by Lilly Wilder
Distracted, I didn’t see the giant wolf charging in my direction until it was much too late.
Whack!
At the very last second, Jane came down on it with a tree branch. She had targeted its weak spot, right at the end of the ribs. Whimpering, the wolf came down like a sack of potatoes. Its mate turned on Jane, snarling.
“Fuck…” she cursed under her breath as she backed away.
To my amazement, the woman who had been chasing her leapt into her wolf form and defended the mother of my unborn child. The two thundered into battle.
“What the hell were you thinking? You could have gotten yourself killed like that!” I chided, once I had her in my arms. “You need to get out of here.”
“Not going to happen. I’m not running away.”
Across the clearing, I saw Landon fighting off two goons at once. He was bleeding from multiple wounds and there was a slight limp to his back leg but, somehow, he still had the willpower to keep fighting. His howl echoed over the din of claw and tooth.
“I’m not going to run away while you two sacrifice your lives. If you stay, I stay. Because without you guys, there’s no point in living.”
“This is insane…” There was so much more to say but with the battle raging on, we couldn’t stand around and discuss things all night long. This whole shit show would only end in one way — either Gerald dies or it’s game over. “We need to get to Landon. He’s hurt and he’ll need our help.”
“Right.” Jane grabbed a discarded dagger off the ground and held it in a defensive stance as she followed me. We worked as a unit, cutting down anyone who stood in our way. Once we reached Landon, the bloodshed continued. We didn’t think twice about gutting the wolves that threatened his life. It was kill or be killed.
“Are you okay?” Jane panted.
He nudged her stomach with his snout, trying to signal that she shouldn’t be there. “Roman already tried to argue with me, so save your breath. I’m not leaving. Either I die here with you or we emerge victorious. There is no in-between.” He looked at me for confirmation.
“It’s true,” I said. “And she won’t take no for an answer. So, we might as well find Gerald and end this once and for all. If he wants to play dirty, then three can play that game.”
Jane nodded in agreement.
“And this was what I was thinking. As wolves, we have a better shot at protecting Jane. She can hide between us and come out when the moment is right to deliver the deciding blow. Do you think you can do that?” I asked. “Gerald would never expect it.”
“Leave it to me.” She tightened her grip on the dagger. “And trust me, I’m going to enjoy this.”
But, it wasn’t quite that easy.
We made it just a few feet before Landon’s back leg gave out. He tried to pick himself up but he didn’t have much fuel left in the tank. Exhausted, he reverted to his human form. His skin was deathly pale and there was so much blood soaking through his clothing, it was hard to believe that he was still alive.
“Roman…” It was difficult for him to speak. His voice sounded cracked and broken. “You need to do this.”
“But I am not an alpha…” I protested.
“You’ve proven that you’re capable of being one.”
I shook my head. “What are you talking about? I’m a beta and I’ll never be more than that.”
“Trust me. You can do this.” Landon was fading and he was fading fast. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Gerald trying to make his getaway. I was left in an impossible position. Was I supposed to chase after my enemy or save my partner?
“Leave him to me.” Cynthia seemed to materialize out of thin air. “Go on!” she shouted when I failed to move. “Everyone is counting on you!”
A scream caught my attention.
Jane!
She had gone after the pack leader all on her own. It was official — Jane had completely lost her mind.
Gerald now held her in his arms even as she struggled. I feared he would do something drastic. The blade he held glistened. It was dangerously close to her stomach. I imagined him carving out my child for all to see and that thought was enough to get my body into action. I wasn’t thinking. Adrenaline and instinct had taken over.
My teeth were ready to sink into his flesh and I was dying to taste his blood. I wanted to make this man suffer for everything he had put me through.
But as I got closer, he used Jane as a human shield, blade pressed against her throat. One wrong move and I would lose her.
I slowed my pace and tried to calculate the best plan of attack that wouldn’t end in absolute disaster.
“Come any closer and you can kiss this pretty little mate of yours goodbye!”
Needing to talk to the man, I returned to my human form and held out both my hands to show him that I came bearing no weapons. “Just let her go and we can settle this like true shifters. Or do you want to be known as the coward who kills pregnant women?”
“I don’t play by the rules,” he said. “So, if you want your mate back you’ll have to get down and grovel like the maggot you are.”
“When I say so, I need you to elbow him in the groin as hard as you possibly can. Then get the hell away from him because things are going to get ugly.”
To give him what he wanted, I dropped down to my knees and feigned defeat. “Please, you can do whatever it is that you want to do to me but spare my mate. She is innocent in all this.”
“Innocent?” he scoffed. “She is just as guilty, for mating you when there were better-suited wolves for her to choose from, such as myself.” He punctuated his words by kissing the side of her neck.
The disgust was visible on Jane’s face. She didn’t even wait for my signal before ramming her elbow into his junk. It was such a hard blow that I felt it in my own crotch.
Gerald went down and Jane went running, leaving the rest up to me. This was it. I needed to prove myself, once and for all. Because if I lost this fight then I would lose everything.
I rushed forward, thinking I could make things quick by going for the neck. Gerald saw me coming and rolled out of harm’s way. I ended up eating a mouthful of grass.
He shifted into a wolf, towering over me with his size but I wasn’t going to let that intimidate me. I met him head-on, ready to face whatever he wanted to throw my way.
Aggression was his main tactic but that wasn’t enough to beat me. I would just wear him down and wait for that golden opportunity. Soon, his frustration started to surface and he lost his edge. His attacks were getting sloppier and sloppier. All I needed to do was hold out for a little while longer and he’d be as good as mine.
“Now!” came Landon’s voice. It was the push that I needed to make that killing blow. My teeth snapped around his neck, crushing bone and flesh, and everything in-between.
He tried to fight me but my jaw was locked into place. I didn’t even think of letting go until I was sure he was dead.
With his lifeless body growing slack, I dropped him like yesterday’s garbage. There was a foul taste in my mouth that I could swear I would never get rid of. But it was a small price to pay.
“It’s over!” I shouted at the top of my lungs. “Gerald is dead! All those that want to join our pack, you are free to do so. Those who would rather flee, I suggest you start running.” I was breathing hard and there was so much adrenaline running through my veins that I feared they would explode.
“Good job.” Jane wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me. “It seems that I mated with a couple of alpha males.”
I smiled. “I think you might just be right about that.”
Chapter 27: Landon
Perhaps Cynthia was a healer by trade but she wasn’t very nice about it. “I swear, you’re doing this on purpose. Do you get off on seeing me in pain or something?”
“Quit being such a baby.” She slapped away my hand as I tried to inspect the bandage wrapped around my midsection.
“And how long will I have to wear this stupid cast for?”
“A couple of weeks, I’d say.”
“Weeks?” I exclaimed. “I can’t be hobbling around on your homemade crutches for weeks.”
“The alternative is that your bone sets improperly and you have a permanent limp for the rest of your life.”
“Landon.” Jane stood at the doorway. “Are you giving your nurse a hard time again?”
“It’s not my fault if she’s the one being difficult.”
She waddled toward the bedside. Her stomach was so swollen that it was becoming harder and harder for her to walk. “Landon.”
“Fine. I’ll try to cooperate.”
“Good.” She leaned down and kissed the top of my head.
“Where’s Roman?”
“He’s out with some of the pack members, trying to find a suitable place for us to claim as our own. There’s a bit of a dispute going on about what places are best. If you ask me, we should just settle around this tree. It seems as good a place as any.”
“Only if I’m allowed to be the matriarch,” Cynthia chimed with a quirky smile.
“You? The matriarch? That’s a straight path towards disaster.”
She answered my insult by slapping the back of my head. Now I was starting to remember why it had never worked out between the two of us.
“Seriously, though. The tree would be a pretty good watchtower in case anything tries to mess with us and being a valley, it should prove easier to defend against outsiders.”
Jane was making a lot of sense. I didn’t know where she had learned all this stuff but it was certainly impressive. “I think you’re right.”
“Do I get a say in this?” asked Cynthia.
“No. Because you’re going to be pack whether you want to or not.”
“And who’s going to make me?”
“That little lover of yours,” I countered. “Fiona, I think her name was.”
Cynthia blushed at my comment. “It’s just a little fling — nothing serious.”
“Keep telling yourself that.”
Jane winked at Cynthia. “Would you mind if I had some alone time with my mate?”
“Of course not. And if he tries anything funny, just let out a shout and I’ll be sure to put him in his place.”
“Last I checked, I’m still the alpha male of this pack.”
“Last I checked, I can still kick your ass if I want to.” Cynthia spun on her heel and walked away. All I could do was shake my head. Some people are just too much to handle and Cynthia was certainly one of them.
“She’s quite the character,” said Jane. “But I’m glad she’s part of the team or else I fear we would have lost you.”
“Nah, it would have taken more than a few bite wounds to get rid of me.”
“Are you sure about that?”
I pulled her into bed with me and held her against my chest. “Let’s not talk about the past. All that matters now is the future we intend to create together.
Just then, Roman barged into the room with a headdress of antlers on his head.
“Uh…?” Jane looked at him like he had just lost his mind and honestly, it seemed like a pretty viable possibility. “Do you mind explaining what’s that on your head?”
“A symbol of my status within the pack. Some of the members made it for me using the antlers of our kill. We were pretty successful. So, if you guys want dinner, I’d suggest going down there before it’s all gone.”
“That sounds pretty good right about now. I’m famished.” Jane got up and headed for the door. But before she could make it, she stopped suddenly with her hand pressed against her stomach.
Her eyes widened and, instantly, I knew that something was happening. The sound of trickling water reached my ears and when I looked down, there was a puddle at her feet.
“It’s happening!” she said, as she held on to Roman for support. “The baby is coming!”
Cynthia came flying into the room. “Quick! We must get her into the nursery.” Roman immediately scooped her up and started running up the stairs to the top floor. No one bothered to wait for me but, then again, I didn’t expect them to. Jane’s well-being was above everything else.
Getting out of bed proved much more difficult than I thought it would. My wounds were still fresh and, as I moved, it felt like they were pulling apart. Every stitch that Cynthia had put into place was coming undone. She would kill me but there was no way in hell that I was about to miss the birth of my own son.
I gritted my teeth together and held the wall until my legs stopped their wobbling. Even after they had stabilized, they still felt like two-ton weights that I had to drag across the floor. Just getting to the door was enough to make me want to pass out.
“Breathe,” I reminded myself as I started for the stairs. Time felt like it was dragging. I could hear Jane screaming. What was happening? Was everything going according to plan or had something gone awry? I couldn’t stop myself from thinking the worst.
Despite the pain pulsating through every inch of my body, I continued up those stairs until I reached the very top. I was so close to my destination and, yet, it still felt so far away.
Blood was soaking through the bandages that Cynthia had just replaced that very afternoon. It felt like someone was sawing me right in two.
“Fuck,” I cursed under my breath as the pain threatened to overwhelm me. This is what I got for denying Cynthia’s pain-numbing herbs and thinking I was strong enough to overcome it on my own.
By some miracle, I reached the nursery. It was quiet on the other side and that was not comforting to hear. My heart seemed to stop, as I prepared myself for what might be waiting for me.
The door hinges creaked, causing the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end.
I stepped inside and what I saw was the happiest sight a father could ever hope for. On the bed was my beautiful mate and in her arms was our new baby boy.
“Come on, Landon, you have to see this little guy.” Roman helped me to the bedside. “He’s got your stern expression but my rocking hair.”
“And his mother’s eyes…” I said, as I reached out to touch him. In many ways, it felt like I was caught up in a dream.
“Are you crying?” asked Jane.
“Not a chance.” I blinked to keep any tears that threatened to escape at bay. “Alphas do not cry.”
“You’re totally crying.” Roman elbowed my side. “I never thought that I would see the day.”
“Ow!” I growled.
“Sorry.”
“Are you okay?” Jane looked me over with a look of genuine concern.
“I’m fine,” I answered through gritted teeth. “Just fine.”
“Maybe you should rest up a bit.” Cynthia tried to pull me away but I clutched the sheets, refusing to budge. “You’ve been through a lot and you haven’t had the proper rest needed to heal. At this rate, you’re bound to catch a nasty infection.”
“Landon, maybe you should listen to her. You don’t look so good.”
“I’m fine,” I insisted. The world was starting to spin at my feet. Logic was telling me to listen but once a stubborn wolf, always a stubborn wolf. “I just want to hold my son.”
“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea,” said Jane. “As I said, you don’t look so good. I think you should go lay down or something.”
“What part of ‘I’m fine’ don’t you understand.” There was a cold sweat dripping down my back and my lungs were so tight, it felt like there was an elephant sitting on my chest. “Please… I just want to hold him.” My tongue was as rough as sandpaper, making each word painful to pronounce. “Please, Jane, it is my right as his father.”
She frowned but after a moment’s hesitation, she gave in to my request and handed over the little bundle of blankets. The pup was everything I had hoped he would be. His cheeks were rosy and full of health. Already, I could imagine him as a l
eader — as the man to take my place, to make me proud by following in my footsteps.
“Did we ever agree on a name?” I asked, as I ran my fingertips along his soft wisps of hair.
“I think we all liked the name Jayden.”
“Jayden…” I whispered, testing it out for the first time. “Do you like that name little buddy?”
He gurgled and it almost sounded like a laugh.
“I’d take that as a yes,” said Roman as he looked over my shoulder.
“Jayden…” I said his name a second time but this time around, I couldn’t hear myself say it. I blinked and all of a sudden, everything was blurry. I blinked again and that blurriness became darkness.
“Landon!” Jane was screaming my name but she sounded like she was so far away. It reminded me of the day we had saved her from drowning. “Landon!” I wanted to help her but I could no longer open my eyes.
Jayden was ripped from my arms. “No!” I grasped at the air in front of me but it was empty. “No!” I shouted, desperate to find my son.
“Landon!” Roman didn’t sound like himself. “Landon!”
Thump!
And then everything just faded into nothingness.
Chapter 28: Jane
“Is he going to be alright?” Jayden was sucking on my breast but even my newborn son was not enough to lift the weight of worry from my shoulders. “I mean, he wasn’t supposed to pass out like that, was he?”
“No, he wasn’t. A wolf is a natural healer. With the proper rest and with a good diet, it takes little to nothing for their wounds to disappear. It makes us a versatile species and has ensured our survival for many years.”
“So, why isn’t Landon doing that?” I glanced at the gash on his stomach and it made me want to puke. It had a sickly green color surrounding it and maybe I wasn’t a doctor, but something like that definitely wasn’t normal. “I thought you were some kind of witch doctor. Can’t you help him?”
“Actually, I’m a shaman.”
“What difference does it make?”
“I know of the healing arts but I cannot control them. I only listen to nature.”