CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Kingston
The clearing in the heavy swamp is big enough to park the truck but narrow enough to conceal it at the same time. I sniff the thick air and it’s easy to feel the rain coming.
The ground is already soft and marshy. If it comes a down pour, this shit’s going to flood. I hear the howling and music carried in on the breeze from off in the distance. The wolves hole up down by the water. It makes for an easy getaway. But not tonight. Tonight, there is no safe place.
“The way I see it, this is gonna go down one of two ways. Either, we’re at an advantage because they’re fucked up and partying. Or, we’re at a disadvantage because, well, like I said, they’re partying. That’s gonna mean a full pack and then some. So, what’s our next move, brother?”
Wyatt looks to me for answers. It’s then that I realize that I didn’t really think things through. It’s because of her. This is why I stay as far as I can away from love and feelings. The emotional bullshit chips away at me. Or is it chipping away at my bear? It’s getting to where it’s too hard to tell anymore.
Ruby came along and changed everything. She awakened things in me that I thought the animal killed off years ago. But one gaze into those baby blues and I knew.
I was marked… for life. I’d do anything for her, and that’s why I’m out here without a fucking plan. My head is fucked up and I can’t get it screwed on right. I don’t need to know who was involved. I want every last one of them dead. I don’t care who does it or how it’s done.
The burning moves from my gut up to my vast chest. My bear’s winning and tonight, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I can just about taste that metallic tinge of blood that I’ve come to crave, and I pump my fists. I need to feel the claws to rip through fur.
“I’m ready to play.” Fournette jumps up and down on the balls of his feet. He beats his fists against his pects like a silent Tarzan and pumps air through his flared nostrils.
“I think we need to get a closer look if ya ask me. But that ain’t really my call.”
I weigh his words. My brother’s always kept me tethered. I suppose we did that service for each other. Now that we’re grown, and some might even call us men, we’ve been searching for new anchors. Only, he lost his and it’s causing him to flounder.
And even still, he makes more sense than me. “Alright, let’s see what half a mile will get us. And there’s only one way to mask the human scent.” This is one of those rare times when I get to salvage what’s left of my measly clothing.
I kick off my boots and pluck the shirt off over my head. My clan follows along as I fold my jeans and rest them over the side of the pickup bed.
I welcome the familiar pain as it ravages me from the inside out. My sternum splinters and my bones begin to reshape. I’m salivating at the thought of war.
Fournette runs point. He’s got his muzzle stuck to the ground, sniffing to track the various scents. On all fours, Wyatt and I trail behind until I come to a halt. My instincts tell me to glance back over my shoulder and the sky is extra bright for this time of night. I focus and jut my muzzle into the air and sniff.
Smoke.
Fire.
Ruby.
I stand up on my hind legs and draw a deep, thunderous growl from my pit and release it into the night. I don’t wait. I don’t need to. My clan is protecting my back. My bear runs harder than ever before. I snarl and spit as I bolt right past the truck and up the slick bank. The pickup would only slow me down. I crush the brush and loose timber under my weight. As I draw closer, the sky grows brighter, looking like it’s lit up like the sun.
Ruby.
My paws hammer at the earth and crush anything in my path. Thunder rolls and I focus in front of me and wait for the snap of lightning. When it comes, the frustration boils and I grunt because I can’t make out anything. My lungs hold the air I suck in, but they refuse to release it. I need to set eyes on her. I need to see that she’s safe.
I trample ahead and that’s when the clouds dump. The sky opens up and rain pours from the heavens. I continue to stomp through the mud, ignoring every distraction. No, my prize is ahead, not above. I catch her scent the same time the boys spot my right and left. They look to me for direction and I nod, signaling for Fournette to run on ahead to scope it out while Wyatt and I split off.
It's getting harder to see due to the fucking freak storm.
My chest vibrates when I hear the familiar Pitbull howl coming from way of the main house. God help me if Ruby’s hurt. Fuck that. God help the bayou.
Fournette grows wild. His barking is pointed and directed at his target. I spot my brother slipping in through the trees. I hear a threatened growl followed by a yelp. My insides boil with heated fury. Fournette’s down. He’s injured.
I trample on at full speed. I’m trailing the scent of fresh blood. It only gets stronger and I run up on my best friend. He’s lying naked on the wet ground. His human is back and he’s gushing blood from a narrow gash along his abdomen.
My man shakes on the inside. He’s trying to break loose, but I bury him, pushing him way down. My bear’s not done. Not even close. I grunt hard and cut my stare over at Wyatt. He nods and stays behind to tend to Fournette. I expect to leave the smell of blood behind me, but it only grows strong. And familiar.
It’s Ruby’s scent.
The pack will be a challenge since I’m alone, but if I’m going down, I’m taking as many of those nasty bastards with me as possible. Saliva floods my muzzle and I’m ready to sink my teeth into the Laissards.
A scream pierces the black of night. The clouds part and the full, bayou moon works as a globe, lighting up the night sky. I perk my ears and attempt to tune in to the direction of Ruby’s cry. I leave the house in the distance and push Wyatt and Fournette to the bottom of the pit of my stomach. I’m hunting and I’m only after one thing tonight.
The pack.
I try to catch their trail, but it only leads to Ruby. The blood is strong. I can see better now that the rain has let up. Wild rage is eating me up, gnawing at my bones. It’s not working. The bear and the man are tangling. This has never happened before and it’s tearing me up.
I picture her, counting her sweet toes, trailing all the way up her magnificent body and I know what I have to do.
I stop and give my wet fur a firm shake, sending water and mud splattering all around me. I’ve never tried to do it before and I already know it’s going to hurt like a bitch. The sensation is strange. It’s like an invasion, like both beasts dwelling inside me at the same time. I feel both. I know all their thoughts.
The pain is excruciating, and I force the man to the front without losing my bear. I dig into the man’s thoughts. I’m trying to be rational and smart about my next move. I hate to stop, even if it’s only for the half a minute it takes to gather my wits. I need the bear’s carnal instincts and the man’s decision making. I can’t screw up. I can’t lose her.
There’s no reason left for me to exist if I lose her.
Ruby hollers out in pain.
For the first time, my two beasts team up and work together. I tear off toward her terrified voice. My bear is locked in on her. Everything else is tuned out. I hear her heart as it works overtime to pump blood through her body. I smell the horrible mix of adrenaline and fear.
I spot her in the distance. She’s on her hands and knees just over the next patch of flooded wetland. She drops her head and my bear rushes toward her. She’s losing a lot of blood. I catch another scent. One I’ve never caught before.
It’s not the pack.
The stench of liquor and frenzied hormones assault my nostrils. The bear fights forward, and I don’t bother fighting back.
Not when I see him.
The man is towering over her crumpled body. My insides snap when the man draws back his right leg before planting it square into Ruby’s side, connecting with her ribs.
I don’t know what happens next.
The bear wins and snuffs out what’s left of the man.
Everything is gone.
No more orange and red flames.
No more worry or concern.
Nothing but black.
Darkness.