by Roxy Wilson
“I’ll not allow you to hurt him.”
He laughed, and she was a little alarmed to hear that jeering tone in his voice. The man had slipped over the edge of sanity. He was no longer sane. Lust for power and wealth likely drove him mad. The more Keran stopped him, the more determined he became to achieve what he wanted.
“You really think you can stop me? How? I am a werewolf, powerful and dangerous. Yes, there are men outside but the moment you raise your voice to summon them, I’ll be inside Justin’s room.”
She couldn’t let him see how scared she was. “You won’t be able to get away with murder.”
“Oh, I don’t think my time has come yet. I’ve been watching you all. I didn’t want to hurry and attack which is why I made sure I sent Keran away. There’s a window in Justin’s room that leads to a ledge from which I can jump to a balcony. I will be gone long before the men manage to break through Justin’s door, and that will be the last you see of me until I come back to hunt Keran.” He laughed, and there was an angry gleam in his eyes. “Not that it would be difficult to take care of him, once I kill Justin. He loves his son, and when the boy is gone, he would be too weak to fight me. He would lose the will to live.”
There was one thing she had to admit; Roger knew Keran pretty well.
Damn this man.
He’d thought of everything.
She couldn’t allow him to go ahead with his plans.
Devyn wasn’t a werewolf. She didn’t have the strength or the ability to fight off this monster, but she had an iron will and she’d made a promise to Keran that she would keep his child safe. She was willing to do that at all costs. If she were meant to die tonight, then she would gladly accept that twist of fate, as long as Justin escaped unscathed. “If anything happened to Justin, Keran would rip apart the earth to find you. Don’t do this.”
“Threats aren’t going to work, baby. I’ve planned a lot for this moment, and there isn’t much you can say to deter me.”
The man was crazy, but he was also determined. She raked her mind to figure out how she could stop him. “He’s just a little boy. He doesn’t deserve to die.”
“He’s an obstacle to the wealth that belongs to me.”
“It isn’t yours.”
Roger snarled. His eyes gleamed.
She gulped as she tried to inch closer to Justin’s room door. Maybe she could get inside and lock it before he understood what her intentions were. Once inside, she would call the guards outside and they could come and help. It was the only plan that made sense to her. She kept her eyes on him as she moved slowly towards the end of the couch.
“It should have been mine. The house, the cars, the factories, the offices. I helped Keran with a lot of his business, just like I helped his father. He should have divided it between us.”
“Maybe his father realized your intentions were bad.” Then her fear fled. Even when Roger fisted his hands, she wasn’t afraid. Devyn could see the truth in his eyes. “That was it, right. He understood you were too obsessed with money. Keran isn’t. He likes to make more wealth but that is because he enjoys the process of creating it. He isn’t committed to his personal welfare above everything else. He also cares about the people who work for him. He loves them and his pack, and he would do whatever was necessary to make them all thrive. But you…” She pointed an accusatory finger at him. “You only care about your damn self!”
“The old man said that Keran would take care of me,” he retorted with a sneer. “He said I was obsessed with money, but so what?”
“I’m sure Keran and his dad paid you for your hard work. You’re lucky his dad took you in and gave you so many opportunities. There are so many who don’t get the chance to be a part of such growth, but you were,” she said. “You should’ve been grateful.”
He banged his hand on the wall and she stopped inching towards Justin’s room. Perhaps it wasn’t such a good idea to make Roger angry, but she didn’t have a choice. She had to do it, so he would stop thinking about Justin and direct his anger at her instead. She was trying to distract him and this was her only chance.
“They didn’t pay me enough. I deserve more, and now I’m going to take it all.”
She leapt towards the door.
He lunged forward and grabbed her just as her hand reached the doorknob.
“Justin, lock the door,” she screamed.
Would the boy wake up? Would he hear her?
She wrestled with the werewolf as she tried to keep him away from the door. He was too strong, and she wasn’t even able to put up a good fight. Devyn screamed and screamed. She heard the banging on the door as the security detail tried to get in. Suddenly, much to her consternation, Justin appeared at the door. Roger lunged towards the boy but she grabbed his leg. Roger fell to the floor with a heavy thump. “Justin, go in and lock the door!” she screamed.
He stared at her as Roger’s hand tightened around her throat.
The werewolf’s massive fingers dug deep onto her skin and she actually saw stars as he squeezed. She couldn’t breathe.
“Stop it!” Justin shouted. “Leave her alone and I’ll do whatever you want.”
Devyn couldn’t believe what she heard. He’d taken Keran’s words to heart and was trying to protect her.
Roger snarled.
“Leave her,” Justin said again. “I’ll go wherever you want. I’ll do whatever you want, but leave her alone!”
She didn’t think Roger would listen to the boy. She heard the pounding on the door as the security guards tried to break it. They would be too late. Nothing could stop Roger now. The thing that he wanted was within his grasp, and he would do whatever he wanted before anyone could do a damn thing about it. His fingers tightened ever so slightly against her throat. She didn’t think he would let her alive. She pounded on his chest with her hands but it was no use. He was too strong. Darkness slowly enveloped her as he deprived her of oxygen. This was her last day on earth, and she’d failed in the one task that was more important than anything. As that thought struck her mind, Devyn stopped trying to get his hands off his throat. Instead, she clawed her fingers and reached for his eyes. It was a lucky shot. Her finger probed into an eye.
He screamed and rolled off her. “You bitch! I’m going to kill you.”
Devyn coughed as she finally managed to get some air inside her throat. She lunged towards Justin. If she could push him inside and close the door, he might be able to lock it before Roger got on his feet.
The werewolf leapt towards her. His fingers nearly clamped on her arm before someone yanked him away. She didn’t bother to see who her savior was. Perhaps the security guards managed to make their way inside. She pushed Justin inside. “Lock the door!” she yelled.
When she turned around, her breath halted in her throat. Keran and Roger faced each other. Keran bared his teeth, his nostrils flared as he glared at his opponent. She’d never seen him so angry before.
Why did he come back?
These questions could be answered later, but now he was here, Justin wouldn’t die. Her muscles weakened and she leaned against the door, lest she slipped to the floor. But then Keran’s growl as he faced his nemesis, jacked up her tension another notch. An intense battle was about to begin. Keran could get hurt. She didn’t know what to do. Devyn began to inch forward towards the main door. The security guards were still trying to get in. She opened the door for them.
They came in but then stopped short when they saw the sight.
“No one interferes,” Keran stated in a calm voice as he circled with Roger. They both kept a certain distance from each other but it was obvious enough to see they were gearing for a fight.
One of them was likely to not leave this place alive. Devyn wrung her hands together as she watched them. She was scared—petrified.
None of them knew what would happen. All they could do was wait and see.
Chapter Sixteen
It wasn’t always easy to make the right decision. When the c
all came, his first, second, and third instinct was to make his way back home. Roger was up to something. His pack had surrounded Martin and his team that were inside Keran’s home. Clearly, there was going to be a battle and he needed to be there. He ordered his pilot to get ready, and he told Martin he was coming.
It was only after he’d buckled up his seatbelt in preparation for his flight back home that he’d changed his mind. Although one of his main goals was to secure the safety of his pack, Keran had the distinct feeling it was exactly what Roger counted on him to do. Roger had anticipated his moves before. It was time he returned the favor. Keran came back and his decision paid off.
“So you realized what I was up to, huh?” Roger asked.
“Yes,” Keran replied with a growl.
Roger snapped his teeth. “Good. Now I can get rid of you.”
Keran grinned. “I’m glad to give you the opportunity to try. Your usual style has been to attack women and children when they’re alone and helpless. Let’s see if you can do anything when your opponent is just as strong as you are.”
Roger snarled. “You’ve got a high an opinion of yourself.”
Keran and Roger continued to circle each other. He would have preferred if Devyn wasn’t around. Keran wasn’t sure how she would react to violence. He tried his best not to show his aggressive side to her. His wife never liked it. She hated his werewolf heritage, and the fact that it was passed on down to their son made her blood boil. Maybe if Devyn saw him as an animal, she wouldn’t want to be with him. She’d seen him shift before, but she hadn’t seen him in a battle.
Now, however, it was too late to change anything.
He had to protect her and Justin, and this was the only way to do it.
“Maybe I do,” he replied with his gaze fixed on his opponent. Keran wanted to finish Roger off, and when all was said and done, it would be easy enough for him to do it and then bury the body in a place that no one else would find. The man had almost killed Devyn just now and he was here to kill Justin. No one did this to his family and lived. Keran’s Alpha wolf took over now.
Pack rules allowed him to kill any werewolf that attacked his family. Roger was a threat, not only to him, but also to the whole pack. Spending years in prison would be too much of a lenient punishment for this monster whom he considered a brother at one point.
He’d trusted Roger and the man betrayed him in the worst possible manner.
“How did you know I would be here?” Roger asked.
It was obvious the other man was trying to keep him talking, so he could get an opportunity to either escape or attack. Keran didn’t mind indulging him. He also sought a chance to defeat his enemy. “I don’t know. Instinct, maybe.” Keran shrugged his shoulders. “We have spent enough time together for me to figure out how you think. I realized you wanted me there which made me think the one place I had to be was here.”
“Smart,” Roger said. He swiped at Keran but it was a half-hearted attempt. “If you were a few minutes late, I would have killed her.”
“Good that I came in time, then.” He’d come in but saw the security guards struggling with the main door. Keran had then made his way to the back of the building and climbed the wall. He came in through the balcony door. “Because I’m going to kill you.”
Much to his ire, the other man growled. It was clear he didn’t plan to make it easy. He also had no intention of doing what was right.
Roger was set on a path, and there wasn’t anything Keran could do to change it.
“You’re dead,” Roger growled.
“Even if you manage to kill me, what are you going to do about the security guards?” Keran asked.
Rather than reply, Roger lunged and shifted in mid-air.
Keran swung around and shook off the massive, grizzled-gray wolf that attempted to bite off his head. He leapt and shifted in the air. The two werewolves fought together, heedless of where they were. A glass-top table toppled over and crashed onto the floor. Shards of glass scattered all over the tiled floor. Devyn screamed. Keran paid no heed to the distractions around him; his mind zeroed in on the huge wolf that was more than a match for his strength.
He knew Roger, the werewolf, was physically powerful. It wouldn’t be easy to defeat it. It would take a lot of cunning and strength.
When he swiped a claw over the werewolf’s hind leg and drew blood, Keran felt a sense of satisfaction. He wanted to rip Roger apart, chew on his internal organs, muscles and flesh and spit the pieces of vile out of his mouth. Keran’s blood curdled. He needed to end this. He bared his teeth. A sudden lightness in his chest came over him. Keran was ready for the confrontation.
Roger growled and tried to sink his teeth into his neck.
Keran jerked back in time. Damn. Roger’s teeth had come to within an inch of his skin.
He rolled over the other animal and bit him on the shoulder. Roger’s piercing scream filled the room. Keran didn’t give a damn if the hotel’s security came to check to see what the commotion was all about. Yeah. Let them come.
It’s time to end this.
He needed to be quick about it.
He tried to hold the werewolf down, but Roger pushed him back. They collided with each other again in the middle of the room. A couch skidded back and bumped against the wall. He leapt over Roger and tried to hold him down, but the other animal scampered out of his way. Roger’s claws swiped over Keran’s skin. He winced as blood poured through, but it didn’t stop his focus.
Keran threw himself at Roger.
The werewolf skidded across the floor and hit the wall. His claws ripped the curtains as he tried to steady himself.
Keran leapt forward. If he could just hold the other animal against the wall, he could finish him off, once and for fucking all. So what if he and Roger were of equal strength? He didn’t give two fucks. This battle could go on and on, but his gut instinct told him he would win this shit. Just as he neared the werewolf, Roger dashed through the open balcony door.
Keran chased after him. He smashed into Roger. The battle was fierce. Again and again, they crashed into each other. An enraged Keran bit Roger’s hind leg. He was sure the beast would give up, but it seemed Roger had decided he would rather die than surrender. He bounced into the other wolf and they both hit the wall. He sank his teeth into Roger’s neck—hard. The werewolf howled. It was time. Yes, it was damn time he took him out.
Keran’s strong jaws began to grind against Roger’s neck, his teeth connecting to bone. Yes, he couldn’t wait to get to his marrow, to finish him off. Roger let out a growl and twisted his neck, trying slip away from Keran’s death grip on him.
And then it happened.
Their gazes met and held.
Keran saw the hatred that floated in the wolf’s eyes. Nothing would stop Roger. He would keep doing the same thing over and over again, until he finally got what he wanted.
And all of a sudden it struck Keran that he was too bloodthirsty, too eager for revenge, and he needed to cool the fuck down. He took a deep, calming breath. He felt the rush of adrenalin that had flooded his entire body begin to recede, and his senses, his reasoning, started to work again.
Roger was a man whom he’d once considered his friend, his brother.
Keran worked his jaw to release the death grip he had on his enemy’s neck. Blood flowed out of the jagged wound. Perhaps something of Keran’s conflicting emotions was understood by Roger because he whined. Keran took a step back.
It was all time Roger needed. He leapt forward.
Keran braced himself for an attack. He heard Devyn scream and he whipped around to see if she’d been attacked or hurt. What he saw was Devyn pointing a finger in the direction beyond him, he swiveled around again, just in time to see the wolf leap over the three-foot high balcony wall and into the midnight sky. Keran raced behind the werewolf in a desperate attempt to catch him.
Roger shifted back to his human form. Not a word or scream escaped his lips on his way down to his final des
tination.
Keran’s heart hammered against his chest as he watched as his nemesis fell. And then Roger crashed onto the ground, his body twisted at a grotesque angle. He didn’t even twitch.
It was impossible to see clearly dozens of feet below, but still Keran could tell that the other man was dead. He couldn’t move, couldn’t speak.
Devyn ran towards him. She slipped an arm around his waist as she glanced down. “Oh, my god! He—he’s dead.”
Why had Roger done this?
He must have known he wouldn’t be able to survive the fall, but was he so desperate to end this, he preferred to take his own life?
Keran couldn’t think. He couldn’t make the next move. For too long, he anticipated and planned but this wasn’t what he envisioned. But two things were certain now: Roger was dead and he couldn’t bother them again. Yes, there would be ramifications, but Keran would deal with them.
At least, his family was safe for now and forever. He drew Devyn close as they glanced down at Roger’s broken body. Whatever happened next, he would have to prepare for it. Now, it was enough the woman he loved stood beside him and his son was alive and well. The future would take care of itself.
It was all he could hope for.
Chapter Seventeen
Keran could have died. As she swam in the pool, the thoughts and images that plagued Devyn refused to let go of her. She never got a chance to talk to him after Roger’s death. There was too much he had to do, too many loose ends to tie. He needed to deal with hotel security and then the police. The official version was that Roger came to kidnap Justin again, but when he realized that he wouldn’t succeed, he took his own life. Since he shifted mid-air into the shape of a man, the police had no reason to think he was anything more.
Still, she was worried.
When she got out of the pool, Keran was sitting with Justin.
“Hey,” she said. Her eyes drank in the sight of him. He’d been fairly busy and this was the first time he came to join them ever since Roger committed suicide. It was hard to believe it had been two days already since their enemy jumped off the building. She’d wanted to leave because she didn’t want Justin to remain in the place with such bad memories, but they couldn’t do it until the authorities gave them the go ahead.
