is this? Betrayal?"
"No," I gasp, hurrying to Torben's side. There's a wicked cut down his arm, several deep gouges across his chest, and one of his eyes has swollen shut. Despite these wounds he stands tall, as if he's feeling no pain. "They followed me. I ran into them at a gas station. Torben, let's get the hell out of here."
There are so many shifters snarling now it sounds like a swarm of angry hornets. One man after another turns into a bear or a wolf, not the animal forms I learned in first grade, but rather towering man-animal forms, rearing up on two legs, humanoid and covered in fur. They're huge, but the bears are definitely larger. Which is good, because there are perhaps ten or fifteen more werewolves.
"Stay back," whispers Torben, sounding unafraid. "Cassius!" This last is a roar that silences the battlefield. Heads turn as Torben strides forward, remaining in his human form.
I see the one-eyed werewolf. He too has remained in his human form. Stepping forward, the two men stop perhaps a half dozen paces from each other. "Who the hell are you?"
"Torben Halderson, alpha of the Claws."
"Halderson?" The name is said with obvious pleasure. "I thought I'd killed all of you. Looks like today's going to be better than I hoped."
"No one is going to die here today." Torben's voice is calm, pitched almost too low to hear. Everybody cranes in to make him out. "This is private Claw business. Leave."
"And if I say no?" A number of sniggers and snarls greet Cassius' words.
"Then I'll tear out your throat." There's no aggression in Torben's voice. He states it like fact.
Cassius narrows his eyes. "I'll tell you what. Give me the woman we followed here. The one with your scent on her. I'll take her as my prize and we'll go."
What? A bolt of fear runs through me. Cassius wants me? But no. I see the crafty gleam in his eye. He's provoking Torben.
"Don't be a fool," says Torben, sounding almost weary. "I have no interest in fighting you. Take your men and leave. No one needs to die."
"You think I followed you all the way down here to turn around and leave?" Cassius shakes his head. "Not likely."
Torben looks to where Krassok has stepped up next to him. "Do you want this?"
Krassok is a mountain of a man, built like lean leather and jerky wrapped around the skeleton of a giant. I don't think I've ever seen or imagined a tougher man. "Yes," he growls, eyes locked on Cassius.
"With all your heart? You want this fight?"
Krassok nods, hands flexing.
"Then it's yours," says Torben. "I step down." He looks at the other bears. "Krassok is your alpha, now and forevermore. I'm gone." He looks at me and extends his hand.
A thrill runs through me, and I jog over to his side, and feel his warm, callused hand close over mine. Not speaking, the urgency in the moment only building, we hurry to the pickup and get in. The engine is still idling. We slam the doors, Torben puts the car in gear, and we drive around the knot of shifters and make a beeline for the highway.
I'm stunned. I honestly thought I might die there. Thought Torben might die. I can't believe we're actually driving away. When we reach the highway, Torben stops the car and turns to me.
"You are the craziest, most -"
But I don't give him a chance to speak. I grab his face in both hands and kiss him, hard, passionately, letting all the anguish and fear melt away as I sink into his arms. I feel him grin, and when I pull back I swat him on the shoulder. "Don't you ever pull a trick like that again." Torben winces, and I realize I've just hit him on his open gash. "Oh god! I'm sorry!"
He laughs, wincing, and shakes his head. "How did you find me?"
So I tell him. About Soren. About the gas station. The werewolves. "But what were they doing down here?"
"They must have followed the clan, like Cassius said. Hoping we were quitting, or intent on making sure we never came back."
"I'm sorry I interrupted," I say, and then change my mind. "Actually, I'm not. I wouldn't
"No," I gasp, hurrying to Torben's side. There's a wicked cut down his arm, several deep gouges across his chest, and one of his eyes has swollen shut. Despite these wounds he stands tall, as if he's feeling no pain. "They followed me. I ran into them at a gas station. Torben, let's get the hell out of here."
There are so many shifters snarling now it sounds like a swarm of angry hornets. One man after another turns into a bear or a wolf, not the animal forms I learned in first grade, but rather towering man-animal forms, rearing up on two legs, humanoid and covered in fur. They're huge, but the bears are definitely larger. Which is good, because there are perhaps ten or fifteen more werewolves.
"Stay back," whispers Torben, sounding unafraid. "Cassius!" This last is a roar that silences the battlefield. Heads turn as Torben strides forward, remaining in his human form.
I see the one-eyed werewolf. He too has remained in his human form. Stepping forward, the two men stop perhaps a half dozen paces from each other. "Who the hell are you?"
"Torben Halderson, alpha of the Claws."
"Halderson?" The name is said with obvious pleasure. "I thought I'd killed all of you. Looks like today's going to be better than I hoped."
"No one is going to die here today." Torben's voice is calm, pitched almost too low to hear. Everybody cranes in to make him out. "This is private Claw business. Leave."
"And if I say no?" A number of sniggers and snarls greet Cassius' words.
"Then I'll tear out your throat." There's no aggression in Torben's voice. He states it like fact.
Cassius narrows his eyes. "I'll tell you what. Give me the woman we followed here. The one with your scent on her. I'll take her as my prize and we'll go."
What? A bolt of fear runs through me. Cassius wants me? But no. I see the crafty gleam in his eye. He's provoking Torben.
"Don't be a fool," says Torben, sounding almost weary. "I have no interest in fighting you. Take your men and leave. No one needs to die."
"You think I followed you all the way down here to turn around and leave?" Cassius shakes his head. "Not likely."
Torben looks to where Krassok has stepped up next to him. "Do you want this?"
Krassok is a mountain of a man, built like lean leather and jerky wrapped around the skeleton of a giant. I don't think I've ever seen or imagined a tougher man. "Yes," he growls, eyes locked on Cassius.
"With all your heart? You want this fight?"
Krassok nods, hands flexing.
"Then it's yours," says Torben. "I step down." He looks at the other bears. "Krassok is your alpha, now and forevermore. I'm gone." He looks at me and extends his hand.
A thrill runs through me, and I jog over to his side, and feel his warm, callused hand close over mine. Not speaking, the urgency in the moment only building, we hurry to the pickup and get in. The engine is still idling. We slam the doors, Torben puts the car in gear, and we drive around the knot of shifters and make a beeline for the highway.
I'm stunned. I honestly thought I might die there. Thought Torben might die. I can't believe we're actually driving away. When we reach the highway, Torben stops the car and turns to me.
"You are the craziest, most -"
But I don't give him a chance to speak. I grab his face in both hands and kiss him, hard, passionately, letting all the anguish and fear melt away as I sink into his arms. I feel him grin, and when I pull back I swat him on the shoulder. "Don't you ever pull a trick like that again." Torben winces, and I realize I've just hit him on his open gash. "Oh god! I'm sorry!"
He laughs, wincing, and shakes his head. "How did you find me?"
So I tell him. About Soren. About the gas station. The werewolves. "But what were they doing down here?"
"They must have followed the clan, like Cassius said. Hoping we were quitting, or intent on making sure we never came back."
"I'm sorry I interrupted," I say, and then change my mind. "Actually, I'm not. I wouldn't
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