“Eat, sweetheart,” Eli whispered in her ear.

  She caught Levi’s smirk. Of course he’d heard. They all had. Rather than comment, he put his head down and began to eat. Conversation was minimal as the food began to disappear. She made note to cook even more next time. Assuming there was a next time.

  The front door opened and Cyrus strolled in. Without a word, Josiah ate his last bite of food and then headed out, presumably to take his brother’s place on patrol. Kinley jumped up and retrieved the plate from the oven and set it in Cyrus’s usual spot. His forehead furrowed but he sat and began to eat. He chewed a mouthful of French toast, stopped, and began to chew again. “This is better than usual, Noah.”

  “I didn’t make it,” he told his brother. “Kinley did.”

  Cyrus raised an eyebrow and nodded before going back to eating. “Damn good,” he murmured between mouthfuls.

  Under Eli’s watchful eye, she managed to eat half of what was on her plate. Rather than push her to finish, he gave her a wink, slid the remainder in front of himself, and finished it.

  “Not fair,” Silas protested. “Eli is getting seconds.”

  “That’s because I’m special.”

  “That’s because you’re—”

  “Silas,” Eli snapped at his brother.

  “What? I was going to say that’s because you’re the weakest of the bunch. Kinley’s being kind trying to build up your strength. Never know when you might need it.”

  She didn’t need a mirror to know her face was blazing red. The rest of the household had heard at least some of what had gone on in Eli’s bedroom last night.

  A chiming sound broke the awkward silence. Zach pulled out Ridge’s phone. “Holden and his buddies are early. They’re a half hour out. The rest are less than two hours behind them. Guess the alpha found out his new enforcer jumped the gun and got on the road behind him.”

  This was it. What food she’d eaten churned in her stomach.

  Eli took her hand, his expression complete void of all emotion. “Remember your promise.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  The sun wouldn’t sink for hours, but Holden and his buddies weren’t waiting until dark. Maybe they thought since it was daylight security would be lax and it would give them the advantage of surprise, since an attack was most likely to occur at night. It wasn’t a bad plan except for one thing—Eli and his brothers were always expecting trouble.

  “I’ve got them on the western side of the mountain.” Zach had set up a command center at the dining table. Under normal circumstances he’d run the entire operation from here, giving orders through the communication devices they wore in their ears. They might be wolves, but they didn’t depend solely on that advantage. They embraced technology whenever it would aid them. This time, using comms wasn’t possible because their opponents were werewolves, not humans. With their preternatural senses there was too much risk of being overheard and tipping off their enemies.

  If there was any way to convince Kinley to stay here, Eli would do it in a heartbeat. But she’d made her decision and wouldn’t be dissuaded. She stood beside him, along with all but Josiah and Levi who were already in position.

  Silas was on the opposite side of the table, likely worried Eli was considering kicking his ass for his earlier comment. He hadn’t meant anything by it. Teasing Kinley was his way of showing he accepted her as one of them. Problem was, she didn’t know that. There was the even bigger problem of her refusing to make love with him again because she didn’t want to be overheard.

  If he survived this, Eli would be buying more soundproofing material for his room. Either that or he’d build a small cabin at least a hundred yards away. Assuming she’d stay, that is. There were no guarantees.

  When Cyrus didn’t begin issuing orders, he looked at his brother and got a curt nod. This was Eli’s operation. He was responsible for keeping Kinley and his brothers safe. This wasn’t like any other mission they’d undertaken. This was personal. The stakes were incredibly high. They all awaited instructions.

  I am wrath, one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Justice and punishment are bred into my bones. The reminder dispelled all doubt. No matter what happened, his enemies would reap the vengeance they’d sowed.

  “Cyrus, you’re with me and Kinley.” Eli wanted his oldest brother with him in case things went sideways. There was no one meaner or more determined in a fight. The word “quit” wasn’t in his vocabulary. If it came down to it, he’d get Kinley to safety. “Silas, you find Josiah. Noah, you’ll join Levi.” It was the same pairing as last night. “Zach, you’ll stay here and monitor.”

  “There’s no point. They’ll hear the comms.”

  “I’m counting on it.” He’d been considering the problem and had come up with a way they might be able to use it to their advantage. “We can use it to send them exactly where we want them. If things appear to be getting out of hand, drop a few hints and herd them there.” He pointed out a location on the map spread across the table. “Then get up on the ridge with your sniper rifle.”

  Zach gave a low whistle. “That’s devious. I like it.”

  “I don’t understand.” Kinley frowned in confusion.

  “The area below the ridge is a sheer drop-off. There’s nowhere for them to run if we corner them there. They can jump, but if they don’t break their necks in the fall they’ll be awhile healing. That should give us time to get to them before they can slink off and lick their wounds. If they try to circle back around to come up behind us, Zach will take them out.”

  He watched her for signs of distress. These were people she’d grown up with, members of her former pack. His biggest concern was she’d hesitate at the wrong moment and end up dead. Compassion was an admirable trait, but not one any of them could afford today, least of all him.

  What will she think after she watches me slaughter the former members of her pack? It didn’t matter. Keeping her and his brothers alive was the objective. If that changed how she saw him, so be it. He ignored the tightness in his chest and the rock in the pit of his belly. He could defeat his enemies but still lose her.

  “Let’s go.” Calling on decades of training, he locked down his emotions, his entire focus on the mission. “From here on, only Zach is on the comms, and only if it’s absolutely necessary.” He looked around the table at his brothers. “Stay sharp. Stay alive.”

  With a nod, they headed out, slipping soundlessly into the surrounding forest.

  Kinley followed him out the door. “We have to move fast.” Holden Lewis had moved up the timetable considerably, likely in a bid to take them off guard. It was a damn good thing they had Ridge’s phone and were monitoring the chatter.

  “You do what you have to.” Her shoulders were back, her chin tilted up, but her face was pale.

  “I hope you mean that. If you can’t keep up, go back.” There was no time to coddle her. He loped across the yard. “If something happens to me, run to the house. One of the others will protect you.” If they were still alive. His gut clenched. The possibility they might die on a job was always present, but they had advantages humans didn’t have. None of that made a damn bit of difference this time.

  They knew the mountain and had the upper hand, but they were outnumbered. How badly remained to be seen. There was no telling how many men Duke Wright would bring with him. Holden was actually offering them a huge advantage by coming early. It gave them a chance to thin the numbers.

  “Eli,” she began.

  He spun around to face her. “This isn’t up for discussion. You follow orders or you go back to base.”

  Her mouth tightened, but she gave a curt nod. Trouble with a capital T. He couldn’t shake the feeling something would go horribly wrong. It was up to him to make sure that didn’t happen.

  “No talking from here on. Watch me for signs. Sound carries up here.” It wasn’t easy to turn his back and shut her out, but it was what he had to do.

  Both he and Cyrus were barefoot and bare-chested, wearing only jeans. It would make shifting easier. They’d run wild through these woods all their lives, playing as children, learning vital survival skills as they grew. But this was no pleasure run, no fun and games. This was all-out war.

  Times like this he was glad they lived high on the mountain far away from others. Their reputation for being inhospitable and unforgiving to trespassers was well-known and would keep the townsfolk in the valley below safe. Not even the local law set foot on their mountain unless it was absolutely necessary to search for a lost hiker, and they always called ahead. But for as much as they kept to themselves, the Sin brothers stepped up when they were needed. Their reputation as trackers and bounty hunters was well earned. They had an unbeatable success rate when it came to finding the lost or missing. Law enforcement cut them some slack because of it.

  The wind was in their favor, blowing up the mountain instead of down. It would carry the scent of the invaders, making it easier to track them. Eli sniffed the air and began to slow. Kinley stood beside him and off to his right, her head cocked to one side listening. When she pointed to the right, he nodded.

  They painstakingly made their way toward their targets and hunkered down behind a grouping of rocks some distance away but close enough to listen. He silenced his comm and Cyrus did the same. They wouldn’t need a distraction for this group. There were four of them. Two he recognized from the altercation outside the motel. There was no mistaking Holden. He was the one giving orders.

  “Remember, Kinley is mine.” Holden pointed at his brother. “Edmund, you and Johnny will watch my back. Take her down if she gets around me.” Both men nodded.

  “Where’s Ridge?” The unknown one leaned against a tree and looked up at the sky. “Day’s wasting.”

  Eli glanced at Kinley and she mouthed the words, “Duke’s son.” She’d never mentioned a cousin, but alpha’s son or not, he’d chosen to come to Sin Mountain. Whatever fate befell him was on him.

  Holden pulled out his phone and checked it before tucking it away. “Ridge is on the way. He’s scouting higher up. Says they’re all hanging around their house. Nice of them to congregate so we don’t have to track them down.”

  “Too bad, I was looking forward to the hunt.” Duke’s son pushed away from the tree. “Haven’t had much in the way of fun since we ran down that hiker last month.”

  Holden laughed. “You’re one bloodthirsty son of a bitch, Nash. Even more than your daddy.”

  He pointed his finger at Holden. “Don’t you forget it. You can have my cousin, but you back me when the time comes to replace the old man.”

  Eli and Cyrus shared a look. No loyalty among this bunch. Kinley had gone rigid beside him. It was obvious she’d known nothing about any of this. If she’d suspected, she’d have told her daddy. Made Eli wonder if Lincoln Wright hadn’t suspected something and that’s what had gotten him killed. Hard to watch your back when the people who were supposed to be protecting it were waiting to stab it.

  Holden laughed and slapped him on the back. “I’m your man. We’re with you all the way. This is going to be fun. I owe two of those bastards payback for Chicago. They’re used to fighting humans, not real wolves. No prisoners. We take out this group of misfits and head home.”

  ****

  The sheer vileness of what these men had done made Kinley sick to her stomach. They’d hunted and killed a human hiker for sport. If they’d done it once, they’d done it many times. She wondered if Duke had any idea his precious son was planning a takeover of the pack. Duke wasn’t anywhere near ready to retire, but it seemed Nash was tired of waiting.

  She shared a blood tie with Nash. Their fathers were brothers. She didn’t dare look at Eli. Surely, he had to be as disgusted as she by these revelations. He and his brothers were all about loyalty. They had a code of honor they lived by. It may not match what society deemed correct, but she’d bet her life they were always on the side of right. Would he still want her after this was over or would he revile her for the bloodline she’d sprang from and the evil she’d brought to his mountain home?

  Holden talked about killing Eli and his brothers as if it was some kind of sport. She clamped her hand over her mouth when her breathing grew heavier.

  Get a grip on yourself.

  She’d promised she wouldn’t be a liability. Giving away their position would ruin any chance of surprise. It was four against two, or rather three, but she feared she’d be in the way, more of a nuisance than anything. She’d thought she was prepared for what a pack war meant. The reality was worse than anything she could imagine and it hadn’t even started.

  A crow glided by, letting out a guttural caw. A butterfly swooped on the breeze, uncaring that blood would stain the ground before the day was done. The rest of the world went about their day in blissful ignorance. She envied them.

  Kinley clenched her fists by her sides. She would not falter. These men had come to take her. They’d come to kill Eli and his family, her pack. The thought startled her. In only a matter of days, hours really, they had something her old pack had never had—her absolute loyalty. Love for her daddy was the only thing that had kept her in Alabama. Whether Kentucky was her new home or not, Eli and his brothers were hers to protect.

  Eli signaled Cyrus. He slipped away, vanishing into the dense woods. Where was he going? The waiting stretched out until her nerves were close to snapping.

  “I’m done wasting time.” Nash pushed by Holden. “We can join up with Ridge on the way.”

  “Give it another five minutes. There’s plenty of time until Duke and the others arrive. Right, Johnny?” When he got no answer, he spun around. “Where the hell is Johnny?”

  Kinley hadn’t noticed him leave, but Eli’s smile spoke volumes. It had to be Cyrus. Somehow, he’d gotten around the other four and come up behind them. He’d taken down Johnny so silently none of them had heard a thing. Not an easy task, all things considered. Eli had told her that he and his brothers were damn good at what they did, but this was exceptional. Cyrus had taken out a wolf right under his friends’ noses.

  “He’s probably gone to take a leak.” Edmund yawned and scratched his back against a tree trunk. “I’m with Nash. I’m tired of waiting for Ridge.”

  “Something’s wrong.” Nash crouched and scanned the area, alert to the lurking danger. “All the animals have gone quiet.”

  “That’s because we’re here,” Holden pointed out. “Johnny, get your ass out here.” Silence was his only answer. “Shit, you’re right. You out there, you big bastard?” Holden turned in a slow circle. “Too afraid to show your face, are you?”

  Eli pointed at her and at the rock, his instructions clear. She was to remain here. The complete lack of emotion in his eyes chilled her to the bone. He and his brothers called themselves the Seven Deadly Sins. She’d considered it more a nickname because of what they did for a living, but it went so much deeper. Eli saw himself as the bringer of justice, of vengeance. Wrath wasn’t wild and violent, but cold and calculating. Whatever it took to defeat his enemies, he’d do.

  With a running step, he launched himself up and on top of the largest boulder. Hands on his hips, he stared down on them. “You’re trespassing.” An icy shiver raced down her spine at his frosty tone. She peeked through a narrow crevice between the rocks.

  “And you have something that belongs to me.” Bold as brass, Holden swaggered forward. “Give her over and we’ll leave.” He was lying and they all knew it.

  “We don’t take kindly to trespassers up here. You should ask your friend, Ridge. Oh, wait, he’d dead. So is your buddy, Johnny.” Eli was intentionally baiting them. Her daddy always said angry men acted without thought.

  Holden, Nash, and Edmund had formed a rough circle to keep anyone from sneaking up behind them. It wouldn’t do them any good. She’d expected to feel a tiny bit of sympathy for them, but there was nothing. By their actions, they forfeited any right to it.

  “Where are the others?” Holden demanded.

  Eli jumped down and strolled toward them, totally relaxed and in control. “You think I need help taking you out?” The soft tone of his voice raised every fine hair on her body.

  Holden and Nash shared a glance, unsure how to handle Eli. He wasn’t the slightest bit afraid of them. For a pair that bullied their way through life, this was an entirely new experience.

  Holden gathered his courage and swaggered forward to meet Eli. “If you think some backwoods packless wolf scares me, you got another think coming, boy.” He shucked his shirt and toed off his sneakers. “I’m going to rip your throat out, and then I’m going to find that bitch and take her home where she belongs.”

  “She’s not yours. She never was and never will be.” It wasn’t what Eli said as much as the way he said it.

  “You fucked her!” Holden roared. “I’ll kill you.” He launched himself at Eli, shifting in midair. Eli ducked and brought up both fists, slamming them into the wolf’s stomach and sending him careening off to the side.

  Taking advantage of the distraction, Cyrus attacked Edmund. The big brown wolf with cold black eyes slashed razor-sharp claws toward Edmund’s throat, but he ducked at the last second and avoided being decapitated.

  Rather than help his friends, Nash began to run. She couldn’t let him escape. The first thing he’d do was to call Duke and warn him. Kinley yanked off her clothes, shifted into her wolf, and took off after him.

  Eli told you to stay put. The warning flashed in her mind. Technically, he hadn’t told her to do anything. This was her fight. He couldn’t expect her to sit back and do nothing.

  She was losing sight of Nash. He hadn’t shifted, but his legs were longer, his thighs powerful. Digging deep, she pushed onward. Rather than be silent, she made as much noise as possible. She wanted him to know she was coming for him.

  Nash glanced over his shoulder and slowed when he saw she was alone. A smirk played over his lips. “Think you can take me, cousin?”