Twenty-seven

Mourgent sliced a wolf throat with a slash of claws, then bit into the belly of another. He didn't like killing the elders of their race, but they brought this upon themselves by challenging him. And just because Mourgent didn't like it, that didn't mean he would back down. Especially when he knew all this was for Zazriel.

Every alpha who challenged him had not liked Zazriel as Luna. They didn't like that Mourgent hadn't rejected her for someone more suited, more normal. He would have let Zazriel take them, but he wanted her ready for Eva. While he knew she could probably take on every challenger here and still beat Eva, he wanted her to see that he'd fight for her no matter who it was.

When all five alphas were dead, Mourgent only had a few minor scratches that would heal in a few hours. He stood up straight and looked to Zazriel, who was talking to Orion but still watching. When she met his gaze, Zazriel gave only a hint of a smile. Mourgent wanted to go over and make her attention be all on him, but he didn't.

Zazriel glanced at Orion now, saying something Mourgent couldn't hear. He felt jealous, wanting to rip his friend apart. But then Zazriel grabbed her wheels and began to move. Towards him.

Mourgent waited, watching her as she got closer with every push of her arms. It only took a few seconds before she was right in front of him and leaned forward to cup his face in her hands. "I want to shift. I want to fight."

Mourgent let his chest rumble with a low growl. Zazriel smiled at him.

"I'm bored," she whispered. Her eyes met his and he saw something in them that nearly made his heart stop. He thought it was love, but wasn't sure. He couldn't be sure until they mated, until he knew he had her for life.

"Alpha?"

Carlotta ran up with Zelda and knelt, glancing around. Mourgent took his gaze from Zazriel to see the other females looking worried. "What is it?"

"Jasmine and Duffy are back at the Pack Building and say they saw someone unfamiliar, someone who wasn't invited."

Zazriel stiffened. Mourgent put his front paws on either side of her legs and nuzzled her chin in comfort. "Anyone harmed?"

"No. But they are worried. We have everyone from Luna's former pack in groups with all our strongest. Even Jasmine, though he tried to stop us."

"Everyone is accounted for?" Zazriel asked, desperately.

Zelda nodded. "I promise."

"I want all pack members here. Have Alpha Indrik help if necessary. Then I want all high rank wolves to be on the outskirts of the crowd and keep an eye out."

Both females nodded after Carlotta told Zazriel what he ordered. Then, Orion, Ansel, and Duffy answered Mourgent through the pack link. As his friends left, Mourgent gazed into Zazriel's eyes. He saw fear there, but also hope. He licked her nose affectionately and shifted into his human form. Zazriel blushed and glanced away, but Mourgent stayed kneeling in front of her, kept his back to everyone else including Eva, and moved Zazriel's chair closer to him.

"Melissa!" he called over his shoulder.

The female stepped forward, a bundle in her arms. "Alpha?"

"Find Petra and make sure all pups are here. She will have a list for you."

"Yes Alpha."

Mourgent thought quickly, then addressed the alphas guests. "Make sure those you have brought with you are accounted for: male, female, and pups. Make sure they are here or somewhere not alone."

"What is going on?" Hauser asked with obvious irritation.

"A wolf has not only been targeting some of you," Mourgent admitted with a sigh. "But my pack as well."

Zazriel took his hand and squeezed. He knew he was lying, but the alphas didn't need to know that. He looked at her and saw her trust in him. He wouldn't fail. He wouldn't allow that trust to break because of another death.

"No one will be hurt," he breathed to her. "I won't allow it."

"What about your wolves?" she asked. "They are alone."

Mourgent shook his head. "Each will have someone in wolf form, someone watching their backs. I asked them to have the buddy system in case you used your whistle." He thought for a moment, then added, "And because a wolf howl can travel farther than a cry for help."

Zazriel waited with Mourgent for twenty minutes for every pack member had come and was accounted for. Zelda and Orion had a list each, and both were checking off names when they heard or saw the body it belonged to. Petra had her own list of names for pups of the pack. She did her own roll call even though the other two had done it twice already. Jasmine took another roll call of everyone left in Zazriel's old pack, in case any had been missed. The other alphas did their own checks of the members they brought with them. It was an hour before Mourgent relaxed and she saw his chest release a breath.

"Everyone is here," he whispered. I listened very carefully. Each pack member responded to their name every time it was called."

She nodded. Someone brought him clothes, and he dressed, still crouched in front of her, still keeping the font of his body hidden from view. "Can you?" she asked softly.

He knew what she meant. Zazriel saw it in his grey eyes. He leaned forward and kissed her: deeply, roughly, holding her face in his hands. She wrapped her arms around his neck. The next thing she knew was she being lifted into his arms. She didn't care. Mourgent was here, holding her, and her former pack members were safe. Their audience didn't matter.

When he pulled back a few moments later, she was dizzy and felt drunk. He smiled. "I think you like my affection too much."

She shook her head. "It's not enough!" she moaned.

He bent his head and kissed her neck, then whispered in her ear, "When you're ready, we can go further. But only when you're ready."

She nodded again.

Mourgent straightened and held her bridal-style, her gown flowing over his arm like a waterfall. "Since everyone is here, let's have the main event!"

He turned and walked her into the crowd. People parted until they came to a patch of females that were of his pack. Mourgent set her on the ground gently. Kissing her temple, he said, "if you wish to keep the dress in one piece, go ahead and undress. Petra and the other females will shield you from greedy eyes."

Zazriel glanced around then asked, "We're Carlotta and Zelda telling the truth about making me another? About making more dresses?"

Mourgent nodded. "They do it for everyone, Z. Every female pack member gets a dress at least twice a year, if not more."

"So, they won't be hurt if I just shift?"

"No."

She shifted, becoming a white wolf. Many gasped, having never seen a wolf so deformed, but Mourgent's pack cheered, encouraging her. She stood on her hind legs and straightened, almost looking like a kangaroo. Her small forelegs were tucked into her chest and her tail was still behind her, but bushy and proud.

Mourgent bent. She met his gaze with her amber one, whined a little. He cupped her face like she had done earlier. "Beautiful. Strong. Magnificent."

Her ears perked and Zazriel felt her heart lift. She thought that he might not like her wolf form being presented to other packs, even though she had almost attacked Marric once in front of all the alphas. She expected Mourgent to carry her back to the center of the gathering, making her feel and look like an invalid. But he didn't. He only stood aside and gestured for her to go ahead.

Zazriel glanced past him and saw various expressions. But it were those of his pack, and her own that she focused on because they were smiling, they were excited, they were luminous. Zazriel had never thought anyone from her pack accepted her deformity.

She hopped forward and made her way to where her fight with Eva would take place. The female was already waiting, her red wolf standing tall and proud, amber eyes watching Zazriel with both hunger and hatred. Zazriel didn't feel threatened by her stare though. She didn't even feel threatened by her presence because Mourgent was hers: her mate, her male.

She stopped a few feet away from the female and gaged what strengths Eva would have, what weaknesses she could use. So far, she knew Eva would want to take her out quickly to seem strong for Mourgent. She would use both anger and greed as motivation. They were good motivators, but they also easily blinded the victim to what was real. Zazriel learned that the hard way…

A hand on her head made her look away from Eva to Mourgent. He knelt beside her and put his face into the fur at the back of her neck. "You're strong, Z. But be careful."

She gave a low growl. Mourgent pulled back and stood, stepping back. Zazriel bent forward and rested her forepaws on the ground, baiting Eva to attack. And it worked.

Eva lunged at her with a growl and tried to wrap her jaws around Zazriel's vulnerable back, but Zazriel let herself fall to the ground at the last second and flipped onto her back to scratch Eva's underbelly with her hind claws. Eva yelped and jumped away, and Zazriel got up, tail swishing back and forth behind her. She gave Eva a moment to catch her breath before returning the favor, falsely aiming for her throat, but when Eva prepared herself to defend against her, Zazriel jumped and landed on the female's back, biting into the flesh and immediately breaking her spine. Eva fell with a howl of pain, crumpling beneath Zazriel like a sack of potatoes.

Zazriel got off her and went around to stand before Eva, canines out and ready for the kill. Eva whined pathetically, but Zazriel didn't care. She struck.