Page 26 of Wulf’s Pack

“And we can’t just go killing people,” Sophia says.

“There are laws. Wulf is too known by the FUA, and they know all about Skylar. If we go to them to freeze Victor’s accounts, they’ll know we’re being targeted.

They’ll be watching us. If we start killing people and it’s not in self-defense, we could all get arrested. ”

Skylar bolts upright, moving so fast it startles me. “So we get someone else to do it!”

I give her a grim smile. “I thought of that already. Illren is psychotic enough to try to single-handedly take them out and deadly enough that he could probably do it. But we can’t rely on my clan.

It’ll be seen as a weakness. It’ll send shifters the message that we can’t take care of our own problems.”

She shakes her head. Her eyes are lit up with excitement. It’s the most animated I’ve ever seen her.

“We don’t have to use your clan,” she says. “We could come at them indirectly. Orchestrate a strike on them that they won’t see coming. If we’re the masterminds behind the attack, it won’t matter who does the killing.”

“Putting hits out on people is still illegal,” Carl says.

“Not to mention expensive,” I mutter. “We could never afford it.”

Skylar is not deterred. Her eyes flicker back and forth as she puts together a plan in her mind.

After a moment, she blinks back to the present and gives me a devious grin.

“We won’t have to order a hit on anyone.

We won’t have to do anything illegal at all.

We just need to drop a few hints to the right people, and they’ll take care of the problem all on their own. ”

She’s so sure of herself. So confident. She’s absolutely stunning filled with so much excitement as she is.

My eyes drop to her lips, and suddenly my mouth goes dry.

I shake myself from the thought. Now is not the time to be distracted by the beautiful woman at my side. “What exactly are you thinking?”

“The Denver vampires.”

She waits a breath, as if we should all know what she’s talking about. I’m not the only one in the group wearing a blank expression.

Skylar starts wringing her hands as if resisting the urge to talk with them.

“The Denver vampires are into all the same stuff Victor’s pack is, only they’re higher on the food chain.

They run most of the organized crime in all of Colorado.

Victor wants to take them out. That’s why he’s been building his army.

He’s got spies in their clan. He’s taken many of their vampires prisoner over the years and tortured them for information before killing them.

He’s hijacked shipments of drugs and weapons from the Denver clan.

He’s moving all his pieces into place for a hostile takeover.

He’s not ready to do it yet, but that won’t matter to the Denver clan.

They’ll take him out before he gets the chance to come at them. ”

It's not a bad idea. In fact, it’s a really good one. Us going to the vampires won’t be the same as just leaning on the strength of my clan. It’s smart and gutsy. We’re the underdogs. No one will expect us to take the Vail pack head-on, but it’s still a way to take the offensive.

I’m not the only one who sees the potential in this plan. My entire pack is now looking hopeful. “Do you have proof of all that?” Carl asks. “We could make an anonymous call.”

I wish it could be that simple. “That won’t be enough to earn the respect of the shifters. We have to be seen actively taking charge. We have to go to them personally.”

Skylar winces. “Besides, I am the proof. An anonymous call won’t be enough. It would be enough to make him look into things, but Samuel is suspicious and calculated. He’ll take his time unless he’s riled up. We need him to strike quickly, not giving Victor the chance to come for us.”

“Samuel?” Elise asks.

“Samuel Osborne. Master of the Denver clan.”

“And you can rile him up?” I ask. I can’t help the growl in my voice. I don’t like how familiar Skylar sounds with this master vampire. Especially not if he’s mafia.

She places her hand on my thigh and looks at me with eyes that demand patience. “Yes. I can rile him up.”

“How?” Bree asks before I can.

Skylar takes a deep breath and addresses the whole pack. Her hand squeezes my thigh as if to tell me to remain calm, and then she says, “Because Victor stole me from him when I was fourteen.”

The words drop like a bomb, silencing the whole group.

A million thoughts and questions run through my mind.

My rage threatens to take over. Skylar squeezes my thigh again and releases some of her calming pheromones.

I take a breath, but it’s all I can do to keep control of my temper. “Please explain.”

Skylar meets my eyes. “I’m free now,” she reminds me. “I’m safe with you.”

The reminder only puts me more on edge. It means she’s about to say something I’m really going to hate.

“My parents were drug addicts and in a lot of debt to the Denver clan. Basically slaves. My father fought in their illegal cage fights, and my mother was a whore.”

Her face blushes with embarrassment or shame. The need to comfort her calms me down. I take her hand off my leg and bring it to my lips before lacing our fingers together and letting them drop back to my thigh. She gives me a grateful smile and continues her story.

“I was raised with the vampires. I was always dragged along with my parents, and saw everything at a very young age. When I started to get older, the vampires began looking at me in ways that made my skin crawl. The master had claimed me for himself, but he was waiting for me to get a little older. I guess he liked his lovers fully matured, and a malnourished fourteen-year-old didn’t hold quite enough sexual appeal.

That, or he was afraid he would break me. I’m pretty small.”

I flex my hand and force myself not to squeeze Skylar’s in a crushing grip.

“Still, even with the master’s claim, his clan would take subtle liberties,” she says, adding to the horror.

“Discreetly touching me, getting rough with me, or scaring me for amusement. They could sense how weak my wolf is. I scream prey. It was too tempting. The master let them have their fun as long as my clothes stayed on, and I wasn’t hurt beyond minor bruises. I was the clan toy.”

A snarl escapes me. I can’t help it. I slam to my feet and begin pacing the small room. “How did you end up with Victor?”

Skylar watches me for a moment, as if judging my temper, but then answers.

“Samuel runs a ring of illegal shifter cage fights. I came in handy when dealing with his fighters. He kept them doped up on silver so that they were feral, and then he used me to calm them down in order to get them back to their cages.”

That has every one of us growling. Illegal cage fights? Keeping shifters feral? The sick bastard.

“Victor came for the fights and recognized me as an omega. He asked around and met with my parents. He offered them a lot of money to get me away from the clan so that he could take me with him.” Skylar’s face falls, and bitterness creeps into her voice.

“They didn’t even hesitate. Just sold me off like I was an old bicycle they no longer wanted and disappeared.

“Samuel lost his favorite toy and his best fighter. I’m sure he was pissed. If I show up and tell him it was Victor who took me and then tell him everything he’s up to, Samuel will wipe Victor’s pack from the face of the Earth within days, if not hours.”

I whirl around and glare down at Skylar. “No.” I’m not sure if it’s me or my wolf talking. “You’re not going back there. It’s too dangerous.”

She gives me a sympathetic smile. “I have to. It’s the only thing that will work. It’s possible he’s planning to come for me anyway. I’m sure he’s seen the news. I’ve grown up, but I’m still recognizably me.”

This just keeps getting worse and worse.

My wolf rises to the surface. I shake with the need to shift.

Skylar gets up and moves to stand right in front of me, blocking me from my restless pacing.

She takes my hands and calms me until I’m thinking clearly again.

My chest hurts at just the thought of bringing her to that man.

“If I take you to him, what’s to stop him from just killing me and keeping you?

I can’t fight off an entire vampire clan. ”

Skylar shakes her head while never taking her eyes off mine. “Samuel is old school. He prides himself on being a man of his word. If I can make a deal with him, I trust him to keep his promise.”

“What kind of deal could you possibly make?” Carl asks.

She turns to look at him. “Him leaving me alone, for the name of the man who stole me from him and all the dirt I have on him.”

Skylar focuses on me again. “Samuel appreciates strength. He’ll be impressed if I have the courage to seek him out first and on his own turf.

And, he’ll be enticed by my offer. He considered me his.

Taking me was a grave insult to him, and losing his prized omega was probably a huge embarrassment.

He’ll want that name. If I stick to my guns, he’ll make the deal. ”

It’s hard to believe that the shy thing I met just yesterday is the same woman standing before me. She showed signs of an impressive inner strength, and I could tell she was a fighter. A survivor. But now that strength is radiating from her. It’s incredible.

I take her hands and pull her to me. She comes willingly. I place her hands on my chest and slide my arms around her waist. She blushes and looks away but doesn’t move. “I hate this plan,” I say softly.

She meets my gaze again. “It’ll work. I promise.”

I wish she wasn’t right. “I believe you. I just don’t like it.”

She gives me a smile that melts my heart. I could drown in her big, blue eyes. “You’ll be by my side the entire time.”

Carl stands up. “So will we.”

The whole pack echoes the sentiment.