Chapter 34
CHAPTER 34
C hance
I aim directly for the neck of the first bastard wolf that rushes toward me. Though he’s thick, it’s nothing for my incisors to cut through the protective material of his fur and skin to tear through his throat.
Within seconds of awakening, I’ve gotten rid of one of the wolves that tried to attack my mate.
Stay behind me!
I tell Emery when she swats at one of the wolves who snaps at me.
I have to help you.
No! Stay behind me, I order before I use my body to push away one of the wolves who tries to run around me to get to her.
My only motive right now is to keep my mate safe. I hate myself for not waking up sooner. Moreover, for not realizing we were walking into a trap as soon as we entered her parents’ home.
I’ll have time to figure out my failings later, but for the moment, I’m the only thing that stands between Emery and death. I refuse to let that happen. I will die, killing every threat that tries to come near her before they touch her.
A howl rips through my jaw as I warn off the remaining three wolves. One of them has an obvious glint of fear in his eyes. He’s obviously the smarter out of the three. Too bad he’s going to die like the rest of whoever these motherfuckers are.
The largest of the remaining three snaps at my jaw. His teeth graze my neck but don’t make full contact. A trickle of blood runs down my fur, only igniting my rage even more.
Knowing I need to end this quarrel as quickly as possible, I leap at one of the wolves, aiming for his neck.
My aim is dead on and as soon as my teeth make contact, he goes down. I use the strength of my neck and jaw to toss his body at the other two, sending them ducking. That’s when I pounce on the third fucker. He goes down quickly.
Chance!
The panic in Emery’s voice sends a chill down my spine. I turn to find the fourth and final wolf, growling menacingly while rushing toward her. She swipes at him with a paw, but he keeps going.
One second, I’m on the other side of the room, the next, I’m taking a bite out of his side. A whimper of pain rips from him as he stumbles to the floor.
Yet, he recovers quickly with his attention now on me.
Good.
I recall him going for my mate with intentions to kill her and that’s all I need to finish this son of a bitch. His neck becomes my chew toy. Within seconds, his blood coats the linoleum and his lifeless body lies in a heap on the floor.
With my teeth bared and a growl emanating from my throat, I scan the room for any other threats.
Though there’s no one else here except for me and Emery, a quick sniff to the air tells me there are more wolves somewhere.
My parents and Dr. Lee. They’re getting away. We have to get them. They’re the only ones who can tell me where Ashley is.
Emery’s words spur me into action.
Stay behind me. There are more wolves around here.
She nods and I start toward the door, where she tells me her parents ran out. Their scents remain in the air, so they haven’t gotten too far. There’s also a faint smell of something else.
Wolf’s bane.
I smell it out here. We must be near some sort of field or refinery for the potentially deadly substance.
My truck is parked out front, which I assume is what they used to transport us from their house to wherever the hell we are now.
The coppery, acidic smell of blood invades my senses. It’s human.
I bit my father , Emery tells me when I relay this information to her. If I was in my human form, a smile would undoubtedly form across my face. As it is now, I pause just long enough to nuzzle her neck to let her know how proud of her I am.
We need to be careful. There’s wolf’s bane here, I tell Emery.
Moreso, the scent of wolves is even more apparent out here. It’s mixed with human blood.
I use my skills and enhanced vision to track the smell. Her parents ran deeper into the forest along with Dr. Lee.
We’re not given much time to follow their scent because a beat later, less than ten yards from the building we exited, a series of growls starts. I stop immediately, Emery at my side. We’re in the middle of the dark forest. Yet, one by one, pairs of glowing eyes spring out from the darkness.
Fuck!
I knew I scented more wolves. I should’ve locked Emery in that damn building before coming out here. I thought she’d be safer if she was by my side. But I’ve brought her right into the middle of the danger.
No less than fifteen more wolves step out from the shadows of the forest. They’re of varying shades and sizes but equally as vicious looking as the wolves I killed back at that fucking lab.
I growl and bare my teeth, moving to ensure that Emery is behind me.
You can’t take them on alone. She tells me through our bond.
Stay behind me.
Chance, you can’t. There’s too many of them to fight by yourself.
I shake my head. It’s my job to protect my mate. I notice the way they’re all glaring at her with a glint in their eyes. Someone gave them the order to go after her.
Over my dead body.
I snap at the group of wolves who’ve started to close in on us. I plan immediately to take out the smallest and weakest of them. I can use his body as a shield.
As I strategize how to get us out of this alive, the scent of more wolves hits me. At first, my heart sinks. I’m not a wolf who gives up, but the task of fifteen against one was already daunting enough.
More wolves means an even less likelihood of making it out of this situation with my mate intact.
But then it dawns on me that I know that scent. The smell of the New Mexico mountains.
A howl rents through the air and my wolf immediately howls back in response to the call of his alpha.
The wolves that had once been closing in on Emery and me, pivot to find themselves surrounded by the Nightwolf pack.
In the lead is the largest, red and brown wolf. Chael’s eyes connect with mine.
I told you, brother, you don’t have to do this alone.
A beat before he charges at the wolves. The rest of our pack following him into battle.
Stay low . I order Emery before lunging at the wolf closest to me. I catch the fucking thing off guard and quickly end his life before moving onto the next wolf who dared to look upon my mate as if today was her last day breathing.
My pack has lived in peace for decades, thanks to the leadership of my brother. We’ve grown to become one of the wealthiest packs in all of the wolfdom. Yet, we’ve never lost the instinct to tear anything or anyone to shreds when the occasion arises.
I take out at least three wolves without giving it much thought. I start to go for a fourth but stop when I realize there’s none left.
My pack has dismantled all of the incoming threats. We all stand, chests heaving, jaws covered in the blood of our enemies, glaring around us. Our eyes dare anyone to come near us at this moment.
Chael is the first to move.
He approaches me.
Brother.
I dip my head to my alpha in deference.
Thank you .
I don’t know how he knew to follow me up here, or how he found me, but I am grateful for his unwavering loyalty.
Do not thank me for protecting you, brother. It’s my job.
Emery’s worried tone interrupts my response.
Chance, my parents. They’re out here. And Dr. Lee. We have to get them.
Without saying anything else, Emery takes off running. My wolf, who can’t abide seeing her go off alone, immediately takes off after her. Chael races next to me along with the rest of our pack.
I catch up to Emery, ensuring that she’s surrounded by the members of our pack while Chael and I take the lead. I use my nose and tracking skills to lead us about half a mile deeper into the forest.
No human who isn’t extremely familiar with this area of the woods would survive out here. There are no trails or nearby houses or cabins.
The scent of wolf’s bane grows stronger, as well. I alert Cheal of the potential danger of the plan nearby.
He nods before warning the rest of the pack.
Soon, though, we come to a clearing. This is where we find Emery’s parents and that son of a bitch Dr. Lee.
The unmistakable smell of burned flesh permeates the air. Dr. Lee stands beside a huge firepit, in one arm a stack of folders and papers. In the other, lighter fluid that he’s pouring into the pit.
Emery, stay back! I tell her.
She whimpers but comes to a stop beside me.
“Get away, you beasts!” her mother yells from behind Dr. Lee. Emery’s father is groaning in pain as he clings to her mother. The bite Emery gave him is nothing compared to what I plan on doing to him.
“Fuck you, animals!” Dr. Lee yells out as he glares at my pack surrounding him. “You’ve ruined everything.” Spit flies from his mouth as he yells and curses. He looks as animal-like as he’s accusing us of being.
I growl and bare my teeth.
“I had everything planned out!” he seethes, seemingly uncaring or unaware that he’s surrounded. He looks over at Emery’s parents. “All you had to do was control those fucking girls until I could finish what Rufus and I started.”
A whimpering sound comes from Emery’s throat as if asking him what he’s talking about.
“Your parents…your real parents never wanted to be wolves anymore or to belong to a pack. They wanted their freedom. Just like the rest of us lone wolves.
“Rufus and I were going to give it to them but then they grew a goddamn conscience! They went and told that fucking Alliance about our experiment, our desire for lone wolves to have a position among their fucking council!” he continues.
“They didn’t know Rufus was a part of our plot. That’s how he was able to kill them and make it look like an accident. Then trade you and your sister off to these humans to raise and run our tests on.
“That fucking wolf, Lupine, sent wolves to kill them for betraying their pack and other wolves. They tried to kill me too, but I hid. We came up here to New York, never to return to Florida, but we kept our experiments going. I designed those pills to prevent you wolves from shifting.
“And it worked! You never would’ve shifted if you only continued to take them. Especially you.” He points at Emery, making me growl and take a step toward him.
No , Emery tells me. Let him keep talking. He has to tell me where my sister is.
I don’t tear his neck apart only because my mate needs the son of a bitch alive for now.
“You could’ve had a normal life,” he says like he was presenting her with a gift. “We tried to save you from all of this.” He gestures toward the rest of my pack. They howl and snap their teeth at him threateningly.
Emery’s mother screams before burying her head in her husband’s neck. I decide right then that I’ll dispose of David Clarke quickly. But it’s her mother, the woman who emotionally tormented my mate for years, who I’ll make suffer.
The bitch who made Emery believe she was wrong, broken, or unsightly in her natural form. She won’t be spared my wrath once all is said and done.
“Your parents tried to give you everything. And what did you and that bitch sister of yours do? You went and threw it away!” he seethes as he tosses a lit match into the pit along with the folders tucked under his arm.
It immediately explodes into flames.
I push Emery back from the fire. Dr. Lee and her parents stand behind the fire, their heads only visible as the flames flicker about.
Emery yelps and snaps at Dr. Lee.
“You want to know where your sister is?” he asks.
This makes Emery step up, and a sound comes from her throat.
I move in front of her to keep myself between her and the flames and this crazy bastard.
Dr. Lee lets out a maniacal, crazed laugh.
“She’s in there!” He points to the fire. “She wasn’t strong enough to make it through her first shift. I threw her in here like the rest of every other wolf who defied me or tried to uncover my plans.”
Emery howls, barks and suddenly leaps over the flame. Her aim is perfect as she latches directly on to Dr. Lee’s throat. The laughter that had lit up his eyes instantly turns to horror as he realizes his own fate.
He thrashes for a second, trying to get Emery off of him, but she’s locked in. A beat later, she tosses his body into the fire.
I don’t even think about it when I lunge for her screaming father. I don’t give him time to beg or plead for his life. He goes directly into the fire pit directly behind Dr. Lee.
“No! No! Stay back!” Emery’s mother shrieks and stumbles back, falling. She rises to her feet and attempts to run only to come face to face with my pack that’s surrounding her. She stops, tripping over her own feet.
I snap at her. She yells and swats at me, striking my jaw. The hit barely registers as I snap my jaw at her again, this time ripping the pants she’s wearing. I could easily end her right now, but she deserves all the horror and fear she’s feeling right now.
I taunt her, snapping at her over and over again.
She falls to the ground, her clothes torn and arms and legs scratched and bloody from my bites.
“No, please. It wasn’t me. They made me do it. I didn’t want to.”
It’s her begging and lying that finally convinces me to end her once and for all. Though I can’t hear her, the pathetic quiver in her lips as she pleads for her life pisses me off even more.
I leap at her neck, finally ending her pathetic attempts to spare her life. One violent thrust of my head and she’s tossed into the firepit behind her piece of shit husband and Dr. Lee.
All should be well, now that those motherfuckers are dispersed of. There aren’t any more wolves out here besides the Nightwolf pack, but all isn’t well when I peer over and see Emery’s wolf pawing at the flames.
What are you doing? I ask, trying to get between her and the flames.
He lied, right? she asks frantically. Ashley isn’t really here. They couldn’t have gotten rid of her like that. She has to still be alive. Where is she?
She paws at the ash surrounding the flames. Sparks and embers from the flame fall onto her paws, burning them but she doesn’t stop. I just barely manage to pull her away from the flames before my brother and two other packmates, in their human forms, run over with buckets of water.
I cover Emery’s body even as she fights me to get back to the fire.
Chael ensures the fire’s extinguished and Emery manages to break free from my hold to rush back to the pit. She paws and claws at the ashes, searching for what, I don’t know.
I ignore the bones of the people who were supposed to be her parents to try to stop her.
Suddenly, though, she stops.
Something that glistens from the ashes. Emery paws at it, scraping away the dark embers to reveal a turquoise and stainless-steel wolf pendant. It’s bent and charred, having obviously been in these flames for a while.
Emery tosses her head toward the night sky and lets out a howl full of agony. Pain unlike any I’ve felt before courses through me. But I make it to Emery just as she shifts into her human form, dropping to her knees.
She picks up the pendant in her shaking hands, unmindful of the smoke coming off of the pendant. That’s when I shift into my human to catch her and move her away from the fire pit.
“No, no, no,” she repeats over and over as she peers down at her trembling hands. She looks toward me with tears streaming down her face.
This was Ashley’s. She never took it off.
I catch her before she can crumple to the ground.
My sister’s gone. They murdered her. They took her from me. She wails and wails as I pick her up in my arms and carry her away from that death pit.