Hollie stared at Kyle in both awe, shock and fear. He could move with deadly speed and precision. He could anticipate the enemy’s moves and counter them effectively.
He had just used Jasper’s gun to kill Dan.
Hollie shivered.
“How are you going to explain your soldier’s death to your pack?” Kyle said to Jasper. “They will find your bullet in his chest. You shot your own man.”
“No!” Jasper screeched. “I have a witness. Ron witnessed everything...” He turned to the other lieutenant.
Even before Jasper had turned fully towards Ron, Kyle was flying towards Jasper. He grabbed Jasper’s hand, the hand with the gun, and squeezed the trigger.
Ron slumped to the ground with a hole in his forehead.
Kicking the gun away from Jasper, Kyle said grimly, “Now you’ve killed both your men. Your pack will tear you to shreds.”
Jasper stumbled back. “They can’t do anything to me,” he rasped. “I’m the Beta, the Alpha’s son. You...” He pointed at Kyle. “I’ll find you. You will pay. You will fucking pay for this!”
“I’m here now,” Kyle said, spreading his arms wide. “Come get me.”
But like all bullies, Jasper was a coward. He wouldn’t dare fight Kyle on his own, and Kyle knew that.
Shifting into a black wolf, Jasper threw a venomous look over his shoulder and vanished into the forest.
He could run faster in wolf form. Hollie let out a small derisive laugh. All Jasper could do was run. He didn’t even attempt to fight Kyle. Without his gun, his soldiers, his pack, Jasper had nothing. No courage, no fight, nothing.
Hollie sank to the ground as her legs gave way suddenly. She let out a startled cry when Kyle wrapped his arms around her and supported her.
“I won’t hurt you,” he said. “Don’t be afraid. It’s over.”
Hollie shook her head. No, it’s not.
The murderous glow in his eyes faded and his blue eyes became human once more.
“I’m sorry I scared you. Are you okay?” he asked softly.
“Y-yeah.” Hollie wiped her hand across her mouth. “Yeah. I’m okay,” she lied.
She pushed herself up and tried to walk but she was shaking too badly. Her legs just refused to work properly.
“Come on, I’ll carry you,” Kyle said.
“No, no...”
“We have to leave,” he said, his tone firm and urgent. “Jasper will be back, and this time, he’ll have the whole pack with him. We need to get out of here quickly.”
Ignoring her feeble protests, Kyle swung her into his arms and moved swiftly through the forest.
Hollie closed her eyes to hold back the wave of nausea. She felt sick to the stomach. She had never ever hunted with the pack, and the sight of Ron and Dan being killed shook her to the core. She realized that even though she had been brought up in a wolf pack, she had never really been part of the pack. She couldn’t shift. She didn’t have the instincts and bloodlust of a predator. She was just a cook.
The pack organized hunts every year, and the whole pack would shift into their wolves and hunt together. They killed small animals and sometimes took down larger wild animals in the forest. Hollie couldn’t shift, so she would stay back in the pack house and cook. She had to make sure that a feast was waiting for the pack when they returned.
Hollie started to shiver, and Kyle held her closer. She leaned her cheek against his broad, powerful shoulder and inhaled the scent of his sweat and blood.
His tanned skin felt feverishly hot, and his chiseled jaw was tightly clenched.
Kyle was a lethal predator and killer. She had seen him kill two well-trained lieutenants of the Black Blade pack cleanly and efficiently.
It was terrifying, chilling and...thrilling.
He had killed for her. To protect her.
She was grateful to him, and wary of him.
She trusted him, yet she was afraid to trust him.
Don’t trust anyone.
That motto had served her well.
Hollie felt so tired all of a sudden. She had been in survival mode all her life. Was she now jumping from the frying pan into the fire?
Was Kyle her ally, or her enemy?
Was he leading her to safety, or luring her to her doom?