Chapter 18

August nearly got taken out by a few deer racing down the path and had to squeeze against the stone wall to keep from being trampled. He moved back onto the path and saw Ginny run into the norms' paddock.

He also saw the male chasing her, as well as several others coming from the other way, move in that direction. She'd be trapped. He hadn't gotten a chance to give her the security codes, so she wouldn't be able to unlock the maintenance shed.

His feet pounded on the worn path as he followed, desperate to get to her before she was harmed. As he reached the broken door of the norms' paddock, someone jerked him off his feet and tossed him backward.

It happened so fast he didn't even have time to yell out in shock. He hit the ground, the air rushing from his lungs and his head thudding as he landed, his ears ringing and his eyes watering.

A male leaned over him, and the pressure on his chest increased greatly until he was sure something was going to crack.

"You're following her," the male said. He was older, with gray hair and a thick beard. It wasn't his face that reminded him of Ginny so much as his eyes. They were the same green that August had loved from the moment he'd met her.

"She's mine," he managed to get out between painful gasps of air.

Her grandfather leaned a little harder and August did feel something crack. Pain ratcheted through him, making his vision blur.

"Not for long," he said. "I need her to flush the other one out, and then?—"

The male was pushed off August abruptly. August rolled to his side and tried to inhale as whatever rib had cracked made his whole chest hurt. Coughing more than breathing, he managed to get to his knees and straighten.

A male squared off against Ginny's grandfather.

August had never seen the male before, but he was holding back Ginny's grandfather and that's what mattered.

"Get to Ginny, man," the male shouted to August, dark claws shining from his fingertips.

"I knew you'd come for her," her grandfather said. "Your time has come."

"Yours. First."

August ignored the banter between the males and raced for the paddock. He found Tank the moose between Ginny and four males. There was a male on the ground, groaning. Tank had cloth hanging from one of his antlers.

"Fucking take him out, he's a damn deer!" one of the males yelled.

"He's a moose and he'll kick your ass!" Ginny taunted. She had some visible bruises but otherwise looked okay.

August ran to the group and took out two of the males by cracking their heads together. As the others turned to him, he shouted for Ginny.

"You okay, babe?"

He ducked a fist and then kicked out, shoving the male toward Tank, who lowered his head and shoved the male to the side like he was throwing a toy.

"I'm okay. You're bleeding."

"I am?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah."

August ducked away from the remaining male and swung behind him, slamming a fist into the center of his back. As the male went down, Tank reared onto his hind legs and landed solidly on the male with a loud crack.

"I'm good," August replied smoothly.

He looked at the five males. The one he'd thrown was trying to crawl away. August and Ginny both ran for him while Tank stamped his hooves on the ground and lifted his head in a loud snort.

August reached the male first, tossing him to his back and planting his foot on his chest.

"Speak," August said, voice filled with venom.

The male snarled and clamped his lips together.

Ginny looked at August. "We should call Tank back over. His hooves are harder than your boot."

The male's eyes went wide for a moment, and then he bared his teeth. "You're dead, you bitch. The minute he's done with you, your grandfather is going to slit your throat just like he did your parents."

Ginny shouted out an angry curse and kicked the male in the side of the head. He went limp, his eyes closed, as blood trickled from the wound on his head.

She looked at August across the unconscious male and her eyes were shining, her cheeks wet with tears.

He stepped over the male and wrapped his arms around her.

"I've got you."

She sobbed in his arms, her hands gripping his shirt. "I was so s-scared."

"You? Scared?" He chuckled. "You're the fucking strongest, most fearless female I've ever known. You stood against a handful of males and, good news, sweetheart, you're still standing and they're not."

He tilted her face and smiled

She blinked and tears rolled from her eyes again. When she smiled, her split lip cracked and bled, and she winced.

"Ouch."

He kissed the corner of her mouth. "Something weird is happening out there."

"Weirder than Tank coming to my rescue or the jackals that infiltrated the park?"

"Yeah. Your grandfather attacked me and said something about needing you to flush someone out."

She frowned. "What?"

"Yeah. He was out on the path." He patted his pocket and realized he didn't have his phone. "Do you have your phone?"

She shook her head. "I don't know where I dropped it."

He let go of her but took her hand, leading her to the maintenance shed where he showed her the keycode to unlock the door, then swung the door open. Inside, he lifted a walkie and switched it to the security frequency.

"This is August. I'm in the norm paddock and I've got five jackal males here that need to be gathered up."

There was a crackle, and then he heard Joss answer, "I'm sending males to you. Is Ginny okay? Do either of you need medical assistance?"

He was about to answer that he thought they were both fine when Ginny gasped and gripped his arm tightly.

He looked at her and saw she was frozen, staring out the door toward the paddock gate.

"He's alive!"

Ginny ached from head to toe and every dang part in between. She wanted to curl up in a ball and cry for a few days, and she also wanted to take a very hot bath and soak until she felt normal again.

As she listened to August explain they needed assistance, movement from the paddock gate caught her attention.

Her grandfather walked through the gate, but he wasn't alone.

He was dragging…no. It couldn't be.

Her brother, one arm hanging at an odd angle, face beat all to hell, was struggling to keep up with her grandfather's pace.

"He's alive!" She sputtered the words, both elated and confused.

August said into the radio, "Fuck. We're not alone in the paddock. Her grandfather is here. We need backup, fucking right now."

"On the way," the male said, his voice tinny through the walkie speaker.

August stepped in front of Ginny.

"Who is that?" he asked with a low voice.

"It's my brother, Cliff. I…he's dead, I don't understand!"

"Is it a trick?"

She stared at the male, who looked like he'd been run over by a train, and knew that it was her brother. How was it possible?

"It's not a trick, it's him."

"Stay behind me, your grandfather's on the warpath."

August moved forward to meet her grandfather and brother and she stayed at his back. Part of her wanted to run to Cliff, but part of her still couldn't reconcile what she was seeing. How was it possible that he was alive? She'd been so sure when she'd seen the body rolled up in the old rug and heard the males talk about her being next that it was her brother in there.

Wasn't it? Had she made a mistake and he'd been alive the whole time?

"That's far enough!" she shouted over August's shoulder. "Let Cliff go and leave us alone forever. We don't care if you're alpha until you're a decrepit old male, we're no threat to you."

"Aren't you?" her grandfather asked, letting go of Cliff's arm. He crumpled to the ground with a groan. "As long as there are heirs, or the threat of future heirs," he said, his gaze dropping pointedly to her belly for a moment before returning to stare at her face, "then my hands are tied by the laws of our people. You will return to your home, along with your brother, and sacrifice yourselves for the good of our people."

"You're out of your mind," she yelled.

"You're not taking my mate anywhere," August said with a low growl. "You'll leave this place on your own or with my help, but one way or another, you will never be a threat to her again."

Her grandfather glanced at August but didn't seem to consider him a threat.

She'd seen him fight, and she knew that was a mistake.

Behind them, park shifters entered the paddock. She recognized a few of them but really didn't care who they were; she was just thankful they'd shown up.

Something glinted in her grandfather's hand as he pulled it from his back.

The dark metal of a thick serrated blade flashed as time seemed to stand still. He was aiming for Cliff, who was struggling to get to his knees. She shouted in alarm, and her jackal panicked, as she thought she might lose her brother all over again.

August jerked her away, tossing her aside as the blade she thought was heading for Cliff was actually heading for her.

The blade sailed through the air with a piercing whistle.

She hit the ground with a groan.

There was a sickening, squelching sound, and August fell beside her.

No!

NO!