Hank, a regular wolf shifter who owned the diner, oversaw the grilling area. The Gamma Council provided the meat, and Hank insisted on making sure it was properly cooked. Since he was originally from Texas, I figured he was probably the perfect man for the job. Tables and chairs had been set up in the middle of the street for the occasion. It was completely safe because the street was closed off in either direction.
Our pack was over three hundred strong, and I was still getting to know people. Matt and I had spent the past hour wandering through the street, meeting and greeting our neighbors but mostly letting them see us happily involved. After I was done mingling—at least, my feet were—I didn't even argue when Matt lifted me and carried me back to our own table.
Nuzzling his neck, I kissed the pulse point where his scent ran strong. "My feet want to thank your big muscles for the ride. I don't think I can eat another bite, but I wouldn’t hate it if you found me another glass of lavender lemonade."
After depositing me on my chair, Matt gave me a quick kiss before straightening. "One lemonade, coming up. Do you boys need anything?" Saul and Noah looked up from the huge dessert plates they were crouched over like a pair of feral cats. Saul looked guilty when he saw me, but Noah shook his chocolate-covered face at Matt. Snorting, I waved him off. "These little pigs are fine. But if you see any more of those hand wipes, we could definitely use them."
Lucian looked up from his equally full dessert plate. "I had a plan, Eli." Yes, Matt's buddies had taken to calling me by my childhood nickname after hearing my brothers use it too many times. I didn't mind. I actually liked it. It made me feel like part of their group. Matt waited, obviously interested. Knowing Lucian, I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to know.
I lifted a brow and motioned for him to continue. "A plan, huh? I can't wait to hear this one."
Grinning now, Lucian pointed at the fire hydrant across the street. "Look at the kid—he's got so much sugar on him an army of bees would be scared to take on the job. He needs a good pressure washing. I figure we can hook a hose up and blast him with it."
Before I could close my mouth long enough to formulate a reply, two of our largest delta wolves came running toward us. Their huge, furry gray bodies slipped through the tables as gracefully as ballerinas. Barely coming to a stop, they shifted to human form. The guys were already rising, on full alert and ready to assist with whatever.
Matt's voice was deceptively calm, though I could feel the coiled tension he was doing his best to hide from the boys. “What’s going on? Walk with me. There’s no need to discuss this in front of the family." As he led them away, Lucian and the guys stayed close to watch over us.
They didn't get far enough because I clearly heard one of the deltas speak. "It was the exact same white Escalade. The guy who came here for lunch last month? He showed up with three other alphas. We turned them away at the checkpoint. I told him the road was closed for a pack potluck. He wanted me to call you to the gate, but I told him he would need to call you and make an appointment. He said something about being an ally and how I would get in trouble for this, but I was firm. I explained my instructions were to turn away outsiders today."
"I see." Matt's voice was icy. I could feel his indignation and wished I was close enough to offer a comforting touch. "I take it they didn't leave peacefully?"
"No, Alpha. He backed up and started to turn as if he was going to leave. But he swerved around the barrier and went off the road through the desert. A bunch of us deltas are tracking them, but we can't keep up with a vehicle. And he can take whatever route he wants with four-wheel drive."
My entire body froze, and I definitely peed a little as the white Escalade in question barreled between two buildings, driving straight at us. Before any of us had a chance to react, the SUV came to a stop, and the driver’s door swung open.
Matt stiffened. "I want you two deltas to guard my family. Stay in wolf form and protect them with your lives." A wave of affection and encouragement shot through our bond as Matt glanced over his shoulder. Flashing me a wink, he motioned for Lucian, Tucker, and Devon. "Can you guys give me a hand? I need to take care of something over here. Brace yourselves, everyone."
Dozens of deltas in wolf form swarmed from every direction, surrounding the crowd and putting themselves between the pack and the source of danger. As those other two deltas shifted back into wolf form, Saul scooted closer to me while Noah slipped under the table. Before I had a chance to panic, he popped up between us and burrowed himself against my side. One of the deltas actually jumped onto the table, crouching in front of us and snarling toward the intruders. The other stood at my side, pressing up against me as if already trying to become a shield as Matt had instructed.
Even as I clocked all these details, my eyes never left the scene playing out in front of me. An arrogant-looking blond man, presumably Bart, got out on the driver's side, quickly joined by the other men. Like every other alphahole on the planet, they sent a wave of power out to let everyone know how big and bad they were. When all three immediately shifted without taking time to undress, any slight hope I might have had that they meant no harm was blown away, much like the clothes shredded during their shift.
Matt and the guys all shifted and took off at a run, the tattered remains of their own clothing dropping to the street behind them. When our bond went blank, alarm shot through me, making every hair on my body stand on end. I wanted to scream and pound my fist against the table while I shouted every bad word I could think of. But I remembered what he'd said about blocking the pack consciousness to avoid distractions.
Since our bond flowed both ways, maybe he was protecting both of us? If that was the case, I definitely wanted my man to focus without anyone's emotions disrupting him. Even if those emotions were mine.
I'm not sure what I expected, but this wasn't the polite, regulated fight circle, and nobody was following any rules. Matt was easy to keep track of: he was the sole silver-and-black wolf out there. Lucian's wolf was snow white, so he was also obvious. The other wolves were a mix of gray and brown. If I were closer, or if they'd stop moving long enough, I could probably pick out Tucker's dark muzzle or Devon's caramel-colored paws.
From here, though? It was like watching a dogfight. Fangs gleamed, and claws struck, but mostly it was a swirling pile of fur. My heart pounded painfully against my rib cage as Matt and Lucian fended off attack after attack while dealing their own blows in return. Hugging Noah tightly, I kept his face pressed against my chest so he couldn't see the nightmare unfolding in front of us. I didn't have to worry about Saul, thanks to the wall of deltas blocking his view.
When I thought I couldn’t handle another second, it was over, almost as fast as it began. Two gray wolves fell to the street in the telltale shift between human and wolf which only came after another alpha's killing bite. Medeina poison was no joke. Another wolf went down, also a victim of an alpha’s laniary teeth.
Matt was still fighting, and I could barely handle watching, so I looked for the other guys. Since I didn’t know yet who’d fallen, I was relieved to immediately recognize the other three standing. Tucker and Devon joined Lucian to circle around the two fighting wolves, ready to jump in and help Matt if necessary.