Thunder (Alpha Love - a Paranormal Werewolf Shifter Romance Book 3) (20 page)

Sofie squeezes her mentor’s shoulder as she looks at him, seeing how defeated he is. It explains a lot about how angry and how unlike himself he’s been in the past weeks. What Luke has done to Darwin only makes her hate him more—if that were even possible. “It’ll be okay, Darwin. We’ll work it out. It’ll be alright.” She tries to comfort him, but they both know that they’re ants, and Luke is the boot. Sofie catches sight of Finn, waving him over and gently handing Darwin over to him. She doesn’t want to leave the old man alone—not in the state that he’s in.

As she hugs the older man, she looks over his shoulder and shakes her head at Ashton and Lindsey. She’s failed, the wolves are on their own now. Ashton doesn’t waste any time. He calls the one person in the pack—outside of Lindsey—who he trusts most.

“Hector…yeah, I know. That’s why I need you. I need you to get your ass into the woods, find Lola, and shadow her. Make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid, keep her out of sight and, at the earliest opportunity remove her from the situation. I don’t care how you do it, just do it.” Ashton finishes his call, communicating to Lindsey just with a look that they need to get moving.

He looks back over towards Sofie, expecting to see her with Darwin; but, she’s making her way towards Luke, striding with purpose. Her shoulders are set, her head down.

“Dr. Braun, what a lovely surprise.” Luke turns around, arms open wide as if he expects her to step into them.

She doesn’t move, and Luke lets his arms drop. “I’d like to go with you and the others on the hunt.”

Luke looks at her quizzically, like he’s wondering what she’s up to; but, his need to believe that she’s on his side outweighs his suspicions. “Well, that’s wonderful news, Sofie. I’m so glad you’ve decided to see sense.” Luke seems genuinely pleased, taking it as a signal that she agrees with what he’s doing. She tries not to shy away from him, as he leans in and starts talking about the rifles they’ll be carrying. As she looks into his eyes, she realizes that he’s excited about what they’re about to do. He actually wants to kill something.

Sofie sees Ashton take a few steps towards her, as if he’s about to intervene but, almost imperceptibly, she shakes her head, signaling that she’s not in any trouble. At first, that doesn’t seem to satisfy him, but Lindsey is on hand to talk him down. Whatever she says, it works. She and Ashton slope off, quietly. Sofie knows that they’ll be watching from a distance, making sure that nothing happens.

Before they disappear, Sofie hears a voice filling her head. It’s Lindsey. She turns, and her friend is staring straight at her.
Don’t do anything stupid. Nothing stupid and nothing brave. Don’t be a hero, Sofie.
Her voice is calm, but her warning is clear.

You don’t have to worry about me, Linds. I’m a lot of things, but a hero is definitely not one of them
. All Sofie does is think the words to herself, her eyes still on her friend. She can tell from the look that Lindsey gives her that she’s heard her.

Sofie doesn’t have time to question how it’s possible for Lindsey to communicate like that with her, telepathically when she’s not even were. The hunting party is about to set off, and the camera crews are going to be right behind. Sofie sends up a prayer to a god that she’s never believed in, asking for some kind of protection for her friends.

Finn lifts his hand from his vantage point where he’s standing with Darwin, a little apart from the others. He mouths something to her, but she can’t be sure what he’s trying to say. He’s too far away. It looks like,
Be careful
.

***

Luke insists on staying glued to Sofie’s side as they make their way through the woods, slowly advancing behind the hunters. She’s refused the offer of a rifle but now she wishes she hadn’t—if only to have something to protect herself with in case Luke gets any ideas.

The day goes on and the excitement from the morning starts to wear off, as there’s no sign of any wolf activity. The disappointment coming from the news crews and the hunters alike is palpable, and it’s the best feeling that Sofie has had all day. Gus isn’t stupid, and she’s hoping that he’s come to his senses and has called Lola out of the woods.

The team is about to wrap things up for the afternoon, making sure they get back to the drilling site before dark. The last thing any of them want is to run the risk of being out in the middle of the wood when night falls.

Sofie breathes a sigh of relief. It seems that Lola has managed to keep her distance and hasn’t been found. Just as they’re all about to turn around and head back, Luke looking apoplectic, like a spoiled kid that didn’t get the birthday present he thought he deserved, everything changes.

“Hold up!” Warner is crouching in the mud, looking intently at something. “We’ve got a print.” He keeps his voice low, but the glee in his voice is clear. He’s found what they’ve been looking for. Sofie’s stomach drops into her feet; this is not good.

Warner and Cash give each other a look, like the hunt is finally on, and they signal for the others to follow them at a distance, quietly. She feels rather than sees Ashton’s presence in the trees to her left. There’s not even a rustle from the leaves, but she knows that he’s there, observing what’s going on, making sure that the people he cares about are protected.

Suddenly, there’s a sound, like a whistle but about a hundred times more shrill. Plus, it’s loud, really loud. Sofie covers her ears with her hands, and turns to see where the awful noise is coming from. It’s Luke and he’s holding something in his hand, something that’s allowing him to make that god-awful noise. He’s smiling that smile that makes her nervous. It usually means that he’s just got his own way, that he’s won.

It only takes a few moments for Sofie to figure out what’s going on. As she peers out into the wood, she realizes that the sound isn’t for her or the other humans. It’s for the wolves, and it’s working. She can see a wolf loping out of the darkness. It’s a chocolate colored female that must be Lola. Sofie can’t figure out why she’s walking towards them instead of remaining on the outskirts of the wood, hanging back and watching.

But when Sofie looks at Lola again, she sees that her eyes are misted over, as if she were hypnotized. The poachers are already lifting their rifles and the camera crews are going crazy behind her. Luke’s eyes light up like Christmas, and Sofie feels like her heart is about to stop.

She has to do something. She can see what’s going to happen; it doesn’t take a genius. She knows it’s not going to end well for Lola, not well at all. She remembers Lindsey’s words about not doing anything, but she can’t just sit back and let it happen. There’s no way. Sofie doesn’t even really think about what she’s doing, she just reacts and does what she needs to.

“Stop!” She barely recognizes her own voice as she screams at the hunters, running forward as quickly as she can and putting herself between the poachers and Lola in her were form. Lola still seems to be only half-conscious of what’s going on around her. Whatever the thing was that Luke had used to whistle, it was still having an effect.

Sofie stands her ground, taking in the expressions of the people around her. From the corner of her eye, she sees Ashton holding Lindsey back, her eyes distant, as if she were drawn to the sound, as well. He locks eyes with Sofie, and the worry in his face is clear. It’s only then that Sofie really comes to grips with the danger that she’s in.

The poachers haven’t moved from their positions, their guns still leveled at Lola, or, more accurately, at Sofie. She blinks down the barrels of their rifles, wondering how she got there.

“Whatever you think you’re doing, stop. Get out of the way, Dr. Braun.” Luke’s voice is commanding and angry. She wonders that he hasn’t said anything more debasing; but, of course, the news crews are there, covering everything that’s said, everything that happens.

“I’m not moving, Luke. I’m not going to let you kill her!” Sofie’s voice rings out, as she stands her ground. She tries to avoid looking at the guns, but there is something almost hypnotic about them.

“What are you talking about, Braun? Have you gone mad? It’s a wild animal, not a cuddly toy!” Luke looks at her like she’s completely crazy, and she’s starting wonder if he’s not a little bit right.

“Step away from the wolf, slowly. Don’t make any sudden movements.” Cash keeps his rifle leveled at her, not even blinking as he directs her away from Lola.

“I’m not moving until you put your guns down. She’s not dangerous.” Sofie holds out her arms, not daring to turn around but hoping that Lola has come to her senses. If she turned around right now and ran back into the forest, they wouldn’t be able to catch her or shoot at her.

Lola clearly has no intention of running. There’s a growl that comes from behind Sofie, signaling that she is back in the land of the living. Sofie wonders if she spoke out of turn when she said that Lola wasn’t dangerous, after all she doesn’t know what orders Gus has given her. Sofie breathes in and out to calm herself, and motions with her hand for Lola to move back towards the wood where she can disappear. There’s a look of confusion on Luke’s face as he witnesses Sofie communicating with the animal, like he can’t believe what he’s seeing. His rifle is lowered, like he’s lost in what’s playing out in front of him.

The others aren’t quite so shell-shocked, like they’ve done this before, like they’re not in the least shocked at the wolf’s behavior. Lola’s movement has triggered their instincts and, just as she’s almost at the tree line, without even pausing to take aim, Warner squeezes the trigger and fires straight at Lola. He doesn’t even seem to care that Sofie is in the way.

As the gun goes off, Sofie keeps her feet firmly planted where they are, partly because she knows that if she moves then Lola is dead and partly because she’s too scared to move, even had she wanted to. She grips the necklace in her hand, the rock digging into her palm, comforting her just with its presence.

Once the gun is fired, everything seems to happen in slow motion. Ashton shouts her name, heading out of the tree line, running towards her. But he’s not fast enough. Sofie barely even flinches, not until she feels the bullet hit her, connecting with her gut. She doubles over, feeling the path of the bullet, as it makes its way inside of her, ripping through her flesh and out of her back. She screams in pain and holds a hand over her stomach, wondering if this is it, if this is how she dies. However, when she takes her hand away, there’s no blood—not even a speck.

She spins around, hearing a sound from behind her. It’s a scream, a bloodcurdling noise and instead of seeing the wolf behind her, Sofie sees Lola, the woman she’s seen at pack meetings. She has morphed back into human form. But that’s not why Sofie is staring. Her shoulder is stained red and there’s a glint of metal from the bullet in her left shoulder where it’s lodged. She’s lying on the floor screaming, and she’s bleeding heavily.

Sofie is in a state of shock, but she moves toward Lola, kneeling down, putting pressure on the wound as the blood seeps out around her hands. She sees the expression of surprise in Lola’s face, surprise that Sofie would help her. Sofie doesn’t have time to wonder what it is that Gus has told Lola about her. Whatever it is, Sofie’s actions have clearly made her question the truth of it.

Ashton shouts something to the man behind him, Sofie doesn’t even register what it is that he’s saying. But, all at once, Hector is running on two feet and then on four. He has morphed into wolf form, speeding past Ashton and over to Sofie and Lola. It only takes a look from Hector for Sofie to step back and, in one swift motion, he lifts Lola onto his back and rides off with her into the woods.

In what can only be a few seconds, Ashton is suddenly by Sofie’s side, grabbing her by the hand and taking off with her at full speed, running into the woods. Sofie sees a group of wolves behind them, moving into position between them and the hunters. The rest of the pack are covering them, growling at the poachers and onlookers to make sure that they’re not followed.

They needn’t have worried about that, the hunters are so shocked by what they’ve seen they’ve dropped their guns on the floor, mouths open. The TV crews look like they’ve just seen pigs fly. They stare after the retreating wolves, knowing that no one would believe them if they told them what they’d seen. But the cameras are still mounted on the cameramen’s shoulders and the film is still rolling. Everything that has just happened has been caught on video. Luke is the first one in the crowd to recover from his shock. He looks down at the whistle in his hand, smiling a smile that holds no trace of warmth.

***

The pack reconvenes at Ashton’s house. Sofie has been pulled through the woods, at speed by Ashton until he’s decided it would be quicker to carry her. He doesn’t say a word to her during the few minutes it takes him to run back to his place with her in his arms.

Hector has made it there before them. They find him with Lindsey, spreading Lola out onto the couch as she cries softly, hugging her shoulder. Sofie isn’t a medic, but she has some basic first aid and that seems to be more than any of the others so she steps up and gets to work.

“I need hot water, some clean towels, disinfectant, and whatever you can find to get this bullet out—tweezers, pliers, anything.” She reels off the list to whoever’s listening, and Lindsey and Hector jump into action without questioning her. “You’re going to be okay. Everything’s going to be alright, Lola. I just need you to stay still, while I take a look, okay?” She speaks calmly to Lola, amazed that she can even manage to string a sentence together.

Lola nods uncertainly but does what she’s told. She grinds her teeth together as Sofie starts probing around the bloody wound, trying to see how much damage has been done.

“What the hell were you thinking?” They’re the first words that Ashton has said to her since the shot was fire.

“Well, clearly I wasn’t thinking! I just reacted! Would you rather I hadn’t done anything? Watched while they shot her in the head instead of in the shoulder?” Sofie refuses to be made to feel guilty for trying to save a member of the pack when she knows that Ashton would have done the same in a heartbeat.

“We told you not to do anything, not to be a hero. What part of that didn’t you understand? We had it all under control!” Ashton stares at Sofie, ignoring the bleeding woman on his couch. He’s just seen the image from his dreams play out, Sofie covered in blood and Lola’s screaming in the background. He had almost lost her; it was far too close for comfort.

“Oh really? Because it didn’t look like anything was under control from where I was standing. Now, do you want to stop shouting at me so I can deal with this?” Sofie’s eyes flash with anger and as their gazes connect she sees the pain in Ashton’s eyes. She knows that he’s not pissed at her, that he’s afraid, scared that he could have lost her. But there’s no time for that conversation now; she has a more immediate problem to deal with.

Lindsey and Hector bring everything that she’s asked for, and Sofie sets about trying to disinfect everything before she attempts to draw out the bullet.

“Where is he?” Ashton doesn’t have to say who he’s talking about, they all know.

“I saw him with the rest of the pack, holding off the crowd.” Lindsey peers outside of the window, just as some of the weres come running through the trees.

“Make sure everyone’s alright. When he gets here, bring him in.” It’s an order from Ashton, not a request. Lindsey and Hector head out the door without needing further instruction.

“I’m going to need your help; I need you to hold her down while I take the bullet out. I can’t sew her up with it still inside.” Sofie is concentrating so hard on what she’s doing, she barely sees the blood that she’s covered in, barely.

“Not yet. I want Gus to see her like this—to see what he’s done.” Ashton’s voice is grim.

“You can’t be serious?” Sofie challenges him, spinning around.

“This is pack business, Sofie,” Ashton warns, but he seems to realize his mistake instantly.

“And I haven’t earned the right to speak my turn by trying to save the pack?” She looks at him with fire in her eyes.

“He’s right, Sofie.” Lola’s voice is weak, and they both turn around to look at her, as if they’d forgotten she was there. “Patching me up can wait.” Lola looks at Ashton, her head slightly bowed, as much as she can with her shoulder in the state it’s in. “I’m sorry Pack Master; I should never have betrayed you. I’m prepared to accept whatever punishment you think I deserve.”

Ashton waits a beat as if he’s weighing up the possibilities and then crosses the room, brushing past Sofie and leaning over the couch where Lola lies prone. “I think we have bigger things to worry about now than your punishment, Lola. But if you go against my orders again, I’ll kill you myself.” He reaches his hand down, clasping her good hand in his.

Sofie is taken aback by his words, but she remembers what Lindsey had said earlier, that Ashton was going to show the pack why he was the Alpha and that was exactly what he was doing.

“We’ll get you something for the pain, Lo.” Ashton straightens up, beckoning Sofie over to the kitchen. He puts water onto boil and flakes out some dried herbs from a stash in the cupboard.

Sofie recognizes the smell. “That’s the same thing you gave me that first night—when I’d hit my head.”

Ashton nods. “We call it Sanaret; it means healing. It grows in the woods, and it’s a good painkiller for weres. On humans it helps their bodies to mend.”

Sofie nods wearily, leaning against the kitchen countertop and finally looking down and taking in the blood covering her hands and her clothes.

“You saw what happened. How did the bullet do that? How did it go straight through me, like I wasn’t even there? I felt it, I felt every second that thing was inside of me. But there’s nothing.” She lifts her top, exposing her perfectly smooth stomach. The only bloodstains on her skin are Lola’s.

Ashton turns around, looking at her and he seems exhausted, like a whole lifetime has passed in the last day. He nods towards the rock, hanging around her neck. “It saved your life, like it was supposed to.”

“But…how? You said it shouldn’t work on humans. I don’t understand. I don’t understand how it’s possible.” Sofie grabs the rock in her hand, peering at it intensely as if there will be some answer there.

“You wanted to see me, Pack Master.” Gus appears in the doorway. He’s moved so silently neither of them have heard him. He looks at the ground between his feet rather than at Ashton.

Ashton doesn’t even have to say anything. Sofie wonders if he keeps his mouth shut because he’s too angry to speak. He motions towards the couch where Lola is lying, and Gus follows hesitantly.

When he sees the blood and hears Lola’s low moans of pain, he stops dead still in shock. He hovers over Lola, not knowing what to do. Lindsey and Hector follow behind, looking at him, their eyes heavy with disdain.

“Are you happy now?” Ashton stands tall, watching his second-in-command. “Is this what you wanted?”

Gus doesn’t speak, he just sinks to his knees next to Lola, holding her hand and looking like he wishes he could turn back time. They stare in silence at him for a few moments, but they all know that they’re on borrowed time.

“What the hell was that noise? The one that drew her out of hiding.” Lindsey looks around, wondering if any of them have answers. “I felt it because I was communicating with Lola, reaching out to her with my mind. It was like the sound was pulling me towards it, like gravity.”

“It looked like a whistle, but it was old, maybe made of wood. I didn’t get a good look at it. But it must be directed to weres when in wolf form, which would explain why only Lola was affected.

“But what the hell was it? Where did it come from? I’ve never seen or heard anything like that.” Hector reaches his arm out to draw Lindsey towards him, as if he is protecting her. It’s a subconscious gesture, and it’s so full of care that it touches Sofie’s heart.

“I have.” Those two words make everyone stare at Ashton. “Well, I’ve heard of it. There were only a few in existence; they were supposed to have been lost centuries ago. They were made from wolfsbane.”

“Wolfsbane?” Sofie looks between them all, wondering what she’s missing.

“It’s a plant, not great for humans but lethal to werewolves.” Lindsey looks at Ashton as she explains, her eyes filled with fear.

“What does it look like?” Sofie looks between them all.

“Purple flower, bright green leaves. Why?” Lindsey looks at her curiously.

Sofie pulls the memory of her dream from the recesses of her mind. It’s the dream in which Ashton is running after her and in her hands she’s holding that flower—wolfsbane. She shakes her head, not knowing how to answer Lindsey. “It means that Luke must know about the pack. He must have known that they weren’t ordinary wolves in the canyon. But how? And where the hell did he get the device from?” Sofie looks around at the assembly, waiting for someone to give her any kind of an answer.

“Just as there have been werewolves for centuries, so too have there been hunters,” Lindsey explains.

“Some men were jealous of the power of the were; some wanted to hunt us for sport. However, few men knew how to kill us. They could harm us but killing a were is not like killing any other animal. We can heal from almost anything. If Luke has a wolf caller, then he may be even more of an enemy than we had feared.” Ashton starts pacing up and down the room, a sign that Sofie knows means that he’s close to blowing up.

“But Luke’s just the beginning. All the news crews saw what happened out there. They saw Lola change from a wolf into a woman; they saw Hector transform into a werewolf in mid-air. Whatever Luke may have suspected before today, now he’s got all the proof he needs.” Sofie feels the familiar stab of pain in her temples as her headache blooms with a vengeance. She catches Lindsey looking at her, her eyes concerned; but, whatever question she’s about to ask is wiped from her mind.

Ashton has stopped pacing, and instead, he’s flown at Gus, taking a swing at him. Ashton lifts Gus up to his feet and knocks him down again. Gus doesn’t even bother to defend himself, he just takes it as Ashton continues to pummel him. “This is on you, Gus. What the fuck were you thinking? I trusted you!” Ashton is screaming in Gus’s face, a face that is now bruised and bloodied. Gus doesn’t say anything, and Ashton pulls his fist back to hit him again; but, he’s stopped by Hector and Lindsey. Both have to use all their strength to pull Ashton off of him.

Gus hangs his head in shame, kneeling down in front of Ashton. “I never meant to disrespect you. I was scared for the pack; I lost my way. You’re right Pack Master. This is on me. I disobeyed pack law. I got Lola hurt and now everyone knows about us. I know what comes next. What happened is my fault, and I deserve to be punished. I offer you my head.” He keeps his eyes on the floor, waiting for Ashton to do whatever comes next.