Instead, I started spinning half-truths. “If I drink from Tank, there’s a good chance it’ll break whatever hold the Master has over him,” I guessed, hoped. “It might...”
Gunner stepped forward so abruptly my subsequent words lapsed into breathlessness. “You want this?”
“Yes.” I barely had breath enough to reply.
“And you’re willing?” This to Tank.
“Of course, alpha.”
“Then do it.” Only, Gunner didn’t stand aside and let Tank slip in between us. Instead, he crooked his finger, waited for his underling to approach, then reached down to encircle the latter’s broad wrist in his even larger hand.
Gunner’s fangs bit into Tank’s skin so quickly I wasn’t the only one left gasping. But the lawyer stifled his inhale, closed his eyes, and made no complaint as Gunner lifted the open wound up to my lips.
The gesture felt strangely intimate. And at the same time exactly as it should have been. Me, Gunner, and Tank united within our own small pack.
But the blood on my tongue was bitter, so acrid I almost spat it back out rather than swallowing. This experience was nothing like drinking from Gunner. Instead, it took all I had not to push Tank’s wrist away.
Nonetheless, the rich blood strengthened me. I could feel it infusing my star ball with a burst of power, hooking me back into the mind of the bear....
“Come,” I whispered around Tank’s bleeding body. Only, it wasn’t me speaking. For half a second, I felt Mama’s fingers on my shoulders. Warning, warming.
Then the blood slowed, sweetened. And I knew that the bear was much closer than I’d initially thought.
“Watch out!” I yelled, not minding the way words came out along with a spray of bloody spittle this time. Because the killer bear was right behind Gunner. Had gotten its wires crossed and decided werewolves were just as easy prey as the average pint-sized toddler.
Meanwhile, my warning had turned Gunner’s attention toward me rather than toward the massive animal. So I could do nothing but watch as it reared up to slash at his back.
Chapter 33
Gunner shifted and twisted as the bear fell forward on top of him. Which didn’t mean he came away unscathed, of course. But at least the bear’s tremendous claws merely swiped a gash from furry shoulder to billowing ribcage rather than ripping the wolf’s belly all the way out.
No wonder the bear roared out frustration at losing such an easy kill, its breath wafting over me in a vile wave that overwhelmed my senses despite the distance between us both. The stench resembled fly-covered carrion and sleepless nights spent ruminating, telling me even better than the newspaper article had that this bear was the animal version of a serial killer, less interested in eating than it was in the kill.
I noted all this in the time it took to call my sword into existence. Even magical steel seemed too soft to pierce a bear’s thick hide, actually. But I had to at least try to tilt the battle in our favor....
Except, Tank’s hand swung down out of nowhere, pinching my fingers so abruptly that I reverted to mistakes of a beginner, dropping my blade as if my fingers had become coated in grease. The weapon flashed into pure magic as it left me, slipping around my ankles and melding back into my skin for later utilization. So I hadn’t lost the potential for swordsmanship. And yet....
“What the...?” I demanded, whirling and peering into Tank’s face. I expected the flash of red promising the Master had taken control of his senses. But, instead, the lawyer’s eyes were as blue and clear as water reflecting the sky.
“No weapons,” he explained tersely, his hand still clenched down on mine as if to ensure I listened. He spoke as quickly as if the judge had offered him a mere ten seconds for his summation. “That would be cheating. They’ll check the hide for signs of gun or knife wounds. Which isn’t to say Gunner can’t have help in fur form from a second and a mate....”
Mate. The word left me speechless long enough that Tank had already shifted and dove into the fight before I came back to my senses. Now would have been a good time to retreat to the vehicle. But, instead, the pair flanked the bear from opposite directions, lunging forward so quickly the behemoth was hard-pressed to keep up.
That was our opponent’s weakness, I gathered. Size meant it lacked both speed and agility. Still, the wolves were making little progress, their teeth sliding through fur without leaving blood trails behind.
And they were already wounded, both of them. Gunner now suffered slashes on his muzzle and hindquarters matching the one the bear had swiped across his side at the beginning. Meanwhile, Tank looked little better, with a wound on his temple that had barely missed taking out one eye.
Eyes. Of course. The bear’s skin was impenetrable to the efforts of a wolf pack. But a fox might be able to run up its back and strike the animal blind....
Moving as quickly as the thought occurred to me, I was four-legged and fleet-footed in the time it took for Gunner and Tank to choreograph yet another attack against our shared enemy. The bear had previously seemed bamboozled by similar joint efforts. But this time, it ignored Gunner and swung at his companion, flinging the lawyer against a nearby tree so hard that he didn’t even manage to yelp.
Move, Tank! I screamed silently, hoping the lawyer would manage to regain his footing before the bear lumbered into a charge. Unfortunately, Tank lay still and silent...and then I lost sight of him entirely as I clawed straight up the bear’s body, clinging to its matted fur.
The beast shivered like a cow shaking a fly off its hindquarters, but otherwise seemed rather uninterested in me as I clambered up. Cresting its spine with little effort, I came to rest on top of its broad head just as the beast rose two-legged above Tank’s comatose body....
Meanwhile, Gunner was nipping wildly at the bear’s hind legs beneath us, attempting and failing to reach the softer skin of the animal’s belly. Not that even a bite there would have halted the upcoming carnage. Because the bear’s fur was even thicker on its underside, hanging down in long, tangled sheets.
And then it was time to put my plan into action, despite the stench so foul it nearly made me lose my grip. I braced my hind legs and leaned down to go after one beady eyeball, each orb as brown and liquidy as the next.
At that moment, however, Tank whimpered, coming awake just in time to see death looming above him. It wouldn’t be his death, though. Not if I could help it....
I strained with all my might to reach the bear’s eye without losing my footing. Then, just as I slashed, the pupil flashed bright red.
Chapter 34
So Mama summoned the bear after all, I noted even as the possessed animal beneath me twisted faster than a bear really should have been capable of. It flung me off its forehead and toward Tank, and all I could think was: I failed my pack.
Air pressed my fur against the skin underneath it, and I braced myself for impact with the surrounding brush. But it was human hands not hard wood that hit my body, human hands that grabbed my feet and boosted me back aloft.
Because my pack had felt me coming. And somehow Tank had understood my game plan well enough to fling me back into the exact right place.
I hit the bear’s neck faster than I’d left it, scrambled upward even as Gunner nipped wildly at our enemy’s flesh. Predictably, the bear lashed out at him, dinner-plate-sized paw extended...and this time Gunner didn’t even try to dodge our shared enemy. Instead, he latched down on the soft skin between already bloodied claws, giving me time to complete my attack.
It was too late to gamble on a paw stroke, not when Gunner was already deeply entwined with the bear’s claws. Instead, I dove at our opponent’s eyeball, biting hard just as Gunner was doing down below.
The orb popped like a grape, but I had no time to be disgusted. Just scooted sideways to take out the other eye even as the bear raised both front legs to paw at its streaming face. Then I leapt free, barely making it off the toppling bear before being crushed beneath its descending body....
Be
cause wolf teeth apparently are sufficient to tear out bear bellies. Or at least they are if the bear in question is blind and unable to fight back. Tank and Gunner were soaked in blood and half-digested intestinal contents before they finished. But all I felt was sublime relief.
Relief that even though Mama had obeyed the Master and drawn this bear here as ordered, she seemed to have been looking out for my best interests after all. Because now we had the means necessary to win Gunner’s ascendancy to the head of clan Atwood. As long as we arrived back at the meeting hill before dark, that is.
Unfortunately, the sun was falling quickly toward the tree line, the hard work of rolling the bear carcass into the back of the SUV taking all the strength we had left. Wordlessly, we tumbled into the vehicle, Tank in the front and me and Gunner in the rear cargo area. The alpha pulled the scariest-looking hunting knife I’d ever seen out of the bag that had yielded up our clothes earlier, hacking into the animal’s hide as he explained: “We’ll bring the head to prove our kill....”
Despite the grisly spectacle, I felt safe beside my pack mates. And I must have fallen asleep for a few minutes after that. Because when I next looked up, we were turning back onto the gravel driveway that led to clan central. Daylight was fading, the sky burning with oranges and pinks as we rolled toward the street where we’d initially picked up this borrowed vehicle.
We’d need to run to get to the meeting spot by the deadline. A tough sell while carrying our macabre—and heavy—load....
Only, time wasn’t the only factor working against us. Because Tank swore from the front seat, prompting me to half rise so I could peer out the windshield.
And what I saw there had my hand falling down to clamp upon Gunner’s shoulder in search of reassurance. The quiet cul-de-sac we’d left a few hours earlier was no longer empty. Instead, Becky must have tattled on us. Because the tarmac was covered with what looked like an army of none-too-pleasant werewolves.
Chapter 35
Fox instincts can sometimes kick in at the most inopportune of moments. Like now, when the SUV screeched to a halt and a shifter I’d never before set eyes on stepped forward to pull the hatchback aloft. He and his comrades pressed inward, their scent of fur and electricity invading the vehicle quite thoroughly despite their two-legged stature. And all I could do was struggle against the imperative to shift into fox form, wriggle through the merest sliver of elbow room, and make my escape.
Because I was trapped. Stuck in an unyielding metal box while surrounded by werewolves. I knew it was a bad idea to don my fur and show how different I was from the others, but somehow that knowledge felt distant and vague....
Then Gunner’s arm settled across my shoulders, his mere presence thawing the chill in my blood and settling my mind. “Edward,” he greeted the closest werewolf.
Gunner’s tone was cordial but his muscles were rope-like with tension as he angled me behind him. And even though the posturing of a dominant werewolf goes a long way, I wasn’t so certain even Gunner could overcome all fifty of these werewolves while cornered in the back of the blood-stained vehicle....
Tank must have jumped to the same conclusion I had. Because I heard the creak of his door opening behind my left shoulder, then I smelled the lawyer’s aroma drifting closer as he padded around to stand at the other werewolves’ backs.
So we were three against fifty rather than two against fifty. Somehow that knowledge wasn’t enough to soothe my racing heartbeat. Still, I held onto my human skin with an effort, not wanting to make matters worse by giving in to fox terror and skin.
For thirty long seconds, we stayed there, lost in some silent werewolf battle of willpower. Then, finally, Edward answered Gunner’s greeting. “Alpha,” the former started, dropped to one knee outside the vehicle, his gaze falling so rapidly that his chin thunked against his chest. “Pack leader. We’ve come to help you carry your kill.”
Oh. My breath wheezed out far too loudly, but no one paid me any attention. Instead, the wave of kneeling swept out on both sides from its epicenter around Edward, until the sensation of pack surged up to surround us in a solid wave.
We had backup. I hadn’t realized how little I relished the notion of Gunner standing alone against his brother until what seemed like two-thirds of the Atwood clan transferred their loyalties without even being asked to do so.
But Gunner didn’t accept the offer as easily as I would have done. Instead, he hopped down out of the vehicle, resting his hand upon Edward’s shoulder. And he waited for nearly a minute until the older male lost his fascination with the pavement and finally glanced back up.
“It’s dangerous to take sides at this moment,” the alpha warned his supporter. “If Ransom wins, you lose quite severely.”
“It’s more dangerous to be governed by the wrong pack leader,” Edward answered just as carefully. And I could read between the lines that he had much more to say.
But there was no time to discuss repercussions and loyalties. Because the sun was dipping below the tree line. Time was running out even as a dozen hands pressed me sideways so they could reach the bear carcass in the back of the vehicle.
Being werewolves, they had no respect for my personal space. Nonetheless, I only had eyes for one werewolf: Gunner.
The younger brother looked so much like an alpha at that moment that it was hard to believe he’d allowed Ransom a shot at being pack leader. And if he was finally going to meet his destiny, I couldn’t let my kitsune nature hold him back.
So: “Go. I’ll follow,” I told him, an unspoken understanding flowing between us.
Then, with a nod at two werewolf strangers who were clearly expected to stay two-legged alongside me, Gunner and his pack mates were running with the bear body between them away into the descending night.
THEIR PATH WAS EASY to follow, the mass of wolves and two-leggers having broken branches and matted down tangles as they arrowed directly toward the meeting hill. But I couldn’t shift in front of strangers. So, two-legged, our journey turned into a slow and frustrating slog.
Night had nearly fallen by this point, which was maddening since each flashing lightning bug not only reminded me that Gunner and Ransom would already be meeting...it also made me shiver at the memory of my dream. Blood on the hilltop, me facing the Master directly. If that was to be the culmination of this evening, I wished we could fast forward ahead directly to the end.
But my human feet could only walk so swiftly. And as I opened my mouth to see whether the werewolves beside me might consider shifting and going ahead without me...someone stepped toward us out of the trees.
I didn’t realize who it was for ten long seconds, my star ball gathering invisibly between my clenched fingers as I peered into the shadows beneath the pine trees. Was it worth revealing my kitsune nature to fight off this newcomer? I couldn’t be sure, but I was ready to do whatever was necessary to ensure I made it to Gunner’s side intact.
Only, before more than the hilt of my sword had materialized, Liam stepped out into the open. His eyes were wild as he ran both hands through already ruffled hair, and he barely gasped out “Kira needs you” before stopping to catch his breath.
“How did...?” I started then shook my head at the irrelevancy of asking how Liam had managed to track me down in the vast expanse of forest. He’d likely used the pack bond just like his sister had. And if Kira needed me...then I’d just have to send these two strangers to help Gunner in my place.
“Go,” I told them, wishing I could remember the names they’d offered when they’d introduced themselves. But Gunner’s furry tail had been receding into the treeline, and their names had gone in one ear and out the other as I stared at their alpha’s back.
Now, the pair stood with furrowed brows and cocked heads, unwilling to either obey or gainsay me. We were losing time to their uncertainty, so I reached out and gestured at Liam. Surely the alpha’s cousin was a more than acceptable bodyguard....
And, after one glance shared among themselves,
the taller shifter shrugged, the shorter one nodded. Then they were dropping into wolf form, sprinting into the darkness, leaving me and Liam entirely alone.
Well, alone save my imaginings of what might have sent Liam running to find me when a succession battle was also taking place in the forest. “Where is she? What happened?” I demanded.
“This way,” Liam answered, leading me beneath the glowering bulk of the pine tree from which he’d emerged and away from our fellow shifters who were likely already out of earshot as well as sight. It was pitch dark beneath the needled behemoths, hard for even shifter eyes to capture enough light to walk through. So I wasn’t surprised when the male beside me stumbled, his toe seeming to catch on an upraised root.
I grabbed Liam’s arm to keep him upright, felt his weight cave in on me as he barely managed not to fall. Yesterday, I would have been daunted by the sensation of a werewolf impinging upon my personal space. But, today, I understood what it meant to be part of a pack. So I gave Liam my strength willingly, accepting his hand as it searched blindly for my own in the dark.
“Ah, there we go,” Liam murmured. And he no longer sounded breathless and weakened. Instead, the words were strangely smug even as pain shot through my index finger.
I tried to look down to see what had pierced my skin, but the forest was fading away around me. For an endless second, I floated in darkness...then I was seeing through someone else’s eyes on an all-too-familiar hilltop that was already saturated with blood.
Chapter 36
The blood wasn’t human, however, as I realized when the hands I was guiding—broad, callused, not my own—helped three other shifters heave the skinned bear carcass over onto its front. Beside it lay a twelve-point buck, hefty and impressive but no match for the dead predator Gunner had brought back.
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