Alliance of Shadows, Book 3: HUNTER

Assuaging Her Fears

Logan was likely forming a plan of action unless he already had one in place. There was literally no stone he would leave unturned in his task. I spotted him talking to his brother and father, going over a map of the area and working on tactical formations, his fingers tracing possible routes and points of interest with sharp precision.

All in all, everything was working out.

Wolf and Fox Shifters ran the perimeter around the camp, their movements swift and methodical. It was a precaution, a necessary step to ensure that everyone in the Coven and their families reached the safety of the Ruby Fang without leaving anyone behind. Their presence blended into the shifting shadows as dusk crept closer, the rhythmic patrolling a silent reassurance.

I watched Logan approach me, his steps deliberate, his expression unreadable. At his side was a young teen I had not seen before. From a distance, the boy reminded me of Austin—his posture, the sharpness of his gaze—but as he drew closer, the resemblance became undeniable. He was identical to the man.

His short brown hair framed an oval face, and his dark blue eyes were filled with trepidation and anxiety, his stance stiff as though bracing himself for whatever came next.

"I'm so glad to see you in one piece," Logan breathed, holding out his hand to me.

Grasping Logan's wrist in mine, I pulled him into a hug. "It's good to see you, too, cousin."

"Don't ever disappear like that again, man. Maria was completely on edge when we told her no one knew where you had gone," he told me, his voice carrying the weight of lingering frustration and relief.

I laughed, shaking my head. "Oddly enough, it was a child that saved me."

He pulled back with a strange look on his face, and I knew something was up. “I need to introduce you to someone. Unlike your brothers, I don’t need to tell you to keep your hands to yourself.”

“Not likely,” I snorted, shaking my head. "I’ve got much more class than to harm someone without first knowing their story."

Logan laughed, the tension in his posture easing as he reached for the younger teen and pulled him closer. “This is my younger brother, Valik Pierce. He’s been through hell and back, but he’s a Howler. One of mine.”

“I won’t state the obvious, but I am glad that something good came from that bastard’s death,” I sighed, exhaling slowly. "Knowing Mariana, she probably would have adopted him as her own if she had the chance."

"I wouldn't say no," Logan murmured, his gaze flickering with something unreadable. "Madre was that kind of person. She’d rather take a child in than leave them in the cold."

The boy looked between us, his eyes flickering with unreadable emotions that weighed down his mind and, quite possibly, his heart. His gaze lingered on Logan, hesitance thick in his expression before he finally spoke. “Mariana… That… she was your mother, right?”

My cousin nodded, his eyes twinkling with a hint of humor. “Yeah, and she had a heart of solid gold.”

“Agreed,” I muttered, the memories of her warmth and unwavering kindness threading through my thoughts. “Cousin Mari always mirrored my way of holding children in high regard.”

I shifted my attention to Valik, measuring his reaction carefully. “As for you, Valik? I’m happy to say you’ve been blessed with the means to start anew. To change the preset path your sire set you on and to follow your brother into greatness within his pack.”

Heaven walked over to us and hugged me tightly, interrupting the sentimentality of the moment and pulling us testosterone-driven creatures back to the task at hand. “I'm glad you're okay, Hunter. We were all pretty worried about you.”

“You only met this fool six months ago, brat,” Logan said with a wink, and she giggled softly.

"Yeah, but he's fun," Heaven replied, her smile lingering as she pulled away.

Valik’s voice cut through the lighthearted banter. “We ought to get the children, the elderly, and the pregnant women to safety first. That would give us a small advantage, but it’s better than nothing. Logan?”

"Agreed," Logan said, his expression sharpening as he shifted back into a leader’s mindset. "A small field advantage is better than having none at all. At least this way, we can focus and not worry about innocent people getting hurt."

I spotted Maria, who’d been surrounded by the Elders. My girl sent me a pleading look, her frustration barely concealed beneath the mask of patience she wore. I had to clench my jaw to keep from laughing—she was finally asking for my help, which was new.

“Maria, Alpha Logan wanted me to talk to you,” I called out, offering her an easy out. She schooled her features, nodding as she excused herself from their questioning, though I didn’t miss the subtle tension in her shoulders as she stepped away.

Holding out my hand to her, I said, “Valik came up with a plan.”

She growled out a breath and took my outstretched hand in hers. The warmth of her skin chased the evening chill away, grounding me in something steady. Her fingers squeezed mine briefly—almost absentmindedly—as if drawing strength from the connection before she spoke again. “There’s not an exceptionally large window of opportunity for plans, Hunter. What did he come up with?”

“Please hear me out,” I said, cupping her face gently, my thumb brushing against her cheek in a silent plea for patience. “We need you to go with the children, pregnant women, and elderly to the Ruby Fang. You're a Witch, so they will trust you more than a Vampire. I've already sent Vincent back, and he is waiting at the lake for you.”

Skeptical, she rolled her eyes at me and sighed, her shoulders shifting with barely contained frustration. “I wasn’t part of their plan, was I?”

I grinned at her, unable to hide my amusement. “No, but we need someone who’s not afraid to kick ass when needed with as much force as necessary.”

“Yeah, I know,” she muttered, the resignation in her voice layered with reluctant acceptance.

“Maria, I meant what I said in the cell,” I told her, my voice steady, unwavering.

Rolling her eyes again, she gave me a small smile, though the uncertainty still lingered beneath it. “I’m just not sure of where I’m going in my life, and you were right. I am worried that you would try to hold me back, but you haven't lied to me yet. So, with that in mind, I'm going to trust you until you mess up. Then I get to f**k you up in ways that not even your father can come up with.”

I tilted her chin upward and pressed my head to hers gently, letting the closeness settle between us. “I’ve lived a lot longer than you, so I’ve seen and done things that you only dream about. Women have much more freedom nowadays. Far be it for me to restrict you in any way, especially since you're still fumbling through your teen years.”

“What if I want to travel the world?” she asked quietly, her fingers tightening slightly in my grasp as if bracing for a different answer.

I smirked, the corner of my mouth tugging upward. “I would take you wherever you wish to go. Even if you wanted to jet around the world with your friends, I wouldn’t stop you."

“Well,” she trailed off, hesitation settling into the pause, her gaze flickering downward before she lifted it again, uncertainty swirling beneath her composure.

Grinning, I said, "Well, what, Maria?" My voice was light, coaxing her to continue, but the tension in her expression told me this wasn’t just idle curiosity—it was something that lingered at the edges of her thoughts.

She chewed her lower lip for a moment before speaking, her eyes searching mine. “What about children? I mean, you're a Lord and all that, so it makes sense that you'd want an heir as soon as possible, right?”

I barked a laugh, the sound sudden and sharp as I shook my head, amusement curling at the edges of my voice. Looking down into her green-brown eyes, I softened, knowing her concern ran deeper than just obligation. “You're still incredibly young, and I want you to live your life to the fullest. Children can come in time, when the Fates deem us ready."

Her eyes watered, a shimmer of emotion she fought to control. She sniffled a little as she tried to hold it together, her breath uneven. “You’re really serious, aren’t you? There’s not a single damn excuse that I can produce that would make you run for the hills in fear of being my Mate, is there?”

I shook my head, my voice calm, unwavering. “You’ve tried, but I’m rather relentless in my pursuit of things that mean something to me.” My gaze held hers, ensuring she understood the depth of my words. “I didn’t know until we first met that finding Mariana’s child would lead me to the best outcome possible. I didn’t know my most coveted destiny would be laying in wait, holding on for a time when we would once again have a sliver of happiness. However, nothing matters more than ending Nicolai and saving the remainder of your mother’s people in this moment.”

She nodded, a slow, thoughtful motion, understanding flickering in her eyes as the weight of my words settled within her. “Thank the Goddess you’re sensible.”