The low rumble of his growl shook the earth around us, vibrating through the rocks, flesh, and bone. It was a sound so powerful it was a physical force. Lips peeled back in a snarl he turned back to the hunters still in the immediate area.
More of them decided that flight was the better option, though it was far too late for any of them. Liam sprang into motion, leaping the distance to them in one easy pounce. Several screams cut off abruptly as he landed among, or on, the largest grouping of hunters.
None returned to their feet.
Throwing back his head Liam let out a long howl that reverberated back from the mine in echoes. The few remaining hunters turned and, abandoning any shred of dignity, fled ahead of the crashing wall of sound. It did none of them the slightest bit of good.
Liam was a force of nature as he began his pursuit, his massive legs covering ground rapidly. What took the hunters several dozen steps to cover was crossed in a few quick strides. In less than a minute all of the hunters within sight were down and unmoving.
Liam’s ears swiveled as he listened for the few that had fled earlier, his muzzle lifted as he tested the air for their scents. A second monstrous howl sounded from him a moment before he charged off into the forest after his prey.
Left alone with Kris at the crest of the mine overlook the sudden silence felt out of place. Looking to her I saw her staring in disbelief at where Liam had been originally standing, at the huge impressions of his paw prints. She seemed to be in a state of shock, her wounds forgotten.
“Kris?” I stood slowly, wincing at the flare of pain from my shoulder. “Are you alright? Kris?”
She seemed to come out of her shock, blinking and shaking her head to clear it. A sharp intake of breath said she was aware of her injuries again as I made my way over to her.
“Are you going to be ok?” I sat beside her on the slope, not caring about the cold snow beneath me.
I helped her slowly remove her clothes to see her wounds more clearly. Her hands tested the injuries tenderly while she looked them over with a critical eye. Seemingly satisfied with the results she nodded. “I’ll be fine, I was lucky the bullets didn’t hit anything important.”
“That looks awful,” I said. There was a gash along her right side several inches long.
“Yeah, hurts like hell obviously. The bullet caught a rib and rode it around.” She grimaced as she applied some pressure to the wound and managed to remove the offending bit of metal. “Could have been much worse though.” She held the bullet up before her eyes a moment before dropping it.
We both looked up as a scream and crash sounded in the distance, Liam must have caught up with more of them. Kris took in a slow, steadying breath before turning back to me. She opened her mouth to speak, but her eyes fell on my shoulder and widened.
“Oh shit! You were hit!” She leaned towards me and began taking off my jacket. “Let me have a look at it.”
I hissed in pain as she began prodding my wound, but let her get on with it. Soon enough it was over and I began to breathe more easily.
“Looks like you had some luck yourself, the bullet went clean through. Missing your bones too. She picked up her shirt and began tearing it into strips.” I’ll bind yours if you bind mine?” Before long our wounds were dressed as best as we could manage and we felt considerably better.
The sounds of something large moving through the trees announced Liam well before he came into view. Blood matted his fur in several places but, by the way he moved, it was clear it wasn’t his. I stood and helped Kris up as he approached, letting her lean on me to keep weight off of her injured leg.
“We’ll both be fine.” Kris said as he got closer. “Go after Troy, make sure this is over.” Liam looked from her to me, clearly reluctant to leave us.
“It’s just her and I here now.” I gestured down the slope at the destruction he had wrought. “You took care of the rest, we’re safe here.” He stepped closer and I reached up, placing my free hand on his muzzle. “Be careful.”
He looked at me with enormous eyes and I could feel the love behind them before he walked over to the ledge where Troy had disappeared. Circling the area he sniffed at the ground for a bit before looking back at Kris and I. With obvious reluctance he turned away and hopped over the edge.
“Go get him, love.”
Chapter Fifteen
Liam
The wind whistled in my ears as I dropped over the side of the hill, leaving my sister and my mate behind. I wasn’t comfortable doing so, it had taken longer than I’d have liked to track down all of the hunters and I greatly disliked the idea of leaving them alone even longer.
The ground quickly approached and I landed heavily at the base of the steep slope. Troy had slid down it since the jump would have killed him, I barely noticed the impact.
I tested the air for his scent, easily picking up on it even though I needn’t have bothered. He was injured and a light trail of blood pointed the way across the pristine white snow.
The path he had left in that snow was an even clearer sign.
The sight of his path made me realize that I was going to have to do a lot of doubling back to clear over my own trail once this was all over. The paw prints I left behind were quite... distinctive.
Looking up I could see the edge I had jumped from well above me. I forced my worry down, I wouldn’t be able to rid myself of it completely of course, but I needed to focus on the task at hand. Troy liked to fight dirty and I’d need to keep alert for anything out of the ordinary.
Slowly I moved forward to stalk my prey. He had made no attempt to hide his path and it set my nerves on edge. Was he just trying to run? Did he think we’d be too injured to follow? Was all of this just some elaborate trap?
I cautiously made my way away from his trail while still keeping it in view, it seemed a prudent decision. His course seemed to be angling towards the far edge of the mine. I paused and examined the area, nothing that most of the human machines were clustered by that location. The cliff on that edge of the mine dwarfed the one I had lept down, and the only way out of this pit seemed to be a ramp to one side.
Troy seemed to be avoiding that entirely.
Why was he intentionally trapping himself? The more I thought about it, the less sense it made to me. Perhaps it was nothing more sinister than his insanity leading him astray, but I wasn’t willing to count on that.
I began moving again, cautiously closing the distance to the machinery. They seemed to be vehicles of some sort, large enough that my own size seemed small in comparison. I had already grown accustomed to being larger than life and felt oddly uncomfortable around these oversized trucks.
Once I reached the cluster of vehicles it became more difficult to keep sight of his trail and I relied heavily on my sense of smell. There was an overwhelming stench of machinery but, hidden within it, was the unmistakable scent of Troy.
I kept low and wave between the vehicles, making my way closer. Leaping atop them would be far swifter, but until I had a better idea of what was going on it was best to stay alert.
The sudden roar of one of the machines starting up startled me and I twisted around, heart racing from the abrupt noise and looking for the source. A moment later another engine started, then another. Soon it seemed they were all running, the ground pulsating in response to the vibrations that they caused.
I passed between two of the behemoths, alert and attempting to concentrate on everything at once. This focus saved my life, barely.
Movement to the side caught my eye a moment before an ear splitting crash caused the vehicle to my right to leap towards me in an attempt to crush me against its counterpart to my left.
I jumped straight up reflexively and thought I would clear the mess in time, but I hadn’t been quick enough.
My leap ended abruptly as searing pain rolled over me, my hind leg trapped momentarily and crushed between the vehicles. I was able to tug it free as the machines rocked apart, but it was too late to prevent seri
ous damage.
Involuntary howls of pain escaped me as I found my footing, my right hind leg hung limply, the bones shattered. Looking down I saw a third vehicle driven by a grinning Troy. He had rammed it into the others in a nearly successful attempt on my life.
He began to back up, possibly for another try at dislodging me from my perch, but I wouldn’t give him the opportunity. Steeling myself I lept onto the retreating vehicle, yelping as the impact jarred my wounded leg.
Troy’s grin slid from his face as he watched me in fear from behind the metal and glass cage he was encased in. The vehicle sped up as he steered it to an open space leading to the high cliff at the back of the dig site. Whatever he was thinking I wouldn’t give him time to act upon it.
I would free him from his cage.
I rammed my shoulders against it, all of my considerable weight and strength behind it. Claws and teeth followed, cracking glass and bending metal. Troy’s eyes widened in fear at the onslaught.
The cage had clearly been designed to keep the driver safe, but not from an unrelenting determined cascade of violence. Metal gave way, patches of glass fell, and I was soon able to reach Troy in some places. He dodged around inside, but to no avail and he was soon bleeding from several wounds.
Giving it up as a lost cause, he lept out of the vehicle and landed heavily on the ground below. I rode the vehicle as it slowed to a stop a short distance from the cliff face before stepping gingerly down from it.
My hind leg was agony, but having three working ones made it relatively easy to move and I was soon looming above his prone form. Face down in snow his body shook with what I could only assume was crying. I stepped down heavily on his legs and heard the satisfying snaps of the bones breaking, eye for an eye.
Plus interest.
Nothing about his demeanor changed, he didn’t even cry out. It was as if he weren’t even aware of what I had just done. I growled heavily, wanting him to look into my eyes and know his death was at hand. For all he had done, all the pain and sorrow that rode in his wake, he would pay the ultimate price.
When he rolled over onto his back I found him not crying, but laughing. He laughed all the harder at the confusion on my face.
“If I can’t have her, at least I’ll die knowing you won’t either.” He smiled his twisted smile as he held up his hand, something gripped tightly within. “Oh, and Kristen? I’ve made sure she’s taken care of.” Something flashed quickly across his face. Sadness? “Thanks for playing. Time to die, freak.” He brought his thumb down on whatever was in his hand.
I had to get back to Kris and Jen... the thought was unfinished as a series of explosions blew the cliff face apart. Time seemed to slow as a wall of force slammed into me like the fist of an angry god and I was thrown aside. My shattered leg screamed in a white hot agony the likes of which I had never felt before.
Dirt, stone, and boulders rained down around me, filling me with dread as the cliff face fell in upon itself and came flowing down to gravity’s call. Drawing heavily upon Jen’s energy, hoping I wasn’t putting her in danger, I darted away.
Not every stone missed and soon I was in pain all over, every hit ignored as I focused on staying ahead of the avalanche. The feel of the ground rumbling was growing closer and I spared a glance behind me.
It was a mistake.
A moment after I had glanced behind me the leading edge of the sliding rubble caught me in its grasp. Tossed around with the rubble I was battered heavily, every inch of my body screamed out in agony. I took even more of Jen’s energy into myself, healing the injuries as quickly as I could manage, but still earning new ones every second.
Finally, amazingly, the destruction slowed and rumbled to a stop. And I was still alive.
I stopped drawing from my mate and dug myself out quickly, the amount of energy I had taken from her had healed my leg fully. It also terrified me at what I may have done to Jen with that much, that quickly. I redoubled my efforts to get out and was soon rewarded with freedom.
I examined the area and was shocked to find the back cliff face was simply gone, a new slope now sat where it had been. The vehicles weren’t visible, buried beneath a mountain of rubble. Dust filled the open mine and drifted lazily into the sky.
Of Troy there was no sign.
The climb from the pit was slow and painful, I refused to draw upon Jen’s energy any further, but I went as quickly as I could to reach her. My worries evaporated when I saw her and Kris hobbling down the ramp towards me, smiling broadly.
We were all the worse for wear, but we were alive.
Chapter Sixteen
Jen
I sat outside on a chair from the office and watched the shifter ‘clean up’ crew work as I ate. It bothered me on some level that a group like this existed, though I understood the need. Nearly twenty dead hunters around the mine site would cause an uproar from the nearby town.
So all signs of violence that could be removed were.
When everything was as clean as could be hoped for, a human news crew would be allowed up at the site. The explosion had been felt for miles around and the reporters didn’t enjoy being told to wait, even if it was ‘for their own safety.’
“Do you require anything else ma’am?” My attention was brought back to the officer before me, and the table loaded with piles of barbeque from a restaurant in town.
The man was a wolf shifter and had immediately known, somehow, that I was an alpha’s mate specifically. He had been most accommodating, going to town to fulfill my insane request for food without even batting an eye.
I could get used to this.
“I’m fine, thank you.” I reached down for another rib and sighed when I saw I had already eaten them all. I grabbed a few strips of brisket instead.
“I’ll send the doctor over to look at your shoulder then.” He tipped his hat towards me before walking off to where Kris was being sewn back together.
In all of the excitement I had forgotten about my own injury. How the hell do you forget being shot? It didn’t seem to hurt nearly as much as it had before, now it was more of a good bruise feeling instead of a hole-through-my-arm one.
The doctor stood and grabbed his bag, Kris standing up shakily beside him. He watched her with a critical eye as she began making her way gingerly towards me with him at her side.
I smiled at Kris when they reached me and she beamed back as she plopped gracelessly into the chair beside me. The doctor eyed the feast before me with slight disbelief, he had already watched me eat an impossible amount and I showed no sign of slowing.
“Hello,” the doctor said good-naturedly as he stepped in front of me. “Jen, right?” At my nod he gestured towards my shoulder. “May I?”
“Sure.” I removed my jacket gingerly, then allowed him to remove our improvised bandages. I noticed he was a bear and thought it a bit odd he would have chosen to be a doctor, he seemed a bit too good natured really. Who ever heard of a cheerful bear? It felt unnatural.
“You’ll be fine Jen, no need to worry.” He smiled reassuringly, though it was unnecessary.
“I know,” I answered simply. Reaching down I absently grabbed a bit more of the brisket. The food was surprisingly good.
“Your emotions say otherwise,” the doctor said flatly. “They’re all over the place and hyper powered, likely from the shock of the day’s events.”
“Actually doc, this is normal for her.” Kris grinned at the doctor’s shocked look.
“Truly?” He turned back to me for confirmation and I shrugged and nodded. My shoulder reminded me that shrugging wasn’t the smartest idea. Seeing my wince the doctor frowned and began to examine my wound.
“Well, if that’s the case, it certainly explains part of how you attracted an alpha, and a good thing too.” He gestured absently at the crew moving around behind him. “Emotions like this, knowing about our world already, and being beautiful? Most of the men here would kill each other trying to catch your attention.”
I s
norted a laugh as I chewed down another bite of the beef, Kristen laughing softly at my side. Beautiful was something I’d never consider myself, particularly when I’ve been shot and am pigging out on a whole buffet. Liam tells me I’m beautiful though, and that’s enough for me.
“Odd...” The doctor was examining my injury closely.
“What’s odd?” There had never been good news when a doctor said that an injury was ‘odd.’
“Your wound looks like its been healing well for over a week, better than Kristen’s even.” He looked up into my eyes and inhaled deeply, my scent confirming I was human. His eyes darted to the unreal amount of food, to my shoulder, and back to my eyes.
“Sooooo....” I gestured at my shoulder, keeping him focused. “What do I need to do with it?”
Unable to understand the situation, he took the easy out of pretending it was normal. “Just keep it clean and bandaged, you should be fully healed in a day or two if this healing rate keeps up.”
Several minutes later the doctor was walking away, my shoulder cleaned and bound in proper bandages. Kris picked at the food silently beside me, lost in thought and looking out over the hills towards the sunset. It had been an insane day, hell, an insane month, and the sunset looked especially beautiful in the cold winter air.
Movement across from us resolved into a group leaving the forest led by Liam. He had gone with them to point out exactly where the rest of the hunters had fallen. Soon the news crews would be everywhere up here and we wanted to be gone well before then.
After speaking with the crew for a moment Liam began to make his way to us. He was limping with a crutch as he moved, keeping his weight off of his ‘broken’ leg. The doctor had seen to him first, but when the food had arrived I told Liam to heal himself through our bond.
He had done so and we discovered that as long as I was well fed I didn’t pass out from exhaustion. Being able to eat all I wanted without gaining weight was a happy little bonus to this whole bonded-to-a-Prime situation.
Bound to the Prime (Bound to the Pack, #3) Page 9
