by Kimber White
“Do you have any doubt that what you saw in Sampson’s mind was true?”
Jagger stopped pacing. His eyes were wild when he looked at me, but his jaw hardened. “No. He’s upped the guards around the prison house. There are eight of them. All betas.”
“And where is the bulk of the Pack now? Can any of you sense them?” I asked. Gunnar and Payne stepped forward. They stood shoulder to shoulder with Jagger.
“No,” Payne said. “But he’s got a few strong Alphas left as his top generals. If they’re where Jagger says they are, he’ll call them in as soon as he senses a threat.”
“I want to be with you,” Jett said, moving to Gunnar’s side. “I can help. I know what I’m doing.” She had an AR-15 rifle slung over her back. Lena had the same weapon. Each of them was loaded with wolfkiller ammo. One shot would immobilize an Alpha. It would kill a beta or omega instantly if the shot hit them in the head or heart.
Jett and the women would be the second line of defense. We had men and women stationed near the entrances to the Mammoth Forest caves in case any of the Pack broke through our lines. Liam and Mac were there to protect them. Liam had railed against the plan the most. It was Jagger who’d talked him down. If things went sideways, Eve and her son needed to be far away from the heaviest of the fighting. They needed to live. And Molly and Suzanne would have to tend to the wounded. I prayed they wouldn’t have to. But, I knew it would probably be inevitable.
That left Jagger, Gunnar and Payne leading the main assault. Gunnar and Payne would try to flush out the Alphas left under Able’s control. Jagger would go after Able himself. With my help.
“No,” Jagger said again. He came to me.
“Baby.” I reached up and touched his face. “We’ve been over this. You know it has to go down like this. Those guards near the prison house, I know how to control them. I’ve done it a dozen times before. And I’m the only one who can get close enough to even try without them sensing me first. Heartland is my backyard. They expect me to be here. They catch one whiff of any of you, and this whole thing falls apart before it can really start. Everyone has a role. This one is mine. You know it.”
Jagger hissed through his teeth. He threaded his fingers through my hair and pulled me close. “No,” he said. “I hate this. I can’t do this again.”
My eyes locked with Payne’s. I didn’t know if he or the others knew my secret. If he did, his expression betrayed nothing. I wasn’t scared today. And I wasn’t blowing smoke. I knew this was my destiny as much as Jagger was. It’s why he was put into my path.
“This is easy for me,” I said. “Those betas can’t catch me and you know it. Let me do my thing. The minute they’re on the ground, you move in. Jett will be right behind me with the guns. She’ll take them out.”
“You bet your ass I will,” Jett said. “Jagger, those wolves won’t get anywhere near Rowan. I know what I’m doing.”
“There are too many,” he said. “Rowan, you’ve faced up to two or three at once. Not eight.”
“It doesn’t matter. You have to trust me. This is the best way. Pheromones, remember? I’ve got ‘em in spades. Suzanne says they can’t resist.”
Jagger growled.
“We don’t have a lot of time,” Payne said. His back was up and he too started to pace. “The minute we move away from the river, they might be able to scent us. If we’re going to move, we need to do it now. You decide, Jagger. Go or no go.”
Jagger and Payne stood nose to nose. Payne clasped Jagger’s hand. A muscle jumped in Jagger’s jaw as he ran the plan through his head one more time.
We were the vanguard, me, Jagger, Lena, Jett, Payne and Gunnar. I would go in, short-circuit the brains of the betas guarding Valent. Jett and Lena would help me take them out once they were on the ground. At the same time, Jagger would breach the fence and find Valent. Gunnar and Payne would handle the bigger Alphas Valent would inevitably call down as soon as he sensed the threat. After that, things would start to get messy.
Jett had a line of troops she’d trained at the edge of the woods leading to the prison. They were our third line of defense. If Able’s wolves got that far, we’d be in deep shit.
We had no idea what the rest of the Pack would do if and when Valent was taken out. We had allies all through Kentucky who’d been warned what was to come. Jett had dispatched some of the friends of Mammoth Forest with the weapons to defend themselves. What we didn’t know is if anyone would turn.
A chorus of howls reached us from the other side of the river. My senses pricked. The Pack was agitated, but they didn’t yet know we were there.
“It’s now or never,” I said. “Jagger?”
He still held his hand at the back of my neck. The skin flared hot there. Squeezing his eyes shut, he let out a breath and made a decision. “Dammit. I hate this.”
“I know,” I said, smiling.
“Everyone knows what they need to do,” Jagger said. Gunnar and Payne gave him quick nods. They turned to their mates. Each of them shared a supernatural link. They didn’t need words. Jagger and I still did.
“Give us a minute,” I said. “Jett, Lena, I’ll meet you in the clearing about ten yards due east. You’ll find a stream. Follow it down.”
Gunnar and Jett embraced; so did Lena and Payne. The rest of them moved off, leaving Jagger and me alone for one last moment.
“I could tell you to be careful, but I know you won’t,” I said.
His grip was strong. His eyes fierce. “Rowan…”
“I know.” I went up on my tiptoes and kissed him. I was lying to him. I kept my emotions calm. If he found out what Suzanne told me, we’d never get through this. I needed his mind and his heart clear about what had to happen next.
“Rowan,” he said. “When this is over, when I kill that bastard, and make no mistake, I will...I’ll come find you.”
“Of course you will.”
“I want you,” he said. His wolf eyes went pure silver. An answering shiver went through me. I knew what he meant and my heart broke in two.
“Jagger…”
“I mean it. I love you. I love you, Rowan. I don’t know how it happened. I didn’t even know it could. But you’re mine. I’m yours. I want it to be forever. If you’ll have me, I want to mark you, claim you, the way it’s supposed to be.”
A single tear fell from my eye and my heart burst. I couldn’t tell him the truth. It would kill him. Later, it might anyway. But for now, at this moment, my answer would have to be enough.
“Yes,” I gasped and my heart soared. Desire flashed through me. If there was time, I wanted it to be now. He could do it so quickly. One bite at the back of my neck and he’d mark me forever as his mate. The bond would strengthen us both. But, I knew the instant he did it, Jagger would know the truth about me. While Able Valent was still alive, I couldn’t take that chance.
“After,” I whispered, going up on my tiptoes to kiss him. “After, my love. And then I’m yours until the end of my days.”
His smile gutted me. I stepped away and pressed two fingers to my lips. “Don’t be a hero,” he said. “Jett and Lena are devastating with those rifles. You let them have the kills. As soon as you get those fuckers on the ground, get out of there. Promise me.”
“And promise me you’re not planning to go kamikaze again,” I said.
Jagger smiled. “No chance, baby. I’ve got too much to live for.”
With that, he kissed me deep and hard. It was the kind of kiss meant to last a lifetime. I threaded my fingers through his hair and said a silent prayer that we could have one.
We broke. Jagger took a step back, his eyes glinting in the moonlight. Then, he turned and ran out of sight.
Now, there was no turning back. I hit the trail by the stream. In seconds, I was back by Lena and Jett’s side. Jett had darkened her face with camouflage paint. She was just about finished applying it to Lena’s. When she held the jar out for me, I waved it off.
“I don’t need that,” I said.
“I have war paint all my own.”
I took a step back and tilted my head into the wind. Closing my eyes, I let the scent of the woods fill my nostrils. As I inhaled, I picked up the trail of the Pack patrol. It was just as Jagger said. There were eight of them, forming a line around the prison fence.
My skin tingled as I let the shift come. Since I’d been in Mammoth Forest, I’d checked myself. Never letting my own inner beast through. I told Aunt Grace I’d gotten better at controlling it and I had. Now, I wanted to bring a little chaos back in.
The sky brightened. My spine cracked and I dug my toes into the ground. Colors flared hotter. Power sparked along my nerve endings. I threw my head back and growled.
“My God!” Jett came forward. She adjusted her weapon on her shoulder. I’d grown taller, towering over the two women now.
I was beyond words. My urge to hunt thrummed through me. My prey was just over that ridge.
“Rowan,” Jett gasped. Her eyes shone through the darkness. “You’re beautiful. I...I had no idea.”
Lena’s eyes filled with tears of wonder. In my full power now, it was time to go. I lowered my chin and locked eyes with each of them. We needed no words between us. I turned and headed toward the fence.
Twenty-Four
Rowan
The ground whizzed beneath me. I’d never let my power out like this before. I’d always had to hide and shield it. Now, I threw it out in all directions. They would come for me. I could feel it.
I skidded to a halt just a few yards from the fence. The first of the guards saw me and let out a howl. His eyes glinted; crazed with feral instinct, he charged me. Dropping low, I growled.
Fall!
He did. Caught mid-shift, he couldn’t advance. Jett was right at my shoulder. She lifted her weapon and shot him right between the eyes. Even with her silencer, the sound pierced the air, drawing the attention of the two next closest shifters.
“Fish in a fucking barrel! Rowan, you’re a badass!” Jett muttered under her breath. I had them. Stepping out of the shadows, the two shifters froze, desire thundering through them. Lena acted quickly, felling them.
Five more to go.
I motioned with two fingers and headed west. I could sense two more guards at the north corner. Jagger was just beyond it. His own protective flare of alarm shot through me, nearly bringing me to my knees. I realized with horror I couldn’t get any closer to him or the Pack would sense his distress. I skidded to a halt. Thankfully, the other two shifters were already moving toward me.
Lena was on it. She was a natural, with the skills of a trained sniper. She’d taken a position on higher ground and took them out before I even had to engage. I gave her a nod of approval then headed in the other direction.
Three more. There were three more. Instinct told me I’d find them on the south side. I doubled back. Lena and Jett had a hard time keeping up with me. In the back of my mind I knew I should have waited for them, but my own wild nature was too strong to contain now.
Adrenaline shot through me as I spotted two more shifters patrolling along the southern prison border.
“Stop!” One of them shouted. With my heightened senses, I knew we were in greater danger now. The other guards didn’t have a chance to call to Valent or the Pack, this one did. I felt them awaken as the hair stood up along my spine.
I lunged for the shifter, landing on his back. He fell to his knees. Mannie. This was Mannie. He tried to turn into his wolf, but I sank my claws into his neck. I killed him with my bare hands. His companion, Furley, was on me. Furley caught me by the waist and threw me to the ground.
But, I was still faster. I kicked him off. He crashed into the fence and Jett was there. As Furley’s eyes began to turn red, she put a bullet in his heart.
“One more,” Lena said, gasping as she caught up. “Where is the bastard?”
“I don’t know,” I said, though I wasn’t sure they could understand my words. To them, it might have sounded like a growl.
I dropped low, scanning the tree line and back along the fence. He was nowhere. I could still taste Mannie’s blood in my mouth.
Then, a blur of motion came from the right. I wasn’t quick enough. The eighth shifter burst through the woods, knocking Lena to the ground, cracking her ribs. Jett raised her weapon, but I threw myself in front of it. Lena’s scream split the air as the shifter bared his fangs. I heard Gunnar’s threatening howl.
No. No. No. If he broke his position, it would leave a gap in our defenses. Able’s general would break through. Jagger was in danger.
I let my fangs drop and lunged at Lena’s attacker. He whirled on me, his eyes widening as he tried to process who and what I was. It was the opening I needed. I flew through the air and pulled him off Lena. Jett acted fast, raising her weapon again.
She didn’t need it. I pulled my arm back and punched the fucker square in the jaw. He flew backward and never got up again. Jett’s round exploded in his brain.
“Now!” I shouted. With the quickening of my heart, I knew Jagger heard me.
I doubled over, as my pulse raced. I was lightheaded from the exertion. Pain racked through my brain, just like Suzanne said it would. Jett and Lena’s wide-eyed expressions followed me as I fell in slow motion to the ground.
Twenty-Five
Jagger
Payne got to the fence first. He pushed his fingers through the chain link and ripped a section down in an instant. Turning to me, his eyes were pure emerald.
“She did it,” he said, panting.
“I know.”
Gunnar tore through the fence next. I followed close behind, adrenaline shooting through my veins. We had to keep our wolves in. Not yet. We had to hold on. I felt Rowan’s steady pulse beneath mine. If I closed my eyes, I knew I could see what she saw. Power surged through her as she took down each of the outer guards. She’d been ruthless, efficient. With Rowan’s mind and Jett’s bullets, not a single one had been able to call to the Pack.
“He’s in there,” Gunnar snarled. “I can feel him.”
So could I. It was like a magnet pull right between my eyes. Able was moving slow, but every sense I had dialed into the yellow house at the top of the hill.
“Let’s go,” Payne yelled. His fangs bared, he took a ready stance. Knees bent. Fists curled.
Two lethal growls pricked my ears. Gunnar turned first, ready to strike. I reached and grabbed him, holding him back. Liam and Mac burst through the broken fence, their wolf eyes blazing.
“What are you doing here?” Gunnar shouted. “We need you back at the caves.”
“No,” Liam said, stepping forward. “Not this time. We’ve got men and women we can trust, fully armed at every entrance. We started this together. It’s time to finish it. I’m not sitting on the sidelines.”
I gave him a wry smile. “Molly threw you out, did she? Let me guess, you were driving her nuts.”
Liam’s eyes narrowed, but he couldn’t keep the hint of a smile from playing at the corners of his mouth.
Mac stepped forward. Of all of us, he had the most to lose. He locked eyes with me. “What about Daniel?” I asked.
Mac stood tall, determination making hard lines in his face. “If this goes wrong today, Daniel will be in even more danger. He’ll be the most hunted, most vulnerable shifter in Kentucky. You need all the strength you can get.”
He was right.
No one would say it. Maybe they didn’t think about it the way I did. But, I was the one that had set us all on this path. It was my love for Keara that had made me brave enough to break away from Able’s Pack. The others had reasons of their own, but one of us had to go first and that was me.
Sensing my mood, Liam came to me. My cousin. He’d been the first to join me. We’d found the caves together. He persuaded Mac to break from the Pack next. It had been an easy choice for him because his sister, Lena, had been abducted. Gunnar and Payne soon followed.
The five us. The last of the true Alphas of Kentucky. We were
not pack. But, we were brothers in arms. We stood shoulder to shoulder as we turned to face Able’s hideout.
Rowan’s strength reached me. For now, she was safe. I felt strong arms wrapped around her as Jett and Lena pulled her back toward the river.
I love you.
I didn’t know if she could hear me. But, admitting it gave me a different kind of strength. Whatever happened today, she’d brought me through to the other side in every way that mattered.
“We win the day, we win the war,” I said.
Liam dropped low and growled. His ears pricked. I put a steadying hand on his back. We needed to keep our wolves back as long as possible. It would be easier for Able to mess with our heads if we went purely feral. Hold. Steady.
“Shit,” Mac said. “You hear that?”
I did. Far to the north, a chorus of howls and wild barking started.
“He’s called ‘em!” Gunnar shouted. “Time to mount up!”
Alarm flared through me. I hoped the strongest of Pack were all headed this way. We had other betas stationed in Shadow Springs and near some of the tunnels we used to travel undetected. They were strong enough to pick off lesser Pack members one by one if Able sent them in to fight. But, good men would likely die today.
“Go!” Payne shouted.
We spread out. Mac and Liam headed east and west, circling the outer edges of the property. Gunnar and I headed straight for the house. Payne watched our six.
Shots echoed across the valley. It was Jett’s girls. They’d taken positions all along the edge of the forest.
“He’s called them down on our fucking heads!” Mac shouted.
As we drew closer to the house, I knew it would end here today, one way or another. Jett’s troops with their wolfkiller ammo could pick off plenty of shifters. But, they would keep coming until the bullets ran out. Taking out Able was the only way to stop them from slaughtering whoever was left standing when the bullets stopped flying.