Just Kate caught the scent of hyena.
“Bran, where is the perimeter line?” Kate asked in a whisper.
“About two hundred yards in front of us,” he replied.
Suddenly the air was filled with the sounds of cackling laughter as a large group of hyenas came barreling toward them. Everyone except Bran, Caleb, Kate and Riley shifted back to wolf. They ran closer and closer. Four hundred yards, three hundred yards and then two hundred yards.
“Bran,” Kate said urgently, watching them pass the two hundred yard mark.
“Sir?” Riley asked, turning to Bran.
Just then the sounds of painful howls erupted as hyena after hyena slammed into an invisible barrier.
Riley’s head swung back around. “Oh God, please do that again, I missed it the first time!” He threw back his head, laughing.
Hyena after hyena tried running through the perimeter, only to be stopped short. They were bouncing off the perimeter, sometimes breaking bones in the process. By the third hyena, the entire pack had shifted back to human and were watching in fascination as the hyenas tried without success to get any closer.
“Keep trying, you useless pieces of shit! There is no way they sealed the perimeter!” The hyena in the back of the group yelled. He stood naked in human form looking disheveled and unwashed. Kate shuddered.
“The definition of insanity,” Caleb said simply as he watched yet another hyena run toward the perimeter.
This one hit hard enough that Kate heard was a loud crack. The hyena went down and didn’t get back up. It had snapped its own neck.
“Doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results,” Kate said, laughing out loud.
The hyena leader was now screaming incoherently and pointing to the wolf pack.
“You might as well give up. The perimeter is back in place,” Caleb yelled out.
“Shut the fuck up, wolf. There’s no way you could get the perimeter back and when we get through, I will personally drain those two brats of yours for the death of my brother!” the man screamed, pointing to the hyena who had snapped his neck.
Caleb shook as his entire body shifted, his wolf breaking free. Kate dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to keep him from running to the man. Caleb snapped and snarled at the hyena who had threatened their sons.
“Why don’t you try taking my blood, you fucking cowards!” Bran yelled, his eyes and hands having shifted.
“Because your blood isn’t as yummy as that of two baby leopards. We know someone who wants to suck them dry,” the hyena leader said, laughing.
Kate lost her grip on Caleb as Bran shifted fully. Both ran toward the group of hyenas as the pack followed. She shifted and ran away from the fight, circling around to the east to be able to come up behind where the leader stood. She heard the fighting and prayed that her men were safe. Coming up on the east road, she saw their vehicles. She shifted to human and looked inside. She smiled. Jackpot. She grabbed the semi-automatic and ran toward the fight. They weren’t going to get any answers out of the leader if Caleb and Bran mauled him to death.
She eased her way forward until she saw the leader, who had his hand held behind him, holding another gun. She was about to make her move when she saw him bring the gun forward and aim, his sights locked on Bran. Without thought, she brought her gun up and fired.
The single shot echoed off the trees. The leader fell to one knee, gripping his shoulder. He looked back, saw Kate with her gun trained on him, and snarled. He shifted and took off into the woods. The hyenas, seeing that the fight was over, ran after him.
“Dammit!” Kate yelled.
They needed answers more than they needed dead enemies. Bran and Caleb shifted and stormed up to her.
“What in the hell were you thinking? You could have been killed. Why didn’t you stay with the pack?” Bran demanded, then grabbed her upper arms and slammed his mouth down on hers. When he released her, Caleb simply cupped the back of her head with his hand and devoured her lips before releasing her.
“We needed answers, Bran. The leader said he knew of someone specifically who wanted the boys. If we could find out who that is, if we kill him, maybe the attacks will stop altogether. And, I saved your ass by the way. You’re welcome,” she yelled back.
Bran opened his mouth to answer, but Caleb shook his head.
“She’s right and she did save your life. That guy had you in his sights.” Kate watched Caleb shuddered. They had both almost lost their Alpha. Their wolves were spooked. The feeling seemed to be mutual as the wolf pack shifted back to human and seemed to want to stay as close to Bran as possible.
“Well, I guess the perimeter works,” Riley said, so deadpan that Kate turned to stare at him.