by Leslie Chase
Emily squealed as, quick as a snake, he grabbed her left hand. She tried to pull away but she might as well have been trapped in a vice for all the good her struggles did her.
Bringing his other hand down to hers, he slowly pulled her little finger straight, gripping it tight.
"No!" She blurted out before he could go any further. "Stop, I'll do it!"
"I knew you'd remember," he said with a sneer. For a heart-stopping moment, she thought he'd snap her finger anyway, but then he let go and patted her on the head. "Get it done, then."
Trembling again, Emily had trouble getting her fingers to the keys.
What do I do now? Her heart was racing, and she knew that entering the password would be signing her own death sentence, but would it make any difference if she made them torture it out of her? Emily wouldn't be able to resist for long, she knew – it would just mean that she suffered before she died.
Before she could make up her mind on what to do, her thoughts were interrupted by a crash from the front door. She looked up in time to see a battered and bloody figure fly into the offices, crashing into the pool table to lie across it, groaning.
In the doorway stood Lucas, blood on his face and shirt, fists clenched, knuckles white. His face was a picture of rage and his eyes scanned the room coldly. His gaze settled on her, and he bared his teeth in a snarl as he saw the fear on her face.
"Let her go," he said, his voice a low, cold growl more intimidating than any roar could be. Her heart leaped with sudden hope as he stepped into the room. But there were so many of them, and they were armed. As dangerous as she knew he was, she was terrified for him. He'd already been in a fight against one shifter – could he face a dozen more?
18
Lucas strode into the offices of TannerTech, eyes fixed on his mate, rage running hot in his veins. His first look around the room told him how many shifters were there, and he didn't care. There was no force on earth that would keep him from his beloved.
All around him, the wolf shifters got to their feet uneasily. Only Dominic, sprawled across the pool table where Lucas had thrown him, stayed down. But only one stepped forward to challenge him.
"How the fuck did you find us?" the big man roared, staring with rage-filled eyes. Lucas barked a laugh and shook his head.
"You thought that Emily was helpless without me, didn't you?" He bared his teeth in a half-snarl, half-smile. "But she's smarter than you, not that it's hard."
The wolf shifter's gaze flicker around to Emily, who paled at the sight of his fury. Lifting her hand, she held up the locator alarm he'd been following all the way to the TannerTech offices, and managed a creditable smile despite her fear. His heart warmed to see her unharmed, but that didn't come close to overwhelming his anger. These wolves were going to pay.
"This isn't your business, bear," the man who'd challenged him said. Lucas recognized him as the wolves' Alpha instantly. He was easily the biggest of the group, even larger than Dominic, almost the size of Lucas himself. And he moved with the simple confidence of a man used to being the most dangerous fighter in the room, a swagger that made it clear he didn't fear anyone.
He's not had to deal with me before, Lucas thought.
"This is exactly my business, wolf," he said. "Emily is mine. You will not keep me from her, or her from me. I tried to make a deal with you, and you sent one of yours to fight me. I'm done making deals."
"So am I," the big man said with a smile. It wasn't a pleasant smile, not at all. If anything it showed that he had never really wanted this to end without violence. "You could have left this alone, but now you've hurt one of the pack. And I don't put up with that."
No, you're the kind of boss who won't let anyone apart from you hurt your men, aren't you? Lucas had met plenty of men like that over the years – leaders who victimized their own followers but would never let anyone else hurt them. It was a twisted kind of loyalty, but then, Victor was a twisted kind of man.
"And I don't put up with someone hurting the woman I love," he said. Around him, he could feel the other wolves closing in, forming a circle around him. Perhaps hoping he was too focused on their Alpha to notice them? If that was it, they were in for a surprise. Lucas had far too much training and experience to be tricked so easily.
Victor reached behind him, for a gun or a knife, and Lucas took that as his cue. He leaped forwards, transforming as he went, letting out his bear's roar as he swept a paw into the wolf Alpha. The man's reflexes were good, and the blow didn't land square. If it had, that would have finished the fight then and there, but even a glancing blow still knocked him flying.
By the time he landed, he had shifted too, and it was a giant gray wolf that faced Lucas now.
Around him he heard clothes tearing as the rest of the pack took on their animal forms, rushing him before he could get to grips with their Alpha. Lucas spun, roaring again and lashing out with a great sweep of his claws, sending them scattering backward. One wolf was too slow, and Lucas tore a chunk out of him as he sent him tumbling to the ground.
"Lucas! Behind you!" Emily's shout came just in time, and he barely managed to duck aside as Victor's teeth snapped shut where his neck had been. Not only was he a huge wolf, he was also quiet – Lucas was shocked that the other shifter had gotten so close.
I can't afford to be overconfident, he told himself. Not when I'm outnumbered this badly, and not with Emily's life on the line.
Wolves rushed him from all sides as he turned back to face Victor, and he felt teeth biting into his hide. Painful as that was, it wasn't enough to overpower his anger, or distract him from his goal. These were the people who had hounded his Emily, who had hunted her, and who planned to kill her.
He would make them all pay.
He bounded forward, ignoring the smaller wolves for a moment and letting them hang on as best they could. His focus was on their Alpha, and he saw a flash of fear in the great wolf's eyes at the sight of a wall of furious bear closing on him. Not so tough after all, are you?
But there was nothing wrong with Victor's reflexes. At the last moment, he ducked left, and then leaped right, and Lucas wasn't quite fast enough to catch him. His teeth snapping on empty air, Lucas raced past his enemy, crashing into a desk, a computer flying.
One wolf had a solid hold on his right flank, biting down hard enough that Lucas couldn't ignore him. With a roar, Lucas twisted to slam his full weight into the wall, feeling something give inside his attacker just before the wolf's jaws opened.
When he stepped away from the wall the wolf fell to the floor and lay still, whimpering and motionless.
He kept his back to the wall, glancing down to check his injuries. He'd been hurt before in the line of duty, and that experience let him evaluate the damage. There was a lot of blood, from many small wounds. No one injury was too serious, but together the bites would weaken him over time. And most of the pack still stood, gathering in a semi-circle facing him and baring their teeth in hungry snarls.
None seemed keen to leap back to the attack, though. They looked like they'd prefer to wait for him to keel over from blood loss.
You'll have a long wait for that, he thought, chuckling humorlessly. Looking from one wolf to another, he took note of which ones wouldn't meet his gaze.
Victor stalked forwards, stopping carefully out of attack range, and cocked his head to the side mockingly. A challenge, and one that Lucas' bear wanted so badly to take him up on. But he could see what would happen if he took the bait, and he didn't like the idea being swarmed by the rest of the pack while he took on their Alpha.
Of course, take him out and the rest probably scatter, he thought, considering his chances. From the way Dominic had spoken, the pack wasn't exactly united in its loyalty to their leader. But his odds weren't good – the Alpha was tough, and the rest would be on Lucas like a swarm of piranhas before he could do much damage.
I've got to do something. If I just wait here against the wall, blood loss will get me.
&nbs
p; Weighing his options, Lucas made his choice. He leaped forwards, rushing straight at Victor before turning and charging into the onrushing pack. Surprised and afraid, they scattered, but not before he got in a couple of good blows. Howling wolves tumbled away from his attacks, and he was out on the far side of the pack.
He could have made a run for Emily then, and he considered it – but that wouldn't win the fight. Instead, he spun to face the wolves, roaring into the faces of the ones who'd chased him. Their shock was almost comical as they tried desperately to stop dead in their tracks.
The first one ran into him, and Lucas slammed a paw down with all his force behind it, smashing the wolf into the ground. Another skidded past, close enough for him to bite on the flank and shake. The others scrambled back, trying to avoid his attacks, but not quickly enough to avoid glancing blows.
Lucas raised himself on his hind legs, towering over the wolves, and roared his defiance. The wolves shrank back for a second, and Lucas thought he might have cowed them, but Victor's howl answered the roar and gave strength to his followers. Whether it was loyalty or fear which made them obey their Alpha, they closed with Lucas again, biting and tearing even as he smashed into them.
He could feel his strength ebbing, the wounds adding up. His body felt like it was made of pain, and every motion hurt as he battered the attacking wolves back. He was dealing out a lot more damage than he was taking, but with so many wolves harrying him, he didn't know how much more he could take.
As much as I need to, he told himself as he lifted one of the wolves and threw him into the wall with a crunch. Emily is counting on me, and I will not fail her.
He had one advantage over the wolf shifters: unlike them, his animal could still use some weapons. Lifting a desk, he roared and swung it like an oversized club. The wolves backed off, the unwieldy weapon clearing a space around him. For a moment he had peace to catch his breath.
The wolves were down several of their number, and the rest were all injured and bloodied from the fight. But his body was weak, his breath labored, and he could feel the trembling of exhaustion setting in. Despite Victor's own injuries, the mad spark in the giant wolf's eyes told Lucas that the he wasn't about to give up.
Lucas growled to himself and looked up past the fight to Emily, drawing strength from the sight of his mate. He was going to need it.
Emily watched, heart in her mouth, as her beloved fought for her life. He was stronger, more powerful than they were, and around the office, the battered bodies of fallen wolves lay where he'd flung them. But there were still too many on their feet, and Lucas was covered in blood that matted his fur.
She stood in the doorway of Sam's office, ignored by the wolves. From there, she could see the whole outer room, and every part of the battle that raged in it. Lucas was weakening, she could see his body tremble, and it looked like the fight was hopeless. She'd thought that in the first charge too, though, and each time after that when he'd been mobbed by the pack. Each time, somehow, he'd fought free and regained control. But each time he'd been a little weaker, a little slower, and a little closer to falling.
Emily was free, unguarded. All the wolves' attention was on the great bear tearing their pack apart, and they seemed to have forgotten their human prisoner. She looked to the exit and wondered if she could make it there unseen.
If I'm quick, if I'm quiet, and if I go while they're attacking Lucas, I might get out, she thought. For a moment that idea tempted her, but she couldn't do it. She knew she wouldn't be able to leave Lucas to this fate, no matter what happened to her as a result. It wasn't in her to abandon the man she loved, especially when he'd followed her here to save her.
And she knew she couldn't just watch, either. Watching him give his life for her wasn't going to happen. But what could she do to help him? Striding into the fray barehanded wouldn't help anyone. Emily knew better than to think she could hold her own against the pack of wolves attacking her beloved.
Her heart pounded wildly as she looked for something else. Some option that would let her make a difference. She couldn't think of anything.
Unless… what was Victor reaching for? He had been reaching for something just before Lucas had attacked, and whatever it was, it must have been something useful for fighting shifters. Why else would he want it against Lucas?
Almost unable to believe she was considering it, she crept out of the office. No one was paying attention to her as she crept to the discarded pile of torn clothes Victor's transformation had left. And yes, there it was, amongst the ruined clothing – a heavy leather sheath and an ornate knife.
19
Emily picked up the knife and slid it from the leather. The blade was beautifully made, its edge silvered, shining as it caught the light.
Does silver matter to shifters, then? She didn't know and didn't have time to ask. She didn't want to think, either. If she thought about what she was doing, she wouldn't do it.
The only thing that made it possible was that the wolves were ignoring her so completely. All of their attention was on Lucas, snarling and growling as they circled. They didn't notice her stepping up behind the largest wolf or raising the knife in her trembling hands. She sliced downward with as much strength as she could muster.
Something alerted Victor at the last moment. Twisting sideways, he caught the blade in his side instead of his back. The blade dug into the wolf's hide, and he howled in sudden agony before snapping at her wrist. Emily managed to pull her hand back with a squeal, the wolf's jaws closing a fraction of an inch from her wrist.
Before she could bring the knife around for another cut, the wolf leaped for her throat. His jaws were wide, his teeth sharp, and time seemed to slow as he pounced. This is my death, she thought, trying to make her peace with the idea.
Victor jerked to a stop, just short of her neck. Lucas had pounced on Victor's distraction, leaping through the rest of the pack and onto the Alpha. The rest of the wolves were piling onto him, but he paid them no attention, snapping his mouth shut on Victor's rear leg and shaking him. There was a crunching sound, and Victor's howl of pain took on a higher pitch.
Emily froze for a second, then leaped forward, slicing wildly with the blade. She didn't hit any of the wolves, but she drove them back, their eyes wide and fixed on the flashing edge of the stolen knife.
Lucas turned to the other side, flinging Victor away, snapping and swiping at the rest of the pack. For a moment, Emily was fighting back-to-back with her bear. Then the wolves backed off, and she felt Lucas slump to the ground against her. They were in the middle of a circle of wolves, hungry eyes glaring at them, and she started to realize just how much trouble they were in.
But they were in it together. Emily felt the fear lift from her as she started to accept the inevitability of it – they would die here, she was sure. But they would die together, and she would rather die with her beloved bear than escape and live without him.
"You can't win," Lucas growled from beside her. She glanced aside to see him glaring down at Victor. The growl wasn't English, a bear's throat couldn't make the right sounds, but she could understand it anyway. The link between the two of them was strong enough to carry his words straight to her mind.
Victor clearly understood it too. He shifted back into human form, clutching at his bloodied leg with a snarl of pain on his face. Pain and anger and hatred.
"I don't know what fight you're looking at, bear," he said, "but you aren't walking out of here and neither is your pet human. You can't take us all on."
Emily was afraid that he was right. The two of them had put up a good fight, but there were just too many wolves and Lucas' wounds were too heavy. For a moment, she considered giving up – surely the wolves would let Lucas go if she unlocked the computer for them? But she knew that he'd never abandon her to the wolves. Besides, the crazed gleam of sadism in Victor's eyes told her all she needed to know about how he'd feel about making a deal.
Lucas just laughed, though.
"You ca
n kill us," he told the wolves, addressing the pack rather than their Alpha. "That doesn't mean you can win. What do you think my friends will do when they find out what happened here? Marcus and Karl and the rest, they'll come down on you like the fury of God Himself. We might not be a pack like you wolves, but bears still stick together."
His gaze moved from one wolf to another, and none of them could hold his eyes. "You won't all make it that far, though. I'll take some of you with me, I promise. And even if you survive, what do you get? Emily isn't going to help Victor get the money he lost back. Your Alpha has picked a stupid fight, and he's going to get you all killed."
The wolves growled, a menacing sound that made Emily whimper and step back into the wall of furry muscle that was Lucas in his bear form. But none of them leaped forward to attack, and his words seemed to have shaken them.
Victor wasn't affected, though. His eyes flashed as he stood, leg already able to support him, though the knife-wound in his side still bled freely. "Don't just stand there," he barked at his pack. "Kill them!"
They hesitated. Some of the wolves glanced aside at him, and Emily thought she could see the worry in their postures. Victor's face went red with rage at their defiance.
"NOW!" he howled at them, and they closed in on Lucas and Emily for the kill.
It was a good try, Emily thought, sadly, seeing her death approaching. But I guess it just wasn't enough.
The wolves nearest her seemed more eager to attack than the ones on Lucas' side of the circle. They edged closer, bodies held low to the ground and ready to pounce. Lucas didn't give them the chance to rush her. He shouldered her aside and charged into the midst of them, roaring his defiance. Taken by surprise, the wolves who'd been targeting him were left behind.
After a moment's pause they rushed past her, trying to save their comrades from the bear's sudden assault. Emily slashed wildly with the knife, but didn't connect – her target was past her too fast, and her hand was too unsteady. And then they were on her bear's back, savaging him, and it was all she could do not to scream. Lucas was falling, dragged down by the pack, bleeding from a dozen wounds.
