Page 75 of Wolf Marked

Come on! Come on! Almost there!Erec continued to shove and fight his way through the mayhem. He was close now. Only feet away.

As the sword came down on her, Erec leaped forward, pinning himself between his new family and his blood father. His blade crossed with Jerrick’s, stopping it mid-blow.

Surprise flashed across the alpha’s face again but only briefly. “Step aside, son,” he growled out through a clenched jaw. His black eyes glowed eerily iridescent in the night’s blue light. “I don’t want to have to kill you.”

Erec winced at the word “son,” hating the way it sounded coming from the monster’s lips. Not only that, but Astrid had heard it as well. He could feel her confusion fluttering across the bond between them.

Now she knew what he was—the son to a killer. A madman.

He’d been hoping to keep that part of him a secret for a long time. He didn’t want anyone knowing the truth about the blood running through his veins. Especially her. Who knew what she would think of him now? A mate related to the murderous alpha, the man responsible for the death of her brother? How could she ever see him as anything else? How could she love him?

This must have been Jerrick’s plan all along. He knew what he had said; he’d chosen his words with a purpose. Hewantedto rile Erec up. Hewantedto cause doubt between him and the pack he was fighting to protect. Hewantedhim to lose his composure.

A whirlwind of anger and hatred for the man rolled inside him and his inner wolf snarled viciously, wanting out, but Erec wasn’t going to give Jerrick that satisfaction. If he was going to beat this lunatic, it had to be at his own game. Like with the surprise attack, he had to use his tricks against him.

He didn’t know much about this man, but what he did know for sure was that Jerrick didn’t like being challenged. Why else would he want to take down all other alphas? He’d struck Eva when she went against his word. He’d abandoned his own son when he was defiant.

Jerrick wanted to eliminate any possible interference first, get rid of anyone or anything standing in his way. So what did that mean? Erec was going to have to do just that—become the threat.

Using all his strength, he shoved against his and Jerrick’s intersected swords, forcing him to step back. He did it again, even harder, pushing him back a few more feet.

Jerrick’s gaze narrowed on him and a growl rumbled from his throat. “You’re playingwith fire, Erec,” he warned. “Step aside. This isn’t your fight.”

“It became my fight the moment you killed Mikel. And threatened the west-side pack.” He swung his sword, and this time, when Jerrick blocked, disbelief ran across the alpha’s expression.

The sound of metal striking metal reverberated against his eardrums. Every time Erec whirled the blade, Jerrick met his jab. And with each strike, his confusion became more evident, as if he had been expecting Erec to withdraw or admit a joke, but neither came.

The sharp edge of Jerrick’s weapon caught Erec’s knuckles, slicing deep—a warning for him to stop—and although the pain of it was quick and momentarily stunning, he wouldn’t let it slow him down.

Why was Jerrick giving him so many chances to back down from the fight? Especially when he’d been ruthless in killing and hurting so many others? Why? It didn’t make sense.

Their swords clashed again.

“You’re stronger than I thought,” Jerrick said, a slippery smile capturing his thin lips. “You survived all these years on your own. You escaped the cage. And you can fight. I’m impressed.”

Blood ran down Erec’s hand, making his palm slippery and his grip on the sword looser. He kept the pain of the wound off his face and stabbed at him again.

Jerrick dodged with ease. “Everything I did for you was to make you strong. Resilient. Like me,” he said, and Erec got the answer he’d been waiting for. He still wanted his son to rule by his side. Maybe even take over his legacy when he was gone, so that all his victories could be kept in his bloodline.

No way.

Jerrick twisted the sword as if it weighed nothing. “You must know that if this continues, it can only end one way.”

“Yes,” he growled, “with you dead.”

Jerrick laughed hard, throwing his head back—that terrible, nerve-grating laugh Erec hated. Then, he stopped abruptly, and something primal sparked in his eyes. His voice dropped dangerously low. “We’ll see.”

The moment those words left his mouth, he leaped at Erec, his swipes unpredictable and incredibly fast. No more warnings. Jerrick was out for blood now.

With every block, Erec’s bones rattled underneath his skin. It took everything he had to keep the blade from meeting its targets—his shoulder, neck, hip.

Swerving to escape another of Jerrick’s stabs, he was too slow and the cool metal pierced him between the ribs. He stumbled, agony propelling through him. But as he tried to regain his composure, a punch connected with his jaw. His vision blurred, and the coppery taste of blood flooded his mouth.

Jerrick’s laughter exploded against his eardrums. It blared over all other sounds, even the crescendo of thunder and rain.

As Erec struggled to stand upright again and lift his sword, a whoosh of air blew past his ear. Jerrick’s resounding chortles stopped aburptly, and when he looked up, he saw the spear jutting out of the alpha’s chest, just shy of his heart. He staggered, dropping his sword, his eyes wide with horror.

Someone seized Erec’s arm, and he turned to see Astrid standing there, her cheeks flushed from fear. One of her father’s axes was in her hand now. “He’s too quick!” she gasped, trying to pull Erec back. “I missed!”

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