It was a slim chance they would make it but it was a chance. The only damn one they had.
The women started to lift the smaller kids, cradling them in their arms, some holding two as Kirsty rounded up the older ones. “Right, kids, I know this is scary, but I need you to find an adult and hold on tight to their clothing. Just find someone, anyone, and grab on to them. Okay? Do not let go. Absolutely do not let go, no matter what happens.”
Just as they were getting organized to move off that’s when one of the women shouted, her voice high and excited.
“They’re here! Kade’s back!”
Kirsty turned and looked to where the woman was pointing, her heart almost breaking with relief when she saw a sleek brown and black Wolf stampeding toward them, quickly followed by Kade’s unmistakable beast.
The roar of anger that tore from his beast almost shattered her eardrums, his gigantic paws throwing up dirt as his claws dug into the earth whilst he sped toward them. She saw so many others fanned out either side of him that she let out a sigh of relief that whooshed from her loudly.
Her knees felt weak, her body stiff, held in place as the Wolf that had been in front met the first rogue, leaping high into the air and landing on its back. Kirsty had the presence of mind to shout out. “Shield the kids, they don’t need to see this.”
She wasn’t sure whether they should stay where they were, or move away. What was safer? She looked for a familiar face, one she’d met earlier possibly. There. The woman with light brown hair, and now with horror on her face, Elspeth, she’d spoken to her.
“Elspeth, should we stay here or move?”
Elspeth turned, her eyes focusing on Kirsty then lowering. “They’ll be fighting, Miss, we should stay where we are so we don’t get in their way.”
“Okay, thanks.” Kirsty nodded. “I’m not used to . . . this.”
“Neither are we,” Elspeth whispered. “Rogues have never attacked us before, but I’m sure I saw Archie McDonald earlier. That black-hearted bastard will be behind this. Kade threw him out of the Pack ages ago because he was, well, a black-hearted bastard.”
“I’m so sorry.” Kirsty turned to the injured Wolf. “Is there anything we can do for her?”
“Not right now. Her Wolf will do what it can, and if she needs Fiona, then we can get her after Kade’s dealt with these, excuse my French, fuckers.”
“I think fuckers is the right word,” Kirsty agreed wholeheartedly.
The sounds of the raging battle rose to a crescendo, her eyes drawn back to find Kade. When she did, she almost cried out in alarm. His light brown beast fighting off two rogues, one grey, one dark brown. Both looked mangy in comparison to her proud mate’s. Their fur dull whereas his gleamed as the sun shone down on them. His body thick and powerful, muscles rippling beneath his fur, obviously well-fed and theirs were the opposite. The rogues were still fearsome beasts and it was nevertheless two against one, so her heart beat wildly against her ribs as her breathing raced out of control.
She couldn’t just stand here and watch this. She had to do something. The sight of him in such a dangerous struggle rammed home her feelings for the Alpha: she loved him with every cell in her body.
Raising her shotgun once again, she stepped forward, rushing to his aid. Kirsty had no thought of her own safety, weaving around Wolves in the midst of combat, making her way toward Kade.
The nearer she got the more she saw, blood marring all three Wolves, with wounds appearing before her eyes. A few yards to go and one of the rogues fell to the ground, mortally wounded, but to her horror two more joined the fight. Kade now faced three.
“Hell no,” Kirsty spat out, levelling her gun and closing the remaining distance that separated her from the man she’d finally admitted to falling for.
Kade’s huge paw swiped at one, throwing it away so that it rolled over and over, and landing right at her feet, dazed. She didn’t think twice. Lowering the barrel between its eyes, she fired point-blank and killed it stone-dead. The loud report causing Kade’s eyes to spin toward her, confusion and surprise first, then fear in his ice-blue eyes before one of the rogues snapped its jaws onto his shoulder, causing him to howl in pain.
Kirsty screamed as Kade fought to release its hold as the second rogue leaped onto his back, bringing him to the ground. Tears stung her eyes as she watched his struggle to free himself from beneath them, she couldn’t fire again for fear of wounding Kade. Kirsty did the only thing she could, she turned the shotgun quickly around, holding the barrel in both hands and raising it high above her head.
Stepping forward, her feet dancing to try and keep herself out of the fray, she swung with all her might, the stock of the gun landing right between the ears of the grey beast hanging onto Kade’s shoulder. It yelped but held on so she lifted it again, and again, the thud of the hard walnut as it crashed against the skull of the Wolf was lost in the cacophony of noise around her. Several times her aim was off, landing on a shoulder, or missing altogether as the beasts scrambled around with limbs, claws, and fangs in the vicious mêlée.
Kirsty refused to give up. Her movements frenzied until she saw blood pouring from her victim, bones cracking, and finally it fell to the ground: dazed not dead.
The butt of her precious gun was ruined, however, she prayed the working end was still viable as she swung it around, firing into the fallen beast’s brain.
