Chapter Nine #2
A spine of titanium and a will of steel defined Vinnie.
Mother or not, most women would be screaming in terror after what had just happened.
“I’m going to get him out. Stay back until we see what’s happening.
I can handle him.” When Adam snarled, Cyrus released a low growl, asserting dominance.
That startled the emerging wolf long enough to allow him to release the seat belt.
They spilled out from the woods, surrounding the SUV, three large men and three massive wolves—his brothers. Josiah stalked over to his side. “What do you need?”
“Help me get him out.” But Adam suddenly attacked, flying out of the vehicle and tackling him. Cyrus went with the momentum, tossed him onto his back, and pinned his hands by his head.
“Don’t hurt him!” Vinnie started to race toward them, but Josiah caught her and held her.
“Stay back,” Cyrus told her. “Adam’s trying to assert dominance.
He needs to understand I’m the alpha wolf here.
He’s just a pup.” When she made a sound of protest, he whipped his head around and pinned her in place with a glare.
“If you want him to survive, you have to trust me.” It was a lot to ask.
Her son’s life was on the line. And while they’d made a baby together, tromping through the forest the past couple days in search of their son didn’t erase all the years they’d been apart.
“Choose now.” He couldn’t afford for her to interfere at a critical point.
This dire situation was as foreign to him as it was to her.
She bit her lip but nodded. “Save him.”
Behind her, Josiah gave a slight nod. He’d contain her if necessary.
That assurance freed him to do whatever needed to be done.
It wasn’t going to be pretty. By the end of it, both Vinnie and Adam might hate his guts.
Despair threatened to crush him, but he shoved it aside and buried it.
Keeping them both alive was all that mattered.
Like every other challenge he’d faced in his life, he’d do what needed to be done, regardless of the consequences.
Ignoring the growl of dissatisfaction from his wolf, he stared into his son’s eyes—a direct challenge.
It was the best way he could think of to get the wolf inside Adam to come out.
He’d been through this with all his brothers, but they’d known what to expect, had embraced their wolves eagerly.
Adam was fighting his. He was also fighting Cyrus but was ineffective in unseating him.
The boy might be a hybrid wolf, but Cyrus was a full-blooded, deadly beast.
“I’m going to let him up,” he warned the others. His brothers formed a rough circle around them, to keep Adam from bolting. Vinnie stood beside the SUV, leaning on it for support, her face ashen.
Knowing he’d have to be fast, Cyrus jumped up and gave Adam some space. The teen lurched upright and spun in a circle, growling at all of them. There was no sense of recognition, only fear and anger. This could get out of control fast if they weren’t careful.
Adam darted forward, but Eli in his wolf form drove him back, nipping his leg. Giving a startled yelp, he charged in the opposite direction but was turned back by Levi, also in wolf form.
So it went for the next thirty minutes. Adam tried to escape, but they sent him scurrying back to the center of the ring where Cyrus waited.
They were tiring him out, or trying to. Sweat poured from Adam’s body.
Eyes wild, he growled, desperate to escape.
He was in human form but responding like a caged wolf fighting for freedom.
“This isn’t working,” Zach said what they were all thinking. He was their hacker, the one able to find any information online, except for this one critical time. There was little information on hybrids. That there was nothing on shifting hybrid wolves showed how rare it was.
“Suggestions?” Grunting, he caught Adam when the boy ran at him and shoved him back. Vinnie made a sound of distress but didn’t interfere.
“His wolf has to come out.” Zach’s expression was grim. Dusk had fully fallen and the moon was peeking over the horizon.
“Tell me something I don’t know.” There had to be a way.
He had an idea, but it was risky. There was a real danger of someone getting seriously hurt.
He and his brothers would heal. Likely Adam would too.
The one most in jeopardy would be Vinnie.
“All of you need to be ready if this goes sideways,” he warned.
Adam snarled and snapped, prowling the inner circle, his movements becoming more erratic with each passing second.
“Vinnie,” he called out. It didn’t occur to him that she’d hesitate, and she proved him right.
“I’m here. What do you need me to do?” She cautiously came toward him.
At some point when he’d been occupied, she’d dragged on her damp shirt, which clung to her lean torso and outlined the slope of her breasts.
Dusty boots and dirty jeans gave her a tough look.
The gun holstered at her waist only added to the powerful image.
“I need to bring out Adam’s protective instincts.” There was no more powerful motivation than defending a loved one.
“How?”
“I’m going to attack you.” He swore and jumped aside when Adam made another run at him.
This time it was Noah who blocked his escape.
All his brothers growled, not liking the idea any more than he did.
“I think it’s the only way. Ditch the weapon.
We don’t want Adam getting his hands on it.
” He slammed his hands into Adam’s shoulders and shoved him back.
Vinnie unclipped her holster and secured the weapon in the SUV. Tension ratcheted up.
“Keep him occupied, Eli.” While his brother snapped and snarled at the juvenile wolf, Cyrus waved to her. “Hurry.”
Without hesitation, she pushed past Levi, shoving his furry rump out of her way.
Lines furrowed her forehead. Her eyes and mouth had a pinched appearance as worry ate at her.
This had to be realistic, her reaction authentic.
Rather than warn her about what he was going to do, he shifted to wolf form, shook off his clothing, and lunged at her.
Her scream of terror turned his blood to ice.
Rather than duck or try to evade, she struck out, slamming her fist into his muzzle.
Not expecting the blow, it rocked his head back.
Adam forgot all about Eli and the rest of them, his entire focus on Cyrus.
Hating himself for what he was about to do, Cyrus snapped at Vinnie.
She fell on her ass and scooted away, her heels digging into the mossy ground.
Adam leaped in front of her and growled. The wolf was close but not quite there.
Cyrus snarled, displaying sharp fangs. The boy took a step back before stopping and holding his ground.
Then Eli jumped at Vinnie. Her scream of terror would haunt him forever.
Adam leaped over his mother to attack Eli.
Cyrus caught his son’s t-shirt between his jaws and yanked him back hard enough to have the boy sprawling at his feet.
Fury flashed in his eyes. He saw the second the change began.
Fur began to push out from under Adam’s skin.
When Vinnie started toward her son, Josiah caught her, slapped a hand over her mouth, and dragged her away.
Adam yanked at his clothes, ripping it off his body.
Panting heavily, he shook his head. He was still fighting the change.
Cyrus caught his son’s hand between his teeth and nipped, not hard enough to damage him but enough to draw blood.
“Stop it!” Vinnie yelled.
Adam threw back his head and howled. The pain-filled cry would have broken his heart if he hadn’t locked it away.
Compassion wouldn’t help his son now, but ruthless determination would.
Bones began to crack and reform. The first shift, the integration of wolf and human, was always brutal. He’d spare Adam if he could.
The process stalled. Cyrus shifted to human and grabbed the teen by the shoulders and shook him.
“Do it!” He poured every ounce of command and power he possessed into the order.
The wolf inside the boy reacted to the challenge.
Arms and legs lengthened and reformed. He dropped down onto all fours.
His forehead flattened and a muzzle pushed out from his face.
When it was done a young male wolf stood before him.
Cyrus wanted to howl in triumph, but this wasn’t over. His son wanted his blood.