The sun was just rising. I’d been up all night, planning my escape with Shawn and then fighting with Sam. I was functioning on pure adrenaline and the drive to save my family and pack. I refused to stop now, not when we were so close to finishing what Declan had started so long ago.
Caleb whipped the truck around corners, almost crashing several times, but his driving skills were rivaling Aiden’s. Liam had been in touch with him. No attacks had happened on their pack and Shawn’s family was still safe. Declan’s threats had been empty in regard to that, thankfully.
When we turned down the road leading to our property, I glanced in the back of the truck. The four shifters in the back were laying down flat in the bed of the truck with eyes squeezed shut. We probably owed them a decent vacation for suffering through Caleb’s driving and having no idea why it had suddenly gotten a lot crazier.
“Should we drive all the way in or sneak up?” Caleb asked.
“Keep going and don’t slow until you can see the pack house,” Augie said.
He’d been quiet, focusing on the pack while we finished the drive. I didn’t push him. If there was something important to be said, he’d say it. I knew he had to be frustrated with not truly knowing what was going on.
Finally, Caleb slammed on the brakes, and the sight before me broke my heart. Wolves fighting wolves. Men fighting men. Men fighting wolves. Followed by bodies on the ground. Though, I couldn’t tell who they were. Regardless, lives had already been lost. Even if they were Declan’s men, someone’s son or father was no longer alive. Maybe they hadn’t wanted to be a part of this fight. We’d never know.
All of us raced out of the truck as the guys from the back hopped out. Augie began shouting orders at everyone, but I didn’t stay long enough to listen. I grabbed Liam’s hand and went in search of my father. I knew that wherever he was, Declan was sure to be.
“Where are we going?” Liam asked as he ran beside me.
“I’m not sure. We’ll know when we get there.”
We stopped along the way to help our pack mates who were losing against their opponents. I was happy to see that most of the people who had been lying on the ground were still alive. Tied up and rendered useless, but still alive. Three shifters I didn’t recognize were dead, though. I had no idea if they were Declan’s or from one of the visiting packs. My heart hurt for them, regardless of where they were from.
It took us at least ten minutes to make it around the back side of the house. When we did, my heart stopped. My dad and Declan were fighting hand-to-hand, partially shifted into their wolf forms. I had no idea why, but I didn’t have time to dwell on it.
Declan’s hands were wrapped around my dad’s throat as he screamed in his face.
“You’re not so tough now, are you, Gerald? I bided my time and waited for the perfect moment to put everything into motion. You foiled some of my plans, but I always had another one waiting to put into place. There was never a chance you’d win against me. Now you’re going to die, and then I’m going to kill that bitch daughter of yours.”
Liam and I raced closer to help as my dad snarled, fighting against Declan.
Declan noticed us coming and reached into his pocket. “See if you can survive this.”
A long blade twisted in his fingers as he positioned it over my dad’s chest. I lunged, slamming in to Declan’s side, hoping to stop the knife from lodging into my dad’s heart.
“Fuck!” Liam yelled. “Stay with me, Gerald.”
Oh, God. I hadn’t stopped it. Hot, angry tears trailed down my face as I refocused on Declan. I’d already lost so much. My heart was trying to shatter beyond repair, but I forced myself to move forward. I wouldn’t stop now, not until Declan was laying lifeless on the ground.
He was still underneath me from the hit I made, but I pushed off him. I fell at Liam’s legs and mistakenly took a quick look at my father. I regretted it immediately; not only did it give Declan the upper hand, but it put an image in my head I never wanted to see and took away my hope that my dad would survive.
Liam had his hands over my dad’s chest, trying to stop the blood. He lifted them long enough to rip my dad’s shirt and bundle it over the wound, but it was already soaked through.
Declan held me by the hair, dragging me further away from my mate and father.
“This is going to end right now. I had considered dragging your death out and making you suffer for killing my boy, but I won’t underestimate you again. A quick death will be just as enjoyable.”
He raised his fist, slamming it into the side of my head. I collapsed to the ground as he positioned himself on top of me.
“Even if you kill me, you won’t walk away from this,” I snarled. “You will die today. No matter how many people you kill, someone will make you pay.”
He laughed in my face. “I’ve survived this long. Your threats mean nothing to me.”
Before he could land another blow, Shawn plowed into him, giving me a moment to regroup.
I scrambled, ready to jump in and help. I did a partial shift, as I considered a full one, but I didn’t think being in my wolf form would help at the moment.
I landed a hit in Declan’s side, breaking a rib or two. Just when I thought I might have a reason to believe I could handle him on my own, Declan backhanded me, sending me flying ten feet back.
Shit, I hadn’t seen that burst of power coming.
I got up just in time to watch him wrap his hands around Shawn’s head and twist as if it was nothing more than a twig. Fuck!
Shawn had tried to save me and now he was dead. Just like that. Declan took his life right before me. I fought back the tears as his slack body dropped to the ground. Declan gave him a solid kick to the gut for no reason other than being a sick bastard.
I charged at him, prepared to get justice for Shawn. To make his death mean something. To make Declan pay for all of the lives he’d taken from this world too soon.
I noticed the change in Declan’s eyes and realized his burst of power came from his own partial shift and possibly a small amount of magic left over from his time with Mari.
His body shook with rage, and I knew mine did as well. I had a lot more pent up than he did, and I hoped I’d be able to channel it, putting the anger to good use.
We exchanged blow after blow, walking circles around each other. I got a look at Liam and my dad, but I couldn’t tell how anything was going without losing my focus. As much as I worried for my father, it would do no good to get myself killed by being distracted.
“Just fucking die already,” Declan roared. “Why do you wish to continue to suffer?”
“You know, I was just thinking the same thing about you, but then again, I’m enjoying the challenge. I had thought you’d be easy to kill considering your son was such a pansy.”
Something snapped inside of him, and I realized I should have kept my mouth shut. He surprised me by going for my legs and I slammed into the ground, cracking my head against a rock.
He mounted me and both fists came down simultaneously as he began to pound into my face. I felt bones break and breathing became harder. I bucked underneath him, feeling a sense of déjà vu from earlier with Sam.
I heard Liam yell, but I couldn’t comprehend anything beyond the pounding in my head.
I almost blacked out, but I managed to hold on long enough to see two wolves flanking Declan. He was so engrossed in smashing my face that he paid no attention to his surroundings.
Augie’s wolf came around the side, finally catching Declan’s attention and making him pause his beating on me. I breathed a sigh of relief, thankful for the moment of reprieve, but then I thought of my father. If Augie and Liam were coming to my rescue, who was preventing my dad from bleeding out? I refused to believe he could already be dead.
Declan pushed himself up and I attempted to roll away, but I was beaten worse than I’d ever been before. If whatever Augie and Liam had planned didn’t work, we were all dead.
“Walk away now and I’ll let you live,” Declan growled. “This is between me and her. Don’t give yourself a death sentence by meddling where you don’t belong.”
Augie lowered his head submissively or, at least, that’s what I thought. My vision was fading. Between the swollen eyes and blood covering my face, I was lucky I could make out shapes.
Declan laughed, believing he had been obeyed. “That’s a good dog. Now leave me be.”
Liam creeped up behind, lowering himself to the ground, so I could no longer see him from my position. I whimpered, wishing he would come to me, but trying to be patient as they executed their plan, or what I figured was a solid plan.
Augie raised his head, letting out a low growl. He took a few steps forward.
“I wouldn’t do that if I was you,” Declan warned. “I have no problem gutting you like a pig.” Declan reached down, pulling a blade out of his boots. It glinted in the morning sun, showing me just how large it was.
August James, you better know what you’re doing, I thought.
I still couldn’t see Liam, but my body was making small movements toward recovery. I twisted to the side just enough to change my view.
Liam was readied for attack. His hackles were raised, and teeth were showing. Beyond him, I saw two other forms hovered over where my dad had been before I was attacked. I couldn’t tell who was there, but I hoped one of them was Alex and that my dad was okay. I couldn’t picture any other outcome.
I brought my attention back to Augie. He had taken several more steps toward Declan and looked a lot like Liam. I wondered if they both planned to pounce on Declan at the same time, but I was quickly proven wrong.
Augie lunged forward, but Liam held still. As Augie came down on Declan, the blade he had been holding sank into my best friend. A strangled cry ripped from my throat.
“Augie!”
Nobody paid me any attention and I was furious. What the hell were these guys thinking?
I struggled to get up from my position. I couldn’t lay on the ground waiting to be rescued any longer. I needed to do something. Anything.
As I got to my knees, I glanced at Augie. He was laying on his side, blood pouring from his shoulder. Declan leaned over him, blade readied for a kill shot.
I screamed at the top of my lungs, hoping to make him hesitate.
Sure enough, he glanced over at me, smirk firmly in place. “Did this one mean something –”
Liam finally made his move. His wolf lunged for Declan, mouth wide open as he made contact. As Liam landed, his jaws snapped shut around Declan’s neck.
It was as if everything happened in slow motion.
Declan’s eyes widened in disbelief that someone had gotten the jump on him.
Augie rolled over, bouncing back on all fours and ramming into Declan’s middle.
Liam didn’t falter, and when everything came together, Declan’s neck was broken, his lifeless form hung from my mate’s mouth.
I stared for a moment, unable to believe what I was seeing. When my brain finally caught up to what my eyes saw, I stumbled forward.
Augie stayed in his wolf. A smart move considering his injury.
Liam dropped Declan’s dead body and shifted back, but I didn’t wait for him.
I continued forward. I needed to see my dad. Now that I knew the immediate threat was gone, I needed to know he was going to be okay.
I fell down a few feet short, but I caught Alex’s attention.
“Holy shit, Taya.”
He turned for me, but I pushed him away.
“Dad… is he…”
“I just closed the wound. He’s going to need bedrest for a few days and some donated blood, but he’ll survive. You, on the other hand, are a mess. Stay still.”
Thank fuck.
I laid on the ground and let Alex poke at my face. “Augie needs help, too,” I mumbled before allowing myself to fade away.
“Don’t worry,” Alex promised. “We’ve got them. I won’t let anyone else die today.”
With those words, I closed my eyes for the briefest of moments.
It was over. We had beat Declan. I didn’t know at what cost, but it was done and that was what mattered most.
Liam’s strong hand wrapped around mine.
“Rest, love. It’s going to be okay.”
I trusted my mate, so I took his advice and faded away with the knowledge that everything else was going to be fine. Declan’s reign of terror was over. We would move past this and be stronger than ever.