Page 47 of Leave Me
My first thought after shifting and stalling the twins was,“Where the fuck are my packmates?” My wolf alone was likely no match for two bears, even shifted, so I had to hope Ricky and Clark were on their way.
While I didn’t have time to explore what shifting meant or how I felt about it, my wolf was ecstatic to finally be let out to play. For once, I was glad to sit back and let my wolf take the handlebars.
Protect omega.
My wolf and I were in sync, our thoughts intertwined and actions fluid. Like riding a bike…
The bear on my right was still standing on his hind legs, making himself look as big as possible, and he was already massive. My shifted wolf was bigger than I remembered, a reflection of the muscles I’d packed on, but I was still half the size of one shifted bear.
I didn’t know what would happen when I shifted back, but I didn’t care at that moment. How could I worry about what it meant for my human body to shift, if it meant saving Riley?
Much like in high school, the MacTaryn twins were big bullies, using their size and strength to push everyone around. I had to believe they were as stupid as bears as they were as men.
Feinting towards the bear on my left, who was shaking himself off from my blow, his brother lowered to all fours to defend him. My back was to the water, and I couldn’t let them get closer to Riley. I didn’t dare to believe they weren’t good swimmers, but they would have a very hard time climbing up the wet rocks to his hiding place with their massive bodies.
The bears stalked closer, saliva frothing at their mouths, overflowing their rows of sharp teeth. They were boxing me in as I let out an earsplitting howl. They both stopped in place, shaking their heads at my last desperate call to my pack.
An answering howl reached us, but it wasn’t as close as I would have liked. The bear on my right swiped at me, his paw bigger than my head, but I hopped out of the way in time.
It may have been a long time since I’d taken this form, but I reacted on instinct. When the same bear tried to claw me again, I moved toward his brother, drawing him closer. When they had me almost pinned between them, their breath hot on my ears, I waited for one to strike before jumping over their heads.
A roar rang out, letting me know my ploy had worked. I chuffed in excitement as I paced the shore of the pond, taking in the damage.
One of the bears had deep gashes across his muzzle, revealing teeth through the gaps. The other one pawed at his mouth like he couldn’t stand the taste of his brother’s blood. I absently wondered if taking drugs affected the flavor, or if they naturally tasted like the trash they were.
The uninjured bear growled at me, leaving his brother to howl in pain while he stalked closer to me. One-on-one was more doable, but I couldn’t count on him staying down from a facial wound.
Maim.
Kill them all!
My wolf was right. The only way to stop them for good was to kill them, but I had enough human thought left to want to avoid it if I could. My family had killed before to protect their land and pack, but disposing of a body sounded like work. And the other bears would come for us.
When the bear charging me got close, I ducked my body against the ground and turned at the last second. Instead of a mouthful of my fur, he caught the tip of my tail as I scratched his underbelly.
Rolling to avoid being crushed, I rounded to protect the shoreline. I hadn’t been paying attention to my left, looking to see how much damage I’d inflicted on the bear’s belly, and the brother with a bloody face used my moment of distraction to pounce.
My legs gave out under me as the bear pinned me to the rocky ground. His muzzle was grotesque, the skin trying to heal around the ragged flesh. It was the last thing I saw before I mentally reached out to Riley.
Praying to whatever magical deity or higher power who would listen, I begged them to spare Riley. The man I suspected was my mate. If I couldn’t survive, at least save him.
My body ached from the weight of the bear, and then it was gone. A howl reached my ears, and I wondered if I’d died.
Opening my eyes, I found Ricky’s fierce wolf clinging to the back of the bear who’d been about to eat me, while a larger gray wolf I recognized as Clark Finley charged through trees and launched himself on the one I’d injured.
Ricky was clawing and tearing at his bear, but he was so small in comparison, I knew I needed to help. Right when Scarface was about to roll and crush Ricky underneath him, I latched myself onto the side of his neck, clawing his face as I reopened his wounds. He roared and tried to shake us off.
A yelp from behind me was the only reason I didn’t help Ricky finish the asshole off. Turning to find Clark on the ground, he wasn’t giving up his fight. Bigger than me, he was a good match for the bear, but he’d still caught a claw to his flank. Ricky had our bear pinned down between his jaws, so I joined the fray to protect our current acting Alpha and the man I saw as my uncle.
Jumping onto the second bear’s back, I tore at the thick hide of his neck. He and his brother truly did taste disgusting, like rotten fish, but I wasn’t letting up.
Protect pack!
Seconds away from taking his life, the bear in my clutches tilted his head in surrender. Something in me almost ignored the gesture, wanting to wipe this shit-stain from the earth, and let my wolf free to take him out. Then, I caught sight of how injured Clark was below us as he stopped moving to defend himself.
Dropping the bear, I growled a warning under my breath. Ricky dropped his own charge, releasing the hind leg he’d been shaking, and joined me in growling at these idiots to go.
With a look from me, Ricky’s wolf nodded and slinked behind the intruders, who limped away in defeat. Nosing at the wolf beside me, he huffed and stood on shaky feet. Wanting to help him, but not knowing what to do, Uncle Clark met my eyes and nudged me with his head under my jaw.
