He heard clearly what she hadn’t said. There was no way he could outrun a pack of Ravagers. He wasn’t even sure that Mackenna could, not without a decent head start, but he could give her that much. If they couldn’t fight their way out, he could provide a distraction, giving his mate the chance to make it to safety.
While he worked out the logistics of his—admittedly flawed—plan, four more Ravagers stepped up behind the trio in the doorway. Then, three more followed behind them, with six more behind that group. Together, they comprised the largest pack he’d ever encountered.
He was going to need a lot more bullets.
“Go,” he said over his shoulder. “Up the ladder.” He stepped back, nudging Mackenna with his shoulder when she didn’t move. “Run, Mack. I’m right behind you.”
She hesitated at first, then cursed under her breath before turning and sprinting for the ladder that led up into the hayloft. She had almost reached it when all hell broke loose.
Triggered by her actions, the three Ravagers in front moved into the barn, slowly at first, but picking up speed as their eyes adjusted to the dimness. Growling and grunting, the rest of the pack filed in behind the leaders, spreading out to separate and surround Cade and Mackenna.
A female with pale hair darted across the room like liquid lightning, circling the rest of the group to reach the ladder ahead of Cade. Mackenna was already halfway up the rickety rungs when the other female caught her by the boot, snarling viciously as she tried to dislodge her from her perch. A swift kick to the nose sent her flying through the air to land in the dirt with a heavy grunt.
“Cade!” Mackenna screamed from above him a moment later.
The muzzle of his gun flashed in the darkness as he squeezed the trigger again and again. Some bullets found their marks, but just as many flew wide as the pack closed in, undeterred by the loud crack of the gunshots.
“Go,” he shouted back. “Get out of here.” By his count, he had just three shots left. Not nearly enough to take out the horde before they reached him. “Fucking go!”
He pulled the trigger again, hitting one of the males between the eyes. He took aim at a female beside him, but this time, his shot sailed wide, hitting another male behind her in the shoulder and spinning him around. He didn’t go down, though, and Cade had just one bullet left.
Of all the ways he’d imagined it ending, being eaten alive by a pack of feral werewolves wasn’t even that crazy. He could put his gun to his temple and use the last bullet to save himself a lot of suffering. That option held little appeal. If this was to be his final stand, he’d go down swinging, fighting until his last breath.
At the very least, he could give Mackenna more time, keep the Ravagers occupied long enough for her to make it somewhere safe. Christ, he just hoped there weren’t more of them waiting for her beyond the barn.
The pack surrounded him now, closing in on all sides. They didn’t snarl or growl, but their heavy breathing sounded unusually loud as it reverberated off the high ceiling. No one lunged at him, but a few circled close enough for their foul breath to fan against his nape. The smell of blood and decay was overwhelming.
Any situation could only sustain so much tension before something snapped. In this instance, it was a young female, impatient, aggressive, and clearly frustrated with her pack’s restraint. She moved swiftly, soundlessly. Only a disturbance of the air announced her approach, giving Cade just enough time to throw his arm up to block her attack.
Three-inch claws sliced across his forearm, tearing the sleeve of his jacket and ripping open his skin. Searing pain radiated out to his fingertips, causing his grip on the gun to fail. The 9 mm tumbled to the ground, lost somewhere in the shadows.
Cade didn’t waste time mourning the loss. The single bullet wouldn’t have done him much good anyway. Besides, he had bigger problems. The blood dripping from his arm hadn’t gone unnoticed, and the scent was clearly inciting the others in the pack.
A male lunged at him, mouth open and fangs aimed directly at Cade’s jugular. A right hook to the jaw barely seemed to faze the beast, but the violence sparked a flame within his comrades.
Pulling a dagger from the sheath on his thigh, Cade swung out at the next male who darted toward him, slicing a horizontal line across his bare chest. The Ravager screeched, a high-pitched keening noise that resonated through the barn. The growls started then, as well as strange chuffing noises, almost like coughing but more ominous.
More Ravagers pounced, one swiping him across the ribs while the other barreled into him, pinning his back to the ladder and sinking his canines into Cade’s shoulder. Blinded by the pain, he cried out as he shoved the beast off him and swung out wildly with his blade. With so many bodies gathered around him now, it was impossible to tell who or what he cut.
He received another bite, this one to the thigh. More claws slashed across his torso, shredding his cotton shirt and parting his flesh. The pain was blinding, consuming, but he kept swinging, determined that if he had to die, he would take as many of them with him as he could.
His head started to spin. The muscles in his legs trembled. His vision blurred and dimmed at the edges. God, he hoped Mackenna had made it out and was somewhere far away and safe.
A howl rent the air, the sound eerie, haunting, and filled with threat. Time froze. Ravagers ceased their attacks
