Chapter Twenty-Three
Cheryl
She was gasping for air, but the barn doors were in reach.
Not slowing herself, she slammed into the wooden barrier and heaved with all her remaining might. Metal squealed loudly but it started to roll open, just enough for her to slip through. Cheryl fell through the crack, pulling herself out of the way as the heavy door started to roll closed on its own.
Wood splintered and the entire wall shook violently as a huge black snout tried to push its way through the closing door. Cheryl screamed and got to her feet. Teeth the color of bone snarled and snapped at her, saliva flying everywhere. Two yellow eyes glared at her through the opening with ferocious malevolence as the wolf worked the door open. She knew if it took a second to pay attention it could just shoulder it aside, but its focus was on her. Cheryl wasn’t sure if she was thankful for that or not.
Looking around wildly for a weapon, any weapon, her eyes settled on the perfect implement. Darting to the side, she took up her weapon and stabbed it forward with all her might.
The wolf howled and pulled back, pitchfork embedded in its chest. As it did the door rolled closed, hitting the handle of the farm tool at an angle. The wooden haft twisted wildly out of her grip, tossing Cheryl to the floor with ease. She hit a support beam and lay there for a moment. But only a moment.
From outside the barn there was a roar that didn’t belong to a dragon, and once more the door shook. This time human fingers pulled it open, and the huge man who seemed to be the leader peered through at her, his eyes human, but still full of hatred.
“Now you’re—Ooph!”
Something hit him in the back of the head and he slid aside woozily. Rowe’s familiar black hair and goatee replaced him, jumping through.
“Let’s go!” he shouted, pointing behind her at the ATV that had been her goal all along.
Cheryl got to her feet and jumped on the back.
“You drive!” he roared, the sound of bones breaking coming from behind her.
“Me drive?” she squeaked. He’d not let her drive before, and now, in the most critical time he wanted her behind the wheel. Handlebars. Whatever!
“Just do it!”
She slid forward and thumbed the ignition, thankful that they kept the keys in it at all times so anyone could use it. The four-wheeler came to life and a moment later Rowe was there.
“Go!” he hollered, pointing at the back door.
“It’s closed!”
He turned away long enough to deliver a punch that stunned a snow-white wolf, and then ran for the back door as she gunned it anyway.
Rowe hit the doors and spread his arms wide.
The side of the barn simply exploded under the force of his blow. Both doors ripped from their tracks and pinwheeled out across the frozen ground, shattering into pieces. One of them clipped a gray wolf that had been trying to get around behind them, severing one of its forelegs completely.
Cheryl hunkered down low, eyes closed to slits since she hadn’t taken the time to get the helmet. Gunning the engine she flew through the opening, only slowing long enough for Rowe to jump on behind her. Then they were off.
A few seconds later she realized his arms weren’t around her. Risking a glimpse over her shoulder, she saw him facing backward. He lifted a hand as one wolf raced up alongside them, and a blast of green mist the width of her leg shot from his palm.
The wolf screamed and fell away, fur melting from its sides as it rolled on the ground, the mud stopping whatever was eating away at it.
Cheryl’s stomach flip flopped and she faced ahead once more as they raced through the fields, trying to put distance between them. Every now and then she would glimpse a burst of green in the side mirrors, or a wolf would shriek in agony. Rowe shouted in pain at one point, but he never fell off, so she just kept driving.
The ground was bumpy and hard and it tossed them wildly in their seats. Cheryl had never been so scared before, her hair whipping behind her, dirt starting to clog her eyes. She couldn’t stop though. Stopping would kill them both. No way she was going to risk that after all Rowe had done to save her ass.
“HEAD BACK!” he shouted as they crested the top of one of the few gentle hills that dotted the lands.
“WHAT?” she shrieked back. “ARE YOU NUTS?”
“Circle around! It’s the only way. Trust me, Cheryl.”
Aww hell. Without saying anything more she slew the vehicle around. She would head back, but she was going to circle around. No way she was going to go back down the same path. That was suicide in her mind, and nothing, not even Rowe, was convincing her otherwise.
The crazy chase continued in a giant loop. At one point a wolf came so close she reached out with a foot and kicked it in the jaw. The creature wasn’t hurt, but it hadn’t expected her to do anything and the momentary distraction was long enough for Rowe to reach over and rip an ear off it.
Eventually the ranch came back into sight. She gunned the throttled as the ground evened out and they shot forward.
“STOP!” he hollered.
By this point she didn’t question his commands. She just responded. The ATV careened to a halt, rocking wildly up on two wheels and threatening to tip over. It probably would have if Rowe hadn’t shifted his weight. They crashed back down onto level ground, her teeth chattering. That was going to leave a mark on her, if she survived the next little bit.
Behind them the other shifters had come to a wary halt. The black one, sporting a massive welt down its side and a bald spot behind its head, shifted. “Do you surrender?” the leader asked impassively.
How could he not care after all that? She knew there were several dead wolves spread out around the property, judging by the fact she only counted two bears and seven wolves remaining. Nine. That meant five had died or were too badly hurt to join them. The bears both looked worse for wear, but none of them backed down.
“Of course not,” Rowe drawled, leaning against the ATV.
“Then you shall die.”
Her man held up a hand in casual denial. “No, I think not.”
Cheryl watched him, wondering what had changed. He was so casual now, his movements loose, languid. Like he had suddenly become so utterly confident in his ability to beat them that he no longer worried. Even to her that was a drastic change.
“You are outnumbered. You would never make it out of here. You are weak,” the big man finished with a hiss.
“Tell that to your comrades. I can see the way your muscles flinch with every breath. You are hurt. Don’t pretend like this has been a walk in the park, you mangy mongrel.”
Cheryl had never heard Rowe speak like that. He was harder than steel, his voice cold enough to crack ice. It wouldn’t have surprised her if thunderclouds formed overhead. The shifters facing them all hung back at the crack of his voice, reluctant to move forward.
She studied them in depth, noting the wounds on all of them. Skin flayed open, fur stained red and matted together. More than one ear was missing, and another wolf was missing a limb. A bear limped on three legs, its fourth dangling uselessly. Rowe was right, both sides were just as banged up.
Rowe wasn’t in perfect shape himself. She knew he was under strain. Many of his wounds were on his left side, which he kept angled more toward her, hiding the worst of it from the enemy and exposing it to her. She longed to run to his side, to take care of him. She was no nurse, but she could change bandages, feed him broth, and yell at him for trying to leave his bed before he was fully recovered.
“Any last words?” the alpha wolf asked, signaling his men to be ready.
“Funny. I was about to ask you the same thing. I’ll give you one chance to surrender. I really shouldn’t, not after you threatened my mate.” As he spoke Rowe pointed his right hand lazily at the leader. “But she’s a better person than I am, and she would want me to do this. I suggest you take it,” he finished harshly.
“Nothing has changed.”
“On the contrary,” Rowe said, straightening. “Everything has changed.”
“Do tell.”
Even though she could only see the back of his head, Cheryl could see the nasty smile on his face as he spoke. “Now you’re downwind from me. Last chance.”
Cheryl watched as the man was replaced by the huge black wolf.
“I think that means no,” she said softly.
“Too bad for him.” Rowe looked over at her. “You might want to close your eyes for this part. Plug your ears too and maybe hum.” He looked unhappy about it, but didn’t say any more.
He had no more time to spare and turned back as the shifters came toward him. Cheryl thought about defying his orders, but as two shapes dropped from the sky, revealing themselves to be another pair of emerald dragons, she decided perhaps it was for the best.
The last thing she saw was a triangle of that same green gas spring up around the shifters. Two sides of it came as the descending dragons opened their maws and breathed it, while Rowe gestured sharply with his hand, raising the third wall.
Cheryl shut her eyes and began to hum.
A scream reached her ears and she began to hum louder, trying to drown it out. It didn’t work. The screams grew louder, and she started singing at the top of her lungs, fingers jammed in her ears. It was the first song that came to mind, and though it was old, and rather embarrassing, it was what she had to work with.
“Baaabyyyyyyyy,” she shouted. “Let me see that thooonnggg tha thon—”
A hand grasped her shoulder, cutting her off abruptly.