Chapter Sixteen
Alex
Damned if my feelings for that girl weren’t going to get the whole pack in trouble. I knew I had smelled that strange scent while I was sitting in the bar, but I just had to talk to her. Now my pansy ass was trying to push through a crowd of drunks to get outside. The door opening moments earlier had let in a huge blast of cool air that was saturated with the sickly-sweet smell. Like the bastard had pissed on the bar’s threshold. I knew whoever caused it was still there, taunting me. I had to find them, especially after my talk with my dad.
I finally pushed out the door and quickly scanned the lot, looking for anyone. Nobody was around but I could still smell it. I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay human as I followed the scent across the parking lot. Son of a bitch, I knew where it was heading before I even reached my truck. Someone had been around my truck, no all over my truck. It was suffocating.
I tried to stay discreet as I sniffed around the truck. It was strong throughout different intervals. The doors, the tires, the gas tank. When I came around the front of the truck, I noticed a very different smell, something much worse than the sickly scent. Shit, I had to get out of there. I started backing quickly away from my truck.
The dark ignited. A fireball erupted out of my truck with an enormous explosion, the shockwave throwing me to the ground. I was peppered with glass and metal as I tried to get my bearings. My ears were filled with a horrible ringing that caused a whine to work its way out of my throat. I looked up to see what was left of my truck on fire. Pieces of burning ash fell on my and I looked down at myself in a daze. Fuck, my arm was on fire. I jerked out of my stupor and ripped my coat off and threw it away from me.
That was when I saw the man. He was leaning against a car not twenty feet from me, completely unaffected by the explosion. He stood in jeans and a long sleeve grey shirt that did little to disguise his muscular build. He was older than me, probably late forties, with a bald head and a black and grey goatee. I tried to get a good image of him in my mind so I could tell the rest of the pack. His lips tipped up into a smug smile as he watched me assessing him.
I pulled myself shakily to my feet. The world spun a little, but I forced myself to stand tall. This was not the kind of man I wanted to show any weakness. My hearing was coming back and with it the sounds of crying and screaming, as well as the sirens in the distance. I couldn’t shift and take this bastard out. He’d done this and I wanted to kill him. As if he heard my thoughts, the man nodded his head and smiled widely. I growled and he actually chuckled. But the moment I took a step towards him he dashed suddenly into the dark much quicker than I had expected him to move.
Tegan’s gasp brought me back to my current condition. The pack surrounded me, trying to contain what anyone else shouldn’t see. Their eyes were wide with shock and fear. Nostrils flared and their eyes were wolf colors as they shifted restlessly taking in the scene. I glanced down at myself and fought the feeling of nausea. Holy shit, my stomach looked like ground hamburger.
“Alex…” Tegan’s voice wavered a little as she took in my shredded shirt and the skin underneath. I didn’t know where to start, there was just so much metal and blood. Start big, I figured, as I pulled a large circular piece of metal from my gut. Holy shit that was the gas tank door, and I fought to stay on my feet. I had to get all this mess out of me before it started healing. I didn’t want to go through getting things cut out later. My mind tried to settle on a plan of action. I couldn’t go to the hospital, they asked questions. I couldn’t shift like this either.
My only blessing at that moment, as the sirens grew closer, was that no one seemed to know I had been hurt. They were all staring stunned at the still burning truck. My eyes flashed around, searching for an escape, when a smooth little hand slid into mine. I looked down into Zee’s pale face. Her eyes were trained on my stomach and she gulped in air like she might be sick.
“Come with me,” she whispered, pulling my hand gently, “Delilah might be able to help you.” Wyatt’s brow furrowed and I knew he didn’t like the idea of letting me leave without protection. I could see Delaney shaking her head furiously, her mouth opening as if she were about to say something, but Tegan put her hand up.
“Go, Alex,” she seemed to have pulled herself together. Her mouth was set in a determined line as she pushed me gently towards Zee, “We can’t explain your injuries, and you’ve got to get that mess out of your gut quickly. We’ll stay, so it doesn’t look so bad. Wyatt and Ryker can handle damage control for a little while. I’ll call Jarren.” Pride swept through me as I watched her stand tall and
