“Watch her die!” screamed the older woman. She raised a silver knife and plunged it towards Dakota’s chest.
A hundred yards might as well have been a hundred miles. There was no way Miles could reach her before the silver pierced her heart and she bled out on the forest floor.
But Ludwik caught the woman’s wrist with a meatysmack, giving it a painful twist. She whimpered but didn’t resist.
“I call for immediate surrender,” Ludwik bellowed. “Or the bitch dies.”
Miles knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Ludwik would kill Dakota either way. He looked desperately at Brandon and saw the same knowledge in his eyes. There was only one way out of this.
“Together?” he asked the older man.
Brandon inclined his head gravely. “Together.”
Standing shoulder to shoulder, they concentrated, sending out waves of anger and dominance. It blasted across the clearing like a shockwave. Most of the wolves yelped and fled. One fell to the floor, spasming among the leaves as the power of the Alpha Primes’ rage sent him into a seizure. The two women crumpled to the floor, covering their ears. Ludwik staggered…but he didn’t fall. He was strong.
It would work. Ithadto work.
Miles and Brandon redoubled their efforts, but despite the blood running from his eyes, Ludwik grinned ferociously and stayed on his feet. He started to laugh.
He didn’t laugh for long. Creel stepped up beside them and added his own Alpha strength to the waves of power being directed at Ludwik, and his laughter was choked off. His arrogant grin turned into a rictus of horror. He seized his head between his hands, screaming with agony, then collapsed to the floor, vomiting stinking black blood.
The three Alphas shifted into human form and lay on the floor, panting for breath and buzzing with adrenaline. When he was able to stand, Miles looked across to where Dakota had been…and saw that she was gone. Panic clutched his heart.
“Dakota?” he yelled. He broke into a sprint across the clearing, but stumbled to a stop when a sleek grey shape shot out of the woods like a bullet. It was Dakota. She must have chewed through her bonds.
The older woman had been shakily struggling to her feet, but Dakota bowled straight into her, knocking her over and sinking her teeth into her throat. She barely struggled.
Miles tore his eyes away from his fierce, wonderful mate, and looked around. They’d won. All Ludwik’s men were dead or dying. Fargo was a still, cold mound of blood-matted fur. Ludwik was sprawled on the leaf mulch, his eyes glassy with death and rimmed with gore.
He began to stride towards Dakota, who was tottering unsteadily across the clearing. When she stumbled and fell, he broke into a run.
Chapter Twenty Four
Dakota woke up in the dirt, lying on her side, her head pounding. The taste of Maureen’s blood was in her mouth, and she spat it out.
Somebody was kneeling next to her, stroking her hair. Her father. She scented him.
“Dakota, tell me you’re okay. Say something. Hit me really hard.”
“Daddy,” she croaked. She hadn’t called him that in a long time. She rolled over and looked up at him, grimacing in pain. “Tina said you wanted to kill me. She lied, didn’t she? She lied about everything. And her mother killed mom.” She struggled to sit up.
“Thatbitch. Are you sure?” Her father put his arm around her shoulders and helped her, and she leaned against him, her head resting on his shoulder.
“She bragged about it,” Dakota mumbled, and pressed her hands against her temples to stop the throbbing.
“And you killed her,” her father said proudly. “That’s my girl.”
Tears spilled down Dakota’s cheeks. “It’s like she killed her all over again. That vile, disgusting…” She sniffled hard.
“I know. I know.” He patted her back. “But you took your revenge and honored her memory. I wish I could bring that monster back to life and kill her myself, a hundred times. I miss your mother too, Dakota. Every day.” Her father looked down at her, his expression grim. “I never wanted to risk losing you too. That’s why I wanted you to marry into Roy’s family. They’re one of the strongest packs in the territory. I thought I was making you safe, and instead I drove you right into danger.”
“Dakota!” Miles barreled towards them, naked and covered with blood. He reached down and grabbed Dakota and pulled her to him, and she stood up and fell into his arms. They hugged for a long, long moment. “You’re not dead. You’re not dead,” he breathed into her hair.
“You forgive me for lying?”
“I believe you had a good reason. I wish you’d trusted me enough to tell me, but then again, I worked pretty hard to keep you at arm’s length, so I understand why you didn’t.” He smiled at her, stroking the hair from her face. “Dakota’s a very pretty name. Dakota Williams of the Fenris pack.”
Dakota let go of him and took a step back. “Daddy, this is Miles Williams, my mate.”
