Jude ran forward and then came to a sliding stop. Lev broke the surface, taking big deep breaths, and then went under again. A snarl to his right alerted him to someone else making their way to the wounded werewolf.
Jude made his way closer to Dasan and turned to face the incoming threat. Walter exploded out of the trees and hit him in his right flank. Jude yelped and rolled, righting himself. He circled Walter, teeth bared and fur rising impossibly high. Walter snapped at him, growling as he looked for a weak spot. Jude was bigger, much bigger; he tilted his head and looked Walter over slowly.
Walter snapped at him and lunged again. Jude skirted out of the way, just barely missing having Walter’s sharp fangs lodge in his ass.
The rogue turned on him and Jude tried to move them away from Dasan and Lev. Walter sprang on him again and Jude bit his backside. Walter howled in pain and Jude sliced through his belly — kicking him off with his back legs. Walter landed on his back, snarling, and came at Jude again.
Jude faked right, and then moved left. Walter missed him by a mile and Jude jumped on his back, sinking his canines into Walter’s neck until he heard a loud crack. He forced his top and bottom fangs to meet, then pulled to the right savagely. Walter’s head came clean off and landed a few feet away.
Jude threw his head back and howled.
“Um, can you help us please?”
Jude opened his eyes to find Lev staring at him, open-mouthed. Jude padded over to his bag and went into the trees. He shifted and dressed in seconds. Dasan was still whining in pain as Lev held his head above water. Jude walked in hip high and ran his hand over Dasan’s flank. Blood was pouring out of the open wound.
“Hang on, Dasan. This is going to hurt.” Jude flipped his claws out and gripped the wire fencing. He broke the piece off the fence, then worked it out of Dasan’s back. The smaller werewolf yelped as he was freed, and then went under.
“Shit!” Lev shouted.
“Get him!” Jude dove underwater. The current yanked him hard, sucking him in. He flailed and reached out for the tail a few inches from his hand. Grabbing hold, he pulled Dasan back towards him. A hand gripped his bicep, pulling him backwards. They carefully maneuvered back under the fencing and crawled out on shore. Jude rolled to his back, taking deep breaths.
“Thank you,” Dasan croaked.
“You’re welcome.” Jude rolled his head to the side. “Thanks for the save, Lev.”
“Yep.” Lev waved his hand and closed his eyes.
Jude got to his feet and walked over to Walter’s headless body. He threw the body over his shoulder and grabbed the head.
“Well, I have to be getting back; Hayden’s in bad shape. Plus, I have a bonfire to make,” Jude smiled and started walking.
“That’s it?” Lev asked. “You just leave?”
“Well, yeah.” Jude looked over his shoulder. “I have things to do. You’re more than welcome to join me, though.”
“How the fuck did you kill him so easily?” Lev sat up.
“I’m Jude,” he winked.
Clapping broke out behind him and Jude spun around. Petey, the boss rogue, was standing at the edge of the trees.
“Nice job, Jude. Hot damn, you’re sexy when you’re mad!”
Jude looked over his shoulder at Dasan and Lev. “Run, right now.”
Jude dropped Walter’s body and started walking towards Petey. He kept his eye on Dasan and Lev as they took off.
“You did this! Didn’t you?” Jude growled, shaking the ground beneath him. “I’m going to rip your fucking head off and shit down your neck!”
Petey backed up.
“Really? What’s more important? Killing me, or saving Hayden?”
Jude stopped. “What?”
Petey grinned. “I want you for myself. You didn’t really think I’d send just Walter after your boyfriend?”
Jude shifted in the blink of an eye and ran.
~*~
Hayden tried again to block the fangs from sinking into his neck. He was already weak from Walter’s bite. Now he’d been bitten at least four more times. He was trying not to call out for Jude. Jude against two rogues would not go down well.
The tight confines of the cave were making it hard for him to fight back. He couldn’t stand up, so he was forced into sitting in the corner and fighting them off with his knife. He’d cut one pretty good already.
A loud roar shook the cave and then Jude’s werewolf counterpart flew in. Hayden sat back as Jude tore at one of the rogues’ back legs, shaking his head back and forth and sending the rogue yelping into the wall. A loud crack echoed around the cave. Jude grabbed the second one by the scruff of his neck and threw him down on his back. He stepped on its throat and leaned into its face. Hayden’s mouth dropped open as Jude tore apart the second rogue, sending pieces of it flying in all directions. The anger flowing from Jude was making him even bigger. He was barely fitting in the cave. They were all massive in wolf form, but Jude was even bigger than before. What the hell?
The remaining rogue tried to run, but Jude caught him. Hayden couldn’t believe it. He knew Jude could take care of himself, but this? The last rogue went flying off the side of the cliff.
Sans head.
Jude shifted back and stood in front of him, chest heaving, blood splattered all over his body.
“Fuck!” Jude shouted. He knelt down by Hayden and looked him over. “How many more times have you been bitten?”
“Four, I think.” Hayden looked into Jude’s eyes. They were almost red. “You need to calm down, Jude.”
“I shouldn’t have left you!” Jude shouted. He gently moved Hayden’s arm and looked at the multiple bite marks. “I’m going to take you down to the water.”
“Why?” Hayden closed his eyes.
“Because it’s freezing, that’s why.” Jude pulled sweatpants on, and then put his arm under Hayden and lifted him. “I swear to God if that Petey asshole comes near you I’ll rip him to shreds.”
“You saw Petey?” Hayden’s eyes flew open.
“Yes, he was down by the river. Dasan got stuck under the fencing and Lev was trying to help him out.”
“Where is Petey now?”
“No clue. Don’t care either. We need to fix you.”
Jude carried Hayden down the side of the ridge and kept him in the shallow part of the river. Hayden was so pale. Jude took his hand and pressed it to his lips.
“I’m going to be okay, Jude.” Hayden sighed as the freezing water flowed over his waist.
“You have to be. Do you hear me?” Jude smoothed Hayden’s sweaty hair from his brow. “I can’t lose you.”
Hayden leaned back and looked into Jude’s eyes. There was a hell of a lot of worry in them. Hayden reached up and cupped Jude’s cheek.
“I didn’t wait this long to be with you, just to die right after.”
“Don’t joke,” Jude sighed in frustration. “This is not funny. I don’t think I have ever been that angry in my life.”
“There’s something you need to know.” Hayden tried to sit up but Jude’s hand restrained him. Jude sat behind him and pulled Hayden against his chest.
“Nothing’s that important.” Jude ran his fingers through Hayden’s hair.
“Yes, it is. The last fight we were in, the rogue I caught — he said Petey has a list. You’re on that list, Jude. He said something about blood and he mentioned Elijah and Skylar, too.”
Jude’s brows furrowed. “What the hell do they have to do with werewolves? I mean besides knowing us and going to the outreach centers and camps. And they don’t know what we are.”
Hayden shook his head. “I don’t know. What I do know is that Petey wants you.”
“Yeah? Well he’s going to find out that I’m not going without a fight.”
“Speaking of that.” Hayden leaned his head back and smiled weakly at Jude. “You are one scary motherfucker when you’re mad.”
Jude smiled and caressed Hayden’s cheek. “They shouldn’t have fu
cked with my man.”
Hayden chuckled, and then coughed. His body trembled and he held Jude’s hand tightly. "I was supposed to be protecting you out here.”
“We made love and you bit me. I’m going to tell you right now — don’t think I’m going to be some meek and mild boyfriend. I’ve spent too much time being treated like an invalid.”
“Which you are not.” Hayden’s eyes widened suddenly and he looked back up at Jude. “Boyfriend?”
Jude smiled. “Yeah. Boyfriend. If that’s what you want.”
Jude’s skin twitched and he inhaled a scent floating on the wind. He eased out from behind Hayden and stood up, claws ready, teeth elongating. Dasan peeked out from behind a tree, looking around nervously.
“You can come out,” Jude called to him.
Dasan moved slowly. Lev appeared behind him, surveying the area. A twig cracked behind him and Jude spun around with a growl on his lips. The man who was coming from behind him stopped in his tracks.
“It’s okay,” Hayden croaked. “It’s Roy.”
“I don’t give a shit,” Jude snarled. “A rogue is a rogue right now.”
Roy put his hands up. “I’m just here to let you know that Petey took off in a helicopter. Some guy was with him.”
“Who?” Jude narrowed his eyes.
“I don’t know; blond guy in a suit. Petey called him Cain?”
Jude stepped back in shock. “Cain?” Jude knelt down to Hayden. “It can’t be that Cain!”
“We’ll have to check it out when we get back.”
“Would you mind taking two back with you?” Dasan asked shyly.
Jude stood up and turned to face Dasan. “Two?”
Lev shifted from foot to foot. “I’ve been helping Dasan. My place in the pack is being questioned. My alpha isn’t as understanding as yours.”
Jude looked over at Hayden. “Well?”
“We’ll ask Wayne, but I’m confident he’ll welcome you in, Lev. If you’ve been helping Dasan all this time, that goes a long way in proving your sincerity.”
“Um, no offense, but you should take him to a hospital,” Dasan said, looking over Hayden’s arms and legs. The jeans were ripped in multiple areas and blood was oozing out.
Jude closed his eyes and sent the message out to Wayne, Ross and Noah. His eyes sprung open as Roy moved closer.
“I’m not going to touch him,” Roy said quickly.
“Oh, I know you’re not. You’re lucky to be breathing right now,” Jude snarled.
“Look, their alpha, Dane? He’s been working with Petey out here. I don’t know how they got in touch or how it happened, but something big is going to go down somewhere. They pulled in Carl and some guy named Gary — ”
“Yeah we know Gary,” Jude spat. “He’s an ex-boyfriend of one of our guys. Abusive little asshole.”
“Yeah, well, I think it has to do with the Mexican border. That’s what Pierce wanted when he was in charge. All the drug cartels to be changed into rogues and working for him. Petey always hated taking orders; so did Carl. I know they are going to make a move.”
Lev nodded in agreement. “I don’t know what’s happened in the last year, but Dane wasn’t always like this. He was always a fair alpha. Now he’s a complete ass. It’s like — ”
“He’s been bitten,” Hayden sighed.
Jude studied Roy closely. His eyes were a lot less yellow now than before. “What happened to your eyes?”
“Wayne’s been giving me his blood.”
Hayden jerked and hissed at the pain. “Blood?”
“Yeah, I mean it’s not curing me, but it’s making me less…irritable?” Roy tilted his head. “Why?”
“The rogue we caught said something about Jude’s blood.”
“Why Jude’s?” Roy scrunched his brow.
“I don’t know. I killed him.”
“We need to get indoors for the night.” Lev looked up at the greying sky. “I’ll grab as many supplies as I can and then we need to hole up until the cavalry arrives.”
“Lev what?” Jude asked.
“Huh?”
“Last name?” Jude raised his eyebrows.
“Oh, Chirkoff.” Lev watched as Jude’s eyes narrowed to slits. “I’m not against you, I swear. When I first saw you, I thought Dane had sent someone to spy on me. He’s been trying to get Dasan back.”
“To have Petey bite him, I’ll bet,” Hayden sighed and hunched forward.
“Dane isn’t a Russian name,” Jude observed.
“Dane’s father was Russian, not his mother. She named him,” Lev explained. “His last name is Durov.”
Jude pulled Hayden up and swung him into his arms. “Come on. We need to start a fire and make some food.”
~*~
Jude kept a close eye on Hayden as Dasan and Lev started the fire. Hayden was shivering, and sweat rolled off of him in rivers. Jude sat down next to the bed and leaned over. He wiped Hayden’s forehead with the ice cold cloth. Hayden’s eyes fluttered open and Jude tried to smile.
“Hey,” Hayden croaked.
“I don’t suppose you’re hungry?” Jude wiped along Hayden’s jaw.
“No, but I should eat anyway.” Hayden eyed the front of the cave. “How’s Dasan doing?”
“Better. He healed up just fine. Wayne said they’ll be here in the morning. We’re going to take you out by chopper. They’re bringing the rest of the guys to take Dasan’s parents out.”
“Poor kid,” Hayden sighed.
Jude caressed Hayden’s cheek. “He has people who care about him. He’s going to be just fine now.” Hayden’s eyes closed. “Hey, get some sleep, okay? I’ll wake you in a little bit to eat.”
Hayden grabbed Jude’s hand. “Jude…”
“What is it?”
“Thank you. You saved my ass.”
“Well, it’s a really nice ass,” Jude winked, kissing Hayden’s lips gently. “Sleep.”
~*~
Jude stood outside staring up at a clear, starry sky. They would be leaving in the morning with Dasan and Lev in tow, along with Dasan’s parents’ remains.
They had accomplished what they’d come out to Siberia to do. They’d found the black wolf Ruslan had seen. He was a sixteen year old boy who’d been changed at ten, and who’d been on his own for quite some time now. Jude shook his head sadly.
The smell of werewolves hung heavy in the air and Jude looked below the ridge. At least ten werewolves sat facing the water, as if they were in guard mode. Jude’s brows furrowed.
“It’s the females, if you’re wondering.”
Jude glanced to his right and eyed Carson Drake.
“What are you doing here?”
“Just making sure nobody died,” Carson said drily.
“Why would you even care? You made it a point to be an ass when we first got here.”
“Yeah, well, some habits are hard to break.” Carson regarded Jude. “I had a visit from my late wife not too long ago. Freaked me out a bit, I have to say. She reamed me a new one for my behavior with Jagger and Taylor,” Carson sighed and shook his head. “I just never thought in a million years I’d see her again. I’m not going to change overnight, but I am making an effort. I know Jagger and Taylor may never want to speak to me again, but I wanted them to at least know I was sorry for being a complete and utter asshole as a father.”
“Your late wife called you that, didn’t she?” Jude grinned.
“Among other…creative names.” Carson looked down at the females. “They’ll stay until morning. Wayne called them in to make sure you guys are protected overnight.”
“Well, I actually feel safer.” Jude saw the amused look on Carson’s face. “I really do. I’ve seen the females in action; they’re major scary.”
“Well, Anya tops my list for the scariest. She protected John Quinton last time he was here.”
Jude smiled. “Oh did she now? I heard she hates all men.”
“Well, she took a liking to John.”
Jude heard a huff from down below and chuckled. “I think she hears us.” He regarded Carson suspiciously. “Did Walter ever come after you?”
Carson motioned to the females below. “I’ve had bodyguards. As scary as Walter was, they’re scarier. He tried one time to come after me,” Carson smiled wide. “It didn’t go over well.”
“Well, you won’t have to worry about Walter anymore,” Jude grinned. “I made sure he’d never bite another person or werewolf.”
“Yes, well, on that note, I’m going to head back to my cabin. Good luck tomorrow and I hope that Hayden recovers quickly.”
Jude watched Carson making his way down the ridge. “Hey, Carson.”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks.”
Carson’s smile was lopsided. “No problem.”
~*~
Jude walked past the females as he made his way out to the plane wreckage. A few huffs and low growls followed him as he walked in the moonlight. The plane’s silver shell twinkled in the light of the moon. Jude slipped inside and was immediately on guard. A man stood by the cockpit.
“Don’t shift,” he said. “I need to be able to talk to you.”
Jude snarled. “I can hear just fine.”
The man moved into the feeble light from one of the cracked windows and Jude got a very good look. Dark hair framed a strong face with a chiseled jaw and high cheekbones. Forest green eyes were trained on him.
“Who are you?” Jude moved forward.
“Don’t come any closer.” The man put his hand out. “I’m Dane Durov, the alpha of the Siberian pack. Or at least I used to be.”
“Used to be?” Jude tilted his head.
“Look, I don’t have a lot of time. You need to get Dasan and Lev out of here right away. If that Carl guy comes looking for me and finds me here, you’re all in danger.”
“How do I know you’re not setting us up?”
Dane sighed in exasperation. “Look, Dasan’s parents were fucking billionaires, okay? Petey and Carl and their merry band of fuckwits are looking for him. They want to bite him, change him and then have him sign his fortune over to them. You have got to get him out of here as soon as possible!”
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