by T. S. Joyce
There was a Glock beside her. She leaned closer and sniffed. Discharged. And the blood splatters leading out from the shop weren’t Mick’s.
Stupid fucking wolf. He’d come here to murder Kade, but he’d failed.
That meant the monster in the woods was Kade.
He was hurt. And an injured predator with nothing to lose was the most dangerous of all.
The Wulfe Clan had done this. They’d snapped the man she loved. They’d hurt him.
Rage shaking her hands, Trina pulled her cell from her back pocket and called Darius.
“What?” he answered.
“Mick failed.”
There was silence on the other end so she said, “Did you hear me, you cowardly fuck? I said Mick failed. Your Second is dead, and now you’ve got one helluva monster to deal with. And I’m not talking about Kade. I’m talking about me. I know what you did. Kade fucked with your Clan’s rankings, didn’t he? He beat you, and you’re nursing your injuries and your pride, so you sent an assassin. You won’t be able to find a hole deep enough to hide from me, so we can do this one of two ways. You can grow some fucking balls and meet us face to face, or we can hunt you down and kill you sniveling wolves while you run away with your fucking tails tucked.”
“Careful, kitty. I think you’ve forgotten who you’re talking to—”
“No, Darius, I know exactly who the fuck I’m talking to! Coward. Murderer. You’ve been a growing thorn in this town for years. I’ve watched. I’ve waited. I’ve sat back observing you, because that’s what cougars do. We hunt patiently. And you just kept fucking up. And then you got it in your head you were going to murder my mate on our own territory? You’ve lost your fuckin’ mind.”
“Time and place, bitch.”
“No bitches here, Darius. I’m a lion. I think it’s you who forgets who the fuck you’re talking to. Three nights from now works for me, the edge of Blackwood Crow territory.”
Darius huffed a breath. “Little girl, you have no idea what you’ve just done.”
“Oh, I know what I’ve done. You used me as bait to draw Kade to my bar to fight him. And when that didn’t work, you sent your Second with a gun to kill him. Chicken-shit wolves. I know exactly what I’m doing. Kade will be the bullet, and I’ll be the trigger. I’ve declared war, asshole. Go get laid, eat a good steak, and enjoy your last couple of nights breathing.”
Trina hung up the phone and looked up to find Leah staring back at her, silver eyes churning, her hair raised up like a mohawk down her back. A long, hollow-sounding howl lifted on the breeze, and chills rippled up Trina’s arms as Leah let off a long snarl.
Monster.
Monster.
Monster.
The Wulfe Clan had turned her mate into a monster. They’d crossed a line they couldn’t uncross, and the cost to them would be Trina’s infinite fury.
She made another call.
Her mountain lion Alpha, Kurt, answered. “Hey.”
“I’ve got a dead wolf on Blackwood Crow property.”
There was a second of silence and then, “Do you need a cleaner for the body? And whose fault is it?”
“It’s on the Wulfe Clan. Mick’s dead, but he shot Kade on his way to Hell. I don’t know how bad it is, but I can feel Kade, and something is wrong. Really, really wrong. He’s close. Probably watching me and Leah from the woods.”
“What do you need?”
“Alliances.”
“You’re calling a war?”
“Yes.”
“Does Kade feel like your mate?”
“Yes.” She choked on the word and blinked back burning tears, then tried again in a stronger voice. “Yes, he’s mine.”
“Then he has the fealty of our Clan. Two Claws Clan, too. I’ll talk to Hairpin Trigger and the Warmaker. The Blackwoods and Red Dead Mayhem are up to you. Don’t go in those woods alone, Trina. I’ll be there as soon as I can. I’ll make calls. We’ll all be there soon.”
The call disconnected, and Trina let the phone drop into her lap. There was too much blood from Kade. She couldn’t wait for help to arrive. She needed to see with her own eyes that he was okay. The scent of his blood was as thick as the dead wolf beside her. Strong mate, but he wasn’t invincible.
Trina stood and peeled her shirt over her head as she made her way straight for the part of the woods that emanated the most darkness.
“Go back under the house, Leah,” Trina told her. “Everything is going to be okay.”
Leah whined and slunk in front of her, almost tripping Trina. With a sigh, she knelt down and cupped the wolf’s face. “He’s mine. He’s hurt. I’m the only one who has a shot at reaching him. When help gets here, tell them what happened. If I’m not back before dark, send in the crows.”
The black wolf laid there watching her as Trina stood, stepped over her, and stripped out of her clothes. And when she reached the edge of the woods, she heaved a sigh and hesitated. It felt like polar opposite magnets. Like the woods were trying to keep her out. Another howl ripped through the air. But the wolf was calling her in. Push, pull, push, pull.
Trina filled her lungs with air and let the mountain lion inside of her shred her body. Three seconds of pain, and then she had weapons. Teeth, claws, agility, power.
Don’t go in those woods alone. Kurt had made the mistake of not making that an Alpha order.
Trina placed one paw in front of the other and stalked into the forest.
Kade was hers. Monster or not, she couldn’t leave him out in those woods alone.
Chapter Thirteen
Pain.
Rage.
Pain.
Rage.
Confusion.
It was hard to focus. The more Kade moved, the more it hurt, but then the fury would hit again, and he couldn’t sit still. He’d been calling for a pack he didn’t rule. He’d been calling for a Clan who wouldn’t answer. The she-wolf he’d made, Leah, had hidden under the house. And then the blond girl had shown up and confused him even more. She was familiar. She was his. No…no. Nothing was his. He was rogue. He was alone. He was an lone wolf. His only job was to exist and to kill.
But he’d watched that girl drop to her knees beside his kill. She’d cried. He could see the tears dripping from her fragile human jaw as she’d mourned that asshole who hurt Kade. She wasn’t his. The pain in his shoulder was nothing compared to the ache in his chest as he watched that girl cry over his prey. But why? Why did he care? She was a girl, and he was a beast, and they didn’t fit. Clearly. Her feelings were fragile. She went soft for the things that hurt Kade, and it only made him more confused and angrier.
Something bad was happening to his body. He let off another howl. He needed support, or to kill something, or to have a Clan kill alongside him, or to die. He didn’t know which.
A leaf moved beside him and, on reflex, he snapped at it. The pain that burned through his shoulder at the motion made him flinch hard, and that movement hurt, too. Fuck, this wasn’t good. He wanted to kill anything that moved. He wanted to shred everything. The snarling in his throat became constant. He tried to find a more comfortable position, but the fire in his body only grew hotter. He couldn’t see straight. The edges of his vision were starting to get blurry, and the trees were starting to blend together.
Right through the shoulder.
Couldn’t put weight on that paw at all.
Choking on the scent of his own blood.
The mossy rock under him was cool, but it didn’t give him the relief he’d hoped for, so he stood again and limped mindlessly down the incline, across boulders and felled logs covered with moss. He loved these woods. They were familiar and comfortable, and now they would be where he died. Alone.
He tossed his head back once more and let a howl shred through him.
But this time, he was answered.
A panther scream echoed through the woods. She was close. Good. Fighting would take his mind off dying.
He limped faster, spurred on by the bl
oodlust. The only thing that could help him now was making something else hurt as much as he hurt.
Through the trees, a mountain lion sauntered gracefully toward him. For a moment, he paused. There was a little voice inside his head, annoying as a gnat, saying, “Don’t fight her. She’s special.”
That was the weak side of him. Sometimes he liked to talk, but all that voice ever had to say was “Stop,” or “Don’t do that,” and he was a motherfucking wolf. He was top of the food chain and could do whatever he pleased, no boring human logic required. That voice could piss off.
A lion fight was exactly what would feed the rage pulsing inside him.
He gave her a smile. And by smile, he drew his lips back over his teeth so she could see her death coming.
The cat was stunning, sleek with muscles and striations sitting right under her skin as she moved toward him. The woods came alive with the pitter-patter of a rain shower. Gloomy day to die, cat.
But she kept coming straight for him. Whiskers twitching, massive paws flattening against the moss with every step, ears erect like she wasn’t afraid at all. Her golden eyes were steady on him, her pupils little pinpoints, her tan coat becoming spotted with rain drops. She had black around her mouth, contrasting with her white chin, and when she drew her lips back from her canines, he had to appreciate them. They were like long, curved daggers.
She was a beautiful weapon, and if she bested him, it would be an honorable death. Much better than the bullet of a coward’s gun.
Kade charged.
****
Kade was a mangled mess. His shoulder was matted with red, and he wasn’t putting weight on one leg. She was shocked he was still standing at all. It was a testament to how strong he really was. There was this moment when she thought he recognized her. He was descending a mossy rockface and paused to look her right in the eyes. And for a split second, the hate disappeared. There was only pain. Only vulnerability. But then his face twisted with rage, his ears flattened, his muzzle wrinkled with a menacing growl, and he ran right for her on all four legs, as if he wasn’t hurt at all. And holy hell, even injured, Kade was as quick as a cobra strike.
Kade was massive, bigger than any other wolf she’d ever seen, and he was closing in on her with the promise of death churning in his silver eyes.
Oh no. Oh no, oh no.
With a hiss, Trina launched herself up a tree. Not fast enough, though. Teeth latched onto her tail, and she was yanked back to the ground with such force the air was knocked out of her. Gasping in shock, she boxed him across the face with her claws extended, and he staggered to the side.
The wolf swayed and tried to steady itself, but his front leg gave, and he stumbled.
She knew predators. Give him her back, and his adrenaline would dump into his system for round two. He wouldn’t be able to help himself. Even hurt, he would have to chase her. So she backed up, belly on the moss until her throbbing tail touched the tree she’d tried to escape up. And then she prepared for a brawl. There was nothing to do but stand her ground.
The growl rattling her throat felt like it went on for hours, but maybe it was only minutes, or seconds even. His chest was heaving, and he swayed again and went down hard. He didn’t whine, didn’t wince in pain, just laid there. Kade without any fight in him meant something terrible. He’d run out of energy too fast. Lost too much blood.
This was her chance to get up the tree and out of range of those teeth. Her tail hurt so bad, and she knew what he was capable of if he got a second wind.
She looked up at the towering spruce and considered it.
But Kade’s breathing was too shallow, and she couldn’t leave him if she tried.
Just like when she braved the woods, she put one paw in front of the other, knowing how bad this could hurt.
Chapter Fourteen
This was it.
This was the end of his life.
Kade had always known it would come too early. He’d know it since he was a pup.
Kade had never in a million years thought he would go at the teeth of a she-lion, though. The big cat stalked closer and closer, her head lowered. That animal was a brick house. She’d knocked him off his hunt with one slap of her paw.
Normal wolves would feel fear at the end, but he’d never been a normal wolf. Fear wasn’t an emotion he possessed. Resilience, fight, and don’t-quit grit was all he knew.
And as the cougar approached, he huffed a wolfish laugh in the face of his own death.
She paused just out of teeth range. Come on, kitty. Don’t get scared on me now. Finish it.
But she didn’t. She did something he would never understand.
She touched him. Gently. There was no pain as she pressed her nose against his neck. He waited and waited for a bite on his jugular that didn’t come. What was she waiting for, this beautiful angel of death? But when she opened her mouth, it wasn’t those long, dagger teeth that touched his neck. It was her tongue. He winced as she licked down to his shoulder.
She was…she was…cleaning him.
The devil in him thought for a second that this was his chance, gather enough strength and bite her. But there was that voice again. Weak and soft, but the wolf could hear it just fine in the quiet of the woods. Don’t fight her. She’s special.
The snarl died in his throat as muscle by muscle, he relaxed under the soothing touch of the lion. She was…special. Yes. It took someone special to touch him. He’d never been touched kindly in all his existence. This body had been built to kill. The only touch he’d known had caused pain, but not here. Not now. Not in the shadows of the towering pines.
He tried to lift his head, but his whole body was cold like ice and didn’t work right.
At least he wasn’t alone at the end. She was giving him a gift that was bigger than he deserved.
The mountain lion curled her body around his. She was so warm. So soft. Such a contrast against his cold body and course fur. Beauty and the beast. The first caring touch, and it came in the last minutes of his life. Fuckin’ typical.
It was getting hard to keep his eyes open.
There was a popping sound, and then his body was jostled and pulled off the ground. With a sigh of agony, he lifted his head just enough to look into the face of the girl. No longer a lion, she was the one with the bright green eyes who had cried over the body of that dead wolf. And now she was crying over Kade. Her tears joined the raindrops in his fur. Her blond hair was plastered to her cheeks from the rain. Brave girl, holding him so close to her naked body like this. Strong girl for being able to lift him at all.
She picked her way down the slick rocks, and he wished he could stay longer. He wished he could be with her until she got out of these woods. He wished he could see her safe home, but being a protector had never been his fate.
Fuck. He wished he had more time. The girl was interesting. The animal in her had cleaned him. Warmed him. He wished he could have more of that.
Because the girl wasn’t an angel of death after all.
She wasn’t an angel at all, because angels didn’t cry over monsters like him.
“Don’t leave,” she pleaded in a ragged whisper as she buried her face against his fur and gripped him even tighter to her chest. “Please, Kade. I’ll never be okay if you leave.”
Love—that’s what her words meant, right? The weak human part of him had gotten her to love him.
Lucky sonofabitch.
He kept his eyes open as long as he could just to see her face as she carried him through the woods. Tears and determination. Eyes glowing the color of the moss. So beautiful.
Please let me live, he begged whatever powers were listening. Let me live and I’ll be different. I’ll be a protector. I’ll be her protector.
To the sound of her sobbing, right before the world went dark, Kade looked up at the sky and saw the crows.
Chapter Fifteen
Trina was numb by the time she made it back to the edge of the clearing. She should’ve been shocked by
all the motorcycles and cars skidding to a stop in the front yard, but she was exhausted, heartbroken, and the majority of her focus was on the beating of her mate’s heart.
That sound was more important than anything in the world.
She stumbled in the mud on fatigued legs. Kade was massive. She had her shifter strength, but he was dead weight. Dead. Weight. She couldn’t tell if her cheeks were damp from tears or rain.
There were people running for her. Rike? Ethan? Hairpin Trigger? Kurt, Leah, Bailey… Red Dead Mayhem was pulling up on Harleys. Ramsey. The Warmaker…
She nearly went down again. Her feet were all cut up from the rocks. They should hurt, but all she felt was a dull throbbing with each step.
She could only imagine what these people saw. They looked so worried as they ran for her.
Mascara running down her cheeks, hair stuck to the sides of her face, pale as a sheet. Who cared? Not her. She was losing Kade.
Losing him.
Nothing was fair, and nothing would be okay.
Bum-bum bum-bum.
A sob escaped her as Ethan reached her first.
“Let me help,” he murmured, taking Kade’s body from her.
“No,” she said. “No, no, I don’t want anyone to touch him.” She didn’t know what she was saying. “He’s—he’s—he’s—”
“He’s yours, Trina. I’m gonna go fix him, okay? You did good, but we have to fix him now.”
Trina nodded as everyone left her but Leah. The girl came and stood next to her in the rain and squeezed her hand. “Trina?” she whispered.
Hairpin Trigger was running beside Ethan, holding a rag on Kade’s neck and Ethan was barking out orders she didn’t understand. Everyone was yelling. The words didn’t make sense except for two.
“Breathe, Kade!” Ethan yelled out, desperation tainting his voice.
And those two, pleading words, begging his step-brother to live, broke something inside of her. Trina’s face crumpled.
