by Mel Favreaux
Braedyn’s mother was asleep. “Come on Aquene. We need to move into the closet. I don’t know how long Amber will be able to hold those guys off,” she whispered, reaching over and taking the old woman’s hand.
She was hot to the touch and unresponsive.
The loud thuds, curses, and growls rolled down the hallway. Casey’s stomach knotted at the helpless feeling that centered in her chest and prayed Amber could hold them off.
After a few more moments, things grew very quiet. Unable to help herself, she crept to the door and cracked it open. A single set of footfalls grew close. Casey breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Amber approaching.
Her friend looked worse for the wear. Her hair was a wild mess of curls, there was blood streaked from her nose to chin and her shirt was ripped down the middle.
“Are you all right?” Casey asked pushing the door open all the way.
Amber gave her a wry grin and nodded. “Aquene?”
“She’s fevered. I tried to wake her and get her to move into the closet, but she wouldn’t wake up.”
“All of my medicines are at the shop.” The brunette placed a hand to the older woman’s face and forehead. “Damnit Aquene, why didn’t you say something?” She sighed and shook her head. “We have to find my phone. I was dialing Braedyn when those bastards came in. I have no idea if the call went through or not.”
Taking a deep breath, Casey noticed a third scent. There was someone else. “Is it safe to leave her when there’s another?”
Amber scoffed and raised a brow. “I just took out twin ogres, I can handle this fucker. You look for the phone, and I’ll keep an eye out. Just watch out for the bodies in the living room. I think one of their heads rolled into the kitchen.”
Casey grimaced at the thought. “I’ll go find the phone.
Chapter Twenty-Two
At seeing the two large forms slumped on the floor, Casey shuddered. The smell of blood assaulted her nostrils making the wolf perk again.
She remembered they had been in the kitchen when the attack began and tried to figure where the phone would have landed from where Amber was crouched when the window burst. Casey looked underneath the edge of the cabinets in the kitchen and finally found it. Sitting down on the floor, she slid the key on the phone. It rang twice before it was answered.
“I'm almost there. Elan should just about be there,” Braedyn said sounding out of breath.
“Amber's already taken out two of them. There is still another outside.”
“Casey, just listen to what she tells you. I will be there soon. I’m turning down the road now that leads to the house. I’ll be there in less than ten minutes.”
“Okay, please hurry.”
“I love you.”
Her heart clenched. “I love you too, Braedyn.” Tears stung her eyes. She knew this night was far from over, could feel it in her bones.
“Amber?” she called out, rising to her feet. After a moment, there was still no answer. Casey crept back toward the hall way that led back to the guest room. All of the doors were still open. Calling upon the wolf, she used the wolf’s vision to peer into each of the rooms making sure each room was clear. Using her nose, she tried to determine if there was anyone else in the house. Her nose told her the Tigress was no longer inside.
Taking a moment, Casey tried to figure what to do next. Leaving Aquene was not an option. She couldn’t go out and attempt to help Amber locate the third assailant. Elan should be there, and Braedyn would be there soon. Chewing her lip, she made her way back to the guest room to check on the elderly woman.
Nearing the bed, the wolf could smell the sickness on Aquene and whined. Casey reached down and took one of Aquene's hands in hers.
“You have to hang in here, Aquene. I've not even gotten to know you, and yet I already dread the day you'll pass from us.” She held Aquene's hand to her lips, feeling the old woman’s hands were fevered too. Her lips tingled a little from the contact. Furrowing her brows, Casey unconsciously licked her lips.
A loud snarl rose from outside, making the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand up. The wolf flared inside of her.
“Aquene needs me,” she whispered, the wolf urged her to leave the room. The Silver Wolf paused for only a second, and then pressed even stronger.
Casey laid Aquene's hand back on her stomach and got up from the bed. She felt the full strength of the Silver Wolf course through her. Flexing her hands against the tingle, she made her way, quietly, back down the hallway into the living room. She could hear Braedyn's old SUV rumbling down the driveway at break neck speed. Relief flooded through her, yet the wolf still urged her on.
She went to the front door and eased it open in time to see a large man swing his fist into Amber's face, knocking her onto the ground. Her friend rolled with the punch and came back up to her feet so fast, Casey nearly missed the movement. Amber sprung herself back at the man. He was waiting for her move and tossed her aside, heading for the stairs.
Casey's gaze connected with his. They were a pale grey, much like Braedyn's. His skin was bronze but lacked the deep reddish tint of her lover. The hair was sandy brown. His face said he was middle aged, but her wolf's nose sensed he was far, far older. Even older than Zander.
She heard him gasp. He froze on the stairs, staring in her eyes.
“It can't be,” he whispered.
Casey felt the wolf surge and fought to control her. In her mind all she could see was the wolf wanting to tear his throat out and feast on his blood. Death, murder, blind rage. She grit her teeth and clenched her hands into fists, fighting against the wolf’s emotions.
“I know him,” the Silver Wolf whispered through Casey’s mind. “He is the one.”
She furrowed her brows, trying to make sense of what the wolf was trying to tell her. In images so fast there was barely time to understand, the Silver Wolf began to show Casey the last time she had seen the man standing before her.
She gasped while the images rolled through her mind. Harlan Walker had been the Silver Wolf’s lover, life-mate, and her killer. Staggering back from him, Casey bumped into the edge of the open door. The wolf seethed inside her.
A ferocious growl sounded, and Harlan was struck and thrown to the ground. Braedyn rolled off him and rose to his feet.
“You insolent little prick,” Harlan spat, standing up and glaring at his nephew. “You have no idea what power you have in her. You're not powerful enough to reign her in.”
“And you are, Harlan?” Braedyn growled low in his throat.
From the corner of her eye, Casey saw Amber approaching Harlan from behind, her sword raised in her hand. Her fight with the other wolves and now their tyranical leader, had taken their toll on her. Her face was bruised and a fresh trail of blood ran from the side of her mouth.
“I've lived long enough to learn the consequences of my actions so very long ago.”
“But that's done nothing to prevent you from being the evil man you are now.” Braedyn clenched his fists, and he took a step toward his uncle. “I'll be damned if I let you destroy what my father worked so hard to build.”
“Your father was a fool.” Harlan growled.
Amber stalked up behind him, readying herself for the kill blow.
“Brother, I am here!” Elan shouted running from around the edge of the house. A sword materialized in his hand.
Braedyn turned and frowned when he locked gazes with his brother. “Elan...no...”
Elan nodded toward Harlan and leveled his sword on Braedyn. “It’s what must be done. You're just not strong enough to be the leader anymore.”
“You think you're strong enough? You're lucky to get the Avery boys to listen on a good day, and you think you can control an entire community?”
Elan shook his head. “Not a community brother, our uncle and I have bigger plans than that. We intend to rule all our kind. With you and mother out of the way, we can rule with the Silver Wolf at our side.”
“How long Elan? How long have you k
nown about this? Was Tala in on it too?” Braedyn growled, his weapon appearing in his hands.
“A while now and no, Tala couldn't be trusted. She would have to have been dealt with eventually.” Elan raised his blade, looking his brother in the eyes. “Don't make this any more difficult than it needs to be, Braedyn.”
“More difficult than it needs to be? What do you expect me to do? Stand here without a fight? You are my brother, but I made a promise to the people of Walker's Run, Elan. If that means I have to kill you to uphold it, I will.”
Elan laughed, taking a step forward. “You can't. I watched you with Tala out in the woods that night. You couldn't kill her, and she almost killed Casey. It took a human to do what you should have done years ago. You won't kill me.” Elan swung his sword, and Braedyn blocked it.
Casey watched helpless as Harlan rounded on Amber with his sword materializing in his hands. She felt frozen, watching what was happening in front of her. This wasn’t how things should be and she found she was rooted to the spot, unable to even open her mouth in warning.
Braedyn grunted, powering his brother's sword thrust aside and swung his own. Elan narrowly avoided the blow. He staggered back, but with determination, pressed forward again.
She saw the expression on Elan’s face when he realized Braedyn was distracted. Harlan was rounding on Amber, so his attention was split. Stepping in, Elan sliced his sword across Braedyn’s chest. The cut wasn’t deep and with a grunt, Braedyn swung back, knocking Elan to the ground.
Wiping blood from the corner of his mouth, Elan’s eyes flashed gold, and he glared up at his brother. “You’d never do it. You’d never kill your own blood.”
“You’d have killed me, Mother, and Tala during this coupe, Elan,” Braedyn said taking a double handed grip on his sword. “May God and our parents take mercy on the both of us for what I’m about to do. May your soul rest in peace rather than in hell.” Baring his teeth in a grimace, Braedyn swung.
Elan closed his eyes, waiting for the death blow. Casey held her breath, cringing.
Twisting his wrist at the last moment, Braedyn slammed the butt of his sword against the side of his brother’s head. Rather than kill him, he gave him one hell of a blow he wouldn’t awaken from for quite some time. Casey’s breath of relief was short lived as her attention was brought to Amber and Harlan’s fight, her heart pounding at the ferocity of both fights she’d witnessed..
A weapon materialized in Harlan's hand when he turned and whirled with amazing speed toward Amber. He had taken her off guard, she barely had time to turn her sword in defense. She grunted, Harlan pressed her back and swung again. Losing her balance, Amber staggered back from another fierce blow, dropping her guard just enough. His sword sliced into her shoulder and down through her chest. Releasing her blade, she stumbled backward, blood puddling onto the snow at her feet while she struggled to breathe.
Braedyn was on Harlan a moment later. He knocked the sword from Harlan's hand and drove his fist into his uncle’s face with quick pounding strikes. Harlan growled and grabbed Braedyn's arm, forcing the punch to go into the ground near his head and headbutted his nephew.
Blood poured from Braedyn's nose, Harlan drew his legs up between them, kicking him backwards. Casey never saw Harlan regain his feet before he had leaped on Braedyn. The gleam of Harlan's blade caught her eye when he swung. Calling on his own sword, Braedyn blocked the blow and shoved his uncle back onto the snow with a fierce kick.
Braedyn leveled his sword when Harlan regained his feet.
“You've matured some from our last fight,” Harlan said sounding impressed and hefted his weapon again.
“I'm no longer a boy,” Braedyn grunted. Harlan stepped in again and swung his sword. Turning with the blow, he drove his elbow into Braedyn's ribs, and then the butt of the sword into the same area. Braedyn staggered back, gritting his teeth as the air was forced from his lungs.
Harlan growled and swung again. A long slice across Braedyn's chest split the leather coat and clothing he wore just near where Elan had made a gash prior. But Harlan's blow was far deeper and far deadlier.
Casey found herself soaring down the stairs the moment Braedyn was flung back, his chest slick with blood, Harlan's sword held at his throat. She slammed into Harlan from the side, knocking the weapon away from Braedyn.
When the blade turned on her, she put up her arm to block, a useless tactic for the force he was swinging with, but all she could do. A cold tingling was all Casey felt just before the pressure of the blow was absorbed on the armaments adorning both of her arms.
She felt a weight around her head and upper body, the armor of chain mail that the necklace provided. Not affording herself a look, she pushed the sword away and swung her right fist with all her might. The punch connected with Harlan's throat, crushing his larynx. He fell back onto the mound of snow clutching his throat.
Since the silver had not pierced his skin, he would heal fast. Casey stalked her way over to him. He rose to a crouch, one hand still clutching his throat. The two people in Walker's Run who meant the most to her were bleeding out in the snow nearby. An anger unlike anything she had ever known filled her. All she could see was red.
A growl of rage escaped her. She rushed to Harlan. Her movements were a blur. She pounded and clawed at him. Casey was sure she'd even bit him. When she regained some of her senses, she drew back and looked in horror at the damage she'd caused.
Harlan gurgled, covered in his own blood. He tried to roll over onto his chest and push himself up. His throat was slashed, and his shirt shredded, hanging from his body.
She felt herself rushing forward and tried to struggle against it, but once more her vision was completely red. Her hands raised and a sword appeared in them. Unable to prevent what was happening, feeling detached from herself, Casey watched the blade come down on the back of Harlan's neck. Hearing the sickening crunch of bone and the vibration of the blade slicing through the other side nearly made her sick. Dropping the weapon, Casey staggered back, revulsed by what she'd done.
Choking back a sob, she rushed over to Braedyn. He had a hand clutched to his chest and his breathing was labored. She saw her hands and arms covered in the silver armor while dropping to her knees at his side. Once she reached for him, they changed back into the simple jewelry prior to her violent outburst. Quickly, plucking the claw tips from her fingers, Casey laid her hands on his shoulders.
“What can I do?” she pleaded looking in his eyes.
Howls rose in the air from all corners of the area. The sound was mournful and sad, Harlan's pack feeling the loss of their Alpha. The strength they had once drawn from him was now depleted.
“Harlan's blade was treated with silver,” Braedyn groaned.
“Who can I call? What can I do?” Casey felt tears running down her cheeks. She leaned forward to kiss him, so afraid it would be their last. An electric current seemed to flow from her lips to his, it spread warmth through her. He stiffened, gasping against her mouth. She pulled back in fear of having caused him more pain.
“You're a healer,” he whispered. His breathing eased with each breath. The color was slowly coming back to his face.
“The Tigress,” the wolf said.
She whirled away from him, rushed to Amber, and dropped to her knees. The tiny woman’s breath came in shallow gasps. The sword had punctured both of her lungs. With Harlan's blade having been treated with silver, her blood couldn't clot to start the healing process needed to heal. The brunette would bleed out and die like a human in just a few more moments.
“Amber?” Casey said touching her cheek.
She struggled to open her eyes. A faint smile came to her lips, blood trickled from the corners. Her mouth moved, nothing but a gurgling, whooshing sound came out.
“Don't try to talk.” The pain her friend was in made Casey’s heart ache. She had tried to step in and kill Harlan, but had already been battered in her fight with the twins. Casey could see the bruise on the side of her fac
e where Harlan had punched her, and the partially healed bruises from her rumble with the twins.
“Kiss her.”
Casey stroked her friend’s curly, black hair away from her face and did the only thing she could. Leaning forward, she sealed her lips to Amber's just like she had to Braedyn's. Once again, the electric current rippled through her. She felt the brunette stiffen a moment...then her body went limp.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Casey sighed and laid her head on Braedyn's shoulder. The bitter breeze had slowed, though the air was frigid; she needed some fresh air. The days after everything had gone to hell had been difficult. He’d had her at his side ever since. She was exhausted from having met mostly everyone in Walker's Run, and some of the new members of the pack he had allowed in from Harlan's.
He didn't demand they all join his pack, but gave them the option to join his or move on. The same promise he'd extended to everyone who lived in Walker's Run, sanctuary and protection in return for their faith and allegiance to the Pack.
His grip tightened around her waist. She took another deep breath. “How are you feeling?”
“Drained,” she admitted.
He stroked a few strands of hair behind her ear. “It will get better, I promise.”
She nodded. “Things have just happened so fast. My head is still spinning from the fact I am a werewolf, and now all of these new things. I'm not only a werewolf, but the Silver Wolf. A healer—”
“A warrior,” Braedyn said with a grin.
She smiled and looked away from his eyes. “I visited your mother this morning briefly in the few moments I had to myself.”
“How is she today? I meant to go in earlier, but with so much on my mind I didn't get the chance.”
“Better. Her fever is gone. She's moving around more and seems to be feeling better with each passing moment. She asked about Elan.”
He nodded. “I still have a few things to sort through with him. He's begging me to let him leave and take over what is left of Harlan's pack.”