Page 5 of The Kill

I study my new friend closely as he tuts, looking disappointed but amused by Lee’s decision to stay put. This wolf is definitely of alpha lineage, judging by the raw power emanating from him. Muscles bulge under his thin black t-shirt, now plastered to his skin as the rain continues to pour down, showing off his sculpted torso.

His sharp eyes take in every detail of our surroundings while his body language remains easy-going and loose. The glint in his eye tells me he’s anything but.

“Have you any idea who you’re messing with? Leave now and forget you ever met us, or I’ll make your life a misery, too.”

Lee’s warning falls on deaf ears.

With a resigned shake of his head, the stranger rests his hands on his hips, looking at Lee like an annoyance he was hoping not to deal with. I’m praying his swagger is justified, or we’re both dead.

“I really didn’t want to have to do this,” he says on a sigh.

In the blink of an eye, the stranger is replaced by a magnificent black wolf in the fastest shift I’ve ever seen. My wolf rumbles, amazed by his strength and bravery, beyond grateful that someone has come to our aid when no one has ever bothered before.

Irritated by the impressed sound I made, Lee uses his grip on my hair to tilt me sideways at an awkward angle, then shoves me hard away from him as he calls his own wolf forward. I fall, landing hard on my hands and knees. When I cry out in pain, the stranger’s gaze whips to me, registering the dark bruising and deep gashes on my back from the whipping I received yesterday. My body is too weak to repair itself, using all my energy to run instead.

I dip my head as I struggle to stand, his sympathetic expression making me feel even more ashamed of the position I’m in. I used to be a strong wolf. I’m not sure when Lee broke me, but that’s exactly how I feel right now. Shattered.

The giant black wolf bares his teeth at Lee but doesn’t attack.

As Lee circles him, he merely watches. The wolf growls when Lee lunges at his back, a cowardly manoeuvre, one I’ve seen him use before. Side-stepping the attack, the black wolf watches as my mate flies past and skids to a halt, failing to anticipate the speed of this stranger.

Without missing a beat, the black wolf dives on Lee’s back, dark claws raking down Lee’s flesh and giant teeth sinking into the scruff of Lee’s neck, tearing away a large chunk of skin.

It’s a nasty wound but not life-threatening.

Lee bellows, dragging himself away on his front legs, his attacker trailing along behind like he has all the time in the world. He could attack again, but he holds back, allowing Lee time to regroup. It reminds me of a cat playing with its food.

Staggering away, keen to get clear of the two brawling alphas, I rest my back against a rock and stare on in stunned silence, forcing air in and out of my lungs. My life depends on the outcome of this fight, on the skill of this complete stranger.

Lee lunges for him again, nipping the side of my hero’s cheek as he dances away, teeth snapping. Loud snarls and growls fill the quiet forest, sending a shiver down my spine as they brawl. I can barely watch as red drips from the chin of the black wolf.

The tang of his coppery blood fills the air, and something in the air shifts. His rage is palpable. My rescuer barrels into Lee, taking this challenge up a notch now that some of his own blood mingles with the soft earth.

Clamping his teeth around my mate’s limb, he bites down, ignoring as Lee twists his large body around and grips whatever thick fur he can reach with his jaws. As Lee shakes his head, inflicting as much damage as he can muster, I grimace. The scent of the stranger’s blood grows stronger, and my stomach clenches in concern.

He shows no sign of being hurt, though, instead biting down even harder until a sickening crack fills the air. Lee roars, a combination of unbearable pain and fear. A three-legged wolf doesn’t stand a chance.

Lee releases his grip on the wolf’s flank, howling in agony when his paw touches the ground, crumpling under him when he tries to put weight on it. Distracted, Lee leaves himself exposed, and is punished when teeth sink deep into the soft skin of his side, tearing out another large piece of flesh.

This is barely a fight now.

Lee is a strong, virile alpha wolf, but this stranger is making him look like a foolish pup.

As my mate’s blood spills onto the forest floor, despite the lingering remnants of our bond, I can’t bring myself to feel anything but relief. Will I finally be free?

Suddenly, my saviour shifts back to his human form. Standing, he uses one foot to press down on my mate’s injured leg, keeping him in place. His cool gaze lands on me, and he waits for me to meet his eye, making sure he has my attention.

He does.

My wolf practically rolls over, equally impressed that he has protected us when nobody else did, and by his perfect body. His skin glows, covered in a sheen of sweat and blood, as he looms over the man that has tormented us for so long.

His intense eyes bore into mine when I fail to speak but continue to drink in his magnificent form. Never looking away, despite how Lee squirms and screams as he grinds Lee’s snapped limb into the forest floor with a twist of his foot, he casts an assessing gaze over me.

“Are you badly injured?” he asks, scanning up and down my naked body for damage.

Shaking my head, I push to my feet, trying to appear stronger than I feel.

“No. I’m hurt but I’m okay. I’ve had worse.”

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