Fire in the Smokies

lack of clothing was hardly an issue. He barely even noticed the cold.

With nimble fingers, Jaxon untied the knot and escaped the ropes that were no longer secure around him now that he was human.

A noise deeper in the cave alerted him to McKinney’s impending return. Jaxon shifted back, hoping the popping of bones wouldn’t be noticed. Having left one end of the rope draped through the iron loop, he now nuzzled his way under the tangle of his presumed restraints.

Hopefully he didn’t appear to have moved in McKinney’s absence. All he needed was to wait for the right moment and then pounce. It was well past time to put an end to the vampire. He didn’t yet have a clear plan of action, but he resumed peering around the entrance to the cave for anything that might assist him.

Jagged rocks and crooked iron loops dotted the concrete wall. Even in the near darkness, Jaxon could make out the details of each nuance.

Bingo. Internally, Jaxon smiled when his gaze landed on just the thing that might save his life.

“Did you have fun pondering your fate while I was away?” McKinney stepped back out of the darkness with his arms full. “What? You didn’t think I lured you here unprepared did you?” He set down a large box and rummaged through the contents.

From Jaxon’s location, he couldn’t identify anything specific.

“It would be so much more fun if you shifted, little doggy. I mean we can’t even haggle over the method of your execution if you stay all furry. I was planning on giving you choices.”

Jaxon didn’t move a muscle. His heart beat like never before. His blood pumped through his veins so hard he could hear a ringing in his ears that nearly drowned out McKinney’s banter. His tail twitched with impatience. But he remained as still as possible.

“No?” McKinney stood, holding a stick of dynamite in his hand. “Damn. You’re no fun.” He tapped the red cylinder against one palm and stalked toward Jaxon. “I’m thinking an explosion would be excellent. Not only will you be deader than dead, but your little blond cunt will be forced to run up to this cave and investigate. I’ll be watching from the trees when she finds your limbs strewn around the ground in here.” He laughed, a low chortle that didn’t resemble anything close to humor.

“Had you chosen to shift, I had hoped to drain you a bit before blowing your lupine carcass to smithereens. I’ve been wondering what the blood of a shifter might taste like. Is it as sweet as a full human? Or richer?”

Why was this bastard so intent on killing him?

As though he’d read his mind, McKinney continued his speech. “I’ll be glad to pick you three assholes off and rid this mountain range of the likes of you. Do you know what a thorn in my side you wolves have been for the last ten years? And you can’t just leave well enough alone. No, you have to be fucking heroes every damn day, saving every damsel in distress that gets lost amongst the trees.

“I’m fucking sick and tired of it! Those lost hikers are part of my diet. Do you know how difficult it is to get a good meal with you three meddling in my sustenance?” While he rambled, he worked. He grabbed a handful of dynamite and arranged it in a circle around Jaxon.

This guy was not modern in the least. In fact, he’d used dynamite when he’d attempted to make off with Juliana in the summer. For a contemporary-looking guy, he sure didn’t seem too bright. Why not just carry a gun? Hell, if he wanted, he could shoot the wolves all in one fell swoop and be done.

Was it possible he didn’t believe a bullet would kill a wolf? Was it possible a bullet wouldn’t kill a vampire? Jaxon’s gaze followed McKinney’s every step, waiting for the right moment to attack. All he could do was pray his instincts were correct.

“This much dynamite will blow a hole in the side of this mountain so big, the only thing the authorities will find will be bits and pieces of your flesh. In fact, if you don’t shift, they won’t find anything but a dead animal. Even better.”

McKinney turned his back on Jaxon and meandered back toward the box. Now or never.

In less time than it took for the vampire to flinch, Jaxon dropped the tangle of ropes and leaped through the air, pouncing on his victim as he turned to face the wolf.

Jaxon was huge in wolf form, larger than the average red wolf. And he was smart. He just prayed he outwitted this vampire.

With surprise on his side, Jaxon battled for the upper hand.

McKinney blocked his face from the claws Jaxon unleashed upon him. McKinney stumbled backward. Just what Jaxon intended. He pressed on, scratching the vampire any place where flesh was exposed. He growled and drooled and snapped his teeth at McKinney, not with the intention of ripping him limb from limb, but rather hoping to press the vampire back a few feet until he reached his goal.

It worked. McKinney stepped back. Jaxon pawed forward, standing on his hind legs and slamming his huge paws into the vampire. The moment Jaxon had the bloodsucker where he wanted him, he pounced forward with all his strength, toppling McKinney and sending him careening backward—right over the exposed piece of rebar that stuck straight up out of the concrete.

The twisted piece of iron hit its intended target dead center, ramming through McKinney’s chest until it stuck out the other end.

McKinney’s eyes grew so wide Jaxon could see the whites filling with blood. He stumbled back and watched in stunned shock as his worst enemy succumbed to an agonizing death.

Blood. So much of it. Jaxon was surprised to see blood. He’d expected something out of fiction to occur, like maybe McKinney suddenly going up in smoke and vaporizing, or cracking in half as though he were made of concrete and disintegrating to ash.

Neither was the case. Instead the vampire appeared almost human. He gurgled blood out of his mouth. His chest heaved, pumping only a few more times before stopping entirely. At last, McKinney went limp, his body hanging awkwardly over the stake; all life drained from his corpse.

Jaxon stepped back. Shock kept him from moving for a moment. He stared at the body as though it would spring back into action. It had been too easy. He hadn’t thought the entire plan through beforehand, but now that he paused to consider the ramifications of his actions, he’d have to be honest with himself and admit he hadn’t really expected this result.

Dead. The bastard was fucking dead. Thank God.

Jaxon turned then and ran out of the cave. His brothers would be frantic by now. He bounded through the trees, branches and leaves slamming into him. He barely noticed. He just wanted to get as far away from the scene as possible, touch base with Serg and Mic, and then wrap himself around his mate and love her for as long as they both should live.

“Serg? Mic?” Jaxon kept running, his goal clear. Base camp. He needed to reach the base and talk to the sheriff.

“Where the fuck have you been?” Sergius’s voice was music to his ears. Even though he was pissed to high hell, Jaxon had never heard a more glorious noise ringing in his head. “We’ve been worried sick about you.”

“I was a little preoccupied. Where are you?” Jaxon kept running. It wasn’t far, but he was impatient.

“Base. You?”

“On my way. Don’t move. Can either of you see Brianna? Is she okay?”

“She’s fine and accounted for. Still battling the flames with the others,” Sergius stated.

It took less than a minute more for Jaxon to arrive back at the base. He circled behind the huge trucks where he’d left his pack and shifted. No doubt Sergius and Micah had seen him arrive, but he still couldn’t very well waltz in wolf form into the group of humans gathered at the base.

Just as Jaxon pulled on his jeans and reached for his sweatshirt, Sergius rounded the fire truck. He strode forward with his gaze narrowed. “What the fuck happened to you?” he barked.

“McKinney.”

Sergius stepped back, bonking into Juliana who approached from behind. He sucked in a breath. “Seriously?” He tugged his mate into his embrace and held her tight.

“Would I lie about that goddamn vampire? Yes, seriously.”

Micah came up behind. “Did you say you saw McKinney?”