was the drummer from the band at the bar he’d seen the first night they met. “He wants me to get you away. Stop fighting.” There was a jagged flash of lightning, and barely a second later, a loud rumble of thunder rolled over the area.
“No!” Tucker kicked with his legs and wrenched on the drummer's arms around his waist with his working arm. Rain pounded them as he fought to get away. The lupe holding him growled in anger, but Tucker wouldn’t stop struggling as he refused to go. “I won't leave him.”
Stelian stood still now, blood from his wounds running through the wet fur on his body to drip onto the ground. In the moonlight, the red fluid looked black, but Tucker could smell its bitter tang, meaning Stelian was losing way too much. Phell's bullet wound and several cuts inflicted by Stelian were bleeding, but his wounds were not as great as Stelian's.
Phell circled Stelian, snarling as his hands flexed, the dark claws on the ends of his fingers dripping blood. His yellow eyes were bright as he taunted the enraged alpha.
“I'm going to take him, Stelian. I'll take him dry as I sink my teeth into his neck and put my mark on him, listening to him echo his sweet scream over and over. I’ll put a collar and a leash on your little pet, marking him as my bitch. Your little hultan will use his powers to create a new era for all lupes. For me.”
Stelian snarled. “Over my dead body!”
“Gladly!” Phell lunged at him, trying to knock Stelian to the ground and pin him under his body. Stelian went down, but he completed a full shift to wolf faster than anyone Tucker had ever seen. His body contorted and rippled as he turned into a gray and black brindled werewolf nearly twice as large as a natural wolf.
Tucker gaped. He’d never seen anyone become as large as Stelian’s wolf. His head came around, and he snapped giant fangs at Phell, making him jump back. The wolf charged, barely favoring one leg as he leapt at Phell, still in hybrid form, going for his vulnerable legs. Sharp claws came down and raked at Stelian’s back, but his thick fur protected him. They went down in a mass of fur and flesh, yelps and snarls filling the air.
There was a rustling on the far side of the clearing, and a man stumbled through the bushes. He was waving a gun. A shot went off, bark flying when the bullet struck a tree. His appearance distracted Stelian long enough for Phell to get a grip and slam Stelian's head onto a rock partially buried in the ground. The lupe’s straining body went limp. Phell stood, panting as he drew back one leg and kicked Stelian’s unconscious body. Tucker cried out when Stelian didn't move.
“Phell, they're coming! They got the rest of the men. Not even the silver stopped them.” The man brandished his gun. Phell stopped kicking Stelian as he turned to the lupe shouting at him. Tucker could only watch in horror. If Phell got that gun….
“We'll get their precious hultan, and then we'll be safe.” Phell held out his hand. “Give me the gun.”
“Didn't you hear me? The silver bullets didn't work on the wolves. They just kept coming. I’ve never seen a lupe able to withstand silver before. They’re coming, at least six of them.” The ranting lupe's eyes were huge, the yellow beginning to bleed in as he lost control to his wolf.
“Do as I say!” Phell lashed out, slapping him upside the head and snatching the gun from him. “The bullets may not work on their hybrid forms, but they'll work on Stelian if I shoot him right between the eyes. And they’ll work on the hultan. His body isn't like ours, not really. He won’t be able to heal the wounds. Without their alpha, or his pet, they’ll stand down—they’ll have to.”
Tucker wasn't looking at Phell, who was now pointing a gun at him. He barely heard the conversation, but he tucked the information away to think about later. Gone was the frantic energy as Tucker tried to get away from the lupe holding him. In its place was a
“No!” Tucker kicked with his legs and wrenched on the drummer's arms around his waist with his working arm. Rain pounded them as he fought to get away. The lupe holding him growled in anger, but Tucker wouldn’t stop struggling as he refused to go. “I won't leave him.”
Stelian stood still now, blood from his wounds running through the wet fur on his body to drip onto the ground. In the moonlight, the red fluid looked black, but Tucker could smell its bitter tang, meaning Stelian was losing way too much. Phell's bullet wound and several cuts inflicted by Stelian were bleeding, but his wounds were not as great as Stelian's.
Phell circled Stelian, snarling as his hands flexed, the dark claws on the ends of his fingers dripping blood. His yellow eyes were bright as he taunted the enraged alpha.
“I'm going to take him, Stelian. I'll take him dry as I sink my teeth into his neck and put my mark on him, listening to him echo his sweet scream over and over. I’ll put a collar and a leash on your little pet, marking him as my bitch. Your little hultan will use his powers to create a new era for all lupes. For me.”
Stelian snarled. “Over my dead body!”
“Gladly!” Phell lunged at him, trying to knock Stelian to the ground and pin him under his body. Stelian went down, but he completed a full shift to wolf faster than anyone Tucker had ever seen. His body contorted and rippled as he turned into a gray and black brindled werewolf nearly twice as large as a natural wolf.
Tucker gaped. He’d never seen anyone become as large as Stelian’s wolf. His head came around, and he snapped giant fangs at Phell, making him jump back. The wolf charged, barely favoring one leg as he leapt at Phell, still in hybrid form, going for his vulnerable legs. Sharp claws came down and raked at Stelian’s back, but his thick fur protected him. They went down in a mass of fur and flesh, yelps and snarls filling the air.
There was a rustling on the far side of the clearing, and a man stumbled through the bushes. He was waving a gun. A shot went off, bark flying when the bullet struck a tree. His appearance distracted Stelian long enough for Phell to get a grip and slam Stelian's head onto a rock partially buried in the ground. The lupe’s straining body went limp. Phell stood, panting as he drew back one leg and kicked Stelian’s unconscious body. Tucker cried out when Stelian didn't move.
“Phell, they're coming! They got the rest of the men. Not even the silver stopped them.” The man brandished his gun. Phell stopped kicking Stelian as he turned to the lupe shouting at him. Tucker could only watch in horror. If Phell got that gun….
“We'll get their precious hultan, and then we'll be safe.” Phell held out his hand. “Give me the gun.”
“Didn't you hear me? The silver bullets didn't work on the wolves. They just kept coming. I’ve never seen a lupe able to withstand silver before. They’re coming, at least six of them.” The ranting lupe's eyes were huge, the yellow beginning to bleed in as he lost control to his wolf.
“Do as I say!” Phell lashed out, slapping him upside the head and snatching the gun from him. “The bullets may not work on their hybrid forms, but they'll work on Stelian if I shoot him right between the eyes. And they’ll work on the hultan. His body isn't like ours, not really. He won’t be able to heal the wounds. Without their alpha, or his pet, they’ll stand down—they’ll have to.”
Tucker wasn't looking at Phell, who was now pointing a gun at him. He barely heard the conversation, but he tucked the information away to think about later. Gone was the frantic energy as Tucker tried to get away from the lupe holding him. In its place was a
Similar Books
