by Lola Gabriel
Marcus let out a scream of rage as the other guard started to run toward Grey and the others. He ran his knife across Ava’s throat and then he followed the other guard.
“No!” Ellery screamed.
She and Lisa scrambled toward Ava. The two women exchanged a pained glance over Ava where she lay bleeding out onto the cold concrete floor. Marcus had cut a gash right across her throat. Blood poured from the wound, air bubbles gurgling through it as Ava tried and failed to breathe. Ellery took Ava’s hand in hers, tears streaming down her face.
“I’m so sorry, Ava,” she whispered.
Ava tried to talk, but blood bubbled out of her mouth instead. She squeezed Ellery’s hand, and Ellery hoped it was Ava’s way of telling her she forgave her. Lisa stroked Ava’s forehead. Ava’s body convulsed once and more blood ran from her mouth. The light in Ava’s eyes went out and the bubbling stopped. She was dead. Ellery gently pulled her hand free from Ava’s and reached out and closed her eyes.
“That bastard. He didn’t need to do that,” Lisa cried.
“I know,” Ellery said.
She was already moving on, her attention turning to the fight. She knew her grief and guilt over Ava would catch up to her, but right now, she had to focus on getting herself and Lisa out of there alive. They were both still cuffed to the floor and Ellery knew there was nothing they could do except hope that Grey and the pack won the fight.
“Keep behind me,” Ellery said, positioning herself between Lisa and the brawling wolves. “I am immortal now apparently, but you can still be killed. We’ve lost Ava. I’m not losing you as well.”
Lisa opened her mouth to say something, but Ellery’s attention was firmly on the wolves now and Lisa gave up trying to talk to Ellery when she turned her back, keeping herself in front of Lisa.
Now that Ellery was a wolf herself, she had no problem being able to tell the others apart, and she kept her eyes firmly on Grey. Marcus and the other guard were already down. Grey was facing off with Alex, two of his pack members on either side of him. This would be over quickly. The five wolves would make short work of Alex.
It didn’t turn out that way, though. As Ellery watched, more wolves ran into the warehouse.
“Behind you!” Ellery shouted.
Grey didn’t take his eyes off Alex, but the other four wolves turned as one, facing the new threat. They ran at the new wolves and the air was soon filled with whimpers, growls, and flying fur as they fought.
Grey and Alex kept facing off against each other, both of them waiting for the right moment to make their move, waiting for the other one to drop their guard a little bit too much. Ellery was willing Grey to get through this alive. Alex had been a little shorter than Grey in his human form, but as a wolf, he was huge, bigger than any of the other wolves who fought around them.
Grey’s eyes shifted to the side for a moment as a wolf who Ellery thought was Ariel flew through the air, blood spraying from her. Alex took his chance and launched himself into the air at Grey. If it was possible for a wolf to grin, Grey grinned as Alex took to the air. Ellery saw that Grey had lured Alex into a trap. He neatly sprang up onto his back legs and met Alex’s attack with a clumsy bear hug. The wolves rolled over the ground, locked in a deadly embrace of limbs.
Ellery was distracted for a moment as more wolves poured in through the warehouse door. There had to be at least two hundred wolves in the warehouse now.
“That’s almost the whole pack,” Lisa hissed behind Ellery.
Ellery looked back at Grey. He was on top of Alex, and Ellery watched as he leaned his head down. He sunk his teeth into Alex’s throat and yanked his head back. A huge chunk of Alex’s throat ripped away, leaving Alex bleeding out. Grey shifted back to his human form and reached into the pocket of his jeans. He pulled out a silver-bladed knife and stuck it into Alex’s chest.
Alex howled, a sound filled with pain and despair. Ellery found that she had to look away. The look of pain on Alex’s face was all too real, and despite knowing he deserved it, Ellery felt a little bit bad for him.
Grey stood back up and watched as Alex took his final breath. As Alex died, the whole pack turned back to their human forms and each one fell to their knees before Grey.
“What the fuck?” Ellery whispered.
“If a pack alpha is killed, everyone in the pack is instantly answerable to the killer,” Lisa whispered back. “Grey just extended his pack to include around two hundred blood-thirsty, vicious wolves.”
12
Grey took a moment to look out at the sea of people on bended knees before him. He thought quickly. His own pack members remained on their feet, making them easy to spot.
“Are you guys alright?” Grey asked them.
Luke, Evie, and Graham nodded.
“Nothing that won’t heal,” Ariel said.
“Good,” Grey said. “Evie. Graham. Luke. Search this whole place and round up any stray pack members you find. Bring them here. Ariel, find the keys to the cuffs and free Ellery and Lisa. The rest of you stay exactly where you are.”
He watched, anxious, as Ariel searched through Alex’s pockets. She came up with a bunch of keys. She moved over toward Ellery and Lisa. She tried Ellery’s cuff first and the second key worked. Ellery ran to Grey, who opened his arms to her. She flew into his arms and tilted her head back. He leaned down and his lips met hers. He instantly felt warm inside as their lips came together—lips that had been made to be together. His skin tingled where Ellery touched him and he felt his wolf stirring inside of him, telling him to claim her as his once more.
He heard a few cheers and he felt Ellery smiling against his lips. He pulled back slightly from her.
“Are you okay?” he asked her quietly.
“I am now,” she replied, looking him in the eyes and smiling almost shyly.
Having Ellery in his arms finally made Grey feel calmer and more in control of himself, and he knew he had to finish this thing. He kissed Ellery again and then he straightened up. Releasing her, he glanced over at Lisa, who was now also freed from her cuff.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
Lisa nodded. “Yes,” she said. “But Ava isn’t. That bastard killed her.”
She nodded at Marcus. Grey signaled to Ariel, who stepped forward and pulled out a silver blade. She grabbed a handful of Marcus’s hair and cut across his throat, not giving him a chance to fight back. Grey nodded to himself. He had been afraid that ordering the execution of a wolf would feel wrong, despite what they’d done. He had been even more afraid that he would like the way it felt. In truth, he felt nothing but efficiency running through his veins right now. It was a job that had to be done, and when he was finished, he wouldn’t hate himself and it wouldn’t change him into some sort of savage.
Throughout all of the time they had been gathered in the warehouse, small groups of his pack had been arriving here, the groups who had been lining the streets. Some came alone, others came with stragglers from Alex’s pack. Finally, Luke, Graham, and Evie returned with the last of the bad pack.
“We’ve swept the whole place. Everyone is here,” Evie informed him.
Grey nodded and thought for a moment, and then he stepped forward to address the group.
“As you all know, Alex is dead. And with him, his ways will die. Wolves have lived in harmony with humans for centuries and the way Alex—and by extension, you guys—behaved is a disgrace to our ancestors. There is only one way to end this. With the execution of everyone from Alex’s pack,” Grey said.
As he spoke, he looked out over the crowd that knelt before him and felt anger swirling inside of him. Even the pack members who had never been directly responsible for taking care of the prisoners or dealing with them in any way knew about them. And they all knew it was wrong. Yet they’d all gone along with it.
“Grey, no,” Ellery said, stepping forward and putting her hand on his arm.
Her touch left a warm patch on him and instantly he wanted to forget about what had
to be done and grab Ellery and kiss her, make love to her. He turned to glance down at her.
“I know it seems harsh, but you saw first-hand what these wolves are capable of,” he reminded her.
“I did,” Ellery said. “And I’m not suggesting for a moment you forgive them all. But some of them are Alex’s mates. Women like me who were taken from the streets and forced into this life. It’s not right that they should die for crimes committed against them.”
Grey nodded. Ellery was right. He was letting his anger cloud his judgment. Those women she was talking about hadn’t wanted this any more than he did. He turned back to the group.
“Anyone who was turned by Alex and forced to become a member of this pack against their will, step forward now,” he said.
He counted as nine women got to their feet and made their way forward. He nodded to himself. He heard two men at the front of the group talking in low voices. He opened his mouth to tell them to shut up, but their conversation intrigued him and he listened for a moment.
“Who would want to join Grey’s boring pack? I’d rather they kill me than force me to live like them.”
“I’d join if I was given the choice,” the other man replied.
“I see what you’re saying. Join up, play along for a while, and then take them down,” the first man said.
“What? No. I would have given anything to live the way they did,” the second man said. “I guess now I’ll never get the chance to do it.”
Grey stepped forward and touched the second man on the shoulder. He looked up and shrank back slightly when he saw Grey staring down at him.
“Rise,” Grey said, stepping back to the front of the crowd. The man stood up quickly. “What is your name?”
“Jason,” the man replied.
“Was what you were just saying true?” Alex asked.
Jason nodded, lifting his chin slightly and looking Grey in the eye for the first time.
“Yes. And if that makes me a traitor, then so be it.”
A couple of Alex’s pack began booing.
“Silence,” Grey snapped.
Instantly, the booing stopped and Grey focused on Jason once more.
“Why did you stay if you hated Alex’s way of life so much?” Grey asked, genuinely curious now.
“When I first joined the pack, it seemed like a fun way to live. We lived by our own rules. Partying all night, sleeping all day. In hindsight, we were assholes. We’d wreck bars, cause trouble wherever we went. But it was all harmless stuff, you know? No one got hurt. But then Alex started to change. He began to see humans as toys, something to use for sport and entertainment. I didn’t agree with that. I told Alex as much and I was thrown into a cell. I spent three decades in that cell, the threat of death constantly hanging over me. I was used to show the rest of the pack what happened if you challenged Alex. Eventually, he wore me down and I swallowed my principles to get out of the cell. It was either that or go crazy. I stayed because I was afraid to leave. Alex made it clear to me that if I left the pack, he would find me and make my death slow and agonizing. I knew he would do it. I’d seen it done to others. I’m not proud of my cowardice, but I certainly didn’t approve of Alex’s treatment of humans.”
He stopped talking and the whole warehouse fell silent. There wasn’t so much as a cough in the air. Grey glanced at Ariel, who gave a half-shrug that he was easily able to read. She believed Jason, but whether or not he was shown mercy was on Grey’s shoulders.
“If your life was spared today, Jason, and you were welcomed into my pack, you would be starting at the bottom. And it might take a while before the pack fully accepts you. You would have to prove yourself,” Grey said.
“I understand that,” Jason said. “And I would be willing to do whatever it took to atone for my part in Alex’s games.”
“Then please come and join us,” Grey said.
Jason hesitated, a nervous look on his face. Grey realized what was happening and he spoke to Jason in a softer tone.
“At the first sign that you’re slipping into old habits or that you’re trying to take me and my pack for a ride, you’ll be executed. But I don’t play mind games. I say what I mean. I will extend the invite one more time. Please come and join us.”
Jason gave him a hesitant smile and stepped toward the group of Grey’s original pack. When he joined them and a few of them clapped him on the back, his smile looked a lot less nervous. Grey thought for a moment and turned back to the bad pack.
“Is there anyone else who feels like Jason does and is willing to work hard to prove that to us?” he asked.
A few hands went up. He did a quick count. Seven people. That meant eight people out of a pack of around two hundred felt that what they were doing had been wrong. The rest relished their murderous ways so much, they weren’t even willing to pretend they could change. Grey shook his head sadly. The wolf inside of him howled. He was ashamed of his race.
He told the pack members with their hands up to rise. He spoke to each one individually and they all had similar stories to Jason’s. They had felt what they were doing was wrong, but had chosen to live with it rather than be killed or tortured. Grey told them to join the others.
“The rest of you must be punished for your crimes against humanity, and unfortunately, I feel like the only way to ensure you don’t all regroup and go back to your old ways is to have you all executed,” he said.
None of them moved or argued their cases. Grey thought that was probably the one good thing about Alex’s reign of terror. He had his pack so obedient that they were almost operating under a hive mind, and their dedication to authority was absolute. They would accept their fates without argument as Grey now represented that authority after killing Alex.
Grey turned to his own pack.
“Organize yourselves. I need one pack member to escort Lisa back to the hotel. The rest of you split up into two groups. One group will make sure our new members get settled into the hotel. The other group will be taking care of the executions,” he said.
The pack instantly began chatting amongst themselves.
“Am I…?” Lisa started. She trailed off and Grey looked at her, surprised to see she looked afraid of him. She took a deep breath and finished her question. “Am I a prisoner?”
“No, of course not,” Grey said quickly. “Why would you even think that?”
“You said a pack member was to escort me back to the hotel,” she said.
“Admittedly I could have worded that better,” Grey said. “Our pack lives in a hotel—each pack member has their own quarters and there are plenty of spare rooms. You will be given one and you’re welcome to stay as long as you want to. Once you decide where you would like to go, let me know, and I will have someone take you there and help you get set up.”
“Oh. Thank you,” Lisa said, sounding relieved.
Michelle came over and joined Grey, Ellery, and Lisa.
“I’m going to be getting you settled in. Lisa, right? I’m Michelle.”
Michelle began to walk toward the door of the warehouse, with Lisa falling into step beside her. Grey tugged gently on Ellery’s hand, leading her the same way. He didn’t want her to be here when the mass execution began. They left the warehouse and stepped out into the fresh air.
Ellery tilted her head back, letting the sun hit her face. She smiled at Grey.
“I thought I would never feel the sun on my face again. Thank you, Grey. For saving me, I mean,” she said.
Grey wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him.
“Always,” he whispered.
She put her arm around his waist and they walked in silence for a few minutes.
“Ellery?” Grey said, breaking the comfortable silence between them as they left the industrial complex. Ellery looked up at him. “Will you spend the night with me tonight?”
“Just tonight?” Ellery grinned, raising an eyebrow.
“I thought asking for eternity might be over-re
aching a bit,” Grey grinned.
“Yes, I will. And no, it wouldn’t have been,” Ellery said.
“Then I’d like a do-over,” Grey said quickly. “Ellery, will you spend forever with me? Starting right now?”
“Yes,” Ellery said with no hesitation. “As crazy as it sounds, being that I’ve only known you for a day, I can’t imagine my life without you.”
“Me neither,” Grey said.
They walked back to the hotel, chatting and laughing and getting to know each other a bit more. Grey felt like he had died and gone to heaven. He could never have imagined that going after Alex would bring him something so precious.
13
Ellery and Grey had opted for an early night. It was partly because of their exhaustion from the sleepless night the night before, the adrenaline rush of the escape, and the busy day they’d just had. But it was mostly because they couldn’t keep their hands off each other.
Ellery smiled to herself as she brushed her teeth. She and Grey had returned to her apartment that afternoon for long enough to gather her things and call her landlord to inform him she would be leaving. He told her she had to give a month’s notice, but she wasn’t willing to wait a month to move in with Grey. Grey had taken the phone from her and told the landlord to drop by so they could sort this out. When the landlord arrived, Grey had informed him that he understood the situation and gave him the month’s rent money. Once the money was paid, the landlord was happy for Ellery to leave there and then.
After that, they’d come to the hotel where Ellery had moved her things into Grey’s quarters. Then, Grey had asked her if she was ready to embrace her wolf side or if she wanted to wait a while. She’d thought about it and decided she was ready to do it.
Grey had driven her out to the woods and taken her to a secluded spot in the center of them. There, he had talked her through what would happen when she turned. She’d been afraid but also excited. Her wolf inside of her gave her courage and confidence. It made her feel like she could do anything.
She had turned. Grey had been right. It had been pain like she’d never known before. White-hot agony had blazed through her whole body as every muscle stretched, every bone snapped and realigned itself, and her skin tore away from her flesh, stretching out and making room for her white and light brown fur to burst out of her. Once the pain was over, though, Ellery had felt more free than she had ever felt in her life, more free than she had ever thought it was possible to feel.