I broke through the treeline and fell into a meadow. The grass went up to my knees and the moon cast a harsh light upon it. A small patch of water pooled near the treeline with rocks glistening around the edges. Shadows stretched from the center of the clearing, leading to a small truck that sat parked on the grass.
A triumphant smile graced my lips and for several moments, I thought I was hallucinating. Only when I staggered to the door and threw myself inside did I believe that what I was experiencing was real. My hands ran along the steering wheel as I sunk into the carpeted seats. Blood soaked into the cloth and dripped onto the floor, and for a moment, the weight of my injuries threatened to overwhelm me. I stared at the blood as more and more of it escaped my body, entranced by how much was running down my legs. Then, I shook my head, that moment passed, and I was shifting the car into gear.
Once the car had started, I let out a cry of victory. It was short-lived because as soon as the sound escaped, my thoughts caught up to me. I couldn't drive back to Will; there was no path. I couldn't leave him, because there was no guarantee he would survive long enough for me to get help. Here I was, on the verge of turning the tides and surviving, but at an utter loss as to what I could do to make it happen.
My hands hovered over the steering wheel, my feet rested on the pedals. There was a small path leading out of the meadow that I knew would take me away from here; away from Bray, away from the danger, but also, away from Will.
I scanned the trees once again, hesitating for a small moment. That moment was cut short when a figure in the side of my vision emerged from the trees. It was a wolf, unlike any I'd ever seen, lingering just behind the entrance of the meadow. Its fur was gray with white tipped ears and eyes black as the sky. We stared at each other as another identical wolf emerged, stopping next to the first. The second tilted its head and narrowed its eyes, taking a small step toward me.
My heart leaped into my throat as a scream threatened to erupt. As my panic grew, the scene around me shifted. Trees on the other side of the clearing snapped in half as two more wolves came crashing into the grass. They stumbled over one another, biting, clawing, and drawing as much blood as they could manage. When their frenzied attacks paused long enough for me to search their eyes, I recognized Bray standing tall with a wounded Will cringing before him.
Will's wolf limped away as Bray stalked forward. His attack was slow and calculated, whereas Will was struggling for survival. When he tripped over his limbs and Bray drew back to lunge, I didn't hesitate. I ignored the foreign wolves and went straight to the threat. My feet floored the gas pedal and the car lurched toward Payton Bray.
The horn blared as I tried to warn Will away. He looked back just in time to yelp and dive to the side, stumbling out of the car's reach. Bray had more time to react and was turning away before I came close to running into him. I didn't let that deter me. When I reached the edge of the meadow, I whipped around and barrelled straight for the black wolf, once more.
Mud and grass flew as the tires fought for traction. When the car was facing Bray again, he was standing stationary at the other end of the clearing, staring at me with determination. My face twisted into a scowl as I slammed down on the pedal and barrelled forward. Bray matched the movements of the car, running at top speed. He kept his eyes trained on me as his feet flew across the grass. The distance between us grew rapidly smaller. The moment I braced myself to crush him, Bray let out a harrowing snarl. He leaped toward the truck and flew through the air, aiming his massive body straight for the windshield.
I didn't have time to scream. My hands flew to protect my face as I watched the black wolf soar through the air. Time came to a standstill. My feet slammed on the breaks. I closed my eyes and tensed for shards of glass to cut through my skin and end my life. Bray would heal from the impact, but I would not.
Another sound engulfed my ears, threatening to bring me back to the present. It was a different wolf, howling to the moon. The noise struck my heart in more than one way and forced me to open my eyes to find the source. I didn't have to wait long.
With a flash of blonde, Bray's wolf was knocked from the sky. He fell to the ground, several feet away, as the other wolf barrelled over him. Red eyes flashed in the dark clearing, drawing my attention away for a moment too long.
The car flew forward, racing for the trees. The tires worked for traction as my hands flew to the steering wheel. The world twisted around me as my body ricocheted off the seats. When the car finally came to a halt, my body continued swaying back and forth, my head spinning. My fingers fumbled for the door handle, and in a daze, I stumbled out of the car. I fell to the ground, grasping at the blades of grass. My vision swam, but when I looked up, I focused long enough to see the fight was only escalating.
Two wolves were circling each other, though Will was no longer in this battle. Bray paced on heavy feet as he stared at his new opponent, searching for weaknesses and planning an attack. The other wolf watched Bray with a calm yet sharp demeanor. His blonde fur rippled with anticipation.
Samuel was back.
Bray lunged, but Samuel didn't hesitate. He dodged the attack and sunk his teeth into the other wolf. Bray's composure faltered, leaving Samuel to gnash and tear at every piece of flesh he could find. By the time Bray was released, he was limping and beginning a retreat.
A low howl cut through the night, gaining the attention of all in the clearing. Will was staggering toward me but had collapsed next to the water which separated us. Bray took advantage of the distraction and dove toward Will, but Samuel anticipated his movements. He caught the black wolf by the back legs, pulling him back into the fight. Bray twisted around and leaped onto Samuel's back, ripping into the skin between his shoulders. The blonde wolf snarled, throwing Bray toward the trees and stalking toward him, once more.
I tore my focus away from the fight and crawled around the rocks until I was next to Will. His head was hanging halfway in the water and he was unable to pull himself away. He sunk into the mud and his eyes were clouding over. The breaths he was able to take were shallow and labored, and his tail flicked with anxiety.
I lowered myself down next to him, pulling his head into my lap. Will turned to look at me, eyes shining with unspoken words. My hands smoothed over his face, flattening the fur matted with blood and grime.
"Stay with me," I mumbled, my eyes scanning his body. There was a large gash running along his back, another along his belly. Blood covered nearly every inch of his fur. "You'll be okay," I told him, holding back a sob. Will whimpered, pushing his snout into my hand. Tears fell from my eyes as I laid my forehead between his ears.
The battle of the other wolves was still raging, growing more violent by the second. Their snarls pulled my attention away from Will, who was already watching them with wary eyes. The blonde wolf's fur was stained crimson, but the black wolf was beginning to weaken.
Just as Samuel's wolf prepared to lunge again, his attention cut to the edge of the clearing. One by one, figures began to emerge from the trees. Some, I recognized. Others were strangers. They all seemed to recognize Samuel and Bray, though. Their gazes were fixed upon them, each horror filled and confused.
As they drew closer, Samuel stepped away from Bray and closer to them. The cracking of bones echoed through the meadow, and after a few moments, Samuel stood tall. He threw a bundle of cloth at Bray's retreating wolf, moving back around to face him.
When Bray was a man again, the meadow was silent. I could hear his heavy breathing even from where I sat, feel his cold glare on each and every one in the vicinity who dared to disrupt his evening.
Finally, he spoke. He turned his gaze to Samuel, eyes ablaze with rage. "Have you called in your reinforcements to finish me off?"
Samuel rolled his shoulders, glancing around. He kept his back toward me, and I found myself wishing I could be by his side. As if in answer, his head tilted toward me and I saw the side of his expression. His eyes were hard, his jaw set firm. He shook his head so slightly that I would have missed it had I not been staring. Then, he squared his frame and regarded Bray. When he spoke, his words were harsh and met the temperature of Payton's glare.
"This is the last of the pack who was celebrating their fallen one's lives. We all heard a fight and came to investigate." He spat his next words. "Seems we arrived just in time for you to kill my mate."
"How convenient," Payton panted, sneering his words. "But you have it wrong. It was your human who was killing me."
Samuel took a step forward. "I think you're mistaken."
"Am I?" Payton straightened his spine. "Go and see the two others she already killed."
There was a beat, then Samuel responded through his teeth. "What are you doing here?"
"I was coming back from patrol when I found your mate at the border."
"We are far from the border, Bray."
"Perhaps that is because she crashed a car and killed two wolves when I attempted to speak with her."
The silence that surrounded us was thick, stretching further than even the moon could reach. There was no mistaking the horror-filled expressions flinching my way, accusing me of the things Bray spoke. My heartbeat was the loudest thing of the night, pounding hard enough to deafen anyone within the meadow.
Bray smiled. "I found her driving a car through the border. She was in perfect health. No bite. No adverse reaction to your werewolf gene taking over her pathetic human life." He turned toward those gathering around Samuel and raised his voice. "When I found her, she was running away, gathering the rest of the humans to kill our pack. Samuel lied. He never bit her. He let her run off, only for her to come back to kill us all. And now that I've discovered his plan, Samuel is here to kill me."
"That's not true!" Samuel shouted. "Where's your evidence?"
Payton sneered. "She killed them."
"No!" I shouted, gathering the attention of everyone in the clearing. The words had left my mouth in such a rush, I hadn't considered their implications. Now, I had a band of angry wolves glaring down at me. I regarded them all for a moment, before letting my gaze shift to Samuel. He was staring at me with a tense expression, his frame clouded with stress.
I took a deep breath. "We were attacked. By you and James." My gaze shifted to Bray, who held a distant expression. "Why would I set out to kill a wolf? When I know that I would only die, myself?"
"Becuase you are human," Payton answered. "They have done it before. Look at what happened with our Alpha. You were running away to gather others to finish the job."
A tumultuous snarl left Samuel, and the attention was back on him. "Do not lie."
"It was their guns that killed him!" Bray roared. "The human's attack killed countless members of the pack!"
Samuel matched his volume. "No! It was you!"
A momentary silence fell upon the clearing. It was heavy with Samuel's words and the memory of those who lost their lives that night. Everyone exchanged nervous glances, the crowd shuffling their feet back toward the trees.
Samuel, breathing heavily, continued in a voice as calm as death. "I've had you followed, Bray. From the moment Riley died, I knew it was you. You, and your men."
Bray's eyes narrowed. "What evidence do you have?"
"You had them killed."
The attention of the clearing was turned again to the edge of the forest. Footsteps could be heard, and soon enough, more people began to gather. Leading them was Goldie, with Marshall at her side.
Samuel glanced at them, then turned a scowl back on Bray. "I didn't know if we were being attacked again," Samuel spoke in an even tone, staring at Bray as others flooded the scene. "I called in reinforcements."
Payton started at the individuals emerging from the forest. Goldie broke away from them to stand between the crowd and Samuel. Marshall scanned the meadow until his gaze fell upon me and Will, collapsed on the ground. He wasted no time in sprinting across the grass, closing the distance between us in seconds. He came to a halt, kneeling next to us. With careful hands, he began to assess my legs, but I pushed him away.
"Will," I told him, "Look at Will."
Marshall didn't argue. He didn't even glance my way before shifting his attention to my brother. His hands moved along his body, pressing in various places. Will's breathing was shallow and harsh, but he laid still.
"You're lying, even now, Samuel." Bray snarled, glaring at us. "Tell them who that wolf is. Tell all of your people what he did. What she did. Tell everyone you called here what really happened, and what you've been hiding, all along."
The meadow was silent, waiting with bated breath. An unreadable mask had fallen upon Samuel's face, though I saw the endless tension lining his shoulders. He scanned the meadow, looking into the faces of every person gathered there, as he spoke in a firm voice.
"The wolf is Samantha's brother. He was turned unwillingly by one who was exiled."
"Tell them what happened the night the Alpha died," Bray goaded.
Samuel glared at him, his voice unwavering. "Riley and I helped him through the shift. When it was almost over, Riley was distracted and got injured."
Payton began to speak, but Samuel raised his voice and spoke over his words. "He would have been fine, had it not been for the gunfire headed by Bray. We were ambushed by what we initially thought to be a human attack. Upon a closer look, there was no way it was possible. All the guns were being held by Bray, the one in charge of security."
"I know your games, Samuel." Payton smiled and shifted his feet. "You are only distracting them from the actual proof. Why would I kill our Alpha? I would not take his place. I would not want my pack in ruin. You, however, have only done that. You have lied from the beginning. You are not fit to run this pack, and you never will be."
The world stood still, and somehow, I knew what Bray was going to say, next. Samuel suspected his words as well because his hands balled into fists and he tensed for the reaction we all knew was coming.
"Bray-" Samuel tried.
Payton spoke over him, turning to the members of the pack. "He was a human. It is why his mate is human, it is why he is weak, and it is why he can never be an Alpha."
The words send daggers into the cold air. My heart left my body. Samuel's one secret was now out in the open, all because he had trusted me. In turn, I had taken that trust and used Samuel's secret as a way to selfishly convince Raven to escape with me. She hadn't hesitated in using that knowledge against us and betraying me.
A stray female broke away from the crowd. She had dark maroon hair and wore a hopeful expression. Her gaze dance between Payton and Samuel, faltering when she locked eyes with Samuel. "That's not true. It's not true, is is Beta?"
Samuel wouldn't look up from the ground. Another few people stepped forward, asking Samuel the same question. When he refused to answer, Payton smiled.
"He can never run this pack. It's not in his blood. He is a disgrace."
Goldie stepped forward then, stopping only inches away from Bray. She leveled herself up to his chest, glaring daggers into his face. His composure never wavered. After a moment, she turned to those gathered but didn't step away from Bray.
Her voice held the conviction of a thousand testaments. "Alpha Riley knew." She let her words sink in before continuing. "He knew the entire time. He welcomed Samuel into our pack and wouldn't' have anyone else be at his side. He didn't care."
Bray suddenly moved forward, knocking Goldie off balance. She gained it back without hesitation, but Payton was already on the move. He stalked toward Samuel, his expression growing deadlier with each step.
"It was supposed to be me. Before you showed up, it was my place." He was standing in front of Samuel now, breathing heavily. "Now, I'm taking it back."
Samuel narrowed his eyes. "Are you challenging me, Bray."
"There's nothing to challenge."
***
Alrighty, well, it's probably got a lot of mistakes, and it's not my favorite chapter, but it's finally posted! Sorry for the extra long wait.
Thank you all for all your support and love! We've gotten SO many new readers over the last bit...seriously...I woke up one morning and had over 200 notifications all from you AMAZING people! Thank you!!!
Next chapter will hopefully be up soon. I'm working on it...but I also have to get ready to move cross-country this Friday...so it might take me a while!
Let me know your thoughts on the chapter!!
Mquistey