Page 14 of Wolf Lost

He grabbed the edges of the comforter draped over him and threw it up and over the beta’s head, and at the same time, yelled the first thing that came into his head. “Dez!”

There was movement from elsewhere in the house a second later, and a crash after that. He only had to hold them off a moment. He could handle that. The important thing was that unlike this morning, he wasn’t alone.

“Fuck my life,” the guy in the doorway hissed. “Come on, man, let’s get the hell out of here.”

The other beta ripped off the comforter, tearing it down the middle with his claws and glaring at Sawyer with flashing yellow eyes. “That’s it. I’m gonna cut this little asshole. Alpha didn’t say he needed to be pretty.”

Without any further warning, he lunged at Sawyer, claws swiping out at his chest. Searing pain followed a second later.

10

Hells Bells

Gavin’s voice broke through the fog, as it always did when he spoke, but it was rasping and pained as it never was. “Get the hell out of here, Nebraska. We’re done.”

Then the scream of his name, his real name, somehow drew his attention from the more familiar screams of his call sign. His mind rebelled at the thought of turning away from his unit, his friends, but something was different.

His unit was gone.

The voice calling his name was real.

He sat straight up in bed, and the call came again, panicky, hoarse, and pained. “Dez!”

Sawyer.

He shot out of bed without considering his cane, and his leg reminded him before he managed a second step. He didn’t have time to go back, so he hobbled his way across the kitchen and foyer, cursing his pitiful speed. He couldn’t let anything happen to Sawyer. They’d promised, dammit.

A dark form shot by him from the direction of the stairs and even in the dim light, he could make out Ash. Thank fuck. He could handle anything that might be hurting Sawyer. Even if that made twice in a single day that Ash, not Dez, was the one helping. The help was the important part, not the one who gave it, right?

Dez hit the door, leaning on it hard for support. He saw only one beta, Ash crashing down on him, claws out and snarling.

Gavin joined him in the doorway a moment later. “Ash got things under control?”

Dez nodded to him. “There were two this morning, but the other must have run for it.”

The fight was over before it started. Ash picked the beta up by the neck and slammed him against the bedroom wall. “What do you think you’re doing in our home?” He demanded through fangs that gave him a slight lisp.

The beta stared at Ash and glanced back to Dez and Gavin waiting in the door. Gavin waved at him, a sardonic little smile on his face. It was ridiculous, Ash in nothing more than tighty-whities, Gavin in a set of plaid pajamas, and Dez in a ratty old pair of sweats, all staring the guy down together. He shrunk against the wall.

“Please do not wet yourself in our house,” Gavin told him, sounding bored. He glanced to where Sawyer was standing in the corner, trying to make himself as small as possible, then back to Dez. Dez nodded and let Gavin cross in front of him before heading over to Sawyer.

His pride made him check to make sure the beta wasn’t watching him limp his way across the room. Couldn’t have him thinking Dez would be an easy target.

When he got to Sawyer, he paused. What the hell was he supposed to do? The guy had been attacked in his sleep by people he’d once trusted. He was terrified and overwhelmed, and he’d called for Dez.

And damn him, Dez hadn’t managed to get there fast enough to help. He didn’t have any prior permission to touch Sawyer, or any reason to think he had that right.

Sawyer answered the question for him, though. When Dez stopped next to him, he flung himself out of the corner and wrapped himself around Dez, burying his head in Dez’s chest and slinging his arms around his neck. Dez was a little surprised at the display of trust, and a little relieved that Sawyer didn’t jump up and wrap his legs around his hips.

Okay, maybe less relieved than he wished. He closed his eyes and willed that image away. At the very least, he needed to not get wood with that damn beta standing right there.

Dez realized then that he could smell blood and pushed Sawyer back enough to examine him. His shirt had four bloody tears in it—he’d obviously taken a swipe to the chest. When Dez pulled the shirt away to inspect the skin beneath, though, it was already healing well. The scratches would likely be nothing but a memory by morning.

Not that their very existence didn’t make Dez want to tear the guy’s throat out. His hand spasmed, and he firmed his grip on Sawyer with the other, pulling him in close and pretending his right hand wasn’t utterly useless.

The beta was giving a sniveling answer to Gavin that Dez couldn’t make out. Or maybe he didn’t bother, since his attention was otherwise engaged.

“You know what?” Gavin asked. “I changed my mind. I don’t care. You said you have an alpha—I suggest you go back to him. Get out of our house and stay the hell away from our pack.”

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