Page 113 of Forbidden Moon
Chapter 43
ARTEM AND ROBYN WATCHEDthe horror unfold, even as the cameras recorded the frightful brawl. Robyn pointed at one of the screens to shout a warning.
“Hook is still armed and Ben doesn’t see him!”
Artem grabbed the controls for the nearest drone, nestled on a branch about ten yards away. He wrenched the thing out of the tree canopy at full speed, aimed straight at Russell’s head. Low on power, the drone lost altitude, wavered, and clipped Hook’s arm as he fired. Scooter tackled him, but it was too late. Shot in the back, Ben lay unmoving in a pool of blood.
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SCOOTER ROUGHLY DISARMEDRussell while he was on the ground and then shifted to stand over him, nose to nose. Saliva flying, he gnashed his teeth and growled at the stinking human who may have murdered his Alpha. It took every iota of Scooter’s self-control not to disembowel the worthless bastard. Nolan arrived to make sure Hook didn’t try anything, though he looked too terrified to even think of moving.
Once Evan realized Ben was hurt, he rushed from his hiding place while calling for an Alpha. Tears streamed down his face as he knelt to cradle Ben’s head in his lap and opened the mind-link.
“Ben! Hang on, love. You can’t die on me. Please!”
His mate clung to life, though blood soaked Ben’s clothing and the ground where he lay. Eyes closed, he did not respond to Evan’s pleas. Weston Frazier got to them first, grabbed Ben’s hand, and poured all of his Alpha power into the one-word command.
“SHIFT!”
The agonizingly slow transformation began until a gore-covered wolf lay unmoving on the spattered rocks. Frazier swiftly scooped him up and ordered Evan to look for the bullet. There! Ben’s body ejected it as he shifted, but he’d lost a lot of blood. They brought him to an already overworked Donna, tending the makeshift field hospital nearby. She tasked Erin with starting a wolf-to-wolf transfusion, and with no time to find a volunteer, Frazier lay down next to Ben and shifted. Jack arrived at his side, cutting off Evan’s objection.
“Forgive me, brother, but time is short, and we have much work to do. Let them care for your mate. Come with me.”
By this time, all the humans were disarmed—bruised and scratched but otherwise uninjured. Jack issued instructions to divide the men into four groups, with plenty of space between so he and Evan could do their work. Memories must be erased, and a new motivation for the attack implanted before the sheriff and his men arrived.
Meanwhile, those treated for their injuries were being taken to the Packhouse to eat and rest. Some walked, others were carried. The most serious cases, including Ben, were laid out in the shade, watched over by Donna and her team. The other Alphas stood by, ready to help the seriously wounded shift when the doctor deemed them strong enough. Some lay where they fell, dead before anyone could even reach them.
The one responsible for this bloodshed sat alone, isolated from his men and guarded by Scooter and Nolan. Frightened of the wolves, Russell wondered what was happening to the others. Now divided up, each group was spoken to by one of the shapeshifters. He couldn’t hear what they said, but the men were unnaturally calm, faces slack. Some kind of hypnosis? Mind control? To what end?
Whatever they were doing, it looked like the shapeshifters would use him as some kind of example. Maybe just rip him to shreds. He wasn’t prepared to die, and the idea frightened him almost as much as the wolves snarling in his face.
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ONCE THE BATTLE ENDED, those in the “toybox” came out to help with the wounded. RJ made the rounds with Jonah and Evie Rae, offering hugs and reassurance along with his mate. He’d been shocked to see people staggering into the packhouse covered in blood. The ravenous consumption of warm, raw meat turned his stomach, even though Jonah explained why they needed it. A few were already asleep on the floor, giving their bodies a chance to rest and recharge.
Even without wolf senses, RJ recognized a close call for his new pack. Ben, himself, was among the most grievously wounded, and both Jonah and Evie did their best to help others while worrying over their Alpha. No one spoke of it aloud, yet concern etched every face and shadowed each conversation. RJ now realized why Ben insisted that he and Jonah remain in a safe place. The possibility of losing his mate literally hurt, and he understood something of the bonds which tied these people together.
Sensing RJ’s troubled spirit, Evie left Jonah’s side and insisted on being picked up. Wrapped around his neck, he drank in her scent gladly and then spoke softly in her ear.
“Thank you. Your daddy is going to get better, you’ll see. Would you like to join your brothers at the daycare for a while?”
She shook her head and pulled back to look at him.
“No. Jonah needs my help. Will you stay with us?”
RJ smiled and kissed her forehead.
“I sure will. Tell me if you get tired or need something.”
They plunged back into the milling crowd, even as more injured arrived.
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EVAN FINISHED WITHthe last batch of Russell’s men and sought out his mate. Still in wolf form, he was being taken by stretcher to the infirmary with several others too weak to shift. He approached, stroked the fur of Ben’s face, and opened the mind link to flood it with his love.
“Ben! Can you hear me? Don’t give up now! We need you.”
No response. Evan’s heart lurched as the memories of Ben’s last brush with death returned with a vengeance. He looked up with watery eyes when Donna placed a hand on his arm.
