Savage Silence: A Dire Wolves Mission (The Devil's Dires Book 4) Read Free Page B

hovel-like structures. Another man stepped out of the shadows of one of the dilapidated buildings, watching. Waiting to see who won the battle so he could scavenge the carcass of the fallen, no doubt. Or so he could snatch the power away from the one holding it. Thaus didn’t need to know that shifter to know that look. Definitely not a pack.
    Time to get to work so he could get the fuck out of here. “I’m Cleaner Sathaus. President Blasius Zenne sent me here regarding a contract dispute.”
    The man watching from the sidelines barked a laugh. “He sent a Cleaner for a contract dispute? Aren’t you guys supposed to be the big, bad soldiers of the NALB? You too weak to be anything more than a paper pusher, son?”
    Thaus wasn’t stupid enough to bite at that, though he secretly hoped he’d get the chance to show the jackass exactly how weak he wasn’t. “We serve at the pleasure of our president.”
    The assumed Alpha sneered. “Yes, well, so long as you can read, I guess you’ll do. Come on, then. I’ll show you the contract.”
    But Thaus didn’t follow orders from the likes of men like him. “And you are?”
    Thaus already knew who he was, knew the guy’s place in this straggly little group from the second he opened his arrogant mouth. Still, he asked for confirmation. Thaus wasn’t about to give the guy the respect immediately marking him as an Alpha would impart. He’d rather piss the fucker off and keep him off-balance.
    The Alpha turned slowly, his face red and his eyes angry. Score one for Team Dire.
    “I am Alpha Chilton of the Glaxious Pack,” the man said, obviously seething. “We have been a member of the NALB for almost three centuries and are well known throughout the leadership.”
    Thaus raised an eyebrow at that comment. Dire Wolves only had two levels of leadership—pack Alpha Luc and Blasius Zenne, the president they all chose to follow. And that non-pack connection with President Zenne was easy to end should the need become apparent. But this guy had no clue who or what he really was, so Thaus kept his mouth shut. Though he stared the Alpha down until the man finally broke.
    Some things simply had to be done.
    “Well,” Chilton said, shaking off the challenge Thaus had won. “If you have no other stupid questions, we’ll get this started.”
    Thaus followed the angry imp across the muddy ground, biting back a grin. He’d gotten under the guy’s skin. Sometimes it was fun putting these so-called Alphas in their place. It’d really be fun when he told Chilton the Glaxious pack couldn’t simply call claim on the Omega shewolf. If she didn’t want to join the pack—and he could totally see why no woman ever would—she wasn’t joining it. Period. Dante wouldn’t have assigned the job to Thaus if he’d wanted some sort of compromise. No one sent a warrior to deal with paperwork unless they were ready to see the entire building where the paper was stored burned to the ground.
    “Eight members, or nine?” Thaus asked, unable to figure out why he couldn’t lock in on a number.
    Chilton shot him a side-eye sort of look. “Eight.”
    “Small pack.”
    “My men are strong fighters. We’re very blessed.”
    Thaus didn’t see eight men living in the woods with a leader like Chilton as blessed. He also knew there were a lot more than eight shifters roaming nearby. Shifters he doubted Chilton had the power or strength to control. “And the human woman?”
    “She asked to join us, so I allowed it.” Chilton chuckled. “Everyone needs to burn off a little steam now and again.”
    Chilton’s laugh, the sarcastic way he said those words, the obvious disrespect for a human life… If Thaus hadn’t been on an assigned mission, he would have knocked the fucker to the ground. What a disgusting piece of shit. Thaus had no great love for the human race, but he still didn’t want to see them treated as some sort of slave for the needs of multiple shifters. There was absolutely no way