by Morgan Fox
He didn’t want the fucking title, not yet anyway. He wanted a life first, to see his people settled and safe. He was the strongest of his pack physically and needed by his people on occasions like this. As alpha he’d be forced to give direction to others in his pack and miss out on the actual hunt. He was not ready to relinquish that role—not yet, maybe not ever.
He’d only claim alpha status of his pack once Sebastian no longer wanted that responsibility or was no longer capable of handling that duty. Something Dominic hoped wasn’t now. The poor bastard was sick, and that’s how Dominic had to think of him. Sebastian needed time to heal, that was all. Once he was doctored up, he’d be back in business as the alpha of the pack, enough said.
Dominic scraped his arm against the tree, making sure to leave his scent thick and heavy on the area surrounding him, drawing in his alpha leader. Reyes was close by, but downwind enough that he wouldn’t be identified—at least not right away.
Dominic drew out his Beretta, the black .45 caliber gun dwarfed in his enormous hands. He’d loaded the gun with silver bullets just in case he’d come into contact with something that didn’t want to play nice.
He wasn’t planning on letting Sebastian infect him, too, but if he had the chance to put Sebastian out of his misery, he would. Fuck, if Sebastian even looked at him like a rabid dog, he’d put him down faster than shit. Sure, he didn’t want to do that, but he would, no questions asked.
Then it happened. He scented the arousal of a woman—Brie. His nostrils flared as he breathed in the alluring, musky scent. She’d done as Jonah asked, and Dominic prayed it would work.
His unruly cock stirred. He hadn’t had a woman in a while, and it showed. The need for flesh-on-flesh contact was burning hot in his mind. His body itched for release. Palming his groin, he pushed his cock down, growling to get his libido under control and fast.
Standing perfectly still, Dominic inhaled a chest full of air, several times he did this, honing in on anything and everything, besides the sexually aroused female. A female he’d fuck in a heartbeat if not for his best friend, Jonah. Not Sebastian—he’d have fucked Brie just to piss Sebastian off. That’s what big swinging dicks did.
Finally Dominic caught scent of Sebastian. Thanks to Brie, the bastard had dropped his guard. Hormonal lust was almost a sure bet for any were-male every time. The need to pleasure one’s mate was burned into the brain—a duty each held as sacred as God himself.
Mates were instinctively chosen for one another, and they would just as easily die for each other as they would breathe. That was the way of things—always had been.
Dominic caught his scent, it was growing stronger. He backtracked, circling out and then back. Then he spotted the half-transformed alpha huddled on the ground near a tree, cradling his head. He watched for a moment as Sebastian grunted and growled, scraping claws against his head and the tree alongside him. He was acting as if he was battling his own inner demons. Most likely was. The mating heat and virus, fighting inside his head like water and oil.
He palmed the gun, squeezing his fingers around the rubbery grip of his pistol, finger tapping against the trigger. Aiming, he placed his first shot at the meaty flesh of Sebastian thigh. Sebastian reared up, wailing as if he’d been slammed in his leg with a baseball bat—repeatedly. Then as he roared to the sky, Dominic struck him with another silver bullet—this time in the back.
Two silver bullets struck Sebastian’s body, turning the smooth flesh into meaty hamburger. With his left hand, Dominic reached around his back, grabbed his other gun from the waist of his black jeans and pulled it out. Stepping clear of the trees, he moved to stand over Sebastian. He aimed the second gun directly at his face. His only thought was to stop Sebastian.
He fired, dropping Sebastian’s big body to the ground effortlessly. Staring down at his predecessor, he wondered what he was going to do now. What the hell would the others expect him to do now that Sebastian was technically out of the picture? He sure as shit didn’t have a clue.
* * * *
“What the fuck have you done?” Jonah cried, scrambling to the ground beside his blood soaked brother. The bullets had gone through Sebastian’s leg and chest as if he had been made of soft cheese. “You killed my brother, you fucking son of a bitch! You killed my goddamn brother!” Squeezing his hands into tight fists, he launched himself at Dominic.
Before Jonah could reach Dominic, two strong hands gripped his shoulders and yanked him back. Reyes held him tight against his chest. Arms like a vice around his body.
“Take it easy, kid,” Reyes said, his voice was smooth and even as he spoke. The fact that he was holding a two-hundred-pound werewolf in his arms didn’t seem to sway the tone of his voice even a little.
“Let me go, Reyes,” Jonah spat. “That motherfucker killed my brother, and now I’m going to kill him.” Jonah kicked his legs in Dominic’s direction, his body flailing like a fish out of water.
Dominic arched a curious brow and smirked in Jonah’s direction—a challenging grin.
Reyes growled. “No, Jonah, he didn’t. Now chill the fuck out so I can let you go.”
Jonah stilled, but it was a false surrender. As soon as Reyes’s arms relaxed, Jonah sprung at Dominic once again, but the large warrior was ready and waiting.
Dominic’s fist slammed into Jonah’s left cheek, sending him flying back to the hard ground. Dust and dirt swirled around his crumpled body. He whirled back onto his feet, but this time Dominic raised his hands as if to yield his attack.
With an arched brow, Dominic said, “Relax, Jonah. I hit him in the leg and back with silver bullets to subdue his rabid ass, but the last shot was only a tranquilizer. He’ll be awake shortly.”
Reyes stepped up alongside them, his hands holding thick metal chains. “We better restrain his rabid ass before he wakes.”
Dominic nodded. “Good idea. He’s going to be plenty pissed when he comes to.”
Dominic then extended his arm to his best friend. “I’m sorry I freaked you out man, but I told you I wouldn’t kill your brother, and I did everything I could to keep my word.” Jonah took his hand, his face blazing hot with anger. Dominic squeezed his hand, pulling Jonah against his chest, their faces inches from one another.
“I should be pissed at you for thinking the worst of me before knowing the truth. Whatever happened to our trust, loyalty...friendship?”
Jonah’s lips parted in response, but Dominic stopped him. “I really don’t want to hear it now. Let’s get Sebastian back to the house before he wakes.”
Damn, he’d fucked up. Why had he assumed Dominic killed Sebastian? Was his mind that fucked-up with everything that was going on that he’d assume his best friend would do something that would obviously destroy him? Dominic had been like another brother to him, another older brother, but still, he’d been there for him at every step of the way. They’d grown up together. Spent most of their lives together, growing into the men they were today.
Jonah knew firsthand the struggles that Dominic had faced in his youth and how important trust was to him.
Damn it! He really fucked up. He wasn’t sure Dominic would ever be able to forgive him. No, that wasn’t true. Dominic had a big heart, and he would forgive him. He’d just never be able to forget what he had done to him, what he had accused Dominic of.
Jonah groaned, knowing it would take more than a simple apology to fix this situation between them.
Fucking great...
Chapter Ten
Brie ran into the dark woods, her heartbeat fast and furious in her chest, slamming against her ribs as if at any moment it planned to burst out from behind her breast. Arms pumping, she ran in the direction of the male voices she recognized as Jonah’s and Reyes’s, Dominic’s, too.
But she didn’t hear Sebastian’s voice, not a peep, not even a sigh—nothing. Where was Sebastian?
Please let him be okay.
Ryken and Luken ran alongside her, acting like the Secret Service to the Pres
ident. Their presence didn’t take away the terror from her thoughts, didn’t stop her from feeling the grip of death wrap around her heart.
Brie’s mind repeated, in a frantic scream, Where’s Sebastian?
She couldn’t believe the fear that raced through her. Thoughts of Sebastian’s body sprawled out on the ground. Blood seeping out of his body from wounds inflicted by the others. Others who were more than monsters in her mind, rabid creatures that killed her lover.
Shaking her head of her rambling, incoherent thoughts, she wondered, would they still be werewolves with claws and teeth, cutting and snarling at her as she approached? Would they kill her, too? What if she was wrong and it was Sebastian who had done the killing? Would Sebastian kill her as well?
She didn’t have time to care. She only needed to find them and discover for herself what had happened—no matter what.
Tears threatened her vision. She tripped over something hard, stubbing her toe. Both Ryken and Luken were there to steady her, their strong hands gripping her upper arms.
Not missing a beat, the three of them kept running. She trembled as she continued her forward progress to uncertainty. Her legs shook from the force she put them through. Ryken and Luken were so much faster that she was, but she didn’t dare complain. Mind focused, eyes honing in on the gathered men, she ran faster.
She spotted Sebastian lying on the ground like she’d feared. Blood covered his body. No! Her mind snapped. It had to be someone else. Not Sebastian. He couldn’t be dead. Her heart sank to her stomach.
Out of breath, her body crushed against Jonah’s, a brick wall that robbed her body of any remaining air. She wheezed.
Sucking in a lung full of air, she screamed, begging, “Let me see him, Jonah. I need to see him.”
Fists pounding wildly against his chest, Jonah held her in his arms, lifting her smaller body off the ground, he whispered, “Sweetheart, what are you doing out here? It’s not safe for you to be out here.” He growled at Ryken and Luken who still stood close at her side, taking their protection detail of her extremely seriously.
Her chest tightening, breathing shallow, she whimpered, “Jonah, is he dead? Did someone kill him?” Her vision was obscured as she stared at Sebastian’s body from over Jonah’s broad shoulder. Her fingers twisted in the fabric of his shirt. “Please tell me he’s not dead. I can’t live without him, Jonah.”
He stroked the back of her head, the gesture one used to calm a child. He squeezed her tighter. “No. No, of course not, he’s asleep.” He kissed her forehead and with both hands he held her against his chest in a comforting embrace. “Dominic shot him with a tranquilizer. He’s going to be just fine.”
Sobbing hard, as if the gates of a dam opened up, she let the panic and fear escape. Tears streaming down her face, she gasped. “Oh, Jonah. I was so scared. When I came up and saw him—” She tucked her face into his shoulder, hiding her tear stricken face.
“Calm down, baby. Everything’s okay now.” Jonah eased back to look at her face. “Take a few deep breaths for me. Try to calm down, baby.”
She did as he asked, breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth in controlled, calming breaths. Then her eyes narrowed. Her thoughts on the tranquilizer Jonah had mentioned. She glanced over at Sebastian’s body.
Tranquilizer my ass!
She pushed away from Jonah, holding his curious gaze. Arms folded over her chest and tight-lipped, she asked, “If Dominic shot him with a tranquilizer, then why is he so bloody?” Her voice was harsh and filled with anger. “I know I’m just a silly woman and an insignificant partner at your legal firm who doesn’t know squat about forensics.” As one of the leading attorney’s in Dallas, sarcasm was at work in her mind, her greatest defense. “But last I checked, tranquilizers didn’t leave their victims bloodied and bruised from head to toe.”
His eyes darted around to the other faces that lingered nearby before locking gazes with her. Jonah sighed, “Dominic shot him with a silver bullet first.”
Her eyes widened at Jonah’s revelation, but why? Wasn’t that what she expected him to say? Fuck no.
Then her mind splintered into a million pieces when Jonah added, “Twice.”
Lips parted, anger filling her mind and chest, she barked, “What the fuck for? Was he trying to kill him first?” Fury burned in her eyes, heat radiating out like the blazing raise of sunlight.
“No, I wasn’t trying to kill him,” Dominic’s deep voice boomed from behind her.
She whirled around to face him. He stood like a warrior, arms at his sides, legs slightly parted. His eyes deep and searching, mouth pressed into a tight line. “If I wanted him dead, he would be.”
Anger, fury, vengeance, and so many other emotions churned in her belly and charged to the surface. She stepped forward and struck Dominic hard across the face. Unflinching, he stared down at her.
A crooked smile tugged at his lips. “Feel better?” he asked.
Her hand stung like hell, but she wouldn’t dare admit that to the big brute standing in front of her. He was on her shit-list. She only wished she had the strength to do something about it.
“What the fuck were you thinking, shooting Sebastian?”
Rounding, she faced Jonah, her voice scraping against her throat angrily as she screamed, “And where the fuck were you? You promised me, Jonah. You promised me you’d bring everyone home in one piece. Not fucking dead!” Tears welled in her eyes once more, trickling like a stream down her face.
Damn these tears. She needed to figure out a way to grow some balls and turn into the woman she used to be. Not this blubbering, emotional idiot.
“Jonah did his job, Brie, exactly what he was supposed to do. He stayed out of my way.” Dominic growled. Through gritted teeth, he snapped, “And as far as what I was thinking...I was thinking that Sebastian is one of the fiercest damn lycans I’ve ever known and he’s been infected with some damn virus that helps to mask his scent and ability to come up on even me without so much as a fucking sound.” Hissing, he continued, “I was thinking that I’d better drop him before he kills every last one of us. I was thinking that maybe you’d like to not be raped by a rabid fucking alpha male with only one thing on his mind—fucking and killing you!”
Brie gasped, arguing, “Sebastian would never hurt me.” She wanted more than anything to believe the programmed words moving past her lips. Had forced herself to, but staring into Dominic’s wild, dark eyes, she didn’t know if her feelings about Sebastian were accurate. She was afraid of Sebastian and for good reason—he was dangerous.
Was it worth the argument with the enormous wall of muscle closing in on her? She was starting not to think so.
Pressing his massive chest up against Brie, he forced her to take a step back, neck craning to look up at him. “No, Sebastian wouldn’t, but that son of a bitch would.” Dominic pointed towards the chained man on the ground. “He’d do everything I said and more, and he’d do it without even thinking twice about it.” He growled, leaning towards her. “An alpha in mating heat is aggressive enough, if you haven’t noticed. Add a little fucked-up mutating virus to the mix and you can be sure that the end result will not leave you warm and fuzzy.” His dark eyes burned into Brie, his need for her to understand what he was telling her obvious in his fierce gaze. “Get your head out your ass, Brie. That’s not Sebastian.”
Turning on his heels, Dominic moved towards Sebastian and slung the six-and-half-foot alpha over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He lugged Sebastian the entire way back to the cabin, not speaking a single word to anyone. His shoulders were tight, blood rushing up his neck. She’d done a great job pissing him off.
She cringed, knowing that slapping Dominic had been stupid and blaming Jonah even dumber. Why had she done that? They were protecting her—at all costs. Sebastian would have appreciated their help. Not scolded them for their efforts.
This new and different life she was living was quickly spiraling out of control.
She
remained silent, holding on to Jonah’s hand because he would not let go of hers. Face hot, she was embarrassed and angry because she had let her emotions turn her into a silly, irrational woman. Damn it. She’d spent her entire life competing in the arena of men and in a few short months, she turned into just another emotional woman who couldn’t reason because her hormones were ruling her brain. What the fuck was that about?
Shit, shit, double shit.
“You okay?” Jonah’s voice purred into her ear, offering comfort she didn’t feel she deserved. She’d treated him unfairly. Honestly, she was shocked he’d actually cared enough to ask.
Shaking her head, she admitted, “No. I’m such an ass, Jonah. I can’t believe I overreacted like that. What the hell was I thinking slapping Dominic and screaming at you?”
“Don’t think anything off it, Brie. You were freaked. You thought Sebastian was dead. I did the same thing to Dominic when I came up on the scene.” He brushed her hair away from her face, tucking her hair behind her ear, his touch warm and caring. “Both of us owe him a huge apology.”
She came to a stop, and Jonah turned to meet her gaze. Brow pinched tight, she asked, “You hit him, too?”
Frowning, Jonah chuckled. The sound more like a deep throaty sigh, he said, “Not exactly.” He lowered his eyes to look at the ground. Shame washed over his face.
“Jonah?” she called softly, squeezing his hand.
“I tried to hit him, but he sort of hit me instead.” Jonah rubbed his jaw, indicting exactly where Dominic had punched him. “I over reacted just like you and I feel like shit about it. Dom’s been my friend my entire life. When I saw Sebastian lying on the ground…” He paused, blowing out a pent-up burst of air. “Within a split second, I forgot about the man Dominic was, and I thought the worst of him.” He met her gaze once more. “He might not admit it, but Dominic’s got to be furious with me.”
Sighing, her stomach squeezing tight, she added, “No, Jonah. He’s furious with both of us.”