Rhylan

by Emilia Hartley

  Amara spun around, slicing into the nearest wolf as she set off for her sister. She felt the sickening squish as metal met flesh and the blade hit home. Pulling upward, she called upon the hunting skills her grandfather had so painstakingly taught her over the years. She wrenched up the knife with all of her strength, effectively gutting the Valley wolf from naval to nose. When he fell, lifeless, to her feet, Amara fought the urge to be sick. Though the sight of blood covering her hands turned her stomach, she forced herself to keep moving. She had to get to Sadie.

  And then Zoe screamed.

  Amara didn’t hesitate. Without thinking, she rushed back to her friend, dispatching an attacking wolf as quickly and efficiently as she was able to on the way.

  Zoe lay on the ground, her arms crossed over her face to protect her throat. Her knees were tucked up against her and she was using her feet, pressed up against the wolf’s chest, to hold him at bay. Her arms were trembling, and Amara knew if she didn’t get there soon, Zoe would possibly be killed.

  Putting on speed, Amara sprinted toward them. She slammed her shoulder into the wolf, using her momentum to push him off of Zoe. She landed with an oompf on top of the wolf. She had just managed to see Zoe clambering to her feet when she felt the wolf scoot out from beneath her and suddenly, they had changed places.

  This time, she was the one with her back to the pavement, her arms and legs curled up against her as protection from the deadly, slavering jaws of the wild canine intent on ending her life.

  Fear and panic coursed through her veins, and her blood roared through her ears, but Amara forced herself to remain calm. Though the circumstances were far from ideal, she called upon the knowledge gleaned from those two weeks of yoga class her mother had insisted she take, and somehow, she was able to control and balance her breathing.

  Think, Amara, think. Those lethal fangs were getting closer. If only she hadn’t dropped the knife during her fall.

  The knife! Of course.

  Turning her head as much as she dared, Amara searched the pavement for even a hint of the steel blade. There. Now, all she had to do was reach it.

  Stretching out her arm, she spread her fingers as far as they would go. She was barely a centimeter away from it. But the wolf’s paw was holding her down, and if she moved anymore his claws would rip into her flesh. And she most definitely did not want that.

  However, it would be one hell of a lot less painful than if he tore out her throat, but still. Shit, she thought. This is seriously going to hurt.

  Using every ounce of strength she had, Amara fought against her captor. Sure enough, his sharp claws pierced through her jacket and into the skin and muscle of her upper arm. She screamed in pain, but she was still able to reach the blade. Amara’s fingers closed over the handle and she steadied her grip. With one last deep breath, she raised the knife and plunged it straight into the wolf. She didn’t stop until the wolf was motionless.

  The wolf slumped against her, and the sheer weight of him dropping onto her rib cage knocked the wind out of her. Blood poured from the wound in its side, and soon Amara was covered in it. Her stomach heaving, she used what little energy she had left to push the body off of her. And then she was violently and thoroughly sick.

  How Nova and the pack could stomach this kind of violence was beyond her. She hated the Valley wolves as much as the next guy—more even—but if she never had to kill another one of them, it would be too soon. She had killed enough of them already.

  Amara wiped her mouth and then started, nearly jumping out of her skin. A gun shot rang out behind her, followed by the loud thud of yet another body falling to the ground. She whipped around and stared, her expression a mixture of terror and surprise.

  Zoe stood beneath the small circle of yellow light cast from the street lamp, still holding the shotgun. The barrel was smoking. As slowly and carefully as she could, Amara approached the other woman and reached out a tentative hand. She pressed her fingers to the warm metal of the firearm and forced Zoe to lower it. Her arms were still shaking.

  Her eyes a little bit crazed, Zoe turned to face Amara, letting her take the gun away. “He was going to kill you.”

  “I know.”

  “I…I had to. He was just…and I just…he was going to kill you.”

  “I know.” Not knowing was else to do, Amara wrapped her arms around Zoe’s neck and pulled her into a hug. Zoe returned the embrace with near bone-crushing enthusiasm. Amara took a second or two to wonder if she was going into shock—especially when Zoe began to rock back and forth. Finally, she pulled back and forced Zoe to look her in the eyes. Thankfully, she had lost a little of the crazy and she was on her way back to normal. Amara took a deep breath and said what both of them needed to hear. “Thank you.”

  A loud howl caught her attention and Amara once again looked toward her house. She watched as the wolf that was Nova charged up the steps to her front porch and disappeared inside. From what she could tell, the wolf that had howled was Nemoy. The all-black wolf was attempting to charge his way through the chaos after his brother, but he didn’t seem to be getting very far.

  Sadie was nowhere to be seen.

  “No,” Amara breathed, completely horrified.

  Zoe gaped at her. “What?”

  “No!” She didn’t wait for Zoe’s reaction. She didn’t pause to find out why there was a sudden surge in howls and gunfire. Instead, she charged through the crowd, not caring who or what she hit if they got in her way. The only thing she knew right at that moment was that she needed to get to her fiancé and her sister.

  Chapter 17

  The second Nova was inside and out of sight from the humans, he transformed back into his human form. As quietly as he could, he made his way through the house, searching each room as thoroughly as he dared. When he reached Amara’s room and finally decided there was no one else in the house, Nova searched through his drawer of things and pulled on a pair of pants.

  They had to be somewhere. He hadn’t seen them come back out the front. Could Kal have slipped out without Nova seeing him? It was possible, he supposed, but doubtful. What would Amara do if anything happened to Sadie? Would she be able to handle it? To accept it? Would he? Would he lose her? He couldn’t lose her.

  Deciding that the only place Kal and Sadie could be was outside, Nova dashed through the house, into the kitchen, and out the door to the backyard. At first, Nova couldn’t see anything. He could still hear the noise of the fighting, the random gunshot amidst the howls and growls of wolves, but there were less of them now, as if the battle had already been decided and it was just beginning to wind down. Yet, without the yellow glows from the line of street lamps that bordered the street, it was hard to make out whether or not he was alone.

  Nova silenced his thoughts for a moment, aligning himself with the night around him. Reaching deep within himself, he called upon his innate wolf instincts and abilities and transformed only the part of his anatomy that enhanced his hearing. It was a neat “trick,” as his brother Nemoy called it, and most wolves couldn’t do it. At least, not as well as Nova could. He didn’t even think Nemoy had completely perfected that ability yet, and he was the Alpha.

  Focusing on just the sounds around him, Nova did his best to block out the sounds of death, chaos, and destruction from the street. He let the night around him go quiet as he searched for one distinct sound.

  There.

  Off in the far corner of the fenced yard were two independent heartbeats. One was slow and faint, but thankfully, it was still there. The other was loud, strong, and slightly erratic. That one was most certainly Kal. Nova was sure of it.

  “I know you’re out here, Vann,” Nova called. The pounding beat of the other man’s heart became stronger and louder. “Show yourself, why don’t you? Unless, of course, you enjoy standing in the shadows like a coward.” The beat became a frenzy. Nova added the last nail in the coffin. “But I guess that’s how your father does things, isn’t it? Hi
des in the shadows and lets the lesser wolves, the expendable wolves, do his dirty work? As an Alpha, I suppose that strategy does make the most sense, even if it does make him yellow. Are you trying to be like dear old dad, Vann? Have you made him proud yet?”

  Nova knew he was taking a chance in goading Kal, but judging by the rapidly increasing thud, thud, thud of Kal’s heart, he knew it was a risk that would pay off. Kal Vann was unstable on his best days. However, when pushed, he had a tendency to react rather than think things through logically, which gave Nova the advantage.

  Yes, he needed to get to Sadie, and Nova was grateful she was still alive, but one thing he had always done even better than Nemoy was keep a cool head in the face of emergency. If he could rattle Kal to the point where he gave up an advantage, Nova might just be able to get Sadie out of there in one piece.

  “Do not talk of what you don’t know, Lowery,” Kal growled from the shadows. His words came out low and lethal. “You know nothing of my father or what he’s capable of.”

  Kal stepped forward out of the darkness, dragging an unconscious Sadie with him in one arm. Her limp body looked ready to fall to the ground in a crumpled heap. Nova could only hope that she was still alive.

  His blood pumping frantically, Nova forced himself to think rationally for a moment. “No, you’re right. I don’t. And why is that, you may wonder? Because I never see him. Because he always sends you or any number of your lackeys to do his dirty work for him. Your Alpha—your father—sends you to die in his stead because he doesn’t need you. He can sit back and relax, knowing you’re out here risking your life for him, because the harsh reality is that he just does not give two shits about you.

  “And have you seen my Alpha, lately?” Nova asked. He took one slow step forward after another as he spoke. If he could only keep Kal distracted long enough, he might have a chance. “Well,” Nova continued, “if you were paying attention, you would have. Because he was right there beside me, fighting the same battle his Pack was in, facing the same enemy. He didn’t hide back at home like your father. He was a man, defending his people, his family, because they matter. Can you say that about your Alpha, Vann? Do you matter to him?” His laugh was cold and cruel as he interpreted his adversary’s silence. “No. I didn’t think so either.”

  Nova thought he was winning. He thought maybe he was getting to him, breaking him down. Kal’s biggest weakness was his father, Nova knew. Where Nova’s own father and his previous Alpha had been stern but loving, Kal’s father had been heartless and cruel. It was common knowledge that the young pups in the Valley Wolf Clan were beaten into submission rather than taught respect and loyalty. From the moment their Alpha had begun his rise to power, violence had been his weapon of choice. And Kal was what he had to show for it.

  Nova made to take a step forward, but Kal held up a hand and Nova stopped in his tracks.

  “Ah, ah, ah,” Kal chided, wagging one long finger at his adversary. “Don’t come any closer, Lowery, or I will sink my teeth into Sadie’s pretty little neck.”

  Nova’s blood ran cold. Kal would do it; he knew he would. Though Nova was aware Kal’s tone was intentionally taunting, there was an air of madness about him. It sent a chill of fear cascading down Nova’s spine, leading him to an even more terrifying conclusion.

  Kal was insane.

  “Now, now, Lowery,” Kal said, pacing back and forth across the length of Amara’s backyard, “no need to look so alarmed. I will not harm her.” That madness glinted again. “Yet.” The smile that crept across his lips, almost as if in slow motion, was filled with a cruel lunacy. His eyes glowed with it in the dark. He bared his teeth, showing what appeared to be elongated fangs. Had he figured out how to transform just parts of himself? Kal laughed low in his throat. “You should see your face, Lowery,” he sneered. “It is positively comical.”

  Nova felt the growl rumble from low in his throat. His fists clenched at his sides and his nails dug into the palms of his hands. Oh, how he hated that man. Kal Vann had been his nemesis for as long as he could remember. Even when they were kids, the two had never gotten along. Nova had always assumed Kal was jealous of himself and Nemoy. They were the sons of an Alpha, after all. When the Clans would meet at the annual Pack Summits, Kal was forced to submit to their higher standing. His father hadn’t been made the Alpha of the Valley Clan yet. Nova had suspected then that the required submission had led to Kal’s hatred of Nova’s family. A hatred that had built into almost an illness or an ailment over the years.

  Now, he was witnessing the results. And they were terrifying.

  Somehow, when Kal had attacked Amara and her friends ten years previously, his obsession had shifted to Amara and then to her family. It wouldn’t surprise Nova a bit if his own relationship with Amara had pushed Kal Vann over the edge.

  It did, however, scare the living shit out of him.

  Kal was unstable even at the best of times. If he had suffered some kind of psychotic break, there was no telling what he would do.

  “Kal,” he pleaded, holding out one hand. “Kal, please, just don’t…don’t hurt her. She didn’t do anything to you. She isn’t anything to you.”

  Kal raised one brow. “Isn’t she?” He glared at Nova. “You think you’re the only one who can enter into forbidden relationships with a human? You’re the only one exempt from Pack Law? You are not the only one who can make a Townsend fall for you, Lowery. I have completed that task, too. She is mine. And now you’re the one who is irrelevant.”

  Nova frowned. “How am I irrelevant?”

  Kal’s cruel laugh sent chills down Nova’s spine. “You are merely the brother of your Alpha. His wife is pregnant with his heir. You will never be Alpha. You will only ever be a Beta, always less. And always powerless to stop me.”

  Nova’s frown deepened. Though he had never really coveted that position within the Pack, it was true he would never be the leader if Ivanah’s and Nemoy’s child was a boy. And of course, even if it wasn’t, he highly doubted this would be the only child they would have. But they made an effort to keep Ivanah’s pregnancy a secret, very few people knew she was even pregnant.

  So how did Kal know?

  As if reading Nova’s thoughts, Kal laughed again. And then he placed his jaws around Sadie’s throat.

  Chapter 18

  Amara was frantic. Where was her sister? Had she gotten up and walked away by herself? Was she mixed up in the battle? How on Earth was Amara ever going to find her? And where the hell was Nova? Or Kal? Did either of them have anything to do with where Sadie was?

  She ran as quickly as she could around the din of the battle, her knife in her hand. Though her goal was to find her sister, she was ready for whatever came at her.

  Just then, Amara was knocked to the ground in the middle of the street. Her elbows scraped hard against the pavement. She could feel the sting of the blood against the ripped remains of the cloth. Her knife had slipped out of her hands during the fall. She was defenseless, with her back to her enemy, completely unprepared. She could all but feel the wolf’s hot, humid breath against the back of her neck.

  And then he was gone.

  Amara whipped around and stared into the dark eyes of a jet-black wolf, mere inches from her face. Completely out of character, he leaned in and swept his gigantic tongue against her cheek. Nemoy. Amara wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or disgusted.

  “Nemoy,” she breathed, using the wolf’s back to help her up, “I can’t find Sadie or Nova. Have you seen them?”

  Nemoy looked over his shoulder at her house.

  “They went in there?”

  He nodded.

  “Okay. Let’s go.”

  She followed him up the steps and into her house, then waited while he sniffed around, checking the rooms. When he gave a low bark indicating the all clear, Amara let herself relax a little. “Nova keeps some clothes in my dresser if you want to change,” she told him. Then she waited until he reappeared
, human once more.

  “Are you hurt?” he asked, coming over to her and examining her various scrapes and bruises. “Do we need to patch anything up before we keep looking?” She shook her head. “Good. My guess is they’re out back. But we’ve got to be quiet. From what I can hear, well, it doesn’t sound good.”

  Amara let Nemoy lead the way through the house to the back door. Easing it open, he put a finger to his lips to indicate she be silent. She didn’t need to be told twice, though how he expected her to calm her racing heart, she had no idea.

  Holding the door open, Nemoy let her out first, silently shutting the door behind him. She waited for him to pass in front, then they crept down the stairs as silently as they could.

  The scene in front of her made her blood run cold. Nova stood not far from them, frozen with his hands outstretched as if he were waiting to catch something. And it didn’t take her long to figure out what. She followed his gaze to the middle of the yard where Kal stood illuminated by her porch lights. In his arms, Sadie’s lifeless body hung limp as a noodle.

  Amara stared at Nemoy, her eyes begging for some indication that her little sister was still alive. His affirming nod was barely discernable in the dark, but it was enough. She was alive. At least, she was alive for now.

  She knew something of what it was like to be in Kal Vann’s clutches. Just a month ago, that had been her. Yes, she had been able to fight him off long enough that others could intervene, but she had been conscious. Sadie, on the other hand, was completely defenseless and unaware. There was nothing at all that she could do. She was at Kal’s mercy. And Amara knew from her own experiences, he had none.

  “You are merely the brother of your Alpha,” she heard Kal say to Nova. “His wife is pregnant with his heir. You will never be Alpha.” She saw Nova’s hands clench into fists, his entire body go taught. “You will only ever be a Beta,” Kal promised, still baiting him. “Always less. And always powerless to stop me.” With one last, cold laugh, Kal open his mouth and latched his teeth onto Sadie’s throat.