Showdown

ALLIE

Ryan stalks toward me with a cold smile on his face. “You really don’t know what is good for you, do you? You think that you can run away from me?”

“It looks as though I’m going to have to teach you obedience. To show you what happens when you defy me.”

He grabs Toby by the neck and lifts him off the ground. Toby tries to struggle free, but it’s no use. Ryan’s grip around his neck tightens, squeezing off his air supply.

I cry out, “Stop, please! Don’t hurt him.”

“You should have thought about that before you ran. I wouldn’t have had to hurt any of your friends if you hadn’t tried to escape, but now… They have to pay. It’s the only way.”

He throws Toby across the clearing. My friend’s head slams into a tree, and his body crumples to the ground, unmoving. I can’t tell if he’s alive or dead.

“Now you’re going to come here like a good little wolf, or I’ll kill the rest of your friends. You won’t defy me again.”

I look around. We are surrounded by his wolves, outnumbered. There is no escape, no way for me to defy him without everyone getting hurt.

I sigh and nod, and slowly make my way toward him, hating the look of triumph on his face.

I don’t get far before a group of snarling wolves race into the center of the clearing blocking my path to Ryan. I sigh with relief as I recognize the black wolf leading the group.

James is here to rescue us.

JAMES

I pound into the clearing just in time. My mate and my brother are still alive, but I can see that they have been injured and are surrounded by Ryan’s pack.

I quickly shift fully back into my human form, and the rest of my wolves follow my lead.

“This ends now, Ryan. You’re not taking my mate. You’re not going to have another opportunity to attack any more packs. I’m going to end you.”

Ryan laughs. “You’ve behaved exactly like I hoped you would, and you’ve made it so easy for me to kill you. Racing to face me with just a few wolves to back you, arrogant to the end.

“I’m going to enjoy ripping your throat out, and then taking your mate and making her mine.”

“He isn’t alone,” Allie snarls at Ryan. “We are still fighting. I would rather fight and die here than be your slave.”

I’m so proud of how brave she is, and how willing she is to fight, but this battle is between me and Ryan. He murdered my father and he has attacked and tried to destroy my pack and my mate.

I have to be the one to take him down.

“I don’t need an army to take you on, Ryan. All I need you to do is stay and fight, and not run away like a coward, which is what you usually do.”

Ryan growls at me.

“You can’t deny it,” I go on. “We have faced each other five times, and each time, you’ve run away.”

I can see the fury on his face as he snarls at me. His fangs have elongated.

I simply smile at him. I know I’ve touched a nerve. He’s built his reputation on fear and brutally attacking and destroying packs. The image of him running from me doesn’t enhance that reputation.

I’m glad he’s angry. If he fights in a rage, it will make him careless and more likely to make mistakes.

Quick as lightning, he lunges toward me, his claws outstretched and his fangs bared. He’s fast, but I’m ready for him.

At the last moment, I step to the side to avoid his claws that are aimed at my throat. He rips into my left side, but the wound isn’t deep enough to cause major damage.

I swerve around to tear into his face and cause a laceration so deep that it exposes his cheekbone.

I try to grab him by the neck, but he twists his body away, eluding my grasp. Before he can launch another attack, I push forward.

This time I aim for his stomach, and I slash my claws across his abdomen. It creates a deep tear that exposes his entrails.

He howls with pain but doesn’t stop. He hurls himself at me, snapping at my throat. I lash out and punch him repeatedly on his face and chest, which slows him down.

His fangs pierce my left shoulder, tearing flesh and chipping bone. The wound saps the strength and movement in my left arm.

Still, his injuries are greater than mine. He’s slowing, weakening, but I can’t prolong the fight for much longer.

I scan the battlefield. I can see our wolves are outnumbered but fighting bravely. A few are injured and unable to continue fighting, but my brother and mate are attacking fiercely.

Between them, they have already taken down five of Ryan’s wolves, but they won’t last much longer without help.

I know that Lucy is on her way and will be here shortly, but there might not be enough time.

The only way to finish this fight quickly is to kill Ryan. Once he is defeated, the rest of his pack will flee.

I lunge at him and punch him in his injured stomach. He screams in agony. I push him to the ground and reach for his neck, ready to rip out his throat, but another wolf grabs me from behind.

They tear into my back as they try to pull me away and prevent me from finishing Ryan.

I turn my head, readying myself to fight this wolf, needing to end him before Ryan has a chance to recover. I shove my shoulder into his stomach and swivel around, punching him in the face.

He whimpers in pain but doesn’t let go, determined to save Ryan even if it means his own death.

I know I don’t have long. I can see that although Ryan has been weakened by the injuries he has sustained, he’s pulling himself to his feet, readying himself to join the fight again.

Just then I hear the thunder of feet as fifty wolves, led by Lucy, enter the clearing.

Their presence energizes me. I swipe out one last time and tear out the throat of the wolf who has been holding me back.

I turn my attention back to Ryan.

He has risen to his feet, swaying and snarling, and makes one final attempt to attack. He comes at me, claws directed at my chest.

With a roar, I bat his arms away and use my body to slam him to the ground again.

I tear into his chest, rip out his beating heart, and throw it to the ground.

He coughs once. Blood drips from his mouth, and I watch as the light is extinguished from his eyes.

He’s dead. I’ve finally avenged my father and killed the threat that has been hanging over my pack for the last five years.

I turn to search for my mate.

The battle is almost over, and most of Ryan’s wolves have fled or lie dead. The few that are left fighting are surrounded.

At last, I see Allie. She’s crouching next to the body of a wolf slumped against a tree. I make my way to her, desperate to make sure that she’s not severely injured.

She looks up at me with tears rolling down her face. “James, he’s dead. Ryan killed him, and it’s all my fault. If only I hadn’t run from him.” Her grief is palpable.

“It wouldn’t have made any difference,” I console her. “He would have killed him anyway. He would have killed most of the pack, and your friends.”

I pull her into my arms, desperate to soothe her to take away the hurt. “Giving Ryan what he wanted never stopped him from killing people.”

Her friend Danielle joins us, with David close behind. Her arm hangs loosely at her side, and her cheek has fresh claw marks from the battle.

“It’s not your fault, Allie. Ryan is evil,” Danielle tells my mate as tears fill her eyes. “He killed my whole family. It’s what he does. You tried to help Toby. You were taking us to safety.”

Danielle’s tears begin to flow faster. “If I hadn’t slowed you down… It was my fault, my not wanting to leave.”

“He was waiting for us,” David reminds her. “Your friend Jason betrayed you. There was no way we were leaving that house without a fight. If you must blame someone, blame him.”

“What happened to Jason?” Danielle asks.

“Killed when Lucy’s wolves joined the fight. He knew it was over and tried to run for it. He didn’t get very far.”

“Good.”

“It’s over,” I assure them all.

“Ryan is gone. We will grieve for those who died fighting to defeat him, and we will never forget their sacrifice. We now have a chance to get on with our lives, without living in fear.

“Something a lot of packs will be grateful to us for.”