Frank too,” Kyla said proudly.
Devan rubbed his forehead. His right shoulder pained him worse than any other injury. Kyla’s father had bit him when the other coyotes entering the room had distracted him. When her father had fled, he had swatted the shoulder. It had dislocated, and he had managed to shove it back into place, and he didn’t think Kyla knew about it. He didn’t want to worry her, but that one swipe had alerted him to something important and distressing.
“Your father and even your uncles didn’t fight at their full potential,” he said grimly.
“Are you certain?” Kyla asked, eyes wide. “It must have been a warning then.”
“Trying to run us off.” He eyed each of her siblings in turn. “It’s for the best you weren’t there. They might not realize you are with us.”
“They might not,” Kyla agreed excitedly. “There were only five of them. If we had been all there, even without the wolves, it would’ve been six on five.”
“Good, good.” Marco rubbed his hands together. “I’m not looking forward to fighting them, but not everything in life is easy.”
“Very true.” Devan loosed a groan as he stood. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
Kyla climbed to her feet. “I’ll come with.”
“You stay here.” He kissed her cheeks then her lips—just a peck really at Marco’s groan, although her sisters were howling and obviously hoping for more—and walked out.
His wolves remained in the warehouse they had fought in. As soon as he entered, they stood as one, gazes on the floor.
He approached them. “It’s time for you to meet the rest of the pack.”
One, the man who had attacked him first, glanced up in surprise. “The rest of the pack?”
Devan nodded. They fell into line, Greg bringing up the rear. As a group, they filed into the store. Kyla and her siblings were standing in a circle. She stepped forward and stood by Devan’s side.
“Wolves, I would like you to meet my…”
She squeezed his hand.
“Kyla is your alpha female,” he declared.
One of the female wolves rolled her eyes. At his glower, her cheeks flushed. “I’m sorry,” she said, “but I just don’t…”
“Don’t what?” Devan growled. His shoulder was beginning to bother him too much for him to be able to stand there, feigning no pain.
“You’re acting like this, like she’s a big deal.” She waved her hand toward Kyla. “So you got her pregnant. Just make her your mate already and be done with it.”
Kyla eyed him, and at his nod, she shifted her face, revealing herself as a coyote.
Only the female wolf reacted. She gasped.
“I know this isn’t—” Devan started.
“You are our alpha,” the man-wolf interrupted. “She is yours, and our female alpha. We will not leave.”
The others murmured their agreement.
While the words meant a lot to Devan, he also knew words could be empty. Actions were all that mattered. When the next battle happened—it was only a matter of time—would they fight alongside them or turn around and run away? That they hadn’t reacted strong suggested they might have known already. His gaze sought out Greg. His arms were crossed, a satisfied smile on his face. So far, he had proven himself. Hopefully, he would be there for them when they needed him.
Kyla motioned the females over to her. All of them, including her siblings, approached. They shifted their heads and sniffed each other, feeling them out.
Smart. She was intelligent and funny and brave despite her fear. He shared that fear.
Once he and the wolves and coyotes seemed to get a sense of each other, he herded them into a group. Unsurprisingly, the wolves stuck together, and likewise the coyotes, but at least no fangs had been bared.
“We need to move and find a safer location.” He eyed them each in turn. “We need to heal.”
Maria stepped forward. “We shouldn’t go too far though.” She eyed Kyla’s belly.
Four weeks, maybe less. All the time they had until another