kieran pops up whenever he likes. I’m sure he won’t mind so long as they promise not to draw too much attention to themselves and distract the teaching.

“I guess so,” I reply. “We’d need to find a teacher.”

“We could ask the human,” Freddie says, looking at Axel.

“We would have to ask Alpha Kieran, in that case,” Axel says, and his other beta, Qasim, nods. “Technically, I believe the human belongs to his pack.”

Technically… I’m sure he’s right. Vince hasn’t done a ceremony or anything like that, but most humans don’t, even when they’re as close to the pack members as he is. He’s still connected to them, all the same.

“Can’t you run a similar class, Dax?” Sage asks.

I wince under her stare. “Uh, no. I don’t think so. I’m good at helping, but—” What if something went wrong? Besides, I feel like they want a class much more combative than what Vince is offering right now. I don’t know how to run that, though Kieran or Drew might.

“We might just have to ask if Kieran has any intention of extending the classes,” Freddie says finally, with a sigh.

“It would be the only way for us to learn how to defend against vampires and mages,” Qasim agrees.

“I thought the point of this was cooperation?” I ask, and they all fall silent. Next to me, Patch fidgets in his seat.

Maybe I shouldn’t have asked that, but I know I’m not wrong. Kieran wants everyone to get along—he’s convinced our survival depends on it.

He’s not wrong, either.

But I thought they all worked this out when they signed the treaty. I frown, and Axel nods.

“It is, which is why at the next alpha meet, I plan to ask Alpha Kieran if there is any more assistance we can offer him.” He exchanges a look with Freddie that I can’t interpret, then leans forward the tiniest amount in his seat. “I want as many of our wolves prepared as possible. As many vampires and mages, too. Something is… wrong. Not in London, not yet, but I believe it will not be long before it reaches us.”

I blink, then shake my head in disbelief. “What? You—”

“Nothing to worry about yet, Dax,” Freddie says with a tight smile. “And Alpha Deacon is already well aware. But Tamesis caught everyone off guard, and none of us plan on letting that happen again.”

It makes sense, I suppose, though Patch at least seems as alarmed as I feel. Maybe I can run a class here? So long as I go through everything with Vince beforehand, it might be okay. We might even find other volunteers ready to learn.

I open my mouth to say that, to offer to find a way, but pain ripples through me, like someone just punched me in the ribs.

Patch startles next to me, grabbing at my shoulder when I yelp. “Dax? What is it?”

I groan when another hit lands and I realise, all at once, what’s going on. “Vince.” The bond is stronger than I thought. This should be impossible.

Patch’s eyes widen. Axel is on his feet on the other side of his desk, and he looks between us, confused. “The human?”

“He’s Dax’s mate,” Patch says before I can even think through how I want to answer. Fuck. Realisation dawns on Axel’s face.

“I have to go,” I say. I can’t pinpoint where he is from the bond, not exactly, but I don’t need to. I spoke to him last night. He’s at home.

And if each painful blow is a punch, I’m fairly sure I know who’s there with him.

“Take my bike,” Patch says, pressing his keys into my hand.

“You—”

“I’ll get there. Go!”

Axel only nods when I look at him, so I race out of the building and to Patch’s bike. The helmet’s in our flat, but there’s no time to go get it. My side throbs with phantom pain.

I really didn’t know the bond had become this… concrete. I weave dangerously through traffic, ignoring the people who beep at me. Hitting anyone—or being hit by a car—isn’t the problem.

What if I don’t get there in time?

It feels like an age before I pull up outside Vince’s house, but it can’t be longer than ten minutes. I hammer on the front door. Above me, a window opens, and Jamie sticks his head out. His eyes are rimmed red and there are marks on his throat. I growl.

“Round back,” he shouts—or tries to. His voice is hoarse. “Hurry, Dax!”

I nod and find the small alley that leads to the back of the terraced houses. I can feel Vince now that I’m this close, and when I see the broken fence on his back garden, I growl again.

Fucker. I clamber over, only to find that Vince definitely has the upper hand.

Anger paints his face, curling his upper lip back as he punches a man I assume is Tim right in the face. Vince has him pinned to a picnic table they have out here, and he’s probably only got another blow or two before Tim loses consciousness entirely.

“Vince,” I say, then again, when he doesn’t react, “Vince!”

He startles and looks over at me. For a moment, it’s like he doesn’t see me at all. Then he frowns, brows pulling together in confusion.

I make a motion towards the broken fence. “Let’s take him inside,” I say, trying to make sure my voice is calm. There’s a haziness in Vince’s eyes I don’t like. Shock?

Vince looks down at Tim again, who whimpers, flinching back, then at me. I move closer and lift my hand slowly before I put it gently on the back of Vince’s neck. “Come on. We’ve got him. Jamie’s safe. Let’s take him inside, though.”

The neighbours have to have heard something. We’ll be lucky if they haven’t called the police. Not that they could charge Vince with much, I think, but they might still try and he doesn’t need that.

Tim lets out a hiccupping sob and Vince looks at me again. His gaze is a little clearer.

“Yeah. Let’s get him inside.” His voice shakes. His hands are trembling, too, so I jerk Tim up by the front of his now-bloodstained shirt and shove him towards the house.

Vince grabs one of the dining room chairs once we’re inside, and I shove Tim onto it. “Do you have anything—”

Vince slaps two tie wraps into my hand. He’s shaking all over now, from the adrenaline, I guess. I want to touch him again, but I don’t know if that will ground him or not. Instead, I fasten Tim to the chair and stay close, half an eye on him as I watch Vince pace the room.

Vince jerks his head up all at once. “Jamie.”

As if waiting for a cue, Jamie pokes his head around the door. He’s paler than I’ve ever seen him, and there’s a bruise already forming on his jaw. Vince hisses through his teeth when Jamie steps fully into view, and I bite the inside of my cheek hard enough to draw blood so that I don’t make a sound.

His throat is circled with bruises. Tim’s handprints. Vince whirls around on him and he quakes in the chair.

“Are you okay?” I ask Jamie, which seems to snap Vince back to him again. If anything’s broken, we need to get him to the hospital. Or Ophelia. I think.

“Fine,” he croaks. He clearly doesn’t like being in the same room as Tim. He’s gripping the door frame too tightly. “He’s…”

“Not going anywhere,” Vince spits. He moves closer to Jamie, and when Jamie doesn’t tense and back off, closer still. “Fuck. I’m so sorry.”

“Not your fault,” Jamie manages. His eyes shine with fresh tears, but he breathes heavily through his nose, pressing his lips together, and they don’t fall. “You beat the shit out of him.”

“Yeah.” Vince glances back at Tim, then at me. His gaze skitters away a second later. Does he think I’d judge him for that?

Most wolves would have torn Tim’s throat out.

Hell, most wolves still would.

“Why’d you call Dax?” Vince says. He reaches into his pocket and frowns. “I’ve got to call Kieran. He can help us take care of this.”

“I didn’t,” Jamie says, and my heart sinks.

“What?” Vince frowns.

Someone knocks at the door, and I lift my head, taking a deep breath. Fuck if Jamie finds out now. He’s going to know something’s going on if Kieran wants to deal with this guy.

“It’s Kieran and Sam,” I say, and Vince nods, squeezing Jamie’s arm once before he darts out of the room.

Jamie eyes Tim again. Tim shifts on the chair, and I can’t see his face, but I see the way Jamie’s eyes widen. I lean down so my mouth is next to his ear. “Behave, or I’ll rip your throat out. With my teeth.”

The words are low enough that I’m not sure Jamie caught them, but I hear the way Tim swallows. His head drops forwards, so he’s staring down at the floor. Good. As long as he gets the message.

Vince is the first back into the room, Kieran and Sam close on his heels. Kieran sighs when he sees Tim, turning his attention to Jamie, but Sam lets out a bark of a laugh.

“Fuck me,” he says and gives Vince an impressed look. “Didn’t think you had it in you.”

Vince huffs. His shoulders are lower than they were a minute ago. He’s coming down after the fight, and Kieran knows it too. He nudges against Vince as he walks past him, a gentle scenting Vince won’t pick up on. It bolsters him anyway, and he rubs a hand over his face.

“So,” Sam says. He’s closer now, crouching a little so he can peer into Tim’s face. “What d’you want us to do with him?”

He straightens again and looks at Jamie, who shakes his head and shrugs. Vince is looking straight at me. When our eyes meet, he frowns.

“What are you doing here?”

“What?” Sam asks.

Vince ignores him. Kieran looks between us and his eyes widen for just a second.

“Jamie,” he says, “is there somewhere you’d be more comfortable? You don’t have to be in a room with this fucker.”

“Answer me, Dax,” Vince says. There’s an edge of panic to his voice, and everyone stills again.

I have to tell him.

I have to tell him.

“I knew you were hurt,” I say, and Kieran swears under his breath.

Sam takes a step back, away from me and Tim.

“How?”

There’s no point in avoiding the question. But this isn’t how I wanted to tell him.

Never mind that I’ve had all week to do it. That I’ve had weeks to do it.

I swallow and, throat tight, I say, “Because you’re my mate.”