Not long after, the whining of three SUV motors could be heard coming closer.
Austin shifted into his human form, his eyes on me. “Tristan, watch her. Let me handle what comes.”
Confusion dragged down my brow as Tristan partially stepped in front of me, his wings ruffling.
“Why, what’s coming?” I asked, putting my hand on Tristan’s arm to push him out of the way. I should’ve known he wasn’t going to budge without magic.
An old Bronco, a beat-up Chevy pickup, and some sort of off-road, adult-sized go-kart-looking thing sped down the street, passing the last two houses. The Bronco pulled up in front of us, the Chevy to the side, and the go-kart thing with big tires jumped the curb onto the weeds and natural landscaping. They were trying to block us in for some reason.
My power started to pump, fanned higher by the possibility of my mate being in danger. The invisible gargoyles stationed in the air lowered, on hand in case there was a problem.
Austin put his hand out. “Hang on, Jess.”
James, Kingsley’s beta, stepped from the Bronco, leaving the door open behind him. His bearing was tense and authoritative. Behind us, Bruce climbed from the go-kart thing with his shoe laces untied and a hostile demeanor. A guy I didn’t know came around the pickup, equally grumpy, ready for a possible problem.
“Beta,” Austin said by way of greeting, his voice a growl.
“Austin,” James replied, his gaze direct and dominating. “We’ve gotten word that you’re spreading your people around our territory.”
He’d gotten word? Did he not have eyes? It wasn’t like we were trying to hide it.
“Correct,” Austin replied.
“There are concerns that your operations are heavily militarized and that you seem less like a pack friend and more like a hostile takeover.”
“I’m here to help fortify and defend this pack,” Austin said, his gaze not dropping. “How did you anticipate I’d do that, by sequestering my people to the town square to sing ‘Kumbaya’ while braiding each other’s ass hair?”
He’d totally stolen that from Niamh, and it was epic. I barely hid my snicker. Tristan didn’t stop himself from chuckling softly.
“You did not clear this fortification with the alpha,” James said, and Bruce took a step closer.
Tristan changed position, his hand finding my back and nudging me between Austin and himself.
He apparently thought I was breakable.
Annoyance and frustration ate away at Austin, felt through our bonds.
“The sole point of my people being here is to help protect the pack, James, as you well know.
Otherwise I would’ve just brought my mate to meet my family. My people are learning the layout, defining the territory, and creating an invisible patrol”—he pointed up at the invisible gargoyle fanning us with his wings—“that the alpha expressed a desire in creating. If my people seem militarized, it’s because we’ve dealt with smaller-scale versions of the sort of attack you’re about to face. If I were you, I’d be damn glad someone experienced is taking over the job you are ineffectively handling. Now, if we’re through, I have some things to discuss with my team before we meet with the alpha tomorrow to go over a unified defensive setup.”
“I don’t like your tone, Austin,” James said, stepping a little closer. “I don’t like your coming back here and treating this place like your own. You left this pack. You threw in the towel and walked away. You don’t get to come back and start throwing your weight around, making decisions, taking over the alpha’s right to lead.”
Austin’s power started to pump now, his aggression rising with James’s obvious posturing.
“I came back here to protect my brother’s right to lead. Momar wants to take that away, and his people will kill you if given the chance. You’d better get your head on straight. I’d thought you cowboys knew the stakes, but it seems you’ve deluded yourselves. I can work around you or work through you, but get one thing clear…” Austin took another step forward, his brawn and power easily showing his dominance in this situation. The other man couldn’t help but flinch. “I will make any decisions necessary to ensure this territory survives. I have a house here, family. I will protect them by any means necessary.”
I’d thought Austin was done, his bearing hostile now, his anger flaring. The other man was clearly having a hard time keeping eye contact, his body bowing under the pressure.
Instead, Austin moved up until he was right in James’s face.
“One more thing,” he growled. “If you ever have your man push up on my mate again, I will rip your throat out and choke that man with it, do I make myself clear?”
Tristan moved so fast I startled. He turned around and rushed Bruce, picking him up above his head and readying to throw. He didn’t toss him outward, though—he tossed him upward.
The invisible gargoyle caught the flailing shifter easily, flew farther into the air, spun, and then let go. The shifter somersaulted in the air before landing fifty feet away. Dust puffed up on impact and a feeble moan escaped him.
“I look forward to my meeting with the alpha tomorrow morning,” Austin finished. “In the meantime, my people, including the one above you, will stay put.”
He burned his glare into James for a moment, making the man visibly melt where he stood, before turning and putting out his hand for me. I took it and allowed him to walk us around the Bronco and down the street a ways.
“Jess, I’m going to shift. I want you to climb on my back, okay?” His eyes were ruthless and emotions almost frenzied. “You will stay on until I fall to my belly to let you off. Got it?”
“O-okay,” I said hesitantly, confused but feeling his urgency.
“Tristan,” he said, his gaze darting to the guys now conferring near their vehicles. “Excellent
work back there. You read the situation perfectly. I want you to lie low for the rest of the day unless something happens in town with the gargoyles or on the perimeter. Keep them to their positions but don’t allow them to engage with the locals if at all possible. I’ll send word when Brochan arrives with the second wave. We’ll meet them then and discuss matters further. Fly above us on the way back until I drop her off.”
“Yes, sir.” Tristan took a step back. “Oh, and alpha, in case Jessie forgets to tell you, Dave broke a belligerent local’s neck. He was about to challenge Isabelle. The locals were upset but didn’t push the issue with the basajaunak. I assume they will push back in other ways.”
Austin sighed, bowing just slightly. “Got it. I’m sure it’ll get brought up in the meeting tomorrow.”
He took a few steps away and shifted into his polar bear form.
“Stay safe, Jessie,” Tristan said softly, leaning toward me just a bit. “That big alpha will burn down the world if something happens to you. While that would be a damn fun time, I’d rather not lose you all the same.”
I stared in confusion as he shifted into his gargoyle form and took to the sky.