didn’t appear anxious to join the party.
I stalked forward, keeping an eye out for Selene. I was in the mood to do some damage, and my plan was to start with the vamps, even if they hadn’t joined in yet. The wolves would be up in a few moments, and Rourke and I would need to be free of the vamps before we could fight the wolves and have a chance to get away.
I was almost to the group, who didn’t even seem to notice my advance, when a figure barreled out of the trees. It buzzed straight toward me with menace and it wasn’t Selene.
It was a werewolf in human form, and the anger coming ahead of him was intense.
It only took me an instant more to recognize him.
My eyes narrowed.
Traitor.
My wolf howled.
I could taste his hate as he approached. It was dry and rancid, like something dead. My wolf danced in a rage. There was nothing a werewolf abhorred more than a loss of honor.
I called to him as he came forward, my vocal cords rough but audible. “Well, well, I guess I’m not surprised to see you here. You’ve always detested me, so I guess it makes sense. Do you like what you see, Stuart?” I snarled, delighted as he gave me pause, his eyes widening a flicker before he recovered. “You filthy piece of shit,” I growled. “You’re lucky my father’s not here to rip your sorry head from your shoulders. He’d make damn sure you understood the depth of your betrayal.” I grinned, flashing him my new, lengthy canines. “But lucky you, you get me instead.”
Stuart Lauder, son of Hank, looked at me, his furor bubbling over. “You’re an abomination,” he foamed. “A blight on the great race of werewolves. You’ve always been a freak, and it was just a matter of time before you brought the whole race down. I’m not about to let that happen. I chose to take a stand. Not even my father was brave enough to stand up, but I am.” He spat on the ground. “The old generation was content to wait, sitting on their asses with their thumbs in their mouths, until you finally ended us. But the next generation of wolves aren’t going to sit back and take it. We’re ready to rise up and fight as one united Pack, one force. We’re not going to wait around until it’s too fucking late and you destroy us all.” He halted a few paces from me, his yellow eyes firing, brown fur sprouting along his forearms.
“Stuart, this is your war, not mine. You’re bringing the race down by pitting wolves against each other because of your own stupid fear. It has nothing to do with me. I’m not a threat to any wolf. And do you honestly think our Pack—excuse me, my Pack—isn’t going to win? The Southern wolves are no match in strength to us. They never have been. You picked the losing side, asshole.” I liked the sound of my voice; it sounded tough, like I ate rocks for breakfast. “The Northern Territories are stronger, and we will remain strong. There’s no contest. You are going to die for absolutely nothing, not that I give a shit, mind you, I’m just pointing out the facts.”
He sneered. “These aren’t the Southern wolves, you dog bitch in heat, these are the New Order wolves.”
Not the Southern wolves? Who the hell are the New Order wolves?
I tried to process what he said.
Stuart laughed at my confusion. “That’s right, we are the new order of things. The wolves you see before you have gathered from all over the world to unite as One Pack. And we will dominate, make no mistake about it. We are stronger, and when the dust settles all the other wolves who weren’t brave enough to join us before will be forced to join us, or die,” he proclaimed. “The old generation is officially over and the new generation has begun. We hold the power.”
“The power to pimp yourselves out to the vamps and witches, you mean? You’re delusional,” I replied. “Do the Newbies enjoy playing backup to the creatures of the night? Or do they prefer the role of pandering seeing-eye dog to the witches?”
He gave me a wicked smile, his incisors growing longer by the second. “The New Order will do whatever it takes to get the job done.”
He jumped.
I swatted him away like a fly.
He rolled several feet and was back up.
“You mistake my femininity for weakness, Stuart.” I laughed.
“Now get over here, you slimy piece of shit, and fight me like a wolf … Excuse me, an oh so powerful New Order wolf.”
Even though he pulsed with the change, he would be incapacitated for a few precious moments if he chose to shift. More than enough time for me to kill him, and we both knew it.
He circled me slowly. “You’re not stronger than me. I can fight you in my human form just fine.”
“Suit yourself, asshole.” I lashed at him, my claws tearing right through his shirt, drawing thick dark furrows of blood. “Looks like you’re going to get cut. Or do the New Kids on the Block need to put on their chest protectors before they fight?”
Loathing filled his eyes. “I don’t need any protection from you. I could kill you with one hand tied behind my back.”
“Let’s find out.” I beckoned him with a curl of my claw.
He sprang. We went a few rounds, him managing to land an occasional blow and me making sure it hurt on the return. The wolves had begun to finish their shifts and stalked around us, forming a tight circle. I was surprised they hadn’t jumped into the fray, but I was thankful.
Stuart was quick and played dirty and he was stronger than any human, but it was almost too easy for me. My wolf hung back in my mind, leaving me to fight since he hadn’t shifted. But she did let me know with a rousing bark when I landed a particularly good shot.
He stumbled backward again as I landed another powerful blow to his chest. “Had enough yet, Stuart? Or would you like to take a little break?” I taunted.
He bled profusely from his face and chest. The wolves around us snarled in earnest, snapping their jaws and rending the air in their impatience. The scent of their combined aggression threatened to short-circuit me a few times, but my wolf parceled the scents away as quickly as she could, saving me from complete overload. Getting used to this scent thing was crazy intense.
The entire time I’d been tussling with Stuart, Rourke fought a snickering Valdov. The vampire moved too quickly, and was proving hard to catch. Rourke bellowed as he threw the vampire to the ground, only to have him pop up again in a new spot laughing it off.
I needed to tie this up with Stuart quickly, because it was going to take both of us to finish off Valdov—if that was even possible. Then we had the other vamps to contend with, but so far none of the other cloaked wonders had joined the melee. They stood off to the side watching. I had no idea why, but I hoped it wasn’t because they were so powerful this fight looked like a romper room brawl. They must be following orders of some kind.
I wasn’t going to stop fighting. Wolves didn’t go down without a fight. Our instinct to win was ingrained too deeply. When Stuart stopped, I responded, “What’s the matter, Stuart? Not willing to die for your new cause?”
Blood dripped from a gash on his forehead into his eye. He swiped it away with the back of his hand. “You’re the one who’s gonna die, bitch. Even if you manage to take me down, these wolves here are going to rip you to shreds.” To emphasize his point, several of the wolves snapped their teeth in agreement.
It’d actually been a miracle they hadn’t joined in thus far. The smell of blood and fear was a fuse to the powder-keg trigger of their base instincts. They must have had some military connection to their leadership, enough power to make sure they stayed in line. Either that or Stuart had given them some previous command. But either way, the wolves around us were staying put and I wasn’t going to argue.
“Aren’t your new employers going to be pissed when your New Order wolves tear me to pieces? I thought when you took on a job as the ‘hired help’ you were supposed to honor your contract? Oh, wait … I’m sorry, I said the word ‘honor’ by accident.” I tried to even my tone for the last part, to make sure it hit home. “That word obviously has no meaning to you.”
“I have honor!” he screamed, his lips curling in a feral way. “Which is why I’m going to enjoy killing you so much. We don’t work for the vamps, you filthy slut, we struck a mutually beneficial alliance. We just happened to get to you first.” He shrugged. “The Queen will just have to deal with it.”
He kicked out with his leg, landing a blow high to my thigh. I rolled twice, the two wolves nearest me
