The bullet whizzed into the air, slamming through the bear’s skull. The black bear reared back before crumpling to the ground.
“Go, go now!” I threw my finger over the submissive female’s head. She gave a jerky nod of thanks and scrambled away.
I darted across the clearing toward the unconscious bear. Already his healing powers were at work, the bullet worming its way out of his skull. While unsheathing my claws, I squatted and raked my claws across his throat, slashing at his jugular. Blood splattered my hand, a rapid crimson puddle pooling beneath his body.
He couldn’t repair both the bullet wound and a grave injury to his jugular. The fucker would bleed out. I growled in satisfaction and tore across the clearing to where my beta and a senior warrior were battling a grizzly—their guns drawn, shots fired. The bear reared on its hind legs and roared, his four paws flying out, hooked claws flashing under the moonlight.
My warriors ducked. Garret tucked and dropped into a roll before darting up and firing more shots. The warrior circled the bear’s rear, his bullets pelting it in the back. The bear whirled on the warrior and lunged, fangs bared. But I met him in a haze of blood, raking my claws across his eyes. Everywhere I looked, I saw blood. The bear wailed. Blinded, he tossed his head in frantic fury. The warrior launched toward the bear and sank his fangs into his neck, tearing his throat out. The grizzly crashed to the ground, gurgling on his blood.
I sprang to Garret’s side. “What the hell is happening?”
“Fuck if I know,” Garret hissed. “I woke up to this shit! The bears swarmed us like cockroaches, faster than we could counterattack.”
“Damn it,” I snarled. Everywhere I looked, the ground swarmed with werebears. I moaned as I caught sight of several pack mates lying motionless on the ground. Blood poured from several lethal wounds to the neck. My heart bled. With no inner wolf, a latent had no hope of regenerating.
“Find the other sentinels and push those bears back!” I snarled. “Get snipers on the roof. Hem the bears in.”
I dashed off, crouching and firing off more rounds as I spotted a cluster of bears cornering a family, the father already slain—mother and pups remaining. The bullets hit true, and the bears crumpled to the ground. A quick scan of the clearing had despair freezing over my limbs. There were too many bears. Though armed, the latents found themselves vastly outnumbered against werebears with enhanced speed and strength. Several warriors fell under the might of the bears before my eyes.
Soft whimpers and cries sounded to my left, reaching me across the clearing. My head snapped in that direction. I couldn’t breathe for a moment. Then I saw a group of children huddled beneath the porch steps to a cabin. Among the group, I recognized Melody and Aaron. The children’s eyes were round with fear, small frames trembling. A deep roar echoed inside my ears. My head jerked to the left. I wasn’t the only one that spotted the children. A dark brown bear loomed across the clearing. His flinty amber eyes fastened on the children. Saliva frothed from his jaws, thick fangs gleaming. A note of familiarity pricked my mind. I knew those eyes, that shaggy coat.
My heart stopped.
Rick.
Damon’s best friend. The one who guarded me as I lay in bed convalescing.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: RESCUE OR BETRAYAL
SASHA
Iwatched in horror as Rick launched toward the porch, rushing at the innocent children.
“Damn it! Hell no, not the kids,” I snarled, racing toward the porch—it was a battle between who would reach the youngsters first. It would be impossible to aim at this speed with the sniper’s rifle. I whipped out my handgun and fired at Rick. He slowed somewhat as he tried to evade my bullets. It was enough, and I reached the children first. I spun around and hefted my rifle and raised the scope to my eye. A clawed paw knocked the weapon out of my arms. The children screamed. Rick’s claws caught my shoulder. I cried out, falling back against the porch railing—my gun flying out of my grasp. Rick reared onto his hind legs, looming above me, and let out a deafening roar, spittle flying from his maw.
More wails from the children sounded behind me. A quick glance told me they scurried further beneath the porch steps. They cried out to me, one voice peaking above the rest.
“Alpha, please save us!”
Melody…
Fangs went straight for my throat. And my being ignited, thinking about the terrified children.I can’t let them die! I won’t let them die or allow him to harm them!
My inner wolf threw its head back and howled. All the cells inside my body fired off and lightning whipped through my veins like an electrical storm. Then, a tearing sensation assaulted my limbs. Brilliant white light flared, and I slammed my eyes shut. I heard the snarling sound. Yet, I felt no pain. No flesh tearing from my throat.
I cracked my eyelids open. An audible gasp ripped from my lungs.
An enormous wolf made of light tackled Rick, its hooked fangs in the bear’s throat. I gaped at the wolf and Rick twisting over each other. Rick tried to slam the wolf under his weight, crushing it to the earth. Yet, the wolf remained in its position. Its translucent body held on with grim determination.
A shield of light erupted from the ground at my feet like a wave as it ascended. It moved fast and enveloped me and the children. I reached out with a hesitant hand and tapped on the massive bubble. Electric pulses fanned outward from where my hand made contact, but no shock zapped me.
Rick tore away from the wolf, and a heartbeat later, the bear leaped toward us. I threw my arms out to shield the children. An ear-rupturing bang pierced the air as Rick collided with the barrier. His body ricocheted off it and went sailing into the air. He hit the ground hard, his sides heaving as vibrations of electricity swept over his massive frame.
With widened eyes, I stared at Rick before eyeing the shield.
It’s a barrier… but where did it come from? What is it made out of?
The hairs on the back of my neck prickled. I was being watched. My gaze snagged on the lighted wolf. It stood not too far away from where Rick had landed. The wolf stared back at me, its tail lifted, ears pricked as if it felt proud. Waves of pure light radiated from its body, like the solar flares from the sun.
