Tasting The Enemy

Elaine

“Where’s everyone running to?” I asked Quin.

Her big green eyes followed the excited faces running out of the school hall.

“I think there’s a fight.”

“Another one?”

She nodded.

I’ve been here my entire high school life and we hadn’t had this much excitement ever. It was the last two months of high school and suddenly there were food fights, brawls, pranks and more! Someone wanted to leave a mark on the school.

Unfortunately, I was related to that someone.

“Blazer?” I sighed.

She shot me a naughty look. “We’ll never know unless we join them.”

She grabbed my arm. “Come on!”

I was dragged into the parking lot where two black Bentleys parked in front of my brother and his dumb friend’s Porsche and Range Rover.

“Who are they?” I hissed.

Quin shrugged and folded her arms. “They have money though.”

The crowd tightened around those squabbling. Even with wolf hearing I couldn’t hear what the commotion was about. I could bet my new phone that Blazer had something to do with it.

“Fight, fight, fight!” The crowd chanted.

“Oh no,” I whimpered.

Quin shoved bodies, clearing my path to the front.

“What are you waiting for Shaw?” Blazer mocked a tall blond guy dressed in black leather.

Shaw? From the Blood Moon pack? Claw High was Black Claw territory they weren’t allowed here. Another man with tanned skin, deep brown eyes and chestnut hair leaned against the other Bentley.

I hadn’t seen the Shaw boys in years when relations between our packs were better. Not long before that, an incident happened that claimed dozens of lives.

“I’ll wipe your face on the gravel, Ryker.”

“You didn’t like your welcome back present?”

I shut my eyes and sighed. Blazer went to Blood Moon territory? Dad’s going to kill him! If he isn’t murdered here.

“D*mn, that’s Lucas Shaw? He’s hot,” Quin said.

Last I saw him when he was a scrawny egotistic young Alpha wolf with a poor fashion sense. Now he was a man with broad shoulders, thick thighs and muscular arms. Lucas was the last of four boys.

“I guess he filled out,” I swallowed.

Lucas’s jaw clenched and Blazer barked a laugh.

“You’re a f*ck*ng b*st*rd, Blazer.” Lucas’s fist connected with Blazer’s jaw sending him smack into the ground.

The crowd hissed and gasped. The guy leaning against the Bentley shot up only to linger behind Lucas. My brother groaned. His dumb friends didn’t flinch.

“Don’t tell me you’ve already had enough,” Lucas said.

His leather boot hit Blazer’s gut and my brother groaned.

“Get up,” I whispered.

Why did Blazer pick fights when he knew he couldn’t fight?

A crushing heavy red truck drove into the parking lot. Part of the crowd scattered as the vehicle made a screeching halt next to the Bentleys. What now? My stomach dropped when an older version of Lucas stormed out of the car.

Part of the crowd vanished. I watched as he commanded his way to the centre of the conflict. He had hair longer than Lucas. It was wet as if he’d rushed out of the shower. Unlike his brother, he wasn’t drowning in leather. A simple white shirt and black pants were enough.

“Lucas,” he barked.

Azaire Shaw. The oldest Shaw brother. He left town years ago and Lucas followed shortly after.

“This isn’t the place,” Azaire said.

“I’ve already started, bro. Might as well finish him off.”

“How could you let him come here?” Azaire snapped at the other gorgeous man.

“He was going to come anyway the prick deserves it. Blood Moon women are off limits to Ryker punks.”

Blazer rolled on his back and laughed, blood stained his teeth.

“They enjoyed it. Especially Francine. I can still hear her now.”

I winced. What’s wrong with him?

The one with brown hair’s calmness melted away replaced by a violent fire. He grabbed Blazer by his collar. “What did you do to my sister you prick?!”

“She didn’t complain,” Blazer spat.

My brother hit the ground a second time. I glanced at his friends but they cowered away. My brother was getting his *ss kicked and he just took it. I broke free from Quin and threw myself in front of Blazer as a size ten boot aimed for his gut.

“What the f*ck are you doing?” Lucas yelled.

“Elaine,” Blazer hissed.

“He’s sorry, okay? That’s enough.”

Lucas stared at his counterparts. Azaire glared at me and my brother.

“I’d like to hear that from him,” the third unnamed one said.

He bore a resemblance to the brothers. He could be a cousin.

“I’m not sorry. Those whores wanted it.”

The cousin’s nostrils flared. I shut my eyes and used my body to shield Blazer.

“Oliver!” Azaire barked. “Not her!”

“Hey!”

I glanced up and my heart slammed forward. Nikolas, our older brother marched toward us with Dad’s official beta behind him.

“This is forbidden territory.”

When Nik appeared the crowd scattered apart from Quin. Azaire shoved Lucas back and met Nik face to face.

“Your brother crossed the line when he came to our territory. Lucas was just getting even.”

Nik’s nostrils flared. “Blazer, take Elaine to the car.”

“What?”

Blazer snatched me off the ground and carried me to Nik’s SUV.

“You can pick me up but you can’t fight back? What is wrong with you?”

“Quiet, Elaine. You could have messed things up for us.”

He opened the back door and tossed me inside as if I were a sweater.

“You planned this?”

Blazer climbed into the passenger seat and wiped blood off his mouth.

“You need to learn to mind your own business, little sister.”

“I wasn’t going to watch you die.”

“I didn’t plan on it.  Nik and I have a plan.”

“What’s that?”

He rolled his eyes and groaned. Blazer and I were four months apart. We didn’t share the same Mom. None of us did. Nik was the only legitimate heir. His Mom was the Luna of the pack. Everyone loved her. While Blazer lived in the Alpha’s house since he was born I only came around when I was six and had to live with the omegas until the Luna passed away suddenly when I was thirteen. We had minimal interaction but I knew she hated me. I was proof her husband cheated again.

“Look. There isn’t enough room in this town for the two of us. Now that they have a new Alpha they’re vulnerable. Nik thinks we can take them.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope. You have to talk to Dad the second we’re home.”

I swallowed. “Why?”

“Just do it, Elaine and not a word about this.”

Nik wasn’t a wayward son. He didn’t do anything without Dad’s approval which meant Dad was in on this scheme to get rid of the Blood Moon Pack. That meant they had to start from the top. Getting rid of the s*xy Shaw men.

“Go on,” Nik said.

“What’s this about?” I asked and then stared at Dad’s office door.

I wasn’t allowed to walk in whenever I wanted.

Nik groaned and Blazer grunted.

“It’s about your plans after you’re done with high school. Now will you go inside or do I have to open the door for you?” Nik asked.

“Well, you could be a gentleman from time to time.”

My brother shot me daggers.

“I’m going!”

Dad sat behind his desk. He looked up and nodded at Nik behind me.

“Don’t go far,” he told them. “Close the door,” he ordered me.

I sat across from him. He scrutinized a map before swiping it off the table.

“Elaine,” he said.

“Dad.”

I wasn’t Daddy’s little girl. We barely spent time together. He demanded respect more than love. He danced with me once at a wolf awakening ceremony because it was the Father’s obligation to dance with their daughters. Soon after that, we found out about the blessing and the curse.

He fo