45. Calder #2
"Calder!" Ethan's voice cut through the haze of violence. I could hear the terror in it, the desperation.
I wanted to go to him, to free him from those ropes and get him to safety. But Jake was already circling back around, positioning himself between me and my mate. His lips pulled back in a grotesque approximation of a smile, revealing blood-stained fangs.
He lunged again, faster this time. I barely managed to sidestep, feeling his claws graze my ribs. Pain flared hot and sharp, but I channeled it into fury. I spun and caught his hind leg in my jaws, biting down hard until I felt bone crack.
Jake's shriek was inhuman, echoing off the barn walls. He twisted with a snarl, his teeth finding purchase in my shoulder. I felt them sink deep, tearing through muscle, and had to fight not to let go of his leg.
We were locked together, a tangle of fur and fangs and blood.
The space heater toppled in our struggle, its orange glow snuffed momentarily by the straw.
However, it was only a matter of seconds before flames began to lick up the sides of the heater and spread.
I knew I should let go of Jake and put the fire out before it got out of control.
But that wasn’t an option. Through growls, blood, and fury I watched the orange glow get brighter and brighter.
The barn was on fire and the clock to save my mate was ticking.
I released Jake's leg and lunged backward, my eyes darting between him and Ethan.
The flames were spreading fast, feeding on the dry straw scattered across the floor.
Smoke was already beginning to fill the upper reaches of the barn, and I could see Ethan straining against his bonds, coughing as the acrid air reached him.
Jake limped on his injured leg but didn't seem deterred by either the wound or the fire. If anything, the flames reflected in his yellow eyes made him look even more demented. He circled me slowly, favoring his good leg, blood dripping from where I'd crushed bone.
"You think you can save him?" Jake snarled, his voice distorted by his wolf form. "He'll burn before you can reach him. And you'll burn once I’m done with you."
I couldn't let that happen. I wouldn't.
I feinted left, then dove right, using my superior speed to slip past Jake's guard. My claws found purchase on the support beam where Ethan was tied, and I began tearing at the ropes with desperate efficiency. The hemp was thick, designed to hold livestock, but my claws were sharper.
Jake crashed into me from the side before I could finish, his full weight bearing us both to the ground.
We rolled through burning straw, the flames singeing my fur, the pain barely registering through my adrenaline.
His jaws snapped at my throat again, and I had to use both hands to shove his head away, claws digging into his muzzle.
"Calder!" Ethan screamed, and I heard real panic in his voice now. The fire was climbing the walls, spreading across the ancient ceiling beams.
I couldn't waste any more time on Jake. I brought my hind legs up and kicked with all my strength, sending him flying backward into a burning hay bale. He howled as the flames caught on his matted fur, rolling frantically to extinguish them.
I didn't wait to see if he succeeded. I bounded back to Ethan, my claws making quick work of the remaining rope strands. The moment he was free, I pulled him against my chest, his naked body shaking against my fur.
"I knew you'd come," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I knew you'd find me."
My heart swelled even as my Alpha form made it nearly impossible to respond with words. I growled, pulling him tight against me. I had to get him out of there. Now.
But Jake wasn't done. Through the smoke and flames, I saw him rising, his fur still smoking, his eyes locked on us with murderous intent. He was between us and the door, blocking our escape.
"You're not taking him from me," Jake growled, his massive form swaying but determined. "If I can't have him, no one can."
He lunged one final time, and I knew I had only seconds. I shoved Ethan behind me, my massive werewolf form acting as a shield between him and the charging rogue. Jake's claws were extended, his jaws wide, every ounce of his remaining strength channeled into this final attack.
I met him head-on.
We collided in an explosion of fur and fury, crashing through a burning support beam.
The impact sent showers of sparks raining down around us as the weakened structure groaned.
Jake's teeth found my shoulder again, tearing deeper this time, but I barely felt it through the adrenaline coursing through my veins.
My jaws clamped down on his throat.
He thrashed violently, trying to throw me off, but I held firm. My teeth sank deeper, past fur and flesh, until I felt his windpipe collapse under the pressure. Jake's struggles became more frantic, more desperate, his claws raking down my sides in a last-ditch effort to break free.
I didn't let go.
Blood filled my mouth, hot and coppery. Jake's movements slowed, his yellow eyes dimming as the life drained from them.
I felt the moment his body went limp, felt the last shudder of breath leave his lungs.
But still I held on, my wolf demanding absolute certainty that this threat would never rise again.
"Calder!" Ethan's voice cut through the roar of flames. "Calder, please! We have to get out!"
The urgency in his tone snapped me back to reality. The barn was an inferno now, flames consuming everything. The ceiling beams were groaning, ready to collapse at any moment. I released Jake's limp body and let it drop to the burning floor.
I turned to find Ethan huddled against the far wall, his skin reddened from the heat, tears streaming down his face. Whether from smoke or emotion, I couldn't tell. I bounded toward him, scooping him up into my arms.
His hands linked behind my neck, his naked body pressed against my blood-soaked fur. "I'm sorry," he whispered into my ear. "I'm so sorry for everything I said."
There was no time to respond, no way to tell him it didn't matter, that all that mattered was getting him to safety. I could feel his heart hammering against my back as I charged toward the barn door, flames licking at my paws with every step.
The main door was completely engulfed, but there was a side exit I'd spotted earlier. But as I turned toward it, Jake’s staggering form appeared in front of me.
A gurgle escaped his throat as he attempted to growl, blood pouring out of him.
His clawed hand was already lifted high and I didn’t get a chance to turn away.
I braced myself for the hit, but it never came. Instead, I heard Ethan cry out in pain, blood sprayed across the barn floor as Jake tore his thigh open.
In one swift movement, my left hand shot out, claws ripping through Jake’s throat until I felt his spine on the other side. But I didn’t stop. My claws tore through his neck, nearly severing his head. And finally his body crashed to the floor, never to move again.
I stumbled backward, nearly dropping Ethan as his blood poured from the deep gash in his thigh. His scream of pain cut through me worse than any of Jake's bites had, and I felt my wolf howl in anguish at my mate's injury.