Rise

by Heather MacKinnon

  “Peyton, Abraham told you multiple times to stay out of our relationship. You couldn’t do that, and that’s why you were excommunicated. If you’d left us alone, you’d still be a member of the Asheville pack.”

  She sneered at me as she took a step closer. “That is until you found another reason to get him to throw me out. I know how people like you work, Elizabeth. You didn’t want the competition around, so you needed to get rid of me. Admit it.”

  I shook my head. When had her delusions become a reality? When had she flown so far off course? At one point, she’d been a close family friend of the McCoys. Surely she hadn’t always been so crazy because they’d have seen it sooner. You couldn’t hide that kind of lunacy.

  “Peyton, it’s over. You need to move on. Even without me in the picture Abraham wouldn’t want you.”

  She pressed her lips into a thin white line, her nostrils flaring again. “I don’t want Abraham. I’m over him. Besides, he doesn’t have much longer to live, either.”

  My heart stopped again as I tried to process her words. “What are you talking about?” I asked, my voice not as firm or confident as I’d have liked.

  Her thin lips twisted into a smile. “As soon as Abraham finds out you’re dead, he’ll be so distraught that Conrad will be able to fight him and kill him. You’ll both be dead before the sun sets.”

  I took a step back, my whole body shaking. “Conrad would never be able to beat Abraham in a fight.”

  Peyton shrugged. “If you really believe you’re his fated mate, then you also believe that your death will weaken and eventually kill him.” She shrugged again. “Either way, you’re both dying today. There’s no doubt about that.”

  My limbs were trembling, and I wasn’t sure if it was from fear of what was happening with Abraham or the need to shift, but I held back. I wasn’t done trying to talk my way out of this. I needed to do everything I could to avoid a physical confrontation with Peyton.

  Abraham made me promise I’d protect our children, and I’d do anything to keep that oath.

  “Peyton, please don’t do this.”

  She smiled, the expression on her face the furthest thing from happiness. “And why shouldn’t I? Why shouldn’t I get revenge on the one woman who stole my life and future from me?”

  My mind raced as I tried to think of what to say. Finally, it came to me, but I didn’t know if it would help or hurt my cause. Either way, it was the last card I had to play, and I had to give it a try.

  “Peyton, please don’t do this. I’m pregnant.”

  Her black eyes widened as they fluttered from my face to the small swell of my stomach. She tipped her nose into the air and took a deep breath before leveling me with a glare.

  “Paul!” she screamed, her eyes never leaving me.

  Her brother ambled out of nowhere, his hand still wrapped around his shiny black gun.

  “You fucking lied to me,” she said to him, her eyes still darting from my eyes to my stomach.

  I glanced at Paul to see an uncomfortable look pasted across his face. My body trembled more as I added his betrayal to the list of shit that was pissing me off in that moment.

  “You didn’t need to know,” he finally said.

  She spun to face him, her body rigid with anger. “Of course I needed to know, you idiot!”

  Paul dropped his gaze to the ground and shrugged. It was clear who the dominant sibling was in that situation. However, he was the one with the gun, so I wasn’t counting him out anytime soon.

  Peyton turned back around to face me, her complexion tinged pink. “I don’t give a fuck that you’re pregnant. All the more reason to kill you. When Abraham finds out that not only did his precious mate die, but with his unborn children, it’ll be all the leverage Conrad needs to get rid of him.”

  I took a step back, one of my hands going to my stomach without my permission. There was a bone-deep need to protect my children at all costs. To shield them as best I could.

  “Why are you doing this all for Conrad? What’s in it for you?”

  Peyton smiled at me and a shiver ran up my spine. “He promised to make me alpha of the pack and split the money he makes off the gem mine.”

  I frowned. “Gem mine?”

  She rolled her black eyes and pointed at my chest. “Where do you think that ridiculous stone in that tacky ring came from, genius?”

  I reached for the engagement ring that always rested on a chain around my neck. I was so used to it that I often forgot it was there. My fingers grasped the cool metal as I thought through what she was saying.

  When Abraham gave me this ring, he’d said it came from his property. I hadn’t known what he was talking about at the time, but a couple weeks later, he actually took me to the gem mine they’d found on his lands. I thought it was beautiful and amazing but hadn’t thought much more about it.

  Was it really worth that much money?

  Enough that Conrad would go through all of this?

  Enough to kill Abraham and me over it?

  “Are you caught up yet?” Peyton snarked.

  I jerked my head in her direction, catching the gleam in her eyes. She was enjoying this. The thought sent another shiver down my spine.

  “I’m not going to fight you, Peyton.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest and jutted out one of her slim hips. “Why? Afraid you’ll break a nail, princess?”

  I fisted my hands and took a deep breath. “I’m not going to fight you because I don’t want to hurt you. We can end this without a physical altercation.”

  “Why don’t you just let me shoot her, P?” Paul piped up from next to us.

  Peyton whipped her head toward him and snarled, “Go wait in the truck while I finish this.”

  Paul shrugged and walked off, his gait perfectly normal, like he wasn’t walking away from a potential murder scene.

  I knew then that my time was limited. Peyton wasn’t going to just let this go, and I’d run out of options. I needed to shift and fight her if I had any hope of surviving.

  And I was going to survive.

  Abraham’s life as well as the three little lives inside me depended on that fact and I wasn’t going to let any of them down.

  I released a deep breath and let the magic of my wolf run through my veins. She’d been held prisoner for so long, I was worried she wouldn’t respond to my call, but she was right there. As ready as ever to protect what was hers.

  My body trembled harder than ever as I held onto the last shred of my humanity.

  “Last chance, Peyton. We can settle this without a fight. You can go and we’ll leave you alone. You live your life, we’ll live ours, and we’ll never cross paths again.”

  Peyton snorted and shook her head. “I’m well past that.”

  I shrugged and let the magic zip through my veins, shifting my bones and tissue to that of a wolf. Seconds later, I stood on four feet, watching while Peyton’s body shifted as well. Hers was a slower transition and I could have taken advantage of that fact, but I was determined to win with my skill alone.

  I leapt over her shifting form and onto the gravel at the base of the porch steps where we’d have more room.

  When Peyton was done shifting, she turned around and stalked down the stairs. As she approached, I went over every maneuver Bea had ever taught me. Every move, every technique, every piece of advice. I knew I was ready for this battle. I just hoped I put her down before she hurt my babies.

  Do not show weakness.

  The voice was back in my head, and like always, I listened and obeyed.

  Without warning, Peyton leapt toward me, and I easily sidestepped her advance. She went sailing past me, but not before I raked my claws down the side of her body. She howled in pain and landed in a graceless lump before springing to her feet again.

  “You’re gonna regret that, bitch.”

  I sighed. Always with the bitch comments. You’d have thought someone would have some originality.

  She charge
d me again, and I moved out of the way at the last second but countered with my own attack as well. When she was close enough, I barreled into her side, knocking the wind out of her and throwing her to the ground.

  She crawled to her feet and shook her head. Not bothering with anymore pleasantries, she lunged toward me again. This time, she feinted one way and then struck the other, but I’d been trained in this as well. I anticipated her move and one of my paws struck her as she flew past me, my claws scratching down her face.

  The gouges were over one of her eyes and she was bleeding pretty profusely, so I had to assume she wasn’t seeing well from that eye anymore which gave me even more of an advantage.

  She was injured. She was clearly not as good of a fighter as me, and I wanted this over with. I needed to take Peyton out and then somehow incapacitate Paul before I could locate Wyatt and figure out if he was okay.

  Werewolves were sturdy creatures, but a bullet was a bullet.

  As Peyton pawed at her face, I took that opportunity to advance on her. I ran toward her at top speed, taking advantage of the fact that she couldn’t see me well. Leaping, I landed on top of her, my teeth sinking into her back leg.

  She yelped, and I dug my teeth in further until the bone snapped in my mouth. She shook me off then and I danced backward out of range of her claws.

  “Peyton, give this up. I don’t want to kill you.”

  She crawled to her three good feet and shook her big head. “The only way this is ending is with one of us dead.”

  She limped toward me as fast as she could but still not very quickly at all. It was nothing to dodge her attack and let her pass right by me with another set of my claw marks in her hide. She howled in pain again and turned to face me, murder in her dark eyes.

  I knew I needed to end this. I needed to get out of this situation before something happened to me.

  Not waiting for another one of her attacks, I feinted one way, and then the other, before striking on the first side. My teeth dug into the back of her neck and I whipped my head side to side as she dangled from my jaw. Finally, I heard something snap before I jerked her one way and then tossed her the other, making sure her body slammed into the thick trunk of a pine tree.

  She slid to the base, her body nothing more than a lump of fur. I could tell she was still breathing, though, so I knew I hadn’t killed her, which had been my intention.

  I stood there, barely out of breath as I watched her still form for any sign of movement. When it seemed she was down for good, I turned my back on her. I needed to find Paul and then Wyatt and finish this before I went looking for my husband.

  Chapter 60

  The driveway was on the side of the house and we were in front of it, so I figured I had a couple minutes before Paul came looking for his sister. In that time, I needed to find Wyatt and make sure he was okay.

  I lifted my nose in the air, hoping I could smell him, but couldn’t pick up any scents besides Peyton’s and the forest. With one last look at her still form, I darted into the woods, hoping they’d provide enough cover for me to see what was going on with Paul and, hopefully, find Wyatt.

  I crept though the foliage, careful to make as little noise as possible. Finally, a dark green Jeep came into view that I had to assume belonged to Paul. I held perfectly still while I watched, but there was no movement in the Jeep.

  Finally, a low moan cut through the silence and I froze in place. If it was Paul, that meant something happened to him. If it was Wyatt, that meant I needed to get to him because he was hurt but still alive.

  Did I take the risk and expose myself in the hopes it was Wyatt and not Paul?

  What if Paul still had his gun? Werewolves were tough and could bounce back from most injuries, but I couldn’t afford to be shot. If the bullet hit my stomach, it could reach the babies, and that wasn’t a risk I was willing to take.

  There was another moan, this one louder, and I made up my mind. I’d be careful, but I needed to figure out who that was and what I was up against.

  Moving as quietly as possible, I inched out from between the trees and scanned the clearing. Seeing nothing, I walked around the other side of the Jeep and came across two bodies. One was deathly still, and the other was barely moving.

  Taking my time, I inched closer until I could identify who was who.

  Paul lay in a puddle of blood, his throat ripped out and his gun lying useless next to his still body.

  And next to him was my guard.

  Wyatt was sweating and moaning, his face deathly pale and his hands clutching his stomach. I hurried over and nudged him with my nose, and his brown eyes opened. It took him a moment, but he finally focused on me.

  “Ellie?”

  I nodded and the corners of his lips tipped into a grin. “You made it.”

  I nudged him again and quickly scanned him for injuries. He looked mostly unhurt, but his hands were covering a portion of his stomach and I was almost too afraid to see what was underneath. Knowing I needed to get the full picture, I gently bumped the tip of my nose against his hands, and with a hiss, he slowly removed one of them to reveal a small, bloody hole in his abdomen.

  I reared back and looked up at his face, but his eyes were closed again.

  “Don’t worry, Ellie. It’s not as bad as it looks.”

  I highly doubted that.

  He’d been shot in the stomach. There was no telling what the bullet could have hit or where it ended up. There were numerous important organs all floating around in that general region and any one of them could have been ruptured. We needed to get him to Doc Monroe as soon as possible.

  But with no way of knowing what was happening back on pack lands, I didn’t know if that was possible. I also didn’t think it was a good idea for me to shift back until I knew we were safe. I could only protect us in wolf form.

  Thundering footsteps sounded behind me and I turned to see who it was when someone shouted in my head.

  “Ellie!”

  I whipped around just in time to find a small gray wolf leaping from between the trees to attack another wolf that had crept up on me.

  My heart sank as I tried to think, but my brain was frozen. All I could do was watch the two wolves grapple, but that didn’t last long.

  Both of the wolves were similar in size, but one clearly had an advantage over the other. That one pinned down the other and dug their sharp teeth into the other one’s neck. With a gurgling sound I’d never forget, the wolf on top jerked their head backward, tearing the throat out of the one underneath.

  The bottom wolf twitched for a couple seconds before they became perfectly still. Slowly, their limbs shifted and grew as they turned back into a human. Soon, the lifeless body of Peyton was lying where the dead wolf had been.

  I looked up at the other wolf and finally recognized them.

  “Bea?”

  She turned to me, her muzzle bloody and her eyes wary. “She was going to kill you.”

  My heart stuttered in my chest as I stumbled toward my sister-in-law. The ramifications of what she’d just done slowly sank into my brain as I moved closer to her.

  Bea looked back down at her dead friend before she tilted her head back and let loose a long, mournful howl. It seemed to go on and on. I felt her pain as acutely as if it was my own.

  When I reached Bea, I let the magic recede from my body until I was a human again on my hands and knees. I inched closer until I could touch her, and as soon as I did, she collapsed in my arms. Her body trembled slightly as I soothed a hand down her back.

  “Thank you, Bea. Thank you so much,” I murmured against her fur.

  I couldn’t imagine what it must have taken for her to do what she just did. She and Peyton had been friends for years, and although that friendship had ended, no one expected this outcome. I was still trying to wrap my head around it all when Bea shifted in my arms.

  When she was a human again, she looked up at me, tears streaming from her icy blue eyes.

  “I couldn’
t let her hurt you, Ellie. I couldn’t let her hurt the babies,” she whimpered.

  I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and pulled her closer, my hand smoothing the hair away from her face.

  “I know, Bea. I know you did what you had to. Thank you so much,” I whispered in her ear.

  She continued to sob into my shoulder as her best friend’s body turned cold.

  I’d never seen Beatrice like that before and I assumed most never had. She was one of the strongest women I’d ever known, but in that moment, she was broken. She’d done what she thought was necessary, but that wasn’t going to make it any easier for her. I knew nothing but time would ease the pain she felt.

  My own heart ached knowing she only felt that way because of me. If I’d been strong enough to kill Peyton on my own, Bea never would have had to. If I’d just ended it when I’d had the chance, we could have avoided this.

  My heart broke along with Bea’s as I rocked her back and forth, her cries lessening and finally subsiding all together. Even then, she held me as tightly as I held her.

  Finally, another set of pounding footsteps reached us, and we pulled far enough apart that we could see each other’s faces.

  “Friend or foe?” I whispered.

  She shook her head, her eyes wary. Finally, she pulled away completely and whispered, “I’m going to shift back just in case.” She wiped the back of her hand against her face before steeling her features and shifting into a wolf.

  I sat there, completely naked and exposed as Bea took up position in front of me. Soon, though, her posture changed, and she trotted toward the sound of the footsteps.

  A large wolf came barreling into the clearing that I immediately recognized as Abraham. I might not have been able to tell most of the wolves apart, but I’d have known him anywhere, in any form. I climbed to my feet, doing my best to cover as much of me as possible.

  “I’m fine,” I told him, knowing that would be his first question. “But Wyatt was shot, and we need to get him to Doc Monroe as soon as possible.”