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With a growl that reverberated through the forest, I lunged at the nearest assailant. My jaws closed around his arm, and he cried out in agony, dropping his weapon. The metallic tang of blood filled my mouth, but I didn’t release my grip. He thrashed and struggled, but I held fast until I felt the bones snap beneath my powerful jaws.
My wolf became a blur of primal fury.
One by one, the attackers fell, their cries and pleas for mercy drowned out by the fiery wrath surging through me. The battle was fierce, and it seemed as though the odds were stacked against me, but I fought with every ounce of my being.
Finally, only one man remained, injured and trembling. He held a silver-coated knife, his knuckles white with determination.
I stalked towards him, my eyes locked on his.
In the eerie silence of the forest, we circled each other, predator and prey. He made the first move, lunging at me with the knife. I sidestepped his attack with ease, then lunged, knocking the weapon from his hand. He stumbled backwards, a quick glimmer of fear etched across his exposed eyes.
I leapt at him, my paws slamming into his chest. As he fell to the ground, I clamped my teeth down on his arm, sinking deep into his flesh. His guttural scream echoed throughout the forest. With a fierce shake of my head, I tore a chunk from his arm. He fell to the forest floor, writhing in pain.
My only priority was Lexie’s safety. With a low growl, I bared my teeth, warning him to stay down. He scrambled to his feet, his breathing ragged.
I knew I needed answers, and I needed them now.
I shifted back into my human form and picked up a gun from one of the fallen men. I aimed it at his head. He stopped short.
“Tell me where Aric is,” I growled, my voice a low, menacing rumble that echoed through the trees.
The man coughed, blood trickling from his mouth, but he managed to muster a defiant glare. “You won’t find him.”
“You’re not leaving this forest until you tell me everything,” I clenched my jaw.
He laughed, a harsh, bitter sound. “You think you can make me talk?”
I leaned closer, my eyes narrowing as I lowered my voice to a dangerous whisper. “You’re injured, bleeding out in the middle of nowhere. I can make your suffering last a very long time, or you can save yourself and give me the information I need,” I threatened. I wasn’t above torture, I just preferred not to use it.
“You can’t protect her. Aric will find her, and he’ll end her,” he replied.
I growled and his bravado wavered, fear flickering in his eyes.
My patience wore thin, and I moved closer, pressing the muzzle of the gun against his temple.
“I’ll ask you one more time. Where is Aric?”
He hesitated, staring down the barrel of the gun into my eyes, and then with a defeated sigh, he finally spoke.
“He followed you yesterday. He’s been camped outside the cabin about a mile away. It’ll be too late. He’ll have already taken her,” he said.
I gritted my teeth.
“Please, spare me,” he begged, his voice shaking.
I hesitated for a moment, torn between the desire to protect Lexie and the instinct to show mercy, but I couldn’t risk it. With a swift motion, I pulled the trigger, delivering a lethal blow that sent him sprawling to the ground.
I stared down at him for a long moment before I turned around.
Another gunshot rang out in the forest, and a searing pain ripped through my body. I collapsed to the ground, my vision swimming with darkness.
I turned my head. The same man that I had presumed was the leader that had hit his head against a rock had risen to his feet. In his hand was a sleek black handgun.
The pain blazed through me like wildfire.
He’d used a silver bullet.
CHAPTER20
