Page 61 of Bonded and Betrothed
Pretending I don’t know what he’s trying to communicate, I take the other corner and survey the scene before us. A sigh of relief escapes my lips as I notice most of the cars from the parking lot have left already, meaning most of the pack got out before the bears attacked.
But our guards remain, along with a few guests, who either strip to shift into their wolf forms, pull guns from their jackets, or cower behind a few scattered bushes. Teeth gnash, our wolves crashing against the bears and dodging their blows for the most part. I don’t allow myself to focus on the pained howls, knowing I have to keep my mind clear to help them.
A few of the betas exchange gunfire with the Langley sleuth, apparently the bears came more prepared this time to fight on both fronts.
Twenty gunmen stand poised behind car doors and on truck beds, firing towards my pack. But our betas’ shots aim true as they fire back, keeping the Langley shooters from picking off the wolves launching themselves at the already shifted bears. I glance at Silas and he nods as I gesture with my eyes to the gunmen. We need to take out their gunmen before we can shift. From here it’s just open space and the fear that they’ll spot us before we join the fray.
“You two stay back for now,” I command to Everett and Arsenio, pitching my voice low, not wanting them to get caught up in the crossfire when we launch our attack.
But I should have known better, especially after I ignored Everett, that the stubborn man wouldn’t listen to me. I adjust the rifle on my shoulder and exchange a look with Silas, and focus on one of the Langley gunmen and the bed of a truck just as two sleek muscular wolves burst past us, one white and one red.
A curse slips past my lips, but I pull the trigger, knowing the best thing I can do now is make sure I land every shot. Just as I think that, the man I was aiming for drops his gun, his arms flailing as his body rocks back from the force of my bullet hitting him at the side of the head. I don’t miss a beat, aiming for my next target and firing, because for each moment I don’t, is a moment that one of them can take out one of my mates. I push down the panic that rises at that thought and aim for another Langley and fire, my shot landing squarely in her chest.
I sweep my gaze over the distance, my instincts drawing me towards something, and that’s when I spot it—a man’s eyes lighting up as he focuses on the two wolves streaking for the battling shifters. We both take aim at the same time, and I fire off two shots in succession, not bothering to aim as carefully as before, I just have to be the first to pull the trigger.
To my relief, my bullet strikes him in the chest, near enough vital organs that he should be down for the count. Even if he does have a vest on, it isn’t like the movies. The force of the bullet will have him out of commission for the time being. The gunmen start dropping faster now with Silas and me there helping our betas.
A large man strides to the front of a row of trucks, his frame unmistakable, his shoulders almost as wide as the shifted bears fending off attacks from our wolves right now. Aldric approaches the melee, his gaze sweeping out as though he’s attempting to find something … or someone. My fingers itch to pull the trigger but I have no doubt that the slimy bear has some sort of contingency in place. And that’s when I spot his lips moving, his two guards aiming their guns towards me and Silas. “A wedding present, my dear!” Aldric shouts, loud enough to be heard over the crack of guns firing around him. His chest shakes with what I can only assume is laughter, giving me a salute before turning on his heel. Enraged by his audacity, my lips curl into a sneer, legs itching to go for him.
“I’ll cover you, Alpha,” Silas says, his voice edged with steel as he aims for another bear. Glancing into the distance, I take count of their gunmen. Only a few remain and they already look like they’re about to take off. If I’m going to go for Aldric, this is the time. Who knows when he’ll make himself known again since he was absent from the last two attacks? This might be my only shot.
I don’t let myself second guess the decision, following the urge to cut him and his guards off as they escape to the vehicles parked in the distance. Hewouldjust drop this bomb and run, letting his sleuth take the brunt of the attack while slipping away unscathed. For how poorly he talked about the wolves, at least we stay and fight by our pack’s side instead of sending others to do our dirty work.
The clash between the wolves and bears makes it hard to single anyone out, but I search for the two pieces of my soul amongst the chaos. Everett and Arsenio launch themselves towards a bear about to swing its claw down on another wolf, their teeth piercing through the thick hide as they attack from both sides. My tension eases at the sight of them unscathed, but it doesn’t vanish entirely. Their safety is still at risk, but at least they aren’t out in the open any longer.
I search along the connection to Zeke and a warm answering hum echoes through my chest, letting me know that he’s safe. Letting the worries slip away now that I’ve checked on everyone, I place the gun on the ground and hurriedly slip off my dress while Silas continues firing at the bears, their numbers decreasing as we gain the upper hand. That thought bolsters my decision to go after Aldric. This needs to end now, taking out his sleuth will do nothing if the puppet master is still able to play behind his curtain. I leave the holsters strapped to my legs, the bands specially designed to fit both my human and wolf form comfortably, and the shift takes over.
Letting the thought of getting to Aldric push me, I ease through the shift quicker than I’ve ever done before, the transition seamless as fur sprouts along my bare skin, my spine reforming and padded paws cushioning my fall. The moment they land on the cobblestone path, our muscles bunch and launch us forward, my wolf instincts just as present, the two of us working together seamlessly now.
Our lithe form zips through the clearing, zigzagging in the open space to avoid being struck by any bullets. But gunfire pops off behind us and we know Silas has our back. Our legs launch us forward, closing the distance in barely any time and our eyes scan the area, keeping Aldric’s back in our view at all times. Lips curling back from our teeth, we let loose a snarl and charge into the chaos. Our wolves have taken down a good number of the bears, many of them joining forces to push them back. Their teeth tear into the bears’ flesh, but we can tell a number of them have been wounded, their movement not as swift as normal. Red gashes line some of their backs from the bears’ sharp claws, but they continue fighting. We push down the emotion bubbling up at that, needing to focus before we lose the alpha.
As soon as we see an opening we charge through the melee, feeling two sets of eyes on us before a white and a red wolf launch themselves at a bear in our path. We send a silent thanks down the bond, hoping they’ll be able to sense it. Our connection isn’t as developed as mine and Zeke’s but we can still make out their emotions, muted in comparison through the link.
Focusing back on Aldric, we zip past a few more groups battling, the wolves clearly winning against the few bears remaining. Some even stumble back, shifting to their human form and scurrying into cars before they peel away. Aldric glances behind him only a few feet from his armored SUV now. He smirks at us, his eyes finding ours almost immediately as though he knew we couldn’t resist following.
We push forward, keeping our eyes peeled for any signs of attack or any wolves in distress, our muscles burning with the effort as we dash to him. We count the feet between us, my wolf speed helping me to close the distance between us. He seems to pause, his eyes glued to us as though his fascination is getting the better of him—that or it’s all a trap.
We hesitate a few feet from the edge of the fighting, and glance up to where the gunmen had been. The spaces where their cars had been now lay vacant, only a handful of bears continuing to attack as the rest fall back. My mind drifts back to the letter he left for me. Had this been his plan, to antagonize me into chasing after him, allowing his bears to die just for the chance to trap me?
A howl of pain jolts me from my thoughts and we peer towards the source, spotting a single wolf taking on a towering bear. I look back at the parking lot and Aldric’s lips tilt up in a sadistic grin. He’s taking way too much pleasure in all of this. Our lips pull back from our teeth and a low snarl leaves our lips. The sound only makes him laugh, and he shakes his head. We catch his eyes crease in disappointment as we turn back to the struggling wolf, his grey form lean and lanky, clearly not built for this sort of physical battle, but he pushes on, undeterred by the looming death sentence he’s about to face.
Decided, our legs bunch under us, launching us at the bear as his claw descends on the grey wolf. The force of our attack sends us sprawling to the ground, the two of us rolling in a clashing of snarling, gnashing teeth and claws. Our teeth sink into his side, blood flowing into our mouth and he roars in pain as his claws move to slash down on me. An echo of pain slices through our back, our body remembering the agony that accompanies the slice of them and I dodge to the side, our teeth releasing from his thick skin before we have a chance to truly do much damage.
The bear rolls towards us and we lunge out of the way, hurriedly seeking an opening on his other side and sinking my teeth into his neck. Its blood gushes into our open mouth, and I choke on the taste, but push down the reflex to spit it out, instead letting my wolf take over. The switch between us is as seamless as before, my instincts taking over and my human sense fleeing as we rip our head back and forth. His flesh tears under the force, blood spurting from the open wound and pooling on the ground beneath him. Too much of his life force drains too quickly, my teeth clearly cutting through his carotid artery.
We watch the life drain from his eyes, his limbs sinking limply to the ground, all except his opposite arm. His blood drips from my maw, the constant splat echoing in my ears as the weight of everything hits me. Glancing up we notice the grey wolf poised on the bear's other side, his teeth clamped around the bear's arms, his sharp claws gleaming in the overhead lights. we nod and send our thanks across the pack link, the wolf having perhaps saved our life in turn, and at the very least kept us from another life threatening injury. He could have slinked off, knowing he was outmatched, but he stayed to help us.
The grey wolf lets the paw sink to the ground, the thump of the massive limb echoing around me as we check to make sure we aren’t about to be attacked again. But the only bears that remain now lie strewn across the ground. Their forms are limp and unmoving just as the one sitting between us and the lanky wolf. We seek out Aldric’s towering form where we last saw him, our adrenaline still pumping as we search to see if he remained or was about to take advantage of our detour. But the space is empty now, the alpha and his vehicle nowhere in sight, and our stomach sinks at the realization.
Movement catches our eyes and we glance back, about to launch ourself at any attacker threatening our new friend, when I realize it’s him making the movement. He bows deeply on his front legs, his nose touching the ground as he shows his thanks and respect. My wolf brims with pride at the gesture, her glee at keeping our pack safe overshadowing some of the disappointment of Aldric’s escape.
“Skylar,” Zeke rushes over, my gun and dress clasped in his hands as he reaches our side. His brows are creased in concern, and he focuses on the blood slickly coating our jaw before he scans the rest of my body. We brush up against his side, sending him a warm comforting hum across the bond to show him we’re fine. Relief relaxes his expression and he stoops to clasp me close to his chest. We huff out as close to a breath of amusement we can make as a wolf and curl into him.
The relief is only momentary though, and worry presses in on us about our other mates, friends, and pack. We ease back from him, and I pull on my human form, our thick fur receding and fingers elongating. I push up from the ground and Zeke passes me my dress, his body moving to almost shield me from the rest of those that have gathered.
“Fill me in,” I instruct Monte who stands just behind Zeke, his cheeks reddening as he looks away sheepishly. A low rumble leaves Zeke’s chest, and I place a hand on it to ease his possessive rumble … only for it to be echoed by three other males in the distance. I mutter a curse under my breath at my mates, who apparently are okay with nudity unless it’s mine in front of other males. I purse my lips, shooting a look of disapproval to their general vicinity, and slide the dress over my head, careful not to get any of the blood coating my chin and neck on it. The soft fabric sways around me as the hem falls to my feet, and I huff out a sigh of disappointment at the beautiful dress being tainted by the grim turn of the night.
I give Zeke an amused look, threading my fingers back through his hair as my three other mates crowd around us. Their rough hands all grip a part of me, my arm, my waist, my shoulder, as though they need physical contact to reassure themselves that I’m safe. I sigh into the contact, not even realizing that I too needed that, needed them to feel whole.
