He can’t breathe, and she won’t let go.
I’m holding out, waiting to see if Jeff can handle it. I wouldn’t want to step on his toes for fear he might get mad I stepped in.
He’s done that before.
Jeff throws his weight at anything he can to get her off of his back, but she stays locked in. It isn’t until Jeff’s front paws bend that I truly believe Jeff can’t handle this alone. He needs my help.
I fly at Alaina, chomping down on her shoulder and tossing her off Jeff. She rolls outside of the infirmary, onto the grass—directly into Olivia’s hands.
Great, now this can all be over.
But Jeff doesn’t seem to have the same agenda. He circles the male, and I circle with him to stay in his eyeline, trying to capture his attention.
Why is he still going? We got what we came for, we should leave.
I growl and bark to get his attention, but Jeff stays locked in on the guy.
What is he doing?
He lunges for the man, and their scuffle quickly becomes deadly... for Jeff.
He won’t stop, despite my barking. I try to separate them, and it’s just as dangerous as it sounds. They’re fighting to the death, and the idea that he might be taken from Casey is just too much to handle.
I see red.
It’s happening.
I bark, desperate for Jeff to escape, and he turns, leaving his neck exposed. The man shifts into a reddish-brown wolf in an instant. Even with an injured limb, he snaps his jaws and clamps onto Jeff’s throat.
Jeff yelps and whimpers, and his eyes glaze over.
And a familiar beast surfaces I’ve left behind in a cage years ago.
I circle and prepare for my kill.
***
I come to, and my vision clears. The man’s body comes into view. Mangled and matted.
What have I done?
Jeff is standing in his human form. My mouth is open, and I’m speechless. But Jeff doesn’t look as horrified as I feel. In fact, he seems proud.
Proud of such a monstrous killer.
“Do you know who that was?” Jeff asks, astonished.
I stare back at him. The only certainty was that they would kill us if we didn’t act. Alaina choked Jeff to near unconsciousness. I didn’t want his daughter Casey orphaned like I was. Taking it out on Alaina wasn’t an option. Colin’s instructions were clear: keep her alive.
I gaze at the mangled body of an innocent man. He didn’t deserve this. He wasn’t even fighting back.
“You just killed the alpha,” Jeff says. “We’ve gotta get out of here. Come on!”
He grabs my arm, and we sprint for safety.
“Don’t look back!”
And while I don’t, I won’t ever forgive myself.
