Pack Shift

Sarah

Friday Night Dance at Rock Falls High. February.

“Oh, crap,” Cade said.

I turned from where I was headed across the football field, the frigid grass stinging my bare feet.

Two sets of red eyes gleamed at the edge of the forest bordering the football field. Dread cramped my middle as a breeze blew the tang of blood from the mangled corpse several yards away.

The bound wolf at Cade’s feet gurgled in unconsciousness. I’d knocked him out minutes before, and my foot still smarted. But that was nothing compared to what was going to happen when those mongrels broke the tree line.

Adrenaline surged beneath my skin. Terror clawed at my belly, and Wolf burst to the front, scenting, gathering information.

“Raven, go find Bowen, Sam, anyone you can. I don’t know why they’re not here yet. Sam knows what’s going on. I linked him. Use your link to Bowen. We need back up,” Cade ordered his sister. And he was right. We needed all the help we could get. Because once the werewolf on the ground regained consciousness, he could use his mind control against us, and there was nothing we could do to stop it.

A word that would have raised my dad’s eyebrows shot out of my mouth. “I knew I wouldn’t get to enjoy one night in a fancy dress.” The words tumbled out after, bravado my constant cover so the rest of the world didn’t see me shaking in my fur. I yanked the zipper of my frilly blue dress and let Wolf out.

White fur prickled along my arms. My snout pushed out along with white tufted ears at the sides of my head. Snapping crackled along my backbone as my tail disengaged. White paws pounded down on the turf, black claws gouging the top layer of the manicured football field. Many yards behind the building itself, a tall fence, the press box, and a sizeable stand of bleachers separated us from the school where the rest of the Rock Falls High student body was enjoying their homecoming dance. Blissfully unaware of the battle about to take place. I growled at their general ignorance.

Two mottled gray werewolves stalked from the trees. Moonlight glinted off wicked canines; strings of saliva hung between incisors. They were big and battle scarred. I clenched my teeth to keep my panic-laced tremors from showing. A lethal snarl echoed behind my bared teeth.

“Go, Rave. Use that speed. We’ll hold them off as long as we can.” With his last instructions given, Cade morphed into a black wolf, bigger than me, but still smaller than the two hulking brutes creeping toward us.

Raven blasted off on four paws, racing over the chilly grass to find someone—anyone—who could help. I focused on the encroaching enemy.

These were wolves with one purpose. Mania emanated from their red eyes.

Cade moved beside me, standing at my shoulder. He nudged me once with his nose. It calmed some of my terror and, even in the middle of a coming confrontation, sent tingles dancing to my paws. Shoving away the unhelpful thoughts, I focused all my energy on the two approaching werewolves.

Wolf snapped her jaws while Cade growled, low and menacing.

As if on command, the two brindled wolves barreled over the ground separating us. With a clash of fur, fangs, and yelps, we met them. Cade took the one on the left while I battled the one on the right.

He was huge. Nearly twice my width and mottled gray with rough, scarred skin poking through his mangy fur. He reeked of the woods—a wolf too long in his fur without the humane influence of his other half. A wolf like the one that murdered my mom.

Growling, he lunged at my throat. I twisted out of his way, shooting out with my back leg and catching him in the flank. It wasn’t enough to do any damage; he didn’t even budge an inch. He was an immovable wall of granite. And as I dashed away from his incisors once more, I realized that mountain of granite would crush me given half a chance. The wolf charged at me again, head down, trying to ram me. I leaped, my paws brushing his ruff. Using him like a springboard, I vaulted off his broad back and landed several paces away, whirling to face the onslaught.

Chancing a glance at Cade, I saw he was locked jaw to jaw with the other wolf, both on their hind legs, pawing at each other. Fear iced through my veins, but I couldn’t stop to think, couldn’t help, because the beast was after me again. This time I stood my ground, sidestepping only at the last moment in a move my father had drilled into me so long that it was second nature to do it. As the gray fur passed me, I bit down hard at his neck. I caught a lot of fur, but enough muscle underneath that blood flooded my mouth.

Wolf snarled and shook as the animal in my mouth howled, hurt and enraged.

Before I could do anything else, pain lanced through my side as a third wolf sank his teeth into my ribs.

Yelping and thrashing in panic and agony, I let go of the wolf in my jaws, and he immediately bounded away, only to turn and face me. Scrabbling at the wolf who had me in his mouth, I tried to rally my thoughts against the panic and the pain, and focus—to think through the haze fogging my brain.

Blood dripped down the chest of the big wolf slowly advancing on me. A fourth materialized from the woods and ran to join the fight. This was not good. Oh, this was so bad.

Suddenly, a roar cut through the air, and the wolf let go of my side. Wild-eyed, I craned my neck enough to see him sail through the air and land in a heap near the disemboweled body in the middle of the football field. He was still.

Cade stood over me protectively, sides heaving and smelling of fresh blood. Smothering a burning whine, I shakily got to my feet, turning so we were flank to flank, facing our enemies.

The remaining three wolves surrounded us, pacing in an ever-tightening circle.

A harsh bark echoed across the field, and relief momentarily made me weak in the knees.

Sam Wolfe, Beta of Cade’s pack, rushed over the green, a snarl following his bark and lifting the hairs on my neck. The wolves surrounding us broke formation, one branching off to take on Sam.

Then the other two sprang at us.

Yips, tearing, and more blood filled the night as we battled for our lives.

“Stop now.” The world quivered to an abrupt halt, and I stood panting, tired, a little light-headed, and momentarily confused.

The four attacking wolves stood stock still. Hate and fear radiated off their matted fur. Gasping for air, I leaned against Cade. He met my weight with his own, and we sagged against each other. We’d done it. We’d held them off long enough. Sam stepped between us and the enemy wolves.

Searching, I found Raven dressed in Cade’s dirty dress shirt, standing next to Bowen and another boy I’d seen on an opposing basketball team. Power singed my nostrils. My eyes widened as I realized Bowen was controlling the other wolves.

Suspicion and a hint of fear coiled in my belly. Bowen had kept his powers hidden from me—from my pack. The omission sat heavily in my gut. As Beta of the Thornehill pack and a close ally, I should have been privy to something this gigantic.

“Sit,” Bowen commanded. The wolves sat as their fear choked the air.

Drew, the wolf I’d bound and knocked out earlier, whimpered, having shifted back to his skin. Narrowing my eyes, I wondered if Drew or Bowen had the stronger will and who could control who. Bowen wasn’t even breaking a sweat. The boy next to him was Kyle. That was his name, I remembered. He was deathly pale; the stench of his fear was the strongest.

“We’re here!” Megan called. Sam’s attention instantly altered in on his mate before going back to the wolves under Bowen’s sway.

Footfalls thumped on the ground as Dominic Wolfe, Dad, and several other adults swarmed the football field. Another wave of relief nearly had me collapsing on the frigid grass.

Gordon Rockwell, a wolf from Dominic’s pack and also on the local police force, took charge. “You all need to get out of here. Right now. Let the adults do this. The police will have enough questions they can’t answer without finding all of you here.”

“Is it safe to let go of their wills?” Bowen asked Gordon.

“Probably?” he replied.

Cade wheezed next to me and nudged me with his nose. My legs felt like rubber bands, all bendy, stretchy, and limp. Dominic grunted where he and Dad had taken charge of the other wolves on the field. Dad looked down at Drew, the ropes I’d used to hog-tie him still tight even though he’d shifted from his fur back to skin. Resha, a woman from my pack, hauled Drew none too gently to his feet.

“Sarah, you do that? Those are some tidy knots.” Dad looked up at me, grinning as pride shone from his eyes. It kindled that spot in my chest that made some of my rubberiness disappear. I nodded, tongue lolling, and stood a little straighter under my father’s praise. Drew snarled, the rope having slipped from his mouth once he’d shifted from fur to skin.

Cade nudged me again. I made my way over to the heap of shiny blue material as he went to find his pants. My poor dress. The one night I’d gotten to be a normal high schooler and go to a fancy dance. Not that I’d expected a completely trouble-free event, but it would have been nice to just be a girl for an evening without having to be a Beta and second in command of a pack of werewolves.

But at least the world was safer now. Drew and the rest of his pack were done. Gordon Rockwell had the boy next to Bowen in cuffs. Resha was lugging Drew up to the others to be taken into custody. A loud snarl ripped through the night.

Morphing in mid-air, faster than I’d ever seen a shift, Drew latched his wolf’s incisors around Kyle’s throat. Blood spewed from Kyle’s neck, a wet gurgle all that marked his final words. My stomach quivered as a fresh wave of adrenaline blasted through my limbs.

Growling, Rockwell yanked his giant human hands around Drew’s neck, and Wolf recoiled as a cracking snap echoed around the field. Drew’s head lolled, Kyle’s blood slicking the front of his chest.

Stunned, I only barely registered when Raven retched. I wanted to. Swallowing back bile, adrenaline, and a shudder, I turned my face away and ran to the shadow of the field house, shifted, and struggled back into my dress.

Cade

So much blood. It was the second major battle I’d fought, and it left me with a confusing mix of disgust and elation. Catching Sam’s eye, I nodded to him. I knew my best friend would interpret the motion correctly. I was okay, and I’d make sure Sarah was, too. Snatching my pants off the ground, I ducked into the shadows and shifted back to my skin.

I jammed my legs into the dress pants I’d abandoned on the edge of the field before running to my sister’s rescue. Glancing back to Raven as I buttoned the dark material, I exhaled in relief. Bowen, her mate and Beta of the Kypson pack, scooped her up, and they were heading toward the parking lot. She was safe.

I needed to find Sarah. Wolf pawed inside me, suddenly frantic to have eyes on the girl we were falling for.

Scenting, I picked out her wild honey and citrus smell from the other grisly smells surrounding the area. I found her against the wall of the field house, adjusting her skirt. Blood streaked her arm.

“Hey, you all right?” I asked softly. Concern knit my brows together, but I didn’t fawn. Sarah didn’t like to be seen as anything less than strong and capable, so I tried not to crowd.

She gave her head a quick shake, her light-blonde hair twisted and tangled, a few stray sparkly pins sticking out of it. She’d been so beautiful, all dressed up for the dance.

“Yeah. Let’s just go.”

“Come on.” I reached my hand out, offering her support. I wasn’t sure if she’d take it or not. She slid her trembling fingers against my palm. Shivering as a cold February breeze blasted over the field and chilled my naked torso, I knew we needed to go—not only to get away from the murder scene, but because Sarah’s dress was strapless and hit just above her knee. She’d be freezing, too.

“Are you okay to drive?” she asked as her teeth chattered. We jogged to the parking lot and my new truck. Well, new to me. I’d traded my car in last week.

“I’m fine. Mostly just cold. The shock of everything will probably set in later,” I confessed. She nodded.

I opened the door of the truck for her, and she hopped in. Jumping in on my side, I gunned the motor and rubbed my aching fingers together.

“Wow, Cade. You’re covered in…gore.”

I looked down and realized my chest and stomach were swathed in blood and a few errant pieces of fur. Blades of grass stuck to my side. A few nicks on my chest were already healing.

“That’s disgusting,” I blurted, revolted at my own body covered in the aftermath of the battle. I glanced at Sarah.

“Ooh, and you’re oozing.” Fresh concern ratcheted up my backbone.

“I am?”

“How deep were those punctures in your side?” My belly tied itself in knots, looking at the blood seeping through her dress.

Sarah grimaced in a silent snarl. “I’m so keyed up right now I can’t even feel them.”

“Let’s get you to your house and take a look.” That seemed to be the safest option right now.

“Sorry. I’ll try not to bleed on your seats. I could have driven myself if I’d known there was going to be an all-out attack like this. You’re probably ready to be at your own home.”

“No. I’d still rather have come with you.” I reached for a gym towel I knew was in the back seat and passed it to her. I gave her a cheeky wink as my heart tried to stutter into a more normal rhythm.

She snorted.

“You know, I hear the middle seat is warmer than the one way over there by the door,” I quipped as I pulled onto the main road that would take us to the subdivision where the Wolfe pack lived and where several of the Thornehill pack were living temporarily, having banded together to fight Victor Atwood—a common enemy. I shivered. Drew had been Victor’s lackey. Fortunately, both threats were now done.

“Funny, Cade,” she said, but not with any venom. She dabbed at the blood dripping down from her punctures. A tired smile hid at the corner of her mouth, even though she stayed on her side. We’d been dancing around this attraction between us for weeks. I bit back a sigh and guided the truck around a turn at Walnut Street.

She made a surprised noise in her throat. “Hang on,” she said when I glanced at her. “Dad’s using the link.”

As Alpha of the Thornehills, Sarah’s dad, Austin, had taken a big risk when he and half his pack moved down here. But it had paid off. Our packs were close. Solidified allies. And Sarah was here.

“You’re not going to believe this,” Sarah said after a few minutes of silence.

“What?”

“Dad just filled me in—it wasn’t Drew that could use the mind control at all. It was Kyle Mason—the kid from the Eagles basketball team! He was another one of Victor Atwood’s kids!”

“Seriously?” Though I supposed I shouldn’t have been so surprised that Victor had yet another illegitimate offspring, the news rocked me. After Victor’s death, I thought we’d seen the last of his evil. So much hate and so much bad from one werewolf. Although, on the other hand, two of his sons had turned out well. One of them—Bowen—was now my brother-in-law. And Kyp was shaping up to be a fine Alpha for their pack.

“Is the madness really over now?” Sarah groaned as she yanked sparkly bobby pins from her hair.

“It’s done.” Wolf whined inside me. But if all the threats were dealt with, if danger no longer lurked around every corner, then the Thornehills would move back to New York. Sarah would go. A cold lump lodged in my throat.

“Hey, you just went all ashy under the gunk,” Sarah said, her tone forcibly light, though I heard her concern.

I shook my head. “It’s fine.” It was not fine. But I wasn’t sure baring my soul to Sarah right now would win me any points. I swallowed hard as her fingers ghosted over my arm.

It didn’t take long for us to reach the subdivision and to park in the drive of Sarah’s borrowed house.

“So…I’ll see you…Monday?” Sarah ventured as she sat in my truck, not getting out.

“No. I’ll stay with you until your dad gets home.” I gave her what I hoped was a disarming smile.

“I don’t need a babysitter, you know.” She raised an eyebrow.

“Maybe I do,” I retorted. I cracked my door open and reached behind the driver’s seat for the duffle of spare clothes I always kept in my vehicle.

Sarah snorted. “Can’t argue with that,” she said with just a touch of her normal sass back in her voice. We made our way up the short path, and Sarah unlocked the door and flipped the lights, flooding the room in a soft amber glow.

She took a deep breath and leaned against the door as she shut it.

“Sarah?” She shut her eyes, and her chest rose and fell once in the silence.

“The adrenaline is fading. I feel the teeth now.”

“Want me to look?” I said it with the express purpose of making sure she was okay. Wolf chuffed. I wouldn’t object to seeing her skin either. Well, the unbruised bits.

Sarah rolled her eyes, a half grin playing at the corner of her mouth. “I’ll go wash them out and assess the damage after that.” She pointed down the hall, wincing at the movement. “You can use the shower off the guest room. Towels are under the sink. Do you need anything?” Her celery-green eyes softened as she glanced at my face. “Are you hurt anywhere?” Her voice gentled, and for just a second, I could see inside the crack in her armor.

Resisting the urge to let my fingers trail down her cheek, I glanced down at myself. “Nothing I don’t think will heal up by tomorrow or Sunday.”

She nodded, then turned to the stairs.

Twenty minutes later, I’d showered off the nasty, texted my parents, and was plopped on the Thornehills’ couch with two glasses of water and a bowl of snacks I’d raided from their pantry. Sarah came into the den and gingerly perched on the other end of the couch.

I handed her a glass. “Thanks,” she said tightly.

Letting my gaze deliberately slide to her ribs and back to her face, I carefully said nothing, waiting for her to offer information if she wanted to.

She huffed a sigh and raised the back of her shirt up, showing me an angry red, blue, and purple bruise surrounding a few punctures on the back side of her ribs. “I can’t reach these very well.”

Quelling my inner urge to freak out over her injury, I whistled through my teeth. “I can do that.” I held out my palm, and she thrust a tube of ointment and a large gauze pad at me.

Swallowing hard, I dabbed as gently as I could at the cuts. I winced more than Sarah did. She was seriously the toughest girl I’d ever met. And most of the time, it was so hot. But right now, I wish she’d let me in.

Smoothing the gauze pad over the bite and sticking down the edges, I couldn’t resist letting my thumb stroke once down the curve of her spine near the edge of the gauze.

The faintest hint of gooseflesh broke out over her skin, igniting mine and sending Wolf pacing. Was that the faintest hint of a shiver? Was it truly possible she felt a fraction of what I felt for her?