Page 63 of The Dire Legacy

Fuckers. I’m glad they didn’t know I can heal, too. Just not as fast as her.

Still aches like a bitch.

I’m going to kill them all. Especially the short bearded one. But first, I’m going to make sure he tells me which of his men shot me.

Actually, I don’t care. I just want her back.

“Took you long enough.” Alpha is lying near the porch, his front legs are crossed over and it makes him look like a regal lion in the moonlight.

“Me? We need to teach the pack not to eat easy food. Are they okay?” My loyalties aren’t really there at the moment, but I can’t do anything about Hope without them.

“Most of the adults are. Some of the pups ate too much.” A low growl emanates from his chest. “They didn’t make it.”

Damn. “I’m sorry. Any of yours?”

“One. The smallest.” His furry chin extends to drop his head on his large paws. “Lucky’s mate lost her litter. When do we feast on the humans?”

Lucky is scary enough. He’s going to be unhinged when we make it to the town.

Even better.

“Find the best spotters. We need to start looking for cameras. Was it the town on the lake?” My ass is half frozen to the ground. The folds of my jeans make a ripping noise when I stand.

“Yes. Lucky tracked them. He said the gates are guarded and will be tough to get in.” His massive muscles ripple in the moonlight when he stands. “But, we have you. And rifles.”

“Sure wish you could use a gun. You’d look scary as hell charging in with a fifty cal on your arm.” I wish I had a tank. Or a battalion.

He lets out a low rumble of a laugh. “My fingers were almost too big when I was human.” He opens his mouth in a wide yawn, then snaps his jaws closed with enough force I can feel it in the earth. “These are all the weapons I need.”

The beast has a good point. Lots of them.

“So, we have a plan. Blow shit up until we get her back. I like it. We leave in the morning.” I’d rather leave now, but I can still hardly move my right shoulder.

A dark and lonely house isn’t how I want to spend tonight. There’s no way I can even sleep in our bed without her.

The couch will have to do.

I couldn’t wait until morning. All I did was toss and turn, wishing Hope was in my arms. Dispersing firepower was an assembly line with Alpha and the other half-breeds helping.

Then, the woods were flying by.

Lucky took a few sets of eyes with him to check for cameras and traps. Knowing that the trails were probably watched made it easier for them to focus their efforts.

And they’re efficient. There’s a line of broken and sprung pitfalls.

We’re nearly to the last hill before we reach the dam. It’s been slower running through the woods versus nearer the lake, but it would be easier to spot us coming from the water.

It doesn’t matter if they see me now. I’m close enough to smell her. Her scent hovers with a cloying, sickly sweet one. The same that was on the breath of that short bearded fuck who took her.

He wasn’t lying about an illness. Wafts of it hang in the air like a cheap perfume.

“There’s a high point that would work.” Alpha turns his head and veers to the left at a slow lope. It’s four of my strides to equal one of his.

This is ideal. A scrubby knob that sits almost a hundred feet higher than the dam village. I can see easily across the length. The distance isn’t the best at almost six hundred yards, but I think it will work.

I have bullets to spare.

The pack dogs have already unloaded the rifles and ammunition. Food for weeks.

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