“I’m going to kill all of them but Sylvie. She has to come back to the pack to answer for her sins.”
Over Louis’s dead body. Even if the worst happened and his father got by him, Louis knew that there was no way Gator would allow that to happen. Sylvie’s only sin was faking her own death to escape from her murderous mate. His cousin had remained hidden until she’d known the man was dead. As usual, Pierre had a very distorted idea of the truth.
Pierre crossed his arms over his broad chest, acting totally relaxed. Louis knew it was a calculated act meant to rile him up, but he was beyond those kinds of games. He’d had too many years of being subjected to his father’s scorn to have it affect him now.
“You could come home with me.”
That was new. Louis expected if Pierre ever offered such a thing it would be to Jacque, the firstborn son. He knew his father was holding out the offering because he thought Louis was weak, easily controlled.
Louis didn’t move, didn’t respond in any way. Predictably, his father quickly lost patience and swore both in English and French. “I should have killed you at birth,” his father sneered. “You’re weak. Content to be in your brother’s shadow.” He rolled his shoulders. “You don’t deserve to live.”
The attack came fast and hard. Even though he’d been expecting it, Louis barely had time to react. He rolled to one side as his father leapt and shifted at the same time. Pierre hadn’t remained alpha all these years because he was afraid to fight. No, Pierre LaForge loved to maim and kill, to exert his power over others.
Louis came back up on his feet and jumped at his father before the man had a chance to turn back around. He raked his claws over Pierre’s flanks. His father let out a howl of anger and the fight was on.
He knew that Gator would have heard the howl. So would the others his father had brought with him. There was no way he was alone. Pierre always stacked the deck in his favor.
His father rolled, knocking Louis from his back. Then he lunged, but Louis was already gone. They circled one another, two big wolves, very similar in size and coloring. Even their eyes were alike. Jacque had inherited the golden-brown of their mother, but Louis had his father’s dark eyes.
Teeth gleamed in the moonlight as they snapped and tested their opponent’s defenses. Louis watched Pierre’s eyes. With most people, their actions showed up in miniscule movements in their bodies before they actually made them. A slight weight shift onto one leg, a head turn. But not his father. No, Pierre’s actions were all there in his eyes if a person cared to look.
Right now, Louis could read his own death there. So be it. He’d known all his life this day could come, and he would not fail.
Patience was key. It was the one thing his father lacked. Pierre would move first and think later, often not liking the consequences of his actions. As a young boy and later as a grown man, Louis had made a thorough study of his sire and alpha, instinctually knowing his life would depend on that knowledge someday.
Pierre leapt without warning. Louis didn’t panic. He left himself wide open for attack, rolling at the very last second and swiping his claws over his opponent’s soft underbelly. Blood trickled down his paws. Pierre howled and Louis knew he’d made a good strike.
His father whirled around and attacked in earnest, totally ignoring his wounds. The two large wolves collided, each of them using teeth and claws to inflict the most damage they could.
Louis barely managed to avoid getting his ear bitten off but couldn’t get out of the way of a brutal swipe of claws that opened up four long wounds on his left flank. He didn’t even register pain or blood loss. He was too focused on the outcome of the battle.
If he survived, he could worry about his injuries then.
Louis sensed another wolf sneaking up behind him and managed to jump to the right to avoid being hit. Unfortunately, that gave his father and advantage. Pierre’s claws caught him once again, this time gouging his right back leg. Louis yelped but focused instantly. He had two foes now.
He recognized the other wolf from childhood. Robert Dupointe. He might not be an overly smart man, but he was big and a brutal fighter. And, it seemed, he was one of Pierre’s newest enforcers. And Robert’s brother was usually with him. Where was the other wolf?
This wasn’t good. His father was the best fighter of the Louisiana Pack. It would be a challenge to beat him alone. Having to deal with Robert as well put Louis at a distinct disadvantage.
So be it. He couldn’t afford to fail. Gray’s safety and his brother’s safety were on the line. He could not allow Pierre to hurt any member of their small pack. They were his true family.
The night went strangely silent. There were no sounds other than the panting of the three large wolves facing off against one another. Louis gathered his strength and was about to attack when a huge wolf bolted from the darkness and took Robert down easily, snapping the man’s neck with his huge jaws. It was fast and brutal and over in a split second.
At first, Louis thought it was Cole. There was no wolf bigger than his friend. But the coloring was slightly off. Then he scented and recognized the other wolf. Shock hit him. What was Cole’s daddy doing here?
Before he could question his good fortune, his father turned and ran. Not away, but in the direction of the house.
Gray.
Fear ripped at Louis and he began to run. He had no idea if Joseph Blanchard was behind him or not and he didn’t care. He had to catch Pierre before he made it to the house. Gray was a half-breed, she couldn’t shift to protect herself and Louis knew his sire would go straight for her, instinctively knowing she was Louis’s weakness.
Louis pushed his wolf harder and faster than he’d ever done and the animal responded, just as eager to end the threat to their mate. His strides lengthened and his heart raced as he dodged rocks and trees. He knew his land better than his father. Pierre might have originally been the hunter, but now he’d become the prey. Louis was on the hunt.
Joseph Blanchard raced the half mile back to where he’d stashed his wife and Elise. Thankfully, it was in the same direction as the house. Both women were anxiously waiting.
Elise stepped out from behind a rock. “What is it? What’s happened?” She grabbed his arm as he shifted.
“Pierre attacked Louis. I killed one of his men and Pierre took off with Louis in pursuit.”
Elise was already stripping off her dress. “I won’t let him hurt my sons.”
Corrine yanked her top over her head. “Cole may be a man, but he’s still my baby.”
Joseph nodded, knowing it was futile to even suggest both women stay and let him handle things. They were both loving mothers and would do whatever it took to protect their children, even if those children were powerful werewolf males.
“Just don’t distract them and get them killed,” he warned. They’d never forgive themselves if that happened.
Joseph shifted and waited until the women had done the same. Then he led Elise and Corrine toward the fighting. His wolf was not happy with him, but Joseph fought his natural instincts to protect his mate. Their son and his friends were under attack and needed every edge they could get in order to protect them.
A howl ripped through the night. Pure terror struck Gray’s heart.
Louis.
Before she could figure out what to do, Jacque, Armand and Cole jumped from their chairs and bolted outside, stripping their clothes as they went. Armand and Cole shifted first and stationed themselves in the center of the yard.
Jacque turned back to Gwen. “You know what to do.” Then he shifted and disappeared around to the front.
“Come with me,” Gwen ordered.
Gray followed the other women down the hallway to the office. Shadow was plastered against her side, sensing her fear. “What’s going on?” she demanded.
“We’re under attack.” Gwen yanked back the rug an
d pressed a slight depression in the floorboard. A small section of the floor several feet away popped open, exposing a hidden compartment.
Gwen lifted several serious-looking guns from the hiding spot. “You ever use one of these?” she asked.
Gray shook her head. “No.”
Gwen walked over and handed her one of the weapons. “Aim for the heart and the head, point and shoot. Make sure you’re shooting one of the enemies and not one of us.”
The gun was heavy in her hand, but she was glad to have it. “How can I be sure?”
“It’s all in the eyes. You’ve seen Louis and you just saw the other three shift.”
“I’ve seen Gator too,” Gray added.
“Good.” Gwen handed the other gun to Cherise, who handled the weapon like a pro. “If you’re not sure, just look at the eyes.”
“Got it.” Gray tried to sound like she was confident when, in truth, she was scared to death.
“Neither you or Cherise can shift, so you’ll be the last line of defense,” Gwen told her. Then she turned to Sylvie and Anny. “We need to shift, ladies.”
All three of them pulled off their clothing and began to shift before Gray’s very eyes. While she’d known and accepted they were werewolves, actually seeing them shift was astonishing. Shadow whined and she absently petted him with her free hand, trying to reassure him everything would be okay.
The women didn’t shift as fast as Louis, but it didn’t take them long to become wolves. Gwen’s fur was light brown with gorgeous blonde streaks. Anny was a dark brown with shades of black around her head and legs. Sylvie’s fur was mostly black, and Gray was surprised to note that the scar on her face appeared on her wolf’s muzzle. They were all beautiful and fierce.
Gwen padded out of the room, leading the way with Sylvie and Anny close behind her. “Come on.” Cherise urged her out the door and Gray found herself in the living room with the other woman and three female wolves.
Gwen and Sylvie stood just beyond the front door while Anny hurried toward the back door. Cherise stayed with Gwen, but Gray joined Anny in the dining area. She hunkered down by the window with Shadow at her side and peered out.
In the distance, she could hear fighting. Terrifying snarls and growls pierced the night. She held the gun in her hands tighter but was careful to keep the muzzle pointed at the floor.
“There’s a lot of them,” Cherise called out. “Our guys are outnumbered more than two to one.”
“We’ve got to help them.” Not stopping to think, Gray bolted for the door and out onto the porch.
Cherise called out her name, but Gray wasn’t stopping. Louis was out there somewhere, fighting for his life and hers. She couldn’t stay inside in safety while he was putting his life on the line.
Shadow was still with her, the brave dog by her side in spite of the half-dozen wolves fighting in the backyard. Gray could hear more fighting around front.
Then a howl echoed across the space. She might not fully understand wolves yet, but there was an unmistakable promise of death in that howl. She shivered and put her back to the wall so no one could sneak up on her.
“Point and shoot,” she reminded herself.
It was like something out of a horror movie. Wolves slashed at one another. Saliva dripped from massive fangs. Blood dripped from deep wounds and still they fought. This was no staged fight. This was to the death.
She heard the front door bang open and the loud roar of a gun as Cherise shot at whoever came inside. Gray’s mouth was dry, her heart pounding but her hands surprisingly steady.
“I can do this,” she whispered to Shadow.
There was no sound, no warning. At the last second, Shadow growled and leapt at the wolf that jumped over the railing and came straight at her. A huge wolf paw smacked her pet aside. Shadow gave a yelp of pain before he hit the wall with a heavy thud. Her pet fell to the porch and didn’t move.
Fear and anger coursed through her veins and she yanked the gun up and began to fire. It was harder than she’d thought it would be to pull the trigger. And she wasn’t prepared for the kickback either. It threw off her aim. Before she could get more than two shots off, the wolf was on top of her. She instinctually threw her hands up in front of her to protect her head. She rolled, but there wasn’t far she could go. She brought up solid against the railing.
The wolf raked his claws over her left shoulder and landed just beyond. Pain streaked down her back and she could smell blood and gunpowder. She didn’t know if she’d actually injured the wolf or if the blood was all hers. There was too much happening too fast for her to differentiate.
The wolf turned on her and she pulled herself into a seated position and aimed the gun at him. Through it all, she hadn’t lost her grip on her one and only weapon. This time she knew what to expect, knew what would happen when she fired the weapon.
Her finger began to squeeze the trigger when a blur of fur shot in front of her. It was too late for her to stop. At the last possible second, she yanked her hand up and the bullet ended up in the rafters of the porch roof instead of in the wolf who’d jumped in front of her.
Her hands began to shake when she realized what she’d almost done. She’d almost shot Louis.
Louis faced off against her attacker, and Gray got her first good look at the wolf that had jumped her. They were similar in size and coloring and their eyes were identical.
Her stomach dropped. This was Louis’s father. This was Pierre LaForge, the man who wanted to kill them all.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Louis faced off against his sire, his composure threatened for the first time. Gray was bleeding. He could smell her blood and it was making him and his wolf crazy. He needed calm now. He needed to think. Going off half-cocked would only get himself and Gray killed.
Getting his wayward emotions under control, he stared at Pierre LaForge and wondered, not for the first time, how he and Jacque had come from such a man. The fighting was all around them. They were under a massive attack. This was the final showdown. At the end of it, either Pierre or they would be dead.
As scared as he was for Gray and his family, he was glad their war was almost at an end. Living in a state of constant preparedness and worry wasn’t good for the women. Or for the men either.
Pierre growled and took a step forward. Then he paused.
Louis shifted back to his human form. “Put your back to the wall and watch behind me,” he ordered Gray without ever taking his eyes off his opponent. Pierre rarely fought alone. He probably had one of his men sneaking up behind them. He heard Gray move and knew she was getting into position. She might not be a full-blooded werewolf, but he was glad to have her at his back.
“Afraid to fight me?” he taunted. “Waiting for backup? I wonder what your pack would think about that?”
Pierre growled, his eyes narrowing and saliva dripping from his teeth. Louis had pissed the old man off. He shifted just as his father leapt at him. He didn’t try to avoid the attack and threw himself at his father’s underbelly.
The surprise attack left Pierre vulnerable. He twisted to the side and avoided the worst damage, but Louis still raked his claws over his father’s exposed belly, drawing blood.
Savage pleasure rushed through him, but he quickly pushed it back. He could not allow himself to get lost in bloodlust. That wasn’t who he was. That was his father.
Gray was his priority.
His wolf’s priorities immediately swung back to protective mode. Killing was not something Louis wanted to do. It was something he’d been left little choice about and it left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Gray was hunkered down against the wall next to Shadow. She had both hands wrapped around the grip of the gun. He sensed her fear but also her determination. If he hadn’t already been in love with her, that would have sealed it for him.
She glanced at him
and her eyes went wide. Louis whirled and saw a blur of fur and claws coming toward him. He threw himself to the side and slammed against the side of the house. He’d just barely managed to avoid getting his head ripped off. He picked himself up and faced this newest threat. He had no choice but to engage the other wolf, which meant Pierre was free to attack. He’d known his father was waiting for backup.
Louis growled just as a gunshot rang out. It was so close it made his ears ring. His newest attacker yelped and stumbled. That was the only opening Louis needed. He jumped on the wolf, clamped his powerful jaws around the wolf’s neck and bit down hard. His opponent fought hard, but Louis held on.
He prayed Gray would use the gun on Pierre and that it would be enough to slow him down. Louis didn’t want to die, not when he finally had so much to live for.
Louis dragged himself around so he could keep one eye on his father while he dealt with the wolf who’d jumped him from behind. Gray had the gun trained on Pierre. Louis could tell his father wanted to kill both him and Gray but was wary of the gun.
Just when he thought his father might back down, he lashed out, moving with tremendous speed. Pierre struck Gray’s hand as she fired. The bullet harmlessly flew past Pierre, but his father’s deadly claws didn’t miss. Gray cried out as the sharp razor-like claws raked over her hand.
Louis dropped his opponent. The man wasn’t dead yet, but hopefully, he was incapacitated enough that he wouldn’t be a problem. He leapt at his father and the two of them toppled over, slamming to the porch floor. Fighting in such tight quarters was difficult and dangerous.
He had no idea how long they battled, each of them trying to outwit the other and gain the upper hand. They were both bleeding and tiring. It took an enormous amount of energy to fight so down and dirty.
Pierre tossed him aside and jumped toward Gray.
Louis’s soul screamed in agony. His father knew where Louis’s heart lay and he was going to rip it out by killing Gray. He scrambled after Pierre, his claws digging into the wood beneath him.
Gray was cradling her injured hand but by some miracle was still holding the weapon. Her hand was shaking and Louis wasn’t sure she had enough strength to pull the trigger. He had no idea what kind of damage Pierre had done to her.
Wolf on the Hunt Page 25
