Chapter 55
RODERICK
Even over the roar of engines, I hear her scream.
I’m already pushing my bike as fast as it’ll go, but I lean low over the front bars, hoping to somehow urge the machine to a higher speed.
Up ahead, I spot a collection of bikes stopped on the road. Normally, the sight would comfort me. But these aren’t Dark Moon Riders. And from their circle, I hear Juliet scream again.
My wolf writhes in my chest, enraged at the sound of our love in distress.
Heads turn as we draw closer. They don’t move to leave. I don’t know why they’re here.
All I know is that they are in between me and the woman I love.
Once close enough, I don’t bother to stop my bike or turn off the engine. I simply launch myself from it, charging the line of bikers. Multiple faces go slack with shock, but make no move to attack. Yet.
I vault over the line, landing in the middle of the circle. The center of the space holds Juliet, who is grappling with a bloody, naked man.
Cory.
Dead.
Digging my fingers into the back of his neck, I wrench him off her, then toss him away, sending the wolf flying a good ten feet.
Juliet gasps in surprise, staring up at me with wild eyes.
“I’m here.” My voice is low with growls as I crouch over her, my wolf just under the surface.
Protect her. Kill them all.
My urge is to gather Juliet in my arms, hold her close, and breathe her in. But she just finished grappling with one man. I’m not sure she’s ready to be touched.
Then Juliet’s hand juts forward, wrapping in the material of my T-shirt.
“I’m sorry,” she says.
I cup her face, frantically scanning her body for injuries. “For what?”
“This.” She glances around at the gathered wolves. “It’s my fault. I should have told you.”
If she didn’t tell me, it’s because she didn’t trust me.
But I don’t hold that against her, not when I now face the horrific evidence of her past.
“Jameson.” The deep voice speaking my name pulls my attention away from Juliet. The leader of the Bear Valley pack dismounts from his bike.
“Mick,” I snarl back, the menace clear in my voice. Just the way I want it to be.
He pauses his approach, picking up on the fury I do nothing to suppress.
“Cory came for the girl,” he says instead. Like that explanation will validate the exchange I came upon.
Cory rolls to his knees where I tossed him, opens his mouth as if to speak, then wheezes and coughs up blood. Funny, I didn’t even throw him as hard as I could have. Although, from the looks of the guy, he was suffering some major blood loss before I even arrived.
“You bitch! What did you do to him?” a female wolf hisses, climbing from her bike and rushing to Cory’s side.
“Kicked him in the face,” Juliet spits back at the blonde, making my chest swell in pride. “And I’ll do it again if I get the chance!”
The wolf growls at my woman before trying to wrap her arms around Cory.
But he doesn’t seem interested in her comfort, wheezing in a deep breath, spitting out another mouthful of blood, then shoving to his feet.
His would-be defender struggles with a hurt frown before turning to glare with a deadly hatred at my librarian.
She’s one to watch.
“Get away from my mate.” Cory takes an unsteady step toward us.
LIAR, my wolf roars in silent rage at his possessive tone, scraping at the inside of my skin to be let loose.
This is the man who made our Juliet fear wolves. And now he tries to claim her?
He’ll be lucky if he survives this encounter.
“Everyone here can tell that Juliet is not mated to you or anyone.” My voice is deep, steady, and reveals none of my murderous urges. “She is her own woman.”
Pine Falls wolves begin to arrive, parking just outside the circle of Bear Valley bikers. From the way Mick’s wolves fidget and glance over their shoulders, it’s clear they’re not happy, having a threat at their back.
But if the Bear Valley alpha is wary, he doesn’t show it. As a pack leader, I understand that.
The guy hooks his thumbs in his pockets and gives me a look like he’s pitying me.
“I’m sorry to be the one to reveal this to you, Jameson, but you have a liar living in your town. You said she calls herself Juliet?” The leader shakes his head with a rueful smile. “Her real name is Abby Green. She’s from Bear Valley, and she made certain promises to my beta here.”
Abby Green. The name trails over my mind, but doesn’t solidify.
If she wants me to call her Abby from now on, I will. But I’ll always think of her as Juliet.
“Doesn’t matter what her past is.” As I speak, I hold Juliet’s sharp green gaze. These words are for her more than anyone else. “She’s in Pine Falls now.”
Then I shift my body to shield hers, making it clear my position in all of this.
“See now, there’s the problem.” Mick waves his hand around us. “We’re not in your territory. You crossed that line a good half a mile back. This is no-man’s land. My second has a claim. A longer-standing one than you do.”
Juliet leans around me, glaring at the alpha. “I’m not an item someone can call dibs on!”
He shrugs. “Close enough to it.”
It seems Mick’s observation enrages Juliet to the point of being unable to speak. She gapes at him, hatred in her eyes.
Both my wolf and I want to destroy the man for her.
Still, I try to remind myself that I am, in fact, a pack leader, who needs to maintain some control of this situation to avoid putting everyone I’m responsible for at risk. Even though I’d much rather go feral and rip out some jugulars. Lay waste to all these Bear Valley fuckers.
Yes. Do that.
Instead, I maintain a modicum of self-control. If a fight breaks out, I might be able to kill my targets, but there’s no guarantee Juliet would make it out of the mayhem unscathed, and her safety is my priority.
“Humans have as much right to their choices as wolves do. She will not be owned. By anyone.” My hope is Juliet realizes I’m not trying to do anything more than protect her freedom.
With his pack leader drawing my attention, Cory dodges around me, managing to wrap his hand around Juliet’s biceps.
As if he plans to take her. By force.
My human mind loses control of the situation as my wolf shoves forward. Juliet barely has time to gasp before I grab Cory’s wrist and grip it hard. So hard that little cracks sound out as I crush the bones.
He yelps and releases her.
But my wolf doesn’t release him.
Instead, my other hand grasps his elbow. With my wide grip on the limb, I bring his forearm down hard across my knee, the same way I might snap a dry branch for firewood.
Bone splinters and pierces his skin. Cory screams, then stumbles back when I release my hold, clutching his mangled arm to his chest.
“No,” the female wolf gasps, reaching out for Cory, even as he ignores her.
Mick crosses his arms and scowls in a way I’m sure most people in Bear Valley would find intimidating. But I can see the paleness of his face.
“No one touches Juliet. No one touches Abby. Not unless she wants to be touched,” I intone.
There’s a light pressure on my lower back, and I realize the librarian has placed her hand there. A silent thank-you.
I don’t deserve a thank-you. We’re in this danger because of me. Because I let a threat pass our borders.
“You looking to start a war over this human?” Mick growls.
“I’m giving her the chance to live her life on her own terms.” Then, with one of the greatest struggles I’ve faced, worse even then that time I dragged my body out of the woods after being shot, I keep speaking. “Even if that means she wants to leave.”
Despite wanting to keep Juliet always by my side, leaving us all far behind is likely the safer bet for her.
Whether I want to admit it or not, I’m connected to Cory. Just by the mere fact that we are the same species. If Juliet stays in Pine Falls, there will always be a tenuous connection to this man. The demon from her past.
Unless I kill him, of course.
But technically, by our laws, he’s done nothing so wrong as to give me that right.
I was the one who gave him permission to enter our territory.
In the eyes of all other wolves outside of Pine Falls, he’s made a social blunder and nothing more.
A misstep to earn him a reprimand from his own pack leader.
Things would be different if Juliet were my mate.
But she’s not, and I refuse to force that on her.
If I were to kill Cory, it would be an act of war.
And not just against Bear Valley. Part of the truce among packs requires the others to punish those committing a breach.
That means Pine Falls would be left vulnerable to attacks on all sides if I let my beast free to tear this man’s throat from his neck.
But I can still give Juliet her freedom.
“She will remain in Pine Falls under our pack’s protection, or we will guard her back as she leaves for a new home. It is her choice, but either way, she does not go with you.”