Chapter Fifty-Four
His wolf instinct had guided him to her, hisDestine. Only to see and sense the horror before his eyes, as the gravel shot out from under his massive paws.
He recognized by scent the two children Brady and Clover, his Lily, his abductors, and one other.
He had been wrong.
The man who had been his abductor was now holding his Lily captive. It appeared that her only involvement with his abductor had been in an attempt to capture her at the lingerie shop. He had misjudged her. And Goddess willing, it would not be a fatal mistake.
As Col closed in, he was able to see that she was tied to a chair, helpless, much as he had been tied down to something immobile that day. And so he pushed his massive muscles to move faster, even as his craven abductor raise his hand. And slash it down, striking the bound female with the back of it.
That man had just dared harm his Lily.
Col vowed to tear off that offending hand with his fearsome jaws, before ripping the rest of the man asunder with vicious teeth and claws.
His Lily saw him first as he neared, as he closed the distance before he could attack. He snarled, launching his powerful body at his abductor, to the screams of the short female. The other man from the cave pushed his stocky body into his abductor, out of the way as Col crashed into him in a flurry of fangs and claws.
But he heard a loud bang, as a searing hot pain lanced through him. Another, and he recognized what it was, though never like this.
Gun shots.
He’d been shot.
He would not let it matter. Hecouldnot let it matter. He would be as hisBrodherBarric, and allow his rage to carry him through to finish his task. May the Goddess provide, that his healing abilities in his wolf form fast outpace the number of bullets which struck him. Or at least heal him enough so that he might free hisAcchushla, and see her safe from harm.
He became pure wolf, pureWaryeor,fighting as he was born and bred to do, biting and slashing at his enemies, uncaring of the multiple missiles barreling their way into his body.
And then a high pitched yell pierced through hisWaryeorrage.
“Stop, wolf. Or Katie’s dead.”
He withdrew quickly. The stocky one, who had come to the aid of his abductor was on the ground, covered in claw marks and struggling to rise to his feet. His abductor had clearly usedmagicks,for he showed little effect of the melee that had just come to a halt.
But the stubby female was bold. She was brandishing a gun in one hand. She had been the one shooting at Col, and now she was pointing the weapon at his Lily. His beloved had somehow loosed herself of her bonds, and, as heroic as ever, had thrown herself in front of the two children in an attempt to protect them.
“Please don’t do this, Jordy,” his beloved beseeched her.
“Shut up, Katie or whatever your name really is,” the girl sneered. “So now we know that the wolf can understand us, right, Boss?”
“Good job,” his abductor said, the sound stirring a memory. Col would never forget that voice. The same voice from the cave. Filled with malevolence and silky evil. And now it was addressing him.
“Wolf creature, take human form so we might properly….converse.” The man smiled, smug now with having two smaller females and two children to hide behind.
No longer in battle mode, Col could feel the wounds caused by the gun radiating pain in his body. He knew not how many there were, only that there were many. In wolf form, the wounds were already starting the process of knitting together. But in human form, he might succumb to the damage before they could heal.
The female known as Jordy shook her gun towards his Lily’s head menacingly.
“No, Col. Don’t!” his Lily shouted.
There was no choice.
The molecules around his body grew dense, and a wave of energy pulsed out. Each wound magnified in pain, and seared through his more vulnerable human form.
Col stood erect on two legs as aWaryeor, his weight evenly distributed, but he did not know for how much longer he could stand, bleeding profusely as he was from multiple wounds. The dark blood was starting to pool on the ground, not soaking into the gravel fast enough.
He staggered, and his only thought now was to move towards his Lily. With his last breath he would endeavor to protect her.
But then the female named Jordy swung her gun from his Lily towards him.
