Page 138 of Wolf's Mark

“What the fuck,” Riker snapped. “You’re shifting.”

I spun around to face the group, my canine just starting to protrude from my gums. “The bastard is at the lab. We will protect my mate. We will destroy him.”

Even if it meant I lost my life, she would be saved.

While some of the wolves were driving cars, remaining in their human forms in case other more dangerous humans were in the vicinity, most of us had shifted. We were far more dangerous as wolves.

I raced through the woods lengths ahead of the others, only Riker keeping a close distance. Marla’s lab was an old building she’d purchased on the outskirts of the land my family had owned years before. She’d taken her time renovating until it was exactly what she wanted. Blood, sweat, and tears had been involved. I’d helped her with some of the renovations. Many of us had.

However, I’d never pieced together the full reason why she’d become so determined to maintain her scientific abilities when as a human, she was a highly respected surgeon.

The man she’d fallen in love with had died of a disease few Wolfen had ever succumbed to, but it hadn’t been unheard of. I’d thought nothing of it other than his death had been a tragedy.

I’d wasted time in following my belief that being fully humanized was the best way for our packs to continue growing.

What a fool I’d been.

Now I stood the chance of losing the one woman I’d ever truly cared about.

And my big, bad wolf brain hadn’t allowed me to share with her the building love, the need that could withstand time.

I wouldn’t be able to survive if I couldn’t save her. There was no going on without her.

So I ran.

Hard and fast, allowing the scents to carry me. They were everywhere, the disgusting odors of humans intent on restarting the group formed to annihilate us. There were also rogue wolves from our own kind.

Dead men walking were also represented, their abilities to shift into werewolves yet to be secured. But soon they would be, and Cartersville would be filled with monsters capable of destroying all humanity.

So I kept running.

Pushing myself to the limit of what I could do. I constantly searched the forest, detecting several beasts close by. They were also closing in, just as determined to take what belonged to me.

When a rogue wolf made the mistake of getting in my way, I was quick to act, easily ripping out his throat with my sharp canines. He was dead within seconds, the light vanquishing from his eyes nothing I could revel in. Why would some of the Wolfen be lured toward Jeremiah? That question might not be answered tonight, but I would find out everything I needed to know.

As I neared the building, I waited as Riker and several others made their way toward me.

Almost as soon as they did, we were ambushed by a destructive combination of beasts, humans, and wolves.

The fighting was brutal, the bloodshed tainting the woods. Snarls and growls could be heard from every direction.

But there were more. It was only a slight setback to their plan.

As I raked my claws down the face of one human hybrid that would turn into a brutal monster, I was aware one of the pack members had rushed from his truck. In his hand was a machete. He brought it down without hesitation, destroying the concept the dead man would be reanimated.

There were dozens more.

But our people were ready, using a combination of axes and knives, machetes and other sharp instruments, tearing them apart limb from limb.

Those in Wolfen form continued exterminating all those in our way, our human brothers following behind us to clean up the mess we’d started.

The woods would be a killing zone in the morning, cleanup a bitch, but necessary to protect the way of life in Cartersville. This was our land, the hundreds of acres purchased by the Wolfen Corporation considered a safe haven.

If not a burial ground.

Townies believe we were building a new plant there.

The truth was nowhere close; it would never be taken for commercial use.

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