Page 26 of Predator (Stope Packs #4)

“Thanks for the boots.” Jackson sprawled out in the passenger seat of Erik’s truck.

“I want them back,” Erik replied, his hands steady on the wheel as they drove miles away from his territory. The farther Jackson got from Emily, the stronger the pull to return to her became. An ache bloomed low in his chest.

The three-hour trip was mostly silent until Erik pulled up to a stone structure nestled against the mountainside. Equidistant from all four packs, only the Alphas knew the location. Erik’s tires slid as he parked beside Seth Volk’s black truck, which sat silent beside a sleek, dark town car.

Jackson hopped out and crossed the uneven snow, borrowed boots biting into the icy ground as he ascended the stone steps and pushed the heavy front door open. The air inside carried the smell of leather and…history.

Philip Nightsom already sat on the far side of the round table, its surface a stunning mosaic of silver, granite, slate, and copper crafted by their ancestors, forged from the mountains that divided their lands. Four hand-carved chairs surrounded it, each worn smooth from centuries of use.

It was the only piece of furniture, except for a long counter with a sink beneath the lone window. Glasses and two alcohol bottles sat on the counter. Once, somebody had brought food, but Jackson couldn’t remember who.

Seth stood at the bar near the sink, pouring amber liquid into crystal glasses. The clink echoed as he turned, his gaze sweeping over Erik. “How’s Luna?”

“She’s great. Working in her lab right now.” Erik pulled out a chair to sit. “How’s Mia?”

“Good. A little dizzy, but that’s normal.” Seth’s smile softened.

“I can’t wait to meet my nephew,” Erik murmured.

Seth lifted one shoulder as he approached the table, balancing four glasses and the bottle. “Mia’s convinced it’s a girl.”

“That’d be fun, too.” Erik took a glass.

Seth’s gaze shifted to Jackson. “Good to see you.”

Jackson met his cousin’s eyes. They were distant cousins, but the resemblance was undeniable. The same layered shades of blue in their eyes, the same broad, solid build. Yet Seth carried himself with a polished air these days, dressed in black slacks and a crisp white button-down shirt, open at the collar.

Jackson suppressed a grin as he drew out a chair and sat. He didn’t remember Seth dressing this well before mating Mia. As for him, he had no plans to trade in his worn jeans and T-shirts for anyone. Whoever ended up with him would have to take him as he was.

Jackson figured if he ever took Emily out somewhere nice, he might need to get a decent outfit. That thought hit hard, halting his mind for a beat. She hadn’t quite agreed yet, damn it. Yet her warmth and the feel of her against him lingered in his senses.

“Cheers.” Seth sat and lifted his glass.

Jackson clinked his against Seth’s and downed half the expensive brew. Smooth. He made a mental note to bring alcohol next time. It would be his turn. He’d have to find something good.

“How’s Emily?” Philip asked directly.

“She’s good. Having fun with Luna right now,” Jackson replied smoothly. Emily had asked him not to mention her illness, and he wasn’t about to betray that trust.

Seth’s gaze flicked toward Erik before settling back on Jackson. “We need to talk about the helicopter crash.”

“Totally agree.” Jackson kept his fury at bay. Emily could’ve been killed, damn it.

Erik swirled his scotch. “If the Ravencalls have Stinger missiles, we all need to know.”

Philip slammed his now-empty glass onto the table. “My daughter was in a helicopter crash?”

“Yes.” Jackson leaned forward. “We were shot down with Stingers, but I landed the chopper safely. We made it to Copper territory. Your daughter’s unharmed.”

“She’s perfectly fine,” Erik added, his voice steady.

Good. At least the Copper Alpha backed him up. Philip didn’t need to worry, which would just cause Emily to worry.

“Are you sure it was the Ravencalls?” Philip asked.

“Yeah,” Jackson said. “Four of them attacked us on the way to Copper territory. We took care of them.”

Philip’s eyes widened. “Emily fought?”

“Yes. And she fought well.” Jackson kept his tone even. If he was already lying, he might as well stick to it. No need to worry Philip more than necessary. He only hoped Erik hadn’t shared the full story with his brother, though he doubted it. The good news was that both Volk brothers generally liked Emily, and Jackson didn’t see either of them wanting control of Nightsom’s pack.

Clearing his throat, he leaned back in his chair. “So…we haven’t all met in a while. Should we talk about the fact that Philip tried to take over the Copper Pack?” His voice stayed deliberately bored.

Erik’s eyes gleamed with interest as he leaned forward. “Yeah. Should we talk about that, Philip?”

Philip pounded a fist on the table. His gray hair, neatly trimmed, framed a face etched with age and authority. Intense black eyes, the same shade as Emily’s, locked onto Erik. Despite the lines on his face, the power beneath his skin was undeniable. “You were engaged to my daughter and are now mated to someone else.”

“Your daughter called it off,” Erik replied calmly. “And you know it.”

Philip’s jaw flexed. “Yes, all right. But you weren’t the Alpha of the Copper Pack when I attacked them, were you?”

“No,” Erik admitted. “But I am now. Still want to challenge me?”

Philip’s mouth curved slightly. “Not in the slightest.”

Seth, seated beside Jackson, shifted forward with a glint of amusement in his gaze. “Still…I think compensation is in order.”

“Excuse me?” Philip reached for the bottle of scotch. He tipped the bottle toward Jackson, who held out his glass for a refill.

“Compensation is due,” Erik said. “You attacked my pack. You’ve got to pay.”

Philip scoffed. “I’m not paying you.”

“Yeah, you are,” Erik shot back without hesitation. “I want a quarter of the profits from the Embervault Mine you’re leasing from Jackson.”

Philip’s gaze stayed steady, the look of a man who’d negotiated more times than anyone at the table. “Five percent, and that’s it.”

“Fifteen,” Erik countered.

“Ten,” Philip replied, extending his hand across the table.

“Deal.” Erik clasped his hand, the shake brief and firm.

“Well, wasn’t that nice and easy?” Jackson leaned back in his chair and swirled the amber liquid in his glass.

Philip set his glass down and straightened. “Now, we need to discuss the fact that the Ravencall and Ghostwind packs might combine. Are you sure it was only the Ravencalls that attacked you?”

“Yeah. Four of them,” Jackson replied.

Seth looked around, appearing healthy and dangerous. “Anybody have intel on either pack?”

“Modern for my new pack is an updated Internet browser,” Erik admitted, shaking his head.

“Come on, Seth. You must have something,” Jackson said.

Seth sipped his drink. “I’ve got a little. We believe they moved their headquarters and are now about a hundred miles outside Granite Pack territory, which puts them roughly a hundred miles from mine.”

Jackson pulled out his phone and pressed it to his ear. “Thane, I need the most up-to-date intel you’ve got on the Ravencall and Ghostwind Packs.” He clicked the speaker button and placed the phone on the table.

“Of course,” Thane replied without hesitation, his voice sure through the phone. “Satellite feed shows Ravencall’s headquarters near Chelan. Ghostwind’s base is closer to Lincoln. There’s been some movement in Douglas County, but so far, it’s been all Ravencall wolves.”

Erik slowly turned his head to stare at Jackson. “You have satellites?”

“No, I don’t have satellites,” Jackson replied, a slow smile tugging at his mouth. “We just know how to hack into them.” He took a sip of his scotch, the burn sharp and familiar. “While you brothers were worried about who’d step up and who had to die,” he added, glancing between Erik and Seth before turning to Philip, “and you were focused on who’s taking over, I’ve been building my structure. Advanced weapons, surveillance. You should all get on board.”

“Fine, Mr. Surveillance.” Seth crossed his arms. “So, what else do you know?”

“Thane?” Erik prompted.

Thane cleared his throat, the hum of static from the speakerphone filling the room. “Right. Based on the latest intel, the Ravencall Pack is about three hundred members deep, while Ghostwind has been gathering members like a tumbleweed rolling down a hill. They’ve got at least a hundred—all fighters. The Ravencalls are being led by an Alpha named Burke Creed,” Thane said. “Based on the lineages we’ve pieced together, he’s a distant cousin to the former Alpha.”

“You have lineages?” Erik asked, his voice low with surprise.

Jackson met his gaze evenly. “We try to keep track.”

“Creed is brutal,” Thane continued. “Used to be their Enforcer and killed Forrest just a few hours after the poor guy stepped up as Alpha.”

“After I killed his brother,” Erik muttered. “I only exchanged a couple of words with Forrest but he seemed likable. I take it Creed is not.”

“Nope,” Thane said through the speaker. “And his reputation’s well-earned. He likes to kill. I mean, really likes to kill.”

“Where is he now?” Jackson asked.

The sound of keys clacking came through the speaker. “Right now, Creed and his two top Enforcers are still at their main headquarters. I’ll send the coordinates.”

“Great.” Jackson could use a good fight.

Philip leaned forward. “What’s their security like?”

“Standard patrols,” Thane said. “Wolves run in pairs on a regular schedule. Shouldn’t be hard to slip through once we map the pattern.”

Jackson needed to give his friend a raise. “Good. What do you have on the Ghostwinds?”

“Their Alpha’s a guy named Feren Voss. Intel says he spent years working as a mercenary before forming the pack. They’ve mostly kept to themselves, living off raids by targeting both humans and other packs,” Thane said.

Seth’s gaze narrowed. “Does Voss have a solid base of power?”

“He’s been in power for ten years, so maybe. Both packs own several smaller mines in the region. I think that’s part of why they’re targeting our territories. They want to expand their mining operations.”

Jackson could understand the reasoning, but they were going to die. “Anything else?”

“Nope,” Thane replied. “See you when you’re home.”

Jackson clicked off the call.

Seth eyed him, calculation in his blue eyes. “That’s good intel.”

Silence settled over the table until Philip muttered, “Status.”

Jackson leaned back. “Mine’s strong. The pack’s thriving. The granite mines are doing well, and I need the council off my damn back. Once I mate, they’re gone.” Of course, he had to fulfill the deal for Caldwell and Sons as well as find the asshole sabotaging his mines.

“You haven’t listened to your council for years.” Seth smirked.

They had more power than Jackson liked, but he wasn’t about to share that. Nor had he ever mentioned that, five years ago, the Ravencall Pack poisoned a quarter of his soldiers. The loss still sat heavy in him, but dwelling on it wouldn’t change anything. “Next?” he muttered.

Erik nodded. “I’m assimilating well as the Alpha of the Copper Pack. The farming community we brought in is thriving, and I’m solid in terms of soldiers, miners, and farmers. Everyone’s recovered from the poisoning attack by the Ravencalls, and I don’t expect another one. We won’t let anyone get that close again.”

“Good,” Jackson said, his fingers tapping lightly against the glass in his hand.

Philip turned to Seth. “Silver Pack?”

“Strong and steady,” Seth replied. “Aside from those grandfathered in, I’ve pushed most humans out of the territory. I want the town wolf-only.” His gaze hardened slightly. “Good ole Brother Jeremiah and his environmental group are still nosing around, but since I restricted human access, they’ve been less of a problem. I may need to deal with him at some point, but so far, everything’s fine.”

“The business?” Philip asked.

Seth took a measured sip of his drink. “The mine’s operating well. Mia’s healthy, and the pack’s strong. If the Ravencall wolves come knocking, we’re ready for them.”

Jackson glanced toward Philip, reading the lines etched deeper into the older Alpha’s face.

Philip nodded. “The Slate Pack’s holding steady. The coffers are fine, but once I secure the slate from the Embervault Mine, we’ll be flush.” He took another sip of scotch. “Everything’s just normal. In addition, Jackson and I have an agreement that is beneficial to both of our packs. We’re solid.”

“It’s private,” Jackson said smoothly at the Volk brothers’ inquisitive expressions. “However, Philip, for the record, you’re still walking and breathing. Why don’t you find a mate and create a few more heirs?”

Philip’s gray eyebrows rose. “I’m too old. Well…maybe.” He quirked his lip.

Seth glanced between Philip, Erik, and Jackson. “What do you all want to do about the Ravencalls?”

Jackson straightened, shoulders squared. “Considering they shot down my chopper and came after Emily and me, I want their Alpha and his Enforcers taken out. Brutally. A statement needs to be made.”

Erik’s eyebrows lifted. “That’s pretty much declaring war.”

Jackson growled. “No. Shooting me down was declaring war. We’re already at war.”

Seth leaned forward and rested his forearms on the table. “I agree. And I think we handle this ourselves. No Enforcers.”

Philip gave a sharp nod. “I’m in. We need to send a message.”

“Good,” Jackson said. “Tonight. Midnight. We meet here, and we take care of it. I’ll have the latest satellite images of the Ravencall camp. Let’s hit them hard enough that the Ghostwinds will run the other way.” He stood, tipped back the last of his scotch, and placed the glass on the table. “Philip?”

Philip looked up.

“It’s your turn to do the dishes.”

Philip snorted but didn’t argue as Jackson walked toward the door, wanting to get back to Emily.

She would agree to be his. Soon.