26. Jace

When Eren's hand connected with Kirsten's face, my wolf nearly lunged forward, trying to rip free of my human form. My vision went red, and a rage unlike anything I'd ever felt in my life screamed forward, causing my ears to ring with the magnitude of it all.

A howl erupted from my throat—a combination of my human voice and the inner wolf within. It was an alpha cry, a shout to the clouds and sky for any of my betas—anyone who could come and help me in my injured state.

Another howl burst through the forest, and I sighed with relief. Waylan.

Eren had collapsed, screaming in pain from whatever spell Kirsten had shocked him with. He was attempting to get up, but his leg was a smoking, charred ruin. The only thing keeping him from passing out in pain was his shifter healing and strength. Instead of standing, he clawed at the ground, trying to crawl away with his hands and elbows.

Falling to my knees beside Kirsten, I cradled her head on my lap. "Kirsten? Kirsten, are you okay?" I patted her cheek gently, trying to coax her around, all while keeping Eren in the periphery of my vision.

Kirsten's eyes fluttered open, and I sagged in relief.

"I'm okay," she said, her finger brushing my cheek. "I'm gonna have brain damage by the time all this is over if I'm not careful."

I let out a laugh that was closer to a sob.

Kirsten grabbed my collar. "Eren? Where is he? He can't get away."

As if in answer, Waylan burst out of the forest, his fur matted with blood. He had several cuts along his flank and a patch of hair completely ripped out of the side of his neck. He spotted me and Kirsten, whined, and padded over. He pushed his head against Kirsten, then me—a wolfish greeting—and sniffed at us, checking both of our bodies for injuries. When he noticed my leg, he let out another whine, then turned his head and growled at Eren, lips peeled back from ivory teeth.

"Calm down, old friend," I said, petting Waylan's fur. "This one's mine." I looked into my beta's wolf eyes, making sure he heard me. "Watch over Kirsten. I have work to do."

Waylan, battered and bruised, nodded his big wolf head and stood above her, poised to guard, to defend. I managed to get up to my feet, pushing the pain that lanced through my leg to the back of my mind as I limped toward Eren.

"Fuck you, prick," Eren spat, still trying to get to his feet, tears of pain and agony running down his cheeks. His leg looked awful. The pain had to be horrible. Good.

"Stupid fucker," he panted. "When I get out of here and I'm healed, I'm going to come back. You'll fucking beg me to kill you by the time I'm done. You hear me?" he screamed. "I'll fuck your bitch raw and make you watch when I cut her throat. I'll kill that piece of shit brother-in-law of yours, too. Maybe… ugh… maybe, I'll make you watch as I take that pretty little sister of yours, too. Make you watch as I make a real woman out of her? How'd that be?"

Words. Nothing left of the man but words. It was all he ever had. He'd never held any true power. All along, his father had chosen the wrong son. Perhaps things would have gone differently, though probably not. If Flynn had been given Scottsdale, I had no doubt Eren wouldn't have waited long to kill him just like he'd killed his father.

I shifted back to my wolf form—stalking my prey was more natural in this body than my human one. This was alpha to alpha, and something about that warranted it being done like this. And what I was about to do had to be done. Some people were beyond redemption. Beyond saving and mercy. Any man who would torture children, poison his own father, and take advantage of women should not be allowed to live. Like a rabid dog, the only cure was putting them down.

Eren clawed at the dirt, trying his best to escape. I stepped over him and put my paw into his back, pressing him into the mud.

"I hate you! I fucking hate you!" he screamed like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum.

I wasn't a coward like Eren. I didn't want to end him with his back turned. I wanted to see his face and know that he understood what was coming. With my paw, I pushed and shoved until he rolled onto his back. His tears had cut tracks through the mud smeared across his face. He bared his teeth at me, doing his best to show me he wasn't afraid, but his eyes betrayed him. He was terrified.

"You don't have the guts," Eren said through gritted teeth, rasping the words like a curse. "You don't have the balls to do it, you fucking pussy. You'll chicken out. I know you will." It was more of a prayer than a statement.

Looking him in the eye, I pressed my paw on his neck, my claws resting on the same spot where he'd held the knife to Kirsten's throat.

At the last possible second, the tough exterior crumbled away. Eren's jaw went slack, horror and fear flooding his face. Instead of cursing me, he opened his mouth to scream.

"Help. Help me. Hel—"

His screams gave way to gagging rasps as I tore open his throat. Blood gushed from his neck and sputtered from his lips. I turned away, leaving him to die alone as his life's blood pulsed out of his carotid artery. Seconds later, he was silent.

It was over. Finally over.

Waylan shifted and tried to lift Kirsten, but I changed to my human form and waved him away. "I've got her. I can do it."

Before either of them could object, I stooped down and put an arm under her back and knees, then cradled her to my chest.

"Jace, put me down," she said. "You're hurt."

I shook my head and began to limp through the woods. "You're my mate, and I'm the alpha. I'll be damned if I let anyone else carry you home."

She sighed, then twined her arms around my neck. I had to lean on Waylan while we made our way back home, my leg screaming in pain with every step. Kirsten rested her head on my shoulder, and soon she was fast asleep. The spell she'd used on Eren and her initial attempt to heal me had worn her out.

The sounds of battle were quieter as we walked, and when we emerged from the forest, we found we'd been victorious. Langston and Flynn were calling out orders to the others. Most of the ferals had been rounded up and penned inside a paddock my father had used for cattle. The wood was ancient but still sturdy. Noah, holding the last free feral in a bear hug, walked forward and tossed it over the side to join its friends.

Several of Eren's pack sat on their knees, watched over by members of our alliance. We'd won. There were many still missing, though—Eren's most diehard supporters and the lone wolves he'd brought in. They'd seen the writing on the wall and run. Soon, word would spread that their alpha was dead. They'd do their best to go far away. California, Alaska, I didn't care where, as long as it was far from here because if I saw any of them again, I'd kill them on sight. The ones who'd surrendered were probably fathers who'd been forced into service when Eren took their sons. They still had a chance to redeem themselves.

"Oh my god!" a voice called out from the house. I looked up and saw Harley rushing toward us, Tinsley at her heels. "Kirsten? Are you okay?"

Harley reached us and gently pushed Kirsten's hair aside.

"She's okay," I said. "A little banged up, and a lot tired. Other than that, she's fine."

Harley let out a sigh of relief, then turned her eyes to Waylan. "And what about you?"

"Wha… what about me?'

"Are you gonna ever kiss me? Because if you don't, I'll make sure you never walk again."

A smile spread slowly across his lips. "Yes, ma'am." He dragged her close and kissed her long and hard.

Tinsley touched my arm. "Let's get you up to the house. Looks like you both could use a little healing. Come on."

I did as I was told, hobbling up to the house behind her. Kirsten mumbled something unintelligible, then burrowed her face into my neck.

"Are we good?" Langston asked. "Eren?"

"He's done. Forever. His body is out by the creek in the woods."

He put a hand to his head and let out a laugh. He wasn't happy a man was dead, just relieved it was all over, once and for all.

"What do you need from me, boss?" he asked, helping me up the steps.

"You and Flynn take charge. I think Waylan is a little preoccupied." He and Harley were still making out on my front lawn as we spoke. "Make sure everyone gets home safe," I continued. "Send a group out into the surrounding areas to try and flush out any of Eren's men who didn't run or surrender." I glanced around, trying to see how many of our people were hurt or killed. "How bad?" I asked, and Langston knew what I meant.

"Could have been worse. No one died on our side. Lots of scrapes, bites, and a couple broken bones, but Tinsley has most of them patched up." He winced. "Kyro did get his left pinky finger bit off. I don't think magic can regrow a finger."

"A finger is better than other things," I said, and left Langston laughing on the porch.

I couldn't get up the stairs with my injured leg and carrying Kirsten, so I settled her on the couch and collapsed into a chair beside her.

"Someone did a number on you," Tinsley said as she worked on my leg.

"You should see the other guy," I said.

The joke fell flat. The other guy had been a feral. Probably a teenager or older adolescent from the size of him. I'd killed him. I'd killed an innocent Eren had twisted to his own evil deeds. That would stick with me for a long time, and I wondered if it had been Alex. How would I be able to look Morgan in the face and tell him his brother was dead if I'd cast the killing blow? I pushed those awful thoughts aside and spent the next several hours watching over Kirsten.

When Tinsley had me mostly healed, I carried Kirsten upstairs, where I took up my post beside her bed, watching and waiting for her to wake up. The minutes turned into hours. Outside, the sounds of cleanup slowly faded until all I could hear were the snarls and yowls of the ferals. My body wanted to sleep, but my mind wouldn't allow it. I had to be awake when Kirsten woke. I didn't want her to wake up alone.

Eventually, in the late afternoon, she rolled over and yawned before smiling at me.

"Did that really happen?" she asked. "Or was it all a dream?"

"No, it happened," I brushed her hair back from her forehead. "How are you feeling?"

She probed at her split lip with her tongue and winced. "Asshole got me good."

"Won't have to worry about that again."

Her eyes narrowed at the mention of Eren, and she touched my chest. "How do you feel about that? Are you going to be all right?"

I'd never taken a life so willfully. It was a heavy thing to do, but it had been warranted. Eren couldn't have been allowed to survive. He was too far gone, too obsessed with power. Even if he'd been turned out and banished, there would always be the fear that he'd return for revenge. Neither me, Flynn, nor any of the other alphas would ever be able to rest, and he would do something else equally evil no matter where he went. I would sleep fine at night knowing I'd killed him.

"I'm good," I said. "Really."

"Come here, then," she said, digging her fingers into my shirt and pulling me toward her.

We kissed, gentle and sweet, for a long time, neither of us wanting the connection to break. At last, I pulled away and asked, "What do you want to do?"

"I want to see everyone. Make sure they're all right."

"Sounds good," I said, and helped her off the bed.

Downstairs, the kitchen looked like a disaster zone. It was obviously one of the main hubs Tinsley had used for the injured. Dirty towels, muddy footprints, overturned containers of herbs, and melting ice packs were strewn all around. It would take a whole day to clean up, but if it had kept my people whole and healthy, the mess was worth it.

Outside, we found a huge number of my pack still milling about. Most of the other alphas had departed with their people, heading home to heal their wounds. Shayna and Dustin had come up to say goodbye while Kirsten slept.

The first thing Kirsten noticed was all the ferals in the paddock. "It's so awful," she said.

The wolves snapped and bit at each other, clawing the dirt around the enclosure and walking in mad circles. They appeared to be completely out of their minds in every way. It was sad, gut-wrenching, and scary all at the same time. Going feral was one of the greatest fears among shifters, and having this many of them around was disconcerting.

"We need to help them," she said, stepping closer to the paddock.

"Hang on," I said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You're still too tired. Kirsten, I want to help them, too, but you need to be at full strength."

"Fine, but I want to do something. Is Alex here? Morgan's brother?"

I honestly didn't know. I'd been too concerned about her to ask whether the boy had been among those captured.

"Let's look," I said, giving in.

She and I walked close to the fence, making sure to stay back far enough so none of the creatures could bite at us. We scanned the ferals, looking for the markings that would give Alex away. After a few seconds, I let out a trembling sigh and pointed to the back of the enclosure.

"There. That's him."

Kirsten followed my finger until it rested upon a dark brown wolf with a splotch of gray on his chest.

"Oh my god, you're right," she whispered, putting her hand to her mouth. "Can we get him separated from the others? I want to try."

"We can try to herd him into the smaller pen," I said. My dad's old cattle stuff wasn't really designed for wolves, but I thought the other pen would work.

After ten minutes of urging the ferals around with long sticks, Tank and I managed to get Alex to move into a separate pen from the other ferals. The wolf sat, shivering and growling in all directions.

Kirsten knelt and looked at him through the wooden slats while I stood back and watched her work. She cooed quiet, calming words, and I felt her magic swirling around them. Soon, the wolf started thrashing its head from side to side as though trying to clear its mind. Kirsten didn't stop speaking about Morgan and how much he wanted his brother back. The magic she used made my skin tingle even from ten feet away.

The wolf writhed around on the growl, yelping, but soon, it shifted into a young man. Basically still a boy. He was barely old enough to vote, much less to have gone through Eren's torment.

He rolled over, eyes wide in shock and fear.

"Morgan?" he asked, wrapping his fingers around the wooden slat. "Is Morgan here? Where's my brother?" Alex was crying, body shuddering as though he was freezing.

"Get him out of there," I called. "Get him the hell out of there."

Tank rushed forward, lifted the wooden crossbar, and swung the door out. Alex crumpled forward, sobbing and putting his face on Kirsten's feet.

"Thank you. Oh, God, thank you. Where's my brother?"

Kirsten knelt and rubbed his back. "He's somewhere safe. I promise. We'll take you to him."

Alex looked up, his face streaked with dirt and tears. "Really?"

She nodded. "Yes."

Alex's lower lip trembled, and a sob broke from his chest. "Can you hold me?"

She took the boy into her arms and rocked him like he was a baby. Alex cried, and I choked up and wiped my eyes. The madness he'd endured, the terrible things Eren had done to him, and now getting a second chance? It was almost too much for anyone to go through.

While the boy sobbed into Kirsten's shoulder, I turned my attention to the other ferals in the pen, then to the two I'd killed. Both had been in self-defense, yes, but I'd still killed them. They'd been innocent. Someone's babies. Children who would never come home, and I'd done that. In those few seconds, I wished Eren was still alive so that I could kill him again.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Alex stopped crying. I called Tank over.

"Get my truck," I said. "I want this boy taken to Dustin and Shayna—fast. I'll text them to let them know you're on the way. They'll have Morgan there when he arrives."

"On it," the big man said, and ran for my truck.

A few minutes later, Alex was waving to us out of the passenger side window as Tank hurried him off to reunite him with the only family he had. Kirsten waited until the truck was out of sight before sagging into me.

"That took a lot out of me," she admitted, then looked toward the pen again. "But there's so many who need help."

I wrapped my arm around her and turned her from the pen. "We have time. We'll help them all, I promise, but you need to rest some more."

"Did I do good?" she asked as we went back up the steps.

"You did amazing."