Page 39 of Deception

Another wolf darted forward, nipping at Drew’s haunches as he looked for Summer. She was on her hind legs, clawing wildly at a wolf who attacked from the front. Her side was stained red, and her lips pulled back as she snarled and snapped. Another wolf closed in on her from behind.

No way. Not on his watch.

Drew had never moved so fast nor felt such fury. With one vicious swipe, he sent one wolf tumbling. Thank goodness Summer scrambled out of the way, because momentum carried Drew right over the second wolf, nearly crushing Summer.

A gunshot split the air, and everyone jolted. Including him. And Summer. And whoa — even the wolves.

For a split second, the fight paused.

“Keep him right there,” Gretchen sneered, feeding a bullet into the chamber of an old-fashioned six-shooter.

The sun glinted off silver, and Drew’s blood ran cold. Gretchen was loading silver bullets. Gretchen wanted to kill his mate.

Summer’s snarl turned to a yelp of alarm. The wolves backed off, forming a barrier between him and Gretchen to buy their leader time. Every snarl, every bark said,Now what, bear? Now what are you going to do?

He couldn’t beat a silver bullet. No shifter could. But he wasn’t beaten yet.

Run, Summer! Get away!His mental shout wasn’t a request. It was an order. The only order he’d ever throw his mate’s way, because it meant her life. He launched himself at the wolves, determined to bust through. Even if Gretchen shot him, it would give Summer time to flee.

No, Drew. Please!Summer cried.

“Stop!” a voice boomed from the right. A human voice. Someone else was joining the fray. Thomas, maybe?

Drew didn’t stop to look, because Gretchen was raising the barrel and taking aim at Summer.

No!he roared, plunging forward toward the wolves. One scrambled backward and tumbled right into Gretchen, who went sprawling.

“You fool!”

Pfft!An arrow sliced through the air where Gretchen had just stood, but with its target gone, the arrow clattered off a rock.

Drew pushed forward, fighting the weight of three wolves who’d jumped on his back in a desperate assault. Gretchen reached for her fallen gun. Shit, he had to stop her. But his steps were too slow. Sharp wolf teeth sliced into his flesh, and he bellowed in frustration.

No. He could not fail. Not now.

He pushed forward, steamrolling over a wolf. His ear burned where one of the beasts practically hung from it, trying to pull him down.

“Gretchen, no!” Thomas boomed in a clear alpha order. “Stop!”

His stern voice was enough to make her followers hesitate, but not Gretchen. Her fingers closed around the gun.

“Stop me,” she sneered.

Drew!Summer cried from far too close.

He couldn’t turn to face her. All he could do was chuff, urging her to get away while he plowed on. More wolves piled on him in a coordinated tackle, making him feel mired in mud.

Pfft!Another arrow whizzed by, and a wolf screamed then fell.

The archer had to be Rae — a Twin Moon she-wolf. No other shifter carried a bow, let alone shot silver-tipped arrows. Which meant Thomas wasn’t the only one trying to stop the fight. If the Twin Moon wolves had arrived on the scene, too…

His hopes rose, then fell. It didn’t matter who had come to help. Gretchen had silver-tipped projectiles of her own, which meant she could take down the mightiest wolf and the fiercest warrior.

He shook himself free of the pileup and raced toward Gretchen, who was raising the barrel toward Thomas.

“You think you can just waltz into this pack and change everything?” she screamed. “You think our cause can be stamped out?”

Drew snorted. He was the one with a just cause, and Gretchen was only four steps away. But, shit, she’d spotted him and was whipping around.

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