Page 126 of Locke

“Lower your guns,” I warned.

My father let out a nervous laugh and waved his hands in a downward motion to his men. “Put them away. My daughter wouldn’t hurt me.”

Is that what he thought?

They hesitantly put their guns down, but they didn’t let their fingers off the triggers. Locke stood behind me in the brush. He knew I wanted to face this alone, and I was glad for it.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

My father gazed around his men, as if he was looking for an answer, until his eyes met mine again.

“Just wanted to see you,” he smiled. “We haven’t seen each other in so long. The head of the cartel is dead. They have a much more… forgiving leader. You can come back to Mexico, now.” His heart sped up and I instantly knew it was a lie.

I hummed and stepped forward, observing the men around him.

“And why did they keep you alive?” I asked, pinning my eyes on him.

He chuckled nervously. “I had an enormous debt. It was all a mistake. I was so heartbroken over your mother’s death I did things I shouldn’t have…”

It was a poor excuse for an apology.

“And they don’t just kill those who owe a debt, they make them work. I’ve been working off my debt. Doing what they wanted, their bidding; anything. The new cartel boss said I was done,” his eyes brightened. “He said I could find my daughter and bring her back to Mexico, to be a familia.”

I looked away from him and crossed my arms.

“Emm, I am so sorry. You have to understand, I was under so much pressure. Please, mija. Please, forgive me.”

Lies! His heart was racing, and not with excitement. His forehead perspired and his scent was off.

“Good job, Luna.” Locke intercepted my thoughts.“He is lying. The cartel still wants you dead. They want Elena, now, and they don’t know about her son. Don’t worry, I’ve got a pack down south that is taking care of that little cartel problem. Your father and these fuckers, are yours.”

I rolled my shoulders back and tilted my head from side to side, to hear it crack.

“Emm, what is wrong with your teeth? Are those… some sort of enhancement?” My father gave me a wobbled smile and I touched them delicately.

“They are. Would you like to see them? After, we can go find Elena and catch up? I’m sure she will be excited to hear about the cartel not being a part of your life anymore.”

My father took several steps toward me, his scent of fear dissipating more the longer I stood there. Even his men relaxed when his arms opened and I went into his embrace. I held my nose, the smell of tobacco and burnt almonds stifling, and when I let go I gave him a large fanged smile.

“It’s silly, really,” I shook my head. My father raised an eyebrow while I let the claws on my fingertips grow, “that you really thought I would forgive you after all these years?”

My father’s eyes widened as I lowered myself to the balls of my feet and cut the tendons on the back of his knees. My claws were strong enough to break through the jeans, through the skin and the sinew of any human.

His scream echoed through the night, as he clutched the back of his leg. He wasn’t going anywhere, even if he somehow managed to drag himself with his arms.

Open gunfire rained down on me, pegging me in the back and at my side.

Despite being a wolf, I still felt every hit.

Locke roared, jumping through the trees, his muscles glistening in the moonlight. His muscles rippled across his skin as he disarmed the twelve men that accompanied my father.

The air was thick with smoke and the stench of gunpowder as the remaining men ricocheted bullets off the ground in wild desperation. I knew that they were only moments away from being overwhelmed by Locke, who was now standing triumphantly over them, his eyes glowing like green embers in the darkness.

Locke, with his own thirst for blood, took out two. Plunging his fist inside each chest and ripping out hearts. He licked his hand after each one, and watching him rip limbs, meat and bone from the weak humans… damn, it turned me on.

Locke shot me a knowing look, and I shook my head as I punched and elbowed the other men. Two shot off into the dark, unarmed, and I felt my wolf nudge me to chase.

The memory, of how Locke told me not to run when I found out he was a wolf, came to me, and here I was with my wolf. Instincts to hunt and catch prey overpowered me. I couldn’t helpbut grin, my face glowing in the moonlight as I transformed into my wolf. I took off after the men, my instincts kicking in.