Chapter Twenty-Two
Greer managed to get her hands free as another bullet exploded into Pax’s chest, blood spraying across the cabin walls. It was as though once Dakota had pulled the trigger, she couldn’t seem to stop.
Greer watched Xander as he shifted back into his human form, but Dakota didn’t seem to notice either of them. She’d pushed Pax off her body and scrambled back against the bed, holding the gun loosely between her hands.
“Dakota,” Xander said softly. “Give me the gun.”
She shook her head, squeezing her eyes tight.
Greer moved forward, ignoring Xander’s vehement gesturing for her to stay back. She thought that comfort from another woman might reach her.
“Dakota, it’s going to be okay.”
When the other woman opened her eyes, her gaze burned yellow with hatred.
“You. This is all because of you.”
Dakota dropped the gun.
“I’m going to rip your throat out!”
Greer scrambled away from the deranged woman as she shifted into a black wolf. Saliva dripped down her fangs to the floor just before she launched herself at Greer.
“No!” Xander yelled, tackling Dakota to the floor. Dakota spun on him, ripping out a chunk of flesh from his upper arm with her jaws.
Greer screamed as blood covered the floor and she threw herself at the wolf, punching, and gouging. When her thumb went into Dakota’s left eye, she howled in pain.
Greer spotted the gun several feet away and rushed on her hands and knees, trying to get the piece. Suddenly, a heavy weight on her back pushed her to the hardwood floor. White hot pain exploded on her right shoulder. Hot, rancid breath burned her flesh and sharp teeth tore so hard into the muscle that it scraped bone. She turned her head to find Dakota tearing at her body, blood dripping from her fangs. Greer couldn’t stop screaming as she tried to get away, to just get her hands on the gun.
A roar shook the cabin and Dakota’s weight on her was gone. A loud crash boomed behind her, shaking the cabin. Greer pushed back the pain as she belly crawled across the floor until her left hand wrapped around the gun. Her shoulder blade was throbbing, but she rolled to her side to see what was happening.
Xander’s wolf was tearing into Dakota, even as Jill’s cougar jaws were locked across her throat. Dakota struggled to get away, but the two of them were too strong for her.
Greer closed her eyes, trying to block out the image and the sounds. Several wet, furry muzzles pressed into her cheek and hands and she jumped back with a scream. Several wolves surrounded her, nuzzling and licking her, as if reassuring themselves that she was okay and a broken sob escaped her lips.
When Dakota was finally still, Xander turned her way, his gray and white fur stained red. He shifted, and strode across the cabin swiftly. By the time he reached her side, his hands gripped her arms and pulled her into his embrace. She cried out as he brushed her wounded shoulder blade and when he looked at the damage, she knew from the way he stiffened it was bad.
“Am I…I…going…t…to…turn?” Her lips were chattering so bad she could hardly get a sentence out. Cold was seeping through her body and she was struggling to breathe.
Shock. I’m in shock.
“God, baby, I’m so sorry.”
Greer dropped her forehead to his shoulder and drew in a long, shaky breath. “How is your arm?”
“Already healing.”
“That’s good. I wasn’t sure you’d get here in time.”
Xander pulled away, cupping her chin in his hand. “You didn’t think I would move heaven and Earth to come for you?”
“I didn’t know if you would need to come up with a plan to rescue and kill them in one fell swoop. I know how important getting revenge for what they did to your family is to you.”
“God, Greer, I stopped caring about revenge the minute I knew you’d been taken. I was so wrong, putting my agenda before everything else and I almost lost the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“You’re just saying that now because I’m going to be a werewolf.”
She’d meant it as a joke, but there was some truth to it. He’d said she couldn’t understand him and his life because she wasn’t a shifter. Well, things changed.
He looked so incredulous, she almost laughed.
“You can’t actually believe that.”
“Why not? You were the one who said yourself that I would never understand you because I wasn’t a shifter.”
“You are taking that completely out of context. I would never want this. Not for you.”
Deep down, Greer knew that. Xander had always been so careful of her feelings, asking permission and promising to keep her safe.
But now that the initial pain was fading, anger had replaced it, coursing through her veins like a rush of fire. If she hadn’t been in those woods, Pax would have never seen her with Xander. If they hadn’t gone to the restaurant, Kelsey and Sam would never have been targeted. Jill wouldn’t have been bit, and Greer wouldn’t have been turned.
All of the death and heart ache was because of Xander.
Greer pulled away from him. “I can’t do this right now. I want to go home.”
“I’ll take you—
“No. Jill can take me. Clyde can take me. Anyone can take me but you. I need some time.”