31. Chapter 31
Slammingmyfullweight into the door before me, the wood splinters as I take the entire thing off its hinges, frame and all. The heavy door slams into a man standing just beyond the threshold and the weight of it knocks him to the ground. Before anyone else in the room can react, I smash my booted foot on his head. It twists at an odd angle as I break his neck and shatter the bones in his face.
Howls echo through the large chamber and I glance around as some of the men begin their transformation into wolves. Jax and Diego flank me, our own snarls answering the howls. We may not transform into animals, but we are just as ruthless as them, and with our mate on the line we are a hundred times deadlier.
I take in the space quickly. There are two altars on the far side of the room, each has a naked figure lay upon them. Their limbs are tied down with rope and fabric across their mouths gagging them. One is unconscious, but the other is Demi. My eyes bleed red when I see her. Two naked men stand at the head of the altars, their appendages on full display. The snarl that reverberates through my chest has a man in front of me faltering. His eyes widen as he takes me in. Right now, I”m a feral beast, my fangs and claws on full display as my red eyes hone in on him.
With another snarl, I leap at the man before me. He”s smaller in frame than me and an easy target. He”s on his back before he can even think to defend himself. My claws slash at his face, ripping into his flesh as he howls in pain. One strike across his throat is enough to end him. My head whips up as I focus on the naked man standing close to Demi’s head.
I”m about to leap up and head that way when a weight careens into my side, knocking me off my feet. A gray wolf poises over the top of me, his fangs dripping saliva on my face. He lunges his head forward, but I stop him from reaching my throat by slamming my arm into his open jaws. His fangs sink into my forearm with enough force to shatter the bone.
Ignoring the pain, a punch to the side of his head is enough to daze him and loosen his grip on my arm. I grab the gun from my holster - there’s no need for stealth anymore. As he lunges for me again, I shove the muzzle of the firearm into his mouth and pull the trigger, spraying his brains out of the back of his skull.
His heavy body crashes down on me, but I shove him away. Taking a second to center myself, I look up at the sky through an opening at the top of the cave. The moon is nearly entirely red now. There is only a sliver of white left.
”Stop them! Kill them! They will not ruin this for me!” A voice bellows from across the room and my head shifts to look at the man by Demi.
The other naked man at his side shifts into a brown wolf. As soon as his paws hit the floor, he”s on the move. Heading straight for Jax, who is already dealing with two wolves of his own. I flip myself up off the floor and intercept him. Leaning low, I shove my shoulder into the enormous wolf”s body. The hit is enough to send him into the stone wall, his body going limp as he falls to the ground. I don”t stop to check if he”s alive or not.
Jax takes out one wolf that is circling him, his sword slicing through its neck like a knife through butter. The other tries to launch itself at his back, but I leap forward, my arms encircling its waist. I squeeze until I hear a crack. The wolf whimpers and slumps in my arms and I toss it to the ground, stomping down on its neck to break it.
The three of us work our way through man and beast. There is nothing but carnage in our wake. As I snap the neck of the last man attacking and drop his body in the pile of his friends on the floor, I glare at the leader of the pack. The only one left. He is standing at the head of the altar, a knife resting against Demi”s neck.
”You can”t have her! She”s mine!” The leader screams. ”She is promised to me, she is my mate.” He sounds positively crazy.
I stalk closer to him, taking slow and measured steps as I palm my gun. His hand twitches, digging the knife into Demi”s pale skin. A whimper pushes against the gag in her mouth, and a single drop of blood trickles down her neck. Demi pulls against her restraints, but it”s no use.
”You cannot claim something that”s not yours. Let her go now, and we”ll consider letting you free.” Jax keeps his tone calm, but I can see his hand tightening on his sword out of the corner of my eye. He has no plans to let the wolf go.
”I”ve hunted her for years. I”ve killed those who have gotten between me and my prey. I”ll kill you next.” The leader spits out, his hand shifts slightly, bringing the knife away from Demi”s throat.
That”s where he makes his mistake. As soon as the knife is far enough away, I raise my gun and pull the trigger. He tries to move, and I miss my intended target, but the bullet still hits him, ripping through his shoulder and knocking him off his feet. Diego is beside Demi in a second, his knife making quick work of her bindings, and she launches herself into his arms as soon as she”s free.
”You came for me...” she whispers into his chest as he pulls her against him.
”We”ll always come for you, Demi.” Diego coos as he runs his fingers through her hair.
Speeding to the fallen wolf, I make quick work of binding him in the silver chain from around my chest. As the metal contacts with his bare skin, it burns into his flesh and he howls. His eyes glow amber as he tries to call on his wolf form, but the silver does its job and stops the transformation before it can take hold.
Jax moves up beside me, dragging the wolf by his hair. He slams him against the wall of the cavern by his throat. A menacing snarl rips from his lips as he bares his lethal fangs at his prey. That”s what the wolf is now, our prey.
The wolf”s amber eyes dart around the room, finally taking in his fallen pack. ”You promised you”d let me go. Take her, she”s not worth it.”
”But you didn”t let her go. We forced your hand. Even then, I was never planning on letting you free.” The admission that he was never going to let the wolf go is so matter of fact, and the wolf’s eyes widen in realization. With one hand still on the wolf”s neck, Jax moves his other to the open wound in his shoulder. He digs a claw into the hole and the man howls in agony.
I move to the woman on the altar beside Demi. Unlike Demi, she was unconscious when we entered, a blessing no doubt. But now, with the wolf”s screams and howls echoing through the cavern, she”s starting to stir. I slice my dagger through the bindings on her wrists while Jax keeps the wolf pinned, and Diego helps Demi off the other altar. He quickly strips off his t-shirt and hands it to her. She pushes her arms and head through the holes, pulling it over her body as best she can.
When Demi reaches my side, she takes the dagger from me and cuts the last of the binding from the other woman”s ankles.
”Come on, Lila. That”s it, wake up.” Demi rushes out as she moves back to the woman’s head, brushing the matted blond hair away from her face.
Lila”s eyes slowly open and they fall on me. I”m covered in blood from head to toe and I’m probably not the best thing to wake up to. A scream rushes through her lips, but Demi is there in an instant, pushing me out of the way and to take my place.
”Shush, Lila. You”re okay. You”re safe.” Demi”s voice is soft as she tries to soothe the woman.
Launching from the altar, Lila wraps her arms around Demi”s waist and pulls her close. Demi moves her fingers over the top of Lila”s head as they sob together. Diego reappears at my side, holding a ratty blanket in his hands. He passes it to Demi who wraps it around a shaking Lila”s shoulders.
”You can”t do this!” My attention pulls to the wolf leader, as he struggles in Jax”s grasp. With a punch to the side of his head, Jax unceremoniously drops the wolf to the floor and he crumples. Demi’s head whips round to glare at the wolf and stomps over to him. She sends a swift kick into his side, wincing as she does.
”You killed my parents, you fucking monster!” Demi screams as she drops down onto his legs, she plunges the silver dagger into his stomach and he howls. ”You raped and murdered Ginny!” She yanks out the dagger and this time slams it into his crotch, the action making me wince. ”You mutilated and killed countless women!” The knife withdraws again and she slices it into his torso once, then twice, then again. She keeps going, blood splattering all over her.
Even after his last breath leaves him, Demi keeps on stabbing him, screams of anger passing her lips as she does. It takes Jax placing a hand on her shoulder to still her movements. Demi turns on him, the dagger raised in her hand ready to take him on. Jax quickly removes his hand and holds them both in front of him.
A sigh of relief escapes her as she slumps down, the weapon clattering to the floor. Jax gathers Demi in his arms and pulls her to her feet. His arms wrap tightly around her, holding her close as tears start to fall. Diego continues to tend to Lila as I edge closer to the two. I never want to let her out of my sight again.