Page 19 of Wild Alpha (Cold-Blooded Alpha #12)

V aden pushes me back as I scramble to my feet, and he lunges forward. He does it so automatically, I doubt he’s even aware of it.

My back slams against the doorframe, and my wolf fills my head with furious growls as I groan, wincing from the jarring impact.

Vaden’s arm takes the brunt as a large black wolf snaps its jaws at him. He grunts, blood dripping, and kicks out, sending the wolf flying.

Thud .

It crashes into a tree with splinters of bark flying everywhere. An angry, half-furious, half-agonized yowl erupts from its throat. But it doesn't stay down for long. As soon as it hits the ground, it's scrambling back up, green eyes spitting with rage.

Vaden keeps his eyes on the wolf, tearing his clothes off in seconds as fur erupts over his body to cover every inch of exposed skin.

I step toward him.

“Stay inside, Averie,” he snarls at me, dropping into a crouch. His claws extend as his fingernails lengthen.

I can’t do that.

He charges at the five wolves rushing toward us. No hesitation. No reluctance. Just a resolve to do what he's trained all his life for: fight.

Xavier steps out of the forest.

I bare my teeth at him.

He smiles. “Shift and your brother dies.”

Nothing else could have stopped me dead.

My eyes flick to the left. Vaden is in a fight for his life with five wolves.

He needs me.

My claws lengthen, and Xavier whistles.

Six wolves emerge from the forest behind him, and Xavier tilts his head in a wolflike gesture, his eyes locked on mine. “How many can he fight at once, Averie?”

Not eleven.

No one can fight eleven and live.

My wolf is furious with me—at Xavier—and fights back as I stop my shift, making me tremble with exertion.

Fully human again, I tilt my chin. “What do you want?”

He’s barely aged since the last time I saw him when he slapped me across the face and demanded I get on my hands and knees.

His smile draws a growl from my wolf.

“What I’ve always wanted. You. Come here.”

I dart a rapid glance at my brother. He’s down—pinned and trapped. His eyes warn me not to move, but I can’t let him sacrifice himself for me. Dad gave up his life so I could escape. I’m not sacrificing my brother as well.

I start walking toward Xavier.

I’m passing my brother when a furious howl rings out, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

It came from the house, and there is only one alpha I know who would howl like that.

I cry out as nails dig into my arms, and suddenly, Xavier has a grip on me, dragging me into the forest, while my brother is fighting again.

I lose sight of Vaden.

Wolves burst out of the forest, approaching from all directions.

The Blackshaws.

The nails in my arms dig deeper, and I stumble, nearly falling as Xavier looks back over his shoulder. His lips tighten, and he charges into the forest, dragging me along.

Twisting around, I catch brief glimpses of a war being fought outside my and Fisher’s cabin. I don’t see my brother. All I can smell is death, blood, and pain.

Xavier yanks, and I stumble, falling this time, but he’s already grabbing me, slamming my back against a tree.

His fangs are extended when he snarls, “ Mine .”

He lunges for my throat as I tear one arm loose and drive my fist into his gut. “Never.”

My head rings, and I briefly see stars as his backhand leaves me stunned.

He slams me against the tree, wrenches my head to one side, and lunges at me, teeth bared, determined to claim me as his mate and tie us together.

Yelping, he twists around as a palm-sized rock bounces off the side of his head, making a satisfying conk .

Xavier looks more surprised by it than I am.

And I almost laugh when I see Fisher, fierce and angry, glaring Xavier down. “Take your hands off her.”

His sweats are wrinkled and twisted. He dressed in a hurry, throwing on the first thing he found.

He came to save me with a handful of rocks, just like he said he would.

A menacing growl rumbles from Xavier’s throat.

Fisher’s lips flatten, and he tightens his grip around another rock in his left hand. “I won’t tell you again.”

Xavier releases me, and I relax as the sounds of fighting behind Fisher fade. Now that the Blackshaws are involved, Xavier’s men are losing.

Xavier’s shift is alpha fast. One second he’s human, the next he’s a wolf lunging at Fisher.

I panic.

I lunge at Xavier, grab one of his legs, and fling him as hard as I can away from Fisher. I wince as he crashes into a tree, then rush toward Fisher, pushing him back as I turn to check if Xavier is still down. He is.

“Go,” I order Fisher. “That won’t keep him down for long. Go !”

Fisher’s expression is determined. “I’m not leaving you behind.”

My wolf snarls a warning.

I shove Fisher aside, yelping as a hard blow knocks me onto my back.

No sooner am I down than Fisher yelps. A large blond-brown wolf slams into Xavier, and they both hit the ground hard.

Dayne.

I’ve never seen the Blackshaw alpha’s wolf form, but I recognize his scent.

“Averie?”

I scramble to my feet. “Fisher?”

My eyes swing from the wolf busy savaging Xavier to Fisher, slowly picking himself up from the ground. He looks dazed, and the bottom of his shirt is shredded.

I rush over to him. “Are you okay?”

He winces slightly. “Shit, he was fast.”

“Yeah. Are you hurt?” I’m scanning him as I ask, my nose twitching with the scent of his blood.

“He swiped me as I fell, but I’m okay.”

His T-shirt is torn on the side, and blood is soaking through the white fabric.

I frown. “It looks bad. You should sit down. Let me have a look.”

“I’m okay,” he says as footsteps move toward us.

“You guys okay?” Dayne asks us.

I twist to face him. Xavier is down, his throat ripped out. Dayne is naked, using the back of his hand to wipe blood from his face.

“Fisher is hurt,” I say.

“I’m fine,” Fisher denies, smiling at me.

But his face is pale, and the blood seeping through his shirt is getting worse.

Dayne is reaching for him when Fisher drops.