Page 72 of Wolf Crowned

I rolled, trying to get away from Mason, but Max was back, too. He kicked me in the face. My head snapped back. Blood gushed from my mouth, coating my upper lip and chin. I used the back of my arm to swipe it away.

Eddie crouched in front of me as Mason and Max stood on either side. They thought they had me. Let them think it. Dad’s biggest mistake had always been underestimating me.

Mason and Max each grabbed an arm, hauling me to my feet. They drug me until I was standing in front of my dad.

He shook his head, his lip curling in disgust. “I thought you had more fight than that, Lincoln.”

Eddie smacked the back of my head. “I always told you he was weak, Alpha.”

Dad‘s nostrils flared as he stared at me. “Yeah, you have. I guess I just didn’t want to see it.”

Good. They thought they’d beat me.

Eddie hit the back of my head again. I ground my teeth and growled. He was pissing me off, and it was taking everything in me not to wipe the smirk off his face. At least not yet.

Eddie fisted my hair and jerked my head back so I had to look at him. “What do you want us to do with him now, Alpha? Should we rough him up some more?”

Dad crossed his arms over his chest and smiled. “Not yet. Let’s make him watch us destroy the pack that he’s decided is better than ours. It seems fitting.”

I snarled. “Do you really think you’re going to win so easily?” Blood seeped between my lips as I spoke.

Dad laughed out loud like I told him a joke. “Look out there, Lincoln.“ He motion with his arm to the fighting. “Do you really think your little rag-tag group has any chance of beating us? You are outnumbered. We are the better fighters and we have the home field advantage.”

I spit bloody saliva on the ground. “Your problem is that you always underestimate me and the might of a pack that values their freedom.” I nodded at the chaos below. “It doesn’t look like you have that many men here. Maybe you’ve stretched yourself too thin and haven’t really considered how hard people will fight for what they believe in.”

Dad rolled his eyes as he chuckled. “I don’t need the entire pack here, Lincoln. Not when they can get even more reinforcements. The men I have here today are the best trained, and we still outnumber you.”

And he had just given me everything that I needed. It was time to give the second signal.

I narrowed my eyes. “You know, Dad, you never really knew me at all did you?”

I didn’t give him a chance to respond before I lifted my foot and smashed the heel over top Eddie’s. I shifted my right hand into a wolf’s paw so I could slip it through Eddie’s grip. I spun and clawed Eddie across the throat. He gasped. Blood spurted out, coating my fur.

He clawed at his neck, stumbling away and collapsing on the ground.

I lunged, triggering my shift. I launched myself at my dad, but Max jumped in the way and I landed on him instead, tackling him to the ground.

I snapped at his neck, trying to get a good bite in, but he flailed and punched.

Mason ran at me, arms outstretched as he roared. I slid off Max, digging my claws into his torso as I went. He gurgled.

I crouched, eyes on Mason, waiting for him to make a move.

Howls erupted. Mason‘s attention shot to the trees. If I could grin as a wolf I would be. Our second group of wolves darted through the tree line, sprinting toward the fight.

Mason stumbled back. He put his hands up in a defensive position. “What no.”

I use their distraction to my advantage. I lunged for Dad again, but Mason leapt in the way at the last second. I really, really needed his men to stop throwing themselves in front of him. It would make my job easier.

I latched onto Mason’s arm, biting down as hard as I could and cracking the bone.

I tugged on his arm, causing him to stumble closer. I launched myself at him, raring up on my back legs and putting my paws on his chest. I swiped my right paw across his face, catching his eye and tearing it out too, so all that was left was a bloody socket.

He screamed backpedaling. I struck again, hitting him in the chest and dragging him to the ground. I put my jaw around his throat and clamped down, throwing my head back-and-forth until he gurgled and went still.

Max scrambled at me, holding a large stick. He swung. I ducked to the side, getting out-of-the-way fast enough, so all I felt was the whoosh of air as it passed me.

He jabbed the slick at me like it was a dagger. “Do you think that little tricks going to work, Lincoln? You’re dead. Dead.”

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