Chapter 55

Sam

Night was always blackest a few hours before dawn, or so the saying went. It was midnight. And this black was tangible, blanketing everything, smothering us in its darkness. The temperature was dropping, and a few flakes of snow swirled around us as we crept in our net-like formation to the shack. My blood trail might as well have been a neon beacon signaling the path. My gut twisted as the wildlife around us quit chittering. The nocturnal creatures of the forest were absent. As were the wolves who had held me prisoner hours before.

It's too quiet. Anyone see or hear anything?I sent to the pack. Every pack member of majority would hear me, so the entire adult pack would be able to receive my all call directives. Cade, and Megan by proxy, would be in the loop, which gave me some comfort.

Nothing on our side, but agreed that it's too quiet,came Jonathan's reply. He was leading the pack from the back. He'd been an army Ranger and had experience with battle.

We continued, senses on high alert, finding nothing of note. When the building was in view I crouched down and waited, watching. Everything was still. No movement, no anything.

Dad?I tried. No response. I wasn't surprised as I assumed they'd given him a heavy round of drugs or worse, beat him into unconsciousness after he created such a spectacular diversion that allowed my escape.

Mal, I called one of the younger wolves who was probably the fastest runner we had with us, move forward. Stay low to the ground but move closer. Try to scent if our Alpha is still there. Run if anything feels off. I kept my instructions on the all call so no one was surprised when Mal moved forward. She inched along, nose to the ground, eyes and ears alert. She made it all the way to the door of the cabin. At once her ears went flat, and she backed up rapidly.

Someone's in there!She called, right as the door burst open and a wolf the size of Goliath came bounding out. He was huge, brindled, and had drool slinging off his canines as he charged Mal.

Before she even had a chance to back up more than three paces, he was on her, jaws snapping. Mal yipped, but before the brindled wolf could get at her, Jonathan charged from the bush, his teeth sinking into the big wolf's throat. There was thrashing and whimpering, but it only lasted a moment as the big wolf went down hard, immobilized by Jonathan's teeth.

Is he dead?I asked from my spot in the brush, heart thrumming, leg throbbing, anxiety well over the healthy limit.

No. I bit a pressure point. He'll be down for a while. Jonathan sniffed the air again. No one else is here. They must have expected a solo or small party rescue.

Cautiously, I moved toward the cabin, my wolves following my lead.

Mal, you okay?

I'm not hurt.

Fan out. Find out what you can. I put my nose to the ground and immediately picked up Dad's scent. The others soon had it, too.

We need to keep our numbers concealed, Jonathan suggested.

Taking his experienced advice, I gave the order and we melted back into the wood. I alone stayed on the path. I walked boldly, despite my fear and trepidation.

We heard the voices before we could see them, and I knew they sensed us at the same time.

"They're here!" someone called. Immediately, we could pick up the noises of underbrush crunching, growls working their way out of chests. The stench of motor oil and gas hung in the air. This was the transport spot. Dad might be up ahead!

Go!

As one, we moved through the underbrush nearer the enemy pack. As planned for this scenario, Jonathan's group stayed behind, letting my group take the lead.

A small clearing came into view and a dozen wolves were on the ground, teeth bared, hackles raised. Like a gun sounding the start of a race, they lunged toward us, and we met them in equal force. Though Wolf pushed to enter the fray, jaws open, I tried to stay back on the fringe of the clearing. It was important that I wasn't heavily engaged because I was the only one who could do the all call. Without my voice, my pack couldn't move as one. We couldn't be effective.

The enemy pack knew this, too. Immediately, a brown wolf sized me up as he came at me. Jaws wide, teeth glinting in the weak moonlight that filtered down through the canopy on the fringe of the clearing. We met in midair, paws swiping heavily. My right paw found purchase on the wolf's neck, batting him down while his teeth snapped harmlessly at the air. It took less than a second for him to right himself and even less time to ascertain my injured leg.

Using the bulk of his muscled body, he knocked into me, sending all my weight on my injured leg. An involuntary yelp escaped, and I used the momentum to move into a roll that put me beside the wolf's back legs. I wasted no time in biting down, much in the same way my own leg had been bitten earlier. Blood filled my mouth, and Wolf reveled in the power of the taste. I shook my head hard, and the wolf came down, whimpering as I locked my jaws in place. With another shake of my head and twist around to miss his swinging front paws. I cracked the wolf's leg against the ground and felt the wet snap between my teeth.

The wolf howled, and I let go, knowing the wolf wasn't an immediate threat now. Where that wolf had been, a large black one now took its place, slavering in front of me with eyes narrowed to slits and trained on my throat.

My leg throbbed, but I didn't have time to dwell on that or on the battle going on around me. All of my part of the pack was engaged with enemy wolves, and in my quick glance, several from Jonathan's group were coming in to swell our numbers.

Are we outnumbered?I shouted the all call, meaning to send the thought to Jonathan.

Nearly. Wait! Dominic! He's in that truck.

Get him! It was all I had time for as the black wolf launched and was on me. Talking to Jonathan had distracted me enough to provide the opening the black wolf needed.

Snarls, screams, and blood filled the black night, and my head swam with the sensation of teeth nicking the flesh of my shoulder. I winced, growling in pain and frustration, and circled the black wolf, his eyes still on my throat.

Shots rang out, and several startled yips and howls ripped through the air. I cringed involuntarily, but quickly squared my shoulders as the black wolf rammed into my chest, nearly sending me flying head over tail. I let the momentum move me back and, quicker than lightning, bit my teeth down into the black wolf's ruff. I didn't get much flesh, mostly fur and hide, but it was enough to keep him from reaching my throat with his ugly canines. He struggled beneath me, and I fought to maintain my grip on him.

More gunfire sounded around the clearing.

Three down over here!

Wolf down!

We need to move out! Corwin's voice echoed last.

I could feel the tension, knew our time was running out. Panic gripped my gut, and my mind was divided, trying to manage the black wolf trying to kill me, and direct the wolves trying to get my dad out of the truck.

Jonathan, do you have him?I all but screamed.

One more minute! They have him tied in here!

Can you drive him out?

The black wolf growled and shoved the whole weight of his body upward, catching me under the chin. The force of his upward lunge sent me sprawling. The moment seemed to play in slow motion as I stared at a wolf lunging over me for the second time that night. I braced for impact, trying to roll out of the way before claws and teeth cut into me, when a black-red fireball of fur leaped from the shadows and caught the wolf midleap, right before it landed squarely on me.

The mass of black-red fur and black wolf snarled and bit and clawed and fought. Shaking my head to clear it, I went to join in and finish the black wolf when another shot rang out and the world went black.