I shouted out, but it was muffled, and I stumbled beneath the grip of someone much, much stronger than me. An Alpha. A chill crept down my spine. I began to struggling, kicking and throwing fists, but my hands were yanked behind my back.
I felt something at my wrists, heard the plasticky sound of something zipping, and I panicked. I opened my mouth and screamed at the top of my lungs, pulling one hand free right as a zip-tie was snared around my other wrist.
With my free hand, I pulled the hood off my head and stumbled back—only to find myself looking up into the cold brown eyes of Gale.
“What are you doing?” I gasped out, backing away slowly.
“My job.” He gave me a cold smile. “I’d kill you myself, right here, but Jonathon Sinclair wants to be the one to put the bullet between your eyes for corrupting his disgrace of a son.”
“S-Stop!” I pleaded as he launched himself at me, but it fell on deaf ears. He slammed me bodily against the wall of the opposing building. I opened my mouth to scream again—wherewaseveryone?—only to be punched in the mouth so hard that my vision spotted black.
I cried out, the coppery taste of blood coating my tongue. “Please! We’re leaving town! We won’t bother anyone else! J-Just please! Let me go!” I begged.
“Leaving?” He sneered, getting in my face. His breath was rancid, like he’d eaten spoiled meat for lunch. “You aren’t going anywhere but six feet under,cat,and Adam? Adam will do exactly as his father says, or he’ll be put down as well.”
“NO!” I shrieked, and with the last of my strength, I swiped my claws across Gale’s perfect face. His pale skin split in four jagged lines and bright red blood rushed forth. He reared back, roaring in pain, but it gave me enough time to duck out from under him.
The shift from man to lynx was effortless in my panic. I fled down the street, my sides heaving, but the snarl from behind told me that Gale was quick on my heels.
Terrified, I ran out onto the street, nearly getting splattered by an oncoming car. It honked angrily at me, but I didn’t have time to think—I launched myself onto the hood of the car, over the windshield, and off the trunk and I just kept running.
Cars honked and swerved as Gale and I ran down the street. Unfortunately for me, Gale was bigger and faster than me. He crashed into my side, sending me toppling into the median, and his fangs sank in deep. He ripped at my flesh even as I shrieked.
I swiped and clawed, but Gale was out for blood. I twisted beneath him, kicking at his underside with deadly claws. Panic climbed up my throat, because what if I died out here? I swiped my claws across Gale’s face, blinding him, before twisting free.
I managed to take off running just as another car laid on its horn. I skidded out of the way, fleeing for my life, just for a familiar black BMW to come barreling down the street at breakneck speed.
Adam?
I threw myself out of the way, but Adam didn’t stop. He slammed into Gale’s large wolf body with a heavythump.Gale yelped, then crumpled to the ground. Adam slammed on the brakes with a screech of tires on asphalt.
I stood there, panting and shaking all over. Was it over? Blood pooled around Gale’s broken, twisted body and I thought I might vomit. Frantic, I leapt up on the passenger door of the BMW and clawed at the window.
Adam rolled the window down. I managed to clamber through the open hole and collapse in the passenger seat, my fur sticky with blood, shaking violently from adrenaline and fear. Oh god. Oh god… I almostdied.
Again.
Adam took one look at me, his face twisting into an expression of remorse. Then he cursed, threw the car into reverse, and took off with a squeal of tires.
41
ADAM
The minuteI saw Gale on top of Fletcher, my wolf had gone postal. With red dotting my vision, I’d gunned the engine and blared the horn, dead-set on running that rat bastard down—and I did.
He was dead, but seeing the blood that soaked Fletcher’s fur, staining my upholstery, dulled the satisfaction at killing my ex-friend and packmate.
I drove, ignoring the speed limits in town, the scent of old pennies and desperation thick in the air. Fletcher huddled in the passenger seat, shaking like a leaf. God, was he okay? There was so much blood…
“Fletch?” I uttered, my voice hoarse. “Baby? Are you okay?” The lynx barely moved, but his big green eyes blinked up at me slowly. My heart clenched up. Was he dying? Were there wounds I couldn’t see?
“Please, talk to me,” I begged him. “Do you need a hospital?”
The cat made a sound of pain as magic shimmered in the air around him. Fletcher shifted back to man, almost too slowly, his arms wrapped around himself. He sank back against the seat, a whimper escaping his parted lips.
“Fletcher?”
“I… I think I’m okay, but it hurts,” he breathed out. “Everything hurts. Fuck. Your dad wants me dead, Adam.”
