by Jami Gray
His eyes flickered, widened, and his hoarse shout had her turning as a brutal pain pierced near her spine and wrapped its vicious claws around the base of her skull. She dropped to her knees, a primal howl painting the air around her with its rage.
Her vision grayed and, through the bond, she caught the image of a knife embedded in her back. Stupid, stupid move, she thought, and slumped forward, her hands slamming into the earth in a desperate attempt to stay upright.
Air rushed over her, filled with the scent of cinnamon, cloves, fur, and fury.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Warrick landed on four paws on the other side of Xander, teeth bared, muscles coiled, his ruff standing on end while a cold, calculating rage sang through his veins. The burn of injuries and silver fell under his driving need to sink his teeth into the throat of the darker wolf now shaking the change from its fur like water.
He didn’t slow, didn’t give Dmitri a chance to find his balance, but slammed into him. Dmitri stumbled and managed to pull his vulnerable muzzle out of the path of Warrick’s snapping jaws. Warrick spun, his nails finding traction in the dirt and powered into Dmitri’s side, driving him back and down.
Dmitri snarled, jaws snapping, trying to force Warrick back as he scrambled to get his hind legs under him. Finding purchase, he rose up and Warrick followed. Both wolves were on their hind legs, forelegs ripping along fur covered shoulders and necks as low growls rumbled and teeth flashed. Warm blood scented the air and decorated the churned-up ground.
Warrick felt the moment Dmitri’s injured leg gave way. Snarling, Warrick lowered his head, slamming it into Dmitri’s neck and using the powerful muscles along his shoulders to ride his brother to the ground, ignoring the agony of the still bleeding bullet wounds.
Dmitri fell back, desperately trying to protect his belly. His claws caught along Warrick’s damaged ribs, sending breath-stealing pain through his chest. His grip loosened, allowing Dmitri to escape.
The two wolves circled each other, one careful step at a time, bloody and focused. Warrick could feel his blood matting his fur. He wasn’t alone. Dmitri’s coat was equally covered. He snarled at Warrick, trying to hide the fact he was unable to put weight on his hind leg. Deep inside his wolf, Warrick smiled nastily.
With no warning, Warrick leapt at Dmitri, driving him back and over, the two wolves locked in a deadly embrace. Warrick sank his teeth deep into Dmitri’s throat as his nails raked down.
Panicked, Dmitri struck out blindly and got lucky. His nails tore into the gunshot wounds on Warrick’s shoulders. Flesh and fur gave way, sending a black wave of agony swimming over Warrick. His jaw went slack as his human scream rose to escape on a howl.
Suddenly the mind numbing pain pulled back, leaving clarity and newfound strength behind. Tenacious determination, love, and achingly familiar warmth rose, giving him distance from his pain. Xander.
Under him, Dmitri still clawed for freedom, twisting on his back, his teeth snapping close. Red had drowned out the amber until only instinctive madness remained. Desperate to get free, his brother was lost under his wolf, his moves instinctive instead of calculating. He slipped from under Warrick and scrambled to his feet, lips peeled back from his teeth.
Warrick lowered his head, growling, watching, and waiting with a predator’s patience. There was no mercy left for the one who had betrayed so many. All he needed was one mistake.
Infuriated, Dmitri lunged. Warrick sidestepped and snapped his teeth closed over Dmitri’s muzzle, locking his jaws. Using the powerful muscles in his shoulders and neck, Warrick sank down and began dragging Dmitri to the ground, exploiting his grip on his brother’s muzzle.
Tendrils of fire leeched along his spine as Xander began to lose the strength to block his pain. He was running out of time.
He set his hind legs and shook his head, his strength such that Dmitri’s spine snapped with an audible sound as he was whipped from side to side. Warrick shook his head a couple of more times until the wolf’s body was completely limp. He dropped to the ground. His teeth still locked on Dmitri’s muzzle, Warrick stared into Dmitri’s maddened eyes, hoping for something he couldn’t name. Blood coated his mouth.
His brother’s blood.
The light in Dmitri’s eye dulled then went out. Warrick unlocked his jaw, letting Dmitri’s head fall to the ground. He lay there, head on his paws, sides billowing, pain forging new paths in places he didn’t even realize existed, until now. He watched the lifeless body of his brother and waited for the guilt of having the death on his hands.
It didn’t show.
Two figures burst out of the forest, smelling of blood and wildness. He lifted his head, the movement causing a small whimper to escape as his body protested. Ryuu and Raine.
He struggled to his feet even as Raine stopped by Xander’s small figure curled on the ground. Renewed panic speared him, even though he could still feel her through their bond. He had to get to Xander. Strength was seeping away, holding his ability to change out of reach. He stumbled and Ryuu was there.
“Vidis. Warrick, let me help.” Ryuu kept his gaze on Warrick’s shoulder, his posture submissive, even as he gave Warrick something to lean against. His Second was naked, blood and cuts marring his skin.
Warrick dipped his head and began to walk toward Raine and Xander. He ignored Ryuu’s exasperated sigh. He was an alpha and alphas were not carried.
Ryuu kept pace as he moved.
“This is going to hurt,” Raine was saying as she knelt next to Xander, an open emergency kit lying beside her. This close, Warrick saw Xander bite her lip, her pale face covered in sweat. She was on her side, Raine’s thighs bracing her chest and stomach as the taller woman leaned over and grabbed the knife sticking out of Xander’s back.
“…two, three.”
Raine pulled the knife free and Xander shuddered, tears leaking from the corner of her closed eyes. One hand was curled onto Raine’s jean-covered thigh. Raine pressed a gauze pad to the wound, working fast to tape it into place.
Warrick dropped next to Xander, nudging her face with his muzzle. Her eyes fluttered open, revealing pain-filled, hazel-shot green. He gave a soft whine and Xander uncurled her fingers from Raine’s thigh. They were shaking as she buried them in the dense fur of his neck. “Did you get him?” she whispered.
He licked her chin and rested his head next to hers, letting his fur soak up her tears. He wanted to hold her but his strength was making a rapid exit.
Ryuu dropped down across from Raine. “Okay, Xander girl. We need to check out the hole you’ve acquired. I can smell silver.”
Deep in his ruff, Xander’s fingers tightened then relaxed. With utmost care, Raine and Ryuu shifted their positions until Xander’s back was now to Ryuu, her front to Raine. Her breath escaped on a hiss as their movements jarred her. Warrick settled in behind her, giving her something to brace her shoulders against. He curled up and buried his nose under her short, silky hair and against the soft skin of her neck. He dragged in the faint tinge of vanilla and fur that belonged to her.
He watched Ryuu and Raine cut away her T-shirt to expose the gunshot wound. The entry wound was small, neat while the exit wound was an ugly mess, vomiting a wash of crimson. The bullet had sliced just under her ribs and torn its way through. A small mercy. If the bullet had lodged inside, they’d have to slice it out of her. Considering how much the lingering traces of silver were affecting her, that wouldn’t have been good.
Raine was pouring something that stung his nose over the hole in front as Ryuu cleaned the larger wound in her back, trying to staunch the blood. “Vidis, I’m going to need you,” he gritted out.
Raine raised her head and gave Warrick a once over. “Since I don’t think red is his natural color, I’m not sure he’s going to have much to give.”
Ryuu didn’t get a chance to respond as the sound of a low engine heralded another arrival. Gravel crunched under tires followed by the dull thud of a door closing. Raine looked over her shoulder
, eyes narrowed. “Expecting company?”
“Ethan,” Ryuu answered, not looking up from his task. He let loose a sharp whistle that hurt Warrick’s ears. Warrick growled and Ryuu slid him a look. “My hands are full.”
Ethan came around the side of the house, racing pass the lifeless but now fully human form of Dmitri, and skidded to a halt next to Raine. Seeing who lay between Ryuu and Raine had worry chasing across his face, before it disappeared under a determined mask. He dropped to his knees. “What do you need?”
“She was shot with silver.” Ryuu met Warrick’s gaze for a moment. “So was Vidis. We need to heal them both.”
Ethan gave a sharp nod and wrapped a hand around Xander’s leg. “Hey, sis. Looks like you forgot to duck.”
Her grin switched to a grimace. “Don’t tell Mom.”
“Yeah, I’m thinking you may not be able to hide this from her.”
“Ethan, come over here,” Raine said, her hands holding Xander still as she shifted back. Ethan moved over to take Raine’s place, gently settling in next to his sister, mindful of her wound.
Raine moved toward Warrick.
He lifted his head and growled.
“What? You’re bleeding like a stuck pig.”
“He won’t let you near him until Xander’s healed first,” Ryuu told her.
Raine’s hands went to her hips as she glared down at the Northwest alpha. Warrick’s wolf didn’t like her standing over him and he forced his legs to move.
“Raine, sit the hell down.” That was Xander. “And stop pushing his buttons.”
Raine dropped to her haunches with a huff. “Stubborn male.”
“He’s an alpha, you idiot,” Xander muttered.
“And that’s an excuse?” Raine asked.
“Yep,” Ethan drawled. “Even pulling on death’s whiskers, he’d still rip you apart.”
Raine’s lip curled. “Fine. Then you better get started because from the amount of blood he’s standing in, I’d say your big, bad alpha is a about a quart and half low.”
Warrick waited until Raine’s butt hit the ground before resettling next to his mate. The minute he felt his Second reach through the pack ties, he gathered the healing magic available to him and funneled it, through Ryuu and Ethan, into Xander. It roared through the ties, slid into the mating bond and hit him like a tsunami. Unexpected heat and light rushed over torn muscles and bones, seeping deep.
Time passed and he floated in the sensation, never losing his mental touch on Xander. He could feel her and her wolf curled against him, trusting him to stand as her protector. Something in his chest loosened and the mating bond deepened. He could feel her ease past his ragged edges, her love and acceptance a quiet balm to wounds he hadn’t been aware of carrying. She wound her way through his being, filling his empty spaces.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Xander woke to the sound of a softly muttering fire, wrapped in cinnamon and cloves and heated skin. Under her cheek, the reassuring thump of Warrick’s heart kept a steady beat. His soft exhales ruffled her hair. He was sleeping.
She stretched slowly, waiting for her body to protest. There were twinges, but nothing like what she expected. She rubbed her nose across his chest, dragging his comforting scent deep into her lungs, and held her breath, wanting to hold this moment close.
Events from earlier began to trickle through her memory and she let her breath out. Dmitri was dead. Warrick had killed him. She shuddered. His arms tightened around her. She relaxed, letting her mind sort through things.
Dmitri’s death may have resolved the immediate threat, but she had a sinking feeling that a bigger one was barreling closer. If they couldn’t find his supplier, Sutler, they’d lose all leads on the drug used on the mavericks. Having a human involved worried her. Hunting Sutler down would have to become a priority, not just for their pack, but for all the Kyn. She bet it would top the Wraiths’ to-do list, right after get a new captain.
A wave of grief touched her and drifted away. She hadn’t been close to Mulcahy, but she had respected him. Regardless of how callous some of his past decisions were, she had never doubted that everything he did was to protect the Northwest Kyn. That type of leader was rare.
Natasha’s determination to take over the Wraiths made Xander uneasy. Holding the reins of a specialized group of hunters and killers gave a leader a very lethal edge. Natasha was nightmarish enough in her own right without being the Captain of the Wraiths. Add in the fact that Raine wasn’t the only one who had serious issues with the Amanusa queen, and the future looked downright scary.
“Relax, pixie girl. Don’t go borrowing trouble,” Warrick rumbled.
Startled, she raised her head. “What? You can read my mind now?”
He chuckled, his eyes still closed. “No, but I can hear your mind racing like a hummingbird on crack.”
She choked on a giggle at his unexpected humor. She dropped her head back to his chest and amused herself by tracing absent patterns on his skin. He rumbled in pleasure at her touch. Her face heated as she felt the echo of her touch against his skin through their bond. Now that they weren’t facing down psychotic wolves or dodging silver bullets, she let herself really look at the tie connecting her to Warrick and was stunned at what she found.
Her heart raced and a closely held hope began to stretch its fragile wings. There were no more barriers, no more closed-off spaces. Tentatively, she reached out and touched a wealth of love, acceptance, need, and want. Her heart shattered into a million pieces, only to reform into something new and better with him.
“What happened?” she choked out.
“I told you before, I wouldn’t let you go.” His voice was husky. “I meant it.” With serious intensity, he held her gaze. “I love you.”
Blinking back tears, she stared at him. “I love you, too.”
He smiled and the emotion behind it sang through her. “You’re mine now, pixie girl. There’s no escaping.”
She laughed, even as tears fell down her face.
His fingers were gentle as he brushed them away. “Do me a favor? Next time, make sure you remove all weapons from our enemies before you walk away.”
The aggrieved tone in his voice had her grin spreading. “Bite me, alpha mine.”
“Gladly,” he growled, dragging her up so he could nip her chin before capturing her mouth with his. Heat coiled low in her belly as he rolled her under him, their legs tangling. Then her big bad wolf proceeded to show her what it really meant to be an alpha’s mate.
A long time later, Xander lay sprawled over a very sated male wolf as they lay before the fire, her body a boneless, happy mass. Unfortunately, reality began to intrude.
“Who’s going to step into Mulcahy’s place in the Fey House?” She racked her brain for a name or face and came up blank.
Warrick sighed. “I have an idea, but I’m not sure. They’ve been called the Hidden People for a reason. They’re very insular. Mulcahy never really talked about his people.”
Xander frowned. “Is Natasha right, then? Will the Council send someone to take his place?”
“Oh, the Council will send someone all right.” His voice took on the edge of a growl. “But it won’t be to replace Mulcahy. If anything, they’ll use his death as an excuse to send their eyes and ears into our business.”
She saw his wolf staring back at her. She reached up and brushed a soft touch over his jaw. “Why does that worry you?”
He unwrapped one arm and tucked it under his head so he could meet her gaze. “The Council is a bunch of very old, very powerful creatures, who have no concept of what it means to live in the mortal world. They view humans as short-lived nuisances. Anything new and different is viewed with extreme prejudice.”
“New and different?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Have you been paying attention to Raine and Gavin, love?”
Xander didn’t answer.
He smiled at her silence and traced a finger over the lines of her tattoo. “The thi
ngs Raine can do, the potential she’s carried since she left Talbot’s labs has been a well-hidden point of speculation between Mulcahy and myself.”
“And Natasha and Cheveyo?”
Warrick shrugged. “I don’t know if Mulcahy talked to either of them about her. If he didn’t, they may have their own ideas, but it hasn’t been discussed.” He paused, his gaze roaming over her face as if he was memorizing her every feature. “That may have to change. Without Mulcahy, it may fall to the three of us to keep her safe.”
She stilled. “Is she in danger?”
“Not yet, but Mulcahy was worried we might be running out of time. Ever since that scientist shot Gavin up with her little drug cocktail, he’s been demonstrating some interesting twists to his magic. Twists that shouldn’t exist. We can only keep them hidden from the Council for so long. I’m not sure how successful any of us will be in getting someone to listen before they decide to eliminate a perceived threat.”
Temper spiked and she snarled, “Raine and Gavin have done nothing wrong. The Council has no right to pass judgment on them.”
Warrick’s expression remained grim. “They are the Council, Xander, and going against them is tantamount to declaring civil war. In this day and age of magic and science, you would think they would grasp the enormity of the modern world. Instead, it’s extremely difficult to get them to understand that if the Kyn are to have any chance of survival, we’re going to have to move out of the shadows and become part of the mortal world.”
She folded a hand on his chest and rested her chin on it. “Sounds like an old argument.”
His lips quirked. “Very old and the answer is no closer to being found now than when this all started.”
“They can’t have Raine or Gavin, Warrick,” she said, her voice quiet but determined.
His smile was all teeth. “No, they can’t, because they’re ours.”
