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“You’re not even a shifter,” I mocked. “None of you are. You’re nothing but a pair of hands when they’re in wolf form. You would never have a chance with me.” Rage flashed across his face and I knew I’d scored a hit.

One of the men came at my dad and he swung the rifle around slamming into him instead of shooting. Anna scrambled to bring down the other guy as I faced off with the sheriff. A manic look came over him letting me know I was in trouble. He charged me, seeming to forget he had a gun in his hand, and I couldn’t stop his forward momentum as we both hit the ground. I fought to keep his weight off me, knowing I was done if he pinned me. He swung the hand with the gun in it at my head and I blocked it, but the force of the blow snapped my wrist.

I bucked hard trying to knock him off balance as spittle from his mouth sprayed across my face. His other hand raked across my chest and I felt his excitement. He wasn’t trying to subdue me. He enjoyed the struggle. He managed to pin my arm with the broken wrist as I used my other hand to claw his face.

The sound of a gunshot froze him in place above me and I wondered for a second if he’d been shot. His next action proved he hadn’t, but the gunshot seemed to remind him of his duty.

Soon, he mouthed and I shuddered, as his hand came down with the butt of the gun aimed at my head. Another gunshot pierced the air and this time when he froze, I knew he’d been shot. The red blooming across his chest was proof as well as the shock on his face. He collapsed on me, dead weight I couldn’t wiggle out from underneath.

Within seconds, Dad was there, dragging the sheriff off me and staring at me in worry.

“I’m okay,” I managed, the words coming out automatically in light of his expression, since I obviously not okay. My wrist was definitely broken and I wasn’t sure a rib or two wasn’t as well.

“You want to tell me why the sheriff attacked you and I was forced to kill him?” Dad grunted, shoving the sheriff’s body and simultaneously reaching for me.

“Long story,” I muttered, my words shockingly loud in the still parking lot. It was silent, eerily silent, after the gunshot. There was a pounding in my temples I couldn’t explain. A weight pressing down on me, but it didn’t feel like mine.

They’re running away. The words echoed in my head, flat and unemotional.

Dominic. I whispered, an ache forming in my chest. Something was wrong. Please.

He didn’t answer as a heartbreaking howl broke the silence quickly followed by a chorus of others. I understood then what had happened.

“Dad,” I whispered frantically, tugging on his arm. “Which one, Dad?”

Chapter Twenty

“I don’t know, Bunny,” Dad answered, helping me stand. “We should go inside.” He tried to lead me back to the apartment, but I struggled against him.

“I need to know,” I protested. “Dad, it’s important.” The determination in my voice must have penetrated because he stopped trying to guide me away from the wolves collected around a single still form. I leaned against him, needing his support as I cradled my broken arm. Only the fact that Dominic had spoken to me kept me calm as we walked closer to the gathered wolves.

Some of them shifted, allowing us close enough to see the sandy wolf on the ground. For a second, I believed it was Caleb until I saw the gray fur interspersed among the blond strands. Blood pooled beneath him as the pack mourned their fallen leader, sorrowful howls piercing the night sky.

I stared at Caleb’s father’s body, something about it bothering me. I searched around him, looking for the wolf that killed him. Hank stood nearby, his dark fur sprinkled with gray, dripping blood from a wound at his shoulder. I knew he’d protected the alpha’s flank, and there was no way he’d let the wolf who’d killed his alpha escape. I glanced back at the body and finally saw what I’d been missing. There were no visible wounds.

My eyes skated around the closed circle of wolves, cataloguing injuries clearly made by another wolf. The few human males had jagged wounds, and I noticed one of them stood next to Caleb, his hand resting on his ruffled fur. Dominic stood on his other side, stoic as he stared unblinkingly at the fallen wolf. My eyes went unerringly back to the alpha, whispered words drifting through my mind.

“It’s only when the alpha dies we’ll see issues. There will be several who want Dom to take the position and it could cause the pack to divide.”