Wolf Marked (Magic Side: Wolf Bound Book 1)

by Veronica Douglas

  A bullet ricocheted off a rock near Sam’s head.

  We were surrounded.

  Suddenly, Jaxson threw himself on top of me, crushing me with his weight. Though I struggled, he wouldn’t budge. He grunted, and then shouting and snarls erupted around us. With my cheek pressed into the dirt, I couldn’t see anything.

  “Stay down! We’ll lead them off” Jaxson hissed, and then he launched off me.

  I glanced up. Jaxson and Sam were gone in a burst of gunfire.

  A man screamed, and the sound of gurgling made me sick. I clamped my palms to my ears, fighting back the vomit in my throat. Then the shooting shifted away from me.

  I peeked through the crack beneath the fallen trunk. Blurs moved through the trees on all sides. And then a canister landed ten feet away, spewing smoke.

  It was the hotel attack, all over again.

  Howls and shouts echoed around me. My lungs clenched, and I coughed as the gas filled the air. My eyes watered, and my skin stung.

  Wolfsbane.

  A man with a gas mask darted through the forest. The bastard!

  I fired off three shots. The man stumbled but regained his footing. With the fog, the darkness, and now the smoke, I could barely see well enough to aim.

  Screw this. I scanned the forest ahead and ran forward. I wasn’t waiting for Jaxson.

  I shielded my nose with the sleeve of my jacket and wound through the trees. Apart from the occasional gunshots and snarls, the forest was eerily quiet.

  Light shone from ahead, and I headed toward it. I ducked behind a bush and peered through the foliage at a rustic cabin. A single bulb illuminated the outside. How the hell this place had electricity all the way out here was a mystery.

  Movement in the trees beside the cabin caught my attention. Wolves—and Jaxson. They surged forward, and my heart seized. Something about this felt wrong.

  Floodlights flicked on, casting a blinding light in a hundred-foot radius around the cabin.

  No!

  Machine gun fire peppered the ground. I dropped as bullets flew overhead, lodging in the trunks of trees around me.

  Psycho bastard prick.

  I glanced through the bushes. Two wolves were down, and I didn’t see Jaxson or Sam. More wolfsbane canisters soared through the air.

  We were trapped.

  43

  Jaxson

  A bullet hit Regina in the leg, and she went down.

  Fuck.

  It was probably silver. The bullet that had lodged in my shoulder screamed every time I moved, and the wound wasn’t healing. At least they weren’t hollow points.

  One of Billy’s men skulked through the trees ahead. I surged forward and ripped out his throat with my claws. I tore off his gas mask and tossed it to Sam, who ducked behind a tree beside me. “Put this on.”

  She tied her hair back. “I can’t believe he’s using wolfsbane on us!”

  They’d used it in the hotel attack, but I’d assumed it had been the sorcerer. The fucking nerve of Billy to use that against me. After how my sister—his mate—had died. My body shook with rage, and my claws felt like they were going to tear out of my hands. The bastard had gone too far.

  I was going to rip out his heart.

  Stooped low, I charged forward, ducking from tree to tree amidst bursts of gunfire. A scream rang through the forest behind me, and I ground to a halt behind a log while bullets flew around me.

  Savannah.

  Protect her.

  I sprang up and cursed as I raced in her direction. I shouldn’t have left her alone.

  A concussive force knocked me off my feet, and a jolt of agony raced up my spine as a bullet tore through my side. I rolled across the dirt as more bullets lodged in the ground next to me, then I slipped behind some rocks for cover.

  Gritting my teeth against the searing pain that spread through my side, I reached my fingers into the wound and wrenched out the silver bullet. There was a lot of blood. The wound would take time to heal since it was caused by silver, and I was in human form.

  My vision homed in on my attacker, and I launched myself through the air. My claws ripped into his jacket, and I pinned him to the ground. His claws tore into my side, but I ignored the pain. Savoring the wild euphoria of battle, I gripped his head with my hands. One twist, and his neck snapped.

  I paused, listening to the sounds of the forest as the bloodlust filled me.

  Footsteps. A shifter moving north on our right. A woman.

  I stalked forward, my hunter instinct in command. The woman paused, seemingly sensing me. I burst out from the bushes as she blindly opened fire. Something tore into my chest as I collided with her. Her hands had erupted into claws, and she ripped into my face. I growled with rage as I pinned her with one hand, and then tore her throat out with my claws. The metallic scent of blood filled the air.

  Sam’s scream ripped through my chest.

  She’s in pain, but alive.

  Sam was my right hand, and I fought the urge to charge toward her. Savannah first. I locked onto Savannah’s familiar tangerine scent and sprinted through the trees. I found the spot I’d left her, but she was gone.

  A growl of rage erupted from my throat. I’d told her to stay put, but she never obeyed.

  I’ll teach her to obey.

  Frustration clouded my vision as I followed her scent toward the cabin. Shit. Was she going after Billy alone?

  What was she thinking?

  Savannah

  I coughed and tried to make out the shapes in the darkness. I swore I saw Jaxson moving through the forest, but it was so dark and foggy, it was hard to tell.

  I’d retreated from the range lights and gunfire and circled around to the other side of the cabin. I had no idea where anyone was, and I couldn’t distinguish our wolves from theirs. My plan was to shoot anything that even looked like it was thinking about charging me.

  Movement drew my attention toward the cabin. The door closed, and a man slunk down the steps, making his way around back.

  Holy shit. Billy.

  I’d recognize the bastard from a mile away, even with the fog. His aura of fucking evil was unmistakable.

  I sneaked around the tree line bordering the cabin and followed him. Two run-down trucks and a Honda were parked out back, and the brake lights of one of the trucks illuminated.

  The bastard was running. Coward.

  I couldn’t let him get away. This was my only chance to identify the sorcerer.

  I raced toward the truck as it lurched down a second gravel road. I tried the door of the adjacent Honda, but it was locked.

  No, no, no.

  I wrenched open the door of the second truck and spotted a set of keys in the cupholder—it was primed for an easy getaway, I guessed. I slipped onto the tattered leather seat, pressed the clutch, and shoved the keys into the ignition. The truck rumbled to life, and I fishtailed out of the driveway after Billy.

  The gears were sticky and ground a bit, but I shifted her into second and then third as I floored it down the dirt road, silently praying that none of Jaxson’s wolves crossed my path.

  I’d already run over two wolves. Luckily, they were rogue psychopaths, or else I’m pretty sure the pack would have ended me for that alone.

  The road split in two, and I slammed on the breaks.

  Which way?

  I leaned my head out the window, looking for any indication of the path Billy had taken, but there were tire marks on both sides.

  I took a breath and gunned the gas, heading left. Desperation rose in my chest after a few minutes of driving in the darkness, and then I saw them—the red taillights.

  “There you are, you bastard.”

  I shifted into fourth and pressed the pedal down. The truck didn’t have much acceleration, but she moved.

  Billy slowed and then careened left onto the highway. I didn’t see any oncoming lights, so I shifted down into second and followed. The truck screeched but righted herself on the smooth pavement, and my hair whipp
ed in the wind from the open front windows.

  Billy’s silhouette shifted in the driver’s seat as he glanced in the rearview mirror. He seemed agitated.

  I smiled and pressed the gas to the floor, pushing the old girl into third and then fourth.

  A week ago, this asshole had sicced his wolves on me. Now it was my turn.

  Hunt him down.

  My truck lurched forward and slammed into Billy’s bumper. He veered across the center line before righting himself. Adrenaline pumped through me, and I felt wild and in control.

  “You want to play dirty, Billy? I’ll show you dirty.”

  I pressed the gas and smashed into his bumper again, harder this time. He swerved and flipped me off.

  If I could just get him off the road, preferably into a ditch and unconscious. Not dead. If I had to shoot off his kneecaps with silver bullets, I would, but he had information that I needed.

  Billy swung in front of me. I rammed his bumper and managed to pull up beside him. “You messed with the wrong waitress, asshole!”

  His ochre eyes locked onto mine, and then he grinned and sideswiped me. Metal grated against metal, and my truck lurched to the left. I cursed and righted the old girl as he slammed into me again, pushing me toward the ditch. Dread settled in my stomach as I fought to control the truck.

  I released my foot on the gas, and Billy’s truck shot forward in front of me and sailed through the air.

  Holy—

  Just then, my front right tire exploded. I gripped the wheel, trying to regain control, but I was going too fast. The truck swerved, and then flipped.

  Oh, no.

  They say that when you’re in a horrible accident, time seems to stand still. It wasn’t quite like that. I saw the pavement flip once, and then I was out.

  44

  Savannah

  I opened my eyes and groaned. My hair hung below me, and the taste of copper filled my mouth.

  The roof under me was crushed, the windshield shattered. I took a breath and moved my arms and legs, making sure nothing was broken or missing or impaled.

  Every inch of my body hurt, but I’d gotten lucky. I unclicked my seatbelt and braced myself as I fell onto broken glass.

  I had to find Billy.

  Adrenaline surged through me, dulling the pain. I reached around and pulled the pistol from the back of my jeans, then slid out of the crushed window. Glass cut my hands, but I felt nothing.

  The night was dark apart from the flickering high beams of my truck that shone down the road. I climbed to my feet. Billy’s truck was in a ditch on the opposite side. The passenger door was open, and stuff was strewn around the truck—an empty soda bottle, papers, and trash.

  Pistol raised and ready to fire, I crossed the road, scanning the area.

  The sides and hood of his truck were dented, and the windshield was gone. I eased down the shallow embankment and peered inside the passenger door, my gun raised. I knew he wasn’t inside, but I had to check. A cellphone on the seat lit up and began vibrating. The letter D appeared on the screen.

  As I leaned forward to grab it, the hairs on my neck stood on end. I spun as two ripped arms wrapped around me from behind. Pain shot through my wrist, and I dropped the gun.

  No!

  Panic surged through me. I slammed my head backward and heard a crunch as it connected with Billy’s face. He grunted, then threw me like I weighed no more than a feather.

  I hurtled through the air and landed hard in the ditch ahead of his truck. Pain rocketed through my shoulder, and I gasped. What had I been thinking, going after him alone?

  Billy grinned. “Stupid little bitch. I got you just where I need you.”

  I scrambled to my feet, searching for anything I could use as a weapon. I wasn’t going down without drawing blood.

  And then I saw it: a shotgun at the side of the ditch, halfway between Billy and me. It must have flown out of his truck when he’d crashed.

  Get him talking. Distract him.

  “You’re a pathetic dog.” I took a step forward and forced out a laugh, trying to calm my pounding heart. “A pet doing the dirty work of a sorcerer. Really, Billy? Considering how much you hate us, I never thought you’d stoop so low.”

  He growled, and his eyes brightened. “I can smell your fear, Savannah. You’re not fooling anyone. He’s working for me, and once he drains every last drop of your cursed blood, we’ll both get what we want.”

  My chest was heaving now, but I took another step forward, keeping my eyes locked on Billy’s. “And what’s that?”

  Fear raced up my spine, and my gaze dropped to the claws that grew from Billy’s fingertips.

  “Revenge.” His voice was animalistic, and his body began to shake. I was out of time.

  I dove for the shotgun as the cracking of bones grew louder. Cocking it with a quick pump, I rolled onto my back as claws dug into my thigh.

  I pressed the trigger, and a deafening boom rang through the air. The butt of the gun kicked into my shoulder, and Billy jerked backward several feet.

  I scooted away, my ears ringing and my feet sliding in the dirt. Billy clutched his shoulder, and blood pooled on the ground beside him. Releasing his hand, he looked down at the wound and snarled.

  Bone splinters poked out of the ragged flesh around his bicep. I gagged and pulled myself up, cocking the shotgun and aiming it at his head. “It’s over, Billy. Tell me who the sorcerer is.”

  He chuckled and spit. “It’s not over until you and every last LaSalle is dead.”

  I lowered the barrel to his thigh and pulled the trigger. My shoulder jerked from the kick, but Billy screamed as he looked down at the torn flesh and muscle of his upper thigh.

  I pumped the gun again and aimed at his other leg. “Where is he?”

  The wound on his shoulder began knitting together, and I froze. I knew werewolves could heal, but seeing it in the flesh was horrifying. The hole in his thigh was also closing. Where were my silver bullets when I needed them?

  Billy climbed to his feet. I gripped the shotgun, trying to steady my shaking hands. I was suddenly certain that I’d have to kill him, but I needed answers first.

  As if sensing my fear, he smiled. “You only have one more shot. Make it count.”

  I raised the barrel to his head. “Tell me who he is, Billy.”

  “I’ll do you one better and bring you to him.” He growled and surged toward me.

  Billy dove low as the shotgun rang out, but the blast caught him and spun him sideways. He was back on his feet in a second, hand pressed against a bloody patch where the left side of his face had been. “Fuck the sorcerer. You’re dead, LaSalle.”

  I cocked the gun, but the magazine was empty. Billy wasn’t lying—I’d used my last shot. Dread rose in my throat. My eyes flicked to the ground by his truck for my pistol, but it was too dark, and there wasn’t time to search for it.

  Run, Savy.

  I chucked the shotgun at him like a hatchet and sprinted down the road.

  A low chuckle followed me. “Run, LaSalle. I’m coming for you.”

  Nausea took root in my stomach, and the taste of bile burned my throat.

  A truck rumbled to life behind me, and I glanced over my shoulder. Despite the damage it had suffered that night, Billy’s truck lurched out of the ditch and bounced onto the road, the headlights illuminating me.

  This was bad. Really freaking bad.

  I careened right down the embankment and ducked into the woods. I was wearing my magic boots, but if he shifted, I wouldn’t stand a chance.

  The forest was dark, and a light mist began to fall. I tripped over a root and stumbled. With the thick vegetation, it was impossible to step lightly when I had supercharged boots. I had no idea where I was going, but I just had to keep moving and come up with a plan. Billy wasn’t going to give me the answers I needed, so I’d have to incapacitate him. Jaxson would get him to talk.

  My stomach lurched as a blur shot through the trees on my left. I pivoted
right and slid down a gully, scraping my shin on a boulder. Bushes tangled around me, hooking on my clothes, but I clawed my way up the other side of the ravine. And that’s when I saw him.

  A black wolf.

  Terror pushed me faster, even though my body was so tired. My eyes finally started to adjust to the darkness, and the vegetation cleared once I reached the top of the gully.

  I could almost feel Billy breathing down my neck, and goosebumps prickled my skin. I weaved around trees, and then stopped short as the inky expanse of the lake appeared ahead. I stood at the edge of a cliff.

  Dead end.

  A low growl erupted behind me, and I turned, meeting Billy’s wolf. I knew it was him. The scent, the signature, all of it filled with hate.

  I stumbled back closer to the cliff as his body contorted—his shoulders and spine popped and realigned as he heaved upward in a macabre dance. Fur and fangs receded, leaving a stark-naked human standing before me. The true monster.

  His eyes remained a wolfish yellow, and his face was cut with a crazed expression that made my skin crawl.

  “You know what you are?” he growled.

  I eased my breathing, trying to force down the panic. “And what’s that?”

  He began circling me. “Dead.”

  I flinched and started moving, so he couldn’t pin me against the water and cliffs. “That’s where you’re wrong. No matter how much you hate me, the sorcerer needs me alive. He needs my blood. So where the hell is he? Why did he send his lap dog?”

  “You’ll meet him soon, if I don’t kill you.”

  He smiled and lunged toward me. I turned, but he was too fast. He twisted my arm behind my back and gripped my hair with his other hand.

  I gritted my teeth against the pain, hoping he wouldn’t twist my arm any further.

  “You’ll be their undoing, you know?”—he leaned close, and his hot breath sent shudders in its wake—“We’ll slaughter them all.”

  What the hell madness was he speaking?

  He kicked my feet from under me and shoved me down, and I cried out as I landed hard on my stomach. Fear clenched my heart. “Get off me, you asshole!”