Brody seems to anticipate my moves, racing forward despite his injured leg. Can sociopaths feel pain?
I dart sideways at the last minute, barely managing to avoid his claws, but he doesn’t stop. Each time I manage to avoid him, he swivels back around, never giving me a moment to think.
With all my loved ones embroiled in battles of their own around me, a plan takes hold. If I can’t get away from him, I need to let him catch me.
No, Pepper! It’s too dangerous. Fight!
The relief I feel at hearing Kash’s grunted words nearly knocks me off my feet. Only the steady thrum of our mate bond has kept me from losing it as I fight Brody to try to get to his side.
My distraction doesn’t go unnoticed by Brody. He charges, and I let him knock me to the ground. I do my best to roll with the momentum, but still, my body crashes to the forest floor with a dizzying force. The wind rushes from my lungs, black spots dancing before my eyes.
Kash’s answering roar rattles my teeth.
I start to shift, and above me, Brody follows my lead. His weight presses down on me, his paws shifting to hands and feet that quickly subdue me, preventing me from touching him with my hands. I try not to think about how intimately his body is pressed against my own.
Gross.
“I can kill you just as easily in this form as I can in my other, bitch,” he seethes, spittle flying from his mouth.
I buck underneath him, trying to free at least one of my hands so I can influence him, but he only grins maliciously.
“Careful, Romy, or I might just change my mind about making you my queen.”
I spit in his face. “Fuck you!”
Brody’s eyes narrow to slits. “You’re going to regret that, bitch,” he says. He turns his head slightly, looking at someone over my shoulder as he yells, “Regina! Now!”
A tattoo on his arm begins to glow, and my mouth drops open as the blade that was once nothing more than ink clatters to the ground, flashing in the light of the moon.
His eyes dart to the blade, and I see the calculated look cross his face. I pray I’m fast enough to get my hand on him before he can use the weapon on me.
Saliva drips onto my forehead, and a grin of victory flashes across Brody’s face.
“I’ve decided not to keep you after all,” Brody gloats.
Zac appears beside me in wolf form, and I realize he’s slipped through our ranks untouched. He steps on my left arm, his claws digging into the soft skin there and tearing a scream from my throat. My cry of pain only seems to excite Brody. His hand darts out, gripping the blade. Hopelessness wells within me, and Kash roars in response.
“I’ll see you in hell, bitch,” Brody says, raising his arm to strike.
Zac’s claws rake across my arm, tearing at my flesh, and his weight disappears, but not soon enough. Brody’s blade swings down, and I send my love to Kash one last time.
Brody brings the blade down, but instead of pain, the sudden weight of a body landing on me sends the air whooshing from my lungs. The blade makes a sickening thump as it slices through flesh until it reaches the hilt.
Still, no pain.
What the hell?
I look up into the face of the body that’s fallen against my chest. Justice looks up, a grin crossing his bruised and battered face.
“Yeah you will, bitch,” he murmurs to Brody before falling still.
I stare in horror as I realize my friend has just taken a killing blow. A killing blow that was meant for me.
Chapter 17
From nearby, Levi howls, a guttural sound that wrenches me out of my shock and straight into pure, bloodthirsty rage. Justice can’t be dead. He just can’t be. Farther off, I hear Talia’s voice ring out in a shrill, unhinged sort of cry, “ETA seven!”
Kneeling over me, Brody ignores her and roars at the sight of his blade now protruding from Justice’s shoulder. Zac darts back, pawing restlessly at the ground, and I let my instincts take over, unable to think past the urge to kill them all.
With both hands, I shove Justice off me, using his weight to knock Brody off of me and leap at Zac. He darts out of my reach and straight into the pointed end of Talia’s sword.
She yodels in triumph–a weird choice but one I can’t think about now.
I swing back around and grab for Brody, but he, too, manages to dance out of my reach, darting away before Talia’s sword can pierce him. From somewhere in the middle of the chaos, a wolf yelps, and I can feel Kash’s horror at the loss of whoever just fell to Brody’s minions.
My rage builds.
With Brody still on the move, I cut through the fighting to follow his retreat. A few wolves pause to take in the naked chick marching through the middle of the chaos, and it allows our side to take out a few more of theirs. But it’s not enough.
Even with my entire attention focused on Brody–the murdering bastard–I know we’re losing.
Or we will be. Because we’re barely holding our own against larger numbers, and when our energy gives out, they’ll finish us. I don’t need battle experience to know we’re going to lose.
“ETA two!” Talia’s nonsensical announcements continue to go unanswered by the others.
It must mean something, though I have no idea what. And there’s no time to ask.
A portal opens across the yard, and for a second, I’m struck immobile with horror at the possibility that Regina has called up reinforcements. If Brody produces any more soldiers, we’re screwed.
Instead, Lina steps through, and I’m shocked to see the rest of the council close at her heels. They’re still dressed in suits and smart shoes, but their expressions have hardened, and their eyes glitter with the threat of what they’re actually capable of.
“What the hell,” Brody growls, glaring at them.
Lina’s eyes gleam, and she shifts with a smile curling her human-then-wolfish mouth. The others follow suit and don’t hesitate before joining the fight, each of them rushing to help where Brody’s werebros outnumber us the most.
Through our bond, I feel Kash’s measured relief.
But it won’t be enough.
Grief over Justice clogs my throat, but I push it away, refusing to give in to defeat.
Brody will die today even if it kills me.
A distant whirring sounds, getting louder as it approaches.
I barely register it over the snarls and growls of the fighting, but when it becomes too loud to ignore, I glance up. Those around me do the same.
A helicopter hovers directly over the yard, its blades whirring loudly.
“ETA now,” Talia crows with glee as her sword cuts through another werebro.
“Who is that?” I ask no one in particular as multiple lines are thrown out of the main cabin and several figures begin to repel down to us. If these are more of Brody’s, I’ll–
“Reinforcements,” Talia grunts. She catches my eye and grins, looking slightly terrifying in her half shifted state. “My dad really came through.”
“Your dad sent these guys?”
My eyes go wide as a dozen Jason Bournes touch down and wade into the fighting happening around us. They don’t bat an eye at the sight of wolves fighting wolves with a few magical humans tossed in. They do, however, do a double-take at the sight of Talia.
“Murder now, gawk later,” she snaps, and they hurry to do exactly that. “Yellow eyes only,” she instructs as they go. One of them produces a flame thrower before he disappears behind a group of werebros.
“I should have known you’d rely on humans to fight your battles.” Brody’s voice is sharp and taunting, and I refocus on him as my grief and rage come charging to the surface once again.
“I rely on the willing,” I tell him. “I don’t have to force people to have my back.”
“Right. I’m sure the fact that Justice willingly died for you will make it so much easier to live with yourself.”
His words grate on every nerve in me, and I start toward him, hands fisting at the thought o
f squeezing the life out of Brody Harrison.
“What about you? One of your minions disappoints you, and you just banish him?”
Brody frowns as my words register. “What do you know about that?”
“I know Derek won’t be a problem for either of us anymore.”
His eyes narrow, and I can’t help but enjoy watching him realize what I mean.
I stalk closer to Brody, and he backs off. I continue, only to realize he’s not retreating at all. Regina, still locked in a battle of magic with Birdie, adjusts her stance when Brody slides in next to her and links his arm with hers.
I frown when more of his tattoos begin to move and solidify.
More knives.
Shit.
He’s bolstering his strength with her magic.
I hesitate. Across the yard, Kash is still embroiled in murderous mutts. We can’t afford to wait until he can get over here.
I catch Birdie’s eye, and she nods at me like she understands the problem. But her distraction costs her, and one of the sparks makes it through her magical barrier. She hisses as it singes her clothes and burns her skin.
Right.
Regina is her problem, but stopping Brody is up to me.
I make it all of three steps before another Delta wolf steps in my path and I’m forced to stop again. Kash appears, another werebro close on his heels, but he manages to put them both down without injury.
Between attacks, his blue eyes are sharp and urgent as he checks me over for injuries. I can feel his pain when he spots the deep gashes on my arm. But we don’t have time to dwell on that–just like I can’t let my grief over Justice consume me. Kash continues to stop any would-be attackers, and I know this is my shot.
With a battle cry that would rival Talia’s, I charge at Brody.
Regina moves to stop me, but Birdie sends a double-shot of sparkly spear-magic, and Regina is forced to deal with that instead.
My hands close around Brody’s arm. His surprise gives me the opening I need and I squeeze hard.
“Walk forward,” I command.
Brody lets go of Regina’s arm and takes a step toward me. I keep my grip on his arm and walk slowly backward, smiling as he frowns.
“What the hell,” he demands. “Why am I listening to you?”
“Because I told you to. And I’m in charge now.”
“What the fu–”
“Give me your knife,” I demand.
He hands it over slowly, his muscles straining as he tries to fight my compulsion. When the blade finally touches my palm, he scowls.
“This is for Justice,” I say and then slice the knife right through Brody’s Delta tattoo. Along with the blood, it oozes a murky green color. Magic. Draining away.
Some of the wolves behind me begin to howl. They continue to fight, but I can see their resistance to Brody’s alpha compulsion. Still, it’s not enough to break the hold he has on them completely. I have to do more.
Brody curses and tries to pull away from my grasp.
“Hold still,” I command.
He stops moving, and I smirk at him, quiet rage screaming through me now.
“Huh,” I say. “I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks after all.”
“You bitch,” he seethes. “You won’t get away with this. Regina!”
Time’s up.
I pull the knife back and plunge it into Brody’s chest. It sinks halfway before I hit something harder than flesh. Bone then. Grunting, I shove harder until Brody’s driven back. His eyes are wide with shock and glassy with pain. He stumbles, nearly going down, and I lose my grip on his arm.
He pulls the knife free, not wasting a second of the advantage he now has, recovering despite the blood that leaks from the open chest wound, and rushes at me.
I start to shift, but before I can finish, a blur of black fur sails past me and slams into Brody. Claws rake down Brody’s chest, opening long, bloody gashes as he falls.
Kash.
Brody shifts too, and they both go tumbling ass over teeth as they attempt to tear each other apart.
Regina screams, and Brody’s pause gives Kash an opening.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Regina fall to her knees. Her clothes smoke with the evidence of Birdie’s sparkly magic finally finding its mark.
“Yahtzee,” Birdie calls out and spears Regina with another sparkly bolt. This one strikes her in the chest.
Regina gasps and crumples to the ground.
Brody yelps, but the sound is cut short as Kash’s teeth latch onto Brody’s exposed throat. I rush to help and scoop up the knife Brody dropped earlier. When I reach them, Kash has Brody pinned, and I shove Brody’s paw out of the way then plunge the knife into his already-open throat.
It slides in much easier this time than it did through his chest, blood immediately gushing from the wound. Brody makes a sound of pain, twisting violently in Kash’s sharp grip.
I hope that means I’ve hit something important.
“That,” I tell him, “was for the girls.”
Kash doesn’t let go, and Brody thrashes wildly until he finally falls still.
His eyes are frozen open, but Kash doesn’t ease up until Brody’s form begins to change. Kash steps back just as Brody’s body returns to human form. Blood oozes from the knife protruding from Brody’s throat, but the hilt flattens before my eyes, and I watch as it slowly disintegrates until it’s nothing but a pile of ink and ash on Brody’s skin.
I look back to see Regina lying in the grass. Her clothes smolder, but she doesn’t move. Birdie stands over her and looks up, catching my eye.
She nods once at me then again at Kash, and I know Regina is gone.
A change comes over the werebros, and Kash shifts back to human, grabbing my hand as we both stare out over what’s left of the battle.
All around us, the werebros are surrendering. Some simply back away and lower their heads in deference to their opponents. Others shift back to their human form, holding their hands up in clear surrender.
Their tattoos have stopped glowing, and I watch as, one by one, the magic holding them under Brody’s control is stripped away.
“Holy shit,” I breathe. “We did it.”
Kash turns to me. “No, Pepper, you did it.”
“Yeah, but a helicopter full of GI Joes didn’t hurt either.”
“You’re welcome,” Talia calls as she starts toward us and then stops, her shocked gaze sweeping the length of me.
“What?” I demand.
More and more wolves are turning to stare, and I cut Kash a look.
“Do I have something on my face?”
“Not your face but. . .”
“What?”
He hesitates. “Darling, you have ears.”
“Uh, yeah, pretty sure we all do.”
“No. Wolf ears,” he says, and I blink.
“And a tail,” Talia says, marching closer as a wide grin spreads on her blood-stained face.
“What?!” I look down, twisting to see behind me, and sure as shit, there’s a big, fluffy tail sticking out of me right above my ass. “What the hell? How did that get there?”
“You half-shifted,” Talia says, “Nice. I knew you could do it, Rom.”
Something tugs at my tail, and I yelp, spinning to find Kash grinning devilishly. “I like this look on you, Pepper. It’s cute.”
“Cute?” I echo, horrified as I take a closer look at the rest of me. “I’m furry in places I pride myself on keeping trimmed.”
He winks. “I’m sure I can find my way.”
“Miss DuPont?”
We look up as Talia’s army gathers in front of her. Most of them are eyeing her and me with interest, but the spokesman for the group manages to keep his gaze on her face. A real professional.
“Yes?” Talia says.
“We’ve neutralized the threat and secured the perimeter. Do you have any further orders?”
“No, that’ll be all for today.” Talia waves them off
. “Good job, boys. My father will be pleased.” They start to turn away, and the leader reaches for a walkie tucked into his tactical vest. He speaks into it, but all I manage to decode are the words “Call for evac.”
Talia interrupts him, adding, “And don’t forget about the NDA you signed. If I hear any of you breathed a word of this, I’ll pay you a midnight visit that will ensure your ability to speak is permanently revoked. Got it?”
“Yes, ma’am,” the men mutter and then hurry back to the helicopter that’s currently reapproaching from over the tree line.
Lynch turns to Talia, eyes wide.
“Holy shit, woman, that was hot.”
Talia shrugs as blood drips from her sword.
On the other side of the yard, Talia’s little National Guard assembly turns back one last time to salute her before climbing up a hanging ladder and into the waiting chopper.
“Tal, I just need to say that I’m really glad we’re friends, and not enemies,” I tell her.
She grins, and even though her head has shifted back to her human form, it’s a startling sight considering she’s still covered in blood–not to mention sporting her own set of wolf ears and a furry tail.
“That’s my queen,” Lynch announces to no one in particular.
He marches up to Talia and drops to one knee, grabbing her free hand. “That’s it, woman. Put me out of my misery. Let me be the one to disappoint you for the rest of your life.”
The grin that lights up Talia’s face is blinding. “There’s nobody I’d rather have disappoint me than you. Yes! Of course,” Talia says, dropping her sword as Lynch pushes to his feet. She throws herself into his arms, and they proceed to make out. Loudly. With lots of tongue. Talia’s furry tail twitches and then wraps around Lynch’s leg, and I cover my mouth to keep from laughing. Or barfing.
“Dear God,” Birdie mutters, scandalized.
Anna rushes up. “Oh my stars, I thought you were both– Gracious, that tail.”
She stops short, eyeing my own half-turned body. I tense for her reaction. Finally, her eyes meet mine again, and all I see is relief. “Come here.”
I hug her, squeezing tightly. A second later, Talia peels herself away from Lynch to join us. The sweet relief I feel at seeing them both alive and well is overshadowed as I remember Justice and his sacrifice.
The Girl Who Cried War Page 16
