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“Alpha! It’s Jake. Sorry, I’m calling from my wife’s phone. We’re closing in on your house, but we’re too late. Uziel is here, and he’s got Lillian and Ronnetta. He’s got the entire perimeter of your house surrounded. There’s not enough of us. We already lost sixteen men. We don’t know what to do. I pulled back to ensure no more casualties, but we can’t get to the women. I’m afraid if we leave without them, he’ll butcher them. He’s threatened to do so twice now.”
Oliver froze, and he knew Quintin’s shifter hearing allowed him to overhear the entire conversation. The look on Quintin’s face went from horrified to murderous.
“We’re on our way, Jake,” Oliver snarled. “Hold them off if you can. Don’t put yourself at risk. Are the women okay?”
“As far as we can tell, yes. He has Lillian at knifepoint on the front porch, and Ronnetta is inside the house, surrounded by six shifters. But they’re not hurt.”
“We’re on our way.”
Before Jake could respond, Oliver hung up. With one look at Quintin, he turned the wheel and peeled out of there. Quintin gave the order, and even with the windows rolled up, Oliver could hear them roar in fury.
Behind him, he could see them charging after his vehicle, following as closely as they could. The cougars were much faster, but he knew the bears wouldn’t be far behind.
It took less than half the time for Oliver to drive to his house. He flew through the town. The back roads that led to his cabin were curvy, but he knew every turn and every dip in the road like the back of his hand.
He even went so far as to send a fervent prayer to the heavens. Never in his life had he felt this kind of fear. The thought of anything terrible happening to Lillian was far worse than what he had gone through in the past. Sure, losing Kenzie was traumatizing. And the guilt stuck around far longer than it should have. Even though it wasn’t his fault, he had a terrible time letting go of his first love.
But Lillian … There could be nothing on earth worse than losing her. Even when compared to Kenzie’s death. Of that, he was sure.
The strength of the bond he shared with her intensified day by day. Every moment since meeting her only served to cement the binds holding them together. If she died … Well, he’d follow her even there.
He pulled into his driveway, slammed the car into park, and jumped out. He was alone. The cougars and the bears hadn’t managed to keep up with the speed of the car, but he knew they would be there soon.
He shifted immediately and roared. He was met with the roars of other shifters. He couldn’t tell if they were on his side or Uziel’s, but it no longer mattered. He only wanted the blood of one particular shifter. He charged toward the cabin. From the corner of his eye, he saw Jake and a group of men shift and follow him. At least he had some backup.
Uziel’s shifters attacked the moment they saw them. Roars, snarls, and the sound of massive furry bodies slamming against each other filled the air.
Oliver tossed several over his shoulder as he barreled through his enemies, making his way straight toward Uziel.
The other shifter saw him coming. He threw Lillian down and shifted moments before Oliver reached him.
Four-inch claws sliced through the air, cutting through fur and flesh. Teeth clanked every time they snapped their jaws at each other. Uziel lunged his body at Oliver, knocking him backward over the porch.
The wooden banister broke as Oliver landed hard, but he was back on all fours before Uziel could clamp down on his throat. Oliver used his massive paws to carve a deep section into Uziel’s side. The bear roared in pain.
Behind them, the cougars and the rest of the bear shifters joining them sounded like a clap of thunder. Those of them from Clinton Road came running through the trees. The giant cats screamed with their bloodlust. They tore throats out, disemboweled their enemies, and ripped off limbs.
The ground was coated in blood. Oliver glanced once more to see that his side was winning. Uziel simply didn’t have the amount of bodies necessary to keep the fight going.
Oliver roared and charged, knocking Uziel down with the force of his rage. From the side, a cougar shifter pounced on Uziel’s back and sunk its fangs into the bear’s shoulder. Oliver reared up on his hind legs and used his claws to tear out his enemy’s throat. Blood spurted from the wound. The cougar on his back sank its teeth into his neck. By the time Uziel hit the ground, he was dead.
Oliver rose to his feet and roared. The cougar on his back let out a shrill scream at the victory. Oliver recognized her now as Berline, and he lowered his head to acknowledge their success.
With Uziel dead, the few shifters left that were following him stopped fighting. Some cougars finished their kills, and when the last body dropped, everyone turned to face Oliver.
He let out a deafening roar, signaling their victory. The rest of the bear shifters copied him. The cougars screamed their delight.
Oliver shifted into his human form, giving orders to capture the surviving enemies. Once that was done, he went to find Lillian, praying she was unhurt.
TWENTY
LILLIAN
The moment Uziel flung her aside and shifted, Lillian scrambled to her feet and ran inside to try to help Ronnetta. She found the growls and snarls of the bears and the ear-piercing screams of the cougars unbearable.
She covered her ears in an attempt to drown out shrill screeches and roars from the outside. She slipped into the kitchen and grabbed a heavy cast iron pan hanging over the island. If anything, it would serve as a weapon.
Looking around, she grabbed an eight-inch chef’s knife off the counter and tucked it away under her belt. Now that she was thoroughly armed, she felt better prepared.
