Chapter Eighteen #2
The sheer vileness of what these men had done made Kinley sick to her stomach.
They’d hunted and killed a human hiker for sport.
If they’d done it once, they’d done it many times.
She wondered if Duke had any idea his precious son was planning a takeover of the pack.
Duke wasn’t anywhere near ready to retire, but it seemed Nash was tired of waiting.
She shared a blood tie with Nash. Their fathers were brothers.
She didn’t dare look at Eli. Surely, he had to be as disgusted as she by these revelations.
He and his brothers were all about loyalty.
They had a code of honor they lived by. It may not match what society deemed correct, but she’d bet her life they were always on the side of right.
Would he still want her after this was over or would he revile her for the bloodline she’d sprang from and the evil she’d brought to his mountain home?
Holden talked about killing Eli and his brothers as if it was some kind of sport. She clamped her hand over her mouth when her breathing grew heavier.
Get a grip on yourself.
She’d promised she wouldn’t be a liability.
Giving away their position would ruin any chance of surprise.
It was four against two, or rather three, but she feared she’d be in the way, more of a nuisance than anything.
She’d thought she was prepared for what a pack war meant.
The reality was worse than anything she could imagine and it hadn’t even started.
A crow glided by, letting out a guttural caw. A butterfly swooped on the breeze, uncaring that blood would stain the ground before the day was done. The rest of the world went about their day in blissful ignorance. She envied them.
Kinley clenched her fists by her sides. She would not falter.
These men had come to take her. They’d come to kill Eli and his family, her pack.
The thought startled her. In only a matter of days, hours really, they had something her old pack had never had—her absolute loyalty.
Love for her daddy was the only thing that had kept her in Alabama.
Whether Kentucky was her new home or not, Eli and his brothers were hers to protect.
Eli signaled Cyrus. He slipped away, vanishing into the dense woods. Where was he going? The waiting stretched out until her nerves were close to snapping.
“I’m done wasting time.” Nash pushed by Holden. “We can join up with Ridge on the way.”
“Give it another five minutes. There’s plenty of time until Duke and the others arrive. Right, Johnny?” When he got no answer, he spun around. “Where the hell is Johnny?”
Kinley hadn’t noticed him leave, but Eli’s smile spoke volumes.
It had to be Cyrus. Somehow, he’d gotten around the other four and come up behind them.
He’d taken down Johnny so silently none of them had heard a thing.
Not an easy task, all things considered.
Eli had told her that he and his brothers were damn good at what they did, but this was exceptional.
Cyrus had taken out a wolf right under his friends’ noses.
“He’s probably gone to take a leak.” Edmund yawned and scratched his back against a tree trunk. “I’m with Nash. I’m tired of waiting for Ridge.”
“Something’s wrong.” Nash crouched and scanned the area, alert to the lurking danger. “All the animals have gone quiet.”
“That’s because we’re here,” Holden pointed out. “Johnny, get your ass out here.” Silence was his only answer. “Shit, you’re right. You out there, you big bastard?” Holden turned in a slow circle. “Too afraid to show your face, are you?”
Eli pointed at her and at the rock, his instructions clear.
She was to remain here. The complete lack of emotion in his eyes chilled her to the bone.
He and his brothers called themselves the Seven Deadly Sins.
She’d considered it more a nickname because of what they did for a living, but it went so much deeper.
Eli saw himself as the bringer of justice, of vengeance.
Wrath wasn’t wild and violent, but cold and calculating.
Whatever it took to defeat his enemies, he’d do.
With a running step, he launched himself up and on top of the largest boulder. Hands on his hips, he stared down on them. “You’re trespassing.” An icy shiver raced down her spine at his frosty tone. She peeked through a narrow crevice between the rocks.
“And you have something that belongs to me.” Bold as brass, Holden swaggered forward. “Give her over and we’ll leave.” He was lying and they all knew it.
“We don’t take kindly to trespassers up here. You should ask your friend, Ridge. Oh, wait, he’d dead. So is your buddy, Johnny.” Eli was intentionally baiting them. Her daddy always said angry men acted without thought.
Holden, Nash, and Edmund had formed a rough circle to keep anyone from sneaking up behind them. It wouldn’t do them any good. She’d expected to feel a tiny bit of sympathy for them, but there was nothing. By their actions, they forfeited any right to it.
“Where are the others?” Holden demanded.
Eli jumped down and strolled toward them, totally relaxed and in control. “You think I need help taking you out?” The soft tone of his voice raised every fine hair on her body.
Holden and Nash shared a glance, unsure how to handle Eli. He wasn’t the slightest bit afraid of them. For a pair that bullied their way through life, this was an entirely new experience.
Holden gathered his courage and swaggered forward to meet Eli.
“If you think some backwoods packless wolf scares me, you got another think coming, boy.” He shucked his shirt and toed off his sneakers.
“I’m going to rip your throat out, and then I’m going to find that bitch and take her home where she belongs. ”
“She’s not yours. She never was and never will be.” It wasn’t what Eli said as much as the way he said it.
“You fucked her!” Holden roared. “I’ll kill you.” He launched himself at Eli, shifting in midair. Eli ducked and brought up both fists, slamming them into the wolf’s stomach and sending him careening off to the side.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Cyrus attacked Edmund. The big brown wolf with cold black eyes slashed razor-sharp claws toward Edmund’s throat, but he ducked at the last second and avoided being decapitated.
Rather than help his friends, Nash began to run. She couldn’t let him escape. The first thing he’d do was to call Duke and warn him. Kinley yanked off her clothes, shifted into her wolf, and took off after him.
Eli told you to stay put. The warning flashed in her mind. Technically, he hadn’t told her to do anything. This was her fight. He couldn’t expect her to sit back and do nothing.
She was losing sight of Nash. He hadn’t shifted, but his legs were longer, his thighs powerful. Digging deep, she pushed onward. Rather than be silent, she made as much noise as possible. She wanted him to know she was coming for him.
Nash glanced over his shoulder and slowed when he saw she was alone. A smirk played over his lips. “Think you can take me, cousin?”
Her entire life, she’d backed down, played at being meek and obedient to keep the peace.
Those days were over. By the time he figured out she wasn’t stopping, it was too late for him to get out of her way.
She leapt at him, taking him down. Her claws raked his skin, drawing blood.
The sickening scent filled her nostrils.
Nash roared and threw her off. She tried to twist out of the way but slammed into a tree, jolting every bone in her body. Pain radiated through her. Stunned, she lay on the ground and tried to catch her breath. She didn’t think anything was broken, but it was impossible to tell.
Those few seconds gave Nash time to shift.
Growling, a large wolf with angry brown eyes stalked toward her.
Her first thought was, he’s going to kill me.
Her second one was that Eli would never forgive himself if that happened.
Still slightly stunned, she shook her head to try to clear it.
Holden might plan on mating her, but her cousin was out for blood.
She forced herself up onto shaky paws. All she had to do was stay alive until Eli got here.
Easier said than done. As her father had taught her, she watched the play of muscles in Nash’s shoulders.
They’d tell her when he was about to pounce.
Trusting she wouldn’t be attacked from behind, she kept her eyes on her opponent.
Her cousin had always hated her and she’d never been sure why.
He was the alpha’s son, the next in line for the job, if he proved worthy.
Nash sprang, his attack sudden and unavoidable. Claws dug into her fur and raked her side. She yelped and sidled away. Panting and bleeding, she knew she wouldn’t last long. Nash was vicious and had experience fighting, something she was sorely lacking.
He lunged forward. With a yip, she jerked back.
The bastard was tormenting her, but that was to her advantage.
If he was smart, he’d finish her off and run.
His need for her to suffer would be his downfall .
.. she hoped. She couldn’t hear any sounds of fighting, but it was impossible for her to hear anything over the pounding of her heart.
When he attacked, she flattened her body, rolled onto her back, and sank her jaws into his underbelly. The taste of blood was bitter in her mouth. Ignoring the snarls and howls, she hung on until he shook her loose. Scrambling to her feet, she tried to get away, but he was on her.
In his human form, he sat on her, holding her down. He spat blood from his mouth. The wound on his stomach was already healing. “I enjoy a spirited fight. So often my victims die too easily.”
She shifted back to human form. “What about Holden?” He’d made no secret of the fact he wanted her.
“Fuck Holden. You’ve looked down on me your entire life. My father held you up as an example of a dutiful child.” His smile was terrible and evil. “Your daddy begged for mercy at the end.”
“Liar,” she spat. Her daddy might have had his weaknesses, but he’d never have begged for anything, especially not from Nash. “I bet you ambushed him.”
He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter anyway. The pack will soon be mine.” His jaw lengthened, fangs dropping as he morphed into a wolf to land the final blow.
Kinley gouged her thumbs into his eyes and shoved him off her. His pained howl echoed across the mountain. A massive wolf jumped over her and into Nash, smashing him into the ground and ripping out his throat. It was fast and brutal and bloody.
It was over. Panting heavily, Kinley pulled her legs against her chest and rested her head on her knees. A menacing growl shook the very earth beneath her feet. She raised her head and faced black, unforgiving eyes.
Maybe it wasn’t over after all.