Page 100 of The Weakest Wolf

“I’m not alone. Not anymore.” I think of what he did to me in the cage. And then I think of Galen, who refused to let me give up, and who gave me the time I needed to heal. “After you do this, I still won’t be alone.”

“Is that right?”

“Yes. Because when Galen has finished killing the rest of the pack, he’s going to come in here and tear your throat out.”

He shrugs. “Shame you won’t be around for it.”

I let him see my smile. “I don’t care. You’ll still lose because there’s only one alpha where you’re going, and it will never be you.”

His eyes darken.

And I do something I’ve never done before, something I never thought I would ever do. I call for help because I’m not alone. Not anymore. “Galen!”

Bowen shoves my head down at the flames.

Heat rushes toward me. The fire singes more of my hair, and the acrid stench tickles my throat. But I grip the edge of the stove and push back with everything I have. “Galen!”

My wolf snarls, and I feel her strength join with mine. Space opens up between my face and the fire, enough that I know I’m winning.

He will not hurt us. Not. Any. More.

I stare at my hand, and I grit my teeth as Istrain.

Claws burst from the tips of my fingers. Of both hands.That’s new. I let go of the edge of the stove to stab upward with my right hand. Bowen screams at the same time as my claws sink into something soft.

He releases me. I spin around, and stare as he stumbles back with one hand clamped over one eye, blood streaming down his face.

That was… deeply satisfying. And also gross. Definitely gross.

His one eye locks on me. “You fucki—”

A large, dark brown wolf brushes past me and takes Bowen to the ground, its jaws clamped around his throat. The impact when they hit rattles the cupboards.

I drag air into my lungs as I retreat, and feel the moment my hands are once again just hands. By then, it’s over.

My gaze locks on Bowen’s one lifeless brown eye. It’s no longer sly or full of cruelty. It’s just empty.

He’s dead.

They’re all dead.

I’m on the floor with no idea how I got there. I just am.

The wolf drops Bowen’s body and stalks toward me. I never take my eyes off him as he approaches.

Between one step and the next, the wolf is suddenly a naked man covered in blood, claw marks, and bites. None of the injuries seem to bother him in the least, because there’s not a single flash of pain in his piercing green eyes.

He crouches in front of me. When his brow creases, I know he’s going to ask me if I’m okay. I’ll tell him I am, but he won’t believe me because I can’t stop shaking, even though I’m telling the truth. I am okay.

“You didn’t kiss me. And the floor smells like bacon grease.”

He blinks once. “What?”

“Any guy about to fight for a woman always kisses her first. It’s the rule.”

His lips twitch. “I’ll remember it for next time. What does the bacon grease have to do with it?”

My eyes return to Bowen’s body. I feel like I’m waiting for something to happen. It’s then that I realize why I would look at him. “I can’t believe he’s dead.”

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