My body tenses in anticipation. A smaller golden wolf with longer, fluffier fur rushes through the door and lands on his back, gripping the scruff of his neck. Anders pulls away from the chaos and helps.
My mother is relentless, tearing into the Beta, all teeth and claws. Anders is just as ferocious, merciless. The two of them kill the Beta. Dark red mats Anders’s perfectly white fur, and blood covers my mother’s muzzle. She rears up, preparing to jump into the frenzied fight nearby, when Ander blocks her path. She tries to get past him, but he blocks her again.
No!Anders says through our link.
The Beta transitions into human form. Gaping holes distort his throat and abdomen. My mother turns toward the Beta, bends over him, and rips his head off, flinging it across the room. She leaves no room for that motherfucker to survive. In a huff, she leaves the room.
Anders returns to the fight with Alpha Rhineheart. Alexis still wrestles with Dimitri, who shouts, “Let me go! I can help. He’s my father!”
I lick Jessica’s wound on her scalp and nuzzle her head. The cacophony of snarls, whimpers and yelps closes in on us. She groans slightly. I need to get her out of here.
The Alpha won’t cease. He throws Anders and Elias off him. A growl emanates from his chest as he prowls toward us. As other wolves continue to jump on him and grab at his hindquarters, he merely brushes them off like pesky flies.
My heart races. Shit! With my injuries, I’m no match for him. I shift my weight, preparing for another fight as he stalks closer, preparing to sacrifice myself to save her.
In my periphery Dimitri throws Alexis down, punches Justin, and finally transitions into a large chestnut-colored wolf, equally as big as the Alpha. I force myself to stand and roar through the pain. Instead of charging me, the Young Alpha collides into his father, catching him off guard.
They become a blur of sharp canines, fur, and murderous snarls. Claws dig into flesh. Both are strong and unyielding in their fight. The Alpha yelps in pain. Then, silence. The Alpha falls onto his side. Dimitri transitions into human form and falls to his knees.
No one moves, anticipating the Alpha’s attack, but it doesn’t come. Dimitri is covered in blood, scratches, and open bites. He reaches forward and rests his hand on his father’s large wolf head.
Slowly, everyone shifts into their human forms. Alexis, whose face is a bloody mess, and Justin, who looks just as bad, restrain Dimitri’s hands behind his back. He doesn’t fight or resist, staring at his father’s lifeless form. As the Alpha begins to transition, Dimitri winces, seeing the front of his father’s throat torn open.
Dimitri scans the room. “I’m one of you, I’m a guard. Shadow. He’s my commanding officer and lawyer. He can vouch for me.” Anders frowns. “I didn’t train here. He sent me straight to Ryukyu Island eight years ago.”
Chris steps forward. “Shadow has been extricated from the guards for his acts of treason. His word means nothing to us.”
“One- five- O- five- twenty- one- six.” He blurts out, eyes darting back and forth between the leads.
Chris and Elias exchange a glance.
“You sent the warning that Beta DuPont intended to stage a coup against Jessica.” My father says, grunting as Joe assists him to his feet. Blood seeps down his chest, and his right leg bends at an awkward angle. His body sways before Joe steps in to support him. Jeremy rushes to bolster him on the other side.
“You’re the Shield?” Elias asks at the same time Chris remarks.
“You’re the guards undercover agent.”
Dimitri nods, “I requested to keep my true identity hidden. I didn’t want my father to find out that I was opposing him.”
Anders glares at him with obvious suspicion.
Dimitri glances back at Jessica. I position my wolf to obstruct his line of sight. He closes his eyes briefly before redirecting his focus back to the leads. “My father and his Beta ordered Grit’s execution. I made it my mission to avenge her death, even after I learned she was still alive.” His eyes fall on his father’s lifeless form, his face devoid of emotion, then shifts back to Anders,“I beg you, don’t wage a war on my Pack. Not all of them are monsters, like their leaders.”
“You expect me to take your word at face value?” Anders snarls and the temperature in the room drops.
“No, but there’s a woman in my pack who is willing to vouch for them. Her name is Natalie Fields She said that you know her as Natalia Parker.”
A puff of frosty air billows out from between Anders’s lips. “Get him some clothes, and place him in containment until we sort this out.” He directs to Elias.
I’m the last to transition and gather Jessica into my arms. As Alexis and Justin lead Dimitri out of the room, he stops short and asks, “Is she okay?”
“She’s alive.” I tell him. He caresses her with his eyes. She moans as I pull her closer into the cradle of my arms and I growl in warning.Mine.
He smirks as if he’s thinking the same.
Chapter 39
We Shouldn’t
