by Liv Brywood
“You weren’t able to convince Stryde to send anyone?”
Ryker’s jaw clenched. “No. But we don’t need him. We’ve sent scouts to town to try to find Zane. We found out that he’s organized a militia. They plan on attacking tonight. We estimate about twenty-five men, but we only need to capture one. Zane.”
“You think the others will leave you alone once you capture him?” Clyde asked.
“I doubt it. But as long as we stay hidden, we can wait for them to approach the den and then come in from behind.”
“You should just kill them all. Be done with the humans.”
Ryker shook his head. “They’re not all bad.”
“Maybe not the women, but they’re the ones who show up and cause all kinds of problems in the pack.” Clyde kicked a rock into the rushing river.
Anger simmered in his belly. “Diana didn’t cause problems in the pack. She was trying to outrun a madman when I found her. If I hadn’t brought her to the den, she would have died.”
Venom infused Clyde’s voice. “You should have let her die. Jax would still be alive and the humans wouldn’t have found our den.”
Ryker advanced toward him. “I would never have let her die, never. How can you even think I could do that?”
Clyde stepped back and held up his hands. “She’s really got you whipped, doesn’t she?”
Ryker didn’t respond.
“It’s not in your nature to let the weak suffer. You’re a better man than I am. I would have left her to die and I sure as hell wouldn’t have fallen in love with her.”
Ryker’s head snapped up. “I’m not in love with her.”
Clyde smirked. “You are. Everyone can see it. Some of the other wolves believe you can’t protect the pack anymore.”
“Then I should step down as alpha. If I can’t protect the pack, what good am I?” Ryker asked.
“You can’t step down. The position of alpha is for life. Forget the human. Send her back to her people and move on. You survived Trista, you’ll survive this one too.”
Ryker watched him walk away. No one knew the abyss he’d descended into after Trista. He almost didn’t make it out. If he lost Diana, he’d be useless to the pack because his heart would never survive.
Chapter 13
As the sun set, fire blazed across the sky. Diana stood at the entrance to the den. She hadn’t seen Ryker all day. He’d slipped out of bed before she woke. Over the last few days they hadn’t spoken more than a few words to each other. When she tried to talk to him about their relationship, he’d mumble excuses and leave the room.
Wolves from the Phantom Lake Pack had arrived midafternoon. She’d expected Ryker to be at the den to greet them, but he hadn’t made an appearance.
Leah approached her. “Ryker asked me to take you up to his private den on the mountain.”
“I won’t see him before we leave?”
Leah shook her head. “Sorry, sweetie. I don’t know what’s gotten into him.”
“He’s been so distant.”
“Maybe it’s his way of dealing with you leaving.”
“I wouldn’t be leaving if he’d let me stay.” A twinge of pain sliced through her heart.
A deep voice sounded behind her. “You can’t stay. I thought we’d already established that fact.”
Diana spun to face Ryker. “You could at least take me to the den yourself.”
“I have to be here with the pack. Leah’s very capable of taking you to my private den until this is over. She knows Dark Moon Pack territory well and I doubt Stryde will bother you as long as Leah’s with you. I’ll send a scout when it’s safe and Leah can take you home.”
The entire time he spoke, he looked everywhere but her face. She tried to capture his gaze to no avail.
Diana grabbed his forearm. “Can I speak with you privately?”
His lips pressed into a thin line. “You can have one minute.”
She led him into the woods to gain some privacy. “Why are you acting like this?”
Ryker sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “We need a clean break. It’s for the best.”
“But I thought…” She couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence.
He swallowed and looked past her. “I can never leave my pack, and they will never accept your presence.”
Tears formed in her eyes. “So this is it?”
He nodded. “You’ll find someone else. Get married, raise babies.”
Her hand reflexively covered her belly.
Ryker began to walk away, then stopped. He turned and folded her into an awkward hug. “You take care of yourself. Find another man, someone who can make you happy. Someone who can give you everything I can’t.”
He released her and stalked into the woods. As she watched his figure retreat, she whispered, “But I don’t want anyone else.”
Two hours later, Diana sat on the dais in Ryker’s private den on the mountain.
Leah hadn’t said much on the trip.
Diana couldn’t stand the unending silence. “Do you think Stryde will scent you and come for us?”
“I don’t think he’ll bother us. When I left him, he swore he’d never speak to me again.”
“People can change.”
Leah laughed bitterly. “Not Stryde. He’d die before he admitted he was wrong.”
Diana sighed. “Why do men insist on making everything so complicated?”
“They say the same about us.”
“True.”
An owl hooted somewhere in the valley; the sound echoed up the mountain. Diana shivered. She wished she could do something to help capture Zane, but Ryker insisted on keeping her safe.
Her nerves frayed as hours passed. The full moon rose high in the sky to cast shadows over the landscape.
Leah said, “Come away from the entrance. We need to stay hidden until the scouts arrive.”
“I just feel so helpless waiting here. We should be down there helping them. We could be bringing the wounded back to the den for treatment. Something, anything is better than sitting here doing nothing.”
A small avalanche of rocks skittered down the face of the mountain.
Diana froze. “Someone’s up there.”
Leah whispered, “Come to the back, hide behind the bed.”
Diana hurried to Leah’s side and ducked down. Her heart pounded in time to the approaching footsteps.
Diana peered around the edge. A shadowy figure stepped into the entrance of the cave. “I know you’re in there.”
Leah slowly rose, but Diana grabbed her arm and whispered, “What are you doing?”
“Stryde, is that you?”
“Well, you’d be in a hell of a lot of trouble if it wasn’t.” Stryde responded.
Leah stood and put her hands on her hips. “Why’d you sneak in here? You could have at least called out to tell us it was you.”
Stryde’s gaze settled on Leah. “I didn’t know who was in the cave. I smelled a human and didn’t want to announce myself until I had some idea of what I was dealing with. You look good.”
“Thanks,” she stammered.
“What are you two doing in here?” he asked.
“Hiding,” Diana responded. Ryker and the rest of the pack went to capture Zane. They found out he’d gathered a militia and planned to attack the pack tonight.”
“Ryker thought we’d be safer here than in the den.” Leah added.
“Well at least he’s not a complete moron,” Stryde said.
Leah stepped forward and jabbed a finger in his direction. “At least he’s not a coward. He told me you refused to help him. You’re still the same bitter, jealous, selfish jerk you’ve always been.”
“Selfish? Ryker stole the alpha position from me. I have far more tactical experience and I would have been a far better leader. If I had been alpha, the pack wouldn’t be in danger right now.”
Leah snorted. “It’s been five years. Get over it. Maybe you should try caring about someone oth
er than yourself for once and help them.”
Diana stepped between them. “I know there’s bad blood between you and Ryker, but this is far more important that a feud over who should have been the rightful alpha. If Zane’s militia kills Ryker’s pack, how long do you think it will be before he’s climbing the mountain to kill your pack too?”
Stryde frowned. “How badly do you think they’re outnumbered?”
“I’d guess four to one.”
“Dammit.” Stryde paced the room.
Diana observed the conflict in his face and pressed on. “Four to one, Stryde. Can’t you set the past aside for one night?”
He stopped and stared at Leah. She approached him and set her hand on his bulging bicep.
“If you don’t do it for him, do it for me,” Leah said.
Diana felt as if she were intruding on a private moment. She stayed as still and silent as possible.
“Why won’t you come back?” Stryde whispered.
Leah cupped his face. “I couldn’t stand to see you angry all the time. If you let the past go, I’d gladly come back to you. Please, help Ryker and we can talk when you get back.”
“I’ll go. But not for him. For you.” He bent down to kiss Leah.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him closer. Diana looked away.
He slowly backed out of Leah’s embrace. “I’ll come back for you. I promise.”
Diana breathed a sigh of relief as Stryde shifted into his wolf form. He stepped onto the ledge and disappeared around the corner.
***
Ryker sniffed the noxious fumes wafting off the humans. In wolf form, he usually enjoyed his heightened sense of smell. But even three hundred yards away, the scent of the human’s chemical culture singed his nose.
Ten paces to his right, Trent motioned to him with a slight shake of his head. Ryker turned to the wolf to his left and passed the signal down the line.
The wolves stepped closer. The humans hadn’t spotted them yet, so the pack still had the advantage of surprise. Ryker wanted to be as close as possible before closing in.
Two hundred yards to go.
Suddenly a shot rang out in the darkness. Ryker bounded forward on his strong hind legs. The other wolves attacked the group of about twenty humans. He’d ordered them to try to capture the humans and only kill if absolutely necessary.
Shouting and gunshots filled the air. He surged into the crowd and tackled a man. Ryker wrestled with him until the man fell against a rock. He was knocked unconscious, so Ryker moved to the next target.
A bullet whizzed past his head. He ducked into a nearby bush and waited for the shooter to pass. Ryker attacked from behind. He snapped and growled until the man dropped his gun and put his hands in the air.
Trent corralled another man together with his as other wolves brought their captives into the center clearing.
Ryker raced back into the woods to round up more humans. He hadn’t seen Zane yet and knew he was out there somewhere.
A branch snapped behind him. He turned to stare down the barrel of a sawed-off shotgun.
“Now you die, wolf.”
The hunter’s cackle cut short as Stryde rushed him from the side. The gun went off before it fell against a tree.
Stryde growled at the hunter who backed up toward the clearing. He turned and ran to join the other captives.
Ryker dipped his head to acknowledge Stryde. He had no idea what prompted the other alpha to join the fight, but he was eternally grateful.
One of the men in his pack shifted. “That’s the last of them.”
As Ryker circled the captives, he searched their faces. Something wasn’t right. He’d expected double the number of men in the militia. He trotted around the group double checking their faces.
His gut clenched. Zane wasn’t among them.
***
“Did you hear that?” Leah stepped closer to the entrance to the den.
Diana walked to her side. “What?”
“It sounded like someone screaming.”
“I don’t hear—” Diana stopped and cocked her head to one side.
Leah said, “There it is again.”
A shrill cry echoed up the mountain.
“It sounds like a woman. We need to help her.” Diana moved closer to the entrance but stopped when Leah grabbed her arm.
“Wait. We don’t know what’s going on out there. It could be a trap.”
Diana bit her bottom lip. She hated to stay and do nothing. What if someone was in trouble? But she also didn’t want to do anything stupid, so she turned and walked back into the cave.
Leah stiffened. “That sounded like…”
“My name,” Diana finished.
They rushed toward the entrance to the cave.
“I can’t tell where it’s coming from,” Leah said.
“We’ll go together, slowly. As long as we don’t split up, we should be fine.” Diana nodded as if to convince herself of her own statement.
Leah shot her a skeptical look but followed her into the night. Loose gravel made the descent twice as hard as the ascent.
Every few feet, Diana paused to listen for the woman’s cries. They’d almost reached the bottom as another scream echoed through the forest.
Leah whispered, “It sounds like it’s coming from near the river.”
“Stay close. Let’s try to find her from a distance before we approach.”
Diana picked a path through the forest, edging closer to the beach. She was careful to stay behind the tree line instead of walking in the open.
She rounded a sharp curve and spotted a funny-looking tree. As she squinted, she realized there was a woman tied to the tree.
A cloud briefly obscured the light on the woman’s face, but as the moon returned, Diana stifled a scream. Her sister Luna struggled against the ropes.
Diana gave up on being stealthy and ran toward her sister. Leah’s footfalls pounded in the sand behind her. Ten feet from her imprisoned sister, a shot ricocheted off a boulder.
Leah screamed. Diana spun and watched in horror as a bullet tore through the woman’s chest. Leah landed face down on the beach like a rag doll. Blood seeped from a bullet hole in her back. Diana didn’t need to get any closer to know Leah was dead.
Diana scrambled into the tree line. She scanned the beach, but couldn’t spot the shooter. She turned toward Luna who thrashed against the bonds. Diana couldn’t leave her tied to a tree, so she wove a path through the bushes.
As she closed in on her sister, Diana trembled. She wished Ryker was here with her, but he was off fighting for the pack. She’d have to do this alone.
She inched forward. The shooter could be anywhere, just waiting to ambush her. Whoever was trying to kill her was using Luna as bait.
Three trees away from her sister, Diana stopped and listened. The only sound in the night came from the raging river. No other creatures stirred. Even the beetles were silent.
Diana closed the distance between her and Luna. “Be quiet. I’ll untie you.”
Luna gasped. “I thought you were dead.”
“She’s not dead yet.”
Diana whipped around to find Zane standing behind her. He pointed a wicked-looking gun at her chest. Her heart stopped and a wave of nausea crashed over her.
Zane’s teeth gleamed in the moonlight. “Untie your sister. You’re both coming with me.”
Diana had no choice but to comply.
As Zane shoved her along a hidden path, her heart ripped apart. She sent up a silent prayer that Ryker would somehow find them.
Chapter 14
Diana stumbled along the river bank. With only the full moon to illuminate the path, she couldn’t see the ground well enough to avoid any sudden dips.
Zane jabbed the gun into her back. “Stop stalling and move. I want to get out of the woods before those werewolves circle back for you.”
“When Ryker finds you, he’ll kill you for this,” Diana snapped.
L
una whimpered and shot her a pleading look before picking up the pace. Diana had no idea how her younger sister ended up in the woods, but she’d do anything to protect her, so she bit back the litany of curses she’d intended to scream at him. Right now she had no choice but to cooperate with Zane.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Leah’s crumpled body. A bolt of pain sliced through her heart. The horrific sound of Leah’s last scream still echoed in her ears. Zane had murdered her and left her body on the beach like she was a piece of trash.
Diana shuddered. Would she be next? She couldn’t figure out why he hadn’t shot her or her sister. He obviously had some other plan for them.
She searched the tree line for any sign of the wolf pack. Moonlight transformed the dark, gnarled branches of the oak trees into ghostly figures. Their shadowy fingers stretched to claw at the night sky. The silent forest took away any hope of rescue.
For a fleeting moment, she considered trying to race into the woods. But one glance at her sister made her reconsider the foolish plan. Diana wouldn’t leave her sister and she wasn’t convinced Luna could overcome her terror long enough to escape into the woods.
“We’ll get through this,” Diana said.
Luna’s voice trembled. “He’s going to kill us like he killed that other woman. He’s insane.”
“Shut up,” Zane yelled.
Diana turned her head and glared at him. “Where are you taking us?”
“I have plans for you. God has given me instructions on how to punish the unrighteous. You will meet the same fate as Jezebel.”
Diana frowned. “From the Bible?”
“Yes.” Zane’s eyes shone like twin beacons of insanity in the gloomy light.
Luna spoke up. “But Jezebel gets eaten by dogs.”
Zane nodded. “The only righteous death for an infidel.”
“We’re not infidels. What the hell are you even talking about? We’re just two, normal women,” Diana said.
“No, you’re like all the other heathen woman living on the earth these days. You walk around with your painted faces and your tight-fitting clothes tempting men into all manner of sin. You should be ashamed of your immoral ways. Instead, you choose to flaunt your wickedness.”
