Page 25 of Starting a New Life

My wolf raged in my chest, wanting to stop as his need to protect our pack by killing the attackers just… vanished. But I couldn’t stop now. We couldn’t let them get away with hurting people on our pack lands.

Go, I urged him on. We can take care of the hooded figure once we’ve taken care of them.

Another shot ripped through the night, the bullet aimed at me, but I dodged it narrowly. My wolf’s attention snapped back, focusing on the man standing just a few feet outside the barrier, his arm raised.

I snarled and jumped, flying through the barrier, and closed my fangs around his hands as his expression went from grim satisfaction to shock.

What? Did he think I’d stop because he wasn’t technically on pack lands?

He’d shot at people on my territory. At people in my jurisdiction. He’d shot at me.

His companions snarled, but my pack was at my side, keeping them away from me as my fangs tore through the wolf’s flesh. He tried to shift, but I was faster, closing my teeth around his throat and ripping. Blood sprayed, matting my fur. The wolf’s hand went up, grabbing at his throat, but his attempt was futile.

That was the thing. Guns might give the appearance of an advantage, but if you missed… you were done.

I let go of the wolf, watching him fall to the ground with a thump, a gurgling sound escaping his lips, his hands still clutching at his throat, but his movements already growing sluggish. I watched him convulsing, blood leaking from his mouth, the consciousness fading from his eyes as his movements grew weaker. My wolf preened inside my chest, satisfied to have finally gotten its fangs into a threat.

When the shooter’s heart stopped beating, I turned around and took in my surroundings.

My pack had done an impressive job. The battle was over. Angelo had another wolf pinned to the ground, the stench of his fear clouding up the night, his pathetic whimpers grating on my nerves. The other two wolves were dead, lying in pools of their own blood with Rhett standing above one, still snarling.

I changed back to human form, stalked to the single surviving wolf, and gave him a grin that I knew was terrifying with my mouth covered in his packmate’s blood.

“Those two.” I nodded back to my territory. “Are mine.”

I didn’t know their story, but it felt right. They were refugees, and we were a safe haven. My wolf agreed, urging me on to finish my business and get back there.

Now, he supplied, utterly uninterested in the terrified wolf in front of us. Need to go back.

I rolled my eyes. Why was he suddenly in such a hurry? It wasn’t as if any of the clearly injured wolves were gonna get up and run away.

Go, my wolf demanded again.

I looked at Angelo and Rhett, but since they obviously had the situation under control, I complied with my wolf’s demands. Apparently, I was needed elsewhere.

Yes. The figure.

“Let him go, but make sure he understands what happens if they return. Those wolves are on our pack lands; they’re ours to protect.”

Angelo tilted his massive head, his lion’s grin terrifying. I never wanted to be on his bad side.

I turned around, facing the barrier, and started jogging back as his roar split the night. Paul would have lots of calls about that waiting for him tomorrow morning.

Crossing the barrier felt like walking through a curtain of static energy, a tangible buzzing in the air, but the screeching had stopped. As if every intruder had been dealt with.

That wasn’t right, though.

My eyes zeroed in on the figure still kneeling over one of the injured wolves, his hand pressed to the guy’s chest. He wasn’t part of my pack. We didn’t have witches or wizards.

Not an intruder, my wolf supplied, his ears perked up in interest.

He’s not part of our pack, I told him. The figure swayed precariously.

Not an intruder, my wolf insisted.

I ignored him as I made my way over, several members of my pack already circling around the injured wolves and the cloaked stranger.

Static crackled in the air, the scent of ozone strong, like a thunderstorm was about to hit.