“What about you?” She pants. “Let’s just go. Both of us,” she pleads. The scent of her fear makes the cat roar in my head.
“It’s not my nature to turn tail and run.” I pull her close and kiss her as if it could be the last time. “Promise me you’ll go.”
“I promise,” she whispers. I pull open the trapdoor, the heavy metal silent on its well-oiled hinges.
“When this closes the carpet will cover it back up.” I turn to walk out the door.
“You promise me something.”
“And what’s that?”
“That you come back to me and make me your mate.”
“I promise.” The vow comes easily. Pulling the door shut behind me, the windows have darkened, making it difficult to see beyond the windows. The incessant howling of the wolves has drawn closer to the house. Amber eyes glint in the flashes of lightning. Throwing open the back door, I step onto the porch. Six wolves gather before me. The biggest one in front shifts. His long hair plastered to his head. Fuck.
“Give us the girl,” he growls.
“What girl?”
“Don’t play dumb. I want that fucking girl you have hiding in the house.”
“If you want her, you must get through me.”
Lips drawn up in a sneer, he barks out, “With pleasure.” Three wolves launch themselves onto the porch. My fingertips burn as my claws descend. The first one reaches me as I rake him across the muzzle, tearing his eyes from his socket. He lands on the deck with a thump. The second I swipe across the flank, the fur and flesh parting underneath my claws like a hot knife through butter. Tendons and ligaments slice with ease until I reach bone. His sharp whine fills my ears as he falls. The last one tries to sail over his friend at me, but I manage to sink my claws deep into his gut, spilling his intestines. Red ropes dangle from his ripped flesh as he whines pitifully on the ground. Blood splattered across my chest I open my arms up wide and smile
“Who’s next?”
Glass shatters from inside the house and Molly screams.
“Molly, run!” I bellow as the other wolves race up the steps towards me. These wolves are smarter and attack en masse. My claws dig deep into one as another’s jaw clamps down on my arm, fangs digging deep. Blood drips on the decking as the rain pours down. The third wolf lands on my chest, his claws burrowing under my skin, knocking me backwards. If these bastards get me down, it won’t be pretty. My cat roars in my head. Orange and black fur sprouts on my arms as my cat loans me strength. My shift catches them off guard and I throw the one on my chest off. The other two back away warily as I roar my displeasure into the night. The one on my right runs at me, but I bat him away with a swift strike of my paw. He sails into the railing of the porch with a thud, cracks it in half. A weight lands on my back, fangs digging into the skin of my neck and I roll, taking him with me until all seven hundred pounds of me crushes him underneath. The last one tucks tail and dives off the porch, disappearing into the night.
The shift back is painful, but I tear into the house yelling for Molly. Glass covers the living room floor from a busted out window. The smell of wet dog permeates the room as I run to the bedroom. The carpet over the trap door has been scratched at revealing the metal beneath, but the room is empty. A sharp tap on the window catches my attention. Standing outside a man with a long beard, a sinister smile on his face, runs his finger across his throat. His eyes widen in disbelief as I launch myself through the window landing on his back driving him to the rain-soaked ground. He twists and turns, doing his damndest to throw me off. My hands wrap around his neck, and with a twist, he falls limply to the ground. Looking down, I see his cut. Fucking Lycaon wolves.
Shifting, my paw sinks deep into the muddy ground, taking off in a lope toward the barn. Lightening streaks arcs across the sky, casting it in an eerie light. The rain continues to pour down in a steady deluge, dampening my senses. Between the old wooden slats of the barn, a dim light glows. A black SUV sits idling off to the side and my stomach drops. I know that fucking vehicle. Fucking Garcia cartel. I guess the assurance that Garcia gave Wraith was a fucking ruse. They knew that Molly was with me. Padding closer, I hear two males speaking.
“Come here, puta. You’ve caused me a lot of trouble.” Molly cries out in pain amid the shuffling of feet.
“You got the girl. Where the fuck is my money?” A voice growls.
“Ah but you didn’t bring me the girl, did you?” Ernesto tsks. “She came to me all on her own.” Metal slides from a holster.
“Mother fucker if you even think about crossing me, I’ll put a fucking bullet in your head.”
“Then you would upset my boss, I’m afraid.”
“Do you think I give a fuck? I want my money, amigo.”
“Unfortunately, there’s been a change of plan. The girl needs to die. She’s of no use to my boss anymore. Her father refused to do what he was told and my brother, he has a hot temper. He beat him to death.” Molly sobs softly. Between the cracks of wood, Jay is holding Molly up, his arm wrapped around her throat. One wolf is pointing his gun at Ernesto as he leans against the metal table I had stored inside, picking at his fingernails as if having a gun pointed at
