Through the Ether (Force of Nature Book 5) - Amber Lynn Natusch Page 0,40

would only make it worse. Knox’s behavior, combined with the others’, told me that whatever they were walking into wasn’t good. I had no idea why, but staying behind wasn’t an option at that point, and if I had to agree to Knox’s stipulation in order to go with them, I’d do it.

“Okay. I can do that.”

The alpha and the vampire king shared a silent look before Merc spoke. “I do not agree with your decision, Piper, but it is yours to make.” He kissed my forehead, then pulled away. “I will see you when you return—and that is not a request.”

Knox let out an exhale, then turned to lead the way out. I fell in behind him and just caught the words he uttered to himself as he stepped outside. ‘I hope you can’ echoed in my mind as I pulled the passenger door open and climbed into the car.

.

And soon, I’d know why.

Chapter Fifteen

I hated setting foot in that wretched place again, but Knox was right; we needed to get his new pack in line and ready to fight the fey. If Etherian made good on his promise to safely escort us to the fey royals, then we’d need reinforcements of all kinds, even werewolves. Maybe they couldn’t come into play until the fey king was dead—unless Sherry delivered and we had magic to keep them from being controlled—but the fey queen wouldn’t be an easy enemy to neutralize, either.

In short, we needed the sketchy New York pack.

Knox walked up the stairs, the lack of a bouncer notable, and shoved the door open. The place went silent the second he entered, and I hurried in behind him to see the state of things. The pairs of eyes glaring back at us seemed an ominous sign.

So did the low-key growling.

Foust grew tense beside us. Jagger looked nervous as hell. Kat’s expression was numb and vacant. And Brunton ground his teeth so loudly I could hear it. Their behaviors had me on edge.

“You all know how this works,” Knox said, addressing the hostile room, “so I’ll skip the theatrics and just get down to it.” As he spoke, he walked further into the building, stripping his shirt off and tossing it aside. Confused, I turned to Kat, but her wide eyes and tense jaw told me little more than that the uneasy feeling in my gut was warranted.

I turned to Brunton. “What’s happening? Why is he doing that?”

“Because,” he said, his gaze fixed on his alpha—his friend—“leadership can be contested at any time. Especially a new alpha.”

“Contested?” I whispered as dread crept up my spine. “Like, fighting for it?”

“They’d be crazy to challenge him.” Foust’s words gave little encouragement, but it wasn’t the sentiment that was the problem; it was the lack of conviction with which he delivered it. That pack was full of crazy, and we all knew it. Followers of Mack would hardly be thrilled with someone like Knox walking in and taking over.

“If any of you wish to try to take my position as alpha from me, come forward.”

At least a dozen wolves stepped to where Knox stood in the midst of the pack. They were the biggest and likely baddest of the crew, and my heart seized in my chest.

“This can’t be happening,” I said, my mind still scrambling to catch up.

“This is why I didn't want you to come,” Kat replied, daring a sideward glance my way.

“You knew?” I asked. Her lack of immediate response spoke volumes. I turned to the boys, and their heads dipped up and down in unison. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because your knowing wouldn’t have changed anything. This is the way of things for werewolves,” Kat explained. “Each pack might have variations in the rules, but this is how things are done. There’s no pomp and circumstance. No blood-born hierarchy or bonds or shit like that. It’s might-makes-right and take what you want, if you can.” Her sober stare made my stomach turn. “And that doesn’t just go for the role of alpha in some packs…”

My frantic gaze turned back to Knox as he sized up the competition.

“Is it normal for so many to come forward?” I asked, swallowing back my fear.

“No,” Foust said.

“But there’s nothing we can do,” Brunton added. “It has to play out without our interference.”

Jagger’s hands landed on my shoulders and tightened. They weren’t there to reassure me. They were there to ground himself—or maybe to hold me back from doing something stupid, which seemed an