Once Upon A Midnight

by Stephanie Rowe

  Voicemail. Where is that girl?

  Mina sprinted to the kitchen, hoping to find both of her sisters, but she had no such luck. Only Kenzie was waiting for her.

  “Where is Bree?”

  Kenzie’s eyes darted to the ceramic tiles on the floor.

  “Kenzie, I don’t have time for this. Where is she?”

  “I saw her walking off into the woods with one of the boys from Black Paw. Jesse or Jacob or Jason…something that started with a J.”

  Feeling like she would faint, Mina grabbed the back of the chair to steady her. “Oh Goddess.”

  “What’s going on, Mina?”

  “Griffin—Twisted Tail. They’re here.” Mina tried but failed to steady her shaky voice.

  “Griffin will scent her immediately.” Tears streaked down Kenzie’s face.

  “I know, kiddo. I know.”

  “You have to find her, Mina. He’ll kill her. I know he will.”

  “I will. Don’t worry.”

  If it’s the last thing I do. She will be safe. Mina kept the last part of her promise to herself.

  Chapter Thirty One

  “Well, well. What do we have here? Mina’s baby sister and her little boyfriend. Sneaking off into the woods for a private make-out session?” The crooked smile on Griffin’s face was one of pure joy. Like a kid on Christmas morning.

  “It’s like my own little Yule present.”

  Bree twisted, trying to break the hold Griffin had on her. “Let us go.”

  “I don’t think I will.” Griffin gave the young male wolf a once over, assessing the threat level.

  “Bind him with silver and gag him. Toss him with the other mongrels we’ve collected tonight, but keep an eye on him. I don’t want him escaping.”

  Jayden grabbed a gag and a small pile of silver chains. Jaxon struggled against his captives, but it was no use. Having never been exposed to silver, his legs gave out with the first agonizing brush against the silver chain.

  “Looks like he’s a virgin when it comes to silver,” one of the Twisted Tail enforcers joked.

  “At least he’ll get one of his cherries popped tonight,” another enforcer laughed.

  Griffin kicked Jaxon in the stomach, never losing his hold on Bree.

  “Jaxon!” Bree screamed.

  “Weakling. Is this what I can expect from Black Paw? From their Alpha? Hasn’t he done anything to toughen you up? Turn you from worthless pups to real wolves?”

  Bree kicked at Griffin’s shins, struggling to free herself. Flinging her head back, she tried in vain to connect with his teeth. “Leave him alone! You have no fight with him or me.”

  “Ah, you see, that’s where you’re wrong, my dear. You’ll make my mission a lot easier tonight. Your big sister will run right into my arms as soon as she realizes that I have you.” His fingers caressed Bree’s chin.

  “Get your hands off me, asshole,” Bree screeched.

  Griffin swung hard and fast, his backhand sent Bree’s head flying to the left.

  Blood poured from her mouth.

  Glowing ice-blue eyes met Griffin’s hard stare. “You’re a fiery little thing, aren’t you?”

  Pain radiated through her body. “You have no idea.” Bree spit blood in his face.

  “I can’t wait to find out. Sadly, our playtime will have to wait until later.” Griffin grabbed Bree by the throat, lifting her from her feet.

  “Does it make you feel good to beat on girls who are half your age? Do you feel stronger? More powerful?”

  “As a matter of fact, it does,” Griffin taunted.

  Goddess how she would love to wipe that smug smirk from his face. Her wolf was in full agreement. She clawed at Bree for release, wanting nothing more than to exact her revenge on the beast who tormented her family.

  Thoughts of what life would be like without Griffin played through her mind. They would be free. No more looking over their shoulders. No more bowing to his every whim.

  Can we kill him before he kills us? Bree silently asked her wolf.

  If it was a one-on-one situation, she would go for it, but there was little hope of one lone female taking down twenty-five males. She was severely outnumbered and knew it.

  It would be an all-out slaughter.

  Hers.

  By the time they got through with her, there would be nothing left. Not a limb left to send to Fólkvangr. Not only would Griffin deny her life, he would eliminate any chance she had for an afterlife.

  “Bind this little bitch in silver and gag her. Don’t let her shift,” Griffin ordered, slamming her against a tree with full force.

  The second Griffin let go of her, Bree unleashed her wolf. The transformation had always been rapid for her. Her mom called her a natural. This time was no different, she shifted instantly before her paws hit the ground.

  Run! Bree screamed to her wolf. We have to get out of here and warn the others. It’s the only way to keep Jaxon alive.

  Resentfully, her wolf obeyed, bursting through the line of trees that concealed their location, and into the open field. A bullet whizzed past her ear, followed by another.

  Bree took evasive measures dashing back and forth, working her way to the main house at top speed. She let out a loud howl, hoping someone heard her call for help over the noise of the celebration.

  Please, Freyja, give me the strength to survive this. I promise, I’ll never sneak into the woods with a boy ever again.

  Another barrage of bullets flew past Bree. One of them nicked her hind leg, sending her stumbling. A light whimper of pain rose from her chest. She quickly recovered her footing, only to be struck again. This time by a tranquilizer dart.

  Her eyes began to cloud, her sprint slowed. Shaking her head, she tried to clear her mind. She tried giving her wolf a little pep talk to get her to pick up the pace again. Just a little further. You have to do this. We have to warn them.

  Bree’s muscles burned from the toxins coursing through her body. With one last whimper, she shifted back to human form, painfully slow.

  Chapter Thirty Two

  A volley of bullets flew toward Rafe and Lucas as they rounded the corner of the garage. There was no way Griffin could have spotted them so quickly.

  “Who are they shooting at?” Lucas whispered, pressing his back against the wall in order to avoid the rapid fire.

  Rafe skimmed the area to his right, then to his left.

  “Fuck! It can’t be.”

  “What do you see?” Lucas tried to glance around the side of the building, only to duck and cover once again.

  “Bree.”

  Rafe’s stomach sank as he saw her stumble. He watched in horror when she was hit in the neck with a tranquilizer dart. His shift came hard and fast. Bones reshaped from human to wolf before Lucas could finish his last breath.

  The Alpha’s mind linked to his pack the second his shift occurred.

  Seeing Rafe’s powerful shift in front of him compelled Lucas’s transformation. He couldn’t hold back. His wolf demanded to stand in battle beside his Alpha, where he belonged.

  Biting back the howl that tore through his body with the power of his shift became his priority, not wanting to give the enemy anymore intel than they already had. As soon as his mind linked to the pack, through Rafe’s eyes, he saw Bree stumble to the ground and fall.

  “Lucas, I have to get her out of there. I want you to lead the attack, just like we planned. Everyone is in position, waiting for my orders.”

  “You’ll get hit if you go out there. She’s fine where she is for now. They won’t risk trying to get to her with us right here.”

  “I won’t leave my mate’s sister on the frozen ground, bleeding.” Rafe bared his teeth at Lucas, adamantly letting his lieutenant know his decision was not up for discussion.

  “Fine, but I’m leaving a couple of wolves behind, with you.”

  “Fine. Now go.”

  Against his better judgment, Lucas darted around the opposite side of the garage where a po
rtion of the pack awaited his instructions.

  “Okay, guys. Just like we planned. Alpha Team One, move in. Keep an eye out for weapons. They have silver bullets and will aim to kill. If you can, disarm them. Take them out before they shift. They’re stronger in their wolf form. Let’s not give them any advantages. If they do shift, watch out, some of these guys have silver tipped teeth. Do not let them bite you.”

  Lucas gave the order for the first wave of attacks against Twisted Tail. Within seconds, he heard screams erupt from the tree line as his wolves attacked at full force.

  There was nothing that Lucas hated more than killing shifters. They, as a species, were dwindling, but those fighting with Griffin were as bad as they came. Evil to the core.

  He couldn’t ignore the fact that they were the worst of the breed. It was up to Black Paw to stop them before they hurt anyone else.

  Eric bolted in front of Lucas, leaping over a fallen tree. His fangs sunk deep into his opponent's arm, causing the man to drop his gun. Scrambling, the man tried to shake him free, but only managed to piss Eric off more.

  Lucas heard his thoughts loud and clear. His wolf sought revenge for years of abuse he and his family endured at the hands of the Twisted Tail leadership. Images of Eric training with Black Paw every day flew through Lucas’s mind. He watched the young wolf practice for how he would fight his opponents when the time came.

  Never again would he be the scared young pup he once was when he was beaten, shackled with silver, and left for dead by his own pack. Lucas heard the vow he made to Odin. His voice sure and swift, pledged to bring down those responsible for destroying the lives of so many.

  When Lucas was sure Eric could hold his own, he continued on, inching closer and closer to his intended target.

  He gave the silent command for the second wave of fighters to move in from the east. Wolves flashed across the field like lightening, only to meet an unexpected resistance.

  The Twisted Tail fighters had advanced warning of the impending attack and shifted to their wolf forms, adding an element of danger to the attack. Silver teeth glinted in the moonlight as growls and snarls exploded from the trees.

  Black Paw seemed to be at a disadvantage. The Twisted Tail wolves were fierce opponents with no rules and less remorse. Their crimson eyes glowed against the dark backdrop of night. Lucas’s wolves darted and twisted to avoid their razor sharp canines. Taking their own shots as openings arose.

  The third group of Black Paw wolves joined in the fight, overwhelming the remaining Twisted Tail fighters, pushing them further back into the depths of the forest.

  Griffin and three of his best shooters were the exception. They held their ground, shooting any wolf who dared to get close enough, methodically changing the clips in their pistols with precision and speed each time they ran out of ammunition.

  A twig snapped in the distance. Lucas’s hackles rose when he felt the presence of another wolf. One who should have been tucked away, safe in the basement.

  “Mina,” Lucas called through the pack connection.

  A tranquilizer dart from a high powered rifle zinged past her, followed by a torrent of bullets that fell well short of her location. Mina’s speed was unparalleled. He had never seen a wolf move so fast.

  “Mina, stop,” Lucas issued the order, but she refused to heed his command. Instead, recklessly powering forward. Getting closer to the battle zone with each step.

  Griffin tossed the tranquilizer gun to the ground. Grabbing the sling wrapped around his back, he cocked his rifle and took aim at Mina.

  “Just a little closer, bitch.” Griffin adjusted his scope.

  She was about five hundred yards away from Griffin’s position and approaching fast.

  “Rafe, Mina’s on the field. She’s going after Griffin.”

  Silence greeted Lucas.

  “Rafe?”

  More silence.

  Realizing Rafe must have shifted back to human form, a long howl sprung from Lucas’s snout. He needed to let Rafe know that Mina was on the field and heading directly into Griffin’s line of fire.

  Seconds later, Lucas felt the Alpha’s mind connect with the pack. Pushing the real-time images to Rafe, Lucas leapt into a full sprint, not wanting to waste another minute. Mina was seconds away from being in Griffin’s crosshairs.

  “Son of a bitch. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Keep her safe, Lucas.”

  Lucas kicked it into high gear. His paws flew across the snow covered ground. His only thought was getting to Griffin and his men before Mina got close enough to be hit with the hailstorm of bullets they were ready to unleash on her.

  Chapter Thirty Three

  It was like something out of her worst nightmare. The thought of Griffin getting his hands on Bree again made her stomach churn. He would kill her if he got the chance.

  “Kenzie, listen to me. I want you to head to the basement. Mom and Lanie are waiting for you. There are guards posted along the route to show you the way. I have to go find Bree before Griffin does.”

  Kenzie nodded and gave Mina a quick hug.

  “Run as fast as you can. I need to know you’re safe so I can concentrate on Bree.” Mina brushed her hand over Kenzie’s hair.

  “Please be careful. I can’t lose you,” Kenzie begged.

  “I will. I promise.”

  Mina watched as Kenzie sprinted in the direction of the basement.

  As good and sweet as Rafe’s intentions were about keeping them safe, it wasn’t working. They would never be free to enjoy a life together.

  Griffin would never stop. He would hunt Mina and her family to the ends of the earth just to prove a point.

  Tired of running and living in fear for herself and her family, Mina closed her eyes and let her wolf take command.

  You’re in charge now. It has to stop. We have to put an end to this. We can’t let him hurt anyone else we love. We’re the reason Griffin won’t walk away. He’ll never give up. Not until he’s dead or we’re dead.

  Bree! No! Mina cried as her mind connected to the pack. Her wolf whined and stumbled when she saw her sister fall to the ground.

  Freyja, please let her be okay. Mina watched Rafe race to her sister’s side. He quickly shifted to human form and scooped Bree up in his arms, taking off in a full sprint.

  Mina closed her mind to the pack, not wanting anyone to know what she was up to. Her paws landed on the plush carpet as she dashed through the long corridors of the house at top speed, making her way outside.

  Nosing open the front door, Mina’s heart raced as the night air brushed against her face. The thought of what she was about to do should have scared the daylights out of her, but it didn’t.

  Her resolve firm, unwavering. She would gladly give her life to protect Rafe and her family.

  Her nose twitched, trying to locate Griffin’s scent, but came up short. Instead picking up that of Black Paw wolves. Following the only scent she could pick up, Mina stayed to the shadows, not wanting to give away her location.

  There they are. Mina scanned the tree line, her eyes locking on several battles going on at once. Raw energy coursed through her body as she watched Black Paw take on Twisted Tail with impressive speed and power.

  He has to be here. There’s no way in hell Griffin would stay out of the fight.

  Mina crept along slowly until she spotted her target in human form.

  She never really considered herself a violent person, and her wolf has been just as passive, but seeing Griffin’s arrogant smile, his crooked yellowing teeth, sparked a hatred that ran bone deep for both her and her wolf.

  Griffin represented all that was wrong within the wolf community: abuse of power, oppression, and starvation, just to name a few. All so the man standing above all could call himself an Alpha.

  For the first time ever, Mina saw Griffin with a new pair of eyes. And it wasn’t a pretty picture.

  She thought of Rafe and the power he held as a true Alpha. He carried himself with conviction, courage,
and compassion. Griffin had none of those and he never would. All he cared about was himself. Others’ lives, feelings, desires meant nothing to him.

  Mina’s head snapped up as she saw Eric bolt into the fray. Glancing back to Griffin, her heart skipped a beat when his cold stare met hers.

  Mina issued a silent prayer to her gods and goddesses. She prayed to whoever would heed her request. While she would never have the strength of a full Berserker Alpha, as his mate, she could draw on his power if the gods deemed her worthy.

  An azure glow washed over her.

  It’s now or never.

  Having lost the element of surprise, Mina leapt into action. Being mated to the Alpha came with a few unexpected perks, like feeling stronger and faster than she ever had.

  With her newfound power, Mina knew all she had to do was get within striking distance. Griffin wouldn’t stand a chance. She was going to tear his fucking throat out and then his heart.

  Anger and rage tore through her body. Her wolf channeled the repressed hate. Images of Bree’s limp body and Clara’s dead body popped into her mind. Griffin had to pay for all the damage he caused.

  Mina faintly heard Lucas trying to break through her concentration to issue an order, but she refused to be distracted by any order, let alone one that called for her to cease her attack.

  She watched as Griffin raised his rifle and pointed it directly at her, going for the kill shot. It was the exact strategy she counted on him using.

  He was so predictable. He wouldn’t fight her wolf to wolf. He never fought anyone in his wolf form. It was always the coward’s way out. A silver bullet.

  If he hit her at this distance, it would be sheer luck.

  Griffin cocked his rifle and fired.

  The bullet veered to the far right, missing her by thirty or more yards. A few more seconds and dodging silver bullets would become a bit dicey. But she had to trudge forward to get as close as possible.

  Griffin fired again and missed. This time by half the distance of the last shot.

  One more. Just a little bit further.

  The next shot rang out.