Collared by Wolves [The Haunt of the Wolves 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) (12 page)

On the balcony above there was a roar and a scuffle, and Ford knew Max was taking down the two up there. When a body came crashing to the floor from above with a cry of fear, he smiled. He didn’t feel sorry for him in the slightest.

Looking over to his right, he could just see Callum enter the room, enticing the two bastards who had been in front of Natasha toward him.

That left three for him.
Excellent!
If he had been in human form still, he would have rubbed his hands with glee. There was something about getting stuck into a fight with his mates, particularly when he was doing it for a good reason.

Ford swaggered forward in a way only a wolf could do, giving them a show of “I’m better than you,” almost disdainfully ignoring the three charging toward him, but aware of their every move.

His wolf-self crowed. This was what he was born to do, what was instinctive within him—to fight beside an alpha with his fellow betas, defending their mate from those who would steal her.

When he clashed with the three coming at him, he was in his element.
I am wolf.

Dammit!

His injuries might be healing, but not quick enough. When three of the pack came at him, Callum was forced into the corner to avoid any one of them getting on top of him. He snarled and darted from side to side, but they were not letting him pass. Any other time he would have thrown himself at them, relying on his strength and sheer stubbornness to overcome them, but not this time when he was patently aware of his injuries slowing him down.

Swearing to himself, he wondered how he was going to get out of this. His packmates all had their paws full and couldn’t help him. If only he had let Griff lick his wounds, he might have healed quicker, but there was no way he was ever going to let
that
happen.

He growled and braced his wolf legs in readiness to pounce if any of them attempted a leap at him, ignoring the pain in his leg. The wound pulled open as he bent, and he gritted his teeth, which actually made him snarl. He was making it clear that if they wanted him, he wouldn’t go down easily, particularly having bested him once back at The Haunt. He had a bone to pick with them. And wolves, like dogs, fought fiercely over bones.

Suddenly Griff came leaping into the fray, scattering the opposition, his bark enough to warn off the pack, and they backed away from the large alpha and indirectly, him, too. Griff might not be much bigger than Callum in human form, but when he transformed into an alpha wolf, he was considerably bigger than every other wolf in the room, with the exception possibly of Lance. It was how werewolves knew who was alpha and who wasn’t. Callum had hoped as a youngster that he would grow big enough to be an alpha and was mightily bitter that he never achieved the necessary size.

But there were other assets that an alpha wolf possessed, and one of those was the ability to send their thoughts to others. A talent Callum did not have.

I can tell you are hurt. It is affecting you.

Callum pretended nonchalance and stood straighter now he didn’t need to crouch. He arched his back as he tried to hide his limp and came alongside Griff, still gritting his teeth against the pain.

The alpha wolf turned his head to look directly at him, his amber eyes holding his own in a dominant stare. Griff’s command hit his brain forcibly.
I need you to change to human and untie Natasha. I’ll protect you while you’re changed. Then get the hell out of here. Take her with you. Somewhere safe.

Griff’s voice in his head had the authority of an alpha, but despite that, Callum resisted. The only time he could send his thoughts was back to an alpha who was talking to him.
No
.
You need me.

As if to prove his worth, Callum leaped forward to claw at the wolf near him, but at the last minute he was pushed to one side and keened loudly as he fell on his bad leg. Shuddering in pain, he looked up and was astonished to see it was Ford standing over him instead. Griff was no longer there, but a glance over the room showed that he was now fighting Lance on the other side. He could also see Max was with the alpha, protecting his back. Callum was stunned by how quickly Griff moved.

It was Ford’s turn to talk to him, showing how close he was to being an alpha, although his voice was much weaker than Griff’s had been.
Do as the alpha says or I’ll deal with you myself.

There was nothing more Callum could do. He couldn’t deny Ford. He was the closest Cal had ever had to an alpha before this. He nodded his acquiescence and stood up.

As Ford moved into the center of the room, tempting those nearest away from Callum by pretending to turn his back on them, it gave Cal the advantage of cessation of confrontation, and he quickly coalesced into human form.

Wincing as his injuries pained him, he pushed that aside as the need to release Tasha took over. It was a compulsion that Callum suspected came from Griff. But it was unnecessary. Tasha was the important one here, and he was ready to do what was needed.

Racing over to the wall, Callum released the chains that held Tasha’s arms aloft. When he saw her slump to the floor after being freed, he ran over to help her stand. She appeared dazed at first. But when he came near, she screamed and pushed at him.

“Natasha! It’s me. Callum.” His voice was insistent. He had to get through to her, make her realize he was there to rescue her.

She looked at him blankly for a moment, and then when awareness of exactly who he was struck her, she started to struggle with her bonds. “Please!”

“It’s all right. We followed you. We’re here to get you out.” He was taken aback by her cry and the look on her face. It was one of disbelief. He took a moment to run his fingertips gently over her cheek. “Really. We’re the cavalry.”

When she smiled he took heart, even if it was only a slight smile. Glancing around, he was pleased to note his packmates, along with Griff, were keeping the others away from them. Kneeling, he swiftly released the restraints around her ankles as she pulled off the wrist cuffs now the chain was loosened. Tasha flung them to the floor as if they were burning her fingers.

Just as she stepped free, two of the pack finally got away from the others and rounded on them. Callum pushed Tasha behind him. So rough was his push he heard her fall to the floor, and he swore, but he couldn’t spare the time to see to her as he transformed back to wolf, all the better to fight off the attackers. As he shimmered down to all fours, one of them went over his head not expecting his sudden change, and crashed into the wall, slipping stunned to the floor.

Callum had an urge to chuckle, but saw the murderous gleam in the amber eyes of the other one, Lance’s right hand man, Darren, and pulling on his reserves, Callum lashed out one powerful paw and backhanded the other being in a way only a man melded into animal could do. It wasn’t something a natural wolf did, but it was enough to fling Darren into those that were behind him.

Turning his head, he was about to change back to human to tell Natasha to climb on top of him when she came running over and did just that. He was momentarily surprised as he had been expecting some difficulty in that regard, but he guessed that Griff or Ford must have been able to mentally force the command on her, something nearly impossible to do to a human.
Griff. There’s no way Ford is that strong.

Knowing what he must do, Callum pressed his back feet into the ground and took off, running straight toward those charging him. They had left the pack to try to stop him, growling their anger that anyone would think of taking away their prey.

Tasha screamed, and he felt her nails digging into his pelt. He wished he could talk to her to explain what he was about to do, but since that was out of the question he just did what he had to and jumped over the heads of the other wolves.

Callum hoped that Tasha would be able to stay firmly on his back and felt her arms tightening around his neck almost in a stranglehold as he soared through the air over those beneath him, high enough that they missed him even when they leaped into the air trying to claw his vulnerable underbelly. It was a tremendous leap that took him and his passenger through the open doorway.

Stumbling as he landed, his bad leg forcing a yelp from him, Callum fought hard not to tumble over onto his back as he was concerned he would dislodge his rider and those behind him would retrieve her. The shock of the landing and her bumping on him made him cry out as his wounds pulled against the surrounding skin, but he had to put the excruciating pain aside. He had too important a job to do, one given him by his alpha.

Relief shuddered through him when he stayed upright, Tasha still atop him, and he took off swiftly in the direction of the old grotto. It was where Griff had told him to go. He hoped that few of the enemy would follow him as he couldn’t run as fast as usual, particularly as he had a rider. Crashing through the undergrowth, he took a little known path that he, Ford, and Max had used as cubs, praying earnestly that the others didn’t know of it or hoping they would miss it as the moon was mostly hidden behind clouds.

He was appreciative that the path took him downhill, and he lengthened his gait making the most of the extra speed, narrowly avoiding crashing into trees, until he skidded on some gravel near a brook and felt Tasha begin to slide off. Her cry of alarm nearly caused him to turn back into human, but he didn’t dare break form in case of pursuit.

Thankfully, despite him still running, she managed to right herself, although he winced as she did. By then he had slowed in order to cross a fallen tree trunk bridging the stream and then took off again, only slower this time as he was now gradually going uphill.

All the time he was listening for sounds of pursuit, but the blood throbbing in his head and Tasha’s heavy breathing in his ear made it nearly impossible.

His heart was pounding fiercely in his chest when he finally took a rest, aware that he couldn’t hear any sounds of the fight and was astonished to see he was alone.

Just him and Tasha. Their girl. But would the others get out of the building to enjoy their mate?

Max was amazed that they fought off the pack as long as they had, but superior numbers began to overwhelm them, and the three of them left, now that Callum had gone, began to tire.

When he had crept onto the balcony earlier and overheard the two men there shouting coarse comments, his instinct had been to rush up to them and fling them over the railing, but he held his nerve until the mental call came from Griff. At that moment he let out a grin that would be called evil if anyone had been looking at him, as he let out a rousing roar.

One of the men stumbled, startled, as he turned around to see where the noise was coming from and toppled over the balcony inadvertently. Max heard him crashing to the floor and chuckled silently, hoping that he’d fallen on top of one of his own pack. Meanwhile, the other one on the landing raced forward, changing into wolf as he came toward him, but Max had been ready for this, and when he reached him, it was two wolves that clashed. Paws swiped their vicious claws, each trying to get the first debilitating slash. Snarling, their teeth bared showing their deadly fangs, saliva dripping onto the floor.

Max finally got the upper hand, the upper swipe, and the wolf he was fighting went down keening, blood running down his chest to mingle with the moisture already pooling on the floor.

Leaving him, Max ran quickly down the stairs, although easier than a proper wolf would have done.

He stopped at the bottom to take in the scene and saw Griff give an almighty leap at the wolf that was Lance, forcing the latter to slide across the floor and land in a heap against the wall. The other two facing Griff backed off, not willing to go up against such a powerful alpha by themselves.

Ford was busily fighting three on the other side of the room, and Max smiled, aware that his friend was holding his own just nicely.

Turning his head, he frowned. Callum was being pushed back into the corner. As Max braced himself to jump in to help, a shadow raced past him, and Griff went to the rescue. Conscious that Callum would be all right now, Max instead took up a flanking action, growling at those wanting to take advantage of the alpha’s back being turned to ambush him. Oh, Max was
not
going to let that happen. He might not have liked the alpha previously, but this time they were working together.

Griff didn’t take long, and when Ford left the ones he had been fighting to move toward Callum, Max took his place next to Griff and the two swiftly moved to confront those approaching them, Lance foremost, having recovered from the previous incident, more’s the pity.

The next few minutes were a blur as wolf took on wolf, both packs fighting for the kill, or in this case, the woman.

Only dimly aware of what was happening behind him, it was more instinct than knowledge that told Max that Callum and Tasha had left the building. That, and the firm nod that Ford gave him as he came alongside.

Very well, it was three of them against the pack now. Only they were in the center of the room, backs to each other, surrounded by the others.

A shiver of fear went through him as he heard Lance make a distinctive growl of command and two members of the pack started to turn away, toward the exit Callum had gone out.