9. Rafe
CHAPTER NINE
RAFE
S leep fell away in an instant, taking with it happy dreams of Maddy and pool tables. Clarity was slower to return, like swimming up from the depths of a dark, murky lake.
Something was wrong.
The quiet of the night was split by the shriek of the wind. The house creaked and moaned, the aging beams protesting against the fury of the storm. We’d made it back from Rusty Pine right before the rain began pelting down.
I held my breath, straining to hear over the lashing of the rain. Nothing. Just the soft rustle of sheets as Maddy stirred beside me. She mumbled something, too incoherent and slurred with sleep for me to make out the words.
I let out a slow exhale, trying to relax the tension coiled in my muscles. It was probably nothing. Just my paranoia kicking into overdrive. Not like I had anything to truly worry about. Just an ass-backwards, murderous pack of shits trying to claim my mate, a patch of land getting a little too crowded with other packs and clans, and a second who likely had ten different plans for my untimely demise should I piss her off a little too well.
My wolf prowled through my head, a low growl sawing in and out with my breathing.
I turned my head, gaze tracing over the delicate curve of Maddy’s shoulder in the dim light filtering through the curtains. She looked so peaceful, her face relaxed with sleep, her body curled on her side facing me. Something in my chest stirred at the sight, a protective instinct clawing its way through my unease. I resisted the urge to reach out and disturb her, to pull her close and bury my nose in her hair, breathing in her scent until it chased away all my doubts and fears.
Fuck, this woman. She’d barreled into my life and turned it upside down in a matter of days, and I was powerless to stop it.
Mate.
I’d watched firsthand the devastation that losing a fated mate could bring. My mother had never recovered from my father’s death, the light in her eyes dimming a little more each day until there was nothing left but a hollow shell. The thought of experiencing that kind of soul-crushing grief, of losing Maddy... it terrified me more than any physical threat ever could.
But even as the fear clawed at my throat, I knew I couldn’t let it control me. Maddy was here, warm and real and alive. I inhaled deeply, letting her scent wash over me, a soothing balm to my frayed nerves.
Mate.
My wolf howled the truth, and I lost my last bit of resistance to the word.
How many others did I scroll past in my search for my mail-order match? How many profiles went unread? How many long glances and slow smiles in bars from Mill Creek to Denver did I ignore?
But Maddy... One look at a grainy, cropped photo. One inhalation of the details she thought fit to include. Some part of me always knew she was the one.
And now that she was here, I was never letting her go.
Never.
The air shifted again, the hairs on my neck prickling. Nothing moved in the shadows, but the feeling of unease set my teeth on edge.
I eased out of bed, careful to let Maddy sleep. Creaking hardwood complained as I padded barefoot through the house and to the kitchen. I stopped at the sink and poured a glass of water, wincing at the sharp squeak of the faucet.
Water droplets streaked down the window panes, obscuring the view outside. There was no sign of movement beneath the skeletal branches of the trees that ringed our property. As if on cue, the house shuddered beneath another gust of wind, the old timbers groaning their displeasure.
Just the storm. Just good, old fashioned paranoia.
The breath of relief caught in my throat at a flash of movement from the corner of my eye, there and gone in an instant.
I froze, every muscle in my body tensing as I stared out into the darkness. The rain continued to pour, the wind howling like a wounded animal. But there, in the shadows of the trees, something shifted.
My heart slammed against my ribs as realization hit. We weren’t alone.
“Maddy!” I dropped my water glass, barely registering the shatter of it hitting the floor as I sprinted for the bedroom. My wolf roared to life, hackles raised as a growl vibrated in my throat. “Maddy, wake up!”
I heard a window break a split second before the first snarl reached my ears. They were inside. Fuck, they were inside the house.
I burst into the bedroom just as Maddy shot upright, her eyes wide and wild. “Rafe, what?—”
“Run.” I grabbed her arm, hauling her out of bed. “Run for Crescent Hollow. Find Declan. Get help.”
“But—”
“Go!” I shoved her toward the window on the far side of the room, my wolf surging to the surface as the scent of the intruders hit my nose. “Now, Maddy!”
She hesitated for a moment, her gaze locked on mine. I saw the fear in her eyes, the confusion. But beneath that, I saw the trust. The faith that I would keep her safe.
The only way she survived was if she ran, and ran fast. In the middle of the chaos, if I took out the fuckers charging down the hall, if no one lurked beneath the window for this exact escape...
Declan would keep her safe. Wyatt, too, if he found her first. Neither were close enough to really matter to those of us left behind. Dusk Valley would be slaughtered before she made it over the border.
It had to be enough. I needed it to be enough time to get her free of the danger.
The bedroom door exploded inward with a deafening crack of splintering wood. Three unfamiliar shifters poured through, their eyes glowing feral gold and fingers tipped with claws. Snarls ripped from their throats as they fanned out, their focus zeroing in on me.
I threw a punch at the nearest one, connecting with his jaw with a satisfying crunch. He stumbled back, momentarily stunned. The other two attacked, moving too fast for me to dodge. Sharp nails raked across my back, sending agony spiking through me.
I swung blindly, lashing out with everything I had. I caught one hard in the shoulder, spinning him around and knocking him to the floor with a thud. I had to give Maddy time to escape. I had to?—
A punch found my stomach, and I stumbled. Claws dug into my leg, dragging me down. I twisted, throwing off the wolf holding me, but another took its place. And another.
They pinned me to the floor, their weight crushing the air from my lungs. I thrashed, snarling and snapping, but it was useless. I couldn’t break free.
A scream cut through the chaos, and my blood turned to ice in my veins.
Maddy.
One of Bowen’s asshole wolves dragged her back into the room, her arms twisted behind her back. She fought, kicking and writhing, but they held her fast.
Rough hands grabbed under my shoulders and hauled me to my knees. I snarled as pain flared in my ribs, bright and hot and sharp. A fist struck the back of my head, stars bursting in my vision.
Maddy’s eyes met mine, and the panic on her face broke something in me.
Fuck, I’d failed. I’d failed her. I’d promised to protect her, to keep her safe, and instead she was about to lose her life.
They dragged us outside, into the pouring rain. Mud splashed against my face as they threw me to the ground, the cold rain immediately soaking my skin. I raised my head, blinking furiously to clear the droplets from my eyes.
The rest of the pack knelt in the yard, a grim tableau illuminated by the flashes of lightning streaking across the black sky. Orion’s face was a mask of blood, his shirt in tatters and claw marks gouged deep into his chest. Despite his wounds, his gaze was locked on Brielle, kneeling defiant beside him even as she glared at our captors.
Tara’s eyes were downcast, her chest heaving with panicked breaths. Elise’s shoulders trembled with barely contained rage, tendons straining in her neck as she fought to keep her wolf at bay.
And Maddy...
A strangled gasp tore from her throat as she spotted her brother, the vicious bruises already darkening on Kai’s face. He struggled weakly against Bowen’s crushing grip, his eyes squeezed shut against the fresh wave of pain as Bowen wrenched his arm behind his back.
Bowen’s smug laughter cut through the rain, the sound sending a shiver down my spine. He released Kai with a shove, letting him crumple to the ground in a heap. Maddy let out a choked sob, her eyes wide with horror as she watched her brother writhe in pain.
“Looks like I win, pup. And you know what that means.” Bowen sauntered toward me, his steps slow and deliberate. His gaze raked over Maddy, hunger and possession burning in those cold eyes. “I get to take what’s mine.”
I snarled, struggling against the wolves holding me in place. “They’re not yours,” I spat, my voice low and deadly. “Maddy and Kai are part of my pack.”
Bowen’s eyes narrowed, his smile turning cruel. “And you, little bitch. Did you really think you could run from me?” He crouched down, trailing a finger down her cheek. She jerked away, but there was nowhere for her to go.
“I told you what would happen if you didn’t pay your brother’s debt.” Bowen’s voice was soft, almost gentle. His eyes slashed to me and he skimmed a nose up her neck. “Mmm, you’ve been savoring this cunt, haven’t you? I can smell you all over her.”
Rage, hot and visceral, surged through me. My wolf strained against the chains holding him back, howling for blood, for vengeance. For Maddy.
Maddy recoiled from his touch, her face twisting with revulsion. In a sudden burst of movement, she jerked forward, a glob of spit hitting Bowen square in the cheek.
Pride swelled in my chest, quickly smothered as Bowen reeled back, his expression morphing into one of pure, incandescent fury. His hand shot out, striking Maddy hard across the face and knocking her to the ground.
“You fucking bitch,” he snarled. “I was going to let you live, for a little while at least.”
He stalked over to Kai, still curled on the ground, and grabbed his wrist. “Learn some fucking respect.”
With sickening cracks, he snapped the bones, Kai’s scream piercing the night air.
My mind raced, desperate for a way out. My gaze darted from one packmate to the next, taking in their injuries, the fear and pain etched into their faces. They had stood by me when everyone else had left, and now I had failed them. Failed to protect them, to keep them safe.
What kind of alpha was I?
The doubt gnawed at me, tearing at my resolve. But I couldn’t let it consume me. Not now. Not when they needed me most.
I squared my shoulders, meeting Bowen’s gaze head-on. “You want my pack? My wolves?”
I cast a pointed look around at the dozen or so of Bowen’s wolves lurking in the darkness, making sure they heard me. No way in fuck the madman would show weakness in front of his wolves. I knew their sort. I’d served as Marcus’s enforcer, then his second. These fucks ate weakness for breakfast, and would feast on Bowen’s bones given half a chance.
“Then fight me for it.” I said, my voice ringing out clear and strong. “I challenge you, Bowen.”
Maddy hissed her objections, but I silenced her with a glare. This was my duty. I was alpha. Not Declan or Wyatt, who were too far to run in as our saviors. Not Elise, who refused the duty when it called. This was my fight.
And bloodless compromises were off the fucking table.
Bowen threw his head back and laughed, the sound grating against my nerves. “You can’t survive what I got, pup. I’ll rip out your throat.”
I cocked my head, a humorless smile tugging at my lips. “Struck a nerve?” I nodded toward Kai. “He’s got another hand if you need to work things out. Or is that what your multiple mates are for?” I paused, letting the implication sink in. “Did you take so many because you couldn’t get anyone to come back for seconds?”
Bowen’s face twisted with rage, a vein throbbing in his temple. One of his wolves started forward, but he threw out a hand to stop him. “No one interferes,” he snarled. Soulless, furious eyes locked on me. “I accept the pup’s challenge.”
And then he shifted.
It happened so fast, I barely had time to register the blur of motion before a massive white wolf lunged for me.
His body slammed into mine with the force of a freight train, teeth snapping inches from my throat. I shifted mid-fall, my own wolf surging to the surface in a burst of pain and power.
I twisted, trying to throw him off, but he was too strong. His teeth sank into my shoulder and I howled, the sound tearing from my throat. Blood, hot and slick, poured from the wound, mixing with the rain and turning the mud beneath us a sickening red.
We rolled, a mess of snarling fur and flashing fangs. I lashed out, my claws catching Bowen across the muzzle. He yelped, jerking back, and I seized the opportunity. I snaked forward, my jaws clamping down on his foreleg.
Bone crunched between my teeth and Bowen howled, his body convulsing with pain. He thrashed, trying to break free, but I held on, biting, biting, biting.
Bowen wrenched himself free, breaking my hold. Blood dripped from his mangled leg, but he barely seemed to notice. His eyes glowed with a feral light, fixed on me with single-minded intensity.
He charged again, feinting left before slamming into my right side. I stumbled, and Bowen was on me in an instant, his jaws closing around my throat.
The air punched out of my lungs. I gasped, choking on the blood that filled my mouth instead. My vision swam, darkening at the edges.
This was it. This was how I died.
But then, through the haze of pain and the roaring of blood in my ears, I heard Maddy scream my name.
Something snapped inside me. A final, desperate surge of strength. I couldn’t leave her. I couldn’t let Bowen win.
With a snarl, I jerked my head to the side, ignoring the agony that tore through my neck. Bowen’s grip loosened, just for a moment, but it was enough. I twisted, my jaws clamping down on his exposed throat.
I bit down, hard, feeling his windpipe collapse beneath my teeth. Bowen convulsed, a gurgling whine escaping him. I shook my head savagely, tearing through muscle and sinew until, with a final, shuddering breath, Bowen went limp.
I released him, stepping back on shaking legs. The world tilted around me, my vision blurring. I blinked, trying to clear it, but the darkness only grew.
Bowen’s pack stood in shocked silence, staring at their fallen alpha. I forced myself to shift and stand tall on two legs, ignoring the way my body screamed in protest.
“Bowen is dead,” I announced, my voice rough and ragged, “and I release you. All of you. Your pack is nothing but a name whispered in warning from now on.”
I swept my gaze over the assembled wolves, taking in their wary, uncertain expressions. “Any who wish to join Dusk Valley may do so. But know this—there will be no compromise on our rules of civilization and propriety. This is a one-time offer of amnesty. Take it or leave.”
A few shifted uneasily, exchanging glances. But slowly, one by one, they bowed their heads in submission. I didn’t give a shit if they stayed the night or left in the coming days. My concern fell on the others.
On my pack.
On Maddy.
Warmth streamed down my chest. I swayed on my feet as I turned to find them. Dimly, I heard Maddy call my name, her voice thick with fear.
And then she was there, her arms around my waist, holding me up. I leaned against her heavily, the last of my strength leaking out of me with my blood.
“Rafe? Rafe, stay with me.” Maddy’s voice sounded far away, muffled by the ringing in my ears.
The world tilted again and this time, I couldn’t stop it. I fell, Maddy’s scream echoing in my ears as the darkness rushed up to claim me.