by Cheree Alsop
Adrenaline pulsed through Alex’s veins. He spun and slammed a haymaker into the jaw of the man closest to them. Alex’s heart faltered with the silver rushing through his system. He willed his strength to hold. His right arm refused to respond. Gunshots echoed in the dark hall. He dove into the legs of a second man and turned, using the man’s body to take down others.
“Alex!” Kalia screamed.
A glance back showed Kalia pinned to the ground by two men. One had a gun to her head. Kalia’s eyes turned gold and she yelled in pain. Someone tackled Alex from behind, slamming him into a wall. He kicked against the cement and arched his back, driving the man over backwards. Rolling to his feet, Alex kicked the man in the jaw followed by the chest.
The silver was beginning to take effect. His body responded sluggishly to his wishes and his heart beat erratically in his chest. Another man lifted a gun. Alex grabbed the Extremist’s wrist with his left and spun inward, using his momentum to slam the man against the wall. He staggered back. The butt of a gun connected with the back of his head.
Alex crashed to the ground. He tried to push back up, but a foot slammed into his head, pinning him down. The cold metal of a gun muzzle pressed against the side of his skull. Kalia was pinned to the floor across the hall from him. She met his gaze. Her eyes were wide and golden, her face twisted with pain. The men who held her down didn’t have to fight her struggle as she was tormented with her headache.
“I’ve had enough of this,” the General growled.
The gun barrel pressed harder. Alex tried to fight, but the silver in his veins made his heart weak and his body wouldn’t listen.
“You may carry my blood,” General Jared Carso growled. “But you are no son of mine.”
“Thank goodness,” Alex forced through his locked jaw.
He could smell the determination wafting from the General. Alex knew he was going to die. He wished with all of his damaged heart that he could have gotten Kalia to safety. He closed his eyes, picturing Cassie and Tennison, Meredith, and Jaze and Nikki holding baby William. He had so much to live for.
He opened his eyes.
Kalia shuddered beneath her captors. She closed her golden eyes. Her nose elongated and her arms and legs changed musculature and shape. As Alex watched, white fur ran up Kalia’s arms and down her back. She arched, throwing the Extremists from her. Her shoulders rolled and her ears moved and sharpened; settling into the form of the wolf. A growl tore from the white Alpha female’s throat as her eyes locked with the General’s.
He let out a thick stream of curse words. The pressure against Alex’s head let up as the General backed away. It seemed in the force of Kalia’s rage that he had forgotten that he held a gun.
The shock of seeing Kalia phase into an Alpha waged war with the silver haze that filled Alex’s mind. He wasn’t going to be able to think his way through. Alex gave up logic and let instinct take over. His body phased quickly of its own accord. Alex rose in wolf form. Keeping weight off his right shoulder, he spun and dove at the General. The man yelled as Alex’s fangs closed around his gun hand. Alex ducked and rolled with his good shoulder, forcing the Extremist to the ground.
A thunder of footsteps charged at them from the parking garage. Kalia barked a warning. Alex bit at the General’s throat. The man put an arm in the way and Alex latched on.
He couldn’t leave someone like the General alive. The man deserved to die after all he had done to werewolf kind and to Jet. He should die.
Kalia barked again. Alex knew he had to leave before the other Extremists got there. Alex drove down. He felt the General’s arm break beneath his strong jaws. General Carso yelled in pain and slammed a fist against Alex’s wounded shoulder.
Alex fell to the side. Kalia was at the door that led back to the stairs. She rammed her shoulder against it and the force of her Alpha strength made it give. The General was searching for a gun. He held his broken arm tight to his side. Alex wanted more than anything to knock him down and end his life.
Kalia growled. There were men in the room. She needed his help.
Alex made the hardest decision of his life. He turned away from the General and loped through the door, forcing his injured shoulder to hold his weight despite the pain.
“Send the hounds after them!” the General shouted.
Kalia bowled down three men. A dozen more were rushing down the stairs. Alex jumped past her and ducked his head, knocking them left and right before they could react. He could hear Kalia running after him. He reached the door to the mall and dove through.
Gunfire echoed from every corner. Extremists and werewolves battled for their lives. He could only hope the rest of his pack was alright. Kalia ran past him, intent on the middle of the battle. Alex barked. She spun and stared at him. Alex tipped his head toward the doors that led outside. She took a step forward. Alex barked again; it was a command to an Alpha. But to him, she was still Kalia, the girl who loved him. Even though he didn’t return the same affection, he cared about her enough that he had almost died to save her.
His shoulder throbbed angrily, reminding him that dying wasn’t that far away if he didn’t get help soon. Alex loped for the doors. The sound of claws on tile let him know that Kalia was following. He hit the door with his good shoulder, forcing it open.
The General’s command to send the hounds after them kept echoing over and over in Alex’s mind. Sunlight bathed them as they ran through the city that was just awakening. Cars honked at Alex. He leaped to avoid the onrush of a truck and landed bad on his shoulder. Slamming against the side of a building, Alex glanced back.
His heart slowed. Wolves were hot on his trail. They weren’t just any wolves; they were werewolves growling and drooling with their tongues hanging out and eyes glazed. Alex realized that was what the General meant by hounds. He had found a way to control them somehow. Werewolves, strong, fast, and under the command of the General sent a surge of panic through Alex.
Fear showed in Kalia’s gaze when she reached his side. They loped together through the streets, dodging cars and early morning pedestrians who screamed and ran at the sight of the werewolves. The hounds that pursued them brought down anyone unfortunate enough to end up in their path. Humans fell beneath the drive of the crazed werewolves. Alex wanted to save them, but he could barely keep ahead of the hounds with his shoulder and the silver in his veins. They would catch him; it was just a matter of when.
Kalia must have thought the same thing. She turned at the last second and charged into the back of a delivery truck someone had left open. Alex followed after her, wondering if the box would become their grave. He placed himself at the half door. The other side was shut securely. It would funnel the hounds, forcing them to attack in smaller groups.
Kalia reached his shoulder. She gave a small whine. Her eyes, the icy blue gaze of the Kalia he knew, held his. The odds were stacked against them. Alex lifted his lips in a snarl. He wouldn’t give up. She faced the door with a snarl of her own. The sound of the hounds drew closer, howling, growling, and whining as the screams of the innocent were smothered. Paws hit the ramp, then the hounds were inside.
Kalia and Alex fought as one. Kalia used her Alpha strength to pull them down and Alex finished them. He lost track of how many throats he tore open and how many final gasps he heard. He remembered chasing deer and elk with Rafe’s pack. The muscle memory was there, but this was different, so very different. Instead of killing the weakest member of a herd to fill the bellies of the pack, Alex was forced to slay his own kind to save someone he cared about. The metallic tang of werewolf blood coated his tongue. He had to fight down nausea as he grabbed another throat and bit down.
A louder howl filled the air. Alex’s head jerked up. The frothing muzzle and rolling eyes of a black Alpha came into view. Alex glanced at Kalia. Fear showed in her eyes as she pulled down two more hounds. She looked exhausted after all they had been through. Neither of them had the strength left to take on an Alpha, but if Alex didn’t
do something, they were going to die.
Alex crossed the bodies of the wolves as the Alpha forced his way through the door. The wolf didn’t seem to notice his fallen comrades and pack mates as his gaze locked on Kalia. The rumbling growl that rolled from the Alpha’s chest filled the back of the delivery truck. Alex could barely put weight on his shoulder as he limped to stand in the Alpha’s path to Kalia. The black wolf’s crazed eyes narrowed. Alex barred his teeth.
The Alpha hit him with such force Alex was shoved over backwards. The pain that surged through his shoulder when he slammed to the floor sent a rush of heat through Alex. The thought that the Alpha was about to reach Kalia filled his mind. He had to act. Alex’s vision and thoughts tinted blue. He felt the strength pulse through his veins. Alex’s muscles thickened and he rose onto his hind legs as his claws thickened and body filled out. A roar tore from Alex’s chest.
Alex grabbed the Alpha by the back of the neck just before its jaws closed around Kalia’s throat. Alex slammed the wolf against the side of the delivery truck so hard the metal dented. The Alpha yelped and tried to grab Alex’s forearm with its fangs. Its claws scrabbled against Alex’s chest, but he didn’t feel it. If he let the hound down, they were both dead. Alex hadn’t gone through so much to rescue Kalia just to let an Alpha win. The blue light raged through his vision. His claws closed around the Alpha’s neck. The creature struggled. A crack sounded, and the body went limp.
Kalia stared at Alex. He dropped the hound and stumbled backward. The blue tint faded from his vision as his body turned back into its regular wolf shape. Both of them looked at the Alpha. Before Kalia could do anything, more hounds appeared at the door to the delivery truck.
Eventually, the bodies of the fallen werewolves lay inside the delivery truck and out and the hounds stopped coming. Alex felt weak and sick. His shoulder burned as though someone held a branding iron to it. He leaned against the door searching the streets for more attackers. Kalia stood next to him, helping him remain standing.
In the back of Alex’s mind, a warning sounded. If the General sent the hounds after them, he had a way to track his beasts. Alex gave a small whine and jerked his head toward the street, indicating that they needed to leave. Kalia put her ears back, fear bright in her blue eyes. Alex didn’t know how far he could go, but taking his chances in the streets sounded much better than waiting for the General to take them at his leisure.
Alex limped out the door. Kalia followed close behind, leaning against his side as if afraid to be apart from him. It helped to keep him balance as they trotted slowly down the street, unable to go any faster.
Alex led them without realizing where he was going. His vision was blurry and he fought to hold his head up. The streets all looked the same. The sun was far too bright, lighting the cement and the sides of the buildings as if they were on fire. Alex eyes watered. He wondered dizzily what Boris would say about a crying werewolf.
Scents become familiar when they neared the end of one alley. It took Alex a few minutes to realize that they had arrived at Red’s warehouse. He let out a shuddering breath. Part of him said they should run away so they didn’t lead the General’s hounds, if there were any left, to the warehouse. The other side of his brain said if he thought he was going to survive any longer running through the alleys of the city, he was insane and wouldn’t survive the day.
Alex pushed the door open with his good shoulder and collapsed inside.
***
“Who’s there?” someone called.
The sound of her voice sent a surge of fire through Alex’s veins. He thought he was delusional or hallucinating. He willed his eyes to open as a growl rumbled behind him. Kalia’s protective tones made the speaker hesitate in the shadows. Her head cocked and she looked down at Alex. She lifted her head to smell the air. Familiarity swept with surprise through her gray eyes.
“Alex?” Siale dropped to her knees next to him despite Kalia’s increasingly ominous snarls. “What happened to you?” She asked, placing a gentle hand on his blood-streaked shoulder.
A sudden wave of protectiveness rushed over Alex. He didn’t want to tell Siale about Kalia’s kidnapping or the General’s hounds. He wanted her to feel safe and secure, not be the one to inform her that the General was in her city.
Siale seemed to suddenly realize that he couldn’t tell her while he was in wolf form.
“We’ve got clothes back here, and rooms to change in,” she told them quickly. A blush of red touched her cheeks. Alex was grateful to see that she was no longer pale. She appeared to have recovered from her imprisonment and torture.
Alex clenched his jaw against the pain and tried to rise. It took two times to make it to his feet. The concern that creased Siale’s brow deepened. She walked beside him with one hand on his good shoulder. Her other kept reaching toward him when he stumbled as if she wished she could help him but didn’t know what to do.
All the while, Kalia followed them with the same rumble in her throat. It was quieter with Alex and Siale’s apparent familiarity with each other, but it didn’t go away. Alex wanted to tell her that she was being rude, that nobody should ever growl at Siale, but he had to concentrate just to keep placing one paw in front of the other.
Siale showed them into two rooms that had a variety of clothing on shelves as well as towels and showers.
“You might, uh, want to keep your shirt off until we get your shoulder taken care of,” Siale said. Red touched her cheeks again. “Only if you’re okay with that. The others should be back soon and can help remove the bullet. Of course, I understand if you know someone you trust who can do that sort of thing. It’s hard to give that kind of control to someone you barely know.” An expression crossed her face as if she realized she was stalling. She stepped back and held open the door.
Kalia snorted and stalked into the next room. She pushed the door closed with her head hard enough for it to slam shut.
Chapter Twenty-nine
Alex limped into his room. As soon as Siale shut the door, he leaned against it and willed his thoughts to calm.
She was there, outside the door. He had thought he would never see her again. Now, Siale’s sage and lavender scent drifted under the door, helping him gather what strength he had left. His heart pounded raggedly, reminding him that if he didn’t get the silver out soon, it could stop beating altogether.
Alone and without the need to stay strong for anyone else, Alex bit back a whimper out of habit when he stepped on his right paw and it collapsed beneath the pain in his shoulder. He tucked the paw against his chest and limped slowly to the dresser. Each step hurt as the force jolted through his silver-laced body. He finally collapsed in the middle of the room. Unable to keep the wolf form any longer, Alex let go of his careful control.
His paws elongated and fingers formed where wolf toes had been. The dark gray fur that covered his body vanished and a chill ran across his skin at the lack. When his shoulder pulled and lifted, he couldn’t quite stifle the cry of pain that tore from his lips.
“Alex, are you okay?” Siale called from the doorway.
The warmth of her voice filled him with strength. Alex pushed up to a sitting position with his arm cradled in his lap.
“I’m alright,” he replied quietly, knowing her werewolf hearing would pick it up.
“If you need help...” Siale’s offer died away.
Alex heard the hint of awkwardness in her voice. Somehow, the thought of her feeling embarrassed brought a smile to Alex’s face. He called back, “I don’t think I can stand without help.”
He heard her hand brush the doorknob. She paused as if gathering herself.
Alex chuckled. “Just kidding. I’ll save you from having to see this.”
He heard her laugh in reply on the other side of the door.
Alex pulled himself up using the dresser. It alarmed him how weak he truly was. Just standing seemed to take every last bit of energy he had. He fumbled for clothes and found black pants with a drawstri
ng that didn’t look too difficult to put on. By the time he managed to get them on both legs and tie the drawstring, sweat ran down his back and burned in the throbbing wound in his shoulder.
The distance from the shelf to the door felt like it expanded as he crossed it. He leaned against the door for a few minutes to catch his breath and will the strength he needed to open it. He finally managed to turn the knob and push it open.
“Alex?” Siale exclaimed, looking at the deep bruises that spread across Alex’s chest from being shot point-blank with his vest on. The blood that flowed down his arm dripped with a quiet patter to the floor. “Oh my goodness. What happened?”
Alex forced a weak smile. “Let’s just say that silver allergies are detrimental to one’s health.”
Kalia threw the door open to her room as if she had been waiting for him to appear. She opened her mouth to say something, but at the sight of him, she closed it again and ducked under his arm.
“He needs to get the bullet out fast,” Kalia told Siale. “Where should we go?”
Siale had paled at the mention of silver. She led the way down the side of the warehouse to another room. The sterile scent of bleach and lemon tickled Alex’s nose. He fought back the urge to sneeze, knowing that if his knees gave out, he would probably be stuck having the bullet removed on the floor.
“Nobody’s come back yet,” Siale said, her voice pinched with worry as she and Kalia helped Alex to a table.
Alex and Kalia exchanged a look.
“They’ll be back soon,” Kalia replied. “Things got a bit dicey, but Jaze will take care of it.”
Siale looked up from soaking gauze in a bowl of water. “Jaze? You mean Jaze Carso?”
Kalia nodded. “He’s our dean.” Her voice faltered. “H-he came to save me.”
Siale looked as if she wanted to ask more questions, but chose to give them some peace. She took out one of the water-soaked gauze pieces and held it to Alex’s shoulder.