Shaman’s Wrath
*Julian? The Birch Grove clan leader?* Michael asked, sounding just as shocked as Burke. All four of them backed away, Gabe and Michael going up the stairs to the second floor, Ghost and Burke behind the corner of the lobby that led to a supply closet and a pair of bathrooms.
Ghost wasn’t surprised at all. Julian’s presence was unexpected, but Ghost had faith in his mate, clan mates, and Goddess. Ghost crouched down, behind Burke’s bulky wolf-form, even though Ghost was more likely to be able to stop any bullets shot in their direction.
*Any response from Kane?* Ghost asked, keeping his mental voice small in case Julian could intrude on their conversation. Ghost had no knowledge of Julian’s skills or strength, aside from the fact he had to have enough personal power to become a clan leader. He could feel Kane’s herculean focus on his task in the back on his mind, and didn’t want to risk distracting Kane by trying to speak to him.
*He’s taken out most of the humans, the guards are going down easy. He’s almost done. I’d prefer we wait for him to finish before Remus and Julian got in here but we’re out of time,* Burke said at the same moment Ghost heard the overloud noises of humans walking across the tiled floor in the lobby.
The scent of sweat, humans, and guns swept in ahead of the group surrounding Remus and Julian. It was seconds after they came inside when a low, rumbling growl came from the lobby, and Ghost heard the familiar sound of the Birch Grove clan leader’s voice. “I smell Black Pine bitches. Did you set me up?”
“Wait? What?” Ghost assumed it was Remus, the voice familiar to him. He flashed back to the sanctuary in New Brunswick, an armed human aiming a gun at his head. Ghost bared his teeth in a silent snarl, and he wanted nothing more than to finish what he started all those weeks ago. Remus needed to die.
“Move! We aren’t alone in here!” Julian ordered, and the confused exclamations of the human guards were exactly what they needed.
Snarls and shouts came next, and Burke charged around the corner, Ghost on his heels. Humans raised their weapons at them, but Ghost shouted, hands coming up in a mirror response, a wall of searing heat bursting ahead of him in a wave. Metal grew red-hot, tiles blackened, and clothing smoked. The humans dropped their weapons and scrambled away, coming up short as wolves came in from the front of the building, Caius in his huge wolf-form leading the charge. Burke slammed into two humans, bowling them over, and Ghost jumped. He went high, dissipating the heat wave as he cleared the human guards and landed on Remus.
Snarls, shouts, the hot taste of blood on the air combined into chaos. Ghost rode Remus to the floor, the human screaming beneath him. Ghost landed with his boots on the bigger man’s chest, his clawed hands encircling Remus’ neck. Remus was a big man, easily a third bigger than Ghost, but human strength against wolfkin, there was no match. Ghost snarled as he tightened his fingers, ducking his head as Remus landed blows to his shoulders and skull, trying to knock him off.
A clawed hand latched onto the back of his neck, inch-long claws digging into the sides of his neck. Ghost was yanked backwards, and his hands were pulled from Remus’ neck. He fought, shouting, claws out and fangs dropped. His magic discharged and snapped, sparks flying, landing on the suited arms trying to restrain him. Rough curses came from the wolfkin male that pulled him back and then down, pushing him to the floor.
“Kane’s wild little bitch,” Julian grinned at him, his eyes glowing, red hair a mess, fangs dropping. Ghost slammed his hands, electricity arcing from his fingers, into the sides of Julian’s head, who shouted in pain and anger. Ghost pulled his arms back, building a new charge, determined to get Julian off him.
Julian gripped Ghost’s shoulders, lifting him up, and before Ghost could attack again, Julian slammed him back down, the back of Ghost’s head slapping on the hard tile floor.
His vision blurred, pain lancing down his spine, and Julian did it again, slamming him down too fast for him to stop it, to get free. Everything went dark.
****
His feet catching on the side of the hallway woke him. Pain radiated out from his right arm, held over him.
He was being dragged, and fast. A clawed hand was around his bicep, his face inches from the rough, wet concrete floor. And Kane was shouting in his head.
*Ghost!*
*My alpha,* he managed to whisper back, blood dripping in his eyes from his hair. He couldn’t move, not yet, his body still limp and his head aching horribly.
*Where are you? Are you hurt? Is he there?* Kane demanded, concern, love, and anger coming across their bond.
*He is here, oh mighty heir of Black Pine,* Julian’s mental voice intruded on their link, and Ghost gasped, the sensation of having a greater alpha bursting into a private mind link painful and disruptive, scattering his thoughts. *I have your wild little bitch. Not much of a shaman, is he? His blood tastes like prey.*
Kane’s presence in the back of his mind was a seething, red and black storm of rage. Ghost moaned, and tried to twist free from Julian’s iron grip on his arm, but his head ached too much, his limbs refusing to cooperate. Julian chuckled, unhinged and carefree. There was malice and something dark, dangerous in the sound, and a pool of icy fear settled in Ghost’s belly.
Julian dropped him. Ghost rolled to his side, face wet from the damp floor, and he blinked. He wasn’t alone.
Simon Remus groaned, eyes fluttering. A bruise was forming along his left cheekbone and down his jaw. Ghost snarled, lips pulling back as his own fangs came out. His whole body hurt, and his thoughts were still muddled, but he was healing fast. Remus was a few feet away from him and Ghost wanted to end it.
“Now you two little bitches wait right here for me,” Julian stood over them, removing his suit jacket and tossing it aside. “I’m going to tear out Kane’s throat and then force Caius to eat it before I snap his neck. Or maybe I’ll feed Kane bits of Caius before I kill him.”
Ghost tried to get up, but Julian kicked him in the side, a wet snap coming from his ribs. Ghost fell back to the floor, curling into a ball. Julian sneered down at him and then checked on Remus. The human seemed to be struggling with regaining consciousness.
Ghost whined in pain, shivering, and Julian huffed in satisfaction before leaving.
*Kane.*
*Ghost! You’re in pain. Are you okay? What did he do?*
*Knocked me out for a while. I think I have a broken rib. He’s coming for you and Caius.*
Anger was Kane’s response, a deadly wave of it that erupted along the link between them. *I’m with Caius and Burke. Michael and Gabe are upstairs, tending some of our wolves who got shot. Can you sneak away? Is he still there?*
Ghost bit his lip to keep from crying out, and turned his head. He looked past Remus’ limp form and blinked, then again. *Kane. I’m with the missing Ashland wolves.*
Cages were arranged in two rows, and Ghost gingerly moved one of his arms out and beneath him, and lifted himself just far enough to see better. Kane responded almost immediately, his mate’s mind cooler, more focused, the anger controlled. *Is Julian there? Can you free them?*
Ghost opened his mind fully to his mate, letting Kane see through his eyes. A battered and thin wolfkin male in the closest cage was staring back at Ghost with absolute shock, and the man’s resemblance to Gabe was immediate and striking. Ghost sat up more, his mind clearing, the injury on the back of his head healing. Kane took in the odd room through Ghost’s eyes; the shrouded machines near the rear, the cages, and Julian’s absence. *Ghost, we’re coming to you. Stay safe. Some of the guards who came with Remus and Julian are between us and your position. It’s likely you’re on the far side of the sublevel. Protect yourself until we can get there.*
*Remus is unconscious.* Ghost looked back to the human still passed out beside him. Julian must have struck the human too hard, the bruise on his face was now a deep purplish blue. If Remus were awake, Ghost had no trouble with snapping his neck. Remus was a monster. Without conscience or compassion, Remus cared only for profit and himself. And yet Ghost hesitated. The human was literally helpless, injured, unaware of the danger he was in and that his death was imminent.
Ghost relaxed, his fangs pulling back, his claws ceased and his anger left him. Simon Remus’ fate belonged to those he wronged the most, and that was not Ghost.
He could sense Kane as his mate dropped his combat gear and began Changing into his wilder form. *Do what you must to save yourself and the Ashland wolves. If you cannot end him, Caius will do so once we get there.*
Ghost wrapped an arm around his ribs and carefully stood, wavering before he found his balance. *Stop the rest of the humans. Julian is insane and coming for you. I’ll be fine.*
A roar echoed through the sublevel, long and deep. A challenge, full of madness and fury. Ghost got a glimpse of a red and black wolf the size of a brown bear charging at his mate, before Kane dropped the more intimate connection and his focus shifted to fighting with fang and claw. Ghost withdrew, his faith in his mate absolute.
“Youngling?” A thin whisper drew his attention, and Ghost smiled when he met the now lucid gaze of the nearest wolfkin. “You must leave if you can, it’s not safe. Please, go, before you end up in a cage too!”
Ghost slowly stood, breathing deep, and felt his ribs snap back into place. He was healing, and he wasn’t leaving without everyone. He stepped over Remus, the human unresponsive, and went to the closest cage. “I’m not leaving. She wouldn’t have gone through all the trouble to get me here and then be happy that I left.”
He knelt, avoiding the silver bars, and examined the lock. It was a simple one, nothing more than an embedded square that needed a key to insert, but the fact the entire structure was covered in silver meant touching it to open it was impossible.
He had never needed to touch a lock to open it.
Ghost stared at the lock, and with a tiny push of mental effort, it snapped open. Ghost lifted a hand, and with his mind, pulled the door open wide. The wolfkin inside the cage began to cry, tears streaking down his dirty, thin face. “Shaman.”
Ghost nodded, and with another mental nudge, the shackles holding the wolfkin fell away. Ghost reached out, and took the prisoner’s hands, and pulled him from the silver cage, gently lowering him to the floor. “Stay right here. Watch for humans or the red-haired wolf, yell if you see anyone coming. I need to free the others.”
“Thank you,” the other wolfkin whispered, gratitude in every deep line of misery carved in his face. “I will.”
Ghost smiled, and moved on to the next cage.
****
Burke dodged a bullet, the impact in the wall right over his head. He crouched, peeking around the corner, and leapt when he saw the human reloading. He died with a strangled scream, and Burke dropped the body before following Ghost’s scent deeper into the building.
Julian had grabbed Ghost and Remus, and then barreled through his human guards without concern nor care for anyone but himself. The unexpected maneuver had gone unanswered as the humans began firing indiscriminately. Whatever Ghost did to the weapons to make the humans drop them hadn’t extended to the guards in the back, and they were still armed.
Several wolfkin were shot, but the guards were defeated, with a spattering running down the stairs after Julian. Burke thought that was utterly stupid of them, but then fear and desperation made humans do stupid things every day. Michael stayed behind, using his limited healing ability to stop the worst of the injuries, and Gabe’s gift of the Voice was too dangerous to let the young alpha go anywhere without Michael, so he stayed behind as well. Caius and Burke raced ahead, meeting up with Kane in the sublevel, only to have a few remaining guards begin to fire from cover.
Julian’s arrival meant they had to split up, and Burke went to find Ghost. Julian was huge—a black and red monstrosity that fought without forethought or reason, a truly mad animal. Kane and Caius would usually fight in tandem, but the confusing jumbled maze of half-walls and corridors meant the fighting was in close quarters, both Caius and Kane were too big to take Julian on simultaneously. Burke left reluctantly, but knowing Ghost was alone with Remus made up his mind for him.
No one else fired at him, so he ran, nose down, backtracking Julian, the clan leader’s scent overlaid with Ghost’s. He cleared a corner, and he wanted to howl in joy when he found Ghost. Remus was unconscious, he was tempted to end the human, but Ghost and the Ashland wolves needed him more in that moment than Remus needed to die.
The small shaman was freeing the Ashland wolves, all of them weak, malnourished, and suffering from silver poisoning. Ghost was helping a tall wolfkin male from one of the far cages, the man stuck in between human and his wilder form, the silver poisoning destroying his ability to fix himself. Burke paused, and focused, needing hands to help Ghost. He stood, his Change moving swift and sure, adrenaline forcing it along faster than usual.
“Do you need help?” Burke asked, and Ghost smiled at him, his silver eyes full of something Burke was surprised to see might be satisfaction.
“There’s one more cage. I already opened it and took off the shackles. Be careful with the youngling—he’s not what you think he is,” Ghost said, helping the warped wolfkin male to his family, the half-dozen of them huddling together, hugging and crying quietly.
Burke ducked around Ghost and his burden, and saw the remaining captive. He was small and thin, and he was sprawled on his face, halfway out of his cage. He was thin and skin was blue-cast, and he shook with the cold. Burke knelt, and gently turned the youngling over. He stilled for a moment, wondering why he smelled a human, but the small figure in his arms cried softly in pain, and Burke clutched him to his chest. “Shhh, you’ll be alright now. I won’t hurt you.”
Burke fell back on his ass when the young man opened his eyes. Crystalline, brilliant, the color of a midsummer sky at noon, his eyes were beautiful, and yet their perfection was nothing compared to the wavering, shy smile that graced the youngling’s mouth. The most beautiful smile Burke had ever seen lifted lush, soft pink lips, and the precious being in his arms spoke softly, as if he were seconds from sleep. “I’m cold,” he whispered, and Burke curled around the younger man, hoping some of his own body heat would help.
He cradled the young man closer, holding him tightly, pressing their naked forms together. Burke never felt the cold, not really, and right now he felt like he was sunning himself on a tropical beach, he was so warm. Everywhere they touched, Burke burned, but it was without pain. The youngling whimpered, and greedily snuggled with him, pressing his cold nose to Burke’s throat, arms wrapping around his neck. Burke hugged him back, and he’d never felt such a desire to never let go again.
“What’s your name, youngling?” Burke whispered, dipping his head, breathing in a lovely, alluring scent. Sweet and clean, despite the grime of captivity and dirty hair.
“Wren Harmon,” the youngling replied, voice still a meager whisper.
“Hello, Wren. My name is Burke,” he said gently in return. The last name was a problem for another time.
He had no idea how, or why, but he was certain. He might have needed Sophia to point out the obvious to him weeks ago regarding Ghost and Kane and their soulbond, but he needed no help now. After weeks of seeing the bond between his best friend and the young shaman, he could recognize one when it smacked him in the face. Or the soul, even.
The youngling in his arms who appeared to be human, bore the last name of a mad scientist, and smelled like heaven on earth, was his soulbonded mate.
****
Ghost helped the warped alpha to his brothers, the family similarity obvious. He checked, and there were no approaching enemies, but the sounds of a fierce fight echoed through the sublevel. Remus was still unmoving, clearly injured more severely than Ghost had assumed. Humans were fragile.
“Thank you,” the alpha said, grabbing Ghost’s wrist when he pulled away. “I thought we were going to die here.”
“You’re welcome.” Ghost said quietly, and patted his hand. “Let me go check on the youngling.”
“He’s…” the alpha paused, his strength intermittent. Ghost would need to heal them all, and soon, or the rescue would be for naught as the silver killed them from within. “The youngling is not human. He’s something they called a hybrid. I don’t understand how, but the humans made him.”
“I know,” Ghost replied, trying to reassure. “He is safe. I will not let anyone harm him. I swear.” The alpha nodded, releasing his wrist, accepting him at his word. Ghost was grateful that the automatic trust wolfkin had in shamans was helping them accept his help despite his age. He caught the Suarez family alphas casting startled glances in his direction was he opened their cages. His age never bothered Ghost, but then he forgot it was important to humans and wolfkin alike. To both species, he was barely older than a cub.
Burke was cradling the youngling in his arms, and the youngling was gazing up at Burke like the Speaker was the most marvelous thing he’d ever seen. Ghost titled his head, and on a wild guess, shifted into his Spiritsight.
The sky-blue soulstar of the youngling mingled with the darker reddish hues of Burke’s soulstar. The thinnest of bonds, but it grew stronger with every beat of their hearts. Ghost chuckled, and dropped the Spiritsight. He knelt beside the pair, and they youngling nervously huddled against Burke, watching Ghost with wary, frightened blue eyes. He gently brushed dirty hair back from the youngling’s face. He saw again the resemblance to his mother’s portrait. Ghost smiled at the person who looked enough like him to be his brother, but likely was born from the forced union of Roman’s seed and an unfortunate human female.
“He’s cold,” Burke said, without looking away from his mate’s face. “Ghost, we need to get him out of here. He’s human, you can’t heal him. Wren needs human medicine.”
His cousin’s name was Wren. A shy forest bird with a beautiful song. It fit, somehow. And their Goddess called this one her lost wolf. Ghost was sure his magic would work on the youngling.
“He’s the hybrid, Burke.” The Speaker finally tore his gaze away, and Ghost nodded when he saw Burke’s eyes go from dark brown to liquid gold. “Wren is your soulbonded mate, and he isn’t entirely human. His soul is wolfkin. Hold him close. I’ll heal everyone once the fighting is over.”
Burke nodded, his eyes wide, but his jaw set with determination and he somehow managed to get an even tighter, more protective grip on the small creature in his arms. The youngling was smaller than Ghost, though they were of the same age. Not so much a youngling, then, and Ghost gave his cousin a soft smile before standing.
His mate still fought Julian, Caius at his side, the two greater alphas trading off against the mad wolf. Ghost would go and help, but he refused to leave the Ashland wolves and Wren alone with only Burke to protect them. Burke was formidable, but his mate lay sick and injured in his arms and he was unlikely to let go in case of danger. Ghost didn’t blame Burke at all—if it were Kane lying naked and emaciated on the cold concrete floor, Ghost wouldn’t leave his side either. Kane and Caius were handling Julian well enough, and hopefully this would be over, and soon. He spared a quick glance; Remus was still unmoving.
The plastic curtain was pulled halfway, and Ghost knew what he would see. He pulled it back, got a handful, then yanked it free from its moorings in the ceiling. It fell, metal clasps pinging in the shadows, and Ghost got a clear view.
The slumbering wolf lay quiet, soulless still, and only the low, soft beat of a heart told Ghost that the body lived. His entire being rebelled at the abomination the human wrought—they corrupted the divine gift of the wolfkin Goddess and tried to craft themselves a wolf of their own.
Save him, so that you may save Caius.
Her words found him as if She stood at his shoulder, and Ghost’s heart raced. He took another step, then one more, and reached out. Machines beeped and chimed, a steady, soft rhythm, one that spoke of death gathering in the corners, the shadows deepening. His fingers touched the white sheet that covered most of the soulless wolf, and he pulled, careful, and it fell away.
Gray fur. Soft and thick beneath his fingers. A sob burst free, and tears ran down his cheeks, scalding hot. He dashed them away, and with shaking fingers, plucked the wires and sticky pads from the shaved pieces of skin along the wolf’s side. He did not understand what cloning truly was, nor how the science worked, but the mad impossibility staring back at him was irrefutable proof cloning worked.
Gray Shadow.
His grandfather, dead all these long years, stolen from his peaceful afterlife and made flesh again. Ghost leaned over the slumbering wolf, and buried his face in the thick fur along the wolf’s shoulders. Somehow, the scent was the same. Memories came rushing back, and Ghost was once again a small cub cowering behind the great gray wolf that towered over him, between Ghost and a human man with a shotgun. He could feel the river, the current horrific, smothering him, battering him against rocks and trees, his lungs burning as he drowned.
An image of an astral wolf guiding him through his first Change, saving his life and ending Gray Shadow’s. He clung to the sleeping form that lay on the cold, steel table, and wept now as he could not then.
My shaman. Do not grieve. Save him.
“How?” Ghost whispered, choking on tears. She did not answer, but a gasp from not far away drew his attention.
A human man in a white coat stood shaking in the corner, the plastic sheeting falling to the ground revealing his hiding place. He was kneeling behind a desk, and he had a gun in his trembling hand.
Ghost breathed in, cursing himself mentally for not paying better attention. The scent of the wolf was strong, and carried human scent markers as well. Including the human who cowered not far away, staring at Ghost like he was monster.
“Stay…stay away from me! I’ll shoot!” The human cried out, standing, edging his way. Ghost moved, placing himself between the human and the slumbering form of his grandfather. Ghost snarled quietly, and sucked in another breath. He smelled blood, sweat, and fear. The human gulped, hand shaking even more. “I won’t shoot if you let me go.”
“Ghost?” Burke called, worried. “What’s going on?”
“Burke, stay with Wren.” Ghost ordered, and when the human glanced over toward Burke, Ghost flicked his fingers and sent the gun flying from the human’s grasp and into the shadows. The human shrieked, and Ghost snarled at him again, claws pricking each fingertip as they grew.
“What are you?!” The human cried, knocking into a table covered in metal instruments. They were bloodied, and stunk of terror and pain.
“Shaman,” Ghost said past his fangs as they dropped. The human screamed, but there was no mercy in Ghost then, not after everything. He lifted his hand, and sent the human flying backwards across the lab. He smashed into the far wall, bones shattering, and fell to the floor in a limp jumble of limbs.
Dead.
“Ghost!” Burke’s shout made him jump, and Ghost spun, just in time to see Simon Remus getting to his feet. He pressed hand to his head, the other reaching under his suit coat and pulling a gun.
Ghost ran, leaping over Burke and Wren, and he sprinted around the Suarez wolves. He barreled into Remus before the human even managed to lift the weapon and aim. They tumbled across the wet floor, and Ghost managed to knock the gun to the floor. He slashed at Remus, who shouted in pain, but managed to get an arm up and swung at Ghost, punching him across his jaw. Ghost stumbled, and he crouched, eyes narrowed at the man who was responsible for so much death and suffering. Remus cast about, looking for an escape, but Ghost darted between Remus and the doorway.
Remus swore at him, but brought his hands up, fists ready to strike at Ghost again. Ghost did not know how to fight like a human, with hands and feet. He knew tooth and claw, though, and Changed so fast in a flurry of silver-white energy that he was leaping at Remus before his clothing hit the floor.
He landed on Remus, sending them to the ground, and Ghost tore at his arm. Remus screamed and pummeled him with his free hand, striking at Ghost’s head and back. He shook his head, worrying at the limb like he would a rabbit, and blood spurted over his tongue. He did it again, and bone broke.
Remus rolled, and managed to fling Ghost off him. Ghost was readying to leap again when the concrete wall beside them collapsed with a deafening roar. Dust and debris flew, and Ghost scrambled to avoid the bigger sections of the wall as it fell. Remus ducked to the side, and Ghost lost sight of him in the chaos.
A large red and black wolf rolled past Ghost, regaining all fours as Kane and Caius boiled into the room through the fresh hole in the wall. Julian was a mess of bites and claw slashes, blood dripping from jaws and his sides. Ghost howled, and leapt at the clan leader, landing on the much larger alpha’s side, claws digging in. He bit the back of Julian’s neck as Kane charged into him from the front.
Julian was three times Ghost’s size, and Ghost’s jaws were too small to break past the thick muscles of the alpha’s neck and slice the arteries. Kane’s momentum knocked Ghost off Julian, the two alphas rolling over the floor, snapping and snarling furiously. Caius ran after them, and just as Julian and Kane broke apart, Caius took the lead in the attack, harrying Julian back across the room.
Kane ran to Ghost, nosing him gently. Ghost was sore, but he got back to his feet, and he nudged at his mate. They needed to end this, and now.
A movement to the side made them both look—Remus had the gun. He pointed it at Kane, who covered most of Ghost. Kane roared in challenge, and Remus fired.
It felt like time stopped, his heart lurching in his chest, the bullet meant to shatter his mate’s skull screaming across the short distance between them. Ghost tried to raise a shield, as he had when the bomb exploded at their cabin weeks ago, but Remus and Kane were too close and the bullet was moving too fast. He had no warning. She had warned him with whispers before the bomb blew—here, not even his Goddess could be heard over the chaos in the lab.
A dark blur slammed into them, knocking them both off their feet and to the side. Kane regained his feet in seconds and leapt, landing on Remus. Blood sprayed, Remus dying instantly as Kane bore him to the ground.
Ghost struggled to his feet in time to see Julian run from the room. Shouts and gunfire came from the hall, and screaming. The wolfkin teams were trying to stop the mad wolf from escaping, but it didn’t sound like they were succeeding.
He was about to follow, but he stopped. He had to, his feet were unable to move.
Caius lay not far away.
Still, quiet.
Blood dripped from his thick, dark fur, and puddled on the floor.
Ghost regained his human form quickly, instantaneous. He ran to Caius, hands searching desperately for the wound than was making his grandfather bleed out. Ghost was crying. He was kneeling naked in his grandfather’s blood as he lay dying. A warm hand landed on the back of his neck, and Ghost shook off his fear and reached for his magic.
Caius was damaged by teeth, claws, the bullet, and bruises that littered his body. Caius’ heart was strong, and Ghost called to his light. Pushing it from his center into the wounds that covered most of Caius. He found the bullet, and used his mind to yank the offending silver from the flesh beneath. Caius jerked, his whole body reacting, and Ghost went faster. He chased the silver remnants away, and closed the wounds.
Ghost fell back, and Kane caught him in his arms.
“Will he live?” Kane asked, covered in blood and gore and looking wondrous.
“He should,” Ghost gasped out, wrapping his arms around Kane’s neck. “He took the bullet meant for you.”
“He did,” Kane agreed quietly, and ducked his head, pressing their foreheads together. “He could have stopped Julian, but he saved me instead.”
They stood quietly for a moment, and it took the sound of many running sets of feet to break them apart.
The Black Pine wolves ran into the lab, some of them still in their human forms, most of them wolves. Gabe was at their center, Michael beside him. Gabe smiled at them, relieved, then a shout from the Suarez wolves drew his attention.
“Father!” Gabe screamed, and ran for the alpha warped between his two forms. “Father!”
Gabe launched himself at his family, who caught him eagerly, gathering around the young alpha.
They watched, and Ghost was gently lowered to his feet, though he refused to let go of his mate. Burke and Wren still huddled together not far past the family reunion, both smiling.
Michael approached, nervous. “Kane.”
“Julian got away, didn’t he?” Kane said, without recrimination. Michael blanched, and nodded.
“He may not last long. We shot him several times before he got past us, and he was already wounded. Two of your wolves went after him. You should hear back from them soon.”
“We lose any of our own?” Kane asked.
Michael shook his head. “No. We have some silver poisoning, but with Ghost’s help, they should be fine. Your wolves found several human scientists hiding nearby. They’re dead now. All human guards are dead, too.”
Kane lifted his head, and spoke loudly enough for all to hear. “Send wolves for the SUVs. Burke, contact the mansion and have the betas send more cars. Assist the wounded upstairs. We’re going home.”