Cold Mercy (Northern Wolves)

by Sadie Hart

  She was pack, but his wolf didn’t like the thought of bringing her along. Being human meant she was vulnerable where the wolf wasn’t. Too easily harmed. Bay shook his head and turned back towards Eden’s house, trotting over the snow. It didn’t matter. A promise was a promise.

  Maybe Doreen Bast could find the girls more iron to carry.

  A frozen tree trunk lay across the trail and Bay hurled himself over it, crunching into the deep snow as he landed. The wolf moved through the forest easily, his long stride crossing the distance without breaking a sweat. Wolves were made for traveling fast and for covering distance, and the winter wolf was even more so inclined. Despite his size and the heavy snowfall of late, Bay moved through the forest like a ghost, floating amongst the trees, not slowed by the rough terrain at all.

  He crossed onto one of Eden’s more familiar trails and picked up speed, her scent strong here, along with the dogs. He could follow its looping spiral straight into her yard, or cut across the woods. Bay angled himself directly through the woods though, knowing they were all waiting on him with little patience or hope, when the musky scent of wolf touched his nose.

  The same wolf that had taken Quinn.

  It jarred him to a stop and he bent his head, sniffing over the frozen ground. The scent was recent and the wolf hadn’t come alone. The stench of troll burned up his nose as he breathed it in on a snarl. Then he heard the soft screams in the distance, panicked, and Bay launched into motion.

  “Eden! Eden!” Kennedy was screaming and Bay dug in, galloping straight towards her house.

  The dogs bellowed from their chains, furious, and Kennedy was running across the yard as he broke through the trees, a rifle slung over her shoulder. He could smell the iron in her hand as he raced toward her. She skidded to a halt, swinging the gun over her shoulder when Bay jerked to a stop, turning away and shifting as she lifted the gun to sight down the barrel.

  “Kennedy!” he cried out, his arms lifted into the air as he hunkered down, his back to her.

  “Oh thank God,” she said and Bay turned to see her tossing the gun back over her shoulder and running towards him. Rowan was sprinting across the snow towards him as well, her grandmother several paces behind her.

  “What the hell happened?” But even as he asked the question his gaze was scouring the yard for Eden. Blood spotted the snow near the dogs and his entire body clamped down on the pain searing his heart. He spun on Kennedy with a growl, catching her as she stumbled into him. “Where is she?”

  Her whole body trembled next to his. “They took her. A black wolf and a troll.”

  “Bali,” Doreen panted. “The alpha of Morrigan’s pack, remember?”

  Bay let Kennedy go, his wolf roaring up inside him, wanting free again. The enemy had come onto his territory, taken a member of his pack, his mate. And he’d be damned if he let them get away with it. “What would they need her for?”

  Bay’s hands clenched into fists, only to feel a sharp nick of pain in his palms as his half-turned claws dug into his flesh.

  “If she’s woken the omega, then as a sacrifice.”

  Bay gave the old woman a hard look, fury burning a hole inside his heart. “They’ll kill her?”

  The words came out on a hard growl and Doreen flinched. “That’s if that’s what they wanted from her. If Morrigan made her last wolf. If—”

  He didn’t care to hear the last of her damned ‘ifs’. Morrigan had taken Quinn and everything inside Bay screamed that’s what she’d wanted him for. To make another wolf. Since she’d taken Eden next, Bay didn’t need to do anymore guessing than that.

  “Stay here.”

  “Bay—” they called out, but he was already gone. In a rush and crackle of bones, Bay moved from man to wolf, sprinting towards the forest. Fury seethed through his veins, driving him forward. He heard them shouting behind him, but Bay didn’t slow. They didn’t know where to find Morrigan and hopefully that lack of knowledge would keep them safe.

  As for Eden, Bay would make damn sure she wasn’t hurt. She was his to protect, to cherish, and to hold. No one would touch her. That roar that roiled deep in his belly finally burned its way out of his throat, dark and menacing as it filled the forest. The few birds that had lingered throughout the winter scattered from their snowy perches in the trees, panicked cries bleating from their beaks.

  In the end, when his roar tapered into a howl wrought with challenge, the winter wolves answered him. Some behind him, still coming in from different directions. It wasn’t quite dark enough to be nightfall, but Bay didn’t doubt that Morrigan could call her wolves even before they’d slept. They’d probably think they were just blacking out during the day, losing more and more of their time to whatever sickness they’d convinced themselves they had.

  Bay was about to change all of that. His claws dug into the icy pass as he hurtled himself over rocks and falling trees. Not bothering with the trail, he scaled the mountainside, leaping onto ice slick boulders with a confidence borne of terror. He couldn’t afford to slip, so he didn’t. Desperation guided his instincts until he landed on the flat curve of a road and bolted across it, into the small grove beyond. Morrigan’s place.

  He passed the lonely strip of road where he’d swerved, going too fast on too bad of a road that night, and had wrapped his car around a tree. He could see now that Morrigan hadn’t had to drag herself far to find him. And she had dragged herself. She’d said he’d woken her, and Bay no longer had any doubt there. His pain, his presence, all that blood, it had called her to him. She’d fed from him and then brought him back to life as one of her own.

  The trees cleared around him as he emerged into the little grotto Morrigan used. She lounged on the stump where she always sat, her long white gown trickling down to her toes. She bobbed her feet in time with some inaudible beat only she could hear. But it wasn’t her feet Bay stared at. Eden lay on the ground before Morrigan, her arms tied behind her back. She had blood smeared across her shoulder from a bite wound and she stared up at him, eyes wide with pain.

  To one side of her quivered a small white wolf, and on the other side, at Morrigan’s hip, was a black wolf even bigger than Bay. It was the black one that curled back his lips in a show of force. Dominance. The wolf took a step forward and Bay knew who he looked at. Bali. Morrigan’s little alpha pet. He felt his wolf crumple inside him, wanting to give way, but Bay wasn’t here to fucking cower.

  He was here to save the one woman who meant everything to him.

  Bay paused, the hair down his back lifting like spikes, and he felt his tail curl over his back, bristling. His wolf wanted to sink into his skin and whimper. The wolf was tormented by instinct, by old memories that insisted that this black wolf, Bali, ruled here. But Bay the man knew nothing of that. All he knew was that Eden lay in the snow bleeding in front of him and he’d be damned if he bent his head and submitted without a fight.

  They’d have to kill him first. The vicious noise that rumbled out of him at that thought vibrated through every inch of his body, it corded through his every muscle and fiber until it had filled him with fight. He’d stood here before and done what no other wolf of Morrigan’s had done before: left. Broken her hold over him.

  Now, he was going to stand here and fight.

  The small wolf bent his head, a keening whine sounding from him as his jaws opened inches from Eden’s skin, and whatever restraint or control Bay still clung to snapped. He flung himself over Eden, a roar on his lips, but he couldn’t bring himself to actually bite down on the other wolf. Everything inside him screamed not too, his muscles clawing with the urge to comply with the rampaging need to protect his mate and the woman he loved, versus an instinct that demanded he couldn’t hurt this one.

  Bay’s jaws clamped down on air, snarling and seething as he angled his head, just a hair above the other wolf’s. He heard Morrigan’s soft inhale, felt her surprise as surely as if it’d been his own emotion. The other wolf flinched, but his eyes still lingered on Eden wit
h such hunger that Bay wanted to rip him apart. His wolf refused though. Not in this body.

  But before he could think about what that meant another wolf slammed into his side, white fur blurring his vision. Another nipped at his flank. Bay launched himself into the roll, landing on his feet, only to spin and lash out at his attackers. In a flurry of fur and fang they danced, writhing on the snow. Teeth scored his skin, tearing easily through his flesh, but with every attack, Bay retaliated. He launched himself into the frenzy, spinning, twisting, all the while his own fangs reached out to taste blood.

  Finally, the first two wolves lunged out of range and Bay leapt back to Eden. He landed standing over her, shielding her body with his. He heard her panicked breathing, but he also knew she was doing her best to find a way out of this. She wasn’t the type of woman to lie there and expect him to rescue her. Which was good, because as six wolves circled in tight around him, he was hopelessly outnumbered and the sooner she got to her feet, the better off they’d be.

  Fur touched his hip and Bay whirled to snap. But something jerked his jaws back before he could crunch down on the face of the wolf next to him. He moved to snap again, but his muscles refused to cooperate. He’d ripped open every other wolf that had come within range, but he couldn’t attack this one.

  Bay growled, but this time the wolf made no move for Eden. Instead he stepped up alongside Bay and snarled at the pack closing in. Instantly they shuffled backwards. Nervous, the pack glanced away, their tongues snaking out over their lips in a sign of deference. They couldn’t hurt this one anymore than Bay could. And no matter how badly they wanted at Bay, with the little wolf beside him, they couldn’t bring themselves to attack. Bay wanted to laugh. Now wasn’t that just helpful.

  “No,” Morrigan hissed and Bay felt something pull him back, like magical fingers wrapping around him, he was jerked backwards. He spun, teeth flashing out to catch her skin when a troll thundered behind him. Branches shook as Bay hit the ground, rolling. Sticks snapped free of the trees and skittered over the ground in the force of another roar, but this time, the troll swept aside the smaller wolf, sending him spinning out over the snow.

  Bay lunged to get back to Eden when Bali slammed into him, all lithe muscle and sheer power. The black wolf rammed his shoulder into Bay’s side, knifelike teeth ripping through the back of his neck, and Bay turned to deal with his attacker. Fang met fang as they writhed in the snow, kicking up white plumes behind them as they both scrabbled to find purchase on the slick surface, both struggling to sink teeth into the other.

  Bali lunged for his throat and Bay ducked out of range, the coppery tang of blood sluicing over his tongue as he tore through the other wolf’s flank. Pain lanced up his side as a bearlike claw slammed into his shoulder and pinned him into the snow. Bay’s wolf whimpered somewhere inside him and he could feel the urgent sense of defeat. According to his wolf they couldn’t win this. Not against Bali. Images of submitting, of licking the other wolf’s muzzle, cowering and pleading, they all danced through Bay’s mind and he slammed them back.

  No. Fucking. Way.

  With a roar he shoved upwards, knocking the black wolf off of him with a move born of sheer desperation and fury. In the corner of his eye he could see the other wolves circling, watching, but they didn’t make a move. Not even as Morrigan screamed behind them, outrage making her voice high, nearly hysterical. It screeched through the night air with the bitter emptiness of a banshee.

  Bay’s sides heaved as he landed, the black wolf standing in front of him. This one was powerful, he’d give his wolf that. He could feel the strength flowing from the other wolf, the raw force of will demanding he back down. Instead, Bay met the winter wolf’s gaze—alpha to alpha—and curled back his lips and snarled. If this wolf wanted to win, he’d have to make Bay back down.

  He wasn’t about to yield any other way. He’d die before he let them kill Eden. That confidence spilled through him and his wolf calmed, readying itself for the fight. He felt the animal’s soul touch his again, felt his beast’s uneasiness fade. His wolf was okay with dying if it meant protecting their pack. Eden.

  A tree cracked, the sound loud in the stillness lingering between Bay and the black wolf, followed by the hollow scream of another wolf. Bay flinched at the sound, barely managing to keep himself from looking, but that slight twitch in his muscles was enough. Bali pounced, night black fur turning into a blur, blending into the shadows slowly casting the forest into darkness.

  For a second, all Bay could see was a blur of motion. His wolf reacted for him, bracing for the impact. Bali struck along his right side, merciless jaws clamping down on the thick ruff of white fur around Bay’s neck. He rolled, his shoulder ducking under Bali as he forced himself into the other wolf. His skin tore in a blinding rush of pain, but the movement forced the black wolf to let him go.

  They spun again, but this time Bay felt the newfound power rising inside him. The bond he shared with Eden burning bright and the need for her safety drove him on. Feral, frantic. He attacked mercilessly, again and again, without hesitation and ignoring the cloying grip of fatigue that tried to drag him under. Fingers skimmed at his haunches, trying to draw him away and Bay dimly recognized Morrigan’s furious cries, unable to get close enough to help her wolf without behind drawn into the fray.

  He didn’t know how long they thrashed in the snow clearing, black and white, an ancient, dark alpha against new blood. But it was enough. Bali slipped turning to make another lunge and Bay pounced, his muscles screaming, as he slammed the wolf into the snow. He went straight for the throat, victory pumping through his blood.

  His jaws found only air.

  The wolf whooshed out from underneath him. One second there and the next, he was gone, washed away on the wind. Bay spun, only to see the black wolf reappear at the edge of the clearing, Morrigan standing beside him. She swayed, her face pale from the overuse of magic, her long fingers curled into fists at her side as she stared at him. Her face suddenly gaunt, starved. When she opened her mouth, blood poured freely from her lips. Long fangs darted out of her mouth as she hissed.

  Then they were gone, sprinting into the darkness, the shadows wiping them away in seconds. Bay took a step after them, but he couldn’t bring himself to follow. Instead, he swung towards Eden only to see the troll disappearing into the night. His wolf’s eyes let him watch as the large body swayed in and out amongst the trees, vanishing just like the Fae bitch before him.

  But it was the woman writhing on the ground in front of Morrigan’s stump that drew him. Eden nearly had her hands free, her breaths coming out in short, desperate pants. Her gaze darted around wildly and Bay realized she couldn’t see. While as a wolf Bay could see perfectly fine in the thin snatches of moonlight, Eden was damn near blind.

  He whimpered and laid his muzzle against her cheek, breathing softly.

  “Bay?” His word came out on a panicked cry, half-sob, half-hope-filled plea.

  He bobbed his nose against her skin in answer. Stepping gingerly over her, Bay gently pulled the rest of the rope free. Her hand was shaking as she found his side, only to draw back on a gasp. “Shit. You’re hurt.”

  He looked at his coat, streaked with darker shades. Blood. Exhaustion sank into him, nestling into the very marrow of his bones. Yeah. He was more than hurt. But he had to bring her home safely, and walking naked and blind through the forest as a man didn’t sound at all appealing. Another whimper sounded and Bay turned, startled, only to see six wolves staring out at him, their heads low, tails tucked.

  Mine. His pack now. He could feel them, inside him, like a network linking them all together. The magic that made him a werewolf, now bound them to him. Very similar to the magic that had tied him to Morrigan before he’d found Eden. Well, hell. So much for having to find them. Then his attention drifted to the little wolf sprawled out in the snow, his coat dark with blood.

  Long claw marks ripped through his side. The troll. Bay winced and stepped forward, temporarily ignori
ng Eden’s desperate attempt to grab his fur, her hand slipping in the blood. He looked at the wolves around him. They all watched him as he approached the one that could not be hurt. His first ally. Bay lowered his head and chuffed gently in the other wolf’s ear. He was breathing.

  Relief filled him, and as exhausted as he was, Bay shifted. He pressed his muzzle to the other wolf’s, and hoped like hell he could bring this one back to human with him. It was a slow change, his wolf almost reluctant, his body stiff with pain, but finally the fur faded and he knelt on the frozen ground a man, shivering in the dark. And in front of him, beginning to heal, was another man.

  “Eden,” Bay whispered, his wolf still lending him extra night vision. “I’m going to need your help.”

  He held out a hand in her direction and caught her arm gently, only to draw her to his side. She knelt next to him just as the other man let out a soft groan. Eden’s breath hiccupped.

  “Quinn?” she whispered.

  “Eden?” A ragged cough tore through the other man, filled with pain, and Bay smiled. They’d found her friend.

  He touched her shoulder. “We need to get him home. And I have an idea, try not to panic, but I think we have friends now.”

  “Friends?”

  He ignored the question and braced his palms against his knees, wearily shoving himself to his feet. He looked at the wolves still standing around him. He pointed to the one closest. “Come here.”

  The animal whimpered but came, belly dragging low to the ground as it cowered. Submissive. Tomorrow he’d figure out who they all were. What the hell he was going to do with them all.

  “We’ll need to talk to Doreen,” Bay said to Eden, fatigue weighing heavy in his voice. Then he tilted his head in a gesture for the wolf now standing in front of him and spoke to the bear-sized canine. “You’ll carry him.”

  He left no room for argument in the soft command. He’d fought and won. As far as his wolf was concerned that made the other wolves his. They would do what Bay told them.