by Bethany Shaw
“Mom?” Vincent asked eyeing the four women, then his brother.
“I never got to talk to her…I…” Daniel trailed off.
Lark stiffened against Devon as howls erupted into the night air.
“Come on,” Devon took her hand in his and pulled her towards the tree line.
“Wait,” she said, tugging him back. “Natalia.” She motioned to the pregnant woman.
Devon took in the scared woman. Her aura stank of fear, permeating the air with a soured milk stench. Her wild brown eyes glared at him, gleaming with a tinge of yellow. Soft pants escaped her fine lips, and her hands clutched her swollen belly.
“We need to go,” he said, extending his hand to her.
She recoiled away like he’d smacked her; a little more yellow flooded her eyes.
“Word to the wise,” Daniel paused, indicating the marks on his face. “Don’t touch her.”
“Fine. Come on, we’re going.” Devon pointed to the tree line the two younger girls already darting off in that direction.
Lark pulled away from him and tucked Natalia’s arm around her slender shoulders again, baring most of the pregnant woman’s weight. Devon gritted his teeth, irritation rolling through him. He just wanted to get Lark to safety.
The wolves flanked them as they hobbled towards the tree line at a rapid walk-run pace. Marcus, Emily, and Daniel raced ahead catching up with the two younger girls already secluded by the dense tree line.
The brush enveloped them, but he could hear the pounding of paws against the soft earth. He took Lark’s hand and pulled her along forcing the duo to move faster. It wouldn’t be long before the wolves picked up on their scent and discovered their deceased brethren in the barn.
“We need to move faster,” Vincent mumbled.
One of the wolves behind him whined in agreement. Yowls and snarls ripped through the night, causing Natalia and Lark to burst into a sprint.
Devon’s adrenaline thumped erratically as the wolves rapidly started to close the gap.
“Don’t stop running,” he snarled. He took the medical pack off shoved it at Vincent and closed his eyes.
“Devon,” Lark gasped.
“Keep going,” Vincent said.
Devon grunted, his bones snapping. Thankfully, Lark was still retreating. Her light footsteps crunched against the ground. Although he could hear her arguing over it with Vincent. The wolves stood around him protecting him as he finished his shift. The first enemy wolf lunged at them jumping over a bush and pouncing on one of his men.
Fully turned, Devon bared his teeth, racing forward toward his fallen man. He tackled the white and grey wolf, jaws snapping, going for the jugular. Warm copper flooded his mouth, dripping down his elongated chest as the wolf gurgled beneath him.
Pushing away Devon dodged an attack, blood pumping through his veins, ready to fight. Reeling back on his back legs, he caught another wolf and wrestled them to the ground, his claws slicing through the thick fur. Snarls sounded near him, as more wolves descended upon them.
Signaling retreat with a loud yap, Devon bounded towards the road. He could hear his comrade’s paws thudding behind him. His legs burned, lungs ached from the grueling run, but he pushed forward. They had to make it to the cars.
He could hear the thrum of an engine starting in the distance and Lark’s worried questions as Vincent urged her in. The sound of her voice was like a beacon as he surged to the vehicles.
The tree line broke and he ducked into the car that Lark was in, sliding in next to her. His side brushed up against her as he squeezed into the tiny backseat. He’d barely gotten in before the Jeep took off, the door clapping shut with the movement. He twisted so he could see the cars surrounding them, counting the wolves as they entered the cars. He let out a long huff - they’d lost one man.
A heavy weight washed through him, he’d led a man to his death. He would have to explain the loss to Gene and give his condolences to Ted’s family when they returned. He knew the loss was inevitable, but it didn’t help the guilt that clouded his mind and tugged at his heart.
“Are you okay?” Lark asked her brow furrowed, eyes searching his.
He bobbed his head up and down.
He blinked as her face fell forward into his. His nose pressed up against her face, her overwhelming vanilla-cinnamon scent invaded his nostrils. Natalia watched them a wary look on her face as she cringed further into the opposite door. It appeared as if she were trying to put as much distance between them as possible.
“Hey now,” Vincent teased from the driver’s seat. The only sign that he was tense and on edge was the white of his knuckles gripping the steering wheel.
Daniel sat in the passenger seat eyes shifting from one window to the other. Two cars were in front of them and one behind them. Devon got a glimpse of a road sign out of the corner of his eye. They were making good time. The sooner they crossed into Texas the safer Devon would feel.
Lark pulled back and Devon maneuvered himself onto the floorboards. He used his teeth to search through the bag on the floor for suitable clothes so he could transition back into his human form. If he couldn’t run, he preferred to be on two feet.
Tires screeched as a loud deafening crunch, resonated through the air. Devon, Lark, and Natalia flew forward as Vincent slammed on the breaks. He could smell something burning. A metallic oil rubbery scent permeated the cabin as the car abruptly came to a haul.
Quickly gathering his wits, Devon leaped into the front seat, and out the passenger door following after Daniel.
***
Lark’s breath caught, her body tense as she eased back into the seat from the floor board. She internally berated herself for not wearing her seat belt. She met Natalia’s terrified eyes, as whines and howls sliced through the night. Her body tensed, muscles on edge as she realized they were under attack.
Her gaze darted to the fight. Blinding white light poured into the car, from other vehicles headlights. She squinted trying to catch a glimpse of anything, but all she saw was blaring white.
“No,” Natalia breathed in a heavily accented voice. “I won’t go back.”
“What are you doing?” Lark grabbed the other woman’s arm as she grasped the door handle and popped it open.
Natalia’s brown eyes glared at Lark’s hand and she slowly pulled it away. A cold chill zipping down her spine from the feral look on the other woman’s face.
“Devon will be right back, it’s going to be okay,” Lark soothed, though she had no idea if she spoke the truth or not. Snarls, snaps, and howls of pain filtered into the car—she had no idea what was going on out there.
The woman’s hand went to her belly as she inhaled sharply. Fear shone in her glistening chestnut eyes.
“It’ll be okay,” Lark said again.
They both screamed as a hand jutted into the car and gripped onto Natalia, tugging her toward the door.
Lark flattened her hand and used her palm to slice down on top of the vulnerable elbow. A hiss of pain echoed into the car as the man dove into the car with his full body grabbing Natalia’s arms.
Panicked, Lark grasped the gun from her waist band, and unlocked the safety.
“Get out,” she screamed, aiming the gun at his head.
Both wolves stopped fighting as their eyes flicked to the gun. To her dismay, a cocky grin slipped across the man’s face, his grey eyes mocking her. Of course the one person I’m pointing the gun at threateningly thinks it’s funny.
“Get out,” Lark repeated, cocking the gun.
“I don’t think you have the guts,” he chuckled.
Lark blinked rapidly, swallowing down the bile rising in her throat. Warm hands covered hers, yanking the gun away. A loud pop echoed through the car, and Lark winced her ears ringing as she tried to process what had just happened.
Smoke filtered out of the gun as Natalia dropped it to the floor board. She used her feet to kick the dead body out of the car. Without even a look back, the female wolf climbed o
ut of the car and darted to the tree line.
“Wait,” Lark called out. Terrified, she picked the gun up off the grey carpeted floorboard. Lark rechecked the safety and put it back in her jeans. Refusing to look at the body on the street; she sprinted after the pregnant woman.
Chapter 24
Devon smashed one of their attacker’s faces down into the pavement. Warm sticky blood oozed onto the blacktop and glided toward his paws. The man’s pulse throbbed under the pads of his foot.
His own heart thundered in his ears. Teeth gritted, adrenaline rushed through Devon’s tense muscles. He jumped, loosening his grip as the second loud pop of the night rang out through the night air.
A body was shoved out of the Jeep, falling lifelessly to the ground with a thud. Natalia dashed out of the car, her movements surprisingly nimble for a woman in her condition. Determination made you do things you shouldn’t be able to. He knew that better than anyone.
The man stirred beneath his grip prying himself free of his hold. Devon turned back to Tyler, one of Emmett’s men, but saw Lark spring out from the car sprinting after Natalia from the corner of his eye. He snarled. For the moment, he needed to focus on the fight before him. Both women were running away from the chaos, Lark would be okay for the moment.
He ducked blocking an attack and lunged, tackling the man to the ground. His front leg burned, tearing against the coarse cracked pavement. Ignoring the pain, Devon snapped at the man, teeth barred. His jaw clamped down on the man’s neck, biting into the sensitive flesh. A gurgle fluttered from his lips, followed by blood bubbling out of his mouth. Within seconds, Tyler was dead.
Devon surveyed the situation around him. Vincent had one man pinned, as did Daniel. Marcus and Emily were tag teaming another. Between his siblings and his men the situation was being handled. There had only been a few men in the other car that had attacked them and Devon’s pack had easily overwhelmed the smaller group.
Devon ran to his sister as one of the men grabbed her arm. Marcus was quicker; without hesitation he threw a punch, giving no time for the man to recover. Marcus wrapped his hands around his neck and twisted violently, dropping the lifeless form to the ground. Then with ease and gentleness, he pulled Emily to him placing a kiss to her temple.
“Where’d your girl and the pregnant chick go?” Vincent asked, repeatedly kicking the bloodied guy on the ground before him.
Devon scanned the trees, indicating the forest with his head. He couldn’t see or hear either of them.
“Damn, how fast can a pregnant chick run?” Vincent ran a hand through his hair as he observed the empty car.
Devon turned back to the beat up vehicle in front of them. He flicked his gaze between Emily and the cars trying to indicate for Emily and Marcus to get in them. The struck vehicle would be inoperable. The ride back to the ranch would be tight, but they could do it. Regardless, he wanted to get his sister out of here now.
“Bastards side swiped them. Came out of nowhere,” Vincent grumbled massaging his neck as he pointed with his free hand to the small country road the other vehicle had materialized from.
“Come on Em, we need to get you out of here,” Marcus said, seemingly catching on to Devon’s train of thought.
Emily patted the top of Devon’s head and bent down giving him a hug.
“Be safe, Dev,” Emily whispered as Marcus pulled her to one of the cars.
Devon nodded and raced toward the woods. The two women couldn’t have gotten far.
***
Lark cried out as she tripped, stumbling, onto the rough ground. Her hand grazed against something hard, pain exploded through it as she tried to catch herself. She cursed, trying to catch her breath and squinted to see in the darkened woods. She brushed some dead leaves from her shirt as she stood back up. Her palm ached, but it was probably just skinned.
A stick snapped to her right, and she darted in that direction. Her eyes were slowly adjusting to the vast darkness, but she could still only see a few feet in front of her. The woods were eerily dark, blocking out the light of the moon and stars. A soft sob came from straight in front of her as some branches rustled.
“Natalia,” Lark called hoping to calm the frightened woman.
A pained gasp sounded to Lark’s right. She slowed, stumbling over the broken tree limbs as she caught sight of the other woman.
“It’s okay,” Lark whispered as she righted herself and approached the wolf. She was slumped against a large pine tree branch.
“Leave me please,” Natalia whispered in her heavy Spanish accent.
“Let us help you,” Lark knelt beside her. Her hand reached out to rest on the girls shoulder, but Natalia flinched away. Lark dropped it back to her side. “I promise no one is going to hurt you or your baby.”
Natalia’s brown eyes studied her for a long moment.
“You’re not one of us.”
Lark blinked surprised; of all the things that was what she chose to say.
“No, I’m not, but I know what you are. I’m a friend and so are they. We can help you, but you have to come back with us.”
Natalia’s death grip on the branches subsided slightly as she sat up a little straighter.
“I do not trust the fake alpha.”
Lark frowned, trying to make sense of her words.
“Daniel?”
Natalia nodded, “The man whose scent you carry, the alpha, is he a good alpha?”
“Devon’s a good guy — a good leader,” Lark replied instantly.
Natalia stiffened, the branch breaking beneath her grip. Lark’s eyes darted around trying to pinpoint the source of her duress. Lark jumped, startled, as a warm hand slid around her.
“Did you really think this little plan would work?” Emmett snarled in her ear. His hand clamped over her mouth as he wrenched her against his hard body.
Lark fought the horror bubbling up inside her down as she wriggled, in a vain attempt to free herself. His grip was ironclad, she could barely move. Her gun bulged out of the front of her jeans; she struggled trying to get one of her hands around the handle.
“Grab Natalia,” Emmett snarled at someone else she couldn’t quite see. Out of nowhere, another man appeared yanking Natalia to her feet roughly. The female wolf let out a throaty mewl as she was manhandled, hands clutched protectively around her belly.
Lark forced her screaming mind and body to focus. Her limbs stilled, inhaling a deep breath, she stomped down on Emmett’s toes with the heel of her foot. Instead of loosening his grip it tightened.
“Your school yard tricks won’t work on me,” he hissed at her.
Lark gasped as she was lifted off the ground, being drug away her feet dangling haphazardly in the air like she was a small child.
Think!
Lark gagged as bile rose up her throat. She was not going to give up and accept her fate. Fear, mixed with rage coursed through her veins as her heart beat wildly in her chest. Tensing her body, she flung her head backwards, connecting it with Emmett’s face with a loud smack.
Emmett roared, expletives flying from his mouth. His vice grip faltered and she fell to her feet, stumbling forward. Adrenaline roaring in her ears filled with a fight or die scenario. Lark thrust her elbow backwards, spun and threw a right hook.
He faltered, stepping backwards only for a second. Using the distraction to her advantage, she swung again connecting with his jaw. Pain erupted in her hand sending, spikes of heat flaring up her arm and into her shoulder. Rage coursing through her veins, she drew the gun.
Emmett found his footing too quickly. Grasping Lark by the arm, he twisted her, shoving her face first to the ground. The impact jarred her and the gun flipped away, scuttling across the ground under a bush.
The rough uneven terrain burned her elbows and hands, where sticks and rocks pricked her skin. Struggling to get up, something landed on her back. It was a boot, she realized. The heel dug into the small of her back seconds before he squashed her to the ground as if she were a bug.
“That wasn’t very smart. Although, I do admire your tenacity. I was right, Juarez is going to have fun breaking you,” Emmett sneered in her ear as he lifted her to her feet by her long blonde tresses.
Lark bucked against him trying to get free. They both froze; a loud woof resonated off of the trees.
Emmett turned dragging her along with him.
“Ah, Devon, I thought you might come.” He yanked her head harder. Lark grimaced, crying out in pain as a few strands were snatched out of her head.
Devon growled, long yowls that sent shivers up her spine escaping his mouth. With teeth barred and eyes gleaming, he walked toward them predatorily.
“Are we going to do this dance again?” Emmett laughed, his breath ghosting against Lark’s neck, causing goose bumps to pepper her skin.
Lark screamed. Lunging, Devon caught an attacking wolf midair. Emmett drug her backwards as Devon and another wolf snapped and wrestled each other. They scuffled across the dirt, flinging sticks and debris up as they moved.
Her eyes fought to catch up with the fight. The wolves moved in a blur. Lark cringed; a loud sickening snap filled the air. Her breath caught, heart stopped as she surveyed the two wolves. Neither of them moved. Tears pricked her eyes as worry flooded her.
Please be okay.
“No,” Emmett bellowed, Lark was flung to her knees as the elder wolf began to transform.
She couldn’t see much but she could hear clothes shredding and bones popping. Her body tensed as she realized that while Devon remained alive, he would have to fight Emmett to the death.
***
Devon circled Emmett as he waited for the transformation to complete. He knew if the roles were reversed, his stepfather would not be so gracious. But, Devon wanted this to be a fair fight. He needed to win this the right way.
