by Karen Lynch
Gary stepped back nervously. Trevor, what are you doing? Put that away before someone gets hurt.
Trevor scowled at him. “What do you think we came out here for? A picnic?”
Sorry, man. I can’t be part of this. Rob turned and disappeared into the trees.
“Coward,” Trevor yelled after him.
I snorted. You’re the coward, Trevor. You can’t even fight me like a wolf.
His face twisted in rage, and he threw the chain and gloves on the ground. “By the time I’m done with you, pup, you’ll be crying for your mommy.”
He leaped at me, shifting in the air. I tried to move out of his path, but Gary hit me from behind and I stumbled from the blow. Trevor slammed into me, his teeth sinking into my shoulder.
A howl of pain bellowed from me as muscle and sinew tore under his powerful jaws, and I jerked violently, flinging both wolves off me.
Trevor landed in the stream. Snarling, he jumped out and spun back to me. What the fuck? You reek of a human.
A human? Gary asked from behind me.
A female. Trevor snorted. So, that’s why you’re never around. Wonder if the Alpha knows his nephew is doing a human.
He shook the water from his fur. I bet you’ve never even had one of our females, have you, pup? All you can handle is a puny little human.
Before I could respond, Gary tackled me, sending me to my knees. His teeth locked onto the back of my neck to force me to submit as Trevor rushed me again. With my injured shoulder, my legs gave out under the weight of them both, and my belly hit the ground.
What do you have to say now? Trevor gloated, as if he had me beaten. My wolf was already gathering his strength to make these bastards regret stepping into the woods today.
I grunted as one of them pressed down on my bad shoulder. You can’t even fight me without your sidekick. It’s no wonder Maxwell booted you from the Beta selection.
You arrogant son of a bitch. I can take you anytime, anywhere, Trevor snarled.
I grinned despite the pain. No thanks. I prefer females.
I know what you prefer. Trevor inhaled deeply. Mmmm, she smells pretty good, actually, for a human. Maybe when I’m done here, I’ll go show her a real –
A growl ripped from my throat, and I pushed off the ground, fueled by blind rage. Gary flew backward, but I didn’t care about him. My eyes were on Trevor, who scrambled to his feet and backed away.
In the next instant, he shifted again, and I realized his intent too late. Snatching up one of the gloves, he used it to grab the end of the silver chain in the grass. His face twisted into an ugly sneer as he swung the chain over his head and let the end fly at me.
Not even my thick fur could protect me from pure silver, and I howled as the chain wrapped around my neck and burned into my skin like acid. My vision darkened, and for moment, my legs threatened to give out.
He pulled on the chain, his arms bulging from the effort to strangle me into submission. Ignoring the excruciating pain, I grabbed the chain and jerked him toward me.
My teeth closed around his wrist, and he screamed as the bones snapped. The chain went slack, and I used my free hand to tear the thing from my neck. He’d pulled it so tight it had sunk into my flesh, and I could barely hold back my own scream as it came free.
I loomed over Trevor who was on his knees, cowering like the rat he was. My wolf wanted me to kill him for threatening our mate, and I was close to doing it. I’d take whatever punishment Maxwell gave me for taking the life of a pack member, even banishment, to protect Emma.
Sharp teeth sank into my hindquarter as Gary tried to drag me away from his friend.
I grunted in pain and reached back to grab him around the throat. My claws dug into his throat, and he made a choked sound as I pulled him around me and slammed him into Trevor, who had tried to crawl away. Man and wolf fell to the ground in a tangle of arms and legs.
I rose to my full height over them, mouth foaming, pain and rage sending me almost beyond rational thought. Trevor tried to disentangle himself from Gary, and I grabbed him by the foot and dragged him roughly to me. I wrapped my hand around his throat and lifted him until he was dangling and gasping for air.
“Roland, no!”
Chapter 17
Roland
Brendan’s deep voice rang with dominance, and my body trembled in response. But my wolf would not submit, not this time. He wanted to hurt the ones who would harm our mate.
My claws tightened around Trevor’s throat, and his face turned a mottled blue as his good hand fell limply to his side.
A large body slammed into mine, taking us all to the ground. Hands pried my claws from Trevor, and someone else dragged him out of my reach. I watched in a dazed state as Francis checked the other man’s pulse.
“He’s alive.”
Brendan’s arms remained tight around me. Even in his human form, he was strong enough to hold me down. Or maybe the fight was gone out of me.
“It’s over. You hear me?” he growled in my ear. “Francis and I will take it from here.”
I could only pant from exertion and pain.
“Roland, you hear me?” Brendan asked.
Yes.
He released me and got to his feet. I stayed on the ground, afraid I’d do something to Trevor and Gary if I moved.
Brendan sat on his haunches and studied the bloody, raw wounds on my neck. He looked around until he saw the silver chain lying several feet away. His eyes narrowed, and his pupils grew until his irises looked black.
His gaze swung to Trevor, who was naked except for the damning leather glove on his hand. That was all it took for Brendan to know what had gone down here. No other words were necessary.
Francis came over to me, his mouth set in a grim line. “How bad are you hurt?”
I’ll make it, I said in an attempt at humor. I tried to stand, and an agonized groan slipped out.
“Here.” His strong arms reached around me and helped me to my feet. “You’re bleeding pretty bad. Don’t shift. You’ll heal faster in your fur.”
My shoulder stung, but it was nothing compared to the burns on my neck. Francis stepped back and looked at me, his jaw clenching at the sight of my ravaged throat.
How did you know? I asked him.
“Julie overheard Trevor and Gary talking about jumping you on patrol. She came to me, and I found Brendan. We were searching for you when we heard you howl.” He stared at the silver chain that still lay in the grass. “They’ll be lucky if Maxwell doesn’t kill them for this.”
“Francis, help me with these two,” Brendan called. He looked at me. “Can you walk?”
Yeah.
Brendan and Francis hauled Gary, who had shifted to his human form, and Trevor to their feet. Francis took Trevor’s gloves and used them to stuff the chain back into the sack. He carried the sack in one hand and gripped Gary’s arm with the other. Then the four of them started back to the Knolls, with me taking up the rear. They could have shifted, but I had a feeling Brendan was taking his time for my sake.
Every step hurt like hell, and I was never so glad to see Brendan’s house in the distance. When we reached the run box, I nudged Francis, who nodded and grabbed my clothes for me. Not that I would be wearing them again today. The bite on my shoulder would be okay in an hour or two, but a silver wound took a lot longer to heal. I’d probably have to stay in wolf form until tomorrow.
Lydia opened the back door as we neared the house, her mouth gaping at the sight of us. “What happened?”
No one answered her. We entered the kitchen where Brendan and Francis shoved Trevor and Gary down onto chairs. The two wolves who had attacked me so viciously were meek now in the face of the Beta, who was so furious he could barely speak.
Brendan stormed out of the room, most likely to call Maxwell and fill him in. The shit was about to hit the fan in a big way.
“Roland, you’re dripping blood everywhere,” Lydia admonished. She let out a loud gasp, and her hand flew to her
mouth. “Oh, my God, what happened to your neck?”
Francis tossed the sack on the table, the chain clinking softly. “Silver.”
Lydia paled, and her eyes filled with horror.
Francis glowered at my attackers who were staring at the floor. “These two are lucky we found them when we did. A few minutes later, and I think Roland would have dealt out his own justice.”
Was that pride I heard in my cousin’s voice? Or was I delirious from pain and blood loss?
I lay down on the tile floor with a groan to wait for Brendan’s return. The last thing I wanted was to be in the same room with Trevor and Gary, but I didn’t want to get blood all over Brendan’s house.
Barely ten minutes passed before the front door slammed and Maxwell strode into the kitchen with Brendan. I thought I’d seen the Alpha angry before, but the look on his face now made me want to curl up into a ball and hide my head beneath my paws. And he wasn’t even looking at me.
Trevor and Gary wilted under his stare, their shoulders caving in as they made themselves as small as possible. But nothing was going to save them from the wrath about to be unleashed on them.
Maxwell’s thunderous gaze found me. “Tell me what happened.”
I nodded and sat up. Then I told him everything except for the part about Emma being my mate. I didn’t think his expression could get any darker until I got to the part about the chain.
Maxwell didn’t even blink when I admitted that I might have killed Trevor if Brendan and Francis hadn’t arrived. That spoke volumes for how bad I must look and the seriousness of the crime.
“Get some sleep,” Maxwell said harshly. “Tomorrow, we’ll talk more.”
I nodded, aware that his anger wasn’t directed at me. I’d like to say I felt bad for Trevor and Gary, but those two deserved what was coming to them.
Lydia followed me to the downstairs guest room where I stretched out on the floor. In my fur, I was too big for the bed.
“Here’s your stuff.” She laid my clothes on the bed and stood back, shaking her head. “I still can’t believe they did that. Are you in a lot of pain?”
Yes, but it’s already getting better.
“Let me know if you need anything.”
I closed my eyes and thought about Emma. She was expecting me to meet her at the diner after her shift, but I needed to stay in my fur to heal. I’d have to ask Pete to see her home, and I would go to her apartment in my fur again. I hated that I wouldn’t be able to talk to her, but at least I’d be near her. For now, that would have to be enough.
* * *
I stood beneath the stairs to Emma’s front door and pulled off my T-shirt with a grimace. My wounds had closed up, but they still hurt like a son of a bitch when I moved the wrong way. I’d had to take my human form so Pete could drive me here, but once I shifted I would feel better and the healing could continue.
Word about the attack had spread quickly, and by the time dinner had rolled around, the whole pack was in an uproar. My mother was so enraged, it had taken Maxwell and Brendan to keep her away from Trevor and Gary, who were locked in a holding cell behind the meeting house. I wasn’t sure what would happen next, but it wasn’t something people would stop talking about for a long time.
I removed the rest of my clothes and placed them in the small backpack I’d brought with me. Then I stuffed the bag into an opening beneath the bottom step where no one could see it if they happened to look back here.
“Hello? Are you there?”
I started and knocked my head on a step, letting out a muttered curse. Christ, this day was determined to kill me.
Footsteps came toward me.
Shit. I shifted fast, trying not to groan as my body reshaped itself and pulled at my neck wounds. I was panting when I walked out to meet Emma.
“I thought I heard you,” she said softly, not a hint of fear in her voice. “Peter told me someone would be here, and I hoped it was you.”
I walked up to her, wanting to scold her for leaving the building without knowing for sure if I was out here. But then I saw her smile and the relief in her eyes, and I realized what she’d said. She’d come down, hoping I’d be here. A happy glow settled somewhere beneath my breastbone, and just like that, my horrible day became nothing more than an unpleasant blur.
“Roland was supposed to be here, so I brought home dinner for the two of us. Would you like to come up and share it with me?”
I nodded, pleasantly surprised. She’d planned for us to have dinner together? I wanted to beat Trevor again for screwing this up for me.
I followed her upstairs and found dinner already laid out on the table. For her, there was a grilled chicken salad. For me, it was a thick steak and a baked potato. My mouth watered at the smell of meat. My mother had made me a large meal a few hours ago, but healing from a bad injury burned a lot of calories, and I was ravenous again.
Emma looked at me. “It didn’t feel right, putting yours on the floor. Do you want –?”
She let out a gasp and rushed to my side. “What happened to you?” she demanded as she leaned in to inspect my neck. “Did someone hurt you?”
I shook my head, trying to reassure her. Her concern warmed me, but I didn’t want her to be upset. I did like how close she was to me, though.
“These cuts look bad. I know you guys heal fast, but are you sure you should be here?”
My answer was to walk over to the table, push the chair away, and plunk my ass down in front of my plate.
She huffed and went to her chair. “I should have known a werewolf wouldn’t pass up a nice, juicy steak.”
I looked down at my plate, suddenly unsure how to do this. My hands were too big to handle the knife and fork she’d laid out for me, and chewing wouldn’t exactly be pretty.
Emma paused in reaching for her own fork. “If you need to use your hands, go ahead. You won’t bother me.”
I tore a piece from the steak and put it in my mouth, chewing slowly. The meat was rare and seasoned just right.
I could have eaten the steak in one bite, but I took my time, keeping pace with Emma. I couldn’t talk, so she filled in the silence by talking about her painting and all the things she wanted to learn to cook.
“I’ll have to learn to double the recipes with you guys around,” she said happily. “Roland could probably eat a whole pie himself. I’ve never seen anyone with an appetite like his.”
I grinned, and she snorted. “Okay, you’re just as bad.”
We finished our meal, and she carried the plates to the sink. She stared out the window for a long moment before she turned back to me.
“I need to work on this painting I’m doing for Sara. You can come up if you want. Or you can watch a movie. Just make yourself at home.”
I went upstairs while she changed into her painting clothes. The smells of oil paints and turpentine bothered my sensitive nose and made me want to sneeze, but it was a small sacrifice to spend time with Emma. I eyed the comfortable old couch and decided it wouldn’t hold up under my weight. With a small sigh, I lowered my body to the floor beside it.
Emma came up a few minutes later and smiled when she saw me. She didn’t say anything, but her expression told me she was happy I’d decided to join her. She went to her workbench and got her paints and brushes then sat on a tall stool in front of the canvas on the easel.
“I’ve been working on a painting of that mine south of town,” she said as she studied the canvas. “I’m more used to doing seascapes, so it’s taking longer than I expected.”
She started working, and soon all I could hear in the room was the soft swish of a brush against canvas and the rustle of her clothes when she moved. From my position, I could see the look of concentration on her face and the way her teeth tugged at her bottom lip. If I had to use a word to describe her, I’d say she looked content.
After a little while, I dozed lightly, but my eyes opened whenever she shifted on her stool or went to get more paint. When she stood and stretche
d her back, I lifted my head and my eyes met hers.
“I think that’s the best work I’ve done in ages.” She carried her brushes to the sink in the bathroom and washed them. Yawning, she stored the clean brushes and walked to the top of the stairs. “Do you mind if I go to bed a bit early? I’m kind of pooped.”
I shook my head and got up to follow her.
“Feel free to watch TV. You can sleep in the living room if you want,” she said as we descended the stairs. She started toward her bedroom then stopped and turned back to me, almost shyly. “Thank you…for everything.”
I watched her enter her room and shut the door, and then I went to lie down in the living room. My sharp ears picked up every move she made as she got ready for bed, and I pictured her removing each piece of clothing.
When the shower came on, I swallowed loudly and turned on the TV so I couldn’t hear the water spraying her naked body. The old me wouldn’t have thought twice about listening in and letting my imagination run wild. But it didn’t feel right doing that with Emma.
Soon the bed creaked as she climbed into it, and the only sounds were from the TV. I wasn’t really interested in watching anything, so I turned it off and settled down for some needed rest. My neck already felt much improved, and I should be fully healed after a good night’s sleep.
* * *
I jerked awake, my heart pounding, and stared around me in confusion. It took me a few seconds to remember I was at Emma’s. The clock on the cable box said it was just after 3:00 a.m., and I wondered what had woken me.
“No!”
I shot to my feet at Emma’s terrified cry and barreled down the hallway to her closed door. Twisting the knob roughly, I pushed the door open so fast it almost slammed into the wall.
My noisy entrance didn’t wake Emma, who lay tangled in the sheets, making little frightened sounds and struggling against the monsters in her dreams.
I flipped on the light, and Emma came awake with a choked cry. She sat upright and stared at me in terror for a few seconds before recognition filled her eyes. Her lower lip trembled and her face became pinched as she tried not to cry. Losing the battle, she curled up on her side and hid her face as her shoulders shook.
