Bound by Blood (An Anya Maynard Novel)

Chapter Twenty Four

   My plan worked, Connor didn’t so much as flinch when his brother died, he merely looked to me with a mix of disbelief and curiosity. And since any impact on me would have had to pass through Connor first I was well and able too. Knowing there wasn’t the time to explain I smiled at him, giving his light a bit of a squeeze to show him how I had managed to protect him from that pain. He nodded, his brows still knit in confusion as he turned his attention back to Maddie.

   I may have misjudged that. I don’t think it was confusion over what happened so much as who did it. I think he was a bit stunned that I could kill so coldly. And for what it mattered I was a little surprised too, but there wasn’t a lot of time to dissect feelings right now.

   I had succeeded in keeping Brad’s death from affecting Connor, but there was one factor I had forgotten to take into consideration of who would feel Brad’s death.

   Like every wolf loyal to him in this facility.

   I was suddenly acutely aware of the snarls emanating from behind that hidden door, the one only bodies and not persons had left through so far, the one not ten feet in front of me. I held the gun up in both hands now, waiting for Robert to release his dogs on me. 

   Too bad the next shot didn’t come from said gun.

   I collapsed as the hot silver dug into my shoulder, a warning shot and nothing more. It wasn’t meant to kill, just get my attention. 

   And boy did it.

   I glared up to Robert and the man holding the rifle beside him from my knees, my fingers walking up my arm, searching for the open wound. My stomach rolled as I found it, one finger prodding till I found the silver bullet. Impossibly it seemed to burn my fingertip more that the torn flesh it left in its wake. Either way it needed to come out though, and with one deft flick I popped it out.

   I really didn’t see it as a good thing how easily I removed my own bullet, it just meant I had had way too much practice.

   Seeming like he was waiting for me to do just such a thing, Robert waited to speak until I was once again silver free, “I’ve seen enough!” he growled, ice blue eyes shining even through the bright lights of the arena, “if you won’t choose, than that’s fine,” terse words spat through his teeth, “then you will all die. Make it that much easier on me.”

   I lifted my hand in the air, aiming Brad’s gun at Robert as every other weapon in the room trained on me, “Not if I kill you fir-”

   I didn’t get the chance to finish when the hidden door burst open, crumbling into a thousand concrete chunks as both men and wolves poured out. I whipped around, taking aim at the wolf closest to me; my finger poised on the trigger when I noticed how half his face seemed to sag.

   Tyler?

   It occurred to me to still pull even as he charged by me towards the group that had dropped into the arena, that his presence in town may have been coordinated by Robert, but another wolf rammed into me, knocking me back to the ground because of that distraction.

   Two dark brown paws stepped over my shoulders as chaos broke out, the arena vibrating in a chorus of shouts and growls as she pinned my arms to the sand. She wasn’t stupid I’ll give her that, knowing I would have given in to knee jerk reactions and probably shot her if I was so able. Instead she put me beneath her girth as much to protect me as herself, growling and snapping at anyone who she deemed too close. I had never seen her before, at least not like this, but those glowing green eyes were something I would recognize anywhere.