Page 17 of Alpha’s Vow (Copper Canyon Shifters #3)
CHAPTER 17
brYCE
I n the morning, the sun crept over the rugged terrain of the borderlands, casting long shadows across jagged rocks and dense patches of scrub. Bryce stood near a cluster of boulders, his phone pressed to his ear as he watched Sable pace a few feet away. Her eyes scanned the horizon, her movements sharp and restless, her wolf bristling with anticipation.
“They’re on their way,” Bryce said into the phone, his tone clipped.
Rush’s voice came through the line, steady and no-nonsense as always. “We’ll be there in two hours. Tell me again—how many we’re dealing with?”
“At least seven, but there could be more,” Bryce replied. His eyes narrowed as he glanced toward the distant ridge where the hunters were rumored to be gathering. “They’re armed and dangerous. This isn’t going to be clean.”
“It never is,” Rush said, a faint hint of grim amusement in his tone. “We’ll bring the gear. Just keep you and your mate in one piece.”
Bryce ended the call and slipped his phone into his pocket, his gaze shifting back to Sable. She had stopped pacing and was now leaning against a rock, her arms crossed as she studied him.
“They’re coming?” she asked, her voice tight with both eagerness and apprehension.
“Yeah,” Bryce said, stepping closer. “Rush and his team will be here soon. We’ll have backup.”
Sable nodded, her jaw tightening. “Good. Because I’m not letting any of them get away this time.”
Bryce reached out, his hand brushing her arm. The contact was brief, but the bond between them flared, grounding them both. “Neither am I.”
The plan was simple in theory but dangerous in execution. Bryce and Sable would work with Rush’s team to funnel the hunters into a narrow canyon, where their movements could be controlled and their escape routes cut off. The terrain was brutal—steep cliffs, loose rocks, and sparse cover—but it gave their wolves the advantage.
Bryce stood with Rush and his team at the staging area, the Texas Rangers preparing their equipment with military precision. The quiet squawk of the radio and the occasional clink of metal punctuated the tense silence. Sable watched from a distance, her expression unreadable as she checked the straps on her gear.
“Your mate’s intense,” Rush said, his sharp eyes flicking toward Sable.
“She’s been through hell,” Bryce replied, his voice low. “This is personal for her.”
Rush nodded, his expression grim. “It’s personal for you, too.”
Bryce didn’t deny it. The memory of the hunters’ cruelty, the pain etched into Sable’s every movement, drove him with a force he couldn’t ignore. This wasn’t just about justice—it was about protecting the woman who had become the center of his world.
“We’re ready,” Rush said, snapping Bryce back to the moment. “You and Sable take the lead. We’ll move in as soon as they’re cornered.”
Bryce nodded, his eyes glinting with determination. “Let’s do this.”
The canyon was eerily quiet, the only sounds those of footsteps on shifting rock and the faint whisper of wind through the rocks. Bryce moved ahead, his wolf instincts sharp as he scanned the terrain for signs of movement. Sable was at his side, her presence a steady pulse of energy that complemented his own.
“Smell that?” she murmured, her eyes flicking to him.
Bryce inhaled deeply, catching the faint scent of sweat and gun oil on the breeze. “They’re close.”
Sable’s wolf stirred beneath her skin, her muscles coiling with anticipation. Bryce placed a hand on her shoulder, his touch helping to settle her. “Stick to the plan.”
“I know,” she said, her voice tight but steady. “Just don’t get in my way.”
Bryce grinned, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
As they moved deeper into the canyon, every sound was magnified by the narrow walls. Bryce could feel his wolf pacing just beneath the surface, its instincts sharpening as they neared their prey.
Then he saw them.
The hunters were clustered near a rocky outcrop, their weapons glinting in the sunlight. They were scanning the terrain, their postures tense and alert, but they hadn’t spotted Bryce and Sable yet. He crouched low, signaling for Sable to do the same.
“Five here,” he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. “Where are the others?”
“Probably spread out,” Sable replied, her eyes narrowing. “But they won’t get far.”
Bryce nodded, his gaze locked on the hunters. “On my signal.”
Sable’s lips curled into a faint smile. “Ready when you are.”
Bryce dropped the bag in which they had carried extra clothes and shifted first, the transformation a rush of power and heat as his wolf surged forward. His dark fur gleamed in the dappled sunlight, his muscles rippling with barely restrained energy. Sable followed a heartbeat later, her tawny wolf sleek and deadly, her eyes glowing with an otherworldly light.
Together, they moved as one, their movements silent and precise as they closed in on the hunters. Bryce’s wolf flanked left, his instincts guiding him to the largest threat, while Sable’s wolf veered right, her focus on the men who had haunted her nightmares.
The first hunter never saw Bryce coming. He lunged, his powerful jaws clamping down on the man’s weapon arm, the rifle clattering to the ground as the hunter screamed. Sable was a blur of motion, her claws raking across one of the men’s chests as he stumbled back, his face twisted in pain and fear.
Chaos erupted in the canyon. The hunters scrambled to regroup, their shouts echoing off the walls as Bryce and Sable tore through their ranks with ruthless precision. Bryce’s wolf was a force of nature, his strength and speed unmatched as he took down one hunter after another. Sable’s wolf was equally deadly, her movements fluid and calculated, her instincts honed by years of survival.
The remaining hunters tried to retreat, their fear tangible, but Rush’s team was waiting at the canyon’s mouth. The sharp crack of gunfire echoed through the air as the Rangers cut off their escape, their precision unmatched.
When the dust settled, the canyon was silent once more.
Bryce and Sable retreated to where they had left a set of clothes, their chests heaving as they surveyed the scene. Bryce shifted and donned his clothing as Sable stood a few feet away, her tawny fur streaked with blood and dirt. She shifted and pulled on her clothes as well, her eyes meeting his with a mix of triumph and exhaustion.
“It’s almost over,” Bryce said reassuringly, his voice steady despite the adrenaline still coursing through his veins.
Sable nodded but said nothing.
As the sun reached its zenith, Bryce and Sable prepared for the next phase of their fight. Regardless of what it took, the hunters had underestimated them, and now they would pay the price.
The canyon was eerily quiet in the moments that led to their spotting of the remaining hunters, the air thick with anticipation. Bryce crouched low behind a cluster of boulders, his eyes scanning the rugged terrain ahead. The remaining hunters were spread out, their movements cautious as they navigated the rocky landscape, but they were oblivious to the trap waiting to spring.
Beside him, Sable was a coiled spring, her tawny wolf crouched low to the ground. Her eyes burned with determination, the bond between them vibrating like a live wire. Bryce placed a steady hand on her flank, grounding her as they waited for the perfect moment.
“Hold,” Bryce murmured, his voice low and commanding.
Sable’s wolf growled softly, but she didn’t move. Her restraint was palpable, her instincts screaming to strike, but Bryce knew she trusted him. Trusted his timing.
The hunters stepped closer, their voices carrying faintly on the wind. Bryce’s wolf sharpened its focus, its instincts razor-sharp as the first hunter passed into their line of sight. Bryce inhaled deeply, the scent of sweat and gun oil confirming what his eyes already saw. These were the men who had torn Sable’s world apart.
His eyes flicked to Rush and his team, positioned along the ridge, weapons ready. With a subtle hand signal, Bryce gave the command.
Chaos erupted.
Bryce stripped naked as his wolf surged forward, his shift fluid and instantaneous. The rush of power was electric, his dark fur bristling as he leaped over the boulders and into the fray. The first hunter barely had time to react before Bryce’s powerful jaws clamped down on his arm, the rifle dropping to the ground as the man screamed in pain.
Sable moved with deadly precision as she launched herself at another hunter. Her claws raked across his chest, the force of her attack sending him sprawling into the dirt. She was relentless, a force of nature that left no room for hesitation.
Rush’s team opened fire from the ridge, their shots precise and calculated. The crack of gunfire echoed through the canyon, the hunters scrambling for cover as the ambush unfolded around them. But there was nowhere to run.
Bryce tore through the chaos with brutal efficiency, his wolf instincts guiding him as he took down one hunter after another. He moved with a purpose that was both primal and calculated, his focus unwavering even as the fight raged around him.
Sable’s wolf was at his side, their movements synchronized in a way that felt effortless. She was fierce and unrelenting, her strength a perfect complement to his. Together, they were unstoppable.
When the dust finally settled, the canyon was eerily silent once more. Bryce shifted back, his chest heaving as he surveyed the wreckage. He picked up his discarded clothes and put them on. The hunters lay scattered across the rocky ground, their weapons abandoned, their forces decimated.
Sable shifted beside him, catching her clothes from where Bryce tossed them, her breath coming in sharp bursts as she brushed a strand of damp hair from her face. Her eyes locked onto his, a mixture of triumph and exhaustion in their depths.
“It’s done,” she said, her voice steady despite the adrenaline still coursing through her veins.
“Not yet,” Bryce replied, his eyes narrowing as his gaze fell on one of the surviving hunters. The man was slumped against a boulder, clutching his leg where a bullet wound bled freely. His face was pale, his eyes darting wildly as Bryce and Sable approached.
Bryce crouched in front of the man, his voice low and lethal. “You’re going to tell us everything.”
The hunter glared at him, his jaw clenched. “Why would I do that?”
Bryce’s lips curled into a cold smile. “Because you don’t want to die?”
The man’s defiance wavered, his gaze flicking to Sable, who stood behind Bryce like an avenging spirit, her expression fierce and unrelenting. Her presence alone was enough to make the hunter pale further.
“Fine,” he muttered, his voice shaking. “What do you want to know?”
“Who’s behind this?” Bryce demanded. “Who gave the orders?”
The hunter hesitated, his eyes darting between them. Bryce leaned closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous growl. “Talk. Or I let her finish what she started.”
Sable stepped forward, her eyes narrowing as she crouched beside Bryce. Her voice was cold, sharp as a blade. “You think you’re scared now? You haven’t seen what I can do.”
The hunter swallowed hard, his resolve crumbling under the weight of their combined fury. “It’s… it’s a man called Seton,” he stammered. “Silas Seton. He’s the one who planned it all.”
Bryce exchanged a glance with Sable, the name landing like a blow. It was one they had heard in whispers, a shadowy figure who had remained just out of reach. Until now.
“Where is he?” Bryce demanded.
“I don’t know,” the hunter said quickly, his voice desperate. “He moves around. Keeps everything compartmentalized. I swear, that’s all I know!”
Bryce studied the man for a long moment, his eyes searching for any sign of deceit. Finally, he stood, his expression grim. “If you’re lying, it won’t go well for you.”
The hunter nodded frantically, his breath coming in shallow gasps as Bryce turned away.
Rush and his team moved in, using handcuffs and plastic ties to restrain the hunters. The revelation of what they had accomplished and what yet remained settled over Bryce and Sable. The fight wasn’t over—not yet—but they were closer than ever to the man who had orchestrated the massacre that had destroyed Sable’s world.
Bryce stood at the edge of the canyon, his gaze fixed on the horizon as the first hints of dawn painted the sky in shades of gold and pink. Sable joined him, her presence a comforting bond that existed between them with quiet intensity.
“We’re almost done,” she said softly, her voice filled with both determination and trepidation.
Bryce turned to her, his eyes locking onto hers. “We are and then we can leave this behind.”
As Sable’s lips curved into a faint smile, her eyes glinting with the fire that had never truly dimmed, Bryce felt a surge of purpose, the bond between him and Sable stronger than ever. The final battle was near, and he would stop at nothing to ensure that justice was served.
The fight wasn’t over… yet, but it would be soon.