by Kimber White
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” Derek called out. The pilot in the cockpit looked terrified as we covered the distance. Derek clearly knew him. He didn’t stop for introductions.
A second scream erupted, followed by a gunshot. I dropped to my knees as Lena’s racing pulse cut through to me. Derek’s exclamation made sense and so did the plane. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” I echoed Derek’s sentiment as he yanked on the chains and hauled me to my feet.
We hit the edge of a deep ditch. Luke’s wolf stood a few yards away, growling, fangs bared. He stood in front of Pat Bonner. She had a gun pointed at the highway. A slain wolf lay at her feet. Beside her, another figure lay in a fetal position.
My heart cracked into a million pieces. It was Lena. She wasn’t moving.
“Get these off of me!” I yelled. Derek ran ahead of me. I went for Lena. When the slack in the chains tightened, it knocked Derek to the ground. Nothing on this earth, not even dragonsteel, would keep me from getting to Lena’s side.
“Baby!” I yelled. I pulled her into my lap. Her body went rigid; her eyes were fixed and sightless. Her lips were moving, but she wasn’t saying anything I could hear.
I’d been so stupid. I thought cutting her off would keep her safe. “Where is he?” Alec yelled to Pat.
“He went back over the border,” she said. “I got that fucker right in the jugular,” she said, waving her gun at the fallen wolf. “He moved so fast though. Alec, I tried. He put his hands on Lena. Then she just...went. Is she dead?”
“No,” I said through gritted teeth. “No. But she’s…”
I couldn’t say the rest of it. I knew that look. I’d seen this before. Able Valent had a hold of her. He was controlling her body, maybe even her thoughts. He’d gotten in. She couldn’t break away.
“Unhook him!” Luke shifted back. Kneeling beside me, he felt for a pulse along Lena’s neck.
“I told you,” I said, pulling her away from him. “She’s not dead.” The voice coming out of me didn’t sound like me. The tone was low, guttural, lethal.
Derek, Alec, and Luke argued about something. I pulled Lena to my chest, pressing her ear to my heartbeat.
“I’m here, baby,” I whispered. “Hang on. Don’t give in.”
I couldn’t feel Able anywhere. If I couldn’t find him, I couldn’t fight him. With every beat of her heart, Lena was slipping away.
When Derek Monroe put a hand on me, I struck. Dragonsteel or no, I lashed out, hitting him across the chest with my forearm. He flew about ten feet back, landing on all fours, his wolf eyes flaring brightly. Alec got between us, keeping Derek from striking back.
Derek snapped his jaw then threw something at Alec. “Fine,” he said. “You do it.”
Alec locked eyes with me. A muscle twitched in his jaw. “I’m going to unlock those,” he said. “Don’t try to kill me.”
My muscles went rigid as I let Alec get close. With two quick movements, he slid the key into the padlock around my chest, freeing my arms. The chains fell away. It allowed me to get my arm beneath Lena. I held her in my lap, my heart breaking.
“Payne.” Luke knelt in front of me. He was careful not to touch me. “You don’t have a lot of time.”
“No,” I said through tight lips. “Get the fuck away from me.”
“You can get her back,” he said. “At least, I think I know a way you can try.”
I couldn’t speak. I held Luke’s stare. His eyes were bright green, just like mine. Pain etched his brow. “I know this,” he said. “I’ve been this. Listen to me. You have to go in.”
“What do you mean, go in?”
Except, I knew exactly what he meant. It was the thing I’d fought against since I was old enough to feel the pull.
Alec pulled the last of the chains free. The instant he did it, I felt Able. He was everywhere and nowhere. Suddenly, I knew what I had to do.
I closed my eyes and let go.
I had no anchor, no tether. Able had hidden that from me as he pulled Lena away. I couldn’t see her. I’d foolishly believed the moment I gave in to the pull of the Pack, I’d find her at the center of it. Though I could still feel the weight of her body slumped against me, she had no heartbeat. The pulse beating inside of me was my own.
“It’s time,” Able said.
There he was. I wanted to shout a warning to the Wild Lake men. They were all around me, but they didn’t see how close Able was. He stood in the shadow of a pine tree just across the highway. His eyes flared red and I knew mine did too.
“She can be yours again,” he said, cutting to the heart of me.
“She isn’t yours to give,” I answered. “She never was. That’s why you had Shelby hurt her the way you did. She had more fight in her than either of you bargained for. Lena’s different. She was always different.”
Able shrugged. He leaned against a birch tree, his hands in his pockets. He wore black pants and a crisp, white shirt unbuttoned at the collar. Tufts of his gray chest hair poked out. “She might be the one, Able. Her father was a shifter. Her brother is a shifter. Who knows? I’d like to try with her myself while I still have some juice left in me. She could produce a female shifter. A queen for all of us. My line would be secure. But, if it doesn’t work. I’ll give her to you. I can’t promise how much fight will be left in her by then, but like you said, she’s different.”
My stomach rolled with rage. He made me sick. My claws came out, digging into my palms. The more I gave in to fury, the easier it was for Able to pull me in. I never understood his power over me until that very second. He ate my rage. It fueled him. My feet began to move. He drew me closer. The more I tried to push away, the closer he came.
“That’s it,” Able said. “Now, you see. This is what you’re best at, Payne. Think about it. The greatest things you’ve ever done, you did for me. Jonah was a masterpiece. I can give you so much more.”
Able reached for me. His wolf eyes flared scarlet. They seemed lit with hellfire as his rough fingers scraped my chin.
Lena stirred in my arms when he did it. As I looked back up at Able, I knew he’d overplayed his hand. If my rage fueled Able, Lena’s love broke through.
I pushed back.
At first, Able’s smile only widened. He reached for me again. Fingers curled around my wrist then traveled up. My heart thundered inside me. First it was just mine, then, I felt Lena’s. He was right. She was a fighter. There was no one else like her in the world.
“Payne.” The soft whisper of Lena’s voice curled around my heart. Her fingers laced with mine. Though it was my hand reaching for Able, I felt her strength right alongside it.
“No,” I said. A simple word. One Able Valent didn’t often hear. His outstretched hand froze. His eyes changed. Still lit with red fury, they flickered. This was new.
I pushed harder.
Able’s palm turned up. His elbow bent. His fingers started to tremble.
I shoved back with everything I was.
Able’s eyes widened. His arm bent at an awkward angle as he tried to regain control of it. But, I had it now. We had it now.
I pushed him over the edge.
Able’s arm arced high above his head. His lips went white. Then, his elbow bent and his claws came out. He tilted his head to the side, then slashed his own face from his left eye all the way across his chin.
Four red lines opened up and blood poured out. Able staggered back. His eyes went from red to gold and back again. I moved in for the kill.
“Payne!”
There was a hand on my arm, pulling me back. Wolves howled in every direction. Sweat poured down my back. It seemed a thousand eyes stared back at me, surrounding me.
The Pack was here.
Twenty-Six
Payne
“Payne!” Lena’s voice cut through to me as I slammed back into myself.
She was still in my arms, blinking wide. Cupping my face in her hands, she leaned up and kissed me.
“We’ve go
t to move!” Luke shouted.
The wolves were everywhere. Able’s Pack stood shoulder to shoulder, hundreds of them forming an unbroken chain along the highway. The Wild Lake wolves poured out of the woods. They were outnumbered at least five to one.
I helped Lena to her feet. She was wobbly still, but her eyes lit with cold fire as she stared up at me. “They’re not afraid to die,” she said. “Every one of them. That’s what they’re here for.”
I caught Derek’s eye. “This isn’t your fight,” I said.
“The hell it’s not,” he said. “He won’t stop. You know it. I know it. You with us?”
His question held a deeper meaning. He wasn’t asking whether I would fight alongside him. He was asking whether Able’s pull still held me.
“I’m with her,” I said. Lena leaned against me, staring up at me with her dark eyes. The scar on her cheek seemed to fade just a little. If I closed my eyes, I could see the matching wound I’d made on Able’s. If only I’d been able to tear his head from his shoulders along with it.
One plaintive howl rose above the other. It shot down my spine like a thousand knives.
“Payne!” Lena shouted, squeezing me tighter. “Don’t you dare go anywhere.”
I could have said the same thing to her. I knew something she didn’t. I was stronger than Able was, but only at her side. I felt him testing the corners of my mind. But, it was over. His hold on me shattered. His hold on Lena was something else again.
“He’s moving off!” Alec shouted. He’d gone to the front of the line, leading the members of his pack. Though Able’s wolves stood their ground, Alec was right. I saw two red dots fading in the distance as Able retreated.
“He’s hurt,” Lena said. “Badly. They’re not here to fight. They’re here to make sure you don’t follow so he can get away.”
“Dammit,” Derek said. He paced behind the line of Wild Lake wolves. “If we can get to him now, when he’s weak...we can slit that fucker’s throat.”
“I told you,” I said. I put a hand out and grabbed Derek’s arm, stopping him. “This is not your fight. And you won’t win it today anyway. There are too many of them. This isn’t the way. Able’s planned for this for years.”
“He’s right,” Pat moved out from behind Luke. She put a steadying hand on his head. “Able’s always been ready for a head to head fight with any pack ready to pick up the challenge. He’s got the numbers. This is what he’s always wanted. We have to trust Payne. Let him finish what he and his friends down in Mammoth Forest started. My offer still stands though.” She turned to me.
“I know,” Lena said, smiling. She left my arms and went into Pat’s. “I know. This isn’t goodbye. I promise.”
Pat hugged her close. “You bet your ass it’s not. You take care of this girl. You hear me?” Pat leveled a hard stare at me. “As far as I’m concerned, Lena’s one of mine.”
I couldn’t help but smile. As much as it tore me apart, I knew I should send her back. Lena’s best chance was to stay tucked away at Wild Lake. Even as I thought it, the Pack wolves began to retreat.
“Come on,” Pat said, pulling away from Lena. “We’ve got a plane to catch.”
Lena wiped away a tear from her cheek. “No. You have a plane to catch. I’m not going back.”
Alec and Derek turned to face me. “You can come back with her,” Derek said. “It took a hell of a lot of strength to throw that asshole out of your head. You’re free of him now, aren’t you? I can tell.”
I gave him a slow nod. Lena’s tears fell freely now. “I am. But, I’m not done. We need those weapons in Mammoth Forest if we have a glimmer of a shot at winning this thing. You’ve given us a fighting chance. I won’t forget that. The wolves of Mammoth Forest won’t either. I’ll make sure of it.”
Derek reached out and shook my hand. His wolf eyes glimmered. He trained them on Lena. “You’re sure about this?”
She straightened her back. “More sure than I’ve ever been about anything in my life. But, it’s not safe for you down here. Once Able’s gotten far enough away, he might send those wolves back. You shouldn’t be here when he does. I think it’s pretty clear he has no intention of honoring any treaty you might have had.”
“Let’s go,” Alec barked. “I don’t like being out in the open like this.” He whistled to two of his wolves. They came forward with a large duffel bag filled with the guns and ammo the Wild Lake packs agreed to give me. I took the pack and heaved it on my shoulder. It would be slower traveling with it, but the tunnel system wasn’t far. Once I got there, I knew I could make it.
I shook Alec’s hand.
“Thank you,” I said. “I really mean that.”
Alec signaled to his pack. They headed north and out of sight. Derek’s followed. That left just Pat, Luke, Alec, and Derek standing in the field.
“Lena,” I turned to her. “I’ll come back for you. Go with Pat. I promise I won’t shut you out this time.”
She smiled and touched my face. “I love you. Do you hear me? And I’m not leaving your side again. We’re stronger together. I think I just proved that.”
She was right though it tore my heart apart. Lena had given me the strength to push Able out of my head for good. I didn’t even want to think about what might have happened if she hadn’t been here.
So, I said my goodbyes to the Wild Lake wolves. Pat gave me a giant hug. She smelled clean and soft, like chocolate chip cookies. She was the fiercest grandma I’d ever known. Her tears spilled as she pulled away. “Be safe. Good luck. And you take that son of a bitch out, you hear me?”
Laughing, I gave her a salute. “Yes, ma’am.”
Pat squeezed Lena’s hand, then followed her across the field where the plane waited for them. When they were out of sight, I turned back to Lena. Full night had fallen. An eerie silence fell over the field. Every creature had scurried for cover when the wolves came out.
“Lena,” I said.
“Don’t.” She put up a hand. “It’s just you and me now. Don’t say a million things about how much safer I’d be without you. I don’t want to be safe. I want to be free.”
She took a step back, her eyes filled with fierce determination. The roar of the plane’s engine filled the air as it arched in the sky and carried the last of our new friends away. Lena cupped her hand over her eyes and waved. Then, her eyes glimmered like dark jewels as she looked back at me.
“Payne. Before we go back, I want you to set me free.”
My heart dropped out of me. My wolf stirred as desire ignited in my core. Lena came to me. She put a light hand on my cheek. Her touch seared me as it always did. My mate. My love.
“Lena, I won’t do it. I told you I’d never touch you unless…”
“Unless I wanted you to,” she said. “Well, I do. For years I’ve thought giving in to this meant giving something away. That might have been true when it was the Pack. But, it’s not true for you and me. I understand that now. I understand everything.”
She didn’t wait for me. There in the middle of that field, a quarter mile from the border, Lena lifted her shirt and cast it aside. She stepped out of her jeans and came to me. Lust thundered through me, making my knees weak.
It didn’t matter how close we’d come to losing everything. It didn’t matter that our biggest fight might yet be ahead of us. It only mattered that my Lena stood before me now, her eyes alight with hope.
When she slid her hand over my chest, I came undone. She knew how to wake the beast inside of me. She fumbled for the zipper on my jeans. I pulled her to me, lifted her off the ground. Her skin was warm, smooth, supple. The cool air hit her nipples, pebbling them for me. I took her back into the woods under cover of night.
We were alone. No Pack. No sound. Just us.
I set Lena on the ground gently. She lay on her back, her eyes sparkling as the moon lit them. She spread her legs wide. Her heat drew me in. She was open, wet, slick with desire for me.
She reached for me, going up on he
r knees. I cast my jeans aside. She slid her fingers around my thick shaft. My sensitive flesh ignited under her touch. I reared back and let out a growl. She put her mouth on me and I came apart. Threading my fingers through her hair, I pulled her down on me until I touched the back of her throat. Lena greedily took me in.
Lust coursed through me and I sank slowly to my knees. Lena followed me down all the way, sucking me hard she went on all fours. Seeing her like that kindled a wild passion inside me unlike anything I’d ever known. A moment ago, I had a thousand reasons for telling her to leave. Now, no power on this earth would have allowed me to let her go.
She sucked with abandon. Running her tongue along my shaft, swirling around the tip. Desire built in me. I was so full.
Then, she broke away. Her lips were swollen from her efforts. Lena’s breasts swung heavily as she stayed on all fours. She was wild, wanton. Her nature called out for something even more powerful than I’d given her before. For weeks, we’d both held back. Now, dark magic and instinct swirled all around us.
“Please,” she begged.
I felt my lips curl and a preternatural growl escaped from somewhere deep inside. Slowly, I rose. I walked around her, enjoying the view. Lena was beautiful. She arched her back and spread her legs even wider as she held her position on her hands and knees. Her breath came in sharp pants as she waited for me. I reached for her, sliding my fingers between her legs. “Oh, oh!” she cried as I found her slick and ready. I couldn’t help myself. My need to tease her just a little overpowered me. I worked my fingers along her slippery cleft, kneading her tiny little bud. She thrust her hips, straining to find deeper pleasure. Her sweet, round ass bucked as I drew her out.
I went to my knees behind her, barely able to keep my balance, My own need thundered through me.
“Payne!” she gasped. “Please!”
Oh, yes. I loved the sound of her begging. I leaned forward and ran a quick tongue along her folds. She cried out in shock then shuddered. I spread her lips apart with my fingers and kissed her most sensitive spot. Then, I gave her a gentle spank. Instinct drove her and she lowered her chin to the ground.
