Page 52 of Pack to the Wall

He dug around in a heavy looking satchel slung over his shoulder and pulled out something, which looked heavy, a large rock perhaps? He only then looked up and saw me. He cocked a smile then winked. Throwing that stone toward the house, he gunned his bike and sped toward me.

Too much happened at once, I watched the rock shatter the window to Jane’s bedroom and wanted to run and check on that, but Sonny was aiming to run me down. I dove out of the way and rolled along the asphalt driveway, coming up on one knee as Sonny raced by, laughing maniacally. So much for Sonny potentially being a decent guy.

He pulled another large stone out of the satchel. I was torn. I wanted to go check on Jane, but… the broken window wasn’t close to her bed and the worst that could have happened was that she’d have a draft. That could easily be fixed. Also, Tyson was with her and Bronn close by.

With a growl, I wrenched my attention away from the window and went after Sonny. By the time I’d reached the front of the house, Sonny had thrown a rock through the front kitchen window and was tossing another through the large bay window in the living area.

He spun his bike around, tearing up more of what little grass remained on Jane’s front lawn.

He pulled out another stone and tossed it through another section of that large bay window, even as he gunned his bike again, heading for me.

“Ride or die!” he shouted as he drew close.

This time I was prepared, I didn’t dive out of the way. Instead, I stepped to the side at the last second, extending my arm to hit Sonny mid chest. That knocked him off his bike, butalso tore a few muscles in my shoulder. I winced at the pain, but it would heal quick enough.

Sonny landed on his back with a surprised “Oof!” and there was a loud crash behind me.

“Fuck,” I hissed, spinning around.

And there was Sonny’s bike T-boned into Jane’s car.

“What the fuck!” I recognized Bronn’s voice as I turned back. Bronn had the front door of the house open. “What’s going on out here?” he called.

Sonny just laughed as he got up. “I didn’t think it would actually work, but Brick was right!” He seemed far too happy that his bike was totaled. A creeping dread clawed at my gut. This had all been planned, but… to what end?

Then it hit me, with Bronn and I here, who was watching Jane’s door?

I took a hesitant step toward the house. My next step was at a dead run. “Bronn, get back inside!” I yelled.

I saw the realization dawn on him. This had been a distraction, drawing him away from his post.

From inside the house came a roar I knew all too well. My father as a bear.

Bronn spun in the doorway. “Fuck!”

I reached the front door in time to see Tank, as a massive bear, bursting through the door into Jane’s bedroom.

My heart leaped into my throat. No… he couldn’t… he wouldn’t dare try to harm Jane before the week was up, would he? With my father, you never knew. He was a savage and unstable man.

Bronn and I raced in, but we were too far away to stop him.

It was up to Tyson now.

TYSON

I rose to my feet,furious at the rock that had come crashing through Jane’s window. Hearing Sonny’s Fat Boy speed away, I suspected Brick was up to something, but I couldn’t leave Jane, not now. The moon was up. She’d shift at any moment.

I headed to the hall so I could ask Bronn to check in with Colt and see if he’d seen anything on his patrols. But I didn’t make it to the door.

Jane gave a muffled cry. I spun back. She was starting to shift… or trying to. It didn’t look right at all.

“Fuck,” I hissed.

I should have had Dana and Nico up here with me. They knew what a first shift was like for a late-in-life convert and could tell me if this was normal. My experiences with a first shift were with natural born wolves, as teens. It was awkward and painful, but their body knew what it needed to do. The virus had been in their blood for years and was only just finally making itself complete, taking its other form.

But for someone who’d just been turned and only had the virus in their system for a short time… perhaps their body didn’t know what to do quite yet? I didn’t know.

Jane jerked and flailed so wildly the sheets were thrown off her. A ripple ran over her body, from toes to head, seemingly breaking every bone. Skin jutted and jumped in ways it definitely shouldn’t. Her body seemed to be trying to split in two, right down the middle.

---