Page 11 of The Brave (Black Arrowhead #6)
B ecause Joy was under enough stress, Atticus insisted that she leave the room to pack. She had been shot at, involved in a high-speed chase, and forced to cradle a wounded packmate in her arms. With the added news about the town under siege, Atticus was sensitive to the maelstrom of emotions she must have been dealing with, especially since she was about to leave her home.
In recent years, Atticus had adjusted to his normal, stable life. But now darkness gathered in him like an imminent storm.
After Joy made her exit, Melody had a chance to catch her breath. Atticus had known the little miss since she was a rambunctious teenager. Her daredevil nature had prepared her for life, and it was pleasing to see what a strong woman she had become.
“We should move to another room.” Atticus eyed the windows. The inside lights were casting reflections and played tricks on his vision. “Do you have a private room without windows?”
Tak shook his head. “You would hear my pack barking if there were intruders.”
“Unless your pack is dead.”
Melody punched Atticus in the arm. “Don’t say stuff like that. I swear to the fates…”
Lucian hung out in the doorway for a minute before joining them. “Even if the pack was dead, Vampires can’t get past my security lights. When activated, they illuminate the house. Not even a Vampire can bypass motion-activated security.” He ran his hand over his bristly scalp and flicked his golden gaze at Atticus.
Chitahs were inquisitive and not dissimilar from Vampires when it came to reading a room. Only instead of using their ears and eyes, they relied on their nose.
Melody shut the door. “Kevin’s fine, by the way. He pulled the arrow out and shifted a few times to heal himself. It was just a flesh wound. He’s lucky I didn’t shoot him in the groin, but that’s what he gets for running down a dark road in human form. If his horse had been running down the road?—”
“Get on with the story,” Tak said, barely suppressing a laugh.
Melody dusted pieces of bark and dirt off her shirt. “Kevin said Vampires damaged a bunch of cars at the garage. They found a guy killed not far from there. A deer Shifter, I think. Then there was trouble at the Rabbit Lounge.”
Tak stepped forward. “What kind of trouble?”
She glanced at the clock on the wall. “Mercy’s trying to get ahold of Calvin now. Kevin was hanging out at the bar when two Vampires waltzed in like they owned the place. They didn’t order anything, and you know how that pisses Calvin off. They sat in the back with a few locals. Something made Calvin suspicious, so he called them out. One Vampire slammed a guy against the wall. Hard. As in he might be dead. Kevin fled the scene—no surprise there—so that’s all he knows. He’s racing around the area, warning everyone that something’s up. I still don’t get why he didn’t let his horse out instead.”
“The packs would have heard the thundering hooves,” Tak suggested. “He didn’t want the wolves to see his horse running and give chase.”
Melody pulled another leaf from her hair and twirled it between her fingers. “He was really pissed at me. After giving me the update, he shifted and galloped off. Not my fault. You can’t just go running down private roads in the middle of the night.”
Tak shook his head. “Did he bother trotting over to the local Council?”
“I don’t know.” She blew out another breath. “I’m just the messenger.”
“Who shot another messenger,” Lucian quipped.
“I thought he was a Vampire!”
“So you aimed for the groin?”
“I was aiming for the heart,” she snapped back. “My foot slipped.”
Lucian sniffed the air and then cocked his eyebrow. “I’ve seen you hit a cockroach at fifty yards. Is that your final answer?”
Melody crossed her arms. “That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it.”
Atticus mulled over their situation before addressing Salem, who was standing beside Tak. “You said your attackers crashed. Was their vehicle drivable?”
Salem stroked his beard, his eyes downcast. “Not sure. When Virgil was shot, Joy commandeered the truck. She put distance between us and them after the collision, so I couldn’t see.”
“That would explain why they were at the garage,” Atticus muttered. “If their car is totaled, they’re stuck here for the moment. We don’t have much time. They probably questioned enough people to get a description of your vehicles and the location of your house.”
“Then why didn’t they come here instead?” Melody asked.
“Because it was daytime. Vampires won’t drive up to a pack’s house. They’ll scout the area first. Your pack’s new, and not everyone around here knows your people. But it won’t take long before they find someone who does. Someone who will reveal that Salem is mated to a pregnant wolf, and that’ll raise suspicion.”
Tak jerked his chin at Melody. “Tell Hope to pack her bags right now.”
Putting her hands on her hips, Melody replied, “Are these people after us? Where’s Hope going?”
“Somewhere safe. Hurry.”
Melody made haste with her orders.
“She and Joy can ride in the back of my van.” Atticus sent a text message to his manager.
“Hope is staying with her former pack,” Tak reminded him.
“Yes, but you’ll never safely move her off your land. We have to assume they know the description of your packmates and vehicles. They won’t pay attention to a local catering van. Packs get catering all the time.”
Tak paced. “There are too many people in your club.”
“I can’t shut it down, but I can make sure my staff turns away newcomers. Easy enough to do. They keep an eye on Vampire patrons, and there aren’t many.” Atticus waited impatiently for Yuri to reply. “Looks like there aren’t any Vampires in there tonight, so it’s clear.”
Tak shook his head.
Atticus put his phone back in his pocket and realized Tak needed reassurance that no harm would come to his mate. “I have a top-notch security system, and my staff is quite adept at handling trouble.”
“Are they?” Tak fired back. “They did nothing when Joy was slapped.”
“They’ve been warned about that incident.” Atticus thought about their precarious situation. “What are your plans for Hope? I can’t drive her to Austin myself—I’d be forced to leave Joy unguarded. It would be better if someone came to collect her.”
“Dammit.” Tak shut his eyes and heaved a sigh. “Her father will never let me live this down. Do you know how long it took me to earn his respect? And now I have to tell him to pick up his daughter because Vampires are hunting us. I used to think my father was tough, but that man is tougher than beef jerky that’s been left out in the sun for a week.”
Lucian gave him a pat of solidarity. “If it makes you feel any better, I’ve known him since Lakota was a boy, and he still hates me.”
Tak gripped Lucian’s head and gave it a playful shake. “Go watch the security cameras. I’m counting on you, brother. Salem, bring the rest of the pack up to speed. They need to prepare. Wolves who stick together can take down Vampires.” He winked at Atticus. “Isn’t that right, my friend?”
Atticus nodded, respecting the synergy of wolves. They knew how to assemble and work together to rip a man to pieces, limb from limb. “If they come, be swift with your actions. Never hesitate. Vampires view that as a vulnerability, and they’ll use it. Call me if you kill one.”