by Jen L. Grey
It'd be a whole lot easier if he was conscious.
She glanced around before running over to the desk we hadn’t noticed against the wall. She slowly opened the drawer, but it still made a loud groaning noise.
Shit. They had to have heard that.
Footsteps pounded on the ground as two more guards appeared from the opposite side of the woods. As they ran by the sliding glass door, they stopped in their tracks when they saw me.
"They're trying to break him out," the taller guard said.
"No shit." The other one pulled his gun from his pocket.
Great, another chance for me to get shot. My heart was racing, but I couldn't let panic take over my thoughts. I couldn't let anyone get hurt. I pushed off of my legs, allowing my wolf to take over. He lifted the gun to aim it at me, and I ran to the side as he pressed the trigger, narrowly missing me. Before he could take another shot, I jumped and aimed for his throat.
He lifted his hands to his shoulders and pushed me off of him, making both me and the gun fall to the floor.
A loud growl sounded before Bree launched toward the second guard as he went for his gun. Her mouth clamped down on the hand that was pulling the gun from his holster.
"Ow, dammit!" he yelled.
As the guard I was fighting scrambled on the floor for his gun, I threw caution to the wind and went for his throat once more. He hadn't expected me to recover so quickly, and I caught him off guard. My teeth sank into his throat, and I jerked my head, ripping his throat out. He wobbled for a second before falling to the floor.
His warm blood coated my mouth as I blinked several times with the realization of what I'd done.
"Mia, Bree needs help," Sherry said, waking me from whatever spell I'd fallen under. I couldn't fall apart right now. I'd done it out of self-preservation, not for sport. Though I knew that it should've made me feel better, it didn't.
Taking a deep breath, I turned to find the other guard holding Bree up by the neck.
"You stupid bitch," his words were filled with such hate. "You're going to pay for what you've done."
I rushed over and stood on my hind legs so I was tall enough to bite into his arm. I saw where Bree had already bitten him only moments ago and bit into the exact same spot, clamping down hard.
"Ow." He kicked his leg into my stomach, knocking the breath out of me.
Despite my head becoming light, I didn't release my hold.
His hands slackened against Bree's neck, and she crumpled to the ground.
The guard used his uninjured arm to grab me by the neck, choking me like he'd just done to Bree. I couldn't let him get the best of me though.
I rocked my wolf body forward, digging my claws into his chest and stomach.
He jerked me to the side, trying to get my claws to retract from his body, but I dug in deeper, making sure they stayed. Blood seeped from the cuts, and his eyes began to glaze.
All of a sudden, Bree stood up, regaining her balance on all fours, and jumped at his throat, hitting the mark perfectly. He stumbled back as his grip on my neck slackened. Soon, he dropped me as he tried pushing Bree off him but with no luck.
She didn't rip his throat out like I had done to the other guy but, instead, let him bleed out with her teeth remaining locked in place.
"Tripp, wake up." Sherry sounded desperate.
I turned around, watching as Sherry finished untying the last rope, setting him free. However, Tripp just sat there in a daze. Sherry drew her hand back and slapped him hard across the face.
"Ow." His eyelids fluttered open, and his hand jerked to his cheek. "What the hell!" Then, he looked around. "Holy shit. You're rescuing me." He rushed to his feet, and then his forehead creased. "Who are you?"
"It doesn't matter." Sherry grabbed his arm so she could pull him to the door. "Right now, we need to get you to safety."
Bree whimpered as she let go of the guard’s neck and stood in front of us. She nodded in the direction we'd come from.
"Let's go." Sherry kept her grip on Tripp’s arm as she tugged him to the sliding glass door. "Be quiet. We're going to hide in the woods."
"Uh, okay." He stumbled a little as if he was disoriented or possibly something worse.
The three of them ran toward the woods while I stayed behind. They were going to get pissed when they realized I hadn't gone with them.
I rushed to the side where the rest of the group was fighting the guards, only to find two of the men from the rebellion dead on the ground.
Holy shit. This was bad.
I searched for Liam. He was on all fours and fighting a guard with someone from the rebellion. The wolf was slightly smaller than the other ones surrounding them, so it was Willow. Her red fur was the same color as blood.
I glanced behind me as I watched Tripp and the girls make it back into the woods. At least, they were safe for the time being.
A low growl filled the air right behind me. I turned around to find a wolf I didn't know, who locked his eyes with mine. Saliva dripped from his mouth as he slowly stalked toward me.
Mia, what the hell are you doing? Liam stopped for a second and looked my way. You were supposed to go with the others.
I wasn't about to leave you. If he thought I was going to run away and hide while they risked their lives, he had lost his damn mind.
The wolf slowly stalked toward me as if he was enjoying the hunt. He wanted me to feel like I was his prey and tried his best to mess with my mind.
I lifted my head in indifference and tried giving him a wolfy smile.
It must have worked because his eyes narrowed directly on me, and he charged.
At the last second, I lowered onto my belly, making him stumble over me. When his body hit my back, I stood on my hind legs, which caused him to crash into the ground due to his momentum.
A deep, raspy sound vibrated from his chest as he stood back up and stared at me.
He clawed at the dirt as he took in a deep breath. Right when he was about to charge, Liam jumped for him, ripping out his throat.
When the wolf went down, an eerie silence filled the air as rain started dropping from the sky.
Willow and the others had shifted back into human form and changed into the extra sets of clothes they had brought.
The heirs, Bree, Kai, and I were still in wolf form when they had made it back to us.
"We have to bury the dead and then he," Willow said as she pointed to Tripp, "must come with us."
Kai growled.
"If he goes back, the council will just capture him again. He'll only be safe with us." Willow hadn't even bothered trying to hide her appearance now. Her dark red hair fell to her shoulders, and her blue eyes found mine. "The rest of you need to head back so no one notices that you were gone."
She was right. The longer we stayed out here, the more difficult it would be.
"I'll be calling you tomorrow." Willow met Bree's eyes. "Have your phone near you."
Come on, let's get back. Liam motioned to the others as we turned to head back to Wolf Moon.
As I turned, Tripp stopped next to me. "Thank you." His eyes twinkled with unshed tears as he patted my head and then followed after Willow.
Since I didn’t want to have a meltdown, I nodded at him and headed home.
After we'd gotten back and settled, I stood in the shower, letting the hot water run over me. Every time I closed my eyes, I could see the wolf I had killed over and over again. Even the metallic taste of his blood still filled my mouth.
"Hey, are you okay?" Liam entered the bathroom with concern.
"I don't know." I didn't want to tell him what I had done. What if he thought differently of me? I turned the water off and grabbed a towel, trying to keep myself occupied so I wouldn’t close my eyes and cry. As I put my clothes on, Liam turned toward me.
"Bree called me and told me what happened." Liam leaned back on the door and watched me.
Of course, she told him. I finished putting my clothes on and turned toward h
im. "I don't want to talk about it." My voice cracked at the last word.
"You know you didn't do anything wrong, right?" Liam took a step toward me and took hold of my hand. "If you hadn’t killed him, he would have killed you."
"He was still someone's son and, hell, maybe even a husband or father." What if he had a little kid at home, waiting for their daddy to come home?
"You can't do that." Liam pulled me into his arms and held me tightly despite my soaking wet hair. "You weren't doing it for pleasure. You did what you had to do to survive." Regret poured through our bond. "I should've gone with you."
"No, you shouldn't have." The guards had guns, and the rebellion needed everyone available to help them. Luckily, we were being extra cautious by separating so Bree and I went with Sherry. It would've turned out badly if we hadn't.
"Does it ever get easier?" He'd killed tonight too. It wasn't like I was the only one.
"No, it doesn't." He ran his fingers through my hair. "You'll never forget it, and you have to work through your emotions. But you also have to think about what would've happened if you hadn't done what you did."
He was right. If I hadn't killed him, then Bree would have fought the other guy alone and might not have made it out alive which meant Sherry and Tripp wouldn't have either. It changed my perspective some, but it still didn't feel right. "I see your point, but..."
"I'm not saying you have to be okay with what you did." Liam kissed my forehead. "I'm saying don't beat yourself up so much." He released me and took my hand, tugging me into the bedroom. "The best thing we can do right now is lie down and maybe watch something funny on television."
He crawled into bed and lay down, holding his arms out to me. "Let's cuddle, watch a show, and just take it day by day."
Day by day. That sounded a whole lot easier than the rest of my life.
I climbed into bed and laid my head on his shoulder. With his free arm, he turned the TV on and flipped through the channels until he found something good.
I took a deep breath, absorbing his comforting scent of musk and sandalwood. I could do this. I only had to get through the night. Surely that wouldn't be difficult.
Chapter Eight
After getting dressed and ready for the day, I stood in the bathroom, staring at my reflection in the mirror. I'd had nightmares all night where I relived killing that guard over and over. I was able to hide the dark circles under my eyes, but my emerald eyes didn't sparkle like they used to. Hell, maybe it was just my imagination. I wore a blood-red sports bra underneath a silver Wolf Moon Academy tank top with matching blood-red exercise shorts and had braided my hair.
"Hey, let's go to the restaurant and grab some breakfast." Liam brushed his fingers against my bare arm.
It's funny because it'd been a while since we'd eaten there. Now that I’d thought about it, I hadn't yet with Liam as a couple. "Yeah, okay." I wasn't hungry, but maybe getting me out and around people would make me feel a little better.
"Great, Sherry and Simon are going to meet us there." Liam's lips curved upward at the corners like he was trying to hide a smile.
Those words were enough to snap me out of my funk at least temporarily. "What?"
"Yeah, Simon called me this morning and asked for us to meet them." Liam finished buttoning the top button on his silver shirt. "They may already be there. I didn't want to rush you."
"I'll be okay." I couldn't lie and tell him I was fine now. First off, it wouldn't work, he'd both feel and smell my lie; and secondly, I wanted to ensure our relationship was always open and honest. "Let's go."
He pulled me into his arms and pecked my forehead. I love you.
Warmth spread across my chest, relieving me of the cold feelings left over from my dreams. I love you too.
Let's go before I throw you on the bed and take you like I want to. He released me from his arms and took my hand.
Maybe I want you to. My body heated in response to his words.
A deep growl left his chest. If you weren't going to training, I would be taking you up on that offer, but you need to eat.
I wanted to pout, but he was right. I planned on making Evan kick my ass today. "Fine."
He chuckled as we headed out the door.
Within minutes, we were walking into a packed restaurant. It was the only place to eat on campus unless you cooked in your dorm. I glanced at the booths that lined the walls, and Sherry leaned out of the one in the back right corner to wave us over.
"There they are." I tugged on Liam’s arm as we weaved through the tables that were strategically scattered inside.
"Oh, my God." Robyn's nasally voice hit my ears like a freaking sledgehammer. "She won't give up."
"Don't worry about her," Amber responded as we were passing by their table of four. "He'll be crawling back to me any minute now."
I was so sick and tired of being talked down to. I stopped in my tracks and turned toward them. "God, you are pathetic." I took a deep breath and glanced from Robyn back to Amber. "They want nothing to do with either of you. Yeah, maybe you got to spread your legs for Liam and Simon, but not anymore. The more you two act like this, the worse you look because everyone knows that you two will amount to nothing."
"What?" Amber jerked back as if she had been slapped.
Dear God, didn't they realize they were blessed to not have to be raised like normal people or as an elite. They acted like they were being mistreated or worse, but they had everything handed over to them on a silver fucking platter. "Move on. None of us want to be around any of you."
"Liam, she makes you look weak." Amber's eyes landed on my mate.
"To whiny, entitled bitches like you?" He stared down his crazy ex-girlfriend. "She's my fated, and we've claimed each other. I don't know how much clearer it could be for you."
"But..."
"There aren't any buts." If she thought I was going to continue to let her act this way, she'd lost her damn mind.
An evil laugh came from the booth we were heading to that was only two tables away. Simon leaned forward, and I saw a coldness to him that I had forgotten he possessed. "You were nothing to us but a toy to play with. Now, you're just useless. Quit wasting our precious time."
"Aw, that sucks for you." Robyn smirked at Amber. "Maybe you don't deserve to be sitting with us since you've clearly been written off."
"And you honestly think you're much better?" Simon tilted his head as he took the girl in. "We only used you one time to get back at her," he said as he pointed at me, "Now, we want nothing to do with you."
"He's right." Liam wrapped an arm around my waist and wrinkled his nose. "None of you matter. It's about damn time you figured it out. Let's stop wasting our precious time on them and join our friends." He pointed over to Sherry and Simon.
"Gladly." I turned and kissed his lips before pulling back and heading to the table.
The whole section of the restaurant had become silent as they watched the show. I had no clue until that moment.
"Wow, and I thought I knew how to make an entrance." Sherry chuckled as I slid into the booth first, sitting across from Simon.
"I think it's something we're all blessed with now." Us being part of the heirs’ group gave me a lot more attention than I'd ever had before. I wouldn't give Liam up for the world, but sometimes I wished life could be a little simpler.
"So what do we owe the pleasure of you taking our side?" Liam arched an eyebrow at Simon.
"Hey, I might've been combative before, but I know who I need to stick close to," Simon replied as he took Sherry's hand. "Besides, you guys were right for listening to her."
I blinked several times to make sure my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. After a second, I took a deep breath, and my mouth dropped open. "Holy shit, you guys are bonded."
Liam slid in beside me and placed his arm around my shoulders. "It's about time."
"Hey, I had to let it process." Simon lifted both hands in the air. "At least, I didn't take as long as you did."
"What made you have a change of heart?" I was happy for them both, but I'd figured it would take even longer for Simon to be okay with it.
"Last night." Simon wrapped his arm around Sherry as he sighed. "I saw that wolf charge her, and thankfully, you saved her since I was too far away. I figured it was pointless to keep fighting it. After all, Liam seems so much happier now than he ever had been, so it couldn't be as bad as our dads told us."
"Your parents are assholes." Sherry cuddled against Simon's arm. "And they want you to be assholes like them. That's why they didn't want you to mate with your fated."
"That's true." I hadn't considered it like that, but she probably hit the nail on the head. "Fated mates are meant to ground us."
"It doesn't matter now." Liam leaned over and kissed my cheek. "We're all here and together."
And for the first time, everything seemed normal.
Before I knew it, Saturday was here. I was over at the dorm, hanging out with Bree and Sherry since the guys were already getting ready for their game tonight. Luckily, it was off-campus at a school only thirty minutes away, so we'd get at least a little break from Wolf Moon.
"I'm kind of excited." Sherry grinned. "This will be the first college game I've ever been to."
"Well, I'm kind of excited myself. Nate and Max are going to come. This is KSU’s off week." Bree clapped her hands as she walked into the living room to grab her purse and keys from the table. "Are you two ready to go?"
I was more than ready. She'd forced me to change into a long-sleeve Wolf Moon Academy shirt and jeans. I'd hoped to go wearing neutral clothes, but apparently, that wasn't possible. Then she did my makeup, coloring my eyelids silver and my lips blood-red. Luckily, I was able to pull it off with my skin tone and black as night hair.
Sherry had been forced into the same thing. However, for some reason, Bree let her get away with a more natural look, and I was so damn jealous.