Page 74 of Love Bites

CHAPTER18

Brie’s wolf raged, wanting to kill the man in front of her and, at the same time, not wanting to fight. Her submissive nature had never been in such juxtaposition, but she didn’t care. She’d fight to protect her mate, her family, and the pup in human form in Leo’s hold. It didn’t matter that it went against everything her wolf wanted deep beneath the surface. The only thing that mattered was her home.

Leo and Shannon had amassed at least eighty wolves to take down an entire Pack. Brie didn’t understand how the two thought they would win, other than the fact that Gideon and the others wouldn’t allow the pup to be hurt. So once they saved the little boy, they would be able to go all-out.

That was, unless, the other two didn’t have something else up their sleeves. Brie had a feeling there was something far worse in store for her family, and she had no idea what it could be.

“It is simple, nephew,” Leo called out. “Release the Pack to me, and I won’t kill this pup.”

“Jeremiah!” a woman, the pup’s mother yelled behind Gideon and he cursed. Jeremiah’s parents must have arrived. He wouldn’t let them go through the pain of watching their son die.

The pup in question howled and whimpered, trying to wiggle away. Leo squeezed his arm, and the little boy quieted. Brie growled, her claws threatening to come out.

Gideon didn’t even look at the child, and she knew this had to be killing him. There was no way he’d give up the safety of the Pack for one person, but he also wouldn’t allow the pup to die.

They would fight.

Good, because Leo and Shannon needed to die.

As did the other wolves who fought with them.

Ryder came up behind her and leaned forward, his voice low enough for her ears only. “Only five of those wolves are ours.” A pause. “Were ours. The rest are lone wolves. That would explain the fights Gideon has had to deal with in the past weeks.”

She nodded, keeping her eye on Shannon. The woman looked too pleased at the turn of events. The Talons could rip these wolves to shreds, yet Leo and Shannon looked as though they were the ones with the upper hand.

There must be something she was missing.

“You cannot win this,” Gideon called out, his voice pure Alpha. The power of her mate washed over her, giving her a strength she didn’t know she could possess.

“So be it.”

Leo threw the pup toward Shannon and clicked a receiver Brie hadn’t seen in his other hand.

“Cameras,” Kameron snapped. “He’s going to film us fighting.”

Brie sucked in a breath. She’d been right, though it was a far-fetched thought. What Leo was doing went against every boundary she could think of. “What are we going to do?” They couldn’t shift on camera, nor could they technically fight. Damn it.

“We save our Pack,” Gideon said softly. “Don’t shift. Not even partially.”

“If it’s a live feed, we’re fucked with the authorities,” Ryder put in.

“I have contacts with the local law enforcement and others,” Brynn said, not surprising Brie in the least. Every Pack had help from humans who knew about them and could be trusted. It was how they’d stayed in the shadows for so long. “As long as we don’t kill or shift on camera, we will be fine.”

“Then we get the pup and the cameras,” Gideon growled, “and we take out the rest.”

“Be safe,” she whispered to her mate, wanting to hold him but knowing she couldn’t. They might be inside the wards, but they wouldn’t be for long.

“Always,” he said back.

Leo shouted for his wolves to move forward. They couldn’t go past the wards, not with Gideon there to cut the ties of those who had once been Talons. But with that pup out there, some of the Talons would have no choice but to go out there and fight.

Gideon stepped forward, and Brie wasn’t surprised. Her mate would not let anyone fight when he could do it himself. He wouldn’t be Alpha otherwise.

She followed her mate just as something exploded right outside the wards. The ground shook, and Gideon gripped her hand, keeping her steady.

“Go!” he shouted, and the rest of the wolvesmoved.

They kept their human shape, their hands not even going to claws, but they fought for the Pack. They needed to step outside the wards to do so, but in this case, it was more important to contain the threat than have relative safety inside a magical enclosure.

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