Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
The moment of solitude and pleasure vanished. My body tensed as I hurriedly dressed again.
Both of us rushed, desperate to get outside and see what we were facing. Each moment we were blind to the threat meant the attackers had longer to get into prime position.
Dick said we had no clue who we were up against. That was what I’d been worried about when we returned home a week ago, but when nothing happened in those first few days. I should’ve known that our unknown enemies would wait long enough for us to let our guard drop.
He’d told the truth, and there was someone else after us.
Do you think it ’ s Azbogah and his followers? Griffin asked as he buttoned his jeans.
I slipped my shirt over my head. No, I don ’ t. Azbogah is an in-your-face type of person. He wouldn ’ t do a sneak attack. He wants a production to make himself feel more powerful. This is whoever was working with Dick…or whoever Dick was working for.
Maybe Julius knew this was going to happen , Griffin growled, watching me put my jeans back on.
Thinking the worst of my brother was easy. We hadn’t gotten off on the right foot with him trying to attack me and all, but he hadn’t known that Dick had my pack slaughtered. When he said Dick was the main person, he wasn’t lying. You know that. There had been no signs, neither smell or physical tells like a racing heart, of a lie.
More guards are being attacked. Killian connected with us again using the pack links we now shared. The enemy is surrounding us.
Any clue who it is? Griffin asked as he opened the bedroom door.
No, but they’re all shifters , Killian said as worry pulsed through our pack bond. I ’ m shifting and joining the fight now.
We entered the living room just as Killian opened the back door, with Sierra and Rosemary right behind him.
“I’m going to fly around and see what I can see. I wish Mom and Dad could help, but they have their hands full in the city with all the problems Azbogah is creating.” Rosemary looked at me. “From the sound of it, you need to get Bart and the silver wolves over here to fight.”
I hated to do that, but the sounds of howls and screams wailed outside. Whoever was attacking us was pulling out all the stops, and the heartbreak pouring from Killian informed me that it was worse than I had initially understood. We needed backup, and it would take Bart and his pack at least ten minutes to get to us. Every second could mean another life, which was unacceptable.
Are you and the others able to get here quickly? I linked to Bart, not bothering to beat around the bush. I allowed my alarm to penetrate the bond. He needed to realize how bad of a situation we were in.
Of course. Bart answered immediately. What ’ s wrong?
Whoever was working with Dick is here.
Shit. Bart sighed. I ’ ll get Cyrus and the pack, and we ’ ll be there shortly.
I hated to be that person, but I had to ask. Are you sure bringing Julius is the right thing? If he knows the attacker... I trailed off, trying not to say too much. However, my lack of words probably spoke volumes.
The one time I’d called my brother by his birth name, he’d flipped out on me. Yet, Bart had been calling him Cyrus since we’d first met him at my old house. I tried not to let it bother me, but I was slightly jealous that they’d gotten closer while my twin didn’t seem to want much to do with me.
Look, I know things are strained between the two of you, but he ’ s changing. Bart’s voice softened. I promise, if I see any hint of him going out of line, I ’ ll deal with him. He still hasn ’ t been able to control his emotions and thoughts very well when situations get intense, so I ’ ll know.
Even though I wanted to push the conversation further, we didn’t have time to argue. The longer we took to spring into action, the more people would get hurt. Fine, just…be careful getting here.
We ’ ll take the woods , Bart replied. I ’ ll let you know when we’re near. He ended the connection between us.
The new land Dad had purchased for us was even closer to Shadow Ridge than my hometown was. I couldn’t help but wonder if Dad had thought the same thing I did when we were found—hiding wouldn’t get us far. The closer proximity made me think that he had, that he was working on a strategic plan to announce our presence.
The best way to fight an enemy was to come out of hiding. That had taken me a moment to realize, given we were being attacked right now. But at least it was all coming to a head instead of the small attacks they’d been focusing solely on me.
I linked with Killian and Griffin, They ’ re on their way. I ran outside after Killian with Griffin cursing behind me.
My steps slowed as I took in the horror. At least twenty enemies were trying to get to the house. Killian was fighting a sandy brown wolf who appeared to be almost as strong as he was.
I scanned the area, trying to determine who needed the most help. Two bear shifters were in animal form, fighting four guards in human form, while the rest of the fighters were wolves. A few of our guards had shifted, and the ones who had remained human were using their guns to fend off the bears.
My wolf surged forward, and my clothes ripped from my body as I landed on four legs.
Damn it, Sterlyn , Griffin said angrily. This has to end. His bones cracked as he followed suit, shifting into his animal form.
We should ’ ve taken Dick’s warning more seriously. This was partially my fault, but remorse could be felt later. Right now, I had to focus on the matter at hand—kicking ass.
Sierra shrieked as a sable wolf attacked her mid-shift, the wolf taking advantage of her moment of weakness.
I ’ ll help her. Griffin ran in her direction.
That was for the best because I wanted to help the human guards with the bears, who were large and not the easiest to injure. Only two other races were harder to fight, which were angels and dragons. However, Dad told me that the fae dragons kept to their realm, and the few that had moved to Earth had disappeared a long time ago, even before the birth of silver wolves.
Pushing off my paws, I reached our guards in record time. All of the enemy wolves were engaged in battle, and our people seemed to be holding their own.
A black bear threw his head back and roared as he stood on his back feet. The four guards paid attention to him, as he sounded like he was going to attack. But as they raised their guns to fire at him, the brown grizzly charged forward, using the other bear as a distraction.
The grizzly used its speed as its biggest asset.
The moon was near full again, and I tapped into my moon powers, tugging on them harder than ever before. My wolf raced across the small clearing, and I reached the grizzly just a few feet from his target. I bit into his shoulder as his head swung in my direction.
“Sterlyn!” the tallest guard yelled, aware of what was happening. He pivoted his gun toward the grizzly, but sharp teeth slashed into my side before he fired.
I whimpered, and my jaw slackened of its own accord. White-hot pain stole my breath, forcing my mind to race.
The bear released me, but his dark, soulless eyes stayed locked on me. Blood dripped from his mouth as he raised a paw to claw at my other side. He was purposely not going for kill shots, which petrified me.
Whoever was leading them still wanted me alive. I could only imagine why, and every possible thought churned my stomach.
A gun fired, and a bullet plunged right between the bear’s eyes. The grizzly stumbled as the realization of what had happened settled over him. He crashed to the ground, causing the earth to shake. My side throbbed, but I didn’t have time to focus on that. There were still so many shifters left to fight, and I could hear more battles farther away, which meant more enemies were coming.
The tall guard who had just protected me yelled to his friends, “The black bear is charging. Get a tranq and shoot him.”
I climbed back to my feet and turned in time to watch the black bear sink its teeth into the thinnest guard’s arm. The guard’s blood-curdling scream churned my stomach.
“Not happening!” the shortest of the four yelled as he shot at the black bear, but the tranq whizzed past, missing its mark.
“Get back,” the thickest guard yelled as he shot two consecutive rounds. The first bullet lodged into the black bear's front right leg, and the second nailed the chest. However, the chest wound wasn’t fatal, and the bear didn’t appear fazed. He jerked his head, thrashing the guard’s arm. Crimson blood poured from the wound, soaking the grass.
The metallic stench turned my stomach, but I breathed through my mouth. I hurriedly limped toward the bear, desperate to injure him enough that he couldn’t cause any additional damage. Each time I breathed or moved, my own throbbing side almost knocked me down, but I pushed through, focusing on the air moving in and out of my lungs.
“You asshole,” the thick guard yelled, and he lifted his gun to fire more. His rage was getting the best of him; he wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings.
A cream wolf ran through the trees, its focus entirely on that guard. Just as the guard fired, the wolf lunged, aiming for the guard’s neck.
Crouching down, I pushed hard, leaping farther than ever before. I collided with the cream wolf in midair, and my acceleration offset his forward motion, causing him to fall backward. He hit the ground with a loud thud, and I landed on top. I ripped out his throat, reducing our enemy count by one.
Gunfire continued, and I rolled off the dead wolf and faced the guards once more. This time, the remaining three uninjured guards shot at the black bear one by one. Each hit caused blood to trickle from the wounds. The bear tried to retreat, but the guards countered each move.
Now that the guards had it handled and could help the injured one, I needed to move on and help someone else. It would’ve been nice if I had inherited angel healing powers so I could help the short guard and myself, but that wasn’t part of the silver wolf package.
Another wolf ran from the woods, stopping me in my tracks. The golden-bronze fur and overly perfumed musk told me exactly who it was—Luna.
Her Caribbean-blue eyes sparked with loathing as she slowed and stopped.
What the hell was she doing here? I linked with both Griffin and Killian, Luna ’ s here.
Fuck me , Griffin bellowed. I should ’ ve killed the whole family. Banishment wasn ’ t enough.
The darkness I felt from her before was nothing compared to this moment; evil swirled around her like a tornado. She bared her teeth at me and growled, making her message clear.
She wanted me dead, and she knew I was injured.
But that wouldn’t stop me from kicking her ass, so I howled in warning. I wanted her to know this place was mine and she needed to get out.
Luna gave me a wolfy smile that somehow made her look more sinister than dopey. She trotted a few steps toward me, refusing to step back and cower.
I expected nothing less.
A snapping branch to the right made me fully aware of what she was doing. She was distracting me, the same way the black bear had the guards. However, I wouldn’t allow them to get the jump on me. I pretended not to hear a thing and bared my teeth. I needed them to think that my hatred had blinded my senses.
Bart’s voice popped into my mind. We ’ re almost there. How are you all holding up?
Not wonderfully, but telling him that would make his pack more frantic and desperate. In other words—vulnerable. I needed them on top of their game and fully engaged with their surroundings. We ’ re managing, but I won ’ t lie. Knowing you ’ re close thrills me. Hopefully, the others wouldn’t be prepared for a group of silver wolves to join us. Dick must have thought that Julius and I were the only ones left alive. This had to give us an edge, or at least I had to believe that it did.
While I kept feigning that Luna had my entire focus, in my peripheral vision, I could see a black wolf trying to sneak toward me. The animal hovered close to the tree line, his coat nearly the color of the night. However, my eyes could make out each strand of fur, and his yellow eyes seemed as bright as flashlights to me.
Luna pawed the ground, stirring up dirt and grass. She danced around as if she were considering attacking me. If I hadn’t been alerted to the black wolf, which was now only about ten feet away, her peculiar actions would have alerted me to something. She had no intention of fighting me, or she would’ve charged by now.
The black wolf dove toward me, looking to take out one of my paws and not going for a kill shot. That was actually smart, seeing as I was injured on that side already.
I jumped, and my injured muscles burned like they were being ripped apart. However, I managed to make the black wolf miss me completely and crash to the ground.
Extending my claws, I slashed the black wolf’s fur and skin as I landed on top of him. He whimpered and tried to roll away, allowing my claws to rip across his neck and twist his head. His neck cracked from the momentum, and he fell limply to the side.
A snarl from Luna forced my gaze away from yet another person I’d killed and back on her as she retreated into the woods. Now she was running scared.
Oh, hell , no. That bitch wasn’t getting away. Not this time.