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One thing is clear as I weave my way through the chaos—the pack that came to fight is woefully unprepared. A few of them seem to be holding their own, but more and more of them appear injured, barely hanging on. It only confirms what Maren said, that this, too, is only meant to be a distraction. I don't know if that makes me trust her more or if it just makes me more suspicious.
I finally make it into view of the pack house, my eyes falling right on Dominic. An onslaught of confusion hits me when I see the crowd of humans attacking each other, Dominic facing a man whose back is to me.
Why are they fighting in human form?My wolf goes on high alert. We don't often fight in human form, not when most of our advantages are in wolf form.
I'm still on the outskirts, so no one is paying me any mind. Another benefit of my small size—everyone underestimates the little one. I maneuver partway around the side of the pack house so I'm obscured as I shift into human form. As I return to two feet, I spit the dagger out into my waiting hands.
A few minutes ago, I felt pretty certain I wouldn't actually need it. Now, I'm certain that I do. I stand no chance in hand-to-hand combat without a weapon. Not when I only have a tenuous understanding of my powers.
I'm here, I tell Dominic as I step out from the side of the building. I know he hears me because I watch him tense, turning wildly to seek me out. I wince as he lets himself become distracted, giving the man in front of him the chance to lash out, striking Dominic's bare chest. I can't tell what the other man is using, but it leaves behind a narrow cut across my mate’s chest.
Fury drives me forward. My wolf practically salivates over the idea of ripping the man apart.How dare he touch our mate?
I keep my human side firmly in control. Ambush or not, tearing a human apart in wolf form could bring attention to our pack that we don't want if we can help it. Dominic catches my eye as I come straight toward them, shaking his head with anger blazing in his eyes.
The man who struck him turns to see what has his attention, stepping in Dominic's way and breaking my eye contact with my mate just as I make it within striking distance.
I recoil as I get a good look at his face because I know this man. Warner Overstreet curls his lip as he takes me in, his eyes giving me a long once-over. He twirls the knife in his hand, the tip tinged with my mate's blood.
"Well, well. If it isn't the little lost lamb showing up just in time to watch the slaughter." He licks his lips. "I can't say anyone's missed you in your absence, but I'm sure we could find some use for you once we're done here." He lets out a cruel laugh, clearly having no idea why I've shown up here.
I told you to fucking run, Dominic growls as I slide into place beside him, his whole body fraught with tension as he prepares to defend me.
Stand down, Dominic. Don't get us all hurt.As an Alpha's son, Warner should have gotten proper fighting training. I don't know how good he actually is, especially in human form, but I'm not going to underestimate anyone.
Warner reaches out as if to stroke my cheek. He makes it within centimeters before the earth begins to shake. The motion startles him into dropping his hand and raising his knife with a slight shake to his other hand. I take a deep breath to try to calm myself; I can't risk breaking ground here and damaging the pack house—or even worse, getting one of our own hurt in the process. If only I'd had more time to prepare. More time to practice manipulating these powers instead of them running rampant.
"You really should have done a better job questioning whoever sent you," I tell him coldly. "Because they never intended for you to leave here alive. Or have you not noticed your pack falling away like flies?" I gesture behind him to the wasteland our pack land has become. Bodies that clearly don't belong to our pack are piling high. Now that the element of a surprise attack has worn away, our wolves are getting everything back under control.
He barely spares them a glance.
"Ah, you're one of those. Listen, little girl, the days of tradition are gone. I don't care about the pack members—just look at them! They let me lead them to their death with no question. That sort of blind loyalty has no place in this world anymore. I have a higher calling." He smirks like he knows something we don't.
But if there's anything I learned from villains in movies growing up, they always freaking talk too much.
"A higher calling?" I repeat, prodding him on. I want to hear what he's willing to give away, but I also use his talking as a distraction to study his weak points. There's a hell of a lot of them from what I can tell.
"Money, baby. It's always about the money." He laughs, waving the knife around some more. If he's dangerous with that thing, it's only because he's too stupid to understand how much danger he's actually in.
I can feel anger burning through me at the audacity of this man coming onto our land and sacrificing his own pack for… what? Someone paying him to do it? A thin crack forms in the nearby earth.
Tess. I can hear the alarm in Dominic's voice, and I spare a helpless glance at him. We both know what kind of damage I could inadvertently cause. I squeeze my hand tighter around the dagger's handle, desperately rooting inside of myself for self control.
"What the fuck?" Warner gapes.
I turn back to see an incandescent green glow coming off of my hand, or maybe the dagger. It's impossible to tell as I cling tightly to it like a lifeline. With the crack in the ground still within view, I force myself to take a long, calming breath. It surprises me to see the ground start to close again in front of my very eyes.
Satisfied that one danger has been momentarily averted, I turn my full focus back on Warner. His face pales, as he stares at me with horror. The smarmy way he looked at me before is long gone now. He suddenly seems to grasp that he's been set up.
Dominic steps protectively in front of me even though he has blood running in a slow trickle down his chest. He's clearly had enough of me standing front and center before a man who doesn't have his wits about him. He looks dismissively at Warner, not the least bit afraid of him even though he was struck.
"Who sent you here?" Dominic demands.
Warner shakes his head, staring speechless at the glow still surrounding my hand. I wave the dagger, watching the glow spread across the air in a spectacular light show. He gulps so hard I can actually hear it.
"Answer the fucking question." Dominic shoves him hard, making him reel several steps backward before he catches himself.
"I don't know!" Warner squeaks out. "Some wolves showed up with the offer—just some random rogues. Not the boss. I don't know who the guy is, just that he offered a hell of a lot of money for someone to come here and fuck up your shit."
