Her mom didn’t leave, though.She moved next to Fallon and touched her arm lightly.“Who are these guys?”Sera asked.
“Bad news,” Fallon said.“Really bad news.”
Avi was feeling so supremely blessed as he stood with Fallon in his arms, baby gifts at their feet, and the herd running around them in a celebratory circle under the moon and stars.Spotlights on the barn illuminated the space.
And then everything changed with someone clapping.
Avi shoved Fallon behind him before it even registered what he was seeing.
Three figures stepped from the shadows of the barn.
Colton and his two males, postures screaming with aggression.
Avi didn’t have time to wonder how they made it past their security system or the two wolves from the park standing guard; he focused on keeping Fallon and the herd safe.
The stallions formed a line between him and Fallon and Colton and his males as the herd females raced for the farmhouse.Sera didn’t run away with the females, but stayed with Fallon behind him.
“Colton,” Avi shouted.“You’re trespassing.Leave now or face the consequences.You were warned not to set foot on the farm again.”
“I don’t give a damn about your warnings,” Colton spat.“You killed my brother.I’ve come for my pound of flesh.”
Before Avi could respond, the males with him lobbed metal canisters toward the stallions.A blinding flash of light exploded, followed by thick, choking smoke and the rapid fire-barrage of what sounded like fireworks.
The stallions reared back in alarm, snorting and pawing at the air, instinct driving them to scatter.
Avi’s eyes burned with the smoke that poured out of the cylinders.He pushed Fallon and Sera back as he tried to move away, half-blind with smoke, his ears ringing from the firecrackers.
Through the swirling haze, a figure lunged toward them.
“Fallon!”Avi yelled as Colton came into view, charging past the stallions who were trying to stop the males from advancing.
Avi didn’t think, focused only on protecting his mate.
One second, he was keeping Fallon and Sera behind him, and the next, he was slamming into Colton with every ounce of strength he possessed.
“Ford!”Avi shouted as he landed hard on his cousin.“Get them to safety!”
Ford moved swiftly toward them, blocking his mate and Sera with his large body while Avi poured all his aggression into his fists and swung at his cousin.He landed a solid hit to Colton’s jaw, then another to his ribs.His instincts screamed at him, and he rolled off Colton just as one of the males reached for him.
With a loud snort, Grey grabbed the male by the arm and flung him, the male flying in the air and landing hard.Grey reared on his back legs to stomp Colton, who rolled away and leaped to his feet.
Colton took a menacing step toward Avi, but he didn’t let him get another step closer.He charged forward, a war cry tearing from his throat.
They grappled, and Colton got a hit in, elbowing Avi in the ribs and sending a sharp pain blooming through him, but it didn’t stop him.
“I’ll kill you before I let you harm a hair on my mate’s head,” Avi shouted as he twisted from Colton and slammed a foot into his knee.Colton howled as he hopped away, stopped by Khyle and Dexter from running away.
The other male with Colton was dragged forward by Crew and dropped in a heap at his feet, along with the other male.They both groaned, slowly getting to their feet.
The wolves working security for the herd joined in, both looking worse for wear.
“The fuckers knocked us out from behind,” Alfie said with a grimace.“Let me have a minute with this guy in my shift.My wolf would love a good hunt.”
Avi was so furious that Fallon had been in danger, he wanted to break Colton’s neck and put an end to him once and for all.
Avi clenched his hands into fists.His herd, all in their shifts, stamped the ground and snorted.He could feel their anger because it was a mirror to his own.
Then Colton smiled.
