In the Company of Wolves(85)

Fuck. He didn’t have time for this. He needed to get out there and help Jayna and Megan.

But worrying about them came close to getting Becker killed as Kos yanked him away from the wall, bringing his head forward at the same time to head-butt him. Becker felt the bones of his nose crunch as blood went everywhere.

The big Albanian laughed. “You’re barely making this worth my while. But I guess it’s like I told you when we first met: for all your werewolf strength and speed, a knife through the heart will kill you as quickly as it would any man.”

Mouth twisting into a smug smile, Kostandin drew back his knife hand to stab Becker through the heart.

Becker didn’t try to grab Kostandin’s hand this time, but instead only blocked it partially. While he spared himself a thrust through the heart, he left a good portion of the left side of his chest unprotected. Kos took the bait, driving the blade into his left pec up to the hilt.

As incredibly painful as it was, it left the Albanian completely unprepared for a counterstrike. With a snarl, Becker grabbed a handful of Kostandin’s hair and jerked his head to the side, sinking his fangs into the Albanian’s exposed neck. He bit down hard, then violently twisted his jaws back and forth as he pulled away.

“And like I told you when we first met,” Becker rasped. “It’s tougher to knife a man knowing that if you miss, he’s going to rip out your frigging throat.”

He tossed Kostandin’s body aside and ran for the door. God, please let him be in time.

* * *

Jayna knew she couldn’t get to Megan in time, but she reached deep inside herself for every ounce of strength and speed she possessed anyway. If Eric was right and she really was an alpha, now was the time for those abilities to make their presence known.

And it happened.

Her legs practically hummed with power, propelling her forward faster than she’d ever moved. Her claws extended farther too, ready to tear Liam apart.

Then a roar sounded from her left, so loud and filled with rage it was impossible not to glance over to see what it was. She was shocked to see Eric racing out of the barn so fast he was nothing but a blur. But he was even farther away from Megan than she was.

Jayna turned back to see she wasn’t the only one who was distracted. Liam was staring at Eric with fear unlike anything she’d ever seen in his eyes.

Megan, on the other hand, was looking directly at her with eyes that were clear and bright and full of emotion. Nodding ever so slightly, Megan drove her elbow into Liam’s chest.

The blow wasn’t very powerful—Megan was too weak—but the move was such a surprise that Liam released her. She dropped to the ground like a rock. It gave Jayna the opening she needed, and she covered the last two yards separating her and Liam in the air.

Liam must have sensed her coming because he jerked his head up just before impact. Jayna slammed into him so hard that every bone in her body felt it. She landed astride him with a snarl and raked him with her claws, ripping the gun out of his hands and sending it flying across the graveled courtyard.

He took a vicious swipe at her with his claws, but she blocked him instinctively, like her arms just naturally knew what to do. In the same motion, her own claws—longer than Liam ever dreamed his could be—slashed across his face, cutting deep.

Screaming, he threw up his hands to protect himself. “Jayna, please. I’m begging you!”

Jayna hesitated. But all it took was one quick glance at Megan, crumpled motionless on the ground a few feet away, to remind her who she was dealing with.

Growling, she glared down at the werewolf who used to be her alpha. Now, he was nothing to her. The rage that filled her at what he’d done to her pack was almost too much to control. “Alphas never beg—ever. Isn’t that what you told me?”

Liam’s lips curled into a snarl, his eyes glowing. He took another swipe at her face, aiming for her eyes this time. She knocked his hand away, hearing bones break as she did. Liam howled and went at her with his other hand, going for her throat.

Jayna hated the idea of killing Liam, even after everything he’d done, but Megan needed her too much for Jayna to mess around with him anymore. Lifting her hand, she raked her claws across his neck, feeling them dig in deep. Then she was rolling off him before he even stopped breathing, leaping to her best friend’s side at the same time Eric reached them.

Megan’s eyes were closed and Jayna had to put her ear to her friend’s chest to hear if her heart was still beating. It was, but very faintly.

She looked at Eric to ask what to do and saw him pulling Kostandin’s big knife out of his own chest while he dialed his cell phone. He was bleeding from what looked like a dozen wounds too, and his face looked a mess.