Page 31 of Bad Moon Rising (Dark-Hunter 17)
Vane went cold at the news as he looked to Fang to see if his brother had heard the words as clearly as he had. "Are you sure?"
"I'm positive. Looks like they want a supercharge before the Mardi Gras festivities with us so you guys have got to get out of there. Pronto."
How he wished it were that simple. "Anya's in labor. We can't move her. But I'll make sure the others get out."
"All right," Ash said. "Sit tight and I'll have some reinforcements to you ASAP."
The implication insulted every animal part of Vane. "I don't need your help, Dark-Hunter. We can take care of our own."
"Yeah, just the same, we'll be there shortly."
The phone went dead.
Snarling, Vane returned the phone to his pocket. He met his brother's stony gaze. "Get the others mobilized."
Fang nodded, then ran off to spread the word.
Acheron Parthenopaeus, leader of the Dark-Hunters and an immortal Atlantean god under a massive crisis situation, not the least of which was his own brother trying to kill him, cursed as he hung up the phone. This was not good and it was getting worse by the heartbeat. If the Daimons got a hold of those pregnant wolves and augmented their powers, there would be no stopping them and the streets of New Orleans would run red from the blood of its human occupants.
He walked quickly down Bourbon Street toward Canal, which was where his Dark-Hunter was supposed to be patrolling for Daimons out to munch on human souls.
There was no sign of him.
And where the hell was Talon?
The Celt was supposed to be in his swamp, guarding the human, Sunshine Runningwolf, and instead there had been no sign of him when Ash had gone there.
Closing his eyes, Ash sensed the Celt was fine. But he didn't have time to fetch him away from the woman he was protecting. The Daimons were moving fast and he didn't have long before they'd reach Vane and his family.
Then it would rain rainbows and rose petals on them. . . .
Not.
He flipped his phone open and called Valerius who was still at home. The ancient Roman general was a major pain in his ass on his best day, but in a crisis, there were few better fighters. "Val, I'm on Bourbon-"
"I will not venture down that street of crass iniquities and plebeian horror, Acheron. It is the cesspit of humanity. Don't even ask it."
Ash rolled his eyes at the Roman's arrogant tone. "I need you in the swamp."
Silence answered him. He could just imagine Val at home with his lip curled in repugnance. Not that the general hadn't been in worse places back in the day when he'd commanded a Roman army. He was just cranky in his old age.
"We have a situation, Valerius," he said sternly. "A group of Daimons are after a Katagaria pack and they have women in labor-"
"Where do you need me?"
Ash smiled. The Roman had his moments. Good and bad. Luckily, this was a good one.
"I'll be right there." Ash hung up the phone. He dashed into a nearby doorway where no one could see him and flashed to Val's side in his mansion.
Valerius did a double take at seeing Ash in his living room before the Roman could even return his cordless phone to its pedestal. Dressed in a black Armani suit and black silk shirt, and with his shoulder-length dark hair pulled back into a ponytail, Valerius was the epitome of a privileged, well-bred man.
Patrician to the end.
The only hint of shock Valerius showed was a slight arching of his right brow.
"We don't have time for conventional means of transportation," Ash explained.
Before Val could ask him what he meant, Acheron grabbed him and they materialized close to the Katagaria den.
Val scowled at him. "How did you do that? Are you some odd Were-Hunter hybrid like Ravyn?"
Ash gave a dark half-laugh. None of the Dark-Hunters knew he was a god and he really wanted to keep it that way. The less they knew about him and his sordid past the better. "Long story. The pertinent part is that I have to be careful using my powers around the pregnant Katagaria. If the pregnant wolves are forced into human form by my powers, it'll kill them and their babies instantly. So, I'm fighting strictly hands-on as a human just to be safe. Your powers aren't ionically charged so you should be safe to fight as always."
Val nodded in understanding.
Acheron manifested his warrior's staff, then led Val toward the den.
The camp was in total chaos as the males, mostly in human form, tried to gather up the pregnant wolves and pups and move them without using their magic.
Vane and Fang stood over a pregnant wolf in labor while another male, who bore a striking resemblance to Vane, knelt by her side. The man was quite a bit older than the brothers.
It was Markus.
Ash remembered him well. The ruthless Katagari ruler hated everyone outside the pack.
Then again, Ash amended, as he looked at Vane and Fang, their father hated many who were in the pack as well. Including his own sons.
"Do us proud, Anya," Markus said sternly. "Know I will raise your pups under my full protection."
The wolfswan whined.
Their father stood up and raked a sneer over Vane and Fang. "This is your fault. I curse the day I ever had werewolf sons."
Fang growled at the insult that implied they were more human than animals, and started for his father, but Vane caught him.
Markus curled his lips. "You'd best protect her young. The gods better help you both if something happens to them." He stalked off toward the others.
Acheron and Val headed toward the brothers.
"What are you doing here?" Vane demanded as soon as he saw them. "I told you we can handle this."
Acheron planted the end of his staff in the ground and eyed him with a patience he didn't really possess. "Don't play hero, Vane. The last thing you need is to fight Daimons off your back while Anya labors."
Vane narrowed his eyes at them. "Do you know anything about delivering a baby?"
Ash nodded. "I do indeed. I've helped deliver more than my fair share of them over the last eleven thousand years. Human and otherwise."
In spite of his earlier words, Vane appeared relieved by Ash's answer.
Vane looked at Val. "What about you?"
Val's answer was as out of character for him as his presence here. "I don't know nothing about birthing puppies, Miss Scarlett, but I can cleave the head off a Daimon without breaking a sweat."
"All right, you can both stay." Vane crouched down beside his sister and nuzzled her snout with his face while the she-wolf panted and whined. "Don't worry, baby. I'm not going to leave you."
