Howl For It
Page 84

A growl broke from Gages beast. He swiped out with his claws, and blood spilled on Daviss white coat.
First blood, Billy said, excitement thick in his voice. Alpha always gets
The wolf had sprung at her from the shadows. Shed tried to run, and his claws had raked down her back. Shed slammed into the floor, and hed been on top of her. His mouth had gone for her throat.
The white wolf leapt up and sank his teeth into Gages throat.
Then the door had opened. Shed told Jonah to wait outside. When theyd first arrived back at the house, something had been wrong. Shed known it. Because shed heard her mother cry out for help. And shed smelled the blood when shed stepped onto the back porch.
Jonah had said that hed wait outside for her. Jonah had promised. Shed made him promise.
Gage shook off the other beast. More blood flowed. The shifters in the room were shouting. Lifting their clawed fingers up as they cheered.
Cheering for death?
Hed broken his promise. Jonah had come in. Had she screamed? She couldnt remember. Would never remember, but she thought . . . she thought she had. Shed screamed and hed come to help her.
Gage slammed his body into Daviss. They both hit the floor. Didnt get up.
The wolf had attacked her brother. Biting and clawing and Jonah had screamed. Shed been crying. Begging the wolf to stop.
Stop, Kayla whispered.
The black wolfs head jerked toward her. In that wild stare, was there any of Gage actually left? Only the beast.
But when he turned to look at her, Davis used that moment to attack. His claws sank into Gages shoulder.
Gage howled and the memories blurred in her mind. You cant distract him, Billy growled to her as his arms wrapped around her and he pulled her back. She didnt even remember stepping forward. He needs to kill the bastard.
Killing . . . thats all shed known since that long ago night.
Shed managed to get to the drawers near the kitchen sink. Shed crawled her way there. Kayla had yanked open the drawer and grabbed one of the knives inside. Get away from him! Her yell had distracted the wolf. Hed let go of Jonah.
Gage knocked the other beast away. Attacked again. Again. More blood. More howls. Gage was definitely stronger, but Davis was a dirtier fighter. And Davis wasnt giving up, no matter how much blood soaked his white coat.
The wolf came at her. She screamed and thrust the knife out. The silver handle glinted in the light before it sank into the beasts thick fur. The wolf stared at her, eyes burning bright, then leapt away.
With that knife still in him, hed run through the open door. Gage had his teeth at Daviss throat now. No more cheering calls came from thewolves. Only silence filled the room.
Like the kind of silence shed known when the wolf left her alone in the house that reeked of death.
Her mother hadnt been moving. Her brotherhed been so broken. Eyes shut, barely breathing. All because of a wolf.
Stay with me, Jonah! Stay! Her hands had grabbed him. Shook him. Its gonna be all right . . .
Her father was due home soon. Hed get there. Hed take care of them all. Everything would be all right.
Gage wasnt ripping the guys throat out. Why not?
Her breath burned in her lungs. She didnt want to watch this anymore. Shed never wanted to watch.
Couldnt she have more than blood and death? Just once?
She turned away and pulled from Billys arms.
Shed managed to drag and stumble her way into the living room. Shed grabbed the phone so that she could dial nine-one-one, then, there, in the corner, shed seen
Her father had already made it home.
What the hell is the alpha doing? Billy asked, voice whisper soft. He cant let him live, the pack wont let
Kayla glanced back. Gage was shifting. Muscles and bones reshaping. The fur seemed to melt from his flesh. Golden, strong flesh.
Davis was on the floor. Bleeding. Chest heaving. But not fighting, not anymore.
The shiftersat least a dozen, maybe twowere muttering. Glancing around uneasily. But they werent attacking. For the moment, no one was.
You wanted to join Lyle, Gage snarled and his voice was still closer to that of a beasts than a mans. Then you fucking will. Ill deliver you to him and the hunters. His hands clenched. Hands now, not the paws of a beast. From this moment on, youre out of this pack. Banished. If any one of us ever sees you again, youre dead.
Gage wasnt killing Davis? He wasnt going to rip the other shifter open right then?
Youre Lyles bitch, so he can cut you up himself. And Im sure he will. Gage turned away from the wolf. Youre not worth my claws.
Billy whistled. That is cold.
Gages eyes were on her now. He was stalking toward her. Naked. Powerful. He . . . hadnt killed. Wolves killed. It was what they did.
She knew all about the pack trials. Two wolves. They fought until death. Only . . .
Neither wolf was dead.
Im more than you think, Gage gritted out, and she barely could hear the words. Barelybecause her attention wasnt on him then.
It was on the beast behind him. The wolf that was now up, not looking nearly so injured. Upand launching at Gages back.