Chapter 21 - Cillian
Camden, Franco, and Jasper all lagged a few steps behind Cillian as he charged forward, going at an all-out sprint.
He would have pushed himself faster, but he needed to track Amber’s scent.
Eric had done a good job of concealing his and Amber’s path, and Cillian strayed away on more than one occasion.
If his focus faltered, it would be too easy to lose the trail, and he had already wasted enough time without having to double back multiple times.
Still, they were getting closer. The scents were still there, if buried, and they were growing stronger every moment.
Off in the distance, Cillian saw a great plume of smoke rising through the air, so dark it was visible even in the dim evening light. The acrid stench of burning metal drifted toward them. Something told him this wasn’t a normal campfire.
The wolves slowed at the sight. Cillian glanced around at Camden, who padded to stand next to him. The two exchanged a silent glance. Something had happened. The question was whether it was a boon or a trap. They approached slowly, keeping an eye on the dark cloud rising from the earth.
The smoke grew closer, the scents of flame and burning metal growing more pungent with every step.
It was nearly overwhelming. At one point, Cillian pawed his nose, trying to expunge some of the horrific odor from his snout.
What the hell had happened? He couldn’t see any flames, so he had to assume the fire had been quenched, but what had started it in the first place?
Finally, they neared the edge of the clearing, where tents were in full view, and the heat of the now-extinguished fire still rippled through the air, smoke still rising. A figure emerged on the outskirts, watching them approach with a smug smirk.
“Been waiting for you to show up,” Eric said. “A little birdie told me you’d show up sooner or later.”
Cillian snarled. A moment later, he returned to his human form, glaring up at Eric as he loomed overhead.
“Something burning?” Cillian asked conversationally, nodding at the billowing smoke.
“Had some trouble with a snake,” Eric responded with a sleazy smile. “Don’t worry. I’ve taken care of her. One of us knows how to keep her in line.” He winked at Cillian.
Rage rippled through Cillian at the smirk, but he remained motionless. Every inch of him wanted to charge forward and tear Eric to shreds. It took every ounce of his willpower to stay put.
“It’s over, Eric,” Cillian said. “Come quietly, and we don’t have to have a whole fight. We can end this peacefully. Just put down your weapons.”
Eric tapped his chin thoughtfully, as if he were actually considering the offer. That slimy smile returned.
“Nah. I think I’d rather kill you four and take over as alpha,” he said. “If you want, the four of you could step down and let me take over. I’ll let you live if you do.”
“Somehow I doubt that,” Camden said.
Eric laughed, but didn’t bother to respond. Everyone there knew the truth. Instead, he dismissed Camden from his mind and turned to look back at Cillian.
“I really should have recognized you when we first met. What’s your plan here? You can’t seriously expect to win. You failed to get rid of the Night Pack the last time your crew tried,” he taunted. “What’s going to make this time any different?”
“Gloating and talking to stall is a cheap tactic,” Cillian said. “Why don’t we get this over with?”
Clicking his teeth, Eric raised his eyebrows. “All in good time. I get that you’re impatient, but there’s nothing wrong with talking a bit before I kill you.”
“You don’t know the first thing about me,” Cillian growled.
Eric let out a laugh. “I know you just fine,” he said, flashing a grin that showed sharp teeth. “I’ve got a great inside source with me right now.”
Snarling, bristling with anger, Cillian stayed where he was. Intuition prickled at him, cutting through the rage enough for him to slow and think for a moment. Something was off. He couldn’t figure out what.
“Why don’t we talk like adults?” Camden said. “What is it that you want, exactly?”
Eric laughed. “I think we all already know that, don’t we?” he asked, his grin widening. “I want you four dead and Silverrose under my control. That simple.”
“Yeah, I don’t think we’re going to be able to come to an agreement, then,” Camden said. “But I’ll still give you the chance to turn yourself in and make it easier on everyone here, yourself included.”
Eric laughed again, his attention sliding away from Camden to lock onto Cillian.
“I’ve got something of yours,” he called, then jerked Amber into view.
Her hands were bound behind her back, and someone had gagged her.
She tried to wrench herself from Eric’s grasp, but he just held her tighter.
“You should keep better track of your things. I caught her sneaking through the woods. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she’d been trying to run. ”
Cillian growled, taking a half-step forward.
He wanted to charge forward and tear Eric to ribbons for laying a hand on Amber.
But he stopped himself, barely being able to hold himself back.
He glared up at the smirking Eric, who was currently stroking Amber’s arm idly, leering at her. He smirked back at Cillian.
He’s trying to get a rise out of you, a voice said.
He knew that, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to kill Eric for touching Amber. She tried to jerk away again, to no avail.
“Let her go, Eric,” Cillian said.
“I will,” Eric responded. “As long as you agree to back down. Step aside and hand the Silverrose pack to me, and I’ll hand her over. You have my word.”
Amber’s eyes finally met Cillian’s. She shook her head briefly, trying to tell him that there was no way Eric would follow through with that promise.
He didn’t need her to tell him that; he could smell a trap this obvious from a mile away.
It was almost as pungent as the smoke still billowing into the air.
A burst of intuition hit him, and he smirked.
“So how did Amber manage to destroy your camp?” Cillian asked. “Because it sure looks like she did a number on it. You should probably learn to stop underestimating people.”
Eric’s eyes narrowed. “If you don’t want her, I’ll be happy to take her back,” he said. “She’ll be mine again after I kill all of you, anyway. This is your last chance to back down. Or you can watch me have a bit of fun with Amber here.”
Without taking his eyes off Cillian, he began to run his hands along Amber, smirking as he watched Cillian’s growing rage. Every time Amber tried to recoil or move away, Eric pulled her closer. His hand slid to her stomach and slowly inched upward.
“Get your hands off her before I tear them off,” Cillian snapped.
Eric grinned. “Come and make me.”
Cillian almost sprinted forward, but something told him at the last minute to wait. Something was wrong with this whole setup. Eric was too exposed, too out in the open. There was something else going on, and Eric was waiting for Cillian to make a mistake.
As much as he hated it, he stayed in place.
He turned his attention to the surrounding area, hunting for something, anything.
Because he knew Eric was goading him, and he doubted it was just to get him distracted during a fight.
No, there was something Eric was hoping he would miss.
This was a trap. He just needed to figure out exactly what Eric wanted Cillian to do.
“Well?” Eric asked, raising an eyebrow. His hand trailed down Amber’s side, resting on her stomach. “What’s taking you so long?”
Cillian didn’t answer. There was something about this that seemed off. Eric wanted him to lunge for him. The question was why.
A couple of months ago, he would have charged headfirst toward Eric without thinking. This time, he hunted the surrounding areas, looking for something he was missing. Something Eric didn’t want him to see.
His eyes snagged on a thin line stretching across the ground, barely visible in the moonlight.
Following it, he saw a series of wires attached to a box.
An explosive was rigged to blow the second they broke that line.
It was something the Night Pack had used before.
If he had run, it would have triggered the trap and, more likely than not, he would be on the ground in tiny pieces.
Cillian burst into laughter. “Nice trap,” he remarked, getting a savage sense of amusement when Eric’s eyes flickered with unease and alarm. “But I’m not going to fall for that quite that easily.”
He nodded at the line of explosives, and Jasper and Franco peeled away to disarm the device. Eric sneered while Cillian flashed Eric a dazzling grin, his rage still simmering just below the surface.
Amber snickered. Scowling, Eric shoved Amber away into the arms of one of his goons.
“All right,” he said. “If you’re not going to be reasonable about this, then I guess we’re going to have to go about this the hard way.”
Before any of them could react or take a step toward him, Eric shifted into a large wolf with brown fur. His lips pulled back in a snarl for the briefest of moments before he lunged toward Cillian.
The other Night Pack wolves that had been lurking in ambush spilled out of the woods and charged toward them. Camden, Jasper, and Franco all shifted, jumping into the fray, and the battle began in earnest.
Eric ignored all of that, his attention still fixed on Cillian, who dipped out of the way just in time to avoid Eric’s initial attack.
Without giving Eric the chance to spring toward him once more, he shifted and swiped out with his claws, grazing Eric’s fur but getting no further.
Growling, he ducked away, avoiding the snap of Eric’s jaws.