Page 30 of Way of the Wolf

Duncan and Augustus rolled about in the grass, fangs blurring as they snapped for each other’s throats. Before long, Duncan recovered from his surprise and came out on top. Standing over Augustus, he lunged for my cousin’s throat. Augustus twisted enough to take the bite on the shoulder instead but yelped in pain as the salt-and-pepper wolf tore out a piece of flesh. Duncan shook his lupine head, like a hound that had caught a rabbit. More blood flew, spattering the walkway again as well as the siding and door.

I should have been disgusted, but witnessing the battle and the savagery of wild animals called to the wild inme. My blood tingled in my veins as a fierce urge to not only stop the fight buthelpcameto me. Whether the wolf in me wanted me to assist Duncan or my own family member, I wasn’t sure, but I swore, afraid the magic I’d kept sublimated for so long would rise. My wolf might feel territorial toward the complex I’d lived in for so long and killbothof them.

Two angry howls came from the greenbelt, startling me. Who else was out there?

Augustus whined and rolled under the rhododendron to escape Duncan. He was only successful because Duncan paused to look toward the woods. Whoever had howled wasn’t visible, but the two wolves sounded close. More of my cousins, as I’d been thinking earlier? I didn’t know.

Augustus surged to his feet and snarled, his fear fading. Yes, those had to be allies of his. Back stiff, tail straight, and head up, he looked a lot more confident, despite blood dripping from numerous wounds.

He ran across the lawn, not toward Duncan but toward me. His eyes blazed with the savage determination of a wolf on a mission. A mission tokillme.

Though I had no idea why he wanted that, I had little doubt in that moment that he did.

I backed into the doorway, so the frame would guard my flanks, and lifted my wrench. My blood burned hot in my veins, and my skin prickled all over my body. Damn it, Iwasabout to change.

But Duncan crashed into Augustus, knocking him off his trajectory. The gray wolf came so close that I could feel his hot slavering breath on my skin. When I swung my wrench, I connected. It struck Augustus in the side of the head right before Duncan took him to the ground.

Standing over my cousin, the advantage all his, Duncan might have delivered a killing blow, but two more large wolves chargedacross the lawn toward us. They snarled, their cold eyes locked on him.

He’d been an equal for Augustus, but he couldn’t win against three. Duncan must have realized that, even with the savagery of werewolf instincts hazing his thoughts, because when he looked at them, he sprang off Augustus and ran.

The pair veered after him with murder in their eyes. Even if Duncan hadn’t been hurting Augustus, they would have gone after a lone wolf for intruding upon the pack’s territory. But this was especially egregious.

I stepped back onto the walkway and threw my wrench at one of them. If I could buy Duncan some time, he could get away, change, and make it back to his van and drive off. At this rate, I might have to go with him.

My wrench struck one of the wolves in the shoulder. It was a heavy tool, but it wasn’t enough to deter him. The pair continued after Duncan, who raced through the apartment complex, rounded one building, and headed out toward the woods.

Still in his lupine form, Augustus groaned. Blood pooled on the walkway under him, but werewolves were notorious for shrugging off pain when they were on the hunt or in battle. Or trying to kill a family member? I had no idea, but I ran inside and grabbed the largest butcher knife in my block.

When I returned to the doorway, the weapon gripped tightly in my hand, Augustus had risen to his feet. After glancing dismissively at the knife, he glared at me and prowled forward. He limped, but he kept coming.

Heart pounding, I raised the blade. “It’ll hurt a lot more than the wrench, you betraying bastard.”

My blood still surged hot, and I could feel the wolf trying to come out. If the potion hadn’t lingered in my veins, I suspected I would already have turned.

The dark-gray wolf paused, nostrils twitching. Sampling the air? No, he was sniffing me.

His eyes closed to slits as he considered me for a long moment before snarling in frustration, then running into the grass. With his wound making his gait uneven, he loped off in the direction the others had gone. To help his allies with Duncan, I had no doubt.

I lowered the knife, at a loss for how to keep my family from killing Duncan. I wished I’d been able to buy him time. Would he be fast enough to outrun those two wolves? Twofreshwolves who’d just arrived and weren’t injured or tired from the fight?

I didn’t know.

10

Short barks reverberatedfrom the greenbelt, rising over the rumble of freeway traffic. They were the vocalizations of wolves hot on the heels of their prey, wolves confident that they would capture and takedowntheir prey.

Frustration bubbled within me, and I regretted that I hadn’t let the magic take hold and change me. If I’d joined Duncan, we might have been able to fight off my relatives. Two against three could have been doable, especially since Augustus was already injured.

But, with the immediate personal threat past, my blood had cooled, and I no longer felt the tingle of lupine power. In the old days, with the full moon so near, I could have summoned the wolf at will, but the magic would have had to overcome the lingering effects of my last dose of the potion. It hadmostlybut not entirely worn off.

A cry of pain wafted out of the woods. Duncan?

I slammed the butcher knife down on the table by the door, wishing I had a rifle. The power of the slam made Duncan’s keys tremble, almost sliding to the floor. I’d forgotten he’d left themand the case for his magic detector by the door. His van had those huge tires. Could it handle driving off road? Maybe there was a gun or other decent weapon inside too, something I could use to help him.

My stomach churned at the idea of attacking my own family—and the repercussions that might result—but they’d started it. My cousin had been trying tokillme.

I snatched up the keys and ran toward the parking lot, ignoring a tenant leaning over the balcony railing above. As she looked toward the woods, she spoke rapidly into her phone. Talking to Animal Control, no doubt. I hoped they would tell her to call back the next day during office hours.

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