One.
“I could tell from the way you smelled.”
Three.
“Must be a tiger or a lion.”
Five.
“’Cause you smell like a pussy!”
Their laughter bounced off the walls.
Seven.
“Now, give me the name and address of the little cunt.”
Nine.
“If you’re nice about it, I’ll let you watch me fuck her before I kill—”
So quick that I blurred, I grabbed the sides of Cap’s head. Anger consumed me, and I didn’t even try to constrain my strength. I slammed his head down into the bar so hard that the damn thing cracked in half.
Shit! Now I gotta replace a whole fucking bar top!
Hunt. Kill. Protect. The wolf continued its chant.
For once, me and the wolf were on the same page.
Revy wasn’t the only one with a psycho wolf. And, as the men surrounded me, I was ready to let the beast have its way.
C’mon, Wolf. Let’s have some fun.
CHAPTER 16
The season was getting ready to change. The older woman could feel it in the chill of the wind. The days of basking in the warm sunlight were quickly coming to an end.
“Whatcha thinking about?”
The older woman smiled at her pupil. Since she first arrived, her student had blossomed under the grueling tutelage. She had become more powerful than even the older woman had expected.
“Revy.”
That one name caused even the birds to stop chirping. That name brought chills to those that uttered it.
“What about her?”
“She’s still fighting it,” the older woman sighed. “She’s still fighting Trevor, her past, her future, her destiny.”
The young woman laughed, running her fingers through her hair as she sat on the porch stairs. She stretched out her long legs and arched her neck, allowing the sun to warm her face.
“What did you expect? She’s a Mashall.”
“A Mashall and a Farrell?”
“No stranger than a Mashall and a Leones.”
“Touché.”
The two women sat in silence watching the sun begin to dip behind the horizon. The younger woman was the first one to break the quiet.
“What’s up with the curse?” The older woman groaned loudly. “What?”
“Honey, there are no such things as curses. Just bad people.”
“So, the Farrells aren’t cursed?”
“No, they’re just crazy. Ever since the Pack planted their roots here, a Farrell male has been Alpha. Too bad they weren’t fit. Being Alpha of a Pack does something to some Shifters. It amps up their basic urges of hunting, killing, and dominating.”
“Is that what happened to them?”
“Yeah, and each Alpha was worse than the one before him. They used to be a very wealthy family. Now, they’re barely holding on to their bar. Most of the Pack is somewhat normal. As normal as someone can be when their bonds are poisoned by generations of insane Alphas.”
“So, the wolves are just doomed then?”
“Not necessarily,” the older woman muttered. “The time of the male Farrells has come to an end. Trevor is the last one, and his wolf is slowly driving him insane. The Pack is already splintered after Daniel’s death. Then, there’s Revy. The Farrell Pack is destined to burn from the inside out.”
“Oh my God!”
“Don’t worry, honey.” The older woman leaned her head against the back of her chair and closed her eyes. “Sometimes, you have to burn something to the ground in order for greatness to rise from the ashes.”
The season was getting ready to change. The older woman could feel it in the chill of the wind. The days of basking in the warm sunlight were quickly coming to an end.
And, with the change of the season, would come the beginning of the first big war.
PART II
“You have the same eyes as I do…the eyes, filled with hatred and death, that long for strength…just like mine…your eyes tell me how badly you wish to kill the one who put you through the hell called loneliness.”
Gaara
“Naruto”
CHAPTER 17
TREVOR
My sledgehammer connected with the wall behind the bar repeatedly. The fight with the bikers four days ago had destroyed The Thirsty Howler, giving me the opportunity to finally remodel it.
So, in between trying to tame Revy and shake the Pack off my back, I was tearing down all evidence of Daniel and my father’s influence. We needed to be better. The Pack was going to hell, of that I was sure. But, at least I could prolong the trip. The bar was the start.
My muscles burned. My shirt was soaked with sweat. My breath came out in heavy gasps. Putting down the sledgehammer, I walked in the back and into the cooler. I grabbed a bottle of water and downed it, allowing the cold air to soothe me.
I had been at it since this afternoon. Now, well after sunset, it was time to call it quits. Lord only knew what Revy was up to. Though, over the last few days, she had chilled out a little. She was opening up, becoming more transparent and starting to own her shit. Adara thought it was because we trained every morning. I wasn’t so sure.
Her wolf still felt and smelled sick. The two of them were still going back in forth, Revy’s mind and body paying the price.
Stepping back into the main area, I turned out the lights. Grabbing my keys, I locked up the bar and walked down the empty moonlit street towards my truck. The wind blew, rustling the leaves in the trees and that was when I smelled it.
Wolves. Not Farrell wolves.
No, these wolves were more dangerous and sicker than any I had in my Pack. That only meant one thing: Rogues.
“Well, well, well, you must be the Farrell Alpha.”
Ten men dressed in black slipped from the shadows fifteen feet away from me, eyes glowing, chests puffed up like they were ready to fight.
Fuck! How many times am I going to get jumped this week?
“What do you want?” I snarled.
“Word is your brother’s dead,” one man with a tattoo on his face spat.
“Yeah,” another interrupted. “Thanks to you.”
Anger and guilt swirled in my gut. The events around my brother’s death were a guarded secret. At least it was. And that meant only one thing. Someone was spreading Pack business.
“What do you want?” I repeated.
“You know what this is,” face tattoo said. “Now, you can do the smart thing and step down, or we can put you down. Which one is it?”
In one swift motion, I kicked off my shoes and removed my shirt, giving them their answer. Oh, I was going to bleed tonight. This wasn’t a fair Alpha challenge. Those were always one-on-one. This was an ambush with a noble title. Point blank.
The men moved closer, and I prepared to let the wolf have my body. As they got within five feet of me, the man on the far left with the man bun dropped to the ground.
“What the fuck?!” face tattoo yelled.
Then the one with the lip piercing dropped.
A smirk tugged at my lips.
Then the one with the diamond-encrusted pinky ring followed.
“What’s going on?!”
With a laugh that was nothing short of psychotic, Revy jumped off the roof of a nearby building. Striding towards us in her black crop top, black leggings, untied black combat boots, and handgun dangling from her fingertips, she was like a deadly goddess.
Worship her, my wolf growled loudly in my head.
Huh?
“Hey Trev, how’s it hangin’?”
“You fucking bit—”
My hand around the tattooed man’s throat cut off the rest of his sentence.
“Let’s get some shit straight,” I growled. “You will leave Hell Fire Valley. You will forget all about trying to take my Pack.”
“Can’t. Breathe!” the man gasped, clawing at my hand.
“Stay away from me, Rogue.” Squ
eezing harder, I lifted until just the toes of his shoes were touching the ground. “You have no clue what the fuck I’m capable of.”
Dropping the man, I watched as he and the other six men ran away, leaving the three dead bodies behind.
“How did you know I was here?”
“I always know where you are.” Revy shrugged, placing her gun in its holster. “I like watching you.”
God, I loved this woman. She was nothing like Brenna. There was no faking it with her. No ulterior motives. You asked her a straight question, and you got a straight answer.
“You know I had it right?”
“I know, but that shit wasn’t fair.” Walking backward towards my truck, she stepped over the men she had shot down. “You just fought those bikers and my wolf. I thought I’d even the odds a little.”
Right answer.
“Come on, Trev. I’m hungry, and we need to get someone to clean this up.”
Mind made up, I gave two middle fingers to the consequences and rounded on her. Hands gripping her hips, I pressed her against the passenger door of my truck. Revy melted, fucking melted, against me.
My lips brushed against hers once, twice, three times before she opened and I slipped my tongue inside. Fuck, she tasted better than I could have ever imagined.
My wolf quieted.
My heart thundered in my chest.
My world exploded before reforming and orbiting around her.
“Trev,” she whispered against my damp lips.
Eyes closed, I held her tighter to me.
“Listen, Rev, what you want, mindless fucking, I will never give to you. You deserve so much more than that. What I’ll give you is something so much better. Affection. Adoration. Devotion.”
“A deranged killing machine doesn’t deserve those things, Trev.”
“Beautiful Psychopath,” I murmured against her ear. “You’re crazy matches mine.”
“Trev…”
“When I’m ready to take you, Rev, and I will take you, I want you to own who you are. Okay? That’s the new deal. You own your shit.”
Opening my eyes, I was rocked to my core. The prettiest brown eyes I had ever seen were staring back at me. For the last few months, they had always been the blue of her wolf. Until now. Until this moment.
It was then that I knew nothing would ever be the same. Revy deserved so much more than a half-feral wolf Pack to call her own. I was going to spend every moment making myself and my Pack better. I was going to make the Farrell name mean something so she would stay…so I could give it to her.
With one kiss, she had done what no one had ever come close to doing.
Revy Mashall had destroyed me for any other woman.
CHAPTER 18
REVY
Sitting in the back of Nicky’s Diner, I hummed along with the old school jazz floating from the jukebox. It was one of my grandmother’s favorite songs. A smile tugged at my lips, and I didn’t even try to stop it.
Trevor’s kiss kept replaying in my mind even after three days. He had my engine purring and didn’t realize it. But it was more than the kiss and his good looks and the way his voice sounded all sexy in the mornings when he woke up. It was the simple things.
The way he looked at me when he thought I wasn’t paying attention.
The way he opened doors for me.
The way he cooked breakfast for me every morning with a smile.
The way he took attacks from Wolf without complaining.
With each passing day, the prospect of staying in Hell Fire was looking more appealing. Now, all I had to do was get Wolf in check, and my life would be perfect.
The bell above the door rung and I looked up from my chicken pot pie.
Time stood still as I saw the gorgeous man enter the diner. His eyes locked on me and a smile split his face. Sauntering over towards me, he took a seat across from me and folded his hands on top of the table.
“How’s it going, Revy?”
“Sasha.”
The whispered word was barely audible over the music and chatter of the other customers. Wolf perked up, and I knew from the confusion on his face that my eyes were blazing blue.
“Aye,” he said with a shake of his head, Russian accent thick. “So, this is why you haven’t returned?”
“Yes.”
Under his icy gray gaze, I felt small and unimportant…like I always did.
“Who did this to you?”
I bit my lip, in hesitation. I didn’t want to give Trevor up. Sasha with his model good looks and tailor-made suits may look unassuming, but I knew him. Intimately. His death count was up there with mine. He’d kill Trevor without a second thought.
“Doesn’t matter.”
He tilted his head to the right and ran his hand through his perfectly styled hair. Tension surrounded our table as we stared each other down. Reaching under the table, he pulled my leg onto his lap and began to massage my calf.
“I need to know when you’re coming back to me, Revy.”
His strong fingers caressed the back of my knee, and my body reacted. Nipples pebbled. Breath quickened. Lady parts tingling.
“I don’t know. I need time…to get Wolf under control.”
“I’m not a patient man, Revy.” Standing from the booth, he loomed over me. Pinching a nipple, he chuckled at my gasp. “I’ll give you one month.”
CHAPTER 19
WOLF
“Wolf, talk to me, you crazy bitch!”
Huffing, I ignored the woman I was forced to share a body with. I could not believe I had waited one thousand fifty-three years for this. I had hoped to come back as a warrior. Instead, I got stuck with a confused little hellion.
I had watched Revy from the moment she came screaming in the world. From that day forward, I tried to make my presence known. That was part of the reason they called her crazy. My voice was always ringing in the back of her mind.
The other part was her parents. They had fucked her up with all of their demands. They made her question herself and continuously compared her to Adara, trying to drive a wedge between the two. I knew from the start what they were up to but did Revy listen? No. she kept right on ignoring me.
Now, look at her, torn between two men. Brought to her knees by kindness and love.
“Wolf!’
God, she was annoying.
What?
“We need to talk.”
Fuck off.
“Goddamnit! I swear to God we’re doing this today, Wolf.”
I knew she was serious. She had sat her ass by the river and set up camp. She would stay out there all day and night, talking out loud until I gave in.
Fine. What do you want?
I could feel the confusion, sadness, and guilt flowing through her, making me sick. Everything Revy felt, I felt ten times more. If I was not careful, this girl would get herself killed. Then I would have to wait another one thousand fifty-three years before I could be Awoken.
Amaroks were not like those uppity Dragon Queens. We were not Buried in a new person as soon as the old one died. No. We had to wait. Penance for pissing of the Gods. We did not even get to choose our person. It was all random selection.
Lucky me.
“Why do you hate me?”
Straight shooter.
I do not hate you. I am disappointed in you.
“Disappointed? Why the fuck are you disappointed?”
I have watched you since you were born. You have always let the opinions of others influence you. I thought you had changed. I was wrong.
“Bitch,” she mumbled.
I have never pretended to be anything else. Unlike you.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
You play house with Trevor like this is who you are.
“And what am I, huh? The assassin Sasha made me?”
At least then you had freedom. You got a choice. Here, you stifle yourself. If Trevor were your real mate, you would not have to pretend. You would not act like some well t
rained Labrador instead of the beast you are.
Silence settled over us as Revy mulled over my words. I could feel them settling over her like a weight.
“You want me to go back to Russia?”
Does not matter if you stay or go. I will be with you regardless. I do not have a choice. I want you to go where you can be free. Where you can be yourself. Where you are worthy of having dominion over me. Right now, that place is not Hell Fire Valley.
CHAPTER 20
REVY
“Wait, so there are five keys?”
A few days after speaking with Wolf, my mind was still a mess. Trev was right, she didn’t trust me and it was all my fault. How could she depend on me when even I couldn’t depend on me?
I needed to figure out who I was and what I wanted. There was no better place to start than with my sister.
“Yep,” Adara chuckled, pouring me a cup of sake. We had already polished off two bottles. “Now, we just have to find the other three.”
“How in the hell are we supposed to do that?”
“Well, if you’re so impatient you can always go ask Mama Terrell.”
“Hell. No. I’m staying away from that crazy old woman.”
She laughed before tossing back her drink. I looked out over the backyard as we sat on the back porch. Her katanas leaning against the railing. My guns sitting on the small table. Even though our animals were straight beasts and only an idiot would try to ambush the two of us, years of combat had trained us to keep our weapons close.
For once, it was quiet on Mashall land. The other Dragon Queens had left, and Alonzo’s family weren’t, for once, all over the house.
“Adara, do you find it weird that grandma lived in a town full of fucking Shifters and we never knew it?”
“Not really,” she answered with a shrug. “Grandma was strong as fuck. She could handle herself. And we were kids, what did we know?”
“Hmm.”
“So…you and Trevor?”
“Hard pass,” I stated, refilling our drinks. Leaning over in her chair, she yanked on one of my locs. “Stop it, drunky.”
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