Page 40 of Forged Alliances
At the alert of her howl, wolves entangled with former members of his pack separated, leaving them to rush the inside of Beaver Tavern. One by one, the members of Red Rock pack rallied to heed the order of their alpha.
Dax scanned the crowd. If Sierra was heading for the center of the action, he’d be her eyes and ears. He hadn’t spotted his brother yet, but he recognized some of the faces and the lions fighting down below, joined by strangers from neither pack. He swallowed hard, knowing what his next course of action had to be. Despite the need for revenge pounding through his veins, he knew this had been an act of desperation. Because Drew was scared.
Dax had almost beaten his brother before, and this time, no one could jump in to break up the fight. If Drew lost tomorrow, he’d lose everything: his position, his land, and his supporters. Despite those who followed him, Drew would remain as emotionally isolated as he’d always been, trying to seize things through cowardly and bullying tactics like Dad had. Dax hadn’t chosen that route. The people who followed him had the sort of loyalty that leaders would kill for, and he’d made an alliance forged in steel, forged in the mating bond between him and Sierra.
Unlike his brother, Dax wasn’t desperate. And because of the strength his pack and the Red Rocks lent him, he could see the big picture for once.
“Pack,” Dax called, his voice booming over the growls and hisses lighting the air. “Quit fighting. The fire will spread if we don’t stop it.”
A screech resounded through the air as a black Cadillac pulled out from a parking spot. Dax caught sight of the man behind the wheel as he veered past him, the first glimpse he’d gotten of his brother since the day they’d fought for the alpha position.
His brother had always been the handsomer of the two with the sort of blond-haired, blue-eyed surfer thing most girls lost their shit over. The fights must’ve sapped his energy though, because dark circles intensified the blue in his eyes, and a long scratch marred his cheek, one that would heal ugly. The man who led the rogue Silver Springs into this fray was taking the cowardly way out yet again, abandoning his people to fend for themselves.
All the jealousy Dax had stored over the years of the favoritism his father had showered over his brother dissolved in an instant. In that simple glimpse, the man transformed from an equal to fight against into a coward he pitied. He didn’t envy the lonely path his brother had chosen. Dax could waste his time chasing vengeance, but tomorrow he had the chance to exact justice—far more important. Here and now, they had to salvage what they could of Beaver Tavern and help those who had been injured.
Several trees whined as the fire ripped through them, bringing branches crashing down and fueling the inferno.
The Cadillac’s tires screeched as his brother peeled onto the highway and raced away. At the sight of their leader departing, several of the rebels broke away from their fights, shifting to two feet as they rushed to their cars. Rylie and a couple of others stayed, vicious snarls erupting from their throats as they poured unrestrained rage into attacking folks once considered family. To Dax’s relief, he hadn’t spotted Uncle Aiden in the crowd. Before his pack could pursue, Dax called to them again.
“Throw dirt on the fire to smother it. Those closer to the tavern, run in and get buckets of water.” His voice echoed through the clearing. If the fire managed to spread, not only could the blaze take down the forest, but it would smother Beaver Tavern as well, trapping whoever remained inside—including his mate. Orders delivered, Dax didn’t wait any longer as he rushed toward the crackling blaze in the woods.