“Now the old man’s gone, we can finally have some fun with you,” Rafe says from behind me, his breath warm on my neck.
“Yeah,” Bruce agrees. “He won’t know the difference if we start now. Fuck him. I’m sick of his orders, anyway.”
As the three of them advance, the only clear thought in my head is that if the guys end up focused on me, at least Father won’t get any backup.
It might mean my dignity—or even my life—but Father alone against the other alphas? They’ll tear him to shreds.
Chapter 23 - Shawn
I don’t even think; I just chase Jackson straight down the rocky path. It’s extremely narrow, and I have to move carefully, but I’m not giving him the chance to get away.
The old bastard is quicker and tougher than I realized. I’ve underestimated him, and now Sara might have already paid the price.
The thought of her being hurt or in danger sends pain rippling through me, but it just fuels my rage.
Jackson has no fucking clue what he’s dealing with. He’s going to get what’s coming to him for hurting so many people and killing Talon.
The old dog stays ahead of me, obviously leading me somewhere. I know it’s a trap, but I don’t care.
As the ledge narrows even further and curves around the edge of an outcrop, Jackson spins and turns to face me. His lips are peeled back from his teeth, and his ruff is spiked up as he crouches, digging his claws into the ground.
I don’t even slow down, I just launch myself straight at him.
We tumble across the track, rolling against each other as I try for the advantage so I can sink my teeth into his throat. Gravity pulls against me, and I shift back to my human form just in time to grab the ledge. Beside me, I see Jackson do the same.
“You sly old fuck!” I mutter through clenched teeth. “How did you learn to shift so fast?”
Jackson laughs, digging his fingernails into the cracks between stones to give himself purchase on the cliff face.“Always been nimble, you stupid pup,” he growls. “And I put a lot of work into being quick and quiet.”
I try to lunge towards him, but he swings his body away and makes a grab for the path. As he pulls himself up onto the track, I throw my weight in the opposite direction and grab a handhold, clearing the edge just as he comes at me.
Jackson tries to push me over the edge with his momentum, but I spin us around so it’s him with his back to the void. He digs his heels in and shoves back, and for a few seconds, there is nothing but our strength between us as we grapple over the sheer drop.
Suddenly, Jackson shifts, right in my hands, slipping through my fingers like water. In his wolf shape, he leaps past me, bounces off the wall, and hammers into my chest. For the briefest of seconds, I teeter on the edge, then the void claims me, and I start to fall.
Even though I’m pointing straight down, headfirst, I throw my weight back towards the ledge, desperately grabbing for a handhold. My nails tear against the hard, rocky surface as I dig in, bruising my hands as my fingers close around an old tree root.
Jackson’s face appears above me, and he laughs. “You’re like a little tick, you know that? Just clinging on, being a pain in my ass. Hold on a second longer, I’ll find a nice rock the size of your face.”
“Even if you kill me, you won’t get away with this!” I yell.
Jackson grins. “Funny. Sara said the same thing.”
Fear blasts through me, an ice-cold wave that banishes my anger and leaves my mind crystal clear.
“What the fuck have you done to her?”
“Nothing yet. Well, almost nothing. She’s been roughed up a bit, but still in one piece. At least, she was when I left.”
“You bastard!” I yell, swinging my weight to the right so I can shimmy up the ledge. “I’m going to fucking kill you!”
“No, Shawny-boy,” Jackson laughs. “You’re going to die, and I’m going to send your buddies running on a wild goose chase, then I’m going to beat it out of here. Nobody’s going to catch me.”
Rex is going to tear you a new asshole if I don’t get to you first.
Jackson disappears, and I grapple up a bit. Suddenly, a huge rock comes down, forcing me to flatten against the wall as it rockets by.
“Dead yet?” Jackson yells, peeking over. “Damn. Let me find another rock.”
