Maisy removed her death-grip on his thigh, clapping her hands in glee as she squealed. “That’s great!”
Zohar merely nodded. “Glad you’re staying, Danko. We’ve been together for many years and it would seem strange not to have you around.”
“Yeah,” Danko replied with a cheeky smirk. “I’d miss you too.”
Zohar’s lips tugged up but he fought the urge to smile, instead he raised an eyebrow. “I thought you said you were on duty?”
Danko shook his head, sighing. “I am, and I’m getting right back to it.”
As he turned away there was a commotion to the side of the Alpha cabin, a truck pulling to a stop and several men jumping out. Danko rushed around the table, heading toward them with Zohar beside him.
A man yelling, “What the fuck is going on here?”
Zohar stopped in front of the man who’d spoken, setting his feet apart and crossing his arms. “More to the point . . . who the fuck are you?”
Maisy tugged on his shirt. “That’s Marissa’s father, Saul Farrar and those others are Jermaine’s men, the ones he sent to bring her back.”
Saul glared at Maisy, snarling. “What the hell? What are you doing telling this stranger our business? You’ll suffer for this when Marlon gets his hands on you.”
Maisy stepped to the side, glowering at Saul. “I doubt that very much. He’s gone and won’t be hurting me, or anyone else, Saul.”
Zohar’s heart swelling with pride at her courage as she stood firm against the angry Shifter whose face turned purple with rage. Saul’s confused and angry stare turned to him. “What’s she talking about? Where is our Alpha and Beta? And who the hell are you?”
Gwenola had joined them, standing just behind Maisy with a cold smirk on her face as Zohar responded, “Jermaine is no longer Alpha and Marlon is dead. As for you, Saul, I’ve heard all about you and I’ve been waiting for your return.”
“What are you talking about?” Saul’s head spun to Gwenola. “Where’s Jermaine? Who is this guy?”
Gwenola shrugged. “I have no idea where he is and this is Zohar, our new Alpha, but I’m sure you’ve heard of him. The Council’s top Enforcer, you know, the one that’s got that reputation, well, this is him and Maisy is his mate so I’d be very careful what you do, or say, from here on, Saul.”
Zohar growled, shaking his head. “I doubt it will make a difference.”
Saul’s eyes darted to him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Several things but you don’t appear to have the intelligence to work them out so let me just break it down for you.” Zohar stepped forward, his hand shooting out to knock away one of the other men who’d moved at the same time. Danko already darting to intercept the Shifter.
“I had a talk with a friend of mine, you know him.” Zohar poked Saul in the chest. “Or rather, you’ve met him . . . he’s your daughter’s mate, goes by the name of Shade Shawcross, and he sent me here to deal with the sorry son-of-a-bitch Alpha and his pet mongrel, Marlon, but he also told me that you were hunting Marissa. Your own daughter and you were hunting her down like a fucking dog. Now that doesn’t sit right with me. Not as an Enforcer, and definitely not as Alpha of this Pack.”
Saul blustered, puffing his chest out. “She’s my daughter, it’s my right to do with her as I wish.”
“No.” Zohar pushed the man, anger rising quickly to make his blood boil. “It is not your right but what is my right as Alpha is to challenge you right here and now.”
Saul’s face drained of color, his head shaking vigorously. “I’m no match for you! You’re an Enforcer!”
Zohar stepped back, shrugging. “I’ll give you an advantage. I’ll stay here and I will count to ten and I promise I will not move. I will not start my transformation until after I’ve finished counting. That means you can morph and attack while I’m still in my human form and nobody can intervene.”
“Is this some kind of joke?” Saul looked to where Danko and the rest of his squad had rounded up the men that had arrived with him. “Your men are just going to stand there while you count and do nothing?”
“Of course,” Zohar shrugged. “I’ve said it, so it will be. What? Don’t you think you can attack me in time?” Saul frowned as Zohar opened his arms. “Move back, everyone.”
Saul looked slyly around as he started to undress, Zohar staying in place. Maisy looked between them, her face showing no emotion, before she turned on her heel and strode away. As his clothes dropped to the ground Saul kept his eyes on Zohar, obviously expecting him to follow suit. When he didn’t the man simply shrugged.
“Ready?” Zohar asked and Saul nodded, although Zohar could see Saul was already cheating, fur sprouting from the man’s arms and legs before Zohar uttered the number one. He didn’t expect anything less of the low-life.
By the time he spoke the number five Saul’s shift was halfway through, the man forcing it as quickly as possible, but Zohar knew it would not be fast enough. He’d played this game before and never lost and he didn’t plan on being defeated by this deadbeat dad tonight.
As he shouted the number nine, Saul was on
