She looked around at the wolves. They were watching her in silence, ready to move in and rend her to shreds at Gordon’s command.
“Your underlings are watching you,” she said in a sing-song tone to Gordon. She smirked. “Now is your chance to show them that you have what it takes to be their Alpha.”
“Don’t push it, bitch,” Gordon snapped.
“Push what? Push your buttons?” She arched a brow and walked slowly towards him. “Why? Are you afraid, Gordon?”
“Shut up! Don’t force...”
“What? Don’t force you to fight?” Penny taunted as she stopped and sniffed the air.
“Oh Gordon, I can smell your fear,” she whispered.
And she smiled.
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
Gordon stumbled back before regaining his footing. “You! Fucking bitch! I will make you suffer before you die!” Turning to the black wolf, Gordon shrieked, “Kill her! Tear her from limb to limb!”
Penny spun round to face the pack executioner. She flexed her fingers and saw that her claws were already out.
She wasn’t defenseless. If these predators thought that she was a weak, wounded prey, they had another thing coming.
Her wolf surged to the surface, and a dangerous growl reverberated from her throat.
She was going to fight.
For her life.
For her mates.
The black wolf lunged at her. Penny dodged the blow and used her claws to rake down the wolf’s side. The wolf whirled round and clamped his jaws around her ankle.
Penny kicked out desperately but the wolf bit harder and held her down. He was strong and fast, and Penny regretted that she had underestimated his prowess. He might have lost an eye and an ear, but he was still the pack executioner.
The black wolf bit viciously into her leg, and she felt his fangs tearing deep into her muscle. She choked off a scream and snatched up a branch that she saw on the ground. She thrust the branch at his eye as she struggled to free herself.
Three other wolves came at her and Penny used her claws to slash at them. But she was outnumbered.
The wolves bit her on her arms and legs, and the scent of her blood seemed to ignite their bloodlust. More wolves circled her, closing in for the kill.
But Penny knew that they weren’t going to grant her a quick death. They were going to cause her maximum hurt and humiliation before killing her.
Gordon came up to her and unsheathed his claws. He gave a sadistic smile and lowered his claws to her right eye.
“No!” Penny screamed.
Gordon jerked back when a thunderous noise exploded through the woods.
Penny heard the loud blare of a horn and saw a car roaring down the dirt track towards the cabin.
Kira stuck her head out of the car window and screeched, “Get away from her!”
The wolves leaped out of the way as Kira gunned her vehicle at them. She skidded to a stop and jumped out of the car.
Gordon shouted a command and three wolves ran at Kira. Kira cursed and shifted in the blink of an eye. In a heartbeat, she had shifted into a beautiful fox with reddish fur and gleaming green eyes.
The red fox was much smaller than the wolves, but she was quick and nimble. Kira ducked and avoided all the vicious claws and teeth that were coming at her.
She moved through the tangle of wolves and reached her target.
With an angry cry, Kira leaped onto Gordon’s back and bit into his shoulder.
Gordon dropped to the ground, rolling and twisting. He finally managed to shake the little fox loose.
Growling, Gordon shifted to wolf form and charged at the fox.
When Penny saw Gordon attacking Kira, her wolf simply ripped out of her. She let out an animal cry as her bones and muscles reshaped and reformed themselves in an explosion of angry, violent energy.
When Penny opened her eyes, she knew that she was in wolf form. Everything looked and felt different. She felt different. Her fear and pain had been distilled to pure fury and her wrath became her strength.
She wasn’t going to let these wolves hurt Kira.
Penny twisted out of the death grip of the pack executioner and the other wolves, and fought back with a vengeance.
She saw Gordon and his minions attacking Kira, and rage burned through her. Kira’s fox was so much smaller than Gordon’s wolf, yet Gordon didn’t have the guts to fight Kira on his own.
He had to get three other wolves to help him attack the small red fox.
In a blur of brown fur and gleaming claws, Penny flew at Gordon.
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
Gordon turned and saw Penny, and he immediately howled for his wolves. The pack swiftly came to his aid.
Penny growled as the wolves formed a wall separating her from Gordon.
She couldn’t reach Kira.
The wolves were keeping her away from Kira so they couldn’t help each other.
Penny dove at the nearest wolf, biting hard into his front leg. She brought the wolf down and heard the sharp snap of bone. She spat out the blood from her mouth and whirled round to take down another wolf.
This time, she aimed for the wolf’s throat.
Penny didn’t stop. There was blood in her mouth and on her fur, but it was the blood of her enemies. She ripped out the throat of a female wolf and staggered back.
Panting, she blinked hard and saw three dead wolves at her feet.
She had killed three experienced fighters from the Emerald pack, and she was still standing.
But she felt a little woozy. There was a gash down her side, and blood was dripping down her face and hind legs.
There were more than a dozen wolves left to fight. But Penny knew that she would not have the energy and stamina to fight them all.
The best she could do was go down fighting.
Penny jerked when she heard Kira’s cry of pain. Her friend was wounded, and she couldn’t help her.
Penny lifted her nose and howled.
Run!
Kira gave an answering cry, and Penny called out again. She couldn’t drag her friend into this.
Go!
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
Determinedly, Penny fought her way to Kira. She saw the small fox facing four large wolves fearlessly. Gordon was leading the attack, gleefully taking on an opponent who was so much smaller than himself.
Penny fought and clawed her way to Kira. Her fangs were dripping with blood, and the scent and taste of fresh blood sharpened her killer instincts.
She ripped into another wolf, and butted two other wolves away as she tried to reach her friend.
Penny finally managed to clear a path for herself and hurtled towards her friend. She was simply unstoppable. Twisting round, she slammed into a wolf who was sneaking up behind her and shoved Kira out of the way.
Penny glared at Kira and growled. Go!
The red fox hesitated.
Now!
Kira turned and darted off. In a blink, the fox was gone.
Gordon howled and attempted to give chase, but Penny blocked him. She put herself between the wolves and Kira, allowing the little fox to make her escape.
Gordon faced Penny, snarling menacingly. He looked over his shoulder and chuffed out a command.
Penny turned around slowly to face the pack. She had managed to kill a handful of wolves, but she was still grossly outnumbered. And she was losing too much blood.
Penny shook the blood out of her eyes. Her face and sides were bleeding badly and her legs could barely support her weight. The scene was beginning to blur around the edges, and Penny wondered how much longer she could stay conscious.
Gordon shifted into human form and drawled, “Just give up, Penny. Why make it so hard for yourself? I will grant you a quick death. Just bare your throat for me, and it will all be over.”
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
Penny narrowed her eyes at Gordon and took a long, deep breath.
The scent of fear was unmistakable.
&nb
sp; Penny bared her teeth in a smile. She could see through his dirty little tactics.
Gordon was trying to mask his fear with bravado, anger and lies.
Penny let her wolf recede and faced Gordon as a woman. She gave a slow, seductive smile and said, “Do you still want to claim me, Gordon?”
His features registered surprise and confusion before settling into a frown.
“What are you playing at, Penny?” Gordon snapped.
She held her hands up. “I’m not playing any games.”
“Are you surrendering to me, Penny? You want me to claim you now?” He looked smug. “Well, I understand if you’re afraid of death...”
“My wolf is willing to submit to a mate who is better and stronger than me,” Penny said evenly. “I will let you claim and mark me, Gordon...” She raised a finger for emphasis. “If you win the fight.”
“What fight?” Gordon demanded but she saw his eyes darting around nervously.
“All you have to do is fight me, Gordon. Win the fight, and you can do whatever you want with me.” She shrugged. “Fuck me, mark me, kill me, whatever.”
Gordon scowled. “You...”
“I’m a weak little female. You are the Alpha’s son. Let your wolves witness the fight, so they can see what their future Alpha is capable of.” Penny widened her eyes innocently. “You can beat me easily, can’t you, Gordon?”
Gordon flinched.
They both knew the answer to her question.
Penny had proven how strong she was by killing and wounding at least a dozen wolves.
She could defeat some of the most experienced fighters in the pack, and she was just a newly Changed shifter.
She was fierce, decisive and lethal. She was a natural fighter, an apex predator. She could read situations accurately and spot weaknesses in her opponents. She was agile and quick to adopt the most effective strategy in the heat of battle.
Her power and potential was obvious.
Penny was an alpha wolf.
The realization opened her eyes fully.
Penny finally understood that she had always been strong, capable and independent. Her confidence had been systematically stripped from her by her manipulative and toxic parents.
Her parents saw her potential and knew that she would soon leave them and soar into a future that was blindingly bright. Their own insecurities caused them to be jealous and envious of her. They didn’t want their child to outshine them, so they did everything they could to hold her back and guilt-trip her into serving their needs and neglecting her own.
Her parents trained and groomed her to be submissive, subservient and self-sacrificing. They wanted her to set herself on fire to keep them warm.
Penny blinked and with each blink, everything became clearer. She saw the world through the eyes of her wolf. She wasn’t afraid to fight, to live, to love. This was who she truly was.
Her wolf was a part of her. The qualities of her wolf were qualities which she innately possessed.
She’d always had it in her.
Her wolf was...her.
She smiled when she saw that Gordon had paled visibly at her challenge.
But he managed to regain his composure quickly enough. He gave a disdainful wave and sneered, “Why should I fight you? You think too highly of yourself, Penny. You are not worth my time.”
Penny smirked. “You came all this way to claim me, so...”
“What makes you think I want to claim you? I just want you dead,” Gordon snarled.
Turning to the pack, he ordered, “Finish her.”
CHAPTER FIFTY
Ford shifted as he raced through the woods. Kira had found Ford, Dillon and Ryder and told them the danger that Penny was in.
The feisty fox shifter was running beside them, bravely going back into battle.
Ryder had tried to stop her by saying, “Stay out of this, Kira. We don’t want you to get hurt. Just leave. This isn’t your fight.”
“Like hell it isn’t,” Kira had snapped before shifting into a fox.
Kira raced ahead, leading the bears to Penny.
The snarls and growls grew louder, and Ford could literally taste the blood of wolves in the air.
He ran faster as he picked up Penny’s unique scent. She was angry and in pain, but she wasn’t afraid.
The forest thinned out and he could see the wolves now. Penny was putting up a fierce fight. She was bleeding and tired, but she was holding her own.
With a terrible roar, Ford burst out into the clearing. Dillon, Ryder were right behind him, and the three of them went on a rampage.
Those bloody wolves were going to pay for hunting and hurting their mate!
Ford reared up and slashed down on a wolf who was lunging towards Penny. He grabbed the bastard and slammed the wolf hard into the ground.
Penny was taking on three wolves at once, but she seemed to be handling herself well. One wolf was missing an eye, while the other two were limping. Kira had gone to her aid, and was relentlessly attacking one of the wolves, drawing him away from Penny.
Some of the wolves tried to beat a hasty retreat when the bears arrived but Ford, Dillon and Ryder weren’t letting a single wolf go. They were like killing machines, decimating wolves right and left.
Blood and fur flew everywhere. Limbs and bodies were violently flung into the trees.
It was a grisly scene, but the bloodshed was necessary. They had to send a strong message to their enemies. Nobody messed with their mate.
Ford turned and saw Gordon slinking off between the trees. The coward was trying to escape.
Snarling, Ford chased Gordon and overtook him. Standing in front of the wolf, Ford shifted to human form.
“Where are you going? You’re not running away, are you?” Ford said. His voice was deceptively calm, but his eyes were murderous.
Gordon growled at him. But he didn’t shift to human form, even though Ford was facing him as a human.
“You can’t even face me as a man,” Ford sneered. “You can’t even face Penny. You Changed her. But...you know that you can’t control her. I believe Penny’s wolf is an alpha, and her wolf is far stronger than yours. She will be able to subdue you easily and effortlessly. And you don’t want your pack mates to see your disgraceful defeat.”
Gordon turned and tried to run, but Penny exploded from between the trees and stopped him.
She stalked towards him, her hackles up and her eyes glowing.
She looked deadly and breathtakingly beautiful. Her brown fur gleamed and she moved with the grace and stealth of a skilled hunter.
Penny’s eyes narrowed as she glanced at Ford.
He’s mine!
Ford folded his arms across his broad chest and leaned against a tree. “Go right ahead, sweetheart.”
But he unsheathed his claws silently. He watched Penny circle her opponent, and his whole body tensed. He would jump into the fray and kill the bastard in a heartbeat.
He would do everything to protect Penny, but he would not deny her this kill.
He had to let his capable mate do what she needed to do.
Penny prowled towards Gordon, her eyes locked on her target. Gordon staggered back and looked around in terror and desperation.
None of his pack mates were around. He was alone.
There was no way out.
Ford watched Gordon back away from Penny. He looked lost and scared. The coward was afraid of Penny.
Gordon turned suddenly and darted off to the side. But Ryder emerged from the shadows and blocked Gordon.
Ryder shifted to human form but his fangs and claws remained on display. He was covered with blood, but Ford knew that most of the blood wasn’t his.
“You Changed her, but you can’t fight her?” Ryder jeered. “What are you? Ah yes, a piece of shit, that’s what.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
The scent of Gordon’s fear and anger was coming off him in waves. Penny growled as she advanced towards him.
Ryder was r
ight. Gordon was a piece of shit, a coward who abused his position and power in the pack. He never took responsibility for his actions, never took care of others, and only used other people for his own selfish purposes. And when he was done with them, he just got rid of them. That was what he did to his previous wives.
Penny was aware that Ryder, Ford, Dillon and Kira had formed a circle around her and Gordon. They had all shifted back to human form and she saw blood on their arms and faces. Kira flashed her a fierce smile and nodded.
If the men and Kira were here to watch the showdown, that meant that they were done with the wolves.
Penny looked at her three handsome, protective mates. Ford, Dillon and Ryder were her mates. Her wolf knew that. She would fight for them. She would fight for a future with her wonderful mates.
She deserved happiness. She no longer wanted to look over her shoulder in doubt and fear.
Without warning, Gordon lurched towards her. Taken by surprise, Penny ducked but she wasn’t fast enough. A claw nicked her ear and Penny felt blood drip down her face.
Gordon skidded and twisted round, snarling and snapping his jaws. He saw that there was no way out for him. He had no choice but to fight. He was caged in, and he simply fought like a caged animal. There was a desperate, crazed look in his eyes, and Penny knew that a mad wolf was far more dangerous than a sane, scheming one.
Gordon pounced on her and tried to bite her but Penny managed to shake him off. He charged again and again, but Penny got out of the way in time. She didn’t attack. She simply evaded his blows and conserved her energy.
She let the enemy wear himself down. Gordon was much bigger and stronger than her. To beat him, she had to drain his energy. He would be much easier to take down once he was all tired out.
It was just a matter of time.
Mated to Three Werebears: Reverse Harem Shifter Romance (Nightbrook Book 1) Page 10
