dome light.
His heart leapt with joy as he imagined how they would all howl when he shot that bitch dead.
He exited the car, squared his stance and aimed the revolver carefully at Ainsley’s forehead. No way he would miss at this range.
Clive didn’t normally let a lot of thinking get in the way of taking action. But something stopped him from pulling the trigger.
It wasn’t fair. She would be dead and it would be over for her. He would still be outcast from his pack forever.
With a little snort of glee, he adjusted his aim.
He’d taken her parents. Now he would take her boyfriend.
Let her live with that.
Clive aimed for Erik’s heart. He didn’t have to be completely accurate – if he got the Erik in the chest, the silver would do the rest. But he was careful anyway.
He pulled back the hammer and fired.
CHAPTER 15
A insley wanted to collapse in Erik’s arms. The initial burst of energy from her victory was dissipating. Now she was exhausted, broken, hungry, and longing for her mate’s soothing touch.
But she needed to be strong in front of her pack.
And they were certainly paying attention to her.
Everyone was talking at once.
Will couldn’t seem to hold back the flood of regret about her parents and he repeated himself endlessly, assuring her that he hadn’t known.
MacGregor was trying to tell her that he would let the Federation know that she was firmly in charge now and that the pack leadership was secured.
Sadie Epstein-Walker, who was almost unrecognizable without her floppy garden hat, was holding a small, yipping dog and asking Ainsley something very important about rhododendrons.
Ainsley was about to ask MacGregor if she ought to make that phone call to the Federation herself when her wolf perked up its ears at an ominous click from just outside the site.
Ainsley snapped her head around to see Clive standing by his car with a weapon drawn.
Pointed at Erik.
No!
Ainsley gave Erik a terrific shove and somehow managed to get him out of the way as the gunshot rang out.
The bullet entered her left shoulder. Searing pain followed it, unlike anything she had suffered during the brutal fight. Her arm was on fire, burning from the inside out.
Erik had told her that shifting would help her heal. She tried desperately, but the bullet held her like an anchor, trapping her in her frail, human form.
A tidal wave of nausea swept over her.
She dropped to one knee and locked eyes with Clive.
His blue eyes crackled with fury and he dropped his head back and roared. The sound reverberated the chain link fence around the site.
His howl of triumph was cut short by three loud cracks.
Blood blossomed on the front of Clive’s shirt. He fell to the ground, a look of surprise frozen on his face.
Grace Kwan-Cortez stood behind him, feet wide, gripping her gun in both hands.
For a moment, Grace’s small form was frozen in place.
Then she holstered her weapon and ran for Ainsley.
Ainsley smiled dreamily at her friend. Grace was always so brave.
The world faded away before Grace could reach her.
CHAPTER 16
E rik fell to his knees in the dirt.
Ainsley was bleeding out quickly - her skin had already gone a deathly pale.
No, no, no…
He was sure there was some sort of first aid he should remember but his brain wasn’t cooperating.
Instead, he found himself brushing the hair out of her eyes and tucking it behind her ears. As if that would help her.
A commotion roused him and he saw Grace Kwan-Cortez slamming her small body through the crowd and skidding to the ground next to Ainsley.
“She’s not healing.” Grace’s clear voice cut through the din of the gathered crowd. “ It must be silver. Give me your knife.”
He stared at her in confusion.
“Don’t tell me you don’t have a knife, Erik Jensen! Someone give me a knife!”
In a second his mind bounced back and he grabbed the multi-tool from his pocket and handed it to her.
Immediately, she began probing inside Ainsley’s
His heart leapt with joy as he imagined how they would all howl when he shot that bitch dead.
He exited the car, squared his stance and aimed the revolver carefully at Ainsley’s forehead. No way he would miss at this range.
Clive didn’t normally let a lot of thinking get in the way of taking action. But something stopped him from pulling the trigger.
It wasn’t fair. She would be dead and it would be over for her. He would still be outcast from his pack forever.
With a little snort of glee, he adjusted his aim.
He’d taken her parents. Now he would take her boyfriend.
Let her live with that.
Clive aimed for Erik’s heart. He didn’t have to be completely accurate – if he got the Erik in the chest, the silver would do the rest. But he was careful anyway.
He pulled back the hammer and fired.
CHAPTER 15
A insley wanted to collapse in Erik’s arms. The initial burst of energy from her victory was dissipating. Now she was exhausted, broken, hungry, and longing for her mate’s soothing touch.
But she needed to be strong in front of her pack.
And they were certainly paying attention to her.
Everyone was talking at once.
Will couldn’t seem to hold back the flood of regret about her parents and he repeated himself endlessly, assuring her that he hadn’t known.
MacGregor was trying to tell her that he would let the Federation know that she was firmly in charge now and that the pack leadership was secured.
Sadie Epstein-Walker, who was almost unrecognizable without her floppy garden hat, was holding a small, yipping dog and asking Ainsley something very important about rhododendrons.
Ainsley was about to ask MacGregor if she ought to make that phone call to the Federation herself when her wolf perked up its ears at an ominous click from just outside the site.
Ainsley snapped her head around to see Clive standing by his car with a weapon drawn.
Pointed at Erik.
No!
Ainsley gave Erik a terrific shove and somehow managed to get him out of the way as the gunshot rang out.
The bullet entered her left shoulder. Searing pain followed it, unlike anything she had suffered during the brutal fight. Her arm was on fire, burning from the inside out.
Erik had told her that shifting would help her heal. She tried desperately, but the bullet held her like an anchor, trapping her in her frail, human form.
A tidal wave of nausea swept over her.
She dropped to one knee and locked eyes with Clive.
His blue eyes crackled with fury and he dropped his head back and roared. The sound reverberated the chain link fence around the site.
His howl of triumph was cut short by three loud cracks.
Blood blossomed on the front of Clive’s shirt. He fell to the ground, a look of surprise frozen on his face.
Grace Kwan-Cortez stood behind him, feet wide, gripping her gun in both hands.
For a moment, Grace’s small form was frozen in place.
Then she holstered her weapon and ran for Ainsley.
Ainsley smiled dreamily at her friend. Grace was always so brave.
The world faded away before Grace could reach her.
CHAPTER 16
E rik fell to his knees in the dirt.
Ainsley was bleeding out quickly - her skin had already gone a deathly pale.
No, no, no…
He was sure there was some sort of first aid he should remember but his brain wasn’t cooperating.
Instead, he found himself brushing the hair out of her eyes and tucking it behind her ears. As if that would help her.
A commotion roused him and he saw Grace Kwan-Cortez slamming her small body through the crowd and skidding to the ground next to Ainsley.
“She’s not healing.” Grace’s clear voice cut through the din of the gathered crowd. “ It must be silver. Give me your knife.”
He stared at her in confusion.
“Don’t tell me you don’t have a knife, Erik Jensen! Someone give me a knife!”
In a second his mind bounced back and he grabbed the multi-tool from his pocket and handed it to her.
Immediately, she began probing inside Ainsley’s
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