fingertips.
The golden wolf flew backward and shifted into a human again.
Clive lay on the ground, stunned for a moment. Then he tried to get up. His legs went out from under him and he fell back.
“You bitch!” he roared. “You can’t beat me like this! You cheated! You didn’t fight fair!”
“Did you fight fair when you killed Brian Swinton?” Ainsley asked calmly, and blasted him with another dose of blue light.
“How about when you ran my parents off the road? Or when you lit the car on fire to finish them off? Was that fighting fair?” She hit him again.
The crowd buzzed at the revelation. Ainsley could feel the green pinpoints of support bolstering her up.
Clive reeled, his mouth open. Then he rallied.
“I did what I had to do to keep this pack strong, to keep it pure. Your parents were ignoring the old ways. And your whore mother was wrong to ever try to bring magic into the pack. You’re just like her. No one would have followed them into their brave new world bullshit, and no one is going to follow you. Especially now that they know what you really are.”
He looked back at the crowd for support. No one spoke.
Justin let go of Erik and moved to Clive.
Erik broke loose from Will and ran for Ainsley immediately. His face was a mask of relief.
In spite of the dirt and the dust and the sweat in his too long hair, Ainsley’s heart skipped a beat.
She held up her hand to stop him. The confrontation was not over yet.
She turned to Clive. Justin had helped him to his feet.
“Clive Warren, as the alpha of the wolves of Tarker’s Mills, I revoke your membership to the pack. You are banished. Forever. If any member of this pack sees you on our lands after the next sunrise, you will be torn to pieces.”
There was silence.
Finally, Clive lowered his head. He turned and walked to his truck with Justin trailing behind.
Someone had thoughtfully placed his clothes on the hood of the truck. He began to dress.
Ainsley slowly lowered the hand that was holding Erik back.
Erik ran to her, swept her in his arms and spun her around. By the time he had set her down, other wolves had joined them.
Carol Lotus patted Ainsley’s arm with a smile that said she was holding back tears.
“Well done, Ainsley,” Mr. MacGregor said.
Will stood miserably behind the rest of the group. He was obviously sorry he had been on the wrong side of the fight.
Ainsley nodded at him.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t know about your parents. I would never…”
She tilted her chin up to acknowledge his apology.
Cressida bounded up, still in wolf form, and head butted Ainsley so hard in the chest that she would have been knocked over if Erik hadn’t grabbed her.
From near and far, warm green rays of submission washed over Ainsley. She felt peace like she had never known as the joyous buzz of her pack enveloped her.
Their wait was over. The wolves of Tarker’s Mills had an undisputed alpha once again.
CHAPTER 14
C live could barely walk, but his wolf was still snarling and snapping inside him.
It just wasn’t fair.
Clive was the biggest and the strongest, plus everyone said he was a natural leader. He had sacrificed everything to stay in this town.
That bitch Ainsley Connor had run off to the city to get rich. And she had only come home to sell her parents’ fancy house and leave again.
She wasn’t even a real wolf. She was half witch.
No, based on her behavior today, she was all witch.
Now she was the alpha and he was an outcast.
His big body felt broken. Clive eased himself into the driver’s seat of his truck and grabbed his gun belt off the passenger side seat to put it on, like always, when he remembered the old Smith & Wesson.
He’d worn it to honor his dad. Clive knew he would have been proud to see his son become the alpha.
Now that was all ruined, but there was still one thing he could do to to even the score. Clive flipped open the cylinder. The silver bullet glinted in the car’s
The golden wolf flew backward and shifted into a human again.
Clive lay on the ground, stunned for a moment. Then he tried to get up. His legs went out from under him and he fell back.
“You bitch!” he roared. “You can’t beat me like this! You cheated! You didn’t fight fair!”
“Did you fight fair when you killed Brian Swinton?” Ainsley asked calmly, and blasted him with another dose of blue light.
“How about when you ran my parents off the road? Or when you lit the car on fire to finish them off? Was that fighting fair?” She hit him again.
The crowd buzzed at the revelation. Ainsley could feel the green pinpoints of support bolstering her up.
Clive reeled, his mouth open. Then he rallied.
“I did what I had to do to keep this pack strong, to keep it pure. Your parents were ignoring the old ways. And your whore mother was wrong to ever try to bring magic into the pack. You’re just like her. No one would have followed them into their brave new world bullshit, and no one is going to follow you. Especially now that they know what you really are.”
He looked back at the crowd for support. No one spoke.
Justin let go of Erik and moved to Clive.
Erik broke loose from Will and ran for Ainsley immediately. His face was a mask of relief.
In spite of the dirt and the dust and the sweat in his too long hair, Ainsley’s heart skipped a beat.
She held up her hand to stop him. The confrontation was not over yet.
She turned to Clive. Justin had helped him to his feet.
“Clive Warren, as the alpha of the wolves of Tarker’s Mills, I revoke your membership to the pack. You are banished. Forever. If any member of this pack sees you on our lands after the next sunrise, you will be torn to pieces.”
There was silence.
Finally, Clive lowered his head. He turned and walked to his truck with Justin trailing behind.
Someone had thoughtfully placed his clothes on the hood of the truck. He began to dress.
Ainsley slowly lowered the hand that was holding Erik back.
Erik ran to her, swept her in his arms and spun her around. By the time he had set her down, other wolves had joined them.
Carol Lotus patted Ainsley’s arm with a smile that said she was holding back tears.
“Well done, Ainsley,” Mr. MacGregor said.
Will stood miserably behind the rest of the group. He was obviously sorry he had been on the wrong side of the fight.
Ainsley nodded at him.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t know about your parents. I would never…”
She tilted her chin up to acknowledge his apology.
Cressida bounded up, still in wolf form, and head butted Ainsley so hard in the chest that she would have been knocked over if Erik hadn’t grabbed her.
From near and far, warm green rays of submission washed over Ainsley. She felt peace like she had never known as the joyous buzz of her pack enveloped her.
Their wait was over. The wolves of Tarker’s Mills had an undisputed alpha once again.
CHAPTER 14
C live could barely walk, but his wolf was still snarling and snapping inside him.
It just wasn’t fair.
Clive was the biggest and the strongest, plus everyone said he was a natural leader. He had sacrificed everything to stay in this town.
That bitch Ainsley Connor had run off to the city to get rich. And she had only come home to sell her parents’ fancy house and leave again.
She wasn’t even a real wolf. She was half witch.
No, based on her behavior today, she was all witch.
Now she was the alpha and he was an outcast.
His big body felt broken. Clive eased himself into the driver’s seat of his truck and grabbed his gun belt off the passenger side seat to put it on, like always, when he remembered the old Smith & Wesson.
He’d worn it to honor his dad. Clive knew he would have been proud to see his son become the alpha.
Now that was all ruined, but there was still one thing he could do to to even the score. Clive flipped open the cylinder. The silver bullet glinted in the car’s
Similar Books
