Werewolves Be Damned - By Stacey Kennedy Page 0,64
supernaturals searching for Kyden, the better.
She looked at the commotion in front of her, as Thor knelt beside the wolf, and said, “You’ve disgraced your pack and endangered not only humans, but also your family. Your poor mother is heartbroken over what you’ve done, and the other young wolves have cast out your little sisters because of your treachery. Nothing will forgive what you’ve started here, and you’re lucky I show mercy to your family by not destroying them. Not all alphas would be so generous.”
“Calder,” Bayne shouted in a desperate plea. “Brother. Do something.”
That name Nexi recognized, and she remembered Kyden mentioned it the night they discovered Lazarus’s plan. Calder had been the werewolf from the Texas pack whom Briggs had found.
She looked to Calder as he stood near the corner of the cathedral, and his eyelids were lowered, head bowed. “I told you we had to leave,” Calder implored. “That you had to stop this, but you didn’t listen and now…there’s nothing I can do for you, brother.”
Thor shifted into a golden-brown wolf with deep silver eyes. He growled loudly and it rumbled through the Council’s Hall to send vibrations under Nexi’s feet. As if on cue, the other wolves shifted, including Bayne.
Nexi’s gasped as she caught sight of Valor. She’d thought Foley had been a big wolf, but nope, Valor’s wolf-form stole her breath. His cinnamon-colored fur had black-frosted tips and he was almost twice the size of Thor, closer in size to a pony than to a wolf.
His eyes stayed trained on hers, penetrating all her defenses. Being watched by him, she’d never felt so exposed, as if he could read her mind and discover all there was to know about her. The strangest part was she didn’t mind him doing it. It didn’t feel intrusive. He wasn’t judging or prying, he was simply curious about her.
Thor’s deep growl forced her attention to the battle. He stalked Bayne, circling him as Bayne scrambled back. The other wolves growled low, making every hair on her arms rise, almost as if they were encouraging Thor.
A second later, Bayne lay dead on the ground. Talon stepped forward, slammed his sword into the wolf’s side, and Bayne vanished.
In the same moment, Thor shifted and called, “Let this be an example to those who have shamed us and what will happen to anyone who joins those who betray us.”
The other wolves howled in response.
A soft choking noise came through the midst of the loud growls. Nexi looked to the corner again and found Calder’s face streaked with tears. Her heart reached for him, as she couldn’t imagine how hard that must’ve been to watch the death of his brother.
Troubling her more, no one went to Calder and offered him comfort. He’d done so much to help them, regardless that he’d left his pack. He hadn’t killed any mortals. He told them of Lazarus’s plan, and who knew what could’ve happened if he hadn’t. Tonight, he’d come to help, and that made him a friend.
Leaving Briggs’ side, she approached Calder, and once in front of him, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “I’m sorry you lost him.”
Calder held her tight, sobbing into her neck. “It’s Bayne who did this to himself.” His voice wavered. “It was what he deserved, but…”
“He was still your brother.”
Deep emotions raced through her as his sadness draped over her body. Every ounce of his pain was shared in his embrace, and it wrenched her guts. She’d been here before. She had lived the pain he experienced, more than once.
When she leaned away, she caught Valor’s gaze, and deciphering his look was impossible. Apparently, he was like Kyden, unreadable if he wanted to be. But for a short moment his expression softened. It appeared that he liked that she had comforted one of his wolves.
“Where do we start?” Finn called.
Another hand tightened around her arm, and Talon pulled her away from Calder. “There’s no reason to believe they have left Salt Lake City, but we’ll search in New York, too.” To Zia, he asked, “Will you assign areas?”
She nodded. “Of course.”
Talon looked down to Nexi, tugging her forward. “Come with me.”
On their way through the Council’s Hall, Haven ran toward Nexi, obviously sensing the emotions rushing through her. Nexi yanked herself out of Talon’s grip, then collided with Haven and hugged her.
Calder’s pain reminded Nexi of her own heartbreak, both past and present. She wouldn’t end up like Calder, mourning the loss of Kyden. She’d lost enough.