Page 49 of Return to the Pack

Axel tugs Kato’s limp body out of the way. Then he takes off to save someone else.

I sure hope Kato makes it, but none of us have time to check. I race after a maneater who’s chasing Adolpha and manage to sink my teeth into one of his back legs before he can attack her.

He turns on me, and we roll over and over in a giant blur of snarling fangs and fur. If the first freak wolf was big, this one is enormous. He’s too big for me, and he escapes, leaving me panting.

Thoughts whisper through my brain, and I realize Axel is telepathically issuing a command to my brothers and me, and the whole pack.

We’ve got to work as a team. They can’t be brought down alone. Let’s get into formation side by side and chase the bastards from our territory.

I send back my affirmation and hear the echoing assent from the pack through our bond.

I wheel around and see my brothers charging toward me. Pivoting, my gaze lands on three maneaters that are tearing two pack members, limb from limb. This is war, baby!

My brothers and I hurtle toward the motherfuckers.

Axel joins us, and we barrel toward the intruders.

Flank them, flank them! Axel commands.

We split into two groups on either side of the three wolves, slightly behind them.

Go for the legs. Hobble them.

Moving as one, Callan, Ethan, and I lunge simultaneously, seizing their back legs with bone-crunching fury.

The three wolves fall to the ground, their back legs in pieces.

I spit out fragments of bone and make eye contact with Axel.

The two ahead of us?

He nods and takes off, with the warriors in the pack in hot pursuit.

We work like this in tandem until all of the mutant wolves are either dead. Then, satisfied that we’re safe, we shift back to humans.

Blood covers Axel’s chest. It drips from Callan’s neck and oozes down Ethan’s arms. I glance at my torso, and I’ve got a few scrapes and gashes, but nothing major.

“Good work, everyone,” Axel says, wiping the back of his hand across his blood-covered mouth. “I’m going to go check on the submissives back at the clearing. Callan, you and Ethan find Luna and make sure she’s safe. Warrick, head over to the vampire’s lair and warn them of impending danger. There could be more of these wolves in the area.”

“You got it,” I say.

Before I go, I glance around at the rest of the pack, some still in wolf form, some back to their human form. Everyone looks shaken and battered. A couple of the women weep over their too-still mates.

I shake my head. Those motherfucking mutants are going to pay.

“Let me take a look at your wounds, Axel,” Callan says. “You look pretty beat up. Ethan, you take care of Luna. We’ll join up with you once I’ve stitched Axel’s wounds.”

“I’m fine,” Axel growls.

“You’re too jacked on adrenaline to know if you’re fine.” He claps his hand on Axel’s shoulder. “If it helps you feel like a man, I won’t numb you up when I stick my needle into your skin.”

“Asshole,” Axel says, shrugging Callan off. “I’ve got to see to the pack.”

“Macho alpha prick,” Callan says, grinning. “You won’t be around long enough if you don’t let me stop the bleeding.”

Leaving them to argue, I shift and lope toward vampires territory. Axel and I worked well together today. I think our baby-girl is a wise woman to have brought Axel into my bed. I feel as close to him today as I do with my brothers.

I increase my speed, loping across the dirt, skirting through trees and underbrush, using my senses and keen night vision to guide me on my way. I pick up the scent of wolves ahead and slow my speed. Then I lower myself to the ground and belly crawl toward the sound.