Lisa stared at him for a long time. “So...what will you do?” she said.
Her words came out in a monotone.
Philip pointed at her and declared, “I won’t let the pack be destroyed because of you, Lisa. You should be in jail for your crimes. So even though it pains me to do this, I’ll be turning you in, Lisa.”
Lisa let out a strangled sound.
Her father had just lied to her face, in front of the pack, in front of Bryson and his three brave, loyal neighbors. Bryson had introduced Lisa to his neighbors once she moved in with him. She had only spoken to them a few times but she liked them.
Rocco, Axel and Tyrell let out low growls and their claws sliced out. Their bears glared out of their eyes as they stared at the hostile wolves surrounding Bryson’s house. They were ready to fight alongside Lisa and Bryson.
Continuing with his elaborate, exaggerated act, Philip sighed, wrung his hands and rubbed his temples, looking aggrieved and devastated.
As Lisa watched his performance, she had to admit that Philip was a consummate actor.
He was really convincing in the role of a despairing, heartbroken father who had no choice but to turn his wayward, criminal daughter in to the authorities. He even had tears in his eyes.
“What do you have to say for yourself, Lisa?” Philip asked, shaking his head at her. “You could have turned to us for help. Why did you have to turn to crime?”
Lisa tilted her head slowly. It finally dawned on her that she was staring at a stranger.
She had called him “Dad” and “Alpha”, but the truth was that Philip had never fulfilled his role and responsibilities as her Dad and her Alpha. He had never truly cared for her, protected her and looked out for her. Philip Ayers looked out only for himself.
Lisa looked Philip straight in the eye and said, “You...are a liar. You have been lying to everyone about everything. You lied about me, you lied about the pack finances and accounts, you lied to the lieutenants and played one against the other. You are a fraud!”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Philip’s eyes flashed with fury but he gave Lisa a tight smile and said, “What has gotten into you, Lisa? Why are you so bitter? Is it because we have uncovered your criminal, fraudulent acts? You have to face the consequences of your actions, Lisa. I can’t cover up your crimes. That’s not right. I love you, but I have to do the right thing, Lisa.”
Lisa laughed painfully. “Even now, at this critical moment, you continue to lie. But you can’t hide the truth forever. Your fake image is crumbling to dust with every word you speak.”
Philip’s face contorted as he tried to hide his rage. “Your brother is right. You are paranoid, delusional and sick in the head. You need help, Lisa. Let us help you,” Philip said, stretching out his hand. “We will get you the help you need.”
Lisa shook her head in disbelief. “You’re still twisting the facts and lying through your teeth. You will never do the right thing, will you? But I will do the right thing. I am no longer afraid and alone.” She turned to Bryson and saw the love and pride in his intense gray eyes.
Sucking in a deep breath, she straightened up and declared, “When it’s time to testify, I will tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I won’t cover up your crimes and take the blame for you. The evidence doesn’t lie. Your lies can only get you so far, but they can’t get you out of jail, Philip.”
Philip glared at her and Lisa jerked back at the burning hatred she saw in his eyes. He had dropped his act and was showing his true colors. This was what Philip really felt towards her—contempt, bitterness and hate.
Baring his fangs, Philip snarled, “I won’t let you destroy my reputation and everything I’ve worked so hard for!”
Lisa threw back her head and laughed. This was the funniest thing she had heard in a long time.
As the echo of her laughter faded, Lisa smirked and said, “What reputation? What have you worked so hard for? Your reputation is based on a lie and your wealth is accumulated through fraud and deception.”
Philip’s face twisted into an ugly mask of pure rage and hate.
Just before he shifted into a huge gray wolf, he bellowed an order to his pack, “Kill her!”
At his Alpha’s command, Gregg shifted into wolf form and ran to Philip’s side.
Gregg and Philip stood side by side and faced their common enemy.
Lisa.
With a murderous growl, the two huge wolves lunged forward.
Before Lisa could move, Bryson was right in front of her, blocking the two murderous wolves.
Roaring with fury, his bear ripped out of his skin and slashed at Philip and Gregg. Forcefully, Bryson flung the two gray wolves away from his mate. He wasn’t going to let them touch one hair on her head!
The rest of the Arrow pack tried to charge towards the house, but Bryson’s neighbors blocked them. The three men shifted in an instant and the three ferocious bears kept the Arrow wolves away from the house.
Wide-eyed with shock and horror, Lisa watched Bryson and his neighbors fight the vicious Arrow wolves with great courage and determination.
They were all fighting for her.
They were risking life and limb to keep her safe.
Lisa’s fingers curled into fists, and her wolf rose.
This was her fight, and these were her people. Her mate, her friends and neighbors.
She wasn’t going to just stand by and watch them get hurt.
It was time to fight and end this once and for all.
Lisa let her animal and killer instincts take over and released her wolf. Snarling, she flew at Gregg, knocking him away before he could bite into Bryson’s hind leg.
She forced Gregg out into the street and helped her neighbors fend off the savage wolves.
There was a loud yell and Lisa spun round at the familiar voice.
“Hey! What’s going on?”
Her eyes widened when she saw Gramma rounding the corner and hurrying up the street as fast as her legs could carry her.
Behind her, Ne-ma was trying her best to catch up while juggling two bulging bags of groceries.
“Glynda! Wait for me! Who is raising all that ruckus?” Ne-ma panted as she came jogging up the street. “Oh my!” She collided into Gramma’s back and gasped. “Wolves!”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Gramma and Ne-ma skidded to a stop when they saw the wolves. The two petite grandmothers took in the situation at once, but instead of running away, they rolled up their sleeves and charged headlong into the fray.
“Gimme that, Neveah!” Gramma shouted, snatching a bag of groceries from Ne-ma. She grabbed a potato from the bag and flung it at a wolf who was attacking Rocco.
Ne-ma ran forward and clobbered another wolf over the head with a loaf of bread. “Wow, this bread really lives up to its reputation!” Ne-ma marveled when the wolf collapsed. She slapped the loaf against her palm and hooted, “Hard as a rock!”
Cackling with glee, Ne-ma swung the bread at another wolf while Gramma pelted the wolves relentlessly with carrots, avocados and apples.
“Horrid wolves,” Gramma huffed, shaking a bottle of ketchup menacingly. “Trying to make trouble in our town? No you don’t! Go away now! Shoo! Get away from our friends!”
Lisa was stunned to see Gramma and Ne-ma fighting the wolves with nothing more than groceries.
But they seemed to be holding their own. In fact, it looked like they were winning. They even ran a victory lap around the wolves. Emboldened by their success, the two little old ladies became even more spirited and spunky, boldly heckling and taunting their opponents.
Gramma cheered when Ne-ma slammed a pack of flour into the face of a charging wolf. The pack of flour exploded and the wolf staggered back in a daze, colliding into two of his pack mates.
“Get ‘em, Glynda!” Ne-ma egged Gramma on as Gramma took aim and rolled two cans of soup into a cluster of wolves.
Gramma’s aim was impeccable. The wolves lost their balance as
the cans rolled under their feet. Axel and Tyrell went after the disoriented wolves and slammed them to the ground.
As Gramma and Ne-ma whooped and clapped, Lisa saw Gregg and three other wolves sneaking up behind the two feisty grandmothers.
In a flash, Lisa flew forward and put herself between the two elderly ladies and the wolves.
She wasn’t going to let Gregg get his filthy claws into them. Swiftly, Lisa shoved Gramma and Ne-ma away and faced Gregg and his minions.
With a vicious snarl, Gregg leaped straight at her. He tried to sink his fangs into her neck but she shook him off.
The other three wolves attacked her together, biting into her sides and bringing her down.
Lisa fought down her panic as she struggled to free herself from their teeth and claws. She had to stay strong and alert. She wasn’t going to give up. She had to get up and fight.
She could take these wolves on.
She had good people on her side. Her mate was fighting for her. So were their neighbors. Even Gramma and Ne-ma were helping to fend off the wolves with celery and broccoli.
Lisa growled and managed to break free from her attackers. Blood dripped into her eyes and she stared at her enemies through a dark red haze.
As she faced Gregg and the Arrow wolves, Lisa suddenly realized that the real reason they kept trying to erode her confidence and undermine her was because they knew that she was in fact stronger than them.
She was in fact the strongest of them all. She had not succumbed to their brainwashing and intimidation. Instead, she had remained true to her conscience and refused to participate in their toxic culture of bullying, humiliating and exploiting the younger, weaker members of the pack. To be able to survive their psychological and emotional bullying and abuse, and still retain her sanity, courage and integrity was no easy thing.
Lisa wasn’t broken, and the pack knew it. The pack simply took their cue from their Alpha and Beta. Philip and Gregg saw that Lisa wasn’t like them at all. So they tried to break her down by their insidious insults and make her look ineffectual, inept and crazy.
They had tried to destroy her because she wouldn’t conform. And now they were coming after her friends and family.
Furiously, Lisa charged at Gregg. Another wolf blocked her and she whirled round and bit down on his leg. Lisa twisted savagely and heard a satisfying crack.
Another wolf came at her and Lisa slashed her claws across his eyes, blinding him.
Howling in agony and terror, the wolf stumbled backwards and crashed into Gregg.
In a wild, mad frenzy, Gregg threw the blinded wolf off him and ripped out his throat. Gregg had no loyalty and no mercy, and it didn’t matter that the wounded wolf was a member of his pack. A wolf who had lost his sight was useless in battle and was nothing but a liability. Anyone who inconvenienced or handicapped him would be disposed of.
Gregg spat the blood out of his mouth and glared at Lisa.
Lisa pivoted as he circled her.
Gregg was bigger than her. But size didn’t matter in a fight.
Courage, grit and stamina were vital to victory.
Lisa almost smiled at the irony. The psychological abuse that she had endured at the hands of Philip and Gregg had in fact given her the resilience, tenacity and mental fortitude needed for survival and victory.
Gregg’s eyes glowed and he bared his bloody teeth in a horrible grin.
You’re dead, Lisa!
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Before Gregg could pounce on Lisa, a strange, discordant tune rose into the air.
The cheerful, out-of-tune singing grew louder, and Lisa glanced sideways to see Gramma and Ne-ma doing a lively dance around the wolves.
The two little old ladies had evidently finished throwing all their groceries at the wolves. Their empty grocery bags lay forlornly at their feet as they pranced and pirouetted around the snarling wolves.
Even stranger than their bizarre dance was the song that they were belting out at the top of their lungs.
“How can you be big bad wolves?” Gramma howled.
“Don’t you know that you’re just fools?” Ne-ma crooned, attempting a two-part harmony.
“Get ready now, one, two...poof!”
“Altogether now, woof, woof, woof!” they warbled in unison.
Gramma managed to hit a high note, and Lisa saw Axel and Tyrell cringe.
She gasped when a puff of smoke suddenly enveloped half a dozen wolves. When the smoke cleared, six fluffy dogs were standing at the very spot where the wolves had been a few seconds ago. The dogs blinked in bafflement and barked at one another.
“Cute doggies,” Ne-ma said, patting one of the dogs on the head. The dog shrank back when he realized that his claws were gone. He was no longer a wolf, just a cuddly, furry yipping dog.
Lisa’s eyes widened further when she realized that Gramma and Ne-ma had just cast a spell.
Their tuneless singing was really an incantation for a spell. The two little witches had cast a spell on the wolves and turned them into dogs!
“Let’s turn that bunch of nasty wolves into rabbits!” Ne-ma chortled as she nudged Gramma.
As Gramma and Ne-ma picked up their exuberant, off-key singing, Lisa snapped her eyes back to the enemy crouching in front of her.
Without warning, Gregg flew at her, snapping his jaws inches from her neck. Lisa jerked back and twisted away just in time.
Gregg turned around and charged at her again, his fangs and claws glinting. He wasn’t going to stop until she was dead. There was no pity, no mercy in his eyes.
Furiously, Lisa fought back. She slashed at Gregg with her claws, slicing deep into his side.
Gregg howled in pain and clawed at her face, narrowing missing her right eye.
Lisa pushed him off and scrambled to her feet. She lurched forward and bit hard into Gregg’s shoulder. The taste of blood in her mouth awakened her blood lust and predatory instincts.
All these years, Lisa had held her wolf back and tolerated all the mistreatment from her pack out of a sense of misplaced loyalty. She had put her trust and loyalty in people who never had her best interest at heart.
But now her wolf was out in full force. Her wolf was striking back, giving no quarter.
Lisa kept up the attack, and the smell of blood filled her nostrils.
Blood was oozing from the deep, gaping wounds on Gregg’s body, and Lisa sank her sharp teeth into Gregg’s leg, determined to bring him down once and for all.
Gregg howled and tried to kick at her, but Lisa held on grimly.
She caught a sudden movement out of the corner of her eye. Before she could turn around, something slammed into her and knocked her away from Gregg.
Thrown off balance, Lisa dropped to the ground in a heap. Shocked and dazed, she hurriedly pushed herself up and blinked hard to clear her vision.
Swaying on her feet, she saw Philip standing beside Gregg.
Her father and brother were standing shoulder to shoulder, facing her.
She was their common enemy, and they were going to finish her off together.
They would kill her to silence her forever.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
As Bryson fought the Arrow wolves, he noticed that Philip was gradually withdrawing from the fight. The wily old wolf had been viciously attacking Bryson with a bunch of his lieutenants, but now Philip was backing away very slowly.
Bryson narrowed his eyes, watching the cunning wolf suspiciously. What was Philip up to?
Bryson saw Philip turn and dart towards Lisa. From the looks of it, Lisa was winning the fight against Gregg. She was holding Gregg down, her jaws tightly clamped around his leg.
But Philip ran to Gregg’s aid and knocked Lisa violently away from Gregg.
The two gray wolves stood together and prowled towards Lisa. The Alpha and Beta of the Arrow pack were moving as one, keeping their eyes on the common goal.
Bryson tried to run to Lisa, but the other wolves closed in and blocked his pa
th. There were more than ten wolves surrounding him, and they were attacking him relentlessly.
Bryson reared up and batted three wolves away with his powerful paws. He tore into another wolf with his claws, and sank his fangs into a throat. Blood and gore spurted in all directions, and the wolves fell around him like flies.
His maddened bear was on a rampage.
Nothing would keep him from his mate. He would destroy anyone and anything that stood between him and his mate!
Bryson continued slashing his way through the Arrow wolves. The Arrow pack was fast diminishing. Rocco, Axel and Tyrell were systematically cutting down their enemies. The three bears were trying to keep the wolves away from Gramma and Ne-ma, but the two silver-haired witches kept diving back into the fray. Gramma and Ne-ma were shimmying and skipping, doing a strange jig around the wolves. The song they were singing was horrendously out of tune, and some of the wolves whined and tried to bury their heads in the ground so that they wouldn’t have to listen to that awful song.
There was a sudden flash of sparks and smoke, and Bryson blinked in amazement when he saw some of the wolves turn into rabbits.
Gramma and Ne-ma whooped and shrieked with laughter when the dogs began to chase the terrified rabbits.
They were casting a spell on the wolves, Bryson realized.
They were turning the wolves into dogs and rabbits.
Everyone in town knew that Gramma and Ne-ma had a wacky sense of humor. The two effervescent grandmothers were fiercely loyal to their friends and family, and they loved Shadow Point and its residents. They would pull out all the stops to defend their friends and neighbors.
They never ran from a fight, and they would fight using anything and everything they had at their disposal—groceries, broomsticks, rolling pins, magic and imagination.
Turning the Arrow wolves into dogs and rabbits was an inventive and ingenious move by Gramma and Ne-ma. They created confusion and chaos within the ranks of the Arrow pack, helping to turn the tide of the battle.
BEARly Bitten (Bear Bites Book 2) Page 7