1. Anna

1

Anna

My wolf gave me exactly three seconds of warning, which was the only reason I'd managed to crouch down before the dark shadow bowled into me. We tumbled down the hill, and I landed with the wolf on top of me, claws slicing through my shoulder.

Someone shouted my name, but it wasn't any of my pack, despite being surrounded by them. They were all busy shifting as more wolves came out of the woods.

Emerson.

We'd followed the scent of chemicals straight to the densely wooded area between Emerson's territory and the town.

Even now, my nose told me that we still had a few miles to go before we found the explosive. As Emerson made his way down the hill, I doubted that someone was lagging with the explosive. It was a trap, set in motion by a witch who hadn't betrayed Emerson after all.

Damn. I was too trusting.

"Enough," Emerson called out, and the wolf moved off me. I caught a glimpse of their eyes in the moonlight.

Elonso.

He was one massive wolf.

Following his alpha's lead, he stepped aside, and Emerson approached me. Behind me, wolves growled in warning, but I put my own hand up to stay the violence. Judging by the shapes I saw moving in the woods, we were vastly outnumbered.

"I always find a way to get what I want," Emerson said in a low voice. "You should know that by now. You are mine, and I will never stop hunting you, never stop killing whoever stands in my way."

A shiver went down my spine, and I knew for certain that the only way we were ever going to get out of here alive was if Emerson was dead. His guards weren't going to let multiple people attack us, but Emerson's ego was always going to be his downfall. I called on my wolf, and she immediately rose to the occasion. My shift was so sudden that when I attacked Emerson, I still had clothes tearing off me.

My nostrils filled with the smell of his blood as I raked my claw across his chest. He hissed, and his wolves advanced on me.

"No," Emerson shouted. "Leave her be. I need no help with her."

Crouching, my whole skin quivered with anticipation. Turning back to face me, he placed his fingers on his wound and licked off the blood. "You've always needed a man to show you your place. Maybe you even got off on it, hm?"

My wolf snarled in disgust, and he laughed. "I am impressed. There was a time when your wolf was so submissive it could do nothing but cower in fear and look at you now. Ready to take me on. We'll have to do something about that, won't we?"

He smirked as he started to shift, and I attacked. I knew Emerson's weakness. It took far too long for his wolf to come to him, and by the time he was down on all fours, he was bleeding from the flank and howling in fury.

Unfortunately, his grey wolf was also nearly twice the size of mine. I'd hoped the silver coursing through his body would slow him down some, but it wasn't enough. The next time I attacked, he easily pulled me under. Teeth ripped into my shoulder.

Fear and panic coursed through my wolf as I wiggled out and rolled away. She immediately turned to flee when another sensation struck me.

Fury. It wasn't mine. It lit up the mating bond, and with it came the kind of power that could only have come from Jax.

He pushed his anger and his strength through me. Whipping around, I leaped and met Emerson's attack head-on. I saw the surprise in his eyes as I raked my claws under his belly. He tried to twist, but his size became a problem, and he landed on his side. I turned and sunk my teeth into him, tearing out flesh.

His claws hit me hard, but I held on. Sinking my paws against his skin, I climbed up his body and then raked my teeth across his throat.

His wolf whimpered and I pushed away. Standing, I watched as he tried to stand but collapsed.

Gritting my own teeth against the pain, I shifted back into me and stared down at him. A figure moved to my left and I jumped.

"Just me," Kenzi said, and handed me something.

The flare gun.

Triumphantly, I held it out and aimed it at Emerson. His wolf hadn't moved.

"I almost wish I could let you live," I told Emerson as I fingered the trigger. "So you'd spend your whole life knowing that I was the one who brought you down. Well, let's be honest, I had a little help from some wolves who don't just see me as garbage. Wolves who believe in me, and an alpha who respects me. There has never been a single second in my life where I have ever been yours, and tonight, you're going to die knowing that."

I let my arm drop and handed the flare gun back to Kenzi. "I won't be needing this. As much as I would love to feel the life draining from him because of me, his death belongs to another. What he did to me pales in comparison to the torture he's inflicted on his pack. He's taken away their freedom and made them do God knows what for him. It ends tonight."

Turning, I nodded my head at Elonso's wolf. "He's all yours."

With a low rumble, Elonso shifted. When his black wolf was no more, he stepped toward Emerson and, without a word, hauled him up and snapped his neck.

Goddamn.

A wolf howled in the distance, a sound I knew well, and we all watched in silence as Jax's wolf broke free from the tree line and raced toward me. He stopped dead and sniffed me up and down. When he smelled blood, he turned, lowered his head, and roared.

"He's dead," I told Jax as I ran my fingers through the thick fur around his nape. "And I'm going to be just fine."

"Is there anyone here who would challenge me?" Elonso shouted.

No one said a word or stepped forward. He threw his head back and screamed into the skies. "Blood Moon Pass! I am your alpha! Swear your allegiance to me!"

One by one, his wolves shifted and bowed on one knee. I tried to ignore the unease crawling through me as they swore allegiance to Elonso. The land shook beneath us, a sign that the territory accepted the new leadership. I knew nothing about Elonso, but tonight, as he took control, I could see the power and strength in him.

When he walked toward me, Jax growled in warning, but Elonso bowed his head. "I mean her no harm, Alpha Jax. I only want to know why she trusted me."

"I don't know if trust is the right word, but Janelle shielded you from the magic that took over your pack. A small sigil on the inside of your thigh."

Elonso's eyes widened, and Jax snapped his head up at me as I just chuckled. "Relax. I could see the glow of the magic, but since she's never said a word about you, I'm guessing you didn't know about it either."

Sure enough, he bent down to try and examine himself for a mark. When he straightened, he frowned. "I could see what was happening to the pack. I thought Emerson was sparing me because he trusted me."

"Trusted you?" I snorted. "Emerson didn't trust anyone. I suspect that you were the last person he trusted. When he ordered Cindy to kill herself, you stepped forward to stop her. That's one person you care about in this pack, which is more than I can say for him. Take care of this pack, Elonso. If I've discovered that I've made a mistake, I'll come for you."

"You don't have that authority."

I looked down at Emerson's dead body. "Tonight, I apparently have given myself that authority. Dismiss the witches and remove that spell."

"Return Janelle and Cindy."

"We will not keep them prisoner, but they need time to heal. Once they've done so, if they want to return, we'll be in touch." I paused. "What are the chances that you'll grant us safe passage through your lands so we can return home?"

"I will not," Elonso said roughly. "Nor will I thank you for what happened tonight. Emerson would not have seen the next full moon, but you did make it easier. His obsession with you corrupted him, corrupted my whole pack. If it's all the same to you, I don't want you touching my territory again. Not until I've gained full control. You're toxic, Anna Bishop."

It was the first time anyone had referred to me by my mated name, even though we hadn't yet completed the mating ritual. I ignored the little thrill that went through me, but I couldn't ignore my mate grinning up at me.

"I understand," I told Elonso softly, and I did. He only echoed what I'd thought many times in my head.

That I brought nothing but blood and death on the heads of anyone near me.

"Then we'll be leaving tomorrow. Hopefully, we will not have to return."