by Leilani Love
24
Before leaving Sandra’s, Kassandra had gone invisible and slipped into Jared’s truck when Warrick opened the door. He was unable to smell or see her and found it oddly disturbing that he couldn’t detect her. Warrick had heard about her gifts but had never experienced them before.
They told him when he opened any door to just give her enough time to slip past him. She made a small knocking sound once she had gotten out of the truck and into his house to let him know she was inside. Warrick paced back and forth, reaching out the best he could with his mind to his twin. Where have you taken her Gabriel? You can’t hide forever.
Warrick whoever said I was hiding? I just wanted to make sure you came alone.
Warrick clenched his hands into a fist. His brother was close enough to hear him and respond. Was Hope? Why couldn’t he feel them? Where’s my mate?
He heard Gabriel make a tsking noise in reply. Get in your truck and drive out of town, alone.
Warrick made a point to unlock his truck from inside the house, opening the door before reaching back and turning off the lights. If anyone were watching him they wouldn’t have realized he was giving someone enough time to slip past.
After he opened the door to his truck he made a point to drop his keys. Not sure if his brother was watching him or not, he gave her just enough time to crawl in before he slipped into the driver’s seat. With everyone searching for Hope in the woods the town seemed oddly quiet. The few houses that he passed that had lights on all had a candle in the window. A silent show of support for Hope.
As he drove in silence he knew that if his brother were close he would notice him talking to someone, so he thought about Hope. She had quickly won over both packs. Her smile lit up every room she walked into and when he heard her laugh he often found himself smiling. She was his world and if his brother did anything to hurt her…
I can feel your anger brother. Didn’t father say alphas should be able to control their feelings?
Warrick growled low. You keep trying to steal what isn’t yours baby brother. Time someone teaches you what happens to wolves who try to take things that aren’t theirs’.
Gabriel laughed in response then saw a truck pull out in front of him. Follow me big brother…winner takes all.
Winner takes all. Warrick repeated knowing he would have no choice but to kill his brother. Gabriel had to know that there was no way the pack would take him back. He definitely would not be able to take over as alpha. Even if Gabriel killed him tonight, Damien and the dragons would rip him to shreds before they let black magic take over the packs again.
This was a fight between the two of them. Gabriel fighting for everything he thought he deserved, Warrick fighting to keep everything he loved. He loved her. Before, when Gabriel had him tied to the table and was torturing Warrick, it was to keep safe a little girl he knew was meant for him. Now, as a man, he followed his brother’s truck, this time sacrificing himself for the woman he loved more than life itself.
“I love her,” Warrick said out loud knowing Kassandra was sitting quietly next to him. “Whatever happens tonight I need her to know that I love her.”
He felt something touch his arm and knew that it was Kassandra letting him know she understood why he said those words out loud. If his brother killed him she would make sure that Hope was okay and that she would know.
They drove for several hours until he turned down some highway. The road was small and they drove for several miles before finally turning off to drive up a gravel driveway. Warrick’s wolf, close to the surface, felt like a pent up animal in his head. He couldn’t feel or sense Hope at all but somehow seemed to know that she would be there.
The truck in front of him parked and he parked next to it leaving the door open as he did. Kassandra’s phone had GPS and he knew that Damien would not be far behind. “Let her go Gabriel, this fight is between you and me.”
Gabriel came out from behind the truck, a smile on his face. If you took away the scars on Warrick the two of them would be the spitting image of each other. Amazing how one could look at a mirage of themselves and feel so much hate and anger.
“You really think you could take me? You couldn’t all those years ago.”
“Coming up behind me while I pulled their mother from the fire doesn’t exactly count as a fair fight,” Warrick said as he began to circle his brother. “You were a coward then and you’re one now.”
Warrick watched as Gabriel growled, his teeth lengthening and Warrick responded in kind. His wolf itching to come out. The two of them circling each other. Warrick was torn between fighting with his brother and running into the house to find Hope. He had to have faith that Kassandra would go into the house and find Hope. He knew that the best way to keep her safe was to deal with the problem in front of him.
The two of them lunged at each other shifting in the air. Warrick was born alpha so he shifted faster. His wolf was also bigger and when the two of them hit each other in the air Warrick realized exactly how much of an advantage that gave him. Even with a leg that hadn’t healed perfectly he still had the upper hand.
Warrick could feel the impact of them hitting each other throughout his body. Gabriel hit the ground first Warrick landing on his feet next to him. He snapped at his brother, missing him as his brother rolled away.
The two of them lunged at each other again. This time Gabriel must have realized size was not going to be to his advantage and aimed lower on his chest, sinking his teeth into the muscle right above the shoulder. Warrick let out a howl of pain as he dropped his legs hard on his brother’s chest, pulling his head and trying to break the hold.
Hope twisted her wrist almost painfully as she used the knife that Sandra had to cut the binds of her rope. When she heard two vehicles pull up she fought the urge to go and look and instead focused on the ties that bound her. As the binds on her wrist started to pull apart she heard someone walking to the door.
She worked the knife faster almost jumping when the door slammed opened and Sandra walked in. “Your mate is here,” she started to say but then she narrowed her eyes as if she sensed something was different.
With one last yank of the knife Hope felt the rope give and she smiled while she began to walk closer to the front door. “What’s wrong Sandra? Did you forget something?”
Hope watched as it suddenly dawned on Sandra that she had left her knife in the room earlier. That moment was enough to give Hope the advantage so she reached up to remove the necklace around her neck that had been causing the disconnect from her wolf and her pack.
Sandra lunged at her, the room too small for them to shift. Hope let out her wolf just enough to feel her claws and teeth lengthen, so she landed a hook to Sandra’s left cheek. It was more satisfying than it should be to see her head swing back, but unfortunately, she didn’t have time to enjoy it.
Based on how quickly Sandra recovered Hope figured this must not have been the first time she had been punched in the face. Sandra tried to land a cross that Hope managed to duck as she tried to land a punch of her own. When Hope missed, she lost her balance just enough for Sandra to get the advantage and land a knee to her stomach knocking the wind out of Hope.
Hope lost her footing and took a step backward when Sandra landed a glancing blow to her jaw. Hope was holding the knife in her left hand and switched it over to the right. When Sandra went to punch her again Hope raised the knife and managed to slice Sandra’s arm, causing her to pull back with a hiss.
“Let me go Sandra. It’s over,” Hope said as she looked for an opening. “Warrick’s here which means my brother won’t be far behind. Run now and get away.”
Sandra let out a laugh that sounded almost panicked. “You ruined my life and I’m going to take yours.”
With that Sandra lunged for her and Hope’s training kicked in. She stabbed Sandra in the stomach. It felt nothing like when she and Kassandra played with wooden swords. Instead she felt the blade sink in and felt horrified as she realized wha
t she had just done.
Sandra let out a small gasp, as she looked down at the knife in her lower stomach. Hope took a step back not sure what to do. When Sandra reached down to take the knife out of her stomach Kassandra materialized from nowhere.
“If you pull that out you will bleed to death. Your body won’t be able to heal fast enough to stop the bleeding,” Kassandra said as she stepped into the room. “You have two choices, pull it out and bleed to death or apply pressure and live for a little while. At least until either Warrick kills Gabriel or Damien gets here.”
Hope watched in horror as Sandra pulled out the knife and her shirt darkened from the blood. Sandra tried to lunge at her with the knife above her head. Unable to move, Hope watched as Sandra stumbled and fell to the ground. When she bent down to check her pulse Kassandra stopped her by putting her hand on her arm. “There’s nothing we can do for her. She made her choice.”
Hope nodded in understanding as the sound of two wolves outside caught her attention. “Warrick,” she said, as she nearly ran into Kassandra in her rush to go the door. “I need to help him.”
“Hope, if you go out there you’ll distract him” Kassandra said putting her hand on the living room door stopping her from opening it. “Damien is on the way but as alpha to his pack, you need to let him handle his brother.”
She understood what Kassandra meant. As alpha it was Warrick’s job to protect his pack, as her mate it was his job to keep her safe. Gabriel had also kept him locked away and had tortured him for years. This was a fight he needed to finish.
25
Warrick felt his brother’s teeth nip into his hind leg before he was able to pull it way. Warrick felt Hope suddenly and knew she was in the house. That moment of distraction was enough to let his brother bite him hard just above his bad knee. He almost gave up when he felt a sense of relief and worry for him.
An image of Hope in their bed, her blonde hair across the pillow as she smiled at him, gave him the desire to win this fight. Gabriel was no longer going to stand between him and the life he’d dreamed about.
Warrick mentally linked with Gabriel. I feel my mate. You lost.
He heard his brother growl in response. What makes you think you can win?
I have everything to live for he said before lunging at his brother. The two of them hitting chest to chest when the sound of vehicles coming up the driveway distracted Gabriel just enough for him to turn his head. That small opening was all Warrick needed to sink his teeth into his brother’s neck. As he sunk his teeth past the fur and into his flesh Warrick could taste the blood on his tongue letting him know he had latched on.
Gabriel tried to twist his neck causing Warrick’s teeth to sink in deeper. The more Gabriel twisted under him the tighter Warrick’s grip became. When Gabriel tried to move again Warrick twisted his head tearing the flesh a bit. When his brother finally whimpered, putting his head down farther in a sign of submission, he debated for a moment before finally releasing him. His brother shifted first lying down, his neck exposed and Warrick could see the depth of his bite mark. If his wolf had bitten a man and not a wolf, he would be dead.
Warrick heard the door open to the house and saw Hope standing there. Turning from Gabriel he ran toward Hope only to have her jump into his arms. As he held her tight all those words of love stuck in his throat.
A growl from behind Warrick caused him to release Hope pushing her behind him. As he turned to see Gabriel lunging with his teeth bared. Before he could react he heard the loud bang of a gun going off. Warrick watched as his brother fell to the ground before him. Damien stood behind Gabriel with a gun in his hand.
“I should’ve done that the first time,” Damien said, looking at the two of them. “Do me a favor and put some pants on I don’t need my wife seeing your naked ass.”
Warrick blushed a bit looking past Hope toward Kassandra in the doorway. With a smirk on her face and a raised eyebrow, she just shrugged her shoulders. “He’s a little possessive. There should be some pants in the back of the vehicle that should fit you.”
A glance at Hope showed she had a slight blush on her cheeks from all the attention and he kissed her hard on the lips before turning to grab the pants. As he turned he saw his brother laying naked on the ground a hole in his back where his heart was. If anyone but Damien would have shot him Warrick would believe that the wound would heal but he knew that the bullet was full of liquid silver and a type of poison Aithne had found that was fatal to wolves.
There was a sense of loss for his brother. When they were kids he would have never imagined that this would have ever happened. A memory of them as kids playing tag in the yard, laughing and having fun. The feel of Hope’s hand on his back brought him back to the present. Shaking it off he carefully walked around his brother’s body to go to the SUV and grab a pair of pants from the back.
He felt Damien behind him before he turned around. Warrick wasn’t surprised to see Damien looking at him. “I’m sorry I killed your brother.”
Warrick thought about what to say. “My brother killed your father, kidnapped your sister, and probably would’ve killed her. You did what you had to.”
“He was still your brother,” Damien said, giving him a look that said he understood the mixed emotions he was currently feeling.
Before he could think of anything to say he saw Hope walking toward him. Her lip was cut, her eye was mostly swollen, and he noticed that her hand was shaking as she pushed the hair back from her face. “Gabriel gave up the right to be called my brother the first time he put her in danger.”
Damien nodded and he patted him on his arm as he walked by. He stood in front of Hope and gently cupped her cheek forcing her to look at him. “Where’s Sandra?”
Hope started to open her mouth to tell him when she suddenly burst into tears. He pulled her close and saw Kassandra. She gave a shake of her head letting him know that Sandra was no longer a threat. Warrick bent down picking Hope up in his arms. When he started to walk back to his vehicle he noticed Viktor and Chase for the first time. They had pulled in behind Damien and he saw that they were now talking as they watched him.
Warrick carried Hope to the truck and opened the door with one hand. When he put her in he waited for her to release him before he stepped back. Hope gave him a shaky smile letting him know she was okay.
He walked around to the driver’s side door giving the guys a wave before he got in and drove off. As shifters, they would understand his need to be alone with his mate. Warrick drove back to their home.
After a few minutes he felt Hope put her head on his shoulder.
“I killed her,” she whispered quietly.
Warrick took her hand and squeezed it, “I’m sorry you had to do that. Sandra made her choice when she decided to follow my brother.”
He could feel her nod on his shoulder and he thought about what to say. “I should have been the one to kill Gabriel.”
He felt Hope’s eyes on him and he turned to glance at her. “No, you shouldn’t have. You did right by sparing his life.”
Warrick felt his throat constrict a bit. They drove the rest of the way home in silence. Hope kept her head on his shoulder. That simple touch soothing him. When they pulled up to the house Hope started to open the door.
He got out quickly, walked around, and picked her up before she could close the passenger’s door. Hope opened the front door for him and he took the stairs to their bedroom two at a time. She smelled of his brother and Sandra, he needed to rid her of that.
Warrick carried her to the bathroom and set her down on her feet. He bent down and undid her boots before he slid them off her feet, one at a time. Since he was already on his knees, he undid her pants, the sound of the zipper barely louder than her breathing. As he hooked his fingers into the top of her jeans, he looked up at her, meeting her amber eyes, and rolled her pants down her legs.
Hope didn’t say anything as she reached down and cupped his cheek. The look in her beautiful eyes was inv
iting and she seemed to understand his need to remove the scent from her body. When he stood up he grabbed the bottom of her shirt and pulled it up and over her head in one move, tossing it on top of the discarded jeans.
“Don’t move,” he commanded before he gave her one hard quick kiss.
He left her long enough to turn on the shower and remove his clothes. After he was as naked as Hope, he tested the water to make sure it was warm enough. Warrick offered his hand to Hope and when she slid her delicate hand into his, he pulled her toward him.
When they both were in the shower he watched as she tilted her head up and let the water massage her scalp. The slight arch caused her breasts to push up and toward him. Too much temptation for him to resist so he reached up and cupped her breasts, rolling them between his fingers.
“I thought I’d lost you,” he said when she let out a small sigh.
26
Hope reached out and cupped his cheek. The look on Warrick’s face told her so much more than words ever could. She would like to have believed she wasn’t vain enough to need the words but eventually she would. For now she could live with the knowledge that he cared about her.
“I knew you’d come for me.” Hope smiled when he stepped closer to her looking down with a hunger in his eyes that made her core contract in need. “You’ve always been my knight in shining armor, even if I didn’t know it.”
She watched as a blush spread on Warrick’s cheek. She knew he felt uncomfortable and she bit her lip to keep from laughing. Instead she gave in to the urge and slid her hand around his neck to pull him down to her and finally said the words that she thought she might never have a chance to say, “I love you Warrick.”
