The One He Claimed

Chapter 157: Pack’s Response

Hunter

No one, and I mean NO ONE, threatens my mate. I knew Robin and Kayce would back me and I should have foreseen it, but I didn’t, probably because I was furious with Zahn for making any sort of aggressive move toward Sophie. But the entire pack rallied to protect her. Word spread fast that Żahn had threatened Sophie, and it wasn’t long after I got him outside and started whaling on him that nearly every member of the pack surrounded us.

Robin and Kayce pulled me off of him before I could kill him. By the time they did, his face was a bloodied and bruised mess. I can’t see his ribcage, but I know I heard several c**ks as I punched his ribs, breaking them. His wolf won’t be healing him any time soon.

I stood over him, panting with my rage. My knuckles are bl**dy, but Shaw is already healing me. He’d been snarling in my head, wanting to shift and rip Zahn’s throat out for snarling at Sophie.

“Never, ever, threaten my mate again,” I snarl at him, pulling away from Robin and Kayce. They let me go but stay close.

Zahn sits up slowly, wiping blood from his lip as he looks around.

“You heard our Alpha. No one threatens our Luna,” a warrior says. It’s only then that I see the pack surrounding us.

“No one hurts our Luna,” another warrior says.

“No one lays a finger on our Luna, or we will kill them,” another warrior growls.

“I didn’t touch your Luna,” Zahn growls. Seriously, the man doesn’t know when to shut up.

“But you did snarl at my mate. It was a threat, and you know it. Do it again Zahn, and I won’t be the worst of your problems. You see this pack? They are here because they love their Luna. I didn’t call them, they heard what you did, and they came to rip you apart. I would suggest that you think very hard about your reasons for being here and what you hope to accomplish while you’re here. Because if you threaten Sophie again, you won’t be leaving this pack. Ever,” I snarl, turning to walk away. “Get him out of my sight.”

Almost as one, the pack moves forward. I don’t know or care what they intend to do with Zahn. I just know that I need to check on Sophie. She’d stayed out of my head during the fight, and I was glad. I needed to focus on not killing Zahn, not yet anyway. He’s been warned and I meant what I said. If he threatens my mate again, I’ll kill him. Or maybe I’ll just toss him to the pack and let them rip him to shreds.

“That was impressive,” Kayce says, falling into step beside me and looking back over his shoulder at the pack.

“Which part? The part where Hunter went nearly feral and almost killed Zahn or the part where the pack showed up in force?” Robin asks.

“Both. But since I understand the nearly feral part, I was referring to the pack. You really didn’t call them, Hunter?”

“I did not,” I say, still seething. I need to find Sophie.

“Hey,” Robin says, putting his hand on my arm. It’s instinctual. I’ m still furious, so I whip around and snarl at him.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“Easy, Hunter,” he says, raising his hands. “I’m your friend. I was just going to suggest washing your hands before you go find Sophie. You don’t want her worrying about you,” he says, and I look down at my hands that are covered in blood.

“Sorry,” I say, frowning.

“Don’t be. I’ve gone nearly feral at the thought of Camden still being out there and wanting my mate. It’s not the same kind of threat, but it’s a threat nonetheless.”

“Thank you both, for pulling me off of him. I don’t want to go to war with another pack if I can help it. But if he does it again…”

“You have witnesses, lots of them, that he was warned,” Kayce says.

I nod, walking into the nearly empty packhouse.

“Alpha, our Luna was headed to the Survivor’s Center,” one of my omegas says to me.

“Thank you, Eliza. I’m going to wash up and go find her.”

“She seemed okay, Alpha. Not injured at all,” she says, trying to comfort me, but obviously worried about her Luna.

I stop, and smile at her. “Alpha Zahn did not lay a hand on her, otherwise, he’d be dead. I’m sure she’s okay, but after I wash up, I’ll make sure of it.”

That makes her smile. “Thank you, Alpha,” she says, as if I’m doing her a big favor by checking on my mate. And maybe I am. Our pack obviously adores Sophie.

I wash my hands while Robin and Kayce wait patiently to join me. Their mates are with mine. As I step back out, I see a large group of warriors dragging Zahn back to his room.

“I can walk,” he growls. I hear the thump of a fist punching into flesh and then the air whooshing out of Zahn’s mouth. Obviously, my warriors aren’t putting up with his s** anymore either.

I lead Robin and Kayce down the trail that Sophie created to the Survivor Center. It’s a nice, calm space and I can feel my mind starting to relax even before I see my mate and her friends coming our way.

Her smile does the rest, and I feel the tight band that was squeezing my heart let go as the world fades away and all that’s left is Sophie.

I walk up to her, pulling her into my arms. “Are you okay?”

“Of course I am, Hunter. You made sure of it. Are you okay?” she asks, wrapping her arms around me. Our son is keeping me from pressing her as tightly as I’d like, but since I can fee’ im moving around, I don’t mind.

“I’m better now,” I say, not letting her go. I bury my face in her hair and take deep breaths of her orchid scent.

“We need to get Sophie a magic wand,” Nikki says, bringing me back to reality.

“Yeah, with all that pixie dust she’s spreading around, she needs one,” Allison says.

I pull back and smile down at my mate. “Pixie dust?”

“Jocelyn thanked Sophie for helping her,” Nikki says, and I raise an eyebrow.

“Even by your typical standards, that’s fast, Sophie.”

She shrugs, not taking the credit she deserves for being the incredible woman she is.

“She said we’ve given her the freedom that she’s been wanting and missing. How’s Zahn?”

“Alive,” I growl.

“You should have seen it, Nikki,” Robin says.

“What did I miss?” she asks as if it’s a big deal that Robin got to see something she didn’t. Their relationship back home must be a constant competition. A fun one, I’m sure, but constant. I’m glad that’s not the relationship I have with Sophie. I prefer to have open love to open competition between us.

“The entire pack showed up, ready to take out Alpha Zahn,” he tells her.

“What?” Sophie asks, looking up at me.

Inod. “They came on their own and word spread FAST. No one messes with this pack’s Luna. They basically threatened Zahn that if he so much as looks at you wrong again, they’ll tear him apart,” I say, stroking her cheek, once again so proud that I’m mated to this perfect woman.