Wild Rogues (third in lone wolf series)

Chapter Thirty

“I didn’t realize…” Sheriff Bingham put his hand on his gun. “I won’t let them hurt you without cause…”

“Thanks for the thought, Sheriff,” Marcus sneered, “But your gun won’t do a damn bit of good against angry werewolves.”

“Marcus, Julian and Abbey, we are here to bring you in to the council,” A man called from outside. “You can either come willingly or unwillingly.”

“We’ll come willingly,” Julian was surprised to hear Marcus reply, “We have pups in here and we don’t want them harmed.”

“We have no interest in the pups. We’re here for the three of you.”

“Come on then.” Marcus motioned for Abbey and Julian. Julian helped Abbey to stand. Her movements were stiff and jerking.

“Mommy, what’s going on?” Audrey’s voice shook.

“Go to, Sheriff Bingham, and he’ll take you to Marcy.” Abbey urged.

“No!” Audrey and Tanner both exclaimed before wrapping their arms around each of her legs.

Abbey swallowed hard, Julian knew she was fighting tears. She walked to the door and Marcus opened it, shielding Abbey and the pups with his body. Julian stood beside his brother and took in the sight of the eleven Betas.

It was common for each pack to have more than one Beta. Marcus and Julian were lucky that only eleven of them had shown up when there were surely more they could have sent.

“Let’s get in the van,” one of the Beta’s urged, tilting his head toward the black van he wanted the three of them to get into the back of.

Julian heard Abbey telling the pups to go with the Sheriff as the pups cried and clung to her. The tension in the air was palpable and in an instant it imploded.

One of the Beta’s, clearly tired of waiting, grabbed Tanner by the arm and tried to jerk him away from Abbey. Abbey lunged at the man, shifting in mid-air and closing her jaws around his arm, tearing flesh.

The man bellowed with rage, shifted and ripped into Abbey. Bright red blood stained her white fur and splashed across the snow.

Audrey and Tanner screamed, the Sheriff scooped them up. Marcus bellowed with rage and launched himself at the Beta who was still attacking Abbey while Julian went after another that had come to help his fallen comrade. From their scent it appeared they were from the same pack.

Blood lust blinded Julian to all else as he sunk his teeth into the wolf and heard the yelp of pain. No one would harm his mate, his pups or his brother without paying a price! Julian was no Alpha or Beta but he was a rogue and rogues knew a thing or two about fighting for their lives.

A thundering boom cracked in the midday air and Marcus’s yelp of pain was enough to bring Julian out of his blood-lust induced fog.

He shifted back and saw his brother, as a man, stumbling toward a man with a gun. Marcus had a smoking hole in his chest and the acrid scent of silver burned flesh filled Julian’s nostrils.

“Marcus!” Abbey screamed, she too had shifted back and Julian felt his stomach turn at the sight of her torn flesh and the scent of her blood.

“He’s okay,” Julian caught Abbey before she could fling herself at Marcus.

Julian knew that Marcus wouldn’t die from that wound but it was enough to knock him down and leave him there for a while. What kind of werewolf used silver against other werewolves?

Marcus’s shuffling steps and panting breaths stopped all at once and then he fell to the side, unconscious and bleeding upon the snow.

Abbey went wild in Julian’s arms. She tore away from him and went for the man with the gun. Julian saw the gun raise, knew he couldn’t get there in time. The bullet left the gun with a roar and the bullet tore into Abbey’s shoulder. Julian lunged, shifting before the man could aim at him and fell upon him, tearing out his throat in one quick motion.