Page 44 of Pack to the Wall

He pushed a hand back through his blond hair. “Brick knows that if he leaves now, most of the pack won’t go with him. Tank and Sonny would. And Tank would take Petra. Ginny would probably go with him as well, but that would be it. He’d be an alpha with no pack, which is no real alpha at all.”

“This is all so he can assert himself over those people again?”

“Yup. It’s all about control. And if you don’t want that to happen, you have to win against him.”

“Can I?” I asked, voice cracking. I swallowed hard, trying to clear my throat. “Is there any way I can win?”

Colt sighed as he hoisted himself up to sit on the edge of the rock beside me. “I can help train you. It won’t be much since we only have a few days, but Tyson and Bronn and I will make sure you’re as ready as you can be.”

Somehow, I didn’t think that was going to be enough. I didn’t ask the other question on my mind.Does it have to be me who fight’s Brick?Something told me that Tyson, Colt, or Bronn would be jumping at the chance to take my place if they could.

“We should get back,” I said, then shivered. Except now I wasn’t cold, I was terrified. Going back meant being turned, and from what Tyson had said, it wasn’t going to be pleasant.

Colt nodded.

We lingered a few moments longer, drying ourselves, before dressing and heading back through the woods.

Before we reached the edge of the forest, I grabbed Colt’s hand. He stopped, smiling down at me.

“Yeah, gorgeous?”

I really did love that name. “Just… thank you. For showing me the rock and… everything else. Thanks.”

I’ve never felt this beautiful and sexy before in my life.

His smile grew, stretching wide.

“Anytime,” he purred. My core shuddered and my thighs clenched with all the heavy implication he threw into that one word.

And I was going to take him up on that offer. If I only had a week to live, I might as well have some steamy, mind-blowing sex before I went.

Still, I couldn’t give up, couldn’t think about failure. My kids — and the whole pack — were on the line, and I couldn’t let them fall under Brick’s rule.

I didn’t know how… but I had to win.

JANE

When I returnedto the house, I found Tyson waiting for me with bandages and a sharp knife laid out on the dining table. I smiled despite what I knew was coming. My time with Colt had been a wondrous awakening, and I still felt a little giddy.

That, and as a bonus — not to mention a minor miracle — the guys had managed to get Tank and Sonny out of the living room, so we were alone.

“You can do this, gorgeous,” Colt whispered as he dipped close, sending a thrill through me. “You’re stronger than you think.”

He kissed my cheek and headed back out, something passing between him and Tyson just before he left, some wordless communication.

“He’ll make sure we’re not interrupted,” Tyson said as I sat at the table. “Are you ready?”

I drew in a long breath and looked from Tyson to the others in the front room with us. Bronn leaned against the wall where the back hall met the front room, and Kira leaned on the counter in the kitchen. Their faces were somber, serious.

I steeled myself. This was it.

I was going to be turned.

Tomorrow I’d be a werewolf.

My life had already changed so much in such a short time and it would change so much more in the next few hours.

I swallowed my fear and nodded to Tyson. “I’m ready,” I said, sounding tougher than I felt.

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