Sierra Cartwright - Doms of Dark Haven

“I did.” He looked at her a bit warily. “Do you mind?”

She rubbed at it idly. “Does it mean what I think it means?”

He couldn't hold back a grin. “Probably. It means I won't have to worry about Kevin flirting with you quite so much.”

Eva frowned. “Oh. But I like his flirting.”

Harte just grinned some more and stood, searching for his discarded clothes and boots. He paused as a shiver of power moved through the air. Eva's eyes grew huge, her face drained of color.

“What the hell was that?” Her voice was a whisper.

“That means Chase Montenegro is in the house. He's brought his betas with him. They amplify his power.”

“Betas? He's got more than one?” She looked up toward the ceiling. “Brian doesn't amplify your power, does he?”

He shook his head.

Harte pulled on his trousers and moved Eva onto her knees. He searched until he located her corset and carefully began to lace up the back. He didn't cinch her in too tightly; she might need to move soon. He found her discarded panties in his pocket and helped her into those. He shoved her shoes and stockings down into his bag. When he was finished, he turned her to face him.

“Eva, Chase and his men are different. They were created to be specialized soldiers—killing machines. They spent their lives in captivity, only leaving their labs to do what Abraxas made them do. Then one day, they broke free. From what I've heard, they killed nearly all their captors. They brought all the shifters and gifted humans who would come with them and eventually settled around here.

When I realized what we were facing here tonight, I called him in. Some of my own pack has arrived as well, but Chase and his men are the big guns. No one knows Abraxas like they do.”

She stared at him steadily. “Are they dangerous to us?”

“No. These guys have an almost exaggerated code of ethics, probably because they were raised by people without ethics. Chase can be brutal and uncompromising, but I trust him completely.” He pulled on a boot and looked around for the other. “In all honesty, he could crush me as an alpha. Sometimes…”

He looked away, nearly ashamed to continue. “My pack—there are some bad characters. Selfish. Greedy. Ambitious. I get tired of it sometimes. I don't have an alpha female strong enough to stand with me. I don't have a beta that I trust at my back. Back when he asked me to merge with his pack, I was tempted.”

“Am I strong enough to help you?” She didn't ask defensively. It was an honest question.

“Yeah. You certainly are.”

Eva's smile was self-satisfied. She watched as he slipped into his crisp white shirt.

“The plan. We're going upstairs to meet Chase. We'll leave and draw out the Abraxas hunters. My pack will follow them, and then Chase and his men will fill in where they're needed. We'll lead them to an unlit alley. We'll choose where we stand and fight. I want you to be ready. We're going to run. Are you up to it?” She stopped in the process of putting on her boots.

She smiled wryly. “How soon can I shift?”

“You're bait, so you'll stay human. But you'll need every skill you possess tonight.”

He looked into her face, seeking fear but finding a budding confidence. “You aren't alone anymore.”

Eva leaned in and kissed him gently. “You aren't either. Are you going to teach me how to hide in the shadows?”

“That's next on the agenda.” He stood and took her hand. Harte looked her over. Her hair was tousled; her makeup was completely washed away. She was rumpled, flushed, and completely adorable.

And she was dangerous. He knew that at gut level. His little mate had the backbone it took to fight back.

“Let's go.” He opened the door and let her precede him into the dungeon.

“Yes, Sir.”

He reached down and clasped her hand. When they climbed the stairs, a man in a black suit followed. They pretended not to notice.

“Chase. Good to see you.”

Eva hung back, not out of observation of the rules that Harte had drilled into her, but rather out of gut-wrenching fear of the man they were facing. Chase Montenegro sat in relaxed comfort at one of the tables, an open bottle of sparkling water in front of him. He was tall, dark, and dressed in an impeccably tailored designer suit. His blue-black hair was swept back from his face; it was on the long side but cut with precise expertise. His dark, intense eyes took in everything around him, including Eva.

Another man prowled the perimeter of the room. She couldn't see him but felt him clearly. Smelled him. He was wild and dangerous. The alphas were powerful and intimidating, but the unseen man was walking the edge of sanity. She moved closer to Harte.

“Eva, this is Chase Montenegro, alpha of the Truckee pack. This is Evangeline Jones.” She nodded, and Chase rose to shake her hand.

“Eva is my mate.”

Chase looked him over with humor. “You work fast, Sommers.”

“I didn't know what hit me!” To Eva's relief, Harte laughed and turned to brush a kiss on her hand. He then sat down in the empty chair. “The wolf knew immediately. It only took me an hour or so longer to agree. And a couple of hours longer to convince Eva.”

Chase laughed, and Harte glanced briefly toward the stairs. “One followed us up the stairs. Is the other there yet?” Eva slid onto Harte's lap when he tugged on her hand. She was painfully aware of her near-naked state, but the other alpha appeared not to notice.

When she looked at a nearby table, a pair of subs cuddled together. They were completely naked. She didn't look so bad compared to them.

“There are two upstairs now. A couple more, plus their scent hound, are waiting outside. The tracker is our priority. We want that one pulled out alive.”

“Why?” Brian and Patrice had converged on the table. Little as she knew about the etiquette of the packs, Eva knew they'd just been grievously rude to both alphas. At their backs were two more men and a woman in street clothes. They looked stressed and confused. She didn't have to look at Harte to know that he was beyond displeased.

“The tracker is a mutt. It's filth and should be put down like a beast.” Brian's face was suddenly not so handsome anymore. Eva could only look at him in shock.

Didn't he sense the raw force of these men? Maybe he was just stupid.

Chase looked up at the beta; a tiny smile played on his lips. When the full attention of the dark alpha settled on him, Brian began to look distinctly uncomfortable.

“The tracker is a victim. It didn't choose its role in life. At best, we can rehabilitate it. At worst, we can keep it away from Abraxas so they can no longer avail themselves of its abilities.” His deep voice rumbled just at the edge of hostility, but Chase didn't reprimand the beta; that was Harte's job.

Eva's opinion of the Truckee alpha rose several notches. He wasn't interested in flexing his muscle in front of Harte's pack. He was all business, and there was room for compassion in his world.

Over the music, she listened as Harte spoke quietly with Chase. He signaled a waiter over, and soon they all had drinks. Eva downed her water gratefully. She tracked her stalkers from the corner of her eye, praying that they looked like nothing more than a group of people having a good time. In reality, it was a war council. Harte nodded to Brian to take a seat. His little posse hung back, watching carefully. Patrice was in a rare fury at being excluded. She stood behind her mate's chair.

“What's this show of power about, Brian?” Harte asked.

The beta didn't like being singled out. His skin flushed, and his eyes flashed with anger.

“It's between us, Sommers. Later.”

“Are you challenging me for the pack? Do I need to watch my back when I step outside?” He had no intention of dropping the subject. “You haven't issued a formal challenge. We have an outside alpha here to witness the battle. Is that what you wish?”

Brian nearly squirmed. “We're leaving. Tonight. We're setting up new territory here in San Francisco.”

Harte's lips twitched in humor. “A new pack. Here in the heart of the city. I suppose you can run in the park. How brave of you, especially considering that Abraxas is here.”

“Looking for her.” Brian nodded toward Eva. “Once they have her or know they've lost her, they'll be gone. That tracker is tuned to her. Not us.”

“What's the matter, Brian? Don't have the balls to challenge your alpha in a fair fight?”

A tall man with wild auburn hair dragged a chair to the table and shouldered his way in between Chase and Brian. His eyes were fierce and wild and exactly the same wine red color as his hair. He was handsome, but his looks were nearly overshadowed by his feral expression. He was inserting himself between his alpha and a possible threat. This was the one she'd sensed earlier.

“We've decided to split off peacefully. We don't like the leadership anymore, so we're leaving.”

The redhead sniggered and clapped the man over the shoulders. “Peaceful wolves. You just keep telling yourself that, Brian.” He snagged the beta's drink and helped himself to it. Chase looked unmoved as his beta taunted Brian.

“We'll help with the hunters, but then we're on our way.”

Eva saw that the three new members of Harte's pack were hanging back, looking distinctly unhappy. Her gaze darted to Brian and Patrice. Were these wolves being compelled to rebel? Or were they simply distressed about being caught in the act? Perhaps it had been their intention to defect quietly. Eva glanced around the room, searching for Kevin. She spotted him leaning against a wall, ostensibly watching a naked couple dancing seductively on the stage. In reality, he was carefully watching Harte's back.

Next to her, Harte shifted. His body heat had risen a notch. “No, Brian. You've effectively tried to make me lose face in front of another pack leader. You might not want to challenge me, but I think that I'd like to challenge you. We will fight immediately after we take care of business with the hunters.”

“Not necessary, Harte. I don't want your pack or territory. We just want to live our lives our way. You can come into our territory just as long as you give us a heads-up first.”

“He knows he can't take Harte in a fair fight. He'll try and take you out tonight while you're distracted.” Kevin knelt next to Harte's chair, his arm looped over the back. His fingers brushed Eva's shoulder.

“Shut up, sub!”

Kevin smiled at Brian. “Game's over, Brian. Truth is, you probably can't even take me. Funny to hear you claiming territory that you have no right to.”

Eva looked at the group at the table. The level of tension had risen dangerously. Across the room, she saw a DM standing next to Master Xavier. They watched carefully.

“I think we're drawing more attention than we should.” Eva spoke softly. “As far as I'm concerned, you're in my territory, Brian. I've been the only wolf in the city for over a decade. I've fought off every imaginable threat, including vampires and creatures you've never dreamed about. I don't welcome you here. And by joining with me, Harte has a claim on this territory as well. Maybe you should look farther south. I hear Bakersfield is nice.” She held his gaze this time, not even feeling the temptation to look away. It was Brian who broke eye contact.

“Little girl's got balls. I like that.” The redhead grinned. He clearly enjoyed stirring up trouble.

“Eva, let me introduce you to Sage. This troublemaker is my first beta.”

Chase's lieutenant reached across the table and extended a hand. She shook it, and her skin tingled with his wild energy. She couldn't help smiling back at him.

“Kevin, take Eva to the locker rooms and guard her while she gets dressed. We need to get out of here.” He turned to Eva as she rose. “Leave off the corset and boots. We'll need to move quickly.”

The omega nodded and held Eva's elbow lightly. With a nod at his alpha, Sage rose to follow.

* * *

When she stepped out of the bathroom, Sage and Kevin waited by the door.

Harte joined them as they returned to the entrance of the club.

“Are we ready?” Harte rested a hand on her shoulder and tipped up her chin to look into her eyes. “Kevin, take our stuff to the car, then come join us. You and Sage are to find their car. Sage will take care of the driver; you guard the tracker. Be ready in case anything…unexpected happens. Understood?”