Grayslake: Furrever Yours(34)

His shouts and screams ended on a wail of pain and then a horrible gurgling sound as Eugene shifted and ripped his throat out.

Aloysius fell to the floor with a wet thud.

Eugene was shaking with anger and humiliation. “We are leaving, and we will never speak of this again,” he said furiously to Fenris, and then he looked at Knox with hatred. “Never, do you understand me?”

“You don’t dictate my actions,” Fenris said coldly.

Janet came running into the room. “She’s gone!” she cried wildly.

“Where is she?” Heather cried in panic.

“She said she couldn’t let us all die for her, and she ran out the back before we could stop her.” Janet was in tears.

“No! No!” Heather wailed, staggering back, face white with fear.

Knox ran outside at top speed, with Clarence on his heels.





Chapter Thirteen




Knox skidded to a stop outside, sending gravel up in a spray, and frantically scanned the treeline for any sign of the girl. He cursed himself inwardly. A fourteen-year-old kid was in danger, and he’d stood back and let it happen out of respect for pack law. Why the hell hadn’t he gone with his gut? The whole thing had stunk from the start.

Clarence spoke from beside him. “There!”

Knox followed the direction of his pointing finger and saw Kevin on the edge of the woods, dragging Margaret away from the property. His grip on her slender arm looked bruisingly tight, and Knox felt red-hot rage well up inside him. The vicious little brute didn’t even have the brains to know when he was beaten. Whether any of them would live to see the next morning…that was yet to be decided. But Kevin would not be allowed to take the girl against her will.

Margaret was putting up a good fight – she spat and hollered, twisting in Kevin’s grasp and kicking his shins. She clawed at his face, leaving an ugly red furrow down the side of his jaw, which oozed blood onto his expensive collar. But as spunky as she was, she didn’t stand a chance against a bully like Kevin. He was a coward, but that just meant he wouldn’t hesitate to beat a little girl to get what he wanted. He released her arm, but before she could run, he swung at her and knocked her down with a vicious backhand to her jaw. She crumpled to the ground like a paper doll, obviously dazed, and Kevin reached down, seized her by the hair and started to drag her away. She whimpered piteously, feet kicking uselessly among the leaves.

Knox was shifting even before he’d finished stripping off his uniform. He pelted after Kevin and the girl, tatters of fabric trailing from his hind leg. He burst into the clearing they’d disappeared into. Margaret was still trying to fight, but she’d taken a hell of a blow – her delicate jaw was already starting to purple and swell, and she seemed groggy and confused. A trickle of blood was running from her ear.

At Knox’s rumbling warning growl, Kevin turned and released his grip on Margaret’s hair. She slumped to the ground and started feebly trying to crawl away, scrabbling at the earth and pulling herself along on her tummy.

Kevin shifted, his pretty-boy face with its perfectly groomed eyebrows turning hairy and feral, snout lengthening and eyes turning a sickly yellow. He snarled and slavered, almost foaming at the mouth with rage. He’d gone through his whole life always expecting to get his own way.

Not this time.

Kevin ran at Knox, barking hysterically, less like an Alpha’s son and more like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum. He didn’t have any form or finesse – he just charged blindly, ears back, jaws snapping and fur bristling.

Knox stood his ground and watched him come, trying to time his response just right.

As Kevin leapt, Knox simply stepped out of the way, and Kevin’s momentum sent him rolling tail-over-snout across the ground, landing in an ungainly heap.

Knox dashed across and pinned him down, one huge paw on his chest as the furious wolf snapped and writhed, too stupid to know it was over. Too pampered to be able to admit defeat.

Too dangerous to be allowed to live.

Knox made it quick.

Afterwards, he trotted over towards the edge of the clearing, where Margaret was still making slow, painful progress as she tried to get away. The girl had guts, he’d give her that. He planned to shift into human form and carry her to safety before joining the fray with the rest of his pack.

But before he reached her, a bellow of undiluted rage and grief had him spinning, hackles raised. Eugene bounded over to the body of his son, lowered his snout to nuzzle his fur, and gave a low, mournful growl.

Knox tensed but didn’t make a move. He didn’t expect Eugene to accept what had happened – his refusal to lose face had already cost him too much for him to back down now – but he wanted to give him the opportunity. If he was willing to walk away now – lick his wounds and regain his reputation – Knox would let him.