Page 43 of Pack Nightmare

Just then, the crunch of gravel draws our attention to a new vehicle arriving, and the guys once again cluster around me.

To my absolute shock, Amber and several members of the football team, including the Westley twins, pile out of a large black SUV.

Amber runs up to hug me, and the guys step away. “You guys okay? We saw that car come in and let Milo know, but we figured when we didn’t hear back, we should just come check it out and see if you needed help.”

“You guys followed us all the way here to help me?” Warmth pools in my chest, spreading outward.

Amber grins. “Of course, you’re our alpha, and besides, we’re friends, right?” The guys all grunt and mumble in agreement.

My eyes dart to Milo. “You did this?”

He shrugs. “It seemed prudent to have a backup plan.”

“Well, thanks,” I tell him. “And thank you guys for being here. But I think we ought to go. Just follow us back to the main road-”

“Hey Leaf!” Azalea’s shout sends a trickle of icy dread down my spine, and as one we turn to face her.

She strides in our direction, hands innocently at her sides, smiling coyly.

“What do you want, Azalea? We’re leaving.”

“I just wanted to return something of yours.” The static feeling of her magic crackles over my skin, and my wolf starts clawing to escape again.

Derrek waves a hand, encouraging us to get back in the cars. “Whatever it is, I’m sure I don’t want it.” He turns and places a palm on my shoulder, guiding me to the vehicle.

It happens in a split second: a sharp crack of powers echoes through the clearing, followed by feet crunching on gravel, then a wet smacking noise. By the time I’m able to turn back around, Azalea is grinning evilly, her arm outstretched in my direction. A heavy thud sounds at my feet, and I look down to see one of the Westley twins on the ground, a dark red stain spreading across his white t-shirt, and a silver knife handle sticking out of his back. A blood-curdling shriek rips from Amber’s chest, and she dives to his side. The wail coming from her can only mean one thing: this was Jeremy, her fated.

Azalea cackles. “Well, I certainly didn’t see that coming! But pack loyalty has always come with a heavy price, hasn’t it? Anyway, there’s your knife back, Leaf. I thought you should know, if you decide to grow a pair and finish the job, the pack would welcome you back. Tata!”

She turns and strides back into the house.

Dropping to my knees, I try to stop Amber from pulling the knife out of his chest. “No, Amber, we have to leave it in, it’ll just make him bleed out faster.” One of the boys from her car pulls her arms back, keeping her away from the handle. She screams and struggles, but he’s got a hold of her. I’m no doctor, but even I can tell my advice is basically useless. The blood has poured from him in a river, mixing with the rainwater and turning the ground puddles a dark, rusty red. And he’s not moving.

“Keep an eye on the house,” Derrek commands. “Let me know if she sticks one toe back outside.”

He crouches down beside me and tips Jeremy’s body up, only to confirm what I feared: the knife has gone completely through to the other side.

“Lex, there’s nothing we can do,” he says softly. “Even if it were a normal wound, we wouldn’t be able to save him. It’s gone straight through his heart… he’s already gone.”

“What do you mean, a normal wound?” I ask, shock making me hyper-fixate on details. It’s just too much to process.

“It’s a spelled blade. It would take enormous amounts of magic to heal any wound made by it, let alone one that’s instantly fatal.”

“How do you know that? It could just be a normal knife, right?”

“I’m sorry Lex, but I know. I recognize it—it’s mine.”

My heart sinks, and my body starts to tremble. “No,” I say, softly, under my breath. “No!” I reach out with my senses, but aside from the grief and fury from the pack members standing around me, I can’t sense anything from Jeremy. It’s as if she snuffed his light out like a candle. It’s just… gone. I can’t connect to him anymore.

Fury builds under my skin, hot and bubbling, replacing the sick, trembling feeling with something powerful and hard as steel.

I stand, glaring at the house. At the witch who just casually tossed a knife at my back and murdered one of my pack.

I get one step away before the vice-like grip of three sets of hands is upon me.

“Let me go,” I snarl. “I have to avenge my pack!”

“Lex, you can’t! This isn’t the place. You can’t shift right now, and she’ll kill you.” Milo makes sense, but at this moment, I refuse to listen to reason.

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