Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
This had to be some crazy dream. A horrible nightmare that I could wake from. I couldn't have lost Griffin before we even had a chance to embrace our relationship.
Watching him bleed out forced me to realize my biggest regret.
Being too scared to bond with him.
A loud howl vibrated all around us, and it took a moment to realize that the cry was coming from me. My heartbreak shattered my soul, and hatred flowed through my body.
I'd be damned if I left with these assholes. After everything they’d taken away from me, I'd rather die than give them what they wanted.
The thrumming of the boat engine indicated it was almost upon us. We were running out of time, no one more than Griffin.
"Ssseee," Goatee slurred, barely able to keep his eyes open. "We will always wiiinnnn."
Not if I have anything to do with it .
Anger fueled my body, and I gathered enough resolve to put weight on my front paws and reach his neck to rip out his throat. For the first time ever, I didn't feel remorse. Numbness took over.
Large black wings rushed past me, helping rage ward off the strange haze I was locked in.
That damn bird topped my shit list, seeing as he’d probably been watching me for longer than I'd ever realized. I'd pluck him feather by feather until he couldn't handle it and turned back to his human form.
I turned to attack before the crow could hurt Griffin more but stopped short when my gaze landed on Rosemary instead. All of the enemy guards lay dead on the ground except two. One was engaged in battle with Killian while the other swung his gun in the dark wolf's direction, ready to shoot.
No. I can't lose him too.
I tried to stand on both legs but fell hard on my stomach. Whether I wanted to admit it or not, Goatee had done a number on me. All I could do was lie there in agony as the last man got ready to shoot Killian.
As the gun fired, Rosemary circled her wings, making her feathers blend together and surround her. She stepped between the bullet and Killian.
Did she have a death wish? I watched in horror as the bullet hit her…and bounced off her wings.
"What the—" the guy stuttered as he dropped his gun.
She unfolded her wings, a smirk on her face. "Angels are hard to kill." She jumped, flying directly at him, and the guy had enough sense to turn and run.
The idiot ran in the direction of the boat, like that would protect him.
Before he could escape from view, Rosemary caught up and grabbed him around the neck. A loud crack followed, and his body smacked to the ground, clearly dead on impact.
Thank God she was here because Killian would have been dead if she hadn't arrived.
Killian .
I turned to find his dark fur soaked with blood, but the last enemy lay dead at his feet. For the moment, we were safe, so I crawled toward Griffin and laid my head next to his. I whimpered as both my wolf and I mourned the man beside me.
He brushed his head against mine and nuzzled my face.
This was wrong. We couldn't even communicate in this form. I couldn't tell him my regrets or how I wished things had gone differently. All I could do was lie beside him as he died.
"I need you to move," Rosemary said as she squatted on Griffin's other side. She reached her hands toward him, and I growled.
No one but me could touch him right now. I needed to be the one he was with when he transitioned out.
Rosemary arched a brow and tilted her head. "Did you growl at me?"
I bared my teeth, emphasizing my point. My wolf surged forward. I wasn't sure how much clearer I could get.
"Do you want me to save him or not?" She bobbed her head as she tapped her fingers on her jeans. "Once he's dead, I can't bring him back."
I lifted my head and stared at her. She could save him? Was this some sort of joke? I looked at Killian, wanting him to give me a sign.
He nodded, alleviating some of my concern.
Griffin's breathing began to slow, and his eyelids fluttered close. He was fading, and I had to put his life before my own possessive tendencies.
Everything inside me screamed for me to not allow her to touch him, but I reined in my animal. Of course, being injured made it more difficult for me. If she did do something to him, I wouldn't be able to protect him, and that made me more volatile.
"I'm going to try again." Rosemary narrowed her eyes at me. "And if you bite me, this will be the last time I help you."
She might not be the nicest person in the world, but she was blunt, and I knew where she stood. I did respect her for that. Not many people were that forthcoming. I scooted away, letting her know that I wouldn't be a problem.
"Good girl," she chuckled.
Great, she'd already gotten cocky enough for dog jokes, but if that was what it took to save Griffin, I'd gladly take them.
She placed one hand on Griffin's wound and the other on my hip. Her skin began to glow.
White light poured from her fingers, and a warm buzzing sensation smacked me straight in the chest—a fluttering feeling of safety and security like everything would be okay. It reminded me of when I was a little girl and my mom would hold me in her arms.
Rosemary’s stardust irises glowed a brilliant white as her power charged all around us. If I'd thought she was breathtaking before, I was wrong. Now she was transcendent.
I watched in awe as Griffin's chest rose once again. After a long moment, Rosemary’s skin began to fade into her normal pale complexion. She dropped her hands and faced me. "Your leg should be better also."
That was why I'd felt so safe. She’d healed both Griffin and me at the same time. I'd heard that angels were powerful beings, but that was downplaying their abilities.
Griffin slowly sat up on his hind legs, and the relief that burst through my heart was jarring. I jumped on him, forcing him to his back. I was so damn happy that he was okay. He licked my face as he rolled over on top of me, his tongue hanging out of his mouth.
"As much as I hate to interrupt your play, your guards are still under attack, and a boat pulled up to wait for these idiots to get away." Rosemary stood and brushed the dirt off her jeans.
She was right. We needed to help the others. There wasn't as much gunfire, but no one had made it to us. Our new priority was protecting Killian's and Griffin's packs.
I jerked my head in the direction where the others should be and took off running. There was absolutely no pain in my leg, which surprised me. Rosemary had been able to heal my leg completely, even removing the bullet.
The only question was: Why had she helped us? In general, people didn't go into battle willingly for anyone who wasn’t a friend or an ally. Even though we weren’t enemies, our interactions hadn’t been the best. She must have a reason for helping. Yet another issue to deal with later.
Rosemary flapped her wings, ascending into the sky. "I'll meet you there." She flew in the opposite direction faster than my four legs could take me.
As we followed our trail back toward the guards, the sound of fighting grew louder. I wasn't sure if I should be relieved or not, but at least, some of their guards had to still be standing.
The crow fluttered into the sky again, cawing over and over, letting the enemy guards know that we were approaching.
Forcing myself not to waste any more negative energy on that stupid thing, I scanned the area, taking in the damage. There were bodies littered everywhere.
This whole attack was eerily similar to the one back home. Maybe I should've gone with Goatee and kept all these people safe.
Killian took the lead, racing toward a wolf who was surrounded by three others. He growled loudly, drawing the attention of the enemies from their target.
I followed Killian's lead with Griffin running beside me. The attackers didn't outnumber the lone surviving guard any longer. In fact, they were now the ones who were outmatched.
Running to the side, I targeted the large milky brown wolf who’d been with Goatee earlier. The cruel glint in his eye matched the abyss deep inside him, revealing a sickness even worse than Goatee’s. Maybe Goatee wasn’t the one I should've been most focused on. Discovering two souls so full of hatred made me even more worried about whomever they were working under.
At least, I could get rid of one more jerkwad.
He faced me in a clear challenge. He knew who I was and sneered at me with determination, examining me, waiting to predict my next move. He was probably the most skilled fighter of his group.
Not wanting to give away my plan, I slowed as if I had nothing to prove. Technically, I didn't, but I did want to survive.
Killian and Griffin attacked two of the wolves as I sat in front of the larger one, pretending I wasn't fazed in the least. We were in a standoff. He wanted to see what he was up against while I wanted to see what strategy he’d use.
The best way to piss off a man who was trying to prove himself was to belittle him. I forced my shoulders to shake and made the choking bark sound of a wolf laughing.
He snorted and shook his head, giving me a sign that I was getting under his skin. His quickened panting let me know that his anger was beginning to get the best of him.
I glanced at Griffin and Killian, making sure they were doing okay but also to indicate that I wasn’t fazed by the increasingly angry wolf watching me. Even though I could see him in my peripheral vision, not paying attention to him was the final straw.
Inching toward me, he kept his eyes locked on my face. I pretended to not notice his approach, despite my entire focus now being on him since Griffin and Killian were holding their own.
With each stride toward me, he grew bolder and angrier when I didn't bat an eyelash. His body grew rigid, and I knew he would attack at any moment. How he charged me would tell me the most about him.
Now only ten feet away, he growled, wanting me to acknowledge he was there. When I turned my head his way, he lunged.
Brute force. That was his plan, which was what I'd suspected.
I rolled out of the way as he landed on all four legs where I'd been. He snarled and pivoted, teeth bared, drool dripping down his chin. He reminded me of a rabid dog.
Hell, he might have been truly rabid.
Not bothering to change strategy, he lunged at me once more, aiming for my shoulder. Like Goatee, he didn't want to kill me, just injure me severely. But he wasn't thinking it through because Killian and Griffin were here as well. Even if he took me down, how was he going to get himself and my injured body to the boat when they were both here?
The one surviving guard on our side barreled toward me. He was coming to help me fight this wolf.
Where I differed from this crazed wolf and Goatee was that I didn't have to prove myself. They enjoyed dominating others to get ahead, but real protectors fought to win, not to come out on top. Protecting was about doing what was best for everyone, pushing vanity and self-worth aside. There was no room for ego. I'd welcome the help as long as it stopped more innocents from dying.
The enemy wolf didn't even bother turning in the guard's direction. He was focused solely on me, which was both stupid and scary. How could someone have such a one-track mind when their death could be imminent?
But that was the thing; he didn't see anything outside of me.
The guard jumped on the milk chocolate wolf's back and stuck his claws into its side as his teeth sank into the spot between his neck and shoulder.
As if realizing the magnitude of his injuries, the enemy wolf stood on both hind legs, trying to fall back onto the guard so he would release his hold.
I refused to allow him the opportunity, I jumped forward and sank my teeth into the front of his neck, ready for this whole damn fight to be over. The guy's eyes widened, and I jerked my head hard, assuring he would die instantaneously.
At this point, I didn't care about them paying for their sins. I wanted the fight done.
With the weight of the guard on his back, the wolf landed on his face but was already dead before impact.
The world seemed to pause as I surveyed the area and realized that all of the enemy fighters were dead. But the heartbreaking fact was that Killian, Griffin, this one guard, and myself were the only survivors on our side. I had no clue how many of their pack had come to aid us and died.
A caw and the flutter of wings caught my attention as the crow flew high, away from the mess on the ground.
We had to catch him before he alerted whoever was behind this ambush.