“Please, Kirk,” she yelled. “If he gets me pregnant you could end up with a human baby. You and your wife want shifters, right? Children who won’t get sick—who will survive the world we live in. You won’t have to protect them; they’ll protect you.”
Jay released one of Jordan’s wrists and pulled his dick out.
“Stop,” Kirk said. His voice said it all. He would hold out for another male. He wanted shifter pups for himself and his wife. He’d wait.
But Jay would not.
Not sparing his brother-in-law another glance, he shoved his cock between Jordan’s legs. She clenched and twisted her hips enough to escape penetration. Instead, his dick rammed into her thigh.
He hissed his anger and frustration, his hand rough as it groped between her legs and spread her open.
Jordan screamed with the fury of a hundred thousand thunder strikes. This human cockroach dared touch her there—dared believe he could force himself inside her, rape a she-wolf against the earth with the moon as witness?
Her free arm brushed over the ground with the grace of an eagle tipping her wing in flight. Without looking, her fingers found the hatchet and curled around the handle like talons. Her arm arced. The blade flashed silver. Jay shoved at her then stopped as the blade made a wet, slurping sound as it cut through the side of his face.
Then it rained blood.
Jay’s screams came one after another. Blood flowed freely from his face and poured over Jordan’s chest. She pulled the blade out of Jay’s face and he screamed louder, clutching his right cheek. She scrambled out from under him and got to her feet.
Kirk was so stunned he didn’t raise his rifle fast enough when Jordan swung the hatchet at his skull. She held onto the handle as though it was the leg of a fleeing deer. She would not let it out of her grasp no matter how much it tried to get away.
A familiar wet crunching sound met the edge of the blade, followed by a bloodcurdling scream that sang through Jordan’s heart like the familiar melody of birdsong in the morning.
Kirk fell to the ground and curled into the fetal position. Checking that Jay hadn’t regrouped or gotten ahold of his gun, Jordan brought the hatchet down over Kirk again and again until he stopped screaming. Until he no longer moved at all.
“Savage,” a voice hissed at her back.
Jordan spun around, hatchet at her side and assessed Jay, still standing, but in bad shape. His hand did little to staunch the flow of blood down his chin and neck. His jeans sagged at his hips, and a fat, stubby dick poked out between his legs.
“Cockroach,” Jordan answered.
She raised her chest, feeling invisible bathed in human blood. She’d never killed a single living creature in human form before today.
“I’d sooner finish you off with my teeth, but that would require shifting.” Jordan’s voice emerged like a cold winter’s night. She passed the hatchet from one hand to the next, taking Jay in, studying his body and all the possible places to slice him with the blade. “Maybe I should cut you apart piece by piece then dine on your flesh.”
Her lips curled over a malicious smile.
Jay returned her smile. He lowered his arm, allowing the blood to flow freely from the gaping wound down the side of his face.
“Knew the end would come one day. Knew it would be horrible. Just didn’t think it would be at the hands of a she-wolf.” He shrugged, and more blood spilled down his collar, soaking through his shirt. “Suppose I gotta pay for my crimes.” He laughed without humor. “Some would call this justice. Imagine that?” He laughed again, shook his head, and winced. “What about my sister?”
“She’s next.”
He said nothing. Made no expression other than the grimace of pain that had frozen over his face ever since Jordan pulled the blade out. Even if she left him—walked away—he’d bleed out and die from the open wound.
Something like disappointment coursed through Jordan’s veins. This human who had been willing to rape Jordan on his sister’s behalf now stood vacant, ready to accept death.
Then Jay’s fingers curled into tight fists.
Killing him would be bloody, messy. No matter, she’d long since become immune to gore. The instinct to feed and protect was in every shifter’s DNA. They had to end life to sustain life.
Jordan thought of David’s lifeless body on the ground behind her. She looked at Jay with his sagging pants. Then she ran for the human, jumping aside as he lunged for her, and circled around him. She lifted the hatchet and smashed the blade into his skull.
chapter twenty-three
Blood coated Jordan’s throat and stained the fur around her front paws.
After landing the killing blow over Jay, she’d shifted and sniffed out the woman’s location roughly four miles away on a grassy ledge shaded by trees. Before cresting the last hill leading to a wide flat ledge, she’d heard the human humming. It had morphed into screams of dismay, followed by pain and terror—music to Jordan’s pointed ears.
She stood over David now—lifted her head to the moon and howled. Her forlorn cries echoed across the lonely peaks and were swallowed by the sky.
Lowering her head, Jordan sniffed gently at David’s fur. His death corroded her soul. He’d been so innocent, so young, and—in the end—as brave as any shifter could ever hope to be in the moment of need.
Jordan’s shoulders sagged. Her head bent, and her ears drooped. She needed to get back to the hollow, but she was having a hard time leaving David behind.
A howl rose up over the hilltops like a smoke signal—one she recognized well. Another howl joined the first, followed by a third.
Raider! Aden! Sasha!
The joy of liberation burst through Jordan’s chest as she lifted her head and howled in answer.
Raider’s howl came closer and closer. Jordan answered again and again, afraid if she stopped, his calls would end, and she’d discover it had all been her imagination. She wanted to run to him, but her fallen packmate held her back.
Raider reached Jordan before Aden and Sasha. He came charging into the alcove and nearly knocked Jordan off her feet when he ran at her, but pulled up short and began licking her face and sniffing for wounds.
Sasha arrived next and gave a cry when she saw David. Raider’s head jerked. He moved his head away from Jordan reluctantly to take a look at their fallen packmate. When Aden appeared, he ran straight for David, got onto his hind legs beside the body, and howled louder than them all. The werewolf had big lungs, and an even bigger heart.
As Raider begin his shift, Jordan did the same. In human form, he rushed over to her and gathered her into his warm, solid arms, squeezing her tightly then running his hands over her face as he stared into her eyes with such intense love Jordan could scarcely breathe.
Raider brought her head to his in a crushing kiss. There was more emotion in those kisses than words could ever convey.
The tension in Jordan’s back melted away as Raider lavished her in his embrace.
Behind them, Sasha said, “He should be buried in the Forest of the Ancestors.”
Jordan hadn’t noticed her and Aden shift.
“I’ll carry him back to the hollow,” Aden said.
Jordan pulled back, blinked, and stared at the two shifters standing over the dead wolf shifter. Her arms shook, and tears filled her eyes.
Sasha bent beside David and ran her thumb over his stump.
“You killed the human who did this to him?” she asked, voice cool as ice.
“Him and the other two in his group.” Jordan’s lip curled when she looked at Jay’s bloody body. His pants still gaped open.
Noticing this, Raider’s nostrils flared and jaw clenched, but he didn’t ask the question she was sure burned inside his mind.
When Raider pried his jaw open it was to say, “I recognize both these men. They’re the ones we encount
ered in the suburbs.”
“You said there was a third?” Sasha demanded.
“A woman,” Jordan said. She jutted her chin up the hill. “About four miles west. I took care of her.” She turned to Raider. “How did you find me?”
“Elsie was able to perform a location spell. It led us to a cabin then into the mountains. As soon as we heard you howl, Sasha, Aden, and I shifted and ran the rest of the way.” Raider’s head lowered as he stared at David’s lifeless body. “What happened to Sydney? Was she with you, too?”
Acid burned in Jordan’s stomach. Her gut twisted into tight knots. Before she could answer, an earth-shaking growl vibrated through the alcove and rattled her bones. At first Jordan feared Wolfrik had turned rabid and followed the group into the mountains. He stood above the boulders, mouth foaming, eyes flashing, deep wrinkles forming along his snout and hairs standing up along his ridge.
He leapt from the boulders. Instinctively, Jordan jumped back and reached for the bloody hatchet she’d set down. But Wolfrik went straight for Jay, ripping through his chest in a fit of bloodthirsty snarls that called to the animal inside Jordan to join in the bloodbath, tear out the human’s entrails and spread them over the ground like debris.
Wolfrik’s snarls turned into chewing and slurping sounds as he went from ripping open the body to eating torn pieces of flesh.
Jordan, Raider, Sasha, and Aden stood, frozen, watching Wolfrik devour the human as though it were his last meal.
No one said anything until he’d had his fill and licked his lips with a manic smile.
Aden cleared his throat. “The rest of you can shift and meet up with the rest of the group. I’ll bring David.”
Sasha shook her head. “I’m not leaving you out here alone.” Her eyes ran over Jordan. “Is any of that blood yours?”
“No,” Jordan said.
“What about Sydney? Did the humans do something to her?” Sasha asked.
Jordan laughed humorlessly. Her upper lip curled. “You didn’t see her in the hollow on your way out?”
Had Sydney even gone back, or had the horror of what she’d done sunk in and prevented her from returning home?
Sasha’s eyes locked on hers. “Why don’t you tell us what happened?”
“I’d rather go home first.”
“Tell us along the way,” Sasha insisted.
Raider took Jordan’s hand in his and squeezed. “How about once we meet up with the others?”
Jordan nodded gratefully. For now, she wanted time to breathe and to concentrate on the feeling of her hand in his.
Aden lifted David and cradled his limp, furry body against his chest. Tears welled in Jordan’s eyes. Raider pulled her into his chest and kissed the top of her head tenderly. Having him here with her when she thought she might never see him again felt like a dream she never wished to wake from.
They began the trek back. Wolfrik trailed after them with a wolfish smile over his lips.
Jordan’s body moved as though in a fog, the press of Raider’s hands her only tether to earth.
Somewhere along the way, they met up with Tabor, Elsie, and Zackary. Their eyes widened at Jordan’s blood-soaked body while she stared back blankly.
A strangled cry escaped through Elsie’s lips when she saw the dead wolf in Aden’s arms.
“Sydney?” she whispered.
That name stung and burned through Jordan like an infection.
“David,” Aden said solemnly.
“Oh, no.” Elsie’s moan came out heartfelt and true, as though she’d known David for longer than a week.
“What happened to his front paw?” Tabor demanded. Muscles tensed in his arms, and lightening flashed in his eyes.
Sasha moved to his side and threaded an arm around him. “The human who did this is dead. Jordan killed him and the other two who were part of his group.” She looked into the sky and frowned. “We need to get back to the Manama River before nightfall.”
“You should all shift and run ahead,” Aden said. “I might not make it until after dusk. I can carry Elsie’s dress and Jordan’s tank top with me.”
Tabor glanced at the dead wolf in Aden’s arms and wet his lips. “Yeah, maybe we should split into two groups again,” he said.
“I’m staying with David,” Jordan said.
Raider nodded. “And I’m staying with Jordan.”
Tabor rubbed his hands together. “Okay, we’ll meet on the other side of the Manama. I’ll take Elsie and Sasha with me and have the fire waiting for you.”
“I’ll come with you,” Zackary said to Tabor.
Tabor clenched his teeth but didn’t say “no.”
“What about Wolfrik?” Elsie asked.
“He’s going to do whatever he wants.” Sasha sighed. “He recently gorged himself on human flesh.”
Elsie wrinkled her nose.
Tabor clapped his hands together. “Okay, guys, backs turned. Sasha, please take Elsie’s dress from her once she’s undressed.”
With an amused laugh, Elsie began pulling her dress off before Tabor finished his sentence. Aden and Zackary turned, giving her privacy. Tabor covered his eyes. Raider had yet to take his attention away from Jordan. His eyes held onto her as though she might disappear if he looked away.
Once they’d divided into two groups, Tabor, Elsie, Sasha, and Zackary shifted and took off for the Manama River. Wolfrik stayed behind, a vengeful smile on his wolf’s lips.
“Did you know him?” Jordan mused aloud.
Raider’s fingers tightened around Jordan’s. They walked hand in hand even when the terrain became rocky and steep. Even with his hands full, Aden barreled up and down the mountainside. When the hour of the full moon came, Wolfrik lifted his head and howled. Answering howls cried in the distance.
Jordan squeezed Raider’s hand. He sucked in a shuddering breath.
“The humans wanted to force us to breed.” Jordan’s words whispered through her lips. “When they tried, David attacked. The one Wolfrik ate snapped David’s neck then tried to force himself on me, but I struck him with the hatchet before he could.”
Raider’s jaw twitched, but he listened patiently as the words spilled out.
“Sydney,” Jordan hissed. Her body heaved violently saying the name. She shared the part about the humans with cold detachment, but when she got to the part about Sydney, her lips drew back, and her voice shook. Anger blasted through her body like a fire burning out of control.
“I’ll make sure she never hurts anyone ever again,” Raider said.
They said nothing after that. The full moon pulled at Jordan’s heart—made her ache for Raider as she’d never ached before. But it was too soon—too horrific of a day. The words she wanted to tell him the most lodged themselves inside her throat. She’d tell him she loved him once the horror subsided and she found her voice. There was no one she’d rather have by her side.
Dusk fell over the mountains like a shadow, while the moon lit up the land with its spectral light. They moved from mountain to mountain and between valleys until reaching the ridge that would take them to the Manama River. They avoided the cabin, passing it from above and short-cutting to the other side of the bluff, taking a steep trail down to the river.
Wading across, Jordan’s heart lifted with happiness as she stepped foot onto Wolf Hollow territory. Camp was upriver several miles. Wolfrik howled to alert the others of their approach. They pushed forward and found Zackary manning a small fire, poking at the embers with a long stick. Elsie sat beside him in wolf form, her head up and ears alert. She wagged her tail when she saw the second half of their group approach.
“Where are Tabor and Sasha?” Raider asked.
Zackary’s cheeks flushed. “They’ll be back soon. They went into the woods to try for a pup. Said there might still be time.”
Jordan glanced a
t Elsie, surprised Tabor had left her alone with Zackary. He’d probably made her promise not to shift. From what she’d observed of the half-wizard girl, she wouldn’t put it past Elsie to shift behind his back then shift again before anyone was the wiser.
Jordan searched Zackary’s face, but he gave nothing away with his eyes focused on the flames.
Aden set David down gently on top of a grassy patch nestled between ferns and canopied by trees.
A howl arose from the forest, joined by another. Tabor and Sasha alerted the group that they were returning.
Jordan couldn’t blame them for ducking away while they had the chance. They’d already lost last month’s full moon after Garrick and Zackary abducted Tabor and tossed him into a pit dug by humans to contain wolves. She shuddered thinking about it. As though sensing her upset, Raider leaned his arm against hers.
“I’m going to wash up,” Jordan said. She barely recognized the detached tenor of her voice.
“I’ll come with you,” Raider said.
He followed her to the river and stood guard, watching as she waded into the middle and sat down, letting the chilly water rush across her skin and wash away the blood. Jordan stretched out, holding her head above water, rinsing her shoulders, neck, and chest. She sat back up and splashed water over her face over and over, relishing the cold sting against her cheeks.
Her blood ran hot. Her body and mind awoke. Jordan got to her feet and waded back to shore—toward Raider—bathed in moonlight, the river’s water shimmering over her skin. Hungry eyes soaked her in, filling to the brim as Jordan stalked directly up to the tall, dark, muscular form hulking beneath the moon-cast shadows.
Raider’s nostrils flared, and his chest rose. “I wanted to save you,” he rasped.
“You did save me, in the most important way.” Jordan took Raider’s hand and spread his palm over her heart. “I don’t want to hide from my feelings anymore. Life is unpredictable, but my love for you is as constant as the rising moon. I love you, Raider.” She pressed her palm over his, firmly against her chest. Her heart beat into his hand. “I love you.” Saying it made her want to say it again and again. How silly that the words had caught in her throat earlier. Now that her feelings were free, she wanted to sing them from the treetops—hoot them alongside the night owls.
Mating Games Page 30