"Cross is the Alpha of the Mercer Pack, and he protects and defends every single member of his pack, and that includes you. The moment you were identified as Zeke's mate, you became a member of the Mercer Pack." Parc spelled it out to him carefully and clearly. "Cross is a true Alpha, whereas Blake is just your standard bastard."

  Zeke could see and feel the shock that was filling his mate and the fact that he was overwhelmed by what was happening. He held him close, wrapped in his arms.

  "Like I told you, you're one of us and we take care of our own."

  “I love you guys.” He said with his face pressed into Zeke’s chest. His emotions were getting the best of him.

  "We love you too, Tanner," Parc said with a chuckle and then they were all laughing.

  The challenge area had been checked out by Ames and Noa, and everything was as it should be. They and the bear clan remained on the perimeter, making sure all rules were followed, and no hired guns showed up. The rest of the Mercer Pack were inside, standing on their side of the large circle supporting their Alpha.

  Tanner begged Zeke and Parc to let him attend, and finally, they relented and allowed him to come with restrictions. He had to remain by the door in the company of Noa, who had sworn to Zeke to keep him safe.

  Zeke stood with Parc and the rest of the Mercer Pack, ready to defend their Alpha in the event Blake or his hired thugs tried anything outside the rules. Blake's side of the arena consisted of a handful of men in suits standing around. It was easy to identify the hired muscle from the pack members.

  The hired men were prepared for battle, but the pack members looked unsure of themselves and not happy to be there. Zeke wasn't sure what it meant, but he doubted they would cause problems. He couldn't say as much about the muscle. They would do whatever Blake had paid them to do.

  Cross was there within the hour, standing in the center of the circle. He wore just a pair of sweatpants in the event that shifting became necessary. He didn't want to get hung up in his clothes. It was another ten minutes before Blake arrived dressed similarly, but wearing expensive track pants is always the showoff.

  Zeke looked back to where Tanner was standing just to make sure he was safely at Noa's side. Noa nodded to him, and he knew that his friend would take care of his mate. He turned back to the matter at hand and turned his attention to the unfolding battle. The rules were spelled out, no leaving the circle, no outside interference, and the battle was to the death.

  Cross' mate Autry was placed in hiding somewhere far away and was being guarded. In the event he lost, Cross did not want his mate to become the possession of Blake Christopher. It went against the rules, but where his mate was concerned, Cross ignored all the rules.

  And the battle began.

  Tanner stood by the door feeling all kinds of inept as he watched an epic battle take place between two large and imposing wolf shifters. Blake was making some good strikes, but Cross was moving with the grace of a seasoned fighter. Blake was more show than substance, but still, he had some skill, and with every strike, Tanner held his breath.

  Noa moved him to the other side of the door, blocking his view of the fight. "You don't need to be seeing this." He said, and Tanner did not disagree. It wasn't necessary to watch; he could feel the positive and negative energy in the air. Being bonded to a shifter had opened a whole new world of awareness.

  Zeke kept his eyes on the hired men who were gradually moving away from the circle and toward the back wall. The battle was taking everyone's concentration except theirs. They were either afraid Blake would lose, and they wanted to get a head start out of the building, or they had plans to assist Blake in some way.

  He started to move in their direction without leaving the Mercer side of the circle. Hofer and Cade recognized what he was doing and started to move with him. They would be prepared to block them from leaving or stop them from any planned interference.

  The fight was fierce, and both parties were bloody and torn, but neither was finished. Zeke ached to join the fight and take that piece of shit out of this world, but that was not possible. The challenge had to play out as was intended, as was written in shifter law.

  Blake was losing his focus and ran at Cross in an attempt to gorge him with his claws but miscalculated and stumbled, baring his throat and allowing Cross to bury his claws into the vulnerable flesh. Blake reared back and shifted while Cross stepped back and barely avoided a wild swipe at his face. The wolf charged again, and Cross grabbed him by the scruff and slammed him into the floor. Blake was disoriented, and it was Cross' chance to take him out, and he did not hesitate to do so.

  Cross pinned him and jerked his head backward. He then sliced his claws across his neck, laying it open. Blood flowed, and life began to wane from Blake's eyes. He fought the final death throes, but his strength was gone, and his life was draining out onto the warehouse floor. Cross held him until there was nothing left, and then he dropped him and stood beside the beastly corpse.

  It was then that his hired men made their move. They attempted an offensive, which was extinguished almost immediately by the bear clan who had entered the building. The hired muscle was either lying dead on the floor or running for their lives.

  "They should have started running sooner." Hofer speculated with a laugh. Parc was tending to Cross, who was walking over to address the members of Blake's pack. The fact that Cross did not shift and took down their Alpha in his human form caused a hushed awe to circulate among the men standing there.

  "Go back to your homes and decide whether you wish to remain or move on to another pack. All Christopher Pack interests and businesses are now the property of the Mercer Pack. A representative will be contacting you with further orders. As for now, you may leave." The men all filed out of the warehouse, and all that remained were the Mercers and the bear clan.

  "You're being rather trusting, aren't you," Parc questioned. "They could go back to their offices and start transferring all kinds of things to parts unknown."

  "Lowell and his team of hackers have everything in hand. Should they try anything, it will be shut down immediately, and they will be dealt with. It's an easy way to find out who's willing to work with me and who's not." Cross smiled a bloody grin.

  “You need to get cleaned up before you go see Autry. The way you look now will frighten the life out of him.”

  "I wasn't worried. I knew Blake lacked the stamina for a prolonged battle."

  “That’s why you drew it out?”

  “Exactly.”

  "Well, tell me next time what your plans are because you may not have been worried, but I was." Parc chastised.

  “Duly noted.” He said and started to laugh. “What the hell are we going to do with a real estate business and a bunch of stuffed shirts?”

  “It’s going to be interesting.”

  Tanner started running for Zeke as soon as the fighting subsided, and Zeke turned just in time to catch him as he leapt into his arms. "I was so scared." He cried, and Zeke rained kissed down his face, needing the touch and the taste of his mate.

  “I was a little scared myself.” He admitted.

  "I doubt that, but thanks for saying it."

  “I need you baby; I need to feel you against me and all around me.”

  “I need you too Zeke. I never needed anyone but you.”

  “Let me take you home and we can explore just how much you need me.”

  “That’s an excellent idea. It could take days for me to express myself adequately.”

  Zeke took his lips in a kiss that consumed, enveloped, and expressed just how deep his feelings were, and Tanner reciprocated in kind.

  "Get a room, you two," Cross told them with a chuckle.

  "I plan on it," Zeke responded. "Come on, baby, let me show you your new home. It's a three-bedroom ranch on two acres, and you're going to love it."

  “I know I will.”

  THE END

  About The Author

  B.A. Stretke

  B.A. Stretke is a Gay Romance and fiction author who publishes through Dreamspinner Press, LLC, and Amazon.com.

  B.A Stretke began writing as a hobby. He read his first Jane Austen novel as a teen and was instantly hooked. The age-old dream of being a novelist took hold. Now long into adulthood, and a few years as an editor under his belt, B.A. is a full-time writer.

  B.A. spends his days reading, engaging in sarcasm, and plotting the next storyline, often leaving little head space for much else. He loves hiking through the Northern Michigan woods he calls home, often finding inspiration for his books. Writing and finding that perfect cup of coffee occupy the rest of his time.

  B.A. Stretke lives in Northern Michigan.

  Follow him on Twitter @BAStretkeWriter

  Like him on Facebook! B.A. Stretke

 

 

  B.A. Stretke, Blood Power And Desire: Cincinnati Shifters Vol. 7

 

 

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