CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
“Help!” Renee screamed hoarsely, knowing there was no one to hear her.
The first hyena appeared between the trees. Renee snatched up a broken branch from the forest floor and backed away. She whirled round when she heard low growls and snarls all around her.
She was surrounded by Trafford’s pack.
The hyenas circled her. There were more than a dozen of them.
Renee swung the branch wildly and cried, “Stay away! Get away from me!”
Renee’s scream was drowned out by a deafening roar. Another roar followed, and Renee squinted into the swaying shadows in dread.
“Oh God,” she wheezed. What other violent, bloodthirsty beast had she attracted from the forest?
Renee reeled back and pressed her back against a tree when a huge, grizzly bear exploded from the shadows and charged at the hyenas.
The bear tore mercilessly into the pack of hyenas. It swiped at the hyenas and flung them in all directions. Renee stifled a scream when a hyena smashed into the tree behind her and landed at her feet. She stared in horror at the twitching, twisted body and scrambled away.
The bear turned and looked straight at Renee. Its startling blue eyes were so familiar.
“Zack!” she gasped.
She had never seen Zack shift fully into his bear before. His bear was a formidable, magnificent creature, with thick golden fur and razor sharp, gleaming fangs and claws.
Zack attacked the hyenas relentlessly. He slashed down viciously and tore out the throats of two hyenas with one powerful swipe.
One of the hyenas stepped forward and let out a mocking laugh. This hyena was larger, bolder than the rest, and Renee recognized that cold, taunting laugh at once.
Trafford Pratt faced Zack and bared his teeth in a leering grin. His remaining pack members stepped back as their Alpha challenged the enemy.
Trafford prowled towards Zack and crouched. When Zack charged at him, Trafford flew forward and latched onto Zack’s back.
Zack roared when Trafford bit into his neck. He reared up and managed to claw the hyena off his back.
Renee swallowed an anguished cry when she saw that Zack’s golden fur was stained with blood.
There were gashes down Trafford’s body but he was still fast and nimble on his feet.
Trafford raised his head and gave a short bark. His pack members immediately backed away and receded into the shadows.
Renee twisted round, trying to see where they were. The hyenas hadn’t left. She was sure of it. They were watching and waiting for their Alpha’s signal.
Trafford let out a low growl and flew towards Zack. When Zack lunged forward to meet the attack, the rest of the hyenas emerged from the shadows and attacked Zack from all directions.
The pack bit and clawed at the angry bear. They bit into his sides and held on like leeches.
Zack thrashed and tried to shake them off. He reared up and Trafford shot forward like an arrow, gunning for Zack’s exposed throat.
“No!” Renee screamed.
There was a blur of golden fur as a second grizzly bear hurtled out from the woods and slashed at Trafford.
Renee stared at the two large grizzly bears and saw that they had the same blue eyes and their fur was the exact same shade.
“Dean...” Renee breathed. “Oh, thank God.”
Together, Dean and Zack battled the savage hyena pack. The two bears stood back to back and they seemed to be able to anticipate each other’s moves.
Swiftly, they whittled down the pack’s numbers, leaving only the strongest fighters.
Zack zeroed in on Trafford, determined to take down his enemy, the bastard who was behind all this.
As Dean fought the other hyenas, Zack focused his attack on Trafford. Trafford shook the blood out of his eyes and snarled. It was clear that only one of them would walk away from this battle alive.
Renee didn’t even dare breathe or move a muscle as she watched the deadly clash between Zack and Trafford. She stiffened abruptly when she felt the point of a blade at her neck.
“Shhh,” Karina whispered behind her. “I knew I’d have to finish you off myself. Don’t worry. I’ll make it quick.”