Page 1 of The Healer (The Blood of Legends #2)

Chapter One

A MEAN BASTARD

W hen Rhys stepped onto the splintered wooden porch, the familiar stench of blood hit him—salty, tangy, but with a wealth of wet fur and fish. He stilled and sniffed, allowing the miasma of colors to saturate his nose. The sharper the odor or emotion the brighter the color.

A sunlight yellow ‘smoke’ trail slipped under the door. Blood laced with bear meant one thing. Roaring, he burst into the cabin he shared with his brother, tearing the door off the hinges.

“Aiden!” Bounding up the stairs leading to their bedrooms, he jerked on the balustrade, almost ripping it from its base.

“He’s fine.” Noah, Rhys’s best friend and beta, filled Aiden’s bedroom doorway, blocking the path.

“Move, Noah.” Rhys tried to shove past, but Noah stood firm. Short of shoving him against the wall and injuring a brother-in-pack, Rhys spun away to pace. His bear snarled, threatening to take over and bowl Noah out of the way.

“Calm your bear, Rhys. He’ll agitate Aiden, and we just got him to relax.”

His vision tinged with red, focused, blurred, then sharpened. “What the fuck happened?”

“We think Alrik sent you out on a food run for this reason.” His brother-in-pack Jase peered over Noah’s shoulder, his dirty-blond hair disheveled, with blood smeared across his temple. “Aiden’s usual disrespect didn’t help the situation.”

“Might have been the trigger.” Noah dipped his head. “With a little tact, he might have avoided this.”

“Fuck.” Rhys yanked his bun loose to run his fingers through his hair, hoping to calm his bear and ease the tension tightening the muscles in his neck. “Go on. Tell me what happened.”

“It wasn’t a fair fight, but Aiden should have seen this coming. You know how much he wants you to lead.” Noah held out his hands, palms out to prevent Rhys from barreling him over. “Alrik and his sycophants cornered Aiden in the gym.”

Rhys’s breath caught and seared his lungs. Gym equipment could kill if used with brute force. “Is he…?” The lump in his throat strangled his voice. Ice drenched his scalp, sliding down his spine to his fingertips. He shoved them into his pockets, hoping to hide their trembling. “Can I see him now?”

Noah studied him for a long-drawn-out moment. “Don’t mention his face.”

Rhys halted mid-stride. “Why?” He gripped the door frame and splintered the wood beneath his fingers, fear and fury pummeling his thoughts, his senses. “I’m going to fucking kill Alrik.”

“You could take him on, Rhys, but winning means becoming the alpha.”

Rhys shot Jase a sharp glare. “Like I don’t fucking know that.”

“It’s just a reminder, brother-in-pack.” Noah thumped his back, trying to calm Rhys.

He was far from it. His bear paced inside him, whining for release. Rhys snorted and flicked his head side-to-side, cracking his neck.

“I’ll see Aiden first. Alrik’s death can wait.” One step into the room petrified his muscles. His bones locked, and his bear clawed at the walls, roaring in despair. The stench of antiseptic, blood, and the burned ozone of pain hit him.

The man in the bed wasn’t the Aiden Rhys had seen at breakfast. The youthful skin molded over his features was blue, black, swollen, and mottled. Both eyes were sealed shut, his eyelashes like the legs of a squashed spider. His nose was broken, and his lips split and bleeding.

Sure, shifters healed fast, but in the meantime, he would be in fiery agony while his muscles and bones reknitted. Aiden lay like an ironing board, his arms bandaged in place, and one leg in a worn orthopedic boot.

“Sans was here?”

“ He is our doctor.” Jase nudged his chin at Aiden. “Sans snuck in to tend to Aiden. Said he saw it go down. I asked my brother to escort him home.”

“Good.” Rhys grunted. Jase and his brother Sawyer were the best trackers in the pack.

At least, Rhys had one ally from Alrik’s camp. Taking their alpha on wouldn’t be easy, and despite knowing it was the right decision, Rhys didn’t like the risks if he failed. The Knights Ridge pack would continue to suffer without him to shield them. Cast out, exiled, he would have to head north to Dane’s pack. That wasn’t fair on his old college friend. An alpha shouldn’t have to tolerate another alpha in his pack, and Rhys wasn’t designed to be a beta.

He slumped. “Alrik has to know what this means.”

Noah spun a chair and squatted on it, folding his arms across the back. “He was tired of waiting for you to make your move, Rhys.”

“Well, by attacking the ‘last’ member of my family, he made sure I would react.” He smiled, but it was nothing more than a tightness across his mouth. There was no mirth, no eagerness behind it. “I won’t give in to him.”

Jase gaped, but after a glance at Noah’s knowing smirk, he quit looking like a fish out of water. “What do you intend to do?”

“I’ll wait, bide my time, gather the elders and the strongest pack members eager for new leadership. Let Alrik stew, raise his paranoia to a new level.”

“We must bow but not shy from him.” Noah grinned. “Spur on rumors of attacks, of allies outside of Knights Ridge. Giving Colt a call might be wise. Might as well do the same for Travis. Having Fenneg’s Rabidhide and Suddale’s Dawnguard packs on your side would bolster your authority. Dane’s already on your side, but Coedwig is smallish and won’t hold any sway against Alrik.”

Rhys smirked. “I’ll tell Dane you said so.”

Noah chuckled and flicked a dismissive hand.

“Everything must fail. We’ll create a leak in the water towers, cut the power supply, drain the food stores, and cut off the pack’s finances.” Jase ticked these off on his fingers. “Not so bad we can’t repair them when you’re in power, of course.”

“A battle strategy,” Rhys said while brushing Aiden’s hair off his temple.

“I love that idea; except we need to challenge him soon.” Noah dipped his head. “I can’t keep silent for much longer.”

Rhys studied Noah’s face, familiar with the sadness in his eyes. They had all suffered at Alrik’s hands as expected of a cruel alpha. “All right. How much can we organize by sunset?”

Jase’s whoop startled Aiden awake who tried to rise, groaned, then slumped.

“Rhys?” His hoarse voice tore through Rhys who had vowed to protect his brother when their parents were killed and Uncle Sean left the pack. Finding Aiden sprawled, bloodied, and bandaged, lashed at the guilt encasing Rhys’s heart.

“I’m here, baby bear.” He patted Aiden’s bicep.

Aiden’s brow furrowed. “Argh, quit calling me that.”

“Quit trying to get me killed. I’ll take on Alrik when I’m ready. Your shit-stirring is to blame for this.”

Aiden fell silent before he mumbled, “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“Rest, Aiden, heal.” Rhys pushed off the bed. “If you’re a good little patient, I’ll take you for ice cream in the morning.”

“Ass.” Aiden chuckled, then coughed. Blood dewed on his split lip.

Rhys nudged his head at the door. Striding out, he didn’t check whether Jase and Noah followed. Their boots thumping on the wooden floor and their wolf and tiger scents were all he needed. “Make it happen.”

Noah jerked, then beamed. “Are you sure?”

“Now you doubt me?” Rhys harrumphed. “I’ll set up a barbecue closest to the clubhouse. I want you two, and any of our pack mates, to come and go. Spend some time with me laughing and drinking beer. If I can’t have Jase’s sweet strategy, then let’s go for the element of surprise.”

Jase bounded down the stairs, banging cupboard doors as he gathered the makings of a barbecue. “The meat you brought from town hasn’t frozen yet. I’ll grab a few steaks.”

Noah yanked the door off its one hinge and leaned it against a wall. “I’ll round up who I can, then tag Jase. A crowd will gather before sunset.”

An impromptu barbecue wasn’t unheard of, and it would lead Alrik into a false sense of security. “Send someone to gather the elders. This can’t go down without their attendance.”

Rhys sighed at the reminder of how old and neglected their elders were. Anyone strong enough to challenge Alrik’s reign found a swift death. Their eldest was Sans, and that old lion wouldn’t last many more winters.

Gritting his teeth, Rhys swept up a pile of logs and carried it to the firepit. He didn’t choose the one closest to the clubhouse, but the largest. Tonight, there would be a show for everyone, with minimum damage to the dilapidated clubhouse and surrounding cabins.

With a hand in his pocket, he nursed the fire, sipping on his beer. Noah arrived with his arm across Willow’s shoulder. His younger sister was adorable with her blonde hair in pigtails. Her wide-eyed gaze darting to Rhys’s cabin hinted that she would rather be with Aiden.

He offered her a soda. “Drink half of this, then stroll to my cabin.” What would happen between him and Alrik wouldn’t be pretty, and casualties were possible. Willow out of sight with Aiden meant one less soul for Rhys to worry about.

She forced a smile. “Kick ass tonight.”

“Language.” Noah chuckled at her glare. “The elders are on their way. They’ll trickle in along with their kin.”

“Sawyer is rounding up the others.” Jase rocked on his heels, cradling a beer can to his chest.

Rhys released a slow breath. Adrenaline pumped through his veins while the excitement and a healthy dose of fear raised the hairs on the back of his neck.

“He’s watching from his lofty perch.” Noah tipped his beer to his lips.

“Wondering why he wasn’t invited?” Jase laughed, a little too loudly. “Let him hear how much fun we’re having, how much we care for his brutality.”

The urge to look tugged at Rhys. His bear roared, willing him to give Alrik the middle finger. Rhys grinned at the idea. No, he wanted him to join the party. The older male would do so unafraid, bringing Dyl and Vik as his only protection.

Rhys snorted. An alpha shouldn’t need bodyguards, and Alrik’s security detail said it all. The challenge match would be between Rhys and Alrik. Taking down his bodyguards would weaken Rhys, and that was exactly how it would play out, breaking the challenge laws.

Folks trickled in, each stopping by to offer their support. Fear lingered in their eyes, in their broken spirits, yet they had ventured out with hope the driving force. The weight of their suffering settled on his chest like an anchor, bolstering his determination.

They feasted. The aroma of charred meat added to the pseudo joy in the air. While he nursed one beer and was desperate for another, the chill of midnight approaching tested his patience.

“What are we celebrating?” Alrik’s bombastic voice grated on Rhys’s last nerve.

The fool smirked, as if everyone’s silence was a mark of respect. In an expensive jacket and a crisp white shirt, he had the air of a gentleman at leisure.

Behind him stood Vik, all muscle with no hair. Rhys had never liked the kid growing up. His bullying of others less fortunate or weaker than him wasn’t an admirable trait. No matter what Rhys said to him, it had ended in brawling. To be fair, Rhys had Vik to thank for his fighting skills.

Dyl hovered farther away, his gaze vigilant. Not originally from the Knights Ridge pack meant no blood ties to the folks there, no history. A stranger was easier to manipulate, easier to pay off.

The temptation to lunge, to snap Alrik’s neck was strong. Eager for a fight, Rhys’s bear banged against the restraints. Yet, to assume the alpha role, he had to challenge and win.

“No reason.” Shrugging, he met Alrik’s gaze, not backing down, not glancing away in submission.

The older male bristled, squaring his shoulders. “Where’s Aiden?” He chuckled, but his focus didn’t shift from Rhys’s face.

He didn’t rise to the bait. “I believe he and Willow asked for alone time.”

Alrik’s attempts to keep the bloodlines pure was pointless. Species with species was his motto despite the mix each pack sported. Rhys hadn’t heard of pure bear packs or wolf packs except from fables told around the campfires. Those days were long gone. And besides, love didn’t care about blood, gender, age, or status, and Alrik thinking he could control or deny it was proof the old male was an idiot.

He whipped his head to stare at Noah, a pulse ticking at the base of his jaw. “And you condone the dilution of your bloodline?” Alrik growled. “Impure blood weakens our connection to the Lunar goddess.”

“Maybe, but from where I’m standing, I’d say the goddess has long abandoned you.”

Alrik roared, his face mottling. “You challenge me?”

Noah laughed. “No, not I, old cat.”

“I suggest you remove that jacket. When we’re done, I’ll sell it to pay for repairs. And you better pray I kill you before we find out what you’ve wasted our money on.” Rhys peeled off his T-shirt, draping it across a tree stump.

The problem was the moment he bent to undo his boots Alrik would charge. It was in his nature, and a tiger never changed their stripes.

Rhys loved these jeans, and releasing his bear would shred the well-worn denim. Sighing, he rested his hands on his hips as he studied his alpha.

Surprising him, Jase kneeled and undid Rhys’s laces. Fuck, right then, he loved his brother-in-pack. Alrik growled, lunging forward to nudge Jase aside, but Sawyer and Noah leaped in front to shield him.

Vik loomed behind Alrik, attempting to warn them off without shifting into his bear. Made sense, since his hairless bear was a laughable sight. He had the claws and teeth of a polar bear, just not the intimidation factor. Vik was evidence Alrik’s “beliefs” were subjective. The last person to mention that had died.

During their posturing, Rhys removed his boots and shimmied out of his jeans. “Thanks, Jase.” He nudged his head to the crowd, asking him to guard the innocent.

Noah and Sawyer settled behind Rhys, mimicking Vik and Dyl.

“You have a choice before you.” Rhys folded his arms across his chest and met Vik and Dyl’s gazes. “Stay, and you die for this male. I sure as fuck think that would be a waste of life.”

Without eyebrows, the only way to measure Vik’s surprise was by the furrowing of his forehead.

“You know me, Vik, you know my history, my stance, my honor.”

The male nodded.

“We may not have seen eye-to-eye, but you’re welcome at Knights Ridge, no judgment, a free bear.”

Vik settled his gaze on Alrik, before bowing his head. “I prefer to walk away with my life.”

Relief flooded Rhys at not having to kill someone he had known for so long.

Alrik spat and faced Vik. “You piece of shit.”

Before Rhys could stop him, Alrik swung out a clawed hand, slicing across Vik’s face. Rhys took Alrik down, releasing his bear just as they hit the compacted ground. They rolled, scrambling for dominance, claws and teeth connecting when Alrik assumed his ragged tiger form.

Rhys roared as Alrik bit into his shoulder, his incisors sinking deep. Unable to shake the old tiger off, he flipped onto his back and threw Alrik over his head, tossing him far. Ignoring the throbbing numbness working its way down his front limb, Rhys lumbered over to the tiger, tackling him again. The crowds scattered, then regathered like a shifting shoal of sardines.

A wolf pounced on Rhys’s back and clenched his teeth around Rhys’s fur-lined bicep. As the pain registered, the wolf flew off, sliding along the ground and into the tree stump. Noah’s wolf growled, keeping Dyl at bay. He broke the challenge laws by interfering, but then again, so had Dyl.

Rhys settled his bear’s full weight onto the tiger, hoping to force him to submit. It took all his control not to slice his claws across Alrik’s throat. His bear roared for blood and justice.

“Submit,” Rhys grated, the words barely audible when spoken through his bear.

“Never.” Alrik’s tongue lolled out as he fought for air.

“Submit,” Rhys roared, baring his teeth an inch from Alrik’s cheek. Rhys didn’t want the other’s death on his hands, even though the certainty of it pierced his jagged thoughts.

When Alrik met Rhys’s gaze with blatant challenge, he leaned back to swipe his claws.

Seconds before he sliced the soft flesh of Alrik’s throat, the crowd sucked in a collective breath. Clambering to his feet, Rhys receded his bear to stare at Alrik’s lifeless human body. The pooling blood glowed in the flickering light of the dying fire. The stench was as sharp and as yellow as Aiden’s. The purer the lineage didn’t alter the smell.

Rhys’s sweat-drenched chest rose and fell as the sounds of night settled on him, and his aches registered. Flicking off the blood dripping from his fingertips, he stumbled back then faced his…pack.

He met each person’s gaze. “Any challenger?” As part of the law, he had to ask.

In a wave of obeisance, they dipped their heads, submitting to their new alpha. Noah and Jase holding Dyl in place, also bowed, despite the grins morphing their faces. They released Dyl who took off into the night. Sawyer broke away to chase after him—the determined set of his jaw assured Rhys this loose end would be settled this night.

Rhys threw his arms wide and laughed, success melting the tension from his body. “I need a beer.”