She was done running away.
The presence of Gage’s bear pushed back her coyote’s hesitation. Whatever animal the man had inside of him must have been nothing compared to Gage’s bear. It gave her the power to be a bit bolder. Before she knew it, she was behind Gage. On the other side, Cohen didn’t move. Whatever they’d done to the brothers, he was still unconscious.
She turned to the ropes around Gage’s ankles. It was just rope. At least, that was what she thought until she got closer. His ankles were bound with wire. It wasn’t extremely thick, but it gave her pause.
Gage mumbled something, the word lost. Frustration made him clench his hands, but when his muscles bunched in response, he hissed. Where the wire touched his bare skin, it sizzled and left a burn. Kaylee cocked her head in confusion. She didn’t need to know what it was, just how to get it off.
Gage jerked his head and Kaylee followed. Beyond them was a spool of wire, the same wire wrapped around their wrists and ankles. She glanced back at Gage, confused. He shook his head and jerked it toward the spool of wire again. The bonfire reached for the sky, and as the light stretched, it exposed a pair of wire cutters sitting near the spool.
Oh, she realized. That was what he’d been trying to say.
The only problem was that she had no hands to use. She couldn’t pick up the wire cutters or use them to cut the binding. Hesitation grabbed her and held her. What could she do? The flames made the shadows around her flicker and dance. Each one made her shrink back and shiver.
Gage made a sound, one that came out as encouraging even though she couldn’t hear the words. She could feel something between them stretch and pull tight. A bit of his strength poured into her, tall and immovable like his bear.
She could do this. To her right, the fire stretched and dimmed. In the distance, the howls of the coyote pack died down. But, Kaylee didn’t hear. She was focused on the wire clippers. Creeping out of a shadow, she used her claws to pull it closer. Her claws scraped against the grass, but the wire cutters came with them. Scooping the handle into her mouth, she wanted to let out a howl of victory.
She settled for a victory dance just as a figure stepped out of the grass. A huge, black shape stalked toward her. Its hackles rose, and a familiar growl emanated from its muzzle. She didn’t know how she knew, but she did. Fear stabbed through her heart.
The fire flashed in his eyes, the corners pulling with a smile. At least, the best approximation of a smile a coyote could pull off. His lips split to reveal sharp teeth. His legs tensed.
Kaylee was now the hunted.
She let go of her humanity and gave the coyote reins. It surged forward and grasped control, spinning around to dart into the tall grass. The wire clippers still hung from her muzzle, but she couldn’t stop. The monster was on their heels. He howled gleefully with the song of the hunt.
A laugh filled the area. The man who’d been standing near the bonfire laughed at her. It was a sound filled with malicious glee. She wished she was strong enough to knock his head over his shoulders, wished she was strong enough to turn and fight the monster hunting her.
The coyote was the man who changed her. She didn’t know how she knew, but she did. The gleam in his eyes echoed the sound in his Alpha’s voice. They craved violence. If either of them caught her, she shuddered to think of what they might do to her.
Kaylee was small and fast on her feet. The larger coyote was quick, but his bigger form made him clumsier. She swung around trees and boulders in the woods, trying to shake him. His howls of frustration told her the plan was working.
Then, the pack’s hunting song hit her. It came from every direction, each voice growing closer and closer. They surrounded her. She didn’t know if she could use the same trick she had last time. They would know her song, now. They would know her voice.
She paused, searching for a way out. She realized the wire clippers were still in her muzzle. Gage was still trapped by the silver wire. She’d messed up. They were going to die because she messed up.
The howls came closer. They rang in her ears. She wanted to cower and cover them. Her body shook as she scanned the world around her. A growl vibrated through the branches around her. She spun around to find the shifter who’d changed her. He stared her down with joy in his eyes.
***
The silver burned his skin. Why did shifters have to have weaknesses? Why did damned jewelry materials bind him? It seemed completely unfair. He shifted and pulled, ignoring the burn that seared down to his bones.
The massive coyote chased his mate.
Mate.
Kaylee was his. The monster chasing her would die. If he laid so much as a claw on her, it would be a slow death. As he pulled and strained against the burning threads of metal, he searched for the wire cutters. Kaylee had gotten to them, but they disappeared after that.
She still had them, he realized. She’d been too scared to think about dropping them. Anger grew hot. It burned like the bonfire of broken pews.
“Well, it looks like one person cared enough to come for you,” Killian purred. He stepped closer to crouch beside Gage. “Too bad she’s going to die.”
Gage swung. His bound feet crashed into Killian’s temple. The man staggered back, clutching the burn spread across his cheek. When he glared at Gage, his eyes flashed with the yellow-gold and green of his panther.
“You think you’re some hot shit,” Killian growled. “But, I’m going to tear your family apart, one by one. I’m going to start with the two of you. Once I drop you at your weaker brother’s feet, he’ll know he’s next.”
Gage wished Cohen would wake up. He feared the worst. Once, they thought shifters to be infallible. But, when they learned of Sampson’s cancer, they realized their quick healing bodies couldn’t conquer everything. The silver wrapped around Cohen’s wrists could have halted his healing. If the blow to their heads ruptured something…
The bear inside Gage clawed to be free, but a wall stood between them. The silver created a chasm neither of them could breach.
Killian flicked a switchblade, the metal glinting in the light. Gage looked up at him, unafraid. He even extended his neck. Somewhere, his mate was running from a monster. The sooner he took care of Killian, the sooner he could save her.
With the bear pushed back, he could make a plan. Step one, get the damned silver off. Step two, kill Killian. Step three, kill the feral shifter hunting his mate. Step four, take her home and bury himself inside her. She was never leaving his sight again.
He would ask her to stay, to be his. He would lay down roots, for her.
Chapter Sixteen
Kaylee did the only thing she could think of. She leapt at the shifter.
Confusion twisted his canine face for a moment, just long enough for her body to slide beneath his. She tumbled and rolled with the momentum before finding her feet beneath her. The wire cutters still hung from her mouth. She needed to get them back to Gage. It was the only thing that could free them from the burning wire.
Behind her. The howls turned vicious. She’d slipped through their circle and evaded them once again. It infuriated them. It made them want to destroy her. She couldn’t spare a moment to think. If she paused, even for a second, her advantage would be lost.
So, she surged forward, thinking of nothing more than the wind in her ears and the ground beneath her feet. Without the packs of vicious animals, being a shifter wasn’t all that bad, she thought.
She could live like this, as long as they survived the night.
The light of the bonfire appeared ahead, casting light between the naked trees. The silhouette of the other shifter still stood over Gage. His fist reared back and slammed into Gage. Fury hit her, hot and volatile. Her body veered toward them without a thought as to what she was doing.
She broke from the woods, feet lifting from the ground. Her body crashed into the silhouette’s back. He grunted and stumbled. She hit the ground, rolling away. Gage cried out with concern. When she looked back, h
is eyes were wide with fear.
The silhouette turned toward her. His hand reached out and fell on her shoulder. She felt a power slither through her. It was similar to the feeling Cohen’s voice brought. The power of an Alpha. The power turned her inside out. It set her skin ablaze and made her fur slough off her skin. She whimpered and writhed as the pain coursed through her.
After a long moment, she realized her human limbs had returned. She pulled her arms and knees into her body. Her breath came shallow, panic rising through her. From the woods, a man emerged. The lanky form was instantly recognizable. It would haunt her more than ever before.
The shifter that changed her laughed. The sound hit her as the silhouette stepped away.
“She’s all yours.” The silhouette sounded angry. “We don’t need her body to send a message so do whatever you want.”
Her eyes flew wide just as the shifter pounced on her. The impact made her back hit the ground. Her head bounced and spun. Gage roared through the gag in his mouth. He fought against the wire, ignoring the way it burned.
Behind him, Cohen rose like a ghost. He was a wraith, bound by a spell. Once she released them both, the shifters would be sorry. But, she had to release them first. As the shifter grappled for control, she searched for the fallen wire cutters. Where had they fallen? They’d been in her mouth before the silhouette forced her change.
Where could they have gone?
Why had she come alone? Where were Joanna and Archer? Pack promised safety, but she wasn’t a part of their packs. Kaylee was an outsider. She wasn’t pack, wasn’t protected. Did that mean they wouldn’t come for her? Did that mean they would leave Gage and Cohen? She didn’t want to think so, but tears of desperation burned her eyes.
She whimpered and cried, her body pinned to the ground. No. She would be stronger than this. She would fight. Pulling her arms to her body, she tried to push him back. But, he was stronger. He grabbed her arms and forced them to the ground. His face hovered over hers, a smile splitting his face from ear to ear. His sharp teeth made her stomach turn.
His eyes didn’t travel where she thought it would. Instead, he studied her shoulder. A question rose through her until he used his grip to start pulling. Her shoulder barked in protest. It burned and threatened to give. A scream rose in her throat, but she shoved it back down.
“There’s no room in this pack for weaklings like you,” the shifter whispered into her face. His breath was hot and reeked of decay.
She looked away from him. Her eyes found Gage and Cohen. There was blood dripping down Gage’s temple. It sparked a hot fury inside her. Behind him, Cohen glowered at the world. There was a promise in his eyes, retribution that involved burning the world to the ground. Her eyes flicked to Gage’s, an unspoken message in them.
She had an idea. It might not save them, but if they could make it out of here, it would make them stronger. She also had a feeling Cohen wasn’t going to like it. If there wasn’t a pack coming for them, maybe they could make their own.
The shifter tugged and pulled at her arm. Kaylee clenched her fist and met the man’s gaze. Her arm was a shooting pillar of fire, but her body refused to give.
The man’s grasp fell away, and she foolishly let out a breath.
“You’re made from sturdier stuff than I thought. How about I start smaller?”
He turned his attention to her other hand. She tried not to pay attention to what he was doing. Instead, she slapped the grass for the wire cutters. A snap filled the air and the breath left her lungs right before pain slammed into her. Gritting her teeth, she found the wire cutters and tossed them toward the brothers.
Her fingers throbbed. She refused to look and see what the shifter had done to her hand. She was only glad it was her left hand. He could have it, she thought. All she needed was her right hand.
The shifter wasn’t happy with her reaction. Clearly, he wanted a bigger rise out of her. His eyes slipped over her body, as if searching for the next thing to ruin. Carefully, she slipped her right hand under her body.
No. No. No, she prayed.
His eyes caught her movement and glee flashed in them. Her stomach dropped. Fear sliced through her. He grinned as he reached for her right hand. She fought against him, but he was stronger. He pried her arm out from beneath her body and claimed her hand. For a moment, he toyed with her fingers.
“This little piggy…”
But he didn’t get a chance to finish. A brown streak slammed into the shifter. He and the massive bear tumbled to the ground in a roaring heap. To her right, the biggest bear she’d ever seen in her life reared back. He lifted his head to the sky and let out a roar that shook the world. His eyes caught the fire and burned with something inhuman.
Still pulsing with adrenaline, Kaylee gathered herself and scurried away from the beast. He looked down at her, studied her like prey, just as a wave of coyotes leapt over him. Their teeth sought purchase in his fur, their snarls and growls creating a cacophony of violence. The bear roared with glee once more before grabbing one of the coyotes and flinging them across the area.
The coyote hit a headstone and slumped to the ground. The sound of the impact made Kaylee wince and pull back. Her hand throbbed with pain as she held it close to her body. The night air lit with sounds, the voices of animals. Wolf howls and bear growls stalked toward the abandoned church.
The other packs had arrived.
Kaylee wanted to slump with relief, but there were still the echoes of war around her. She sought out Gage, only to find him snarling over the feral shifter that had pinned her. The light of mischief that filled his eyes was gone, devoured by something far more animal. She tried to rise to her feet, but winced when she put weight on her shoulder.
“Gage!” She screamed his name, but he didn’t move. “Gage freaking Vancourt!”
Behind her, the bear that had been Cohen raised his head and let out another roar before swiping wildly at another coyote. When he missed, he dropped to all fours and snarled, spittle flying through the air. Cohen was gone.
She spun back toward Gage. She needed him if this was going to work. He was going to have to listen to her. She was going to have to trust that he wasn’t going to hurt her.
***
The bear’s claws sunk into the man’s flesh. He hissed and struggled against the bear’s weight, but there was nothing he could do. The bear was bigger, heavier, stronger. It was going to take this man’s life. Make sure it could never hurt anyone.
“Is this how it ends? One friend against another?” The man’s voice was hoarse, struggling through the pressure of the bear’s paw.
The bear pushed harder. The man struggled, grasping the bear’s fur as if he could pull him away. This would end. The violence would end. Kaylee would be safe. Forever. Claws slipped between ribs and pierced vital muscle. It watched as light faded from the man’s eyes, leaving the bear with a sense of satisfaction. With a growl of victory, he tossed the man’s body toward the fire.
The bear searched the clearing for the silhouette of Killian, but he was gone. The shifty Alpha had slipped away once again. He’d saved his own neck and left his coyotes to die. The bear growled, dropping his head as he searched for Killian. He wanted this over once and for all. He wanted to end the violence that surrounded them.
“Gage?” a small, hoarse voice asked.
The bear spun toward the sound to find their mate. She sat on the ground, naked and bare to the world. Her body was covered with scrapes and bruises, an arm cradled against her body. He growled, eyes flicking away as if there was still a threat hanging over her.
She pulled herself off the ground, not bothering to cover herself. Chewing on her lower lip, she searched his face. The bear would make the world pay for what happened to their mate. She was their mate. No one could touch her.
“Gage? Are you there?” Her hands touched the sides of his face.
Behind her, the sounds of whimpers and snarls filled the air. Another bear roared, the sound more joy
than intimidation. There was a crack of snapping bones followed by a triumphant grunt.
“Gage. I need you right now. Cohen has lost control. You need to help your brother. We need to help your brother.”
But the bear didn’t care. It wanted to curl around their mate and make sure she was safe forever. But, a force rose from within. It had a voice of its own, one the bear had forgotten.
Cohen needs us? Gage asked. Cohen?
The bear looked to the monster beyond their mate. The beast had killed a number of coyotes and moved on to the headstones, turning them into rubble with great swings of his paws. Its head shot up, eyes fixing on Gage. It roared, the sound like a force through them. Gage only had a second to push Kaylee out of the way before Cohen’s bear rushed them.
Gage’s feet slid in the dirt as their paws met. Cohen snarled in his face, the man he was forgotten. Gage knew how it felt, but this seemed different. He didn’t know what made his brother lose control. Seeing the shifter hurt his mate had forced the bear to take control from Gage, but this seemed more like an uncontrollable force.
Cohen’s beast was a natural disaster. It was a tsunami or a mudslide. It threatened to wash over everything and destroy whatever was in its path. Gage wrestled the beast for control, using all he had to push the bear back. Cohen’s beast was massive. It was stronger, but Gage had the strength of will. He wouldn’t let his brother hurt himself. He wouldn’t let him hurt anyone.
In that moment, Gage thought he understood why Cohen had abandoned them. Cohen hadn’t turned his back on his brothers. Instead, he’d left to protect them. The bear inside Cohen was strong and unpredictable. It was a true beast.
“Cohen?” Kaylee’s voice broke through the battle.
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