Chapter 12 #2
“Not so tough after all, Garland,” the wolf sang, sinking down on the balls of his feet. He ran his finger down my chest, growling in the back of his throat. “Bet you taste real good now that I’ve softened you up a bit.”
“You tried… the Chop House on Main?” I choked, spitting blood. “They do a great filet mignon.”
“Mmm…” the wolf hummed, cocking his head and smiling. “Nah… I like my meat fresh.” Hooking his claw into the collar of my shirt, he gave a sharp tug, splitting the fabric down to my navel. “Think I’ll save your heart for last, though. Enjoy me one more decent meal before I—”
A roar split the night as a hulking shadow slammed into the man like a train gone off the rails. My head sank back into the grass, relief flooding me as a whirl of claws and teeth came to my rescue. I’d berate myself later for needing saving. My wolf came for me.
“Hudson!” Tyler’s voice echoed across the backyard, his frantic footsteps growing near. His hands were on me before I could make out his silhouette above, pulling me into his arms. “Oh, baby boy. We’re here. Stay with me, okay? I’ve got you.”
“Ha…” I sputtered, licking my lips. “My heroes.”
“Emery!” Panic filled Ty’s voice as he shouted over me. “He’s hurt bad. End that fucker and get over here!”
“N-No…” I groaned, trying to free myself from him.
“What?” Ty held onto me, refusing to let go. “Hudson, you’re bleeding everywhere. Don’t move!”
“Need him… alive.” I struggled to meet his eyes.
He stared at me, searching my face before he shouted again. “Em, wait!”
The sounds of two warring beasts quieted. “Why?!” Emery roared.
“Hudson says he needs him alive!”
With a pained groan, I pushed away from Tyler, falling onto my side in the grass.
“Hudson!”
“Give him a sec,” Emery grunted, moving closer and dragging the other wolf with him by the neck.
I dug my fingers into the earth beneath my palm. Stilling my mind. Slowing my ragged breaths. That slow shift of time came to me again, some strange place between here and there. A veil, separating me from everything that came before.
“I… am Hudson Garland. Last of the Garland line,” I whispered out loud. “Grant me access. Give me strength.”
Nothing but the sound of breathing around me and the returning crickets met my ears.
“Please,” I begged, resting my cheek on the grass. “Help me.”
“You defy us, young Garland…” a dozen voices whispered in my mind. “You must pay for your… transgressions.”
“I know… I know, I’m dealing with a lot right now,” I gasped, shaking my head weakly. “I can ascend anytime I want, right?”
“You will find no middle ground to stand upon here…”
“I just need time!”
“Time is not ours to give… Under the moon stained red, must your birthright be claimed.”
“The blood moon…” I breathed, digging my fingers deeper into the earth. “That’s… less than a month. I can work with that.”
“We do not grant you a choice, young Garland… only truth. You will claim what is yours, or the blood of the moon shall taint the earth at your feet… and our legacy will end.”
Power surged through me with their parting words. The pain racking my body receded, allowing me to stand. Wind whipped through my hair, and I breathed deeply—before fixing my eyes in fury on the wolf in Emery’s claws.
With no more than a thought, the man went soaring away, flying straight into the trunk of a massive pine. A snap filled the air, and he cried out in agony.
“Who told you about the cure?” I demanded, pacing toward him with fire in my eyes.
“Get… fucked,” he panted. “I’m still gonna eat you, fa—”
A single flick of my hand, his leg snapped, cutting his sentence short with a howl. “Same question.”
“Vera!” the wolf cried out. “Vera told me! Said she just wanted you gone. Didn’t want a cure out there. Wolves aren’t meant to be cured, she said. Just told me to kill you, but… I wanted out. I figured, why waste something like that?”
“Who’s Vera?” I cocked a brow at Emery over my shoulder.
“Dead bitch in my trunk,” he said with a jab of his thumb toward the driveway.
My jaw dropped with an elated gasp. “You killed another werewolf for me?”
“We both did,” Em said with a grin, shooting Tyler a wink. “Ty ran her over with the car. I took off her head.”
Ty gave me a gentle shrug and a goofy smile. “Go team.”
“Aww… you guys,” I cooed. They were idiots, the both of them.
But they were my idiots.
“You’re all so fuckin’ dead,” the wolf in front of me said, seething. “You have no idea what you—”
I snapped his arm next, rolling my eyes as he screamed through gritted teeth.
“So, Vera was just trying to get me away from here, then?” Emery demanded. The other wolf growled, staring at Emery with rage and disgust. “Oh, shove it, Harrison. You can talk, or you can die, pick one.”
“Harrison?” I asked, staring between them. “You two know each other?”
Emery shrugged, pursing his lips. “He’s with Vera’s pack.
Forest-dwelling assholes that think they’re better than everyone because they were born wolves.
They take bitten like Harrison and me in as vassals, nothing more.
” Crossing his arms, he took a few steps toward the other wolf.
“Guess it’s not all it’s cracked up to be if you meant to eat Hudson’s heart, huh? ”
“Fuck you, Evans,” Harrison spat, clutching his arm. “Parker’s gonna skin you alive.”
I shot Emery a sideways glance. “That their alpha?”
“Kyle Parker,” Em grunted, moving closer to my side.
“Never met him. Not an alpha by blood, just because he’s the biggest asshole from what I’ve heard.
Vera fuckin’ hated his guts. He’ll probably put on a show for the pack, make it look like he gives a shit, but that’s all it’ll be. She was a constant thorn in his side.”
“You’d better hope,” Harrison snarled. “You have no idea what they’re like.”
“I know exactly what they’re like,” Emery said with a growl. “They would’ve hunted you to the ends of the earth if you cured yourself. And killing Hudson to do it? You’re just like them.”
I stood there, chewing my lip, trying to decide which of his bones to break next. The bloody state I was in was his doing. My body wasn’t healing no matter how hard I begged my magic, and I was pretty sure I knew why.
And snapping that prick’s bones lent a slight balm to nearly being eaten alive.
I was so tired of fighting off these wolves. Worse than that, I’d gotten cocky about it. I’d fucked up bad, and I knew it. The dick had broken my body and wounded my pride all in one go. If Em and Ty hadn’t shown up…
“I’m over being hunted.” I dropped into a crouch, cocking my head, relishing his pain. “Who else knows about the cure?”
Harrison smiled maniacally, heaving shallow breaths. “You’ll never survive them all. The ones that don’t want their humanity back… they’re worse than Vera. You might’ve fended off the wolves that came for you before… but this only ends one way for you, Garland.”
I felt Emery’s eyes on me, but I didn’t turn. “Wolves that came before? Hudson, how many—”
With a single shake of my head, I shot him a glance to silence him. I didn’t have the strength to get into that. I didn’t want him knowing I’d been in danger even before coming back.
“Peters.” Harrison’s wicked grin stretched. “Riley, Mason… Harley, and Finch.” The wolf’s lip twitched as he turned to me. “Bet you took out Jem and Doyle too, didn’t you? Always were wimp ass dreamers. Not surprised they couldn’t handle a whelp like—”
I whipped my hand out in front of me with a sharp twist, and Harrison’s neck snapped. The wolf’s body sagged against the tree.
“Jesus, Hud,” Tyler hissed, screwing up his face and taking a step back. “Did you really take out all those wolves?”
Pretending I didn’t hear him, I hauled myself up, pointlessly smacking dirt on my shredded and bloodied jeans.
Emery caught me under my arm as I stumbled toward the house. “Why didn’t you say something?”
“Not now, Em,” I muttered, my head spinning.
“How long have wolves been coming after you, Hudson?” he growled.
Heaving a sigh, I met the pained look in his eyes with a gentle turn of my head. “Three years.”
Em’s eyes went wide. His lips parted. “Why would you—”
“I took care of them, okay?” I snapped. “It’s how I found out about their stupid cure in the first place, and when I came back, I had no idea if you knew already, too! I didn’t know how bad you wanted to be human again, and…” With a heavy swallow, I slammed my eyes shut. “I’m sorry.”
Emery got right in my face, his lower lip trembling. “The only reason… I ever wanted to be human again had nothing to do with being a wolf, Hudson.” He searched my eyes, his expression softening, waiting for me to understand.
My breath hitched, tears welling in my eyes. “Oh.”
“Yeah…” He shook his head, leaning down to drop his forehead to mine. “Dumbass.”
We just stood there like that for a moment, Em holding me tight like something precious. Like he’d never been more scared in his entire life, and he just needed reminding that I was still breathing. Finally, I muttered, “I’m okay, Em. You got here in time.”
“Barely.” Emery sucked in a sniffling breath. His hand went to my face, cradling my jaw delicately above the cuts on my neck. “I’m gonna make some calls, okay? Try to figure out what wolves we can still trust out there.”
“You think that’s a good idea?” Tyler moved in behind me, placing a hand on my back. “Wouldn’t it be better to keep the ones that don’t know about the cure in the dark?”
Em shook his head. “Some Garland wolves still respect the curse and where it came from. Still revere the witches that made them what they are.” He tucked an arm around the small of my back, ushering me toward the back porch. “Get inside, Hud. Ty and I will clean up.”
“I’ll be fine,” I insisted, instantly feeling lightheaded with every movement. “I can help.”
“You’re not fine,” Ty chided, looking over the blood that covered me.
“You’re not healing,” Emery pushed. “Why aren’t your wounds closing, Hudson?”
“Because…” It was getting hard to breathe. “Because they’re mad at me. I’m being… punished.”
Then the whole world flipped on its ass. Might’ve been me. Couldn’t tell.
“Hudson!”
Passing out in the arms of two hot guys after a night of killing werewolves?
Pretty badass.