First Moon (New Moon Wolves) BBW Werewolf Romance Page 16

  Not only did they have supernatural strength, but they were armed and she wasn’t. Although, thankfully, they seemed to be awful shots for some reason. Maybe wolves weren’t accustomed to using weapons other than their own brute strength.

  Brute strength that was all focused on her at the moment. Nick was already coming for her, his lips curled in a feral snarl, his eyes glittering with malice. The pack alpha wasn’t far behind. He pointed his gun at Nick’s back and pulled the trigger, but somehow Nick knew he’d been targeted and ducked down so fast, he was a blur of superhuman movement. The bullet zoomed through the air and hit a tree with an audible thunk.

  “Bullets won’t help you, alpha,” Nick said.

  “I’m not trying to help myself, boy. I’m trying to kill you.” Dan fired the gun again, and, this time, the bullet struck home, landing in Nick’s thigh.

  Nick yowled, and his features twisted with rage, he launched himself into the air with one powerful flex of his legs. Despite his injury, he flew up to an impressive height and then over to where Dan stood, bracing himself for impact.

  Dan remained remarkably calm, even firing one more shot before Nick crashed into him. The two men rolled over and over, arms and legs flailing as they fought. Everything was such a blur that Audrey couldn’t tell who was winning or losing, but she did know that no one was looking her way.

  Taking advantage of that fact, she ran over to where Tao lay. His face was disturbingly slack with unconsciousness, but he was breathing. He would live.

  “Tao? Wake up!” Audrey shook him by the shoulders. She needed him, needed his protection.

  Tao didn’t move so she slapped his cheeks. That earned her a groan and a furrow of his eyebrows so she did it again. And again. All while pleading for him to wake up.

  Finally his dark eyes flickered open and registered her presence. “Audrey?” He bolted upright and shoved her away, back toward the parking lot. “I told you to run. Get out of here.”

  She shook her head. “I can’t run from this, Tao. They’ll follow me wherever I go, you know that.” He’d told her to run, but she had nowhere to hide. The wolves would just track her down. No, the time for running was past. She had to face what was happening head on and hope for the best.

  Tao’s mouth flattened in a grim line, but he didn’t argue with her.

  “We have to fight. We have to end this.”

  He nodded again.

  “I don’t think we can save your brother,” she said as gently as she could, hoping Tao could accept the truth. The sedative idea hadn’t been bad, but it didn’t fix the problem. Nick was still psychotic and he couldn’t be trusted. Plus, after the way he’d used her like a punching bag, Audrey realized she was disposable in his eyes. He had no concern for her well-being. If she wanted to live, if she wanted a future, she had to make it happen. She just prayed it wouldn’t come at the cost of Tao’s love or their lives.

  Sudden gun fire made them both cringe. Looking to where the sound came from, they saw Nick now had Dan’s gun and had just tagged the alpha in the arm. Dan howled, his face going red with fury and threw his entire body weight into Nick, causing him to stagger back. Blood mixed with sweat dripped down both men’s faces as they pushed and shoved against each other, one trying to land a punch, the other trying to set up a shot with the gun.

  “They’re going to kill each other,” Tao said.

  “Good,” Audrey said with a decisive nod. “Then we don’t have to fight them.”

  Tao looked stricken and she shook her head, thinking it had to really suck when the bad guy was someone you loved. The other guy, the blond one whose name she didn’t know, stirred and moaned. Acting in the name of self-preservation, she went over to where he lay, snatched up his gun and clobbered him in the temple with the butt. His eyes dropped shut and he went still.

  Good. One less problem to worry about.

  Looking at the gun, she wondered, Now what? Sure, she talked a big game, but put the gun in her hand and she wasn’t so brave. Lifting her arm, she aimed toward where Nick and Dan were still locked in a deadly embrace. It was awkward to be using her non-dominant hand, but her aim felt right.

  It would be so easy to pull the trigger. So simple to fill their backs with bullets, but she couldn’t do it. With a sigh, she lowered her arm. It didn’t feel right. The moment gave her some insight into Tao’s reluctance to kill his brother.

  Well, great, so her conscience was going to render her defenseless. Awesome.

  Audrey made her way back to Tao who still sat on the ground. Tucking the gun into her waistband, she squatted down beside him. “What are we going to do?”

  “End this,” came a low, bass drum voice behind her.

  Audrey jumped to her feet, hand going to her gun. The man who’d spoken strode toward them, hands loose at his sides as if he had nothing to fear. His tawny yellow hair ringed his face like a lion’s mane, and as he drew near, Audrey noted his eyes were a mix of green and gold. Behind him came another man, tall and lean with dark hair and features that matched Tao’s. Both were tall as Tao, but the dark haired one was slender as a sapling and the leonine man was built like an ancient oak, wide and strong.

  “Kai, Leo.” Tao’s eyes were wide with shock. “What are you doing here?”

  The lean man shrugged. “The land called us.”

  Audrey raised her eyebrows. What did that mean?

  “We caught wind of what was going on up here and thought you could use a hand,” Leo said, offering a more rational response to Tao’s question.

  “Are these your brothers?” she asked Tao.

  He nodded and pointed to the slender dark haired man. “This is Kai and this,” he indicated the tawny haired man, “is Leo.”

  Audrey started to say ‘pleased to meet you’ but a shout cut her short. She looked toward the sound to see that Nick and Dan had noticed the other men’s arrival. They paused for a second and glared at everyone, their hands still locked around each other’s throats. Then Nick took advantage of the distraction to head butt Dan and they were back at it again, fast and furious; hell bent on destroying each other.

  Good, Audrey thought as she watched Dan bite Nick’s shoulder. The alpha tore off a chunk of flesh and spit it out while Nick howled in pain. I hope they kill each other.

  “What the hell is going on here?” Leo asked. He took in Nick and Dan and then looked over to Audrey.

  Tao ran a hand through his hair, his eyes desperate. “Nick is crazy.”

  “Owen,” Kai started, but Tao cut him off.

  “Multiply Owen by a factor of a million,” Tao said darkly. “He’s making his own pack and Dan wants to unmake it as fast as possible.” He waved toward Audrey. “Dan wants to kill everyone Nick has bit and off Nick too.”

  Both of the newcomers frowned at that.

  Kai reached out and took Tao’s hands in his. “The energy has changed, brother. The world cannot hold Nick. He is too strong for this plane.”

  Audrey frowned. Did that mumbo jumbo mean what she thought it did?

  Tao didn’t look so sure himself. “I know, but he’s our blood.”

  “Blood is nothing against the force of the wolf gods,” Kai said calmly. He seemed detached from the violence around him or the idea that his own brother might not be long for this world.

  Leo clapped a large hand on Tao’s shoulder. “I don’t see things like Kai does, but I know he’s always right. We came to stand with you, Tao. To face this together.”

  Tao swallowed hard and his eyes gleamed with unshed tears. He didn’t speak, merely gave a curt nod. Audrey wanted to rush over and hug him, to soothe the pain he felt, but she held back, uncertain of her welcome in such an emotionally charged moment. This was a family situation and she was an interloper thrust into their business by their brother.

  The brothers moved as one toward the outlook, their plan of action unspoken but apparent in the way they strode over to where Dan and Nick still battled for dominance. Audrey trailed behind wanting to s
tay out of the way, yet still be close enough not to miss anything. Something big was going to happen; she could feel the weight of it in the air around them.

  “Hey,” barked Leo at the two men. “Stop it.”

  He and Tao stepped onto the outlook and grabbed each of the men by their shoulders, pulling them apart. Both men strained to break free, but Leo and Tao had the advantage. Tao took Nick while Leo grabbed Dan. They pinned the men’s elbows behind their backs.

  Kai followed them onto the outlook, humming tunelessly under his breath, a steady droning sound that seemed to buzz over Audrey’s skin, making it vibrate. She rubbed her arm with her good hand to dispel the sensation but that didn’t help. Similar to the tingle that had infected her with Nick’s bite, Kai’s ‘song’ strummed through her, calling to something that lived inside her, something she didn’t understand.

  Was he calling her wolf?

  The thought gave her pause. No. That would be weird. Yet she couldn’t deny that something stirred inside her in response to his voice. Was this another kind of magic? Tao had said one of his brothers was like a medicine man of sorts for the pack. She gave her body a shake and managed to quell the effect of Kai’s voice enough to focus on the lookout. She didn’t join them, but stood to the side of the entrance. Close enough to hear everything, but far enough away to run if it became necessary.

  I’m not running though, she thought. This ends today.

  So why not join them on the lookout? Recalling the force of Nick’s blows and the way Dan had bitten off pieces of Nick, she shook her head. Because I can’t take them in a fight. I can’t match their strength.

  But Tao could. All her hopes were pinned on him as well as his brothers. Between the three of them, they had to be strong enough to take out Nick. Just in case, she had the gun she’d taken from the guy Nick had cold cocked. She just had to be willing to pull the trigger if it came down to it.

  Audrey grit her teeth and lifted her chin. I can do this. I have to.

  Kai’s humming stopped abruptly and he spoke. “You are judged Nick. Judged by the moon’s spirit.”

  Nick spat at Kai. “Shut up.”

  “Your path is not here,” Kai continued as if he hadn’t heard his brother. Turning to Dan, he said, “You chose the way of blood and it will bleed you dry. Turn back or die.”

  “I’m the alpha, I don’t listen to you, moonie,” Dan snarled.

  Both men redoubled their efforts to break free. Nick squatted down and then thrust up with his powerful legs until he was airborne again. The force of his momentum blasted Tao’s arms apart. When he landed, Tao jumped him and the two went at each other in a flurry of fists and kicking legs.

  Audrey held her breath, gun clutched tightly in her good hand. The brothers fought viciously and it was clear to her that this was a fight to the death. She looked at Leo who watched them fight with a grim expression. He couldn’t intervene unless he let go of Dan, something he appeared reluctant to do.

  Kai, for his part, hung back, watching the scene unfold with a neutral expression on his face. When Nick started slamming Tao’s head onto the lookout floor, with such raw strength that the wooden boards cracked, Audrey couldn’t help herself.

  “Do something,” she screamed. “Help him.”

  Leo just looked at her, his eyes heavy with regret. Kai turned and regarded her with a blank expression. It was then she realized his eyes had filmed over or rolled back. Something had left only the whites visible. He was in some kind of trance.

  She cast a helpless glance at Leo who stayed fast, locking Dan down with his hands alone. Letting Dan go would only make things worse, which meant she was the only free agent. Climbing up the lookout steps, she brushed past Kai who muttered a cryptic, “Don’t blink,” as she went by.

  Ignoring him, she headed for Tao and Nick. Neither man noticed her approach, so intent on each other, they were blind to others around them. Audrey aimed with the gun and waited for the right opportunity. At the moment, Tao’s back was to her with Nick on the other side. Any bullets would have to go through Tao to get to Nick, which was unacceptable.

  Audrey stepped to the side, hoping for a better angle. The men had their hands clamped on each other’s faces, fingers digging deep into cheeks as their thumbs made for their eyes. When Nick’s fingers got too close to his mouth, Tao snapped at them with his teeth.

  She raised the gun and took aim once again. Time slowed, flowing like thick molasses. Audrey saw sweat bead on the men’s bodies and flick into the air as they moved. Dan, Leo and Kai seemed frozen, still as statues. Even the wind had died down to nothing, creating a vacuum of sound and oxygen. Audrey swallowed hard, said a little prayer and pulled the trigger.

  The gun roared, the kickback hitting her harder since she wasn’t used to shooting with that hand. Time clicked into fast forward. There was a spray of red, a howl of pain, but nothing else happened. She narrowed her eyes and swore under her breath. She’d grazed Nick, a small injury that didn’t do much more than make him blink. At least she hadn’t hit Tao.

  Biting her lip, she kept the gun up, ready to shoot, but Nick was on to her now and maneuvered Tao between them. Audrey moved, attempting to find a clear shot again, but Nick moved too, maintaining a status quo where the only way to hit him was through Tao.

  Then he battered Tao with a head butt that caused the big man to stagger. His knees started to drop and Audrey screamed, loud and frantic as a horror movie sound track. The sound must’ve startled Tao into consciousness as he regained his footing and took a swing at Nick, connecting with his jaw.

  Audrey pulled the trigger, her shoulders tense as she anticipated the gun’s kickback, but nothing happened. She tried again with the same result. She was out of bullets. With a growl of frustration, she dropped the gun. Great. Now she had no weapons to speak of.

  Dashing over to Leo she said, “Do you have a gun?”

  He shook his head.

  “Does anyone have a gun?” She patted Dan down, recalling he’d had one, but it wasn’t on him. Audrey ran to Kai who remained stoic and white-eyed. She didn’t know why, but she was afraid to touch him. A powerful energy emanated from the lean man, strong enough to raise the hair on the back of her neck. She looked him over but didn’t see a gun or anything useful.

  Behind her, there was an ominous groan, a sound that seemed to fly through the air and hit her low in the gut. She knew it was Tao before she even turned around.

  Sure enough, Tao was flat on his back and still as death. Nick sat on top of him and clawed at his chest until rivulets of blood ran down his brother’s torso. Lifting a wet finger to his lips, Nick sucked off the blood and gave a maniacal laugh, throwing his head back to the sky.

  “You may be strong, brother, but you’re not stronger than me.” Nick dug at Tao’s chest deepening and widening the wound he’d started.

  “No! Stop!” Audrey screamed. Not knowing what else to do, she ran and threw her body into Nick’s, dislodging him from his dominant position on Tao. They both fell with a grunt, the wooden decking of the lookout trembling beneath them.

  Nick rolled gracefully to his feet, using the momentum of their fall to carry him upright. Audrey flopped onto her back and struggled to follow him, nowhere near as graceful or fast. When she got her knees under her, Nick punched her in the face, his fist connecting with her jaw and snapping her head back.

  “Fucking bitch. Down, stay.” He pointed to the ground with a finger. “Those are commands.”

  She felt the mild compulsion of his words but they paled in comparison to the impact of his punch. Audrey dropped back down, catching herself with her hands as the world swam around her. Shadows lengthened in her peripheral vision, threatening to turn everything dark. Still, she caught Nick’s movement as he went to finish what he’d started with Tao and she managed to throw out a leg and trip him.

  Nick crashed down again, and while he was still falling, Audrey staggered to her feet, good hand wrapped around the deck railing for support. Her foo
t kicked something as she stood, and looking down she smiled when she saw what it was.

  A gun.

  Noticing Nick was almost upright again, she quickly scooped up the weapon. Hopefully it was loaded. Either way, she was about to find out.

  “I told you to stay down,” Nick snarled.

  “You may have bitten me, but I don’t belong to you.” She lifted her chin and with it the gun. “You can’t control me. Not anymore.”

  Surprise flickered in his eyes and he moved to stand in front of her, his back to the lake. The afternoon sun blazed overhead making his hair seem more golden than it was, hiding the true darkness inside Nick. “What happened?” He peered at her closely, his eyes narrowed.

  “Tao is stronger than you. He always was. He marked me and took me from you. You think just because you can punch a man to the floor that you have his measure?” She held her head high. “Think again.”

  “No, that’s not possible.” Nick frowned and made to move closer to her.

  She lifted the gun and pulled the trigger. A bullet sank into his pec, just below the collarbone. Nick made a surprised ‘oof’ sound. The big man stepped back, pushed by the force of the bullet, but didn’t go down.

  Audrey prayed there were more bullets in the gun and pulled the trigger again. A bullet ripped into Nick pushing him back against the lookout railing and pinning him there. Blood seeped from wounds to his chest and stomach. He looked less golden and more gray despite the bright sunshine overhead.

  The wind stirred and then whipped through the air while the lake below seethed as if worked up by all the action above. Seagulls circled overhead and cawed like shrill banshees.

  Taking aim, she said, “You don’t own me, Nick. You never did and you never will.”

  He spat blood and shot her a dirty look.

  She pulled the trigger just as he tried to stagger toward her, a bloody sneer on his face. It hit him square in the chest and dropped him to the ground. He scrambled back and hit the deck railing so hard, the wood groaned and snapped in protest. The railing now leaned outward.