Conrad signaled for Narelle and Willow to follow him outside, and the vampire gently helped my sister. I looked at Saul, who was whispering something in Papan’s ear.
“Let’s get him out of here,” I said, reaching for the man I thought I’d lost.
“No!” Papan snapped, pulling away from my extended hands.
“Come on, we have to get you outside.”
He shook his head, sweat dripping from the tips of his longish hair.
“I’m not leaving without you.” I yanked out of Oren’s grip when he forced me to my feet. “I’m not going anywhere without Papan.”
“If we take him, they’ll know someone’s here.” Oren pleaded with his eyes but I wasn’t about to give in.
“They’re wolves—they already know someone’s here!” I said, trying to lean over but Oren snatched my hand and forcibly turned me to face him.
“No, they don’t. Did you forget you’ve all masked your scent with the dead wolves?”
I hadn’t forgotten. How could I when their blood was still coating my clothes? “You weren’t there when we did it,” I spat. “So how are
you
masked?”
“Sierra, don’t be difficult. We don’t have time for this.”
“And I don’t have time to leave Papan behind!”
“Oren’s right,” Saul said. “We need to let this play out so we can strike when they least expect it.”
I clenched my teeth and shook my head like a stubborn bull. It wasn’t until I felt a tugging on my boot and looked down that I noticed Papan was motioning me closer. I crouched near him.
“Listen to them.” He licked his dry lips. “Go and hide. A surprise attack is your best…option.”
“What’s your brother doing? I thought he was dead.”
He made a noise deep in his throat. “So did I. They tricked us. It’s what my father was trying to tell me in the letter.”
“I can’t leave you.”
“You have to.” His eyes glistened, changing from green to amber in the flick of a second, before returning. “Do this for me.”
I shook my head.
“Please,
Sierra.
You have to leave me.”
“I’ll never leave you—”
“You have to.” He took my hand and squeezed. I could see it took every ounce of strength and control he had left to do it.
Tears came to my eyes but I fought them.
“If we don’t go now, it’ll be too late,” Oren said.
I brushed my lips against Papan’s and stood. I moved like an old woman, rigid and unsure of my every move. I was suddenly grateful for Oren’s support as he helped me jog across this forsaken shed. In the doorway, I looked over my shoulder one last time and met Papan’s beautiful gaze. His eyes were amber and his body shook wildly.
He’s about to shift.
We rushed outside and the cool night air hit me so hard it made my face hurt. In seconds, we’d reached the tree line—joining the vampire, hunter, demon and my half-sister. They were huddled together. Oren positioned me on one end as he made his way to the other, so we bookended the group with Saul standing beside me.
“You need to cloak the group,” Oren said.
“I can’t. You do it.”
“I have to make sure they can’t smell us and will amplify the wolf scent. You have to keep us concealed.”
“I told you I can’t.” Even as I denied it, something snapped inside me and my lips were reciting the chant I knew so well.
Laura and Jeff emerged a few feet away but didn’t notice us. Some of the people they’d been screaming at inside the barn walked in front of them, others trailed behind. None of the werewolves looked happy about being treated like a herd.
“Where are Thomas and Milo?” Laura said to her partner.
“They’ll be here soon,” Jeff answered, prodding the man in front of him.
“They should be here already,” she hissed.
“Forget about them. We don’t need them.”
“What the hell are you two playing at?” an old, bald man yelled. “We’ve already told you our decision. We have an alpha and don’t need a new one—”
“Your alpha is dead!” Jeff spat.
The old man dared to step closer on wobbly legs. “I’m not talking about Hugo. Jason is his heir, not you. Hugo told us about his suspicions about you before he went looking for his true son. We will never accept you as our leader.”
Jeff threw his head back and laughed. “This isn’t a democracy. You’re not getting a choice.”
Laura snickered.
“We didn’t count on traitors, or that you’d be drenched in demonic—” The old man didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence because Jeff swiped his head right off his shoulders with a semi-shifted hand.
The decapitated head rolled near my feet but I kept chanting.
“Anyone else want to challenge my authority?” Jeff said, swaying from side to side as he flashed his horrid clawed hand.
The group took a collective step back, and several of the children screamed.
“Good.” He turned to Laura and said, “Bring him out.”
My heart thumped so hard I thought it might betray us, but I continued the cloaking spell, determined not to let my concentration crack. Even when Laura dragged Papan out of the shed, I didn’t stop the words from coming. But it was hard to stand so close and not run to his aid.
I don’t know how much longer I can do this.
I felt dizzy, ready to let go of everything when a warm hand snaked around mine. I didn’t have to look to know it was Saul. Whatever he was doing, it helped me keep a clear head and seemed to amplify my chant.
“See this useless piece of shit?” Jeff called, standing over Papan and kicking him in the ribs. “This is what will become of all the wolves that refuse what we’re offering.”
“But he’s our alpha,” someone said.
Laura scanned the crowd.
“He was never your alpha,” Jeff growled. “Jason left this Pack and never looked back. He didn’t want to lead you, couldn’t even stand to keep in touch with anyone! Don’t you see, this was supposed to be
my
legacy? My father never should’ve trusted his firstborn. The title of leader belongs to me.”
Laura dragged a syringe from her pocket.
Jeff crouched near his brother and grabbed a handful of his hair, forcibly lifting his face off the dirt. “I’m going to become the true alpha of this Pack, and to do that I have to wipe you out.” He held his hand out to Laura. “Give me the silver.” She placed it into his waiting hand. “Now, you’ll finally get your wish of being truly alone.”
I stumbled over the words of my chant, and if not for whatever Saul was doing, the concealment would have fallen around us. His hand tightened around mine and I could feel my skin burn, but it wasn’t painful.
Jeff dropped Papan’s hair and got to his feet. He kicked him in the abdomen hard enough to force Papan to roll onto his back. He stepped over him, legs on either side of Papan’s torso as he lowered his body until he was straddling his brother.
“I’m going to take great pleasure in this,” Jeff said, gripping the syringe with both hands and holding it above Papan’s chest.
“No!”
I screamed.
The cloaking spell dissolved.
I untangled my hand from Saul’s and ran forward with the intention of kicking the syringe out of Jeff’s hand. The asshole turned my way and as recognition lit his eyes, an unpleasant sneer transformed his face. With his gaze holding mine, he plunged the needle into the middle of his brother’s chest and depressed the liquid silver into Papan’s bloodstream.
Chapter Fifteen
The huddled group of people dispersed, running for cover.
I had eyes for only one person and was headed in his direction when the burly blonde stepped in front of me. We were the same height so when she shoved her shoulder against mine, putting her weight into the motion, I stumbled and landed on my ass.
Several gunshots sliced through the night.
I rushed to my feet, glaring at the bitch. Laura wasn’t heavy or tall, but knew how to use what she had. Being a lycanthrope gave her an advantage over me, but I was armed with determination.
She stalked closer on her booted feet, with a grin curling her thin lips. “I don’t understand why he wants you.”
“I can see why he didn’t want you,” I spat, risking a glance in Papan’s direction to find his brother was standing over him, watching as Papan’s body convulsed.
I have to get to him, save him.
“You don’t know anything.” Laura sped up, closing the distance between us like some sort of cyborg hell-bent on a mission.
I saw her leg lift and tried to roll out of her way but she was too fast. Her foot slammed into my stomach and I doubled over, a pained grunt slipping from my mouth. The kick hurt like hell, but it wasn’t enough to stop me. I reached for the crossbow but it wasn’t hanging at my side. I must have dropped it, or maybe she kicked it away.
Damn.
I straightened enough to find Laura too close for comfort. Her right fist extended in front of her and landed on my jaw. When she attempted a jab at my throat, I slid back seconds before impact. She growled, looked livid.
Where the hell was the crossbow? I couldn’t see it anywhere, and couldn’t waste time trying to find it. Not when this bitch kept attacking. She slammed her fist into my jaw and I kicked out in front of me, catching her in the thigh hard enough to cause a misstep.
It wasn’t much, but gave me enough time to slide my hand down my right side and into my boot. I yanked my silver dagger from its sheath, holding it against my thigh. She wouldn’t see it coming—nowadays I routinely updated the shrouding incantations on all of my weapons—and I needed the element of surprise on my side right now.
“You’re not getting out of here alive, bitch!” Laura circled me like a cat stalking a bird, keeping me trapped within her radius. She tried sweeping my feet out from under me. When it didn’t work, she went back to her fists and managed to slam my cheek, chest and stomach in one continuous movement.
If I didn’t stop her soon, she’d knock me out. I’d picked up some fighting skills but couldn’t win a fist fight against a werewolf.
I had to get close enough to stab her, but every time I tried she hit me again. It felt like I was in a losing cage fight and would soon end up sprawled and passed out on the dirt. Something I couldn’t afford. So when her constant punches increased in intensity and caught me just about everywhere, I crouched down into a defensive pose with my arms in front of my face, still hoping I could sneak in a stab.
Laura gasped at one stage and warm fluid trickled over my arm. She must have sliced herself open with the blade I still held positioned over my head.
“Sierra, stay down!” I wasn’t sure who’d shouted the instruction but I listened.
The female werewolf stopped long enough to look past me. A silver-tipped arrow flew over my head and slammed into Laura’s stomach. “No.” She stumbled, grabbing at it only to scream because the whole thing was made of sterling silver. Her skin smoked, distracting her.
I straightened and stepped up to face her. Without any fanfare I plunged my dagger into her chest, pushing deep and keeping my gaze pinned on hers, before dragging out the blade very slowly.
Her eyes widened, then rolled back. She folded like an accordion, twitched a few times before a wisp of smoke curled up around her heart.
Like so many before her, Laura underestimated me and paid with her life. Silver stabbed into a lycanthrope’s internal organ was enough of a killing blow but, like vampires, a silver strike to the heart would ensure a quicker death. The bitch had minutes left.
I turned in a circle and found Willow still pointing the hand crossbow.
“Good shot,” I said with a smile, heading to her side so I could take the weapon from her shaky hands. “Where’s Oren?” I whispered, hugging her to my side.
Willow shrugged.
“Thank you,” I said, kissing her temple. “I need you to get to safety.” I couldn’t help but stare at the black-stained bite mark on her forearm.
“I don’t want to leave you.”
“You’re not leaving me. You’re going to wait for me.”
Tears blurred her blue irises causing them to shine so bright I thought she might let the necromantic lightshow out. But she didn’t—she’d gotten really good at keeping it at bay. Not having anyone she cared about die had helped her gain control.
“Get her to the van!” I yelled. I didn’t want my sister getting caught in the crossfire or being used against us.
Conrad and Narelle stepped out of the shadows and I noticed a few dead bodies near the tree line. The vampire hunter must have been the one responsible for the gunfire I’d heard earlier. Now, he looked me in the eye as he wrapped a protective arm around my sister’s trembling shoulders and led her away. I met Narelle’s gaze and she shrugged, baring her fangs.
“I think you can still get some blood from the bitch before she dies completely,” I said to the blue-haired vamp.
I scanned the area, looking for Jeff. I had no idea where he’d disappeared to but Papan still lay discarded on the ground. I reached his side and dropped to my knees. He was still breathing, barely.
“You’re going to be okay,” I said, patting his whiskered cheek. His face felt feverish to the touch and his eyes were more wolf than human. His muzzle extended and his skin rippled but fur wasn’t sprouting, instead lines of silver spread beneath like poisonous veins.