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My vision started going in and out as I staggered and fell to the ground, and I lost the fight against my wolf.
A howl tore through the air just as I blacked out.
Chapter28
Ridge
Tori’s scent was faint, but it was enough for me to follow her route from the manor. She hadn’t taken a vehicle, so I followed her scent on foot. I wasn’t in too big of a rush after our explosive argument. We both needed to cool down, but I was determined to convince her to stick around. We disagreed on who the suspect was, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t work through everything else. Our argument was the driving force to ensure we were good and would get to solid ground.
Tori’s scent started to strengthen on the outskirts of the central part of town. She was nearby. I always became more rational when I scented her. It was new, and only since she came into town had I recognized what a difference it made. It helped me to understand the connection my aunt and uncle had shared and why my aunt was so broken by his loss.
A wolf’s pained howl rang through the air, rupturing my musings as panic, fear, and dread lashed through me.
That howl belonged to my Tori.
Battling my inner wolf tooth and claw for control, I raced as hard and as fast as I could toward the direction of her pained howl. It was Tori, and whoever was making her howl like that wouldn’t receive an ounce of mercy from me.
My blood pumped hard as my legs worked fast. The library came into sight. My wolf clawed and snarled to come out, insisting that he’d be the faster option. He was right. Wolves were faster, but as much as it pained me to hold him back, I couldn’t shift in the middle of town.
Clawson came running from the town hall steps at the cry of a wolf in trouble.
“Ridge, what’s going on?”
I ignored him. I couldn’t waste a second that would get me to Tori sooner. The tunnel vision she evoked had me sailing through town in a blind panic. I always had control and kept a cool head during chaos, but this whole experience was forcing me out of my element.
Bursting into the library, I cringed at the scent of Tori’s blood. She hadn’t suffered a mere cut. The blood engulfed my senses and had my wolf frothing at the mouth for retribution.
Mrs. Marrow stood in the middle of the room with a manic smile. Shock lit into me at seeing the old woman with a fancy gun, and then she started firing. The smell of silver accompanying the sulfuric stench of the gun’s discharge had me dodging out of the way, but not before pain lanced through my shoulder as the bullet sliced through me.
Without any thought, my wolf emerged defiantly and in outrage as he charged the older woman and tackled her to the ground. Snarling, I bared my teeth in her face and swiped the gun out of her reach. The woman fought back, but without the weapon, she was no match against my large wolf. He was fighting out of fear for Tori.
Struggling against the wolf to not go for the librarian’s throat was a battle he didn’t understand. I needed the woman alive. If I didn’t, then yes, she would have been all his, but I’d be left with questions, and I needed answers.
My wolf overpowered me. Tori’s face was the only thing he could envision, and he forced our jaw to open wide as he went for her throat.
Clawson’s wolf slammed into us, nudging us to the side. I couldn’t hold back my snapping jaw from the other wolf. He had taken our right to the kill. Our right to avenge our mate.
The surprise attack had me snarling and off-balance, but Clawson didn’t back down. He hovered his impressive body over the woman, protecting her from me while I wrangled control of my wolf.
Several of Clawson’s deputies appeared inside the building. They must have heard the howl and followed us. They’d taken control of the scene, swiftly securing the area of the attack and shielding us shifters from being discovered by those who didn’t know about our kind.
Clawson quickly shifted back into his human form and barked orders to his men while restraining the old librarian.
I needed to get to Tori. Trusting Birch to keep the woman secure, I followed Tori’s scent, bolting toward the back of the building and rushing into the records room. We howled in disbelief at the sight of Tori curled in on herself, motionless in her wolf form. Blood poured out of her from where a silver knife poked out of her stomach. Her fur was matted around the wound.
Quickly, I shifted back into human form. “Clawson, get a medical team in here now!” I screamed while fighting my wolf, who desperately tried to reemerge, but I couldn’t let him. I needed to help Tori, and I couldn’t do that as a wolf. If she died, however, then no man or wolf would stop us from killing the old bitch.
I stroked Tori’s face and kissed her. “Open your eyes, Tori. Open your eyes.”
Clawson came in. “Shit. Get that medical team here now!” His voice faded as he left the room.
“Please, baby, open your eyes. You need to shift back. They need to look at the wound.” I begged and pleaded for her, but she didn’t budge. Her breathing was shallow. Fear had my heart in its clutches.
My wolf growled and tried to shift. It was uncharacteristic of him to vie for control like this.
“Tori! Wake up, now. You need to shift, baby. Wake up!” Desperation laced my words, but she wasn’t responding.
Clawson and the shifter medics ran into the room, and they joined me in shouting at her to shift back.
