“I had to help,” I tell him. “I had to.”
I’m expecting a lecture, but he grabs the back of my neck and kisses me hard instead.
“Stay behind me,” he says. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Burton phases back into his human form as well and he’s yelling instructions at the wolves.
“Thanks for coming,” Jacob says to Grey and the boys with a nod.
Grey grunts back.
“Are we going to get to smash some heads in or what?” Grey asks impatiently while the two sides stare each other down. “Fuck this. I don’t have all day.”
His huge hands squeeze the axe and he stomps over to take them all on singlehandedly.
The tension in the air snaps and the two sides charge each other, colliding into battle like something out of a movie. I stick behind Jacob as he grabs a wolf and launches him into space. A wolf runs by me and I crack his legs with the bat. He tumbles over and then one of the large bears falls on top of him.
It’s chaos all around me. I don’t know where to look.
Some of the wolves phase back into their human forms and I recognize the sleazy guy from the bar, Tats. He’s got a long knife and he’s creeping up to Grey from behind, about to stab him in the kidney.
I suck in a breath and rush over, clinging onto the bat. A wolf flies through the air at me, bouncing on the ground as he’s about to take out my legs. I leap over him and keep running.
Grey is focused on two wolves and doesn’t see Tats approaching from behind. I run over and get there just as he’s about to sink the knife in. I swing the bat as hard as I can, slamming it into his shoulder which throws him off balance. Grey turns and grabs him by the tattooed neck. He snaps it easily and tosses his dead body to the ground.
Grey’s scary eyes land on me and he nods with an appreciative grunt.
The wolves don’t stand a chance with the extra grizzly bears and with our Kodiak bears fighting for their mates. Eventually, as enough of them die, they start to retreat and back away. Several phase into their human forms and flee to their bikes. The bears chase them down, killing a few more as they try to leave.
It’s brutal, but a bear shifter won’t tolerate any threat to their mates. They’re more than willing to kill a fleeing shifter if there’s even the slightest chance that they’ll return to harm their mate.
Jacob finds me in the bloodied field and grabs my hand. There are several deep gashes and shallow cuts all over his body. I see a tooth sticking out of his bloody forearm.
“You’re hurt,” I say, feeling my stomach drop.
He shakes his head. “I’m pissed.”
Soon, the few Lone Wolf Mercenaries who manage to make it out of here leave and Burton is the only one left.
The boys circle him as he glares at them. “I guess I should have brought more wolves,” he says with a shake of his head.
“It wouldn’t have mattered,” Jacob says as he squeezes my hand. “We’re unstoppable when we’re fighting for love.”
I feel my heart expanding in my chest at the sound of the L-word on his lips.
“This time there is no tree to save your ass, Burton,” Easton says as the guys approach. I let go of Jacob’s hand and stand back.
The firefighters phase back into their human forms and watch beside me as the Dixon brothers take charge. This is personal to them, so they let them handle it.
“You killed our fathers,” Roman says with his hands squeezed into fists. “You tried to attack our mates. It’s the end of the line for you.”
Burton knows he fucked up and he also knows there’s no chance of him getting out of this alive. He drops to his knees in front of them and raises his chin in the air. “Please make it quick.”
Jacob steps up to him with a roar and snaps his neck. The man falls to the dirt, lifeless.
It’s over.
After we all clean up the bodies and burn them in a pile, the firefighters are about to leave. Quinton stops before getting into the truck and turns to me. “You coming Frye?”
My mouth falls open. “Are you serious? After what I did?”
“What, kicking Grey in the balls?” Enzo says with a laugh. “He deserved it.”
“We have all wanted to kick the big guy in the nuts a few times,” Brees says with a chuckle. “But none of us had the guts to do it.”
“You showed bravery today,” Quinton says. “You’re welcome back on the team. If you want it.”
I turn to Grey to see what he thinks.
He rolls his eyes. “Get in the fucking truck, Frye. You saved me from getting shanked. We’re even.”
“I’ll be back,” I say as I grab Jacob’s hand. “But starting tomorrow. I want to spend some time with my mate.”
I watch as Roman, Easton, Cameron, and Jacob thank the guys. They shake hands and some of them even hug. It looks like the hatchet is finally buried between the firefighters and the Dixon brothers. I’m glad about that.
Jacob squeezes my hand as they pile into the truck and drive away. He looks all edgy and frazzled. He’s breathing heavily and his body is tight.
“Are you okay?” I whisper to him.
His jaw is clenched, too tense to answer.
“Fuck,” Easton says as he rubs his eyes. “Is it too early for a fucking drink?”
Roman shakes his head. “I’ll get the scotch.”
Cameron limps over to the house. “I’ll get the bandages.”
The boys are all cut up, but I notice that their wounds are already healing. Their gashes are bloody, but they’re no longer seeping blood, which is good I guess.
When it’s just Jacob and I standing outside, I turn to him. “What’s the matter?”
He shakes his head dismissively. “Nothing.”
“Don’t lie to me, please. I’m your
