Force of Temptation

“I never said I’d involve The Movement. But I’m not going to go on my merry way while you’re in danger. Don’t try to downplay this, Ally. There’s no way he won’t suspect your pack is responsible for blowing up his homes. He’s not going to let that go.”

“We know that,” said Eli from the sofa. “But what choice did we have, Cain? He would have sent mercenaries after us when we refused to hand over our territory. Do you think we should have waited around until that happened? Waited for him to bring the fight to us?” Eli shook his head. “The first rule of every fight is to strike first and strike hard; that was what we did. I don’t regret that.”

Neither did Jesse. “This guy blackmailed us. He wants to take our home away. Well, now we’ve taken his.”

After a long moment, Cain sighed and his shoulders slumped as he muttered, “Sometimes vengeance is the only thing we can seek.”

Jesse frowned, pretty positive he’d heard Clive say the same thing once.

“The Phoenix Pack has been alerted that we may need to call on them soon,” said Nick, rolling back his shoulders. “They’re ready for that.”

Cain didn’t look appeased. “What if he hires people to bomb the land?”

Derren pursed his lips. “I don’t think he will. Hector seems to like the up-close-and-personal approach. He likes to witness his victims’ pain too much for him to stay out of it.”

Arching a challenging brow, Cain said, “And if you’re wrong?”

“If we’re forced to retreat, we can hide in the underground storm shelter that we had built a few months ago,” said Jesse. “The trapdoor isn’t easy to find unless you know where to look. We’d be safe there until the Phoenix wolves came to free us.”

“You’d also be trapped until they came for you,” Cain impatiently pointed out.

Nick nodded. “Which is why the pups, Caleb, Kent, Kathy, and—”

“Do not say my name,” snapped Shaya, eyes shooting fire.

“Which is why some members of the pack will be staying with the Phoenix Pack until this is over,” Nick rephrased, casting his mate an annoyed look. “After dinner, Roni and Marcus will drive them there. It’s not ideal, but it’s for the best.”

“The pups don’t mind so much because they can play with the Phoenix children,” said Ally. “To them, it’s a little adventure and—” She abruptly froze and her eyes turned white.

Harley’s stomach plummeted. “Fuck, a vision.” What now? Her cat began to pace, tail twitching.

Derren rushed to his mate’s left while Cain stood at her right, both looking equally concerned. They whispered comforting words, even as they knew she couldn’t hear them. The longer the vision went on, the tauter the air became with tension.

Finally, Ally snapped out of her trance and glanced around, eyes back to normal and now wide with panic. “No, no, no!” Then she was tearing out of the lodge like her life depended on it . . . or like someone else’s life depended on it.

Everyone ran after her, charging across the open field. Derren shouted his mate’s name over and over, but she didn’t respond. Jesse stayed close to Harley, ready to defend her from whatever threat was sending the Seer into a blind panic. Adrenaline and dread shot through him as dozens of scenarios zoomed through his mind.

Hot on her heels now, Derren shouted, “Ally, dammit, what is it?”

She didn’t pause or even glimpse over her shoulder. “The pups! They’re going after the pups!”

Who the fuck was “they”? Jesse glanced around, but there was no one. Not a—

“Oh fuck!” snapped Harley.

Tracking his mate’s gaze, Jesse almost gaped. They were huge. Fast. And all ten of them were flying toward the play area. His heart leaped into his throat. Cursing, he put on a burst of speed.

“Caleb! Kent!” Ally screamed. “Grab the girls!”

The two males turned, looking confused. They were possibly finding it hard to hear her over all the full-blooded birds going crazy, scattering, as the eagle shifters came their way.

“Grab the girls!”

One of the eagles swooped down, taking aim at Willow.

“No!” Shaya’s agonized cry split the air.

Just as the harpy eagle neared the pup, Caleb dived on her and pinned her small body to the ground. Enraged at being thwarted, the eagle—so much bigger than an average harpy that it could only be a shifter—landed on his back. Caleb cried out through gritted teeth as curved, five-inch talons pitilessly raked his flesh.

“Bastard!” Ally picked up Cassidy’s scooter and threw it at the eagle. The distinctive dark-gray raptor dodged it. Wailing at them, it fanned out its broad, slotted wings. It stood at over four feet tall and had at least a six-foot wingspan. Jesse wondered if that hooked, razor-sharp beak could puncture his skull. He wasn’t eager to find out.

The feathers atop its head fanned out into a bold crest as it made a strange mewing sound. As Ally, Jesse, and Harley made a mad dash for the bird, it tried to take flight. Derren came up behind it, grabbed its neck, and—snap.

Looking up, Jesse saw the other eagles high in the air, circling. “Get the pups inside the fort and guard it!” he ordered Kent and Caleb. Nodding, the two males urged the wide-eyed pups into the small building at the center of the play area.

Just then, Roni, Marcus, Bracken, and Zander came sprinting toward them from different directions, looking just as shocked as Jesse felt. It had all happened so damn fast with no real room for thought. His limbs were buzzing with adrenaline, his heart was pounding, and his breathing sped up.