Page 19 of Bandit's Bounty

Fucking hell, did he really say he made a deal with a demon? Does he realize that his life no longer belongs to him? What kind of moron does something so insane?

"Now, if you would be so kind as to comply, there’s a contract to abide by and I would like to claim my property. If you do not wish to release her to me, then I'll take her by force."

The last words barely cross his lips when Dane launches himself at Brady, having fully shifted. His actions spark a massive fight to break out, and I soon find myself embroiled in protecting my president while simultaneously keeping an eye on my sister’s mate. I may still have reservations about the asshole, but if that’s who fate decreed she was going to be with, and she’s accepted his claim, I need to protect him as well. For her sake, because I could care less if today was the day he meets his maker.

Dammit. My eyes widen when I notice Brady pull out a gun from his side and turn it on Dane. His intention is clear, and it makes my beast rumble at the audacity of this motherfucker. He pulls the trigger over and over again, Dane’s now humanoid body jolting with each impact of the projectiles as they connect with his mortal flesh. Still, it doesn’t stop his brutal assault on Brady, and I watch on as he rips Brady’s head from his neck and beheading him, then with a precise movement, he wades through the fox shifters we’re battling, finds a tree limb then impales the bastard’s head onto it. He turns it toward where everyone is still fighting, and I watch as one of the foxes shifts and begins to cry.

Dane’s voice is loud, carrying through the deafening noise as he yells, “This is what happens when you cross the Spiked Raiders.” He then pulls the head off and tosses it toward the fox and continues issuing his decree, “You fuck with one of us, you fuck with all of us.”

"You killed him," the fox snaps at Dane, now mutinously glaring at him. I move closer because he’s not looking too good right now.

"Yeah, and you all but killed my brother," he sneers, obviously not giving a damn about her or her protests. I don’t know what he’s talking about right now, but I keep listening. "Maybe now without the asshat, you'll realize your fuck up, regardless, it's too late, the damage is done."

"Brother you need to calm down and let us see to those wounds," Zavier remarks, speaking to Dane.

I look closely at Zavier and notice his own body is covered in scratches, blood, and sweat. Behind me, members of both clubsare containing the fox shifters. Some of them are still shifted, others have now switched back into their human forms.

"I'm good," Dane replies.

I see Dane looking around for the two men that Brady ordered to hurt Raine. I want a piece of them as well, if possible, but with Dane being her mate he has that claim which means I may not get that chance. Dane then rushes them, snatches a gun from one of them, turns it on the other guy and shoots him in retaliation. He then kills the other one, letting his body slump and drop unceremoniously onto the ground. He then releases the gun and turns to see all of us watching him with a keen eye.

"Brother, you gotta see to those wounds," Corbin firmly states. "Your sister, Karsyn, will have all our asses if you die."

Dane collapses and would’ve hit the ground if his brothers hadn’t caught him. Zavier mutters, “We need to get him back to the clubhouse. He’s lost a lot of blood.”

“Don’t think we’ve got time for that,” Corbin replies, right before I see Dane’s eyes roll back as he passes out.

As an established unit, we follow the Spiked Raiders back to their clubhouse, concern for Dane overshadowing the events of what just happened. At least, for the time being, the threat against my sister is over and done with, but with some of the things Brady mentioned during his ramblings, I know we’re going to need to have a multi-club church meeting so both clubs can give their accounts and figure out where we go from here.

Without a doubt, whatever happened out there, will impact all of us as a whole and we’re going to need to be prepared for the fallout. The Iron Howlers may stay on the legal side of things of the spectrum as opposed to how the Spiked Raiders operate, but at the end of the day, in many ways, we’re the barriers to keep anything bad from finding its way into Redwich territory.

While we wait for news on Dane’s current condition, we pile into the room the Spiked Raiders use for church.

“What the fuck is happening?” Cyrus asks.

Corbin nods at Tucker, who starts talking. “Dane and I were checking out a route recently and came across some blood witches. They advised that the land we were on was sacred land for those who ‘wish to honor the dead’,” Tucker says, repeating their phrase. “The one who was talking, since there was a shit ton of them, advised that the Dream Walkers watch over the dead. We couldn’t see anything to indicate there was anything buried there, but Axel, Jackson, me, and Dane could tell something wasn’t right. That probably doesn’t make sense, but there was a sense ofsomething. Y’all know how we feel about blood witches since we’ve got a considerable history with them that isn’t good.”

I growl in agreement because they’ve been after Jazzy and Sage, as well as Harmony and Karsyn, although their reasons are still somewhat of a mystery. “Did they say anything else?” I finally ask.

“She said that the Dream Walkers left the area when Death came. They took it upon themselves to watch over that land and that Death was upset when they disappeared. He had plans to use them, especially the infant who was a halfling.”

“Raine,” I whisper, wondering if I’m correct in my assessment. We never knew her heritage when we found her in the woods as an infant, but if what Tucker is saying is true, maybe she’s a Dream Walker.

“What was he planning?” Cyrus questions.

“She didn’t say much more about it other than she wouldn’t be able to live amongst dream walkers and survive. Told us the place was sacred, and without her, it shouldn’t be touched. Without the Dream Walkers to watch over the dead, evil can easily come in to reign and bring back to life what should never be brought back.”

“Is she talking about Death? We killed that fucker!” Several voices say in unison.

Tucker holds up his hand to silence us and we quiet down. “She said one more thing, brothers. She said that Death cannot be killed without living again. He’ll be back again, and you will not know when it happens, but he’s coming for you all. Not just for our club but the other one. The prophecies are coming to light, and Dane is apparently Raine’s anchor that bonds her. The blood of those to come into themselves will ripen and soon Death will want them all over again. It’s their blood that will make him powerful.”

“Fucking hell,” Corbin growls out. He looks over at Cyrus and something fundamental passes between them before Corbin nods. “There are things that we can’t reveal to the clubs just yet.”

“Why the fuck not?” Big Daddy yells. “How can we prepare if we don’t know everything?”

“Much like Coby was tricked by the fox shifter, there could be others who use and manipulate one of us to try and keep the prophecies from coming to pass,” Cyrus retorts.

“We can’t tell, lives are at stake, Big Daddy,” Cyrus adds.

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