Tasting The Enemy

Azaire POV

I burst into Shaw Castle. Ross, my best friend met me at the door and shoved me back.

“Cool it!” He snapped.

“How the hell can I cool it? How many injured?”

“A lot man but everyone’s healing.”

“I want Oliver’s head.”

Ross chuckled. “He’s your cousin. Look, Ryker’s wolves stole our moon gem the night of the party. Oliver insisted on an attack. Richie was pissed he just went with it. Where the hell were you?”

I ran a hand through my hair. I let myself get lost in Elaine’s scent again. This time my family was at war. I should have been here.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

If Richie finds out I was with a Black Claw pack girl, he would have my balls.

“I went for a run…”

“Run into a she-wolf?” He raised his brow.

I shot him a look. “Why would The Black Claw pack want our moonstone? Don’t they have their own?”

“Ours is bigger and actually contains power, unlike everyone else’s.”

Great, just what we needed on top of the wolf drugs going around. I marched into the living room. Megan, Francesca, The Alpha Richie, Oliver’s father, Uncle Damien but no Oliver. Prick, I thought. Where’s Luca?

“Where’s Lucas?” I demanded.

“He’s fine, he was out when they met the Black Claw wolves,” Fran answered.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Where the hell were you? We went in blind?” Richie stood.

We went face to face.

“That’s my fault? You took the wrong advice. The Black Claw pack’s looking for an excuse to attack us. We might have given them one.”

“They took the moonstone! Dad always told us how precious it was! Who knows what they’ll do with it.”

“Fuck that Richie. Were you looking for a fight too?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” my little brother barked.

The moon gem might have a little power but it was nothing but a symbol of the moon goddess’s connection to the pack. It meant nothing to me. The real reason we were always picking fights with the Black Claw pack was because of the death of my twin brother and the attack that killed hundreds in our pack. It’s more personal compared to them. Adrian was the vocal one, the natural-born leader, he was poised to become Alpha. That all changed one night.

One night I got there too late. I’ll never forget the look on his face as he took his last breath. He should have healed but he didn’t and Nik Ryker knew why my brother didn’t survive that fall.

I thought about Elaine. His younger sister and my mate. Why would the moon goddess mate me with my enemy’s sister? I should hate her but I think about her gorgeous eyes, her soft curves. I wanted her lips on mine I wanted her body pressed against mine tonight but we couldn’t do that.

“Forget it, Richie we have a mess to fix,” I grumbled

“Elaine,” my wolf said.

I pushed him away, not now.

Megan stood and threw her arms up. She had a wrap tied around her elbow.

“So what? Are we just going to let them get away with this?” Megan asked.

Uncle Damien remained silent and reclined on the sofa.

“Elaine!” My wolf growled.

“Damn it, what about her?” I growled at him using our link.

“She’s in danger meathead.”

“What?” My muscles tensed.

“Are we just going to take it?” Megan asked. She was baiting me but things had changed. My mate was in that pack.

I was hot and cold when it came to the Black Claw pack but it was because of her. If she was in danger, I’d bring down any barrier to save her.

“No,” I said.

“What?” Richie’s brows dipped. “You just said-”

“You want the damn moonstone, don’t you?” I growled.

“What’s wrong with her?” I asked my wolf.

My wolf doesn’t respond.

“Azaire is right. It’s time we show the Black Claw pack what we’re made of. I’d hurry,” Damien spoke.

I turned before Richie spoke. What was wrong with her? We hadn’t mated yet we didn’t have a link. I couldn’t feel her but the desperate need to find her and protect her was unbearable.

I climbed into my SUV. Ross climbed into the passenger seat.

“What are you doing?”

“It’s a woman isn’t it?” He blasted.

I gripped the wheel. He wouldn’t understand.

“No, it’s about the Black Claw scumbags.”

“I know what the mate bond looks like, Azaire. You’re on edge and it’s going to get worse.”

“You don’t have to remind me, Ross. It’s complicated.”

“How complicated can it be?” Ross smirked.

I started the engine and headed the charge to our enemy’s territory. What were they doing to her? I didn’t believe her family would hurt her. It could be Neel. He had a claim on my woman. I hit the accelerator when I thought about his grimy hands on her body.

“Definitely the mate bond,” Ross muttered.

I side-eyed him and continued driving until we came onto enemy territory. I drove into the Ryker pack house. Richie and Megan with the other betas entered the property next.

“It was taken by a woman. Laiken used his daughter to steal from us,” Richie said and I froze.

Elaine was with me that night. Of course, I left her alone for a while.

“How do you know?” I asked.

Megan crossed her arms and frowned. “We have intel. They saw her leaving the first floor.”

“That’s not enough, Megan and you know it,” I barked.

She blinked a bit but glared at me. “What’s wrong with you? You wanted us to come here now you don’t want us to accuse them? It’s too late to be rational now.”

I stopped being rational a long time ago.

“Hey!” Nik stood beside Elaine’s cousin.

We shared a brief stare. She lifted a shoulder. I didn’t know if that meant she didn’t know where Elaine was or she didn’t know what was going on.

“What the fuck is going on?” Nik barked.

Seconds later other betas rushed out of the pack house.

“Back down boy. You came into our territory and stole from us. You’re poking the wolf too much you don’t want this fight.”

“Fuck off, Azaire. I’m not taking shit from a beta.”

I grabbed his shirt and lifted him off the ground. My wolf flashed in my eyes. Neel and Alpha Laiken saw us and raced over.

“Azaire!” Richie yelled.

I dropped the prick.

“You!” Neel said. “I’ve been waiting to see you. I’m going to break your teeth.”

Ugh, Neel’s irrelevant.

Where was she? Her scent lingered in the air but it was faint and fading fast.

“You want war? I’ll give it to you,” Laiken said.

“Where’s the damn moon gem? You have your daughter doing your dirty work now?” Richie asked.

What would they want with the moon gem? We had money and more valuable jewels in a vault in the same room where the moonstone was kept

Laiken shot him a look. “Leave my daughter out of this.”

“Where is she?” I asked.

Laiken’s jaw clenched. I didn’t care if he knew. If something happened to her I’d take her away and they’d never hear from her again.

“Locked in her room.”

I glanced at the window. It was wide open and the curtains were blowing in the wind. I didn’t believe that. She escaped.

“Get off my property. You don’t want this fight,” Laiken spat.

“Next time your wolves cross the line. We’ll destroy you. Let’s go,” I said.

“Not without the gem!” Richie barked.

We don’t need the stupid gem. I clapped his shoulder and dragged him back. Richie stared at me with bewilderment as did everyone else but I didn’t care. I just wanted to know if my mate was fine. My head’s not working straight I can’t believe I dragged everyone out here and we didn’t even throw a punch.

***

I abandoned the car with Ross and ran to the lake. Our spot. She’d run through here but it was a long time ago. Why would Alpha Laiken lock Elaine in her room?

The only reason I could come up with was to protect her.

I picked up the dirt and brought it to my nose.

“Where are you mate?” I whispered.

I didn’t have to wait long until I saw a majestic white wolf lazily climb over rocks. She looked up and her honey brown eyes locked with mine.