CHAPTER 75

The Tahoe got me most of the way to the island, which, wasn't really an island at all but a peninsula jutting out into Boston Harbor. Gunner's scent was coming from an old building beyond all the containers stored at Conley's Container Terminal.

It had taken about eight minutes to drive over, and my nerves were on edge, because a lot could happen in eight minutes. Fortunately, I scented no blood. Whatever Rutilo and Connor were up to, they hadn't acted yet. I still had time.

I rushed, as much as my battered body would let me, toward the building, careful to avoid the wolves milling around. An easy task compared to some of the sneaking I'd been doing.
Dockside was currently in the east most building at the end of the shipping yard, a clean white building that looked newer than the others. It wasn't old, or abandoned, so I imagined Gunner had paid someone off for its use.

I could smell the distinct scent of some of the harder drugs that wolves sometimes dabbled in. Alcohol too, though neither would be very effective on a wolf. I supposed I couldn't blame them for trying, though.

Anthony's men were around back. There were four others, besides Rutilo and Connor, and they were geared to the nines, if the amount of metal scent I caught was any indication. They were far enough back that the two wolves guarding the side door wouldn't be able to scent them.

But that didn't last.

I was still a minute away, even running full speed when the hit team charged the building. The two guard wolves were killed, nearly instantly, the scent of blood, and sound of muffled gunfire quickly followed by the stuttering halt of their heartbeats.

I poured on the speed, my wounds screaming at me, my lungs burning. I didn't drop stealth, but I didn't try very hard to be quiet as I pulled out my Makarov and burst through the door moments after the team had entered. I shot the first two wolves in the leg, their screams and collapse onto the floor causing the entire place to freeze in its tracks. The gaping wounds the bullets left far more dramatic than they should have been.

Rutilo and Connor had advanced, weapons out toward Gunner, who was standing like an angry mountain next to a makeshift bar, a drink near his right elbow and an M4 Carbine near his left.

"What the fuck is this?" he reached for his gun.

"Nothing!" I growled, and I stood as tall and confident as I could. "Anthony made a mistake, he wants you to stand down." I told Rutilo.

"Once it's confirmed there is no standing down, Anthony knows that. Who the fuck are you anyway?" Rutilo growled.

I'd ruined any element of surprise they'd worked on having and it pissed him off. I raised the Makarov and aimed for his forehead.

This was terrible. Shooting Rutilo was not the answer, any more deaths weren't the answer. The organization needed its people whole and united, not sorting out internal conflict.

Gunner cocked his gun. He recognized me, but he had caught on to what was happening and he was very, very unhappy about it. I was desperate.

*Please let your power show. Your full power. Because I don't think anything else is going to stop this*.

My wolf, who was watching the scene warily, hesitated. Gunner had begun to raise the muzzle of his gun, ready to plow down the hit team when she reluctantly complied.

I could feel the wave of shock rumble through the room. Most of Gunners crew stilled, stupidly gaping at me, the absolute power of my wolf rendering them unable to do anything else. Gunner was less effected, but the muzzle lowered slightly as his eyes widened in my direction. Rutilo and Connor both fought my domination. I pushed a little harder.

"I am the Luna. Your Luna." The claim, made with words, had a physical, almost magical power to it. I could feel the weaker wolves in the room buckling, submitting. "Anthony made a mistake," I repeated. "You will cancel this attack."

Connor lowered his gun, Rutilo still struggled against my control.

I hated this, didn't want this. I had a hard enough time accepting the consequences of my own actions, the last thing I needed was to be responsible for underlings. I gathered my strength from the corners of the room and focused it all on Rutilo, walking toward him, my posture high. If we were in wolf form our hackles would be raised, our body stiff, tail high. Dominance incarnated.

I'd nearly reached him before he buckled, his eyes lowering along with his weapon.

This was so, so bad.

"You can go now. Take your people and get them medical attention. Say nothing of this night to anyone. Understand?"

Rutilo nodded sharply, Connor and the rest of the team nodded as well, accepting my direction. They were mine now. I could feel it. I could command them to walk off a cliff and they'd do it. They would fight, but their drive to obey would win out.

I was going to have to figure out a way to undo the claim.

The hit team gathered itself, supporting the two men with bullets in their leg and scrambling out the door as quickly as they were able, leaving me alone in a silent building with only Gunner brave enough to meet my eyes.

He said nothing for a long time, and I didn't either. I was too busy trying to help my wolf pull her power back. It wasn't as easy as it should have been. Like once we'd released its true extent it could no longer be contained the same way.

Gunner was the only one in the room who had not submitted to us, and for that I was grateful.

"Anthony ordered a hit on me." He stated the fact.

The rest of the wolves in the room seemed confused as to what to do. They looked between me and gunner with a sort of panicked wariness.

"Anthony is not himself lately. He's being manipulated by Leanne. I have proof. You are a valuable asset to the organization, it would mean a great deal to both me and Anthony if you forgave this misstep."
Gunner's face was a little sour. He didn't like what I was asking.

"Does he know that you are speaking for him?"

I flinched. He didn't know, and what I'd just done...was basically a direct challenge to his authority. I'd went against his word and I'd taken his wolves, something I could only do because he'd already set me up to be their Luna, and I used that against him, exerted my word and my power to have them obey me instead of him. Even if the wolves in this room. They worked under Gunner and hadn't likely been fully indoctrinated to Anthony, their new alpha, but they were open to the idea, and of me by his side. Now they never would be his. For them, my word would always overpower his. Always.

What had I done?

"I did what I had to do," my voice came out far more confident than I felt. "I couldn't let that bitch start an internal war. It would tear the organization apart and we're already teetering on the edge."

I was giving him far more information than was wise, but I really, really needed him to see my side of things.

"I will try to rescind it all, once I know Anthony is back to himself. I'm not in this for power, or whatever. You have to see that this hit made no sense. You know Anthony well enough to know he would have never acted so rashly."

Gunner gave me a look, but he set his gun onto the bar once more and took a long drink of what looked to be moonshine.

"I don't think it's going to be as easy as you think it is to rescind your claim," he told me at last, his big voice thoughtful. "Power like that...it draws wolves. They want the safety, the security it represents. It's a biological drive, not something you can just erase."

My hopes lifted at the same time that his words made me uneasy.

"You'll forego retaliation?"

He glanced at me, his big features considering.

"For now. Tell Anthony he owes me."

Relief filled my, the stress of the situation melting off my shoulders. I'd done it. I'd stopped the hit, prevented internal war.

Now I just had to convince Anthony it was the right thing to do.