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Gunner grinned. “Let’s get to it.”
The next twenty minutes were a blur for Oakley. She and Gunner fought their way toward Samir, who was behind five rows of men, three columns deep. “Only fifteen?” Gunner scoffed when they faced off. “If you drop your weapons and run, you’ll live.”
“And if we don’t?” One yelled defiantly.
“Then you die.”
They fired the first shot, one that struck neither of them, but hit a wolf standing behind them, a young male. “Oh hell no.” That tore it for Oakley, and it was on.
She and Gunner became what they’d been trained to be. Killing machines. Achieve the objective at all costs. Failure isn’t an option. Get the job done.
The wolves joined in, every bit as effective in the way they worked as a pack, and just as lethal. Their kills were just delivered with a lot more pain and took longer.
When the dust finally started to settle, there were two men trying to back away from the situation, hands before them, supplicating. “Please,” it was the younger man who spoke. “Let us live, and we vow there will be no more bad blood between us. If you will—”
He never got to finish that sentence. Two wolves attacked in concert. The first knocked him down, and as soon as he hit the ground, the other pounced, biting down on the man’s throat and then wrenching its head.
It was a loud and ugly death. Samir watched it with horror, then appealed to Oakley. “What does it achieve to kill me? Doesn’t that make you what you claim to champion against? A cold blooded murderer?”
“Nope” She replied nonchalantly and looked at Gunner. “Because I’m not going to kill you.”
“You’re not?”
“No. You’re free to turn and walk away any time you want.”
Gunner watched it go down with pride in the way Oakley played it. He could see the man’s fear as Samir looked around. There were hundreds of wolves, all ages, all sizes, and all watching, like an army of silentsentinels, waiting on their next command. It was enough to terrify the bravest.
“Go on,” she gestured. “Leave.”
“What about them?” he gestured toward the wolves.
“What about them?”
“Will they harm me?”
“What do you think?” She took a few steps closer to him, along with Nashoba, Ba’Cho and four other big males. “Aren’t you the man who wanted to imprison their alpha, enslave or annihilate their entire breed, and all for revenge you were never owed? Your wife died because of you. You knew it would happen, and you didn’t care. You were willing to sacrifice her, you miserable bastard.
“You are a murderer, a man with no honor. But it’s not for me to decide your fate. You have a chance. Make it beyond the circle and no one will touch you.”
“Walk through them?” he screamed, waving wildly at the wolves. “Are you insane?”
Oakley smiled. “Goodbye Samir, I sincerely hope you rot in hell.” She turned her back on him and walked to Gunner. “Time to go, big guy, and let the pack do its thing.”
“I’m with you, hot stuff.”
She turned and walked through the wolves to the far side of the pack. By the time they’d made the walk, Samir’s screams and howls had long died. The wolves were feeding. Considering the size of the pack, Oakley figured it would take a while, but she’d wait a bit before moving on.
“Let’s wait here for a few minutes,” she suggested as they stepped out into the moonlight. “There are rocks just over there.”
“You okay?” Gunner asked.
“Yes.” She answered immediately, then quickly recanted. “No. I don’t know. I didn’t think it would be this hard, you know? Saying goodbye.”
Oakley turned to face him. “I don’t know if I can do it. Not a forever goodbye, you know?” Right now, she didn’t know if she could hold it together for another five seconds. Her chest hurt, her eyes burned, and a sob was threatened to choke her.
“I do, baby,” he gathered her in his arms, and suddenly Oakley didn’t feel alone anymore.
“We don’t have to leave,” he whispered against her hair. We can stay, help protect them. They need your love, too, Oakley. Can’t you see that?”
