Dane turned away and ran back toward the van he’d stolen a few hours before. Hold on, Lucas. I’m coming to cover your back.
He owed the alpha everything, and he damn sure wouldn’t stand back while Lucas was slaughtered.
Mistake . . . or f**king lie?
Lucas spun around and barely caught the muzzle that came at him. The wolf’s teeth were dripping saliva, the beast ready to bite, to rip him open. And the damn bastard was one of his own.
Caleb.
“Guess Sarah didn’t tell you about her other talents.” Rafe’s voice drifted in the air.
Caleb’s claws dug into Lucas’s chest.
A wolf’s snarl of fury reached his ears. Piers. Lucas craned his head, just a bit, that was all he could manage. Piers stood in front of Sarah, his back up, his teeth snapping. Attacking her?
“Stand down!” Lucas roared.
But Piers didn’t move. Lucas could barely see him and Sarah. Caleb’s body blocked his line of sight.
“Good job, Sarah,” Rafe told her, his voice oozing satisfaction. Lucas clamped down tighter on Caleb’s muzzle. The bastard had almost bitten his fingers with that head twist. “You did real good with him.”
Betrayal burned in Lucas’s gut.
Rafe crouched close to Lucas. Not too close. Out of grabbing reach. “She can’t just read the minds of wolves, you know.” He said the words like he was revealing a big secret. Maybe he was.
“Fuck off!”
Caleb jerked his muzzle free. He came in for a bite—
Lucas shoved his forearm between the wolf’s teeth. When Caleb bit down, sinking his teeth through muscle and bone, Lucas didn’t make a sound. Betrayal. From my own damn pack. Like this was the first time.
“She can control the wolves, too,” Rafe murmured. “In wolf form, your men are helpless against her. Whatever she thinks, whatever she wants, they’ll do.”
Shock froze him for a moment.
Caleb jumped back, then came in for another bite—
“No!” Sarah’s scream. Rage and terror. “Leave him alone! Don’t!”
The change swept over Lucas then. Uncontrollable. Instinctive.
“Hell, yes . . .” Rafe said. “Finally.”
Lucas shoved his claws into Caleb’s chest. The wolf bursting from within gave him power, and he lifted Caleb, tossing the wolf into the air and right at Rafe.
“Shit!” Rafe scrambled back, too late.
Lucas’s hands hit the ground. His fingers curved. His back arched as the bones snapped. Fur burst over his skin.
“No, Lucas! That’s when you’re—”
His head rose and he saw Sarah. The coyotes had surrounded her and Piers. Piers was trying to hold them off, trying to protect her, and Sarah was swiping out with a knife. But she’d turned away from the coyotes, turned to shout to him—
And a coyote caught her, locking his teeth around her arm and the knife clattered to the ground as she stumbled.
No!
A soft snick reached his ears. His head whipped back around. Rafe smiled at him. The ass**le stood less than two feet away, and his right hand curled around a gun—a gun that was aimed straight at Lucas.
“I think what Sarah was trying to say . . .” Rafe began.
Lucas’s body bucked, his hands vanished, paws appeared.
“. . . is that you’re helpless when you change.”
“Lucas!” Sarah’s scream of pain and fury.
“The bullet’s made of silver, Simone.” Rafe pointed the gun at Lucas’s head. “And there’s no way I’m missing when I’m this close.”
Lucas tried to leap forward, but his legs were useless, the bones reshaping, too weak now to—
“When you get to hell, tell my old man I said hello.” Rafe pulled the trigger.
Sarah barreled into Rafe just as he fired. Lucas lurched to the side. The bullet missed his head but plowed into his exposed stomach, burning through muscle and lodging deep in his gut. The silver was molten, frying him from the inside out, and Lucas opened his mouth to yell—
And the wolf’s cry of pain rang into the night.
“The hero’s going to die.”
Lucas lifted his head and narrowed his eyes. Sarah and Rafe were in a tangle of limbs, fighting for the gun. Sarah was no match for the bastard.
I am.
He pushed back the fire, bunched his legs and—
Two coyotes sprang at him. Lucas swiped at them, catching one on the back and breaking another’s leg. They kept fighting him, snapping, clawing.
Get out of here, Lucas! Sarah’s cry but . . . only in his mind.
He could feel her then, the warmth of her touch, her scent. Inside, though, not out.
What the hell is happening? Lucas pushed the question through their link. Why did Caleb attack me?
She cried out then and his head snapped toward her. Sarah was on the ground, not moving. Rafe rose beside her, the gun still in his hand. He pointed the gun at her.
No! Piers stop him!
Piers bolted past Lucas.
Don’t let him kill her!
Lucas sank his teeth into the nearest coyote. The ass**le screamed, a high, keening cry.
Piers slammed into Rafe. Rafe staggered, fell, but before Piers could close in for the kill, the coyotes attacked, immediately surrounding him.
They swarmed. Slashing. Biting. Piers’s white coat turned red as he went down.
Piers! For a moment, Lucas’s vision went gray as fury churned his blood.
They’re all gonna die.
Lucas swung his head to the left. Caleb stalked toward him, his white coat gleaming. They’re all gonna die and the blood will be on your hands, Alpha. Caleb’s taunt.
The psychic link between him and Caleb was sharp, perfectly focused. The way it was supposed to be between pack-mates.
Why the hell are you doing this? Lucas wanted his blood. Why are you turning on me?
He hadn’t seen this coming. He’d fought side-by-side with Caleb for so long, and he’d never seen—
Caleb’s teeth snapped closed as the two wolves circled each other. What makes you think I was ever with you?
Fucking bastard.
Lucas attacked. Caleb’s wolf was just as big as his, but not nearly as strong—and not nearly as f**king pissed.
Lucas raked his claws down Caleb’s side. Caleb snarled but backed away.
The guy didn’t try to fight at all—just backed away. Lucas slammed his front paws onto Caleb. The other wolf fell. Lucas locked his teeth around Caleb’s throat.
The bastard still wasn’t fighting back. Why aren’t you fighting? You want to take me out? Then fight!