Chapter Twenty-Eight #2
My vision slows everything down and homes in on the incoming threat. Three rogues in wolf form weave through the trees, all shades of gray, one darker than the rest. That one in particular has my wolf riled up the most.
Although they mostly look just like us, their fur is matted. They don’t take care of their wolves. They have little to no respect for anyone, even their own wolf. Besides Jay and the rogues who interacted with her while I spied from a distance, I seldom saw them in their human form.
It’s likely a tactic to conceal their identity, so they can infiltrate and steal. They probably overwork their wolf, never allowing them to rest. Rogues take advantage of our Goddess’s gift. They don’t value anything sacred. And that is why they look the way they do. It’s insulting to my kind.
“If you have to defend yourself, fine. But please, don’t kill them.”
My fur stands up straight on my back. Tyler’s wolf growls and paces behind mine, awaiting my command. My wolf tells Tyler’s, “Defend self only.”
Tyler doesn’t question me . . . to my face. He only huffs a response, but it’s not in defiance.
The rogues split and everything goes silent. Any other wolf would panic. If I didn’t have my abilities, the disadvantage would make me uneasy. The wind carries their scent, so they’ve surrounded us.
The trees stop swaying. The birds stop chirping.
My ears are perked, scanning the area. Looking to pinpoint any noise.
Wolves have naturally good senses, but none are quite like mine.
No one can hide from me. That’s why I know I’m the only one who notices the faint crunch of dirt beneath the rogues’ paws—because that’s all it takes.
“On your left!” I yell to Tyler.
A smaller wolf launches itself out of the trees at Tyler.
I can’t watch him to see if he’s good. I can’t protect everyone—even as a future alpha.
The other, much lighter wolf springs out, and I’m ready for him.
At the last second, I dodge him and snatch him by the throat, launching him across the clearing.
Once he stops rolling, he stands, shakes his head to recover and charges me again.
Our teeth clash, and our paws tear at each other’s hides, taking out chunks of fur.
I go on the defensive to protect my neck. I’m trying my best to hold my wolf back from killing the guy. It’d be so easy. Not killing him is harder. And I’m not so sure how long I can allow him to live when he’s trying to tear out my throat.
The darker wolf is closing in on us, about to pounce.
With my attention on his accomplice, it’d be the most predictable time for him to strike.
His movements are becoming more erratic.
The more he moves, the more of his stench fills the air.
His smell causes my wolf to both whimper and rage.
And it’s driving me crazy not being able to pinpoint why.
I rip a shallow chunk from the wolf’s forearm, enough to keep him writhing while I brace for his friend’s attack. Right on cue, the darker wolf emerges.
When I brace for the collision, I don’t expect to find Jay standing in the middle of the deadly brawl.
I rush to her side, about to knock her out of the way. I assume the darker wolf is going to clobber her with the hair on his back standing up, but he doesn’t.
He skirts to a halt right in front of her. Towering over her, he glares at her, baring his teeth. I hate the way he licks his chops like she’s his meal. His prey. The wolf gets a little too close to Jay.
I nudge her out of the way. She tries to resist me, but my strength overpowers her.
“Caleb, don’t.” She shoves back. “I’ve got this.”
The wolf and I lock eyes, and his jowls turn up into a snarl. He’s challenging me.
Jay would prefer me not to instigate, but I’d prefer her to have stayed back like I instructed. So, I growl back, and he does exactly what I thought. He takes the bait, prowling for me.
Come and get me, motherfucker.
Jay steps in the way again. “Jeff, stop!”
Stop doing that, I bark at her in my mind, but we aren’t mindlinked, and it comes out more like a desperate whimper.
When I shake my head, it registers that she referred to him by name. She knows him.
Jay roars. “All of you shift back! Now!”
The rogues listen to her immediately and without hesitation. Once they’ve shifted, Tyler looks to me, waiting for further instruction.
Jay pleads with me with her eyes, and my wolf melts.
“Shift,” I tell Tyler.
Simultaneously, our fur is absorbed back into our skin, and our bones reassemble into our human forms.
Jay beams at me, mouthing a silent thank you for putting trust in her.
I nod at acknowledgment of my leap of faith.
Her gaze lingers on me longer than I think she intends.
Like what you see, baby girl?
Part of me wants to let her roam my body with those fuck-me eyes. But with our company, she’s better off focused on mediating.
Not wanting to negotiate in the nude, Tyler hands me my clothes. At the interruption, Jay shakes off whatever dirty thoughts lingered and refocuses, while Tyler and I hurry to dress.
“What are you doing here?” she asks Jeff.
“We came to find you.”
I don’t believe that for a second. For starters, it’s a little late, don’t you think?
She’s been with me for over a month now.
If he had come with an army, then maybe I’d buy his story, but only three men?
We may not yet be the most skilled of fighters, but the odds are clearly stacked against them.
Especially with Crescent pack currently at Bloodhound to aid us like last time when we beat them. No way they’d be this stupid.
So what’s their angle?
“She’s coming back with us,” Jeff says.
“No, she’s not.”
With his index finger, Jeff pokes his temple aggressively, suggesting that I should think long and hard about what I say next. But the only thing I’m thinking about is how I’d like to drive this guy through a tree and visit periodically as nature claims his corpse.
Marching toward me, he grits his teeth as he says, “You’re not getting it. I’m telling you what’s going to happen, and you’re not listening. You’re outnumbered.”
He reaches for Jay, but before he can touch a single hair on her arm, I halt him in his tracks. “Touch her, and I’ll rip your arm clean out of its socket.” I grab her arm and sweep her behind me.
“Oh yeah?” Jeff steps to me, inches from my face. “I’d like to see you try.”
Jay snakes out from behind me and squeezes in between us. She first looks to Jeff for his attention, but his glare remains locked on me. Jay then pleads with me. Her voice softens and there’s a desperation I’m not strong enough to ignore.
Damn this mate bond.
If any of them touch her again or try to cross me in any way, I have all of their scents recorded in my memory. I’ll devote however long it takes to track them and make them into a human scarecrow for the garden.
A reluctant grunt escapes me. One step back, a quick sniff and a swipe under my nose help patch my ego. My tongue presses to the inside of my cheek as my hands fall to my hips in resignation. In the end, I let Jay take the reins.
“Such a good boy,” a rogue says.
I scoff, nodding my head with a shit-eating grin, understanding what he’s all about.
Words have never bothered me—especially when it comes to someone who doesn’t know me.
I’ve known plenty of guys like him. His need to antagonize me after somewhat of a ceasefire is telling.
This guy is full of insecurity and ultimately, not worth it.
Tyler, however, doesn’t take well to the disrespect of his leader, appearing at my side, waiting for this guy to make a move.
“Jeff . . .”
“What?” He shrugs, feigning innocence. “I’m just saying if his father learned that sooner, he might still be here.”
“Jeff!” She gasps.
I taste blood on the inside of my cheek from how hard I’m gnawing on it.
Don’t take the bait. Don’t take the bait.
Someone can talk about me all they want, and I won’t flinch. But if you talk about my family, nine times out of ten we’re fighting. Just this one time, I’m trying to be good. I agreed to let Jay handle this.
Tyler made no such promise. With a growl, he lunges.
I catch him in time, stiff arming his chest to hold him back. “Hey, hey, easy, easy. Calm down. He’s not worth it.”
Tyler’s shoulders heave in fury at Jeff’s disrespect of his fallen alpha.
“Hey! Focus on me,” I say as an alpha command.
Tyler rips his gaze from Jeff, and the stinging lasers of his eyes tells me exactly how much he hurts.
With a calm voice, I acknowledge the hurt and with a heavy heart, I mindlink him, “I know. But we have a unique opportunity to see where our prisoner on probation handles herself. Let’s see how she does with it.”
For half a second, he squints in confusion, but ultimately, like a good beta, he resigns and trusts his alpha.
“Keep it together.”
Tyler takes a deep breath and nods vigorously.
Once he’s calm, I remove my hand from him, and he collects himself.
“Aw, man. My bad, that wasn’t cool,” Jeff says sarcastically. His friends snicker behind him. “I’m sure you miss him.”
My nostrils flare. Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes. When I open them, I tilt my head to Jay. Jay has about five more seconds before I take matters into my own hands. I send an impatient growl her way, and she nods, receiving this message loud and clear I won’t tolerate another infraction.
Jeff’s voice drops low in a suggestive threat. Dipping his chin, he grins sinisterly. “Are you seeking a reunion?”
That’s it.
I lunge, then skid to a stop as Jay spins and cracks him in the chin with a vicious right hook.
His head whips to the right at the impact and a tooth flies out of his mouth.
Based on how hard she accidentally hit me earlier, I’m not surprised something cracks when it’s on purpose.
“Ooh!” Tyler’s fist flies to his mouth, and he jumps for joy. “I know that hurt.”
Jeff’s hands don’t fly to his face like a normal would after withstanding such a blow. His eyes are wide from the shock to his system, and his body goes limp. Unconscious, he falls.
Holy shit. I think I’m in love.
His men rush to his side, slapping his face, trying to wake him up. “Shit, Jay. You’d hit your own?” one says, judging her.
“Ah,” she exhales loudly, inspecting her reddened knuckles and then shakes them out. “Don’t start with me, Brett. He had it coming.”
Brett instructs, “Come on, let’s stand him up.”
“Take him and go. I don’t need rescuing.”
With a right hook like that, I’m inclined to agree with her.
My wolf is filled with pride. Damn.
Brett clicks his teeth, dismissing the strong wolf in front of me who clearly can handle herself. “Come on, guys, forget her. Let’s get out of here.”
Consciousness slowly trickles back for Jeff. “Where am I? What happened?”
They stand him to his feet and scatter into the woods with him still disoriented.
Jay rubs her knuckles. “Ugh. Stupid . . . chiseled . . . jaw, ugh!” She shakes it out.
I step toward her, holding out my palm. “Let me see.”
“I’m fine,” she lies.
Stubborn. Like every other female in my life.
I roll my eyes and grab her hand in mine anyway. Her knuckles are red. She nailed him good. “It’s not broken. Some ice should do it.”
Jay pulls away from me, and my wolf, like my hand, feels empty without her.
“We’ll head back.”
“Thanks.” We stare at each other longer than we should, studying each other.
Who is this she-wolf?