by Rosko, Mandy
“Fuck you. I’m not giving your little Satan seed one of my trucks.”
“Garret, please don’t do this.”
Dennis rubbed at his forehead, neck clenching. “It’s not like he can keep it anyway. You’ll just report it stolen. I want to know he can get out of there fast, so you don’t pull any shit with me. I want him driving away from you, far away and safe, and I will stay behind with Anna. That’s the deal.”
Anna was silent. She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t think she could say much of anything.
The air in the truck was so tense. Dennis didn’t have much wiggle room here, and he had to know it.
“It’s a deal,” Garret said finally. “Bring Anna home. You have until the end of the hour.”
“Garret, don’t hurt Dennis or his son, please.”
“We’ll talk about it when you get home, sweetie, don’t worry.”
She couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Garret, Dennis is my mate.”
Dennis suddenly looked as though he was about to fly through the roof of the truck, but that was nothing compared to how Garret sounded when she revealed that little secret.
Every time she thought they’d reached the ceiling of how angry he could get, he blasted through it one more time, and she wasn’t sure where exactly the roof was on Garret’s anger, but she may have found it with this.
It took her a bit before she could fully understand what he was saying. He was that angry. He might have even shifted, or be partially shifted because, in the next instant, there were angry growls and shouts.
“Why did you tell him that?” Dennis looked at her, asking the question with real disappointment and anger in his eyes.
Anna’s first instinct was to cower from that look. She pushed passed it. This was no ordinary alpha, and she wasn’t some simple omega for him to boss around.
This was her mate; she was going to act like it. “He deserves to know, and if it will keep him from hurting you so much, then it’s good that I told him.”
“He will murder me for this, not just hurt me. Probably make me beg to die before he does it.”
Anna’s stomach clenched. “He wouldn’t do that.”
She didn’t particularly like the look Dennis gave her. As if he didn’t want to point out that he knew better in this case and she didn’t.
Maybe he did, and now she was stuck with the terrible realization that she may have made a mistake.
“Garret? Garret? Calm down!”
Anna needed to fix this. She needed to make this right, and she couldn’t do that if she couldn’t understand a thing her brother said.
But then it was Miranda’s voice on the phone, shouting over Garret’s anger. “Anna? Are you still there?”
“Yes! I am! Is Garret all right?”
More growls, something sounded as though it was being smashed.
“He’s pretty mad. Are you sure? About what you just said?”
“Yes!”
“No!”
Anna punched Dennis in the shoulder for trying to speak for her, but Miranda hardly seemed to notice.
She had a bigger problem to deal with. Literally.
“Anna, try to come home soon. Garret needs to see that you’re all right. You can’t be with Dennis right now. He’s dangerous.”
“He’s also sitting right where he can hear you, and he’s still my mate.”
Dennis sighed, leaning back and putting the phone closer to his mouth. “I’m taking her home. You’re that idiot’s mate, make sure he doesn’t touch Derek, and I’ll bring her back safe and sound, all right?”
Garret continued to rage and snarl in the background. Anna hated to hear her brother like that. Like a wild, uncontrollable monster.
“How do we know we can trust you?”
Anna didn’t look up, but she felt Dennis’ eyes on her as he spoke to Miranda. “I’ll make sure to bring her home. Like she said, she’s my mate. I have a good reason to make sure she’s not hurt, right?”
Another hesitation. “I know what you did to Katie. Don’t do anything like that to Anna or I won’t try to stop Garret from ripping you apart when he gets you.”
Dennis closed his eyes. Anna felt the tension pulsing from his body. “Right. See you in an hour.”
He hung up, abruptly ending the call and cutting off the sounds Garret made.
“Why didn’t you tell her that wasn’t you?” Anna demanded, watching as he dropped the phone. “You didn’t do anything to Katie. You’re not going to do that to me.”
“It won’t matter anyway.”
“It matters to me.”
“And you’re going home,” Dennis said with a sigh, starting the engine once more.
“I don’t want to leave you. I don’t want to give you to Garret if he’s going to hurt you.”
Dennis rubbed his face with one hand before he looked her in the eyes, holding her gaze. “That is not up to you or me. This is my son we are talking about here. My only kid. You are safe with Garret. He’s not. I won’t take that risk for you, so don’t ask me to.”
Again with that terrible clenching she felt in her stomach.
Anna wanted to. She really wanted to argue this, but…she couldn’t. “It’s not fair.”
Dennis smiled at her, a sad thing as he reached out and touched her cheek. Anna brought her hand to his, holding it in place, soaking in the sensation of skin to skin touch.
“You know I’ve got to do this.”
Anna nodded, her eyes burning. “I know.”
“Tell me you understand, even if you don’t like it.” He sounded in pain, as though he was begging for her to give him this. As though he was asking for her permission.
Maybe he was.
Anna was about to say yes when she looked up and noted a strange reflection in the window behind Dennis.
Not a reflection and not a trick of the light inside the truck. Anna realized that too late when the glass shattered inward, and she screamed long when a monstrous hand reached in and grabbed Dennis, yanking him out of the truck and away from her before she felt the spray of broken glass behind her, and she was pulled out of the truck and into the night.
4
Dennis smelled Laurence’s stink the instant that cocksucker got him out of the truck.
He should have smelled the bastard long before he had the chance to smash open the window and drag his ass out, but he’d been too preoccupied with Anna.
That was a mistake he was never going to make again because the sound of Anna’s scream was the injection of rage he needed right into his bloodstream.
Dennis spun around, his body shifting, claws coming through where his real fingernails should be so fast it hurt.
Laurence held on, his teeth snapping, but even when he had Dennis in his grasp, the clumsy fuck couldn’t exactly get those things right where they needed to go.
Though the sudden burn along the side of his face didn’t bode well for Dennis’ ear.
He didn’t feel the pain. He could only hear Anna screaming as Wallace and Carl dragged her away.
And if Dennis couldn’t twist out of Laurence’s grasp, then he would give the man exactly what he wanted.
Dennis shoved his arm down Laurence’s giant mouth.
The teeth bit down, which hurt, but Dennis felt it the instant the other man choked on his fist, his chest heaving as he tried to spit it out. Of course he couldn’t, and Laurence was forced to quickly shove Dennis away from him if he was going to keep his tonsils in place.
Dennis punched the man in the stomach for good measure, but Anna’s screams meant he couldn’t finish this little bitch off.
Dennis left the cowardly bastard where he was, hunched over and clutching at his stomach, before turning and chasing after the scent of his mate.
Even with two other males dragging her away, Anna pulled and struggled hard enough that they didn’t get far.
Dennis ran up to Wallace first since Dennis caught him slapping Anna hard across the face when he jumped
into their path.
Dennis went for the man’s eyes with a roar.
He narrowly missed blinding the fool with his claws, but he slashed hard down Wallace’s face before turning his attention to Carl. The other man, halfway shifted, charged Dennis, his own claws bared and fangs showing as he went for Dennis’ throat.
Carl was bad at this. Every shifter worth their salt knew better than to project their attack from a mile away like that, which was why Dennis waited until Carl got close enough before Dennis kicked the man in the face.
It shut down Carl’s war cry pretty damn fast as he flew at least two feet off the ground, then came down hard, landing on his back.
Anna ran behind him, seeking safety and shelter with him.
“You need to shift and run.”
“I can’t.”
He reached back, grabbing her by her hand and squeezing as Wallace rubbed his bloody face with the side of his arm.
His eyes were a bright shade of red as he bared his teeth at Dennis.
“Shift and run. I’m right behind you.”
He felt Anna’s eyes on him, and she knew. She knew he would be lucky to be able to crawl after her when three of his men were done with him.
He just needed to buy her the time. If she got back to her brother, Garret would let Derek go.
“Go now.”
Anna did, turning and fleeing into the night. Quick and silent. Dennis didn’t look back at her, but if he could just keep these degenerates away from her for a few minutes, at least five or ten, then she would have enough of a head start. She’d be able to get somewhere public and call for help. Maybe she could make it home on her own.
Laurence looked at him, his eyes narrowed. “You fucking serious?” He pointed his hand to the direction Anna ran off in. “You’re going to turn your back on everything we did, everything we planned, for a bitch like that? Garret’s fucking sister? Are you serious?”
Dennis shook his head. “You’re not touching her.” He squared his feet, keeping his claws out and slowly letting his skin change.
He didn’t want to fully become a wolf, but he did want his skin to change, for his fur to come at least partly through his pores.
Part of the change that came when he allowed his inner wolf out was that his skin became tougher; his fur added to the protection. It wasn’t saying much when he faced off against other shifters who had claws just as long and teeth that were just as pointed and powerful, but he was going to be ready.
“It’s three against one,” Laurence said. “Be smart about this. You’re never going to get in good with Garret.”
“Why would you try something like that?” Carl asked, sounding just as incredulous and confused. “You always told us about what he did! He threw you away; he turned all of us away!”
“Shut up, Carl, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You don’t get to tell him what to do anymore,” Laurence snapped.
“You in charge now?”
“Since you decided you were more loyal to that little bitch, yeah,” Laurence said, and he let his own transformation come over him. His flesh blued a little, fur coming through, his snout elongating.
He shook his head out, as though dislodging loose hairs, before finally returning his attention to Dennis. “You don’t command us anymore.”
Dennis was caught off guard by the way that… didn’t bother him. He’d known these men, had taken some of them in when Garret refused to.
They’d stolen, they’d hunted, and they’d lived together, but the only two people in the world who mattered anymore were his son and his mate.
“Maybe when we finish with you, we’ll ask Derek what he knew about this. Maybe he was planning it,” Wallace said.
And that was what made Dennis lose his damned mind.
He roared, more of his wolf emerging than he meant to release, which wasn’t good because as he rushed the three traitors in front of him, he could barely think. He tried to control the beast within him, but it refused to be held in place.
The animal lunged, using Dennis’ body to swing at Laurence’s face, but he made the mistake that Dennis despised the most. He projected his attack.
He couldn’t have given Laurence anymore of a heads up if he’d shouted at the man what he was planning on doing. And Laurence was able to duck out of the way, again, and again, and again.
Dennis couldn’t seem to land a hit, and the stupid wolf inside his head wouldn’t take that as its cue to let Dennis have control again, to let him do the fighting with both of their combined strength. No. It held control and every time their claws struck out and sliced through only the air, it seemed to lose even more control, seemed to become all the more enraged, and seemed to want to stay in power when Dennis needed to be let out.
“He lost control!” Wallace shouted.
Shut up.
“Holy shit, get him, Laurence!”
I’ll fucking kill all of you!
Laurence, the motherfucker, smiled at Dennis as though he was enjoying this, as though he was getting something out of it, and Dennis wanted to smash his face in all the more for it.
Laurence was laughing at him. Laurence wanted to hurt his mate, wanted to hurt his son, and Dennis was going to kill him for it!
Laurence grabbed Dennis by his fist, stopping his next punch with a strength that managed to shock even the wolf living inside of Dennis’ head.
Laurence kept smiling at him, those red eyes bright. “You can’t control yourself.”
He practically sang those words before slamming his fist into Dennis’ gut.
Dennis gasped for breath. The air whooshed from his lungs, and he went down to his knees.
No, get up! You stupid animal! Get the fuck up!
He wasn’t hurt. Not really, but he couldn’t seem to take in a breath for a few long seconds, and before sips of air finally managed to make it into his lungs, he thought he might actually pass out from the lack of oxygen.
“What the fuck is wrong with him?” Wallace asked, watching Dennis as though debating whether or not this was some sort of trick.
Dennis sneered at the man.
Laurence shook his head. “He’s got no control. The wolf went crazy.”
Carl shook his head. “No, that’s not right. He’s our alpha. He has to have control. He always did.”
Laurence growled low in his throat. He only had to look at Carl to make the other man cower and lower his head. Right, it was clear to everyone, including Dennis, who was taking over here now that Dennis was no longer part of the equation.
He couldn’t believe this shit was happening. He wanted to destroy all of these fuckers for this.
“A wolf without control is like a wild bull on the rampage,” Laurence said. “You like telling that to the new guys, right?”
Dennis glared, growling at the other man as Laurence pressed the tip of his finger to the center of Dennis’ forehead.
“Can do a lot of damage, even hurt other shifters, people, enemies and friends alike, but you just have to realize who’s really in control and you can dominate.” That smile seemed to widen. “Who’s dominating now, you little bitch?”
Dennis slapped Laurence’s hand away. Laurence laughed, standing. “Go and get his little bitch.”
“No,” Dennis barely forced the word out of his throat. Still clutching at his stomach, he looked at both Wallace and Carl, struggling to speak as he barely managed to melt back into something more human. “You touch her, and I’ll fucking kill you.”
He used the full force of his nature to command them, fully expecting the obedience he was used to.
The two snorted, looked at each other, and with an overly dramatic eye roll, they walked off.
Dennis almost couldn’t believe it. He’d expected to still have at least some level of control over them, to be able to bring them back here without any more of a struggle. They should have realized their mistake and submitted.
But no, of course not. Why would th
ey?
And Laurence was thinking the exact same thing Dennis was.
“Why the hell would you expect them to want to obey you after they just watched me beat your ass?”
He grabbed a fistful of Dennis’ hair, yanking him back to his feet. Dennis had to move; otherwise he was going to get scalped.
Laurence seemed to get several inches taller as he let the wolf shape merge with his own, his body became less human, and as he stared down at Dennis. He couldn’t believe it, but Dennis felt the wolf inside himself whimper.
What. The. Hell?
Laurence laughed, his voice low and cracked as he couldn’t quite keep his voice box entirely human. “You want to submit to me?” He wrapped his large hand around Dennis’ throat, squeezing as he leaned in. “Submit to me, and I won’t kill your bitch or the boy.”
Dennis’s feet left the ground. He struggled to get a hold of himself, to pull the animal forward and take what he needed from it. To take its strength.
“I’ll still kill you, but she will live. She can be my mate, and Derek can lick the toilets clean. I’m sure someone will make him their little bitch. He might even like it, you know?”
Dennis roared. He didn’t shift, though, the wolf stayed inside, but Laurence was close enough that when Dennis reached for his eyes, he got them.
Laurence howled and pulled back. Dennis was forced to grab onto the hair of the wolf with one hand, attacking the other eye with his other hand.
Frenzied and desperate to protect his eyes, Laurence threw Dennis down onto the ground. Dennis caught himself, the wolf inside him waking up at the sudden change in their fortunes.
That’s right. You get the fuck out here and fight when I need you to.
Dennis felt the change in his body, his muscles expanding, his height increasing, his mouth watering for blood.
He slammed his fist into the side of Laurence’s face, into his good eye.
You fight when I want you to!
He punched the other shifter again, the bravery of his wolf increasing as Laurence backed off.