Warrior Fae Trapped (Warrior Fae #1)(106)

“Alpha.” The handshake was firm and personal. Good politics.

“Emery?”

“Has no interest in seeing the sights of Chicago. He’ll meet us on the other side.”

Devon nodded as the rest of his pack drifted in behind him, Charity in the lead.

That was interesting. Had Charity naturally assumed the position of beta, or had Devon assigned it to her? Either way, the rest of the pack had acknowledged her status.

Devon’s gaze touched on each new person before settling on Dale. Good instincts. Dale was absolutely the one to worry about. Steve had heard rumors regarding Dale’s penchant for taking over packs he’d been sent to help, but it would have been obvious regardless. His body language screamed challenge, from his tense posture to his slight forward lean. He had no respect for this up-and-comer.

“I’m Cole,” the yeti said, and Charity’s brow wrinkled in confusion. She was probably wondering why he was shouting at everyone. “I took part in the battle on your property.”

“Yes, of course,” Devon said without skipping a beat, though Steve was certain Roger had kept that detail from him. Devon stepped forward to offer his hand.

Dale spat, the splash landing only a foot from Devon’s shoe.

“Gross,” Charity said, wrinkling her nose. Apparently no one had told her to look badass and say very little when meeting new shifters. How delightful.

“Barbara.” She nodded, not one for touching in any capacity. More the pity. Devon, picking up on her vibe, nodded in return.

He turned to the side and pointed at a brown-haired guy with a vague sort of face who wouldn’t stand out in a line-up. “That’s my beta, Dillon.”

Steve barely contained his surprise. The pack had a gap in communication where the beta was concerned, that was clear. Titles didn’t match how they acted.

“That’s Macy, beside him.” Devon indicated a short, thin lady with brown hair and a hard expression. She didn’t look like much, but Steve bet she was trouble in a pinch. A stunning blonde was mentioned next. “Yasmine, and beside her, Rod.”

Steve remembered Rod, the linebacker. He’d be a real bruiser someday soon.

“And Andy,” Devon finished, motioning at a surfer-looking guy Steve didn’t recall. He hadn’t gotten friendly with the locals after the skirmish at Devon’s house.

Each new pack member nodded in turn, except for Barbara, who stared without blinking.

“We have reason to suspect Charity’s dad is in the house,” Devon said. “He wasn’t too welcoming when Roger’s people stopped by a few months ago. Prepare for an altercation upon entering.”

“Yeah, but…we have her.” Cole motioned at a dour-faced Charity.

“He won’t be happy to see me,” Charity mumbled. “We had…words before I left for college. He’s not expecting me back.”

“Getting past one old man isn’t a problem.” Dale’s brown spit splattered the hot cement. “Devon, you take your crew and I’ll load up these guys. We’ll rendezvous at the address Roger supplied.”

Steve grimaced. They’d barely given intros and already Dale was trying to assume control. This whole thing could derail right now. There were two strong leaders in this group, and they wouldn’t be satisfied until one submitted to the other. The grapple for power might explode before they even hit the road.

Devon’s unwavering stare hardened. Silence rolled through the crowd, only interrupted by Charity scratching the center of her chest.

Don’t let him call the shots, bro, Steve thought at Devon. Don’t let him take your power. Make him drop his eyes, or make him challenge you. Don’t let this go. Roger wouldn’t.

Steve knew from experience. Roger didn’t take kindly to other shifters pushing their weight around, something Steve had learned the hard way.

One by one, Devon’s muscles flexed. One by one, Dale’s fingers curled into a ball. The air between them sizzled with magic, the two shifters pushed to their limit. Any moment one or both would explode—

Fiery magic tore through the air, biting into Steve’s body with an invisible spray of ghost needles. He jerked backward, startled by the unexpected pain. Dale did the same, bumping into a grunting Cole and throwing a hand up to protect his face.

Devon didn’t so much as flinch.

Andy flew sideways, as if Charity were a bomb and the explosion had burst out through her right side. The unlucky sod tumbled through the air like a flailing rag doll, hitting the ground with a thump.

“Oh crap!” Charity exclaimed, her hand slapping over her mouth in apologetic surprise.

“What the hell, Charity?” Andy hollered when he came to a stop. “What’d I do to you?”

“Sorry!” Charity called over Rod’s laughter. She rushed toward Andy, probably to help him up, but Dillon stepped in the way, blocking her. “I was trying to keep my magic in so I didn’t blast it out toward the new guys. It accidentally leaked out the side.”

“We talked about this, remember?” Andy pushed to standing and dusted himself off. Rod laughed harder. “If you feel one of those surges coming on, you walk away. Remember when we made that deal? Right after you blasted me into the refrigerator? You feel the surge and you walk away.”

“I know, I’m sorry! This was just a tiny little surge so I thought I could keep it in.” Charity scoffed at Dillon. “Would you move?”