Chapter 14
Evan
Over the next few weeks, I hit a new low.
It was so low that Finn reluctantly agreed to let me take shifts guarding Reid. I tried not to think about how pathetic I must’ve seemed for him to cave, instead focusing on the fact that I got to see Reid.
Just see him. Finlay had expressly forbidden me from approaching him. It was an unnecessary order. I’d meant it when I promised Reid I’d keep my distance.
There was a difference between keeping my distance and keeping him safe. Now, I was able to do both.
I hoarded each moment when Reid crossed my vision, treasuring every new detail about him.
Like how he always stopped for an iced coffee for him and Chester on his way to work, regardless of how late he was.
His interesting choice in breakfast food—if you could call it that.
I swear one day he was eating a frozen Pop-Tart.
My supe vision had no issue picking up on the ice crystals atop the chocolate frosting. Who even knew that was a thing?
Reid definitely had a sweet tooth. I’d lost count of how many times I’d seen him with a chocolate bar or a slice of cake. It made me wonder if he liked ice cream in the summer.
I hoped I’d get to find out.
Every evening when he got home from work, he’d pat himself down, searching for his keys. Twice now, he’d had to resort to using the one he’d hidden under a rock.
Yes, a rock. I nearly had a heart attack when I realised how easy he was making it for people to break into his home. Only the knowledge that it was covered in wards had been enough to stop me from marching over and giving him a lecture.
Reid definitely wouldn’t take that well.
I couldn’t help but marvel at how his mind worked. Sometimes, he’d go to do something, like make a cup of tea, then get distracted. Before I knew it, he’d be elbow deep in cleaning the windows, or pulling the books off his shelves to put them back in a different order.
Then there were the nights when he’d collapse on the sofa, gaming controller in hand, and Friends playing on his laptop. There was always more than one form of media playing. Some might find that overstimulating, but it seemed to have the opposite effect on Reid.
I think he found it relaxing.
Everything was quiet on the Clarkson front. A little too quiet, if you asked me. It was almost like the calm before the storm. I knew they were preparing their strike. We all did. The more time that passed without anything happening, the more tense we all became.
Then, when the hit did come, it didn’t land where we’d been expecting it.
Reid wasn’t targeted.
Chester was.
Just as with Reid’s place, Chester’s had been protected by myself, Finn, Logan, and Calan.
Which meant we all felt it the instant Clyde crossed the wards.
I was just leaving my parents’ place when the alarm surged through me. I shifted before my next breath, letting the ground vanish under my feet as I tore through the woods.
Three other wolves appeared in the night beside me, racing in from different directions. Finn took point, pushing harder than all of us to get to his mate’s side.
They weren’t mated yet, but we all knew that was where it was heading. Without a bond though, Chester was vulnerable.
I pushed down my fear as I chased after Finlay, driving my muscles harder than ever before. We had to get there in time. We had to.
We wouldn’t let Finn grieve another love.
As we drew near, we caught glimpses Chester’s house through the trees. Clyde was outside.
With Chester.
That was when the details registered. My heart jumped into my throat as I reacted instinctively.
By jumping onto Finlay’s back.
I wasn’t the only one. Logan landed a split second later, our combined weight pinning the frantic wolf to the ground.
Calan skidded to a halt in front of us, shifting back to his human form. His eyes were wild and furious, his hands spread wide. “Finn, stop.”
Finn snarled, thrashing as he tried to throw us off. I understood. I completely did. If Reid had been the one in Chester’s place right now, I’d be reacting exactly the same. He wanted to charge in to save him.
But in doing so, he might lose him.
“Finlay,” Calan said urgently, grabbing his brother by the scruff of his neck. “Snap out of it. Clyde’s got Chester by the throat. If you go charging in, he’ll snap his neck before you can get close enough to stop it.”
Finlay whimpered as Calan’s words sank in. As he realised precisely why we’d intervened.
I released him, transforming in the same moment Logan did. My human eyes weren’t as sharp as my wolf’s, but I could see the terror on Chester’s face as plain as day.
Beside me, I knew Logan was clocking the same thing. “Motherfucker. How fucking dare he?”
Finn was the last to transform, his bones protesting the shift as his wolf fought him for control. “We need to save Chester at all costs. Calan, what’s the plan?”
Calan’s calculating gaze swept over the two on the banks of the loch, noting every detail.
As the pack enforcer, this was his area of expertise; something I didn’t envy him for.
He was trained to assess risks and determine the most efficient way to eliminate them.
“Clyde’s going to use Chester as a human shield. We need to separate them.”
My stomach flipped. Calan was right. Whatever Clyde’s play here was, he was going to use Chester to achieve it.
“Evan, take the roof,” Calan said in clipped tones. “On Finn’s signal, take him down from above. I’ll sneak into Chester’s house and go through the window.” He pointed at Logan. “Shift and approach from the rear. Don’t let him hear you.”
Logan rolled his eyes. I knew that in any other situation, he’d be reminding Calan just how silent he could be in the sassiest way possible.
But there was too much riding on this for flippancy.
“Finn.” Calan grabbed his brother by the shoulder. “Hold it together, okay? We’re going to save him. Just keep Clyde talking long enough for us to get into position.”
Finn nodded. His bones were still creaking, but I could see the fierce determination in the set of his shoulders. He wouldn’t let this go wrong.
None of us would.
Silent as the grave, the three of us approached Chester’s home from various angles as Finlay strode from the tree line, keeping Clyde’s attention on him. More than once, he barked at Chester to keep his eyes on him.
And in doing so, he ensured that Clyde did the same. A classic misdirection. A smarter shifter would have known better.
Then again, a smarter shifter wouldn’t go after the partner of the leader of a clan like the McCarthys. A fool doesn’t learn from mistakes made in the past. Evidently, the Clarkson Clan was made up of fools.
The biggest of which had crossed into our territory alone and decided to toy with the life of the wrong fucking human.
I crouched on the roof, checking and double checking that my angle was right. From the corner of my eye, I saw Logan’s wolf creep closer. Just below me, floorboards creaked as Calan moved through Chester’s home.
It was near fucking impossible to wait. Clyde’s threats towards Chester had fury rolling through me. Logan was right—how fucking dare he indeed?
Along with the anger, there was a sense of justice and vindication. I’d hated Clyde before now, wanted him wiped from every plane.
Today, that was finally going to happen.
I repositioned myself as Clyde dragged Chester back a step. My breath caught as he stumbled.
Just then, Logan was finally close enough. The floorboards in Chester’s house had fallen silent too.
We were in position. All we needed was the signal. I focused on the conversation, muscles tensed as I waited for the right moment.
“The only one who holds my lead is the man you’re currently choking,” Finn growled. “And I’m not the only one forgetting important facts here.”
“Oh?” Clyde dragged Chester back another step. I adjusted my stance once again. I probably would’ve been fine where I was, but I wasn’t taking any risks. Not with Chester’s life hanging in the balance. “Do enlighten me.”
Finn bared his teeth. “Wolves hunt in packs.”
The words had barely left his lips when I landed directly on Clyde.
At the same moment, Calan dove through the front window, ripping Chester from Clyde’s grip. I didn’t see where they went, just knew it was away from us.
Good.
Clyde threw me off him with a snarl, but Logan was already there. He pounced, fangs aiming for Clyde’s jugular.
Clyde’s eyes widened for a split second, and then he was shifting. The two of them disappeared into a mass of fur and snapping jaws.
Finally, I released my wolf. We didn’t hesitate to jump into the fray. My claws sought out Clyde’s soft underbelly while Logan went for his throat.
Clyde landed a lucky hit on my shoulder, sending a chunk of flesh flying. Distantly, I was aware of a cry sounding.
I paused, letting the pain ripple through me. This is what Reid felt. Clyde is a shifter with shifter strength. Imagine how this felt to him. How it felt to him as a child.
Suddenly, nothing else existed for me. All I could see was ten-year-old Reid. His black eye. The bruises on his wrist.
“Take me with you. Take me away. Keep me safe.”
Reid’s words rang in my ears as I launched myself at his father. My teeth found their home in his throat. Blood filled my mouth, but I didn’t withdraw until I saw the light leave his eyes.
He wasn’t dead. Not properly. Not yet. And you know what? I was glad. Fucking glad.
Because this fucker hadn’t suffered enough. He didn’t deserve a quick or easy death.
He deserved to feel every ounce of the suffering he’d inflicted on his son.
I was vaguely aware that Calan and Logan were there, but I didn’t give a fuck what they thought about what was about to happen. Rage held me in a firm grip, my pulse thrumming in my ears and drowning out all common sense.
Releasing his throat, I locked my jaws around Clyde’s left hind leg. With one wrench, I ripped the limb free.