Wounded(9)

“It wouldn’t be. It wasn’t her style to kiss and tell. And it’s not a story I’m going to share with you in detail, either, but yes, I loved her.” Erik’s smile faded. “I saw her first and I was angry when she chose my brother over me. The things I said and did… lashing out at them both. I’m not proud of it. Worse, I never got to say goodbye, to either of them.” He shook his head and I found myself totally mesmerized by his words. And it was in that moment I realized he’d done it on purpose. He’d totally distracted me from the fight going on outside.

“You sneaky son of a bitch. You knew you’d be able to—”

“Keep you from the fight? Yes.” He grinned at me again, totally unrepentant. “Because you, my niece, need to learn when to hold back. And this is one of those times. Let Liam do his job, let him protect you.”

With my teeth gritted, I stared into the darkness where Liam had disappeared. Fuck, I hoped Erik was right.



He bolted toward the sounds of howling and wondered just how long it would take before Rylee was right behind him. But there was no sound of her heartbeat or even the steady pound of her footsteps, shocking him. At the same time, he was pleased. Maybe she would finally let him do what he had to do to protect her.

The howls ahead of him were those of werewolves, and if there was one place his instincts and Peter’s training came in handy, it was dealing with other wolves. Not to mention he’d called them in, asked them to attack the ogres.

Harry them. He sent the thought to the wolves who’d quickly come to his call. A damn nifty trick Peter had taught him, but it was the first time he’d actually had the nerve to put it in play. Controlling other werewolves was a gift and one he didn’t want to abuse.

The closer he got to the ogres, the more the sounds of the fight filled his ears. Ogres swung their wicked sharp, heavy weapons and the wolves around them dodged blows while inflicting devastating bites, but he could see they had listened to him. Even their lead bitch, who snarled as he loped by.

Between one step and the next he shifted back to human form.

His wolf surged forward again, though, and he used the power in his voice as Peter had taught him, blending the word with a command, with the very essence of what he was. Guardian, wolf, and alpha.

“ENOUGH!”

It was like a switch had been thrown, and the wolves fell to the ground, cowering. The ogres seemed about as stunned as the wolves.

“What is the meaning of this?” Came a soft, purring voice from somewhere within the mess of ogres and wolves.

Slim and tall, with legs that seemed to go all the way to her chin, a woman slowly rose from the ground and walked toward him. Long dark hair flowed around her, partially hiding her nudity. She had Asian features, sharp and pristine, like a doll come to life.

He ignored the woman’s question as he drew in deep breaths, scenting the wolves around him. Trying to pinpoint them and where they fit in. What he found shouldn’t have surprised him, but it did.

These weren’t just any wolves, though some of them may have been local by their scents; no, the majority of them were from Rylee’s territory. Yet they were here.

This was Beauty’s pack. He’d run into them more than once when he’d first been turned and had been staking territory around Rylee’s home.

Which meant the woman walking toward him, the woman he knew only by the power radiating off her, was Beauty herself.

“Why are you here, Beauty?” He all but growled the words, but they were for the ogre’s ears, really. He only hoped she would play along. Overconfident as she was, she played right into his plan.

She rolled her shoulders. “We roam where we wish.”

He doubted that. He infused his next words with power. “I want the truth. Why. Are. You. Here?”

She blinked and spoke almost without seeming to realize it. “The Great Wolf commanded us to travel here. That we would be needed.” A breath escaped her and then she glared at him. “Oh, dear, you think you can boss us around? You think you can run this pack, or,” she laughed softly and put a hand to the hollow of her throat in a delicate gesture, “take it from me?”

Taking the pack from her wouldn’t be that hard, not really. Peter had shown him how. Interesting, though, that the Great Wolf had commanded it of them. Could it be because of him? He had a feeling it was.

Before he could say anything, Raw stalked over to them, his feet sending up splashes of muddy ice water. This was what Liam had been waiting for.

Fury lit the red ogre’s features, carving it into a mask a devil would balk from dealing with. He held a pike over his shoulder, the tip gleaming with what could only be blood. “Are these your wolves, Liam?”