"Baya," I pleaded. "Don't do this. You don't have to listen to Cyan, even if he's your alpha! No alpha's worth this."
She gnawed her lip, eyes flitting to meet mine for a second, and I saw the panic in her gaze that mirrored my own. "Turn on Cyan, abandon our alpha, and make an enemy of the Mine Pack for life." She shook her head. "Our pack wouldn't survive it."
"The Wood Pack would take you in," Thorne said quietly. "You outnumber Hail and his wolves. You could overpower them."
"There's more of them hiding in the trees." Baya coughed from the smoke, wiping her eyes on the back of a hand, glancing around anxiously. "Maybe. Maybe we could, but what would..." She looked at me, her expression almost desperate. "We have to look after our own, Lyssa. That's how it's always been."
"No it hasn't! We aren't monsters, we can still choose to do the right thing. We can still be our own people. Thorne and I didn't leave the pack because we wanted to abandon you all, we did it because Cyan didn't leave us any other choice! I know it's hard to fight what your instincts tell you, but Cyan isn't leaving you any choice now either. How are you going to live with yourselves, knowing you let this happen? He's forcing that on you for his own selfish reasons."
Agatha leaned over. "A leader who puts himself first isn't any kind of leader at all. He's a tyrant."
"The others will listen to you, Baya," I continued. "Tell them they don't have to do this."
Baya looked back at Cyan, her fingers trembling as they clutched at her throat. "Maybe he'll listen. Maybe if we all stand up to him, he'll have to listen."
"We'll be right by your side."
She took a deep breath, then nodded faintly. "I'll try. Stay quiet."
I tried to answer with a smile, but she had already gone. No smile could have conveyed the gratitude I felt towards her in that moment. Baya moved from pack member to pack member, taking them aside quickly and quietly to whisper to them. Some replied anxiously in hushed tones, some only nodded fearfully, others shook their heads and glanced in Cyan's direction, but nobody seemed ready to outright challenge Baya's request. She was the senior female in the pack, and I applauded the confidence with which she held herself as she spoke with the others. They were frightened, all of them, and they needed a voice of leadership to tell them what to do. A voice that wasn't Cyan's.
As I clung to Thorne's hand I allowed a flicker of hope to build inside me amongst the mounting tension.
The flames were moving closer. I was starting to feel the heat of the blaze warming through my damp clothes, and every second that passed brought the rest of the forest wolves closer to the orchard, and the inevitable confrontation that was coming.
"Do you think they'll do it?" Niya whispered. "Turn on Cyan?"
"Maybe," Thorne replied. "He's pushed them so far. If Baya can persuade the majority to stand up to him, the rest should fall in line."
"A wolf is loyal to their pack, even before their alpha," Agatha said.
I gave the old woman's arm a squeeze. "Did you see where they took my sister? The little girl?"
She nodded towards the back of the orchard, towards the flames. "Over there. There's a little shack behind the trees, that's probably where they left her."
I swallowed hard, and Thorne leaned in to whisper to me.
"Go and find her," he said. "I'll keep them busy. You go for her as soon as we have the chance."
Cyan's voice cut through the air before I could respond.
"Not now, Baya! I told you, we'll be done here soon. Tomorrow morning we'll be on our way home. We'll be finished with all of this."
I looked up. Cyan loomed over Baya next to the trees, but she wasn't alone. Our former pack members were edging closer, drifting away from their positions around the Wood Pack prisoners to form a loose circle around their alpha.
"This is too much, Cyan," she said.
"After everything I've done for you?" He snorted, blinking in surprise as he noticed the group coming together around Baya. "I'm your alpha! I took you all in, every last one of you. I made this pack!"
I clutched Thorne's hand. Glowing eyes watched us from the trees near the orchard's entrance, the Mine Pack wolves disturbed by the commotion. Somewhere close by I heard warning howls.
"And we're thankful for that," Baya replied steadily, but I could see her hands shaking behind her back. Her mate stepped forward to place a hand on her shoulder.
Cyan's eyes flashed as he spun around to address the rest of his pack. "If you listen to her, we're finished! The Mine Pack won't let us turn tail and leave before this is done—"
A deafening crash of branches cut him off in mid-sentence as one of the burning trees at the end of the orchard collapsed, a cloud of sparks exploding into the air amidst the sound of tearing wood. Smoke rolled across the grass, stinging my eyes and plunging my surroundings into a coughing, choking mess of confusion. Voices cried out, wolves howled, and in an instant people were pushing past me, savage barks and snarls heading straight towards us from the trees.
The smoke was so thick I could barely see, the entire orchard descending into chaos within moments. Thorne tugged me to my feet, pulling me back at the last moment as a dark shape shot past. I saw Cyan shoving his way through the others, and a dark-furred Mine Pack wolf tussling with Baya's mate, their snarling jaws locked together as another cloud of smoke and sparks rolled past. The blaze seemed to have spread in minutes, wood groaning and sap hissing as the hellish orange glow shone through the fog.
We staggered away from the commotion, Thorne's hand clutched tight around my arm as we covered our faces with our jackets, struggling desperately to breathe. Through gaps in the smoke I saw more Mine Pack wolves appearing from the orchard's entrance, half a dozen brown-furred Wood Pack hunters following in their wake. Ethan would be there, maybe others as well by now.
I lost sight of Cyan, but a trio of Mine Pack wolves were prowling out of the smoke towards us, their eyes red-rimmed and glistening, muzzles pressed low to the ground. Their leader Hail followed a moment later, staggering drunkenly through the grass as he gazed around him, a dazed smile on his lips. When he caught sight of us he let out a shrill bark, the animal noise sounding terrifying when it came out of a human mouth. He shifted into his wolf form and bounded past his three pack members, teeth bared and growling like a rabid beast. There was no way we could fight all four of them by ourselves, but we had nowhere to run.
Our predators spread out to trap us against the edge of the orchard as Hail came hurtling forward. Thorne and I barely had time to shift into our wolf forms before he was on top of us, leaping through the air and sending himself crashing into a clump of brambles as we dodged aside.
The Mine Pack alpha howled with frustration, tearing his way out of the tangled undergrowth as it caught and snagged in his fur. The three hunters hadn't advanced yet, keeping us hemmed in while their alpha took the lead. Thorne darted at Hail while he was still trying to free himself, but the second his teeth came out to snap at the other wolf's neck he was pounced on by two of the hunters, dragging him away with teeth and claws tugging at his fur.
I howled and threw myself towards them, driving one of the wolves away with a heavy butt to his side as Thorne tussled with the other. Teeth dug into my shoulder as the third wolf jumped on my back, a fierce whine in the back of her throat as I yowled in pain, rolling over to try and dislodge her.
I was fighting for my life, driven by desperate panic as I flailed and scrabbled in the grass, knowing it was only a matter of seconds before the four Mine Pack wolves picked themselves up and overwhelmed us. I raked my claws across the female's side as she rolled away from me, climbing back to her feet, but the one I had butted away from Thorne was already on top of me, pinning me down with a pair of heavy paws against my shoulders as the female crawled away. I struggled to squirm free, but the one pinning me was heavy and strong. The female bared her teeth, slinking back towards me with murder in her eyes.
I howled for Thorne, but he was already there, batting the f
emale to the ground with a heavy swipe of his paw and pinning her, even as the wolf he'd been fighting caught up with him and sunk his teeth into my mate's hindquarters. Thorne twisted violently, throwing his attacker off and turning to face him as he kept the snapping female pinned. The wolf hesitated, unwilling to fight Thorne head on, and for a moment the five of us stayed locked in a stalemate, the hot breath of the creature on top of me panting in my ears.
Then Hail's heavy paws hit the ground, and my heart sank. The powerful alpha approached Thorne, a growl grating in the back of his throat as he licked his muzzle, drawing his lips back from a set of stained fangs.
Something crashed nearby, and I barely had a second to look up at the brown-furred monster hurtling out of the smoke before Rowan threw himself at Hail.
The Mine Pack alpha was taken completely by surprise as the larger wolf bulled him into the ground. Rowan's teeth flashed red with blood, driving straight into Hail's neck, and in an instant it was over.
It took a moment for the Mine Pack wolves to comprehend what had happened, but as soon as they realised their alpha wasn't getting up they let out a furious howl in unison, the two males forgetting me and Thorne as they flew at Rowan in a snarling rage, one biting into his leg while the other attacked his side, driving him off Hail's body as he scrambled to defend himself. The female took the opportunity to squirm free of Thorne, yanking herself out from underneath his paws and darting away into the smoke without a backwards glance.
Thorne grabbed one of Rowan's attackers by the back of the neck, his teeth tightening in the other wolf's fur as his muscles strained, using his sheer size and strength to tear the Mine Pack hunter away and throw him bodily to the ground. Realising that the odds were against him now, the dazed wolf gave us one last panicked glance before bolting after the female, the third one quickly following suit after Rowan drove him away with a deafening roar.
I took my human form and clambered forwards on hands and knees, my shoulder aching from the bite as warm blood soaked into my jacket, my heart pounding so hard I could barely breathe. I ran a hand through Thorne's fur, feeling for injuries, but he shrugged me off and shifted back as well, looking to Rowan with concern.
The Wood Pack alpha was breathing heavily, supporting himself on one leg as the other hung limply by his side. His wounds were bleeding far more seriously than the scratches and bites Thorne and I had sustained.
"Rowan, you..." I choked back a sob. "Thank you. We'll get help, don't try to move."
He snorted and shook his head, jerking his muzzle in the direction of the fire.
"Don't worry, we'll take care of the others," Thorne said, resting a hand on his old friend's shoulder. "Just stay put."
Rowan looked at Thorne, his glinting brown eyes hard and impassive. Then he growled softly and bobbed his head, sinking to the ground with a snarl of discomfort.
Thorne helped me to my feet as I glanced around the smoky orchard, my body shaking with the amount of adrenaline pumping through my veins. The thick cloud of smoke had cleared a little since the first tree fell, but the flames were blazing closer than ever. Wood Pack wolves tussled with Mine Pack hunters all around us, but one by one the panicked howls of those who had seen their alpha fall were reaching the ears of the others, and those who didn't turn tail and run started to back off and hesitate, unsure of what to do.
Sabi and Niya crouched in their wolf forms outside the open door of the long building Thorne had been kept in, a pair of young faces looking out from behind them. At least they'd kept the vulnerable ones safe. I prayed none of them had been hurt.
Cyan was hemmed in by a group of his own pack, panting for breath with his hands on his knees. He met my gaze for a moment, and I hesitated, my throat tightening.
"Come on," Thorne said. "Ellie first, then Cyan."
I nodded hastily, the fear for my sister returning as I tripped through the tangled grass towards the flames.
"Lyssa!" I heard Cyan call as we ran past. I ignored him, and he yelled my name one more time before roaring: "Where's your alpha?! Who leads the Wood Pack? I challenge him!"
Thorne stopped, and I staggered a few more paces into the smoke before turning back.
"It's over, Cyan," Baya raised her voice. "You have to stop!"
"I challenge their alpha!" He yelled back. "Isn't that what you wanted, Wood Pack? A challenge between leaders? Let's settle this together!"
"Rowan's in no state to fight him," Thorne said. "He'll lose."
"Nobody has to fight him!"
"Rowan will, no matter how badly he's hurt." My mate glanced back at the others. At the edge of the orchard I could already see Rowan struggling to rise to his feet.
I tugged at Thorne's sleeve, pleading with him. "Let someone else do it, please!"
"Who else can stand up to Cyan in a fight? I have to, Lyssa." He grit his teeth. "And I won't let him get away with everything he's done. To you, to his pack. I need to end it with him for good."
I clung on for a moment longer, then threw my arms around him, squeezing my mate tight. "I love you."
"I love you too. Find Ellie." He kissed my forehead, then stepped away and turned back towards the others, making straight for Cyan without a backwards glance. Tears fell from my stinging eyes, the taste of smoke turning my choked sobs into a fit of coughing as I forced myself to turn away and stagger towards the burning trees. Over the roar of the flames I heard Thorne's voice ringing through the night, accepting the challenge in Rowan's place. I shivered as Cyan's laughter reached my ears, his mocking words stirring up a flash of anger inside me.
Beat him, Thorne. Put and end to this.
The smoke thickened with every step, flames licking across the tufts of dried grass and dead leaves around my feet. I could barely breathe, the heat intensifying until even the air felt thick and warm in my lungs, smouldering twigs and pieces of burning foliage falling all around me as I dashed beneath the branches. Had the trees not been spaced out in neat rows it would have been impossible to press forward, but the layout of the orchard at least gave me space to move between the flames. The stench of gasoline and burning sap filled my nostrils, and I stumbled as I tripped over a discarded metal can half-buried in a pile of smoking leaves. The container sent a spatter of burning fluid up the leg of my jeans as I knocked it over, the heat biting into my skin instantly even as I dropped and slapped at the flames to put them out, pure adrenaline fuelling my every action.
I needed to survive. I needed to find Ellie.
My wolf was there with me, sharpening my senses with her own and driving me forward until I was at the heart of the blaze. I had my jacket over my head, the lingering dampness in the fabric providing precious little shielding from the intense heat that pressed in from all sides like a thousand stinging hands.
I saw the shack Agatha had mentioned, barely larger than a closet, flames already racing across the old wooden boards. I let out a cry of desperation and dashed forward, but the door was already hanging open on its hinges, the lock dangling from a torn chunk of rotten wood. It was empty.
I turned around, my eyes darting frantically in all directions, but I couldn't see a thing through the smoke and flames. In a panic I shifted into my wolf form, trying to find my sister's scent, but it was hopeless amongst the bitter tang of burning and the smell of gasoline. Something hot stung my fur, and I shifted back into my human form with a yelp, wrapping my jacket around my head again and diving through a narrow gap between the trees into the next row.
Ellie was smart. She must have seen the layout of the orchard when she came in. She'd be trying to get to safety. I ran back in the direction I'd come, the heat almost dizzying as I snapped my head back and forth, forcing myself to keep my stinging eyes open for any sign of my sister.
I couldn't entertain the thought of not finding her. Not for a second. I couldn't even think of Thorne, or the others. I had to save my sister. I had to stay alive.
The flaming trees whipped by in a blur, my vision clouded with tears and
the sting of smoke. I almost doubled over in a fit of coughing, dropping to one knee as I clutched my jacket against my mouth, struggling to breathe. It felt as though the entire orchard was on fire, the flames extending all around me in every direction. I hopped between the rows of trees whenever I found an opening, making my way to one side of the orchard and then the other in a zigzag as I headed back towards safety.
I didn't even know if I'd be able to pick out Ellie amongst the smoke and flames. Row after row of burning trees. Fallen branches. Smoke.
And then, a small dark shape shuffling through the leaves. Her pink trainers poked out from beneath the heavy blanket draped over her back as she crawled through the blaze on all fours.
A jolt of desperate relief shot through me. I ignored the flaming branches that stung my legs as I jumped over them in a single-minded rush to get to my sister. I collapsed to my knees beside her, lifting up the blanket that protected her from the flames and cupping her cheek with my hand, turning those fearful eyes towards me and hugging her tight as I coughed and gasped for breath, unable to speak.
She clung on to me, trembling as she spoke. "Smoke rises, so it's— it's easier to breathe near the ground." She demonstrated by hunching back down into her crawling position. I smiled through my tears, trying my best to nod reassuringly as I urged her to get up.
"You smart girl. Come on, we'll be safe soon."
"We learned that in fire safety," she mumbled, fixing her eyes ahead. The poor thing was terrified.
"Shh, it's okay now. Try to breathe through that blanket, I'll carry you." I picked myself up and tucked an arm beneath Ellie's knees, gritting my teeth as my injured shoulder protested. I ignored the pain and hefted her into my arms, staggering a few steps before I found my grip.
She was a lot heavier than I remembered. A lot bigger, too.
My legs trembled, but the adrenaline kept me going, forcing my body to endure beyond its normal limits. I pushed myself into a run, the pain and the smoke and the exhaustion tearing at my muscles and stifling my lungs. I made directly for the orchard's entrance, not knowing how far I'd come or how long it had been since I'd stepped into the flames.
Wild Instincts - Complete Edition (Werewolf Erotic Romance) Page 26